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''RABBIT-PROOF FENCE'' -- A true story from one of a
reprehensible period. Molly, Daisy
and Grace are taken away from their Aboriginal mothers
because their fathers are black and sent to a
relocation camp. They are trained to be domestics and
to "fit in" into the white world, but they decide to
walk home. Unfortunately, home is
more than 1,500 miles away. Awesome cinematography and
score and jolting performances particularly from
Everlyn Sampi make this one of the best movies this year. -- Carlos deVillalvilla DVD
"RADIO" -- A taciturn high school football coach (Ed Harris) launches an unlikely friendship with a mentally challenged man (Cuba Gooding Jr.), who blossoms in life. From a shy, silent young man, Radio becomes an outgoing, cheerful, walking hug who captures the hearts of a community. Terrific performances by Harris and Gooding, supported by the wonderful Debra Winger, S. Epatha Merkerson and Alfre Woodard. A feelgood movie. Bring lots of hankies.
INDIANA JONES AND THE "RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK" -- Filmmakers Steven Spielberg and George Lucas teamed up to recreate the Saturday adventure serials of the 1930s and 1940s, and succeeded beyond anybody's imagining, with the help of actor Harrison Ford. This 1981 release pits the whip-wielding Jones against the Nazis in a search for the Lost Ark of the Covenant.
We review the DVD set released in 2003.
"RANDOM HEARTS" -- All the right elements: A bankable star, a respected director and a terrific concept. But it doesn't work. Harrison Ford's wife and Kristinn Scott-Thomas's husband both perish on a plane flight they weren't supposed to be on; Ford, a dogged internal affairs cop, seeks to discover why. His dogged determination to discover the root of corruption help make this as unwatchable a movie as Ford has ever made.
"RANDOM HEARTS" -- It's not a romance, it's a mystery and a character study, with good performances from Harrison Ford and Kristin Scott Thomas and thought-provoking direction from Sydney Pollack. An excellent film.
"RED PLANET" -- When the terraforming of Mars
appears to be failing, a desperate Earth -- dying of its own neglect and pollution -- dispatches experts to get the program back ontrack. Things go wrong and a team led by Val Kilmer is stranded with a homicidal robot and a mystery. Plot holes and hokey speeches mar what is otherwise servicable eye candy.
"ROCKY" -- It's a trick to remember what a stunning success this movie was 25 years ago, or that it was actually a good movie, and worth watching. A new DVD of it is a treat and a worthwhile tribute to Stallone before he mushed into the garbage he made later.
"THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW" -- Tim Curry as the mascaraed, garter-belted party-hardy rock 'n' roll alien from the planet Transsexual Transylvania. A midnight-movie classic and a great fun ride at home. The 25th anniversary DVD is a treat.
"THE RUNDOWN" -- Budding action star The Rock stars as a bounty hunter sent to the Amazon to retrieve a mobster's son (Seann William Scott) who also knows the location of a priceless artifact, netting the attention of a corrupt gold mine owner (Christopher Walken) who chases the duo into the jungle. The Rock lampoons his image while enhancing it, and director Peter Berg deftly weaves comedy and action into a cohesive whole. Wonderful entertainment.
"RUSSIAN ARK" -- A visually stunning and compelling film, shot in one continuous take at the famed Hermitage museum in St. Petersburg. As viewers careen through the halls, galleries and salons of the Hermitage, they encounter figures from history who lived and worked there, ranging from Peter the Great to modern-day Russians. Overwhelming in scope, it's an opportunity to learn more about Russian history and art. |