http://www.thepulsemag.com/wordpress/2007/03/0407-10-years-of-dvd A Lifestyle & Entertainment Magazine Fri, 18 May 2012 01:41:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.thepulsemag.com/wordpress/2007/03/0407-10-years-of-dvd/comment-page-1#comment-36594 WorcesterMovies.com Wed, 04 Apr 2007 23:52:09 +0000 http://thepulsemag.com/wordpress/2007/03/0407-10-years-of-dvd/#comment-36594 [...] 3 NEEDLES [NR] War movies often contain a scene in which a general rallies his troops with a rousing speech, conveying their need to fight together or die alone. While the war against AIDS may be a different type of war, its rallying cry remains the same. This social commentary from The Event writer-director Thom Fitzgerald chronicles the spread of HIV/AIDS throughout three continents: Africa, Asia, and North America. Fitzgerald presents three separate, loosely connected stories, attempting to unify the masses under one banner, but unfortunately, his scope is a bit broad and would benefit from additional editing. Visually stunning, cinematographer Tom Harting deserves special recognition, as his panoramic shots of rural China and the coastal region of southern Africa are stirringly beautiful. The characters are intriguing – particularly veteran actors Chloë Sevigny and Lucy Liu – but their motivations are never fully realized, with a few of them quite unrealistic within the context in which they are presented. While film’s intention is clear, not until the very end does it pose the question, “In this time when all of mankind has a common enemy in this virus, why have we not joined together at last to fight it?” Unquestionably virtuous, the final product is somewhat diminished by its focus on corruption, self-interest, and greed which, as presented, begs the argument that mankind itself is its own worst enemy. –Gregory Johnson COME EARLY MORNING [R] Ashley Judd may have been taking it easy the last couple years, but in Kevin Smith protégé Joey Lauren Adams’s promising debut as a writer-director, she proves that she is more than just the pretty-faced strong girl she has played in so many Hollywood hits. She plays a 30-something Southern girl with a drinking problem who chooses to break from a love life consisting mostly of sneaking away in the morning. Far more subtle than Maggie Gyllenhaal’s turn in the gritty SherryBaby, Judd, thanks to some emotionally smart writing and confident direction, shows that she’s not doomed to a lifetime of, well…Lifetime. –Robert Newton Learn about the history of DVD on this, its 10th anniversary. [...] [...] 3 NEEDLES [NR] War movies often contain a scene in which a general rallies his troops with a rousing speech, conveying their need to fight together or die alone. While the war against AIDS may be a different type of war, its rallying cry remains the same. This social commentary from The Event writer-director Thom Fitzgerald chronicles the spread of HIV/AIDS throughout three continents: Africa, Asia, and North America. Fitzgerald presents three separate, loosely connected stories, attempting to unify the masses under one banner, but unfortunately, his scope is a bit broad and would benefit from additional editing. Visually stunning, cinematographer Tom Harting deserves special recognition, as his panoramic shots of rural China and the coastal region of southern Africa are stirringly beautiful. The characters are intriguing – particularly veteran actors Chloë Sevigny and Lucy Liu – but their motivations are never fully realized, with a few of them quite unrealistic within the context in which they are presented. While film’s intention is clear, not until the very end does it pose the question, “In this time when all of mankind has a common enemy in this virus, why have we not joined together at last to fight it?” Unquestionably virtuous, the final product is somewhat diminished by its focus on corruption, self-interest, and greed which, as presented, begs the argument that mankind itself is its own worst enemy. –Gregory Johnson COME EARLY MORNING [R] Ashley Judd may have been taking it easy the last couple years, but in Kevin Smith protégé Joey Lauren Adams’s promising debut as a writer-director, she proves that she is more than just the pretty-faced strong girl she has played in so many Hollywood hits. She plays a 30-something Southern girl with a drinking problem who chooses to break from a love life consisting mostly of sneaking away in the morning. Far more subtle than Maggie Gyllenhaal’s turn in the gritty SherryBaby, Judd, thanks to some emotionally smart writing and confident direction, shows that she’s not doomed to a lifetime of, well…Lifetime. –Robert Newton Learn about the history of DVD on this, its 10th anniversary. [...]

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