When Charlie Chaplin tackles an issue, nothing is simple or straight-forward, and his take on the ’Gold Rush’ in Alaska, is no exception, stringing up a series of hilarious, outrageous and yet very thoughtful events to create a story that is sure to [...]
When people watched "Saving Private Ryan" in theaters, many were shocked by the display of violence in the film, especially during the first 30 minutes, claiming that it was such an atypical attitude for director Steven Spielberg. Since it is [...]
Special effects maestro Ray Harryhausen has fueled nightmares and daydreams for over 40 years. While today’s filmmakers need small armies of technicians to wave their digital wands, Ray was a one-man special effects house, supplying fantastic visions to [...]
The first time I watched "The Firm" years ago, I was mesmerized by its almost hypnotic feel that weaves its way through the films latter third. A real-life thriller adapted from the novel by John Grisham, the film is not only one of those films [...]
When it was released theatrically – appropriately on Independence Day, July 4, 1996 – Roland Emmerich’s science fiction action film "Independence Day" quickly became a box office sensation. Although the film does have its flaws, [...]
’Snow Falling on Cedars’ is a film, which is based on a prize-winning novel by David Guterson. It has a very serious, and detailed plot, which gets somehow lost in the lush camerawork by director Scott Hicks. The film takes place in the Pacific [...]
Turning a comic book into a feature film is no easy task, as many Hollywood studios can certainly attest. When Golden Harvest, Hong Kong’s largest film studio, and special-effects company Centro teamed up to use one of Hong Kong’s best-selling comic [...]
Satisfying as well as infuriating, the movies of Mel Brooks invariably swing between affectionate parody ("Young Frankenstein") and vulgar spoofs ("Blazing Saddles"). Yet he is not afraid to sprinkle in commentary about the human [...]
Disney continues their monthly ’Gold Collection’ DVD releases with 1995’s ’Pocahontas’. As with the other titles in the ’Gold Collection’, ’Pocahontas’ offers a mixed bag as far as overall quality and bonus features. The film itself is [...]
China has a very rich and intriguing history, much of which is either unknown to most Western people, or so bewildering that most people simply lose track of who was who and who did what when. Columbia TriStar Home Video has now prepared a beautiful DVD [...]
