3Deep Movie Reviews

In one of the greatest time travel episodes, "Trials and Tribble-ations" found the crew of the Defiant visiting the K-9 space station. They happened to arrive just as Captain Kirk and crew (from TOS) were engaged in what was the episode "The Trouble with Tribbles." The set direction, lighting, and fight sequences were all designed to fit seemlessly into the original series episode. All-in-all a fun time.

The serious nature of the season as a whole gave way to a couple of fun episodes. Overall, an excellent season.

The extras are more of the same with interviews from John Eves, illustrator of Deep Space Nine. I only wish that we could see more of the designs that didn't make it to TV. Armin Shimmerman provides a few insights of the Ferenginar homeworld.

My favourite episodes are (in no particular order):
- APOCALYPSE RISING (Sisko is formidable as a Klingon)
- LOOKING FOR PAR'MACH IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES (Cyrano de Bergerac in space with a twist)
- NOR THE BATTLE TO THE STRONG (great acting by Cirroc Lofton as Jake)
- THE ASSIGNMENT (Another "Let's toruture O'Brien" episode. Rosalind Chao gives a creepy performance as the possessed Keiko)
- TRIALS AND TRIBBLE-ATIONS (the famous "crossover" episode)
- THINGS PAST (Odo's past catches up with him)
- THE ASCENT (Quark and Odo make a great duo)
- THE DARKNESS AND THE LIGHT (A kind of "Ten Little Indians" in space)
- THE BEGOTTEN (Odo gets his shapeshifing abilities back in a special (and moving) way)
- IN PURGATORY'S SHADOW / BY INFERNO'S LIGHT (One of the best double-lengths episodes of the series, in which one of Garak's secrets is revealed)
- TIES OF BLOOD AND WATER (we learn more about Kira's past)
- CHILDREN OF TIME (One of the best episodes of the season that shows what Odo is capable of)
- BLAZE OF GLORY (Eddington says goodbye with a bang)
- EMPOK NOR (Although a little predictable, still very good in terms of both action and acting)
- CALL TO ARMS (the start of the Dominion war, and one of the best season endings)

The special features are all in the same league with the other season, with two features on TRIAL AND TRIBBLE-ATIONS, which are rather interesting, MICHAEL WESTMORE'S ALIENS, O'BRIEN'S CREW DOSSIER (which could have been a little longer) and 10 hidden files.

VOL. 4: BATTLEGROUND: ***** out of *****

This is the third best of the NADIA DVDs; we are treated to more character development (Nadia disrespecting other people who have opinions different from hers about killing and eating meat, Jean's insatiable curiosity and love for technology and Nadia), terrific action sequences (a wonderfully paced and executed chase sequence in Episode 13 where Marie and Sanson outrun a mechanical walker), heartfelt moments (Jean painfully getting a glimpse of the dangers of technology when it claims the life of a new friend of his, as well as he and Nadia bonding throughout the volume, especially the last episode), and some truly imaginative artwork (the lost kingdom of Atlantis on the last episode). Definitely a nice pickup after Vol. 3, although not as strong as Vol. 2 or emotionally satisfying as Vol. 10.

VOL. 6: THE DEEP BLUE SEA: **** out of *****

The first two episodes are the best, but the later two episodes are the beginning of the Island Episode Arc, which, as I mention in my later reviews, is weaker than the first 22 episodes, with some disjointed plotting, uneven animation, occasionally bland artwork, and some uncharacteristic exaggerations from our characters. It is also here that Nadia begins to get on our nerves even more by becoming more bratty, crazy, and selfish; reacting impulsively rather than learning any lessons, and only Jean's gentle love, patience, and compassion can save her from falling prey to her inner demons. Admittingly, it is funny for a while, but it soon gets out of hand, particularly on Volumes 7 and 8. Still, it, along with the aforementioned volumes, is worth the price.

OVERALL: ****1/2 out of *****

Volume 6 is slightly weaker than Volume 4 (due to its uneven plot jumping), but both volumes are must-gets, nevertheless, especially for NADIA fans.

Based on the world of Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and using an outline created by Hayao Miyazaki (known for his magnificent works like Totoro, Laputa, Princess Mononoke, and Kiki's Delivery Service), it takes place in 1899, at the World's Expo in Paris. Young Jean, a genius inventor obsessed with flight, is present to compete in the heavier-than-air flight challenge. He is, however, smitten when a mysterious, dark-skinned girl goes by, and he chases after her. The girl, Nadia, knows nothing of her own past, not even sure of where she comes from originally; the only remainder of her past life is a huge jewel called the Blue Water. Unfortunately, the Blue Water is being sought out by a number of forces, and pursue Jean and Nadia from Paris to the open sea to hidden fortresses. Their adventures feature gadgetry ranging from simple gliders to a multi-formed Victorian steam-tech transforming gadget called the Gratan, and weapons from normal bullets to the mighty Tower of Babel, a super-weapon capable of wiping cities from the earth. Captain Nemo and his Nautilus play a large part, though their origin is different from that of Verne's original.

The music is first-rate, and most of the episodes are wonderful as well, with some being pure character interaction and others slam-bang action second to none. The only flaw in the series is the infamous "island sequence" which not only doesn't advance the plot but features second-rate animation and truly stupid plot (if it can be called that); this was apparently due to Gainax realizing they were running short of money and needed to save some for a while in order to be able to make the finale of the series live up to the beginning.

Nonetheless, this is a top-notch anime series, good for any age range, and worth viewing whether you're 9 or 90.

You will love it!!

The show gets off to a slow start, with two ballads featuring Purple keyboardist Jon Lord on grand piano and the orchestra. The first, Pictured Within, has a singer named Miller Anderson on vocals. The second song, Wait Awhile, features Sam Brown, a female vocalist who has recorded several solo albums, and has also toured with Pink Floyd as a backup singer. Neither of these songs is very good, and are the primary reason why I'm not giving this release a five star review.

After the dull opening, Lord and orchestra are joined by most of his Deep Purple bandmates, bassist Roger Glover, drummer Ian Paice, and guitarist Steve Morse, along with Ronnie James Dio. With this configuration (plus a few backup singers and violinist Graham Preskett) the group performs two Glover penned songs, Sitting In A Dream and Love Is All. These songs are drawn from Butterfly Ball And The Grasshopper's Feast, a conceptual work that Glover released in the mid 70's. It's interesting that the band would choose to spotlight such obscure songs, but I think in the end, these two songs are played rather well.

Following this, Dio and Morse both leave the stage, and the remaining three members of Purple and Preskett, plus the infamous Kick Horns (who ruined many a classic song when they toured with The Who in 89) tear into the classic Purple instrumental Wring That Neck. I suppose if this was someone else paying tribute to Purple, I'd regard this as a great arrangement, but I was expecting to hear Steve Morse play on this track. Like I said, it's a good arrangement, and I suppose the band gets points for trying something different.

After this, show the REALLY picks up steam, as they present Lord's Concerto For Group And Orchestra, a piece that Purple originally recorded in 69, and which hadn't played much since then, until circumstances brought upon the inspiration to resurrect the piece 3 decades later.

So, what does the Concerto sound like? Well, it sounds like exactly what I had imagined it to be, ie a mix of an orchestra playing classical sounding music with the classic Purple sound. Some of the orchestral interludes seem to go on a bit, but I think in general, it's very successful in mixing classical and hard rock music. There's a couple bits during the second movement, where Ian Gillan sings, but it's mostly an instrumental piece.

After the Concerto, the band performs a handful of 90's era songs, before ending the set with Pictures Of Home. The encore is, of course, Smoke On The Water, performed with the full cast of musicians, along with members of The Steve Morse Band and a second guitarist who isn't really identified (he's not mentioned on the back cover, though presumably his name is amongst those listed under the word "Guests" in the closing credits). Dio and Gillan trade off on vocals, and suprisingly, the orchestra, Kick Horns and even the back up singers (I HATE back up singers, what does a rock group like Deep Purple need back up singers for?) sound great.

To those who demur at the idea of Deep Purple without Ritchie Blackmore, I might point out Steve Morse is a genius. He's had a long career playing with The Dregs during the 70's as well as The Steve Mores Band and Kansas during the 80's. He twice got so sick of the business of the music industry that he quit and took a normal job, but found the pull of playing music too strong to stay away from his first love. He does a perfect job at filling Blackmore's shoes.

As I said before, the only reason I'm giving this DVD a four star review instead of five is because of the two boring Jon Lord songs that open the disc. I think it would have been better if they had started out with a few Purple songs, then the Concerto, then more Purple material to wrap up with. Maybe they could have stuck the songs the songs featuring Miller Anderson (WHO IS Miller Anderson, anyway?!), Sam Brown and Ronnie James Dio in the middle someplace, but I think it was a bad idea to start with them.

Anyway, I think this is a nice release, and once they get into the actual portion of the show that features Deep Purple, it's fantastic.

Deep Purple was the first band to truly demonstrate the concept of Symphonic Rock. YES, Tull, and even Metallica are all Johnnie Come Latelys.

How does one improve upon perfection... get this DVD and see for yourself. And to the guy who commented on Steve Morse (the new kid), Morse makes Ritchie Blackmore seem like an old arthritic blues picker... Steve Morse reinvented Deep Purple and it shows.

Deep Cover shows Officer Stevens' (Fishburne) assignment to infiltrate the drug business as John Hull - A typical street dealer, from the seedy streets of Los Angeles to the wealthy Latin American cartels, who operate with controvertial political influence. Officer Steven's personal conscience is at stake throughout the undercover assignment having witnessed his own father's violent death as a child.

The movie if it's your thing deserves full points however, even if it's not your cup of tea, the peformances of Fishburne and Goldblum are definitely worthy of the curious viewer's attention.

However, I think the film lost focus when Omar was pulled off his undercover job in the middle. And the ending is somewhat tame and tasteless

Season 7 tied up most of the loose ends from the previous six years. As Executive Producer and writer Ira Steve Behr noted, DS9 evolved without any clear cut plan in mind beyond the current season. In many respects, that was the to the series' advantage. Jadzia Daz, Worf's wife and fellow officer, is murdered at the conclusion of season six and it appears that the evil spirits of the Pah-wraith have taken control. The Dominion looks like they will actually win the war and Gul Dukat, Sisko's doppleganger and foe,has over the course of seasons 6 and 7 gone completely insane.

Worf must deal with the loss of his mate and his world continues to crumble as the Daz symbiot returns as Ezri Daz (played by the marvelous and beautiful Nicole deBoer) bring back ghosts he'd thought he had put behind him. Sisko has returned to Earth taking a leave of absence from the Federation to work at his father's restaurant. Image In The Sand opens with Sisko trying to uncover the mystery of his mother's death and his visions. An attempt on his life makes him rethink his isolation from the world. Other strong episodes include After Image where Garak has massive anxiety attacks related to his role in helping the Federation overturn the Cardassian Empire. He feels like a traitor even though Cardassia is now just a pawn of the Dominion. Chrysalis focuses on Julian Bashir's love affair with another genetically enhanced individual who, until recently, was in something of a catatonic state. The best episode for me is Treachery, Faith and The Great River. Weyoun one of the genetically engineered overseers of the Jem H'adar betrays the Dominion. He gives information to the Federation in return for asylum. Evidently he's been judged defective and the Dominion has elected to terminate him and replace him with yet another clone.

Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges and Extreme Measures reintroduces Section 31 the secret cell that operates within the Federation. This secret organization will do anything, regardless of ethics or morality, to insure the Federation wins the war against the Dominion. Willian Sadler is superb as Sloan who tries to recruit Bashir in the former. In the latter episode, Bashir must enter the dying man's mind to find a cure for the wasting disease that was introduced to destroy the Founders (the leaders of the Dominion) by Section 31. It threatens the Founders and Odo who was used to introduce the disease to his people.

The grand finale is a marvelous two parter that doesn't provide complete resolution but, like the best novels, leaves enough loose ends to make the series interesting. I don't want to spoil it as there are a number of powerful surprises.

While season 7 didn't quite live up to seasons 4, 5 & 6 it was a strong send off for the series. Unlike The Next Generation (which I still love despite its flaws), on DS9 not everyone got along and the conflicts made the show that much more interesting. Oh, and if you purchase seasons 6 & 7 you'll get $20.00 back from Paramount (a similar promotion was used for Next Gen). A great series (not just a great Star Trek series)rode off into the sunset without ever looking back.

The continuing story lines are well crafted and the final strech drive has so many threads unwinding at once it reminds me of a TV equivilancy to Steaphen King's The Stand. It was outlined and executed very well; the writing staff did a wonderful job giving each story its deserved attention...thank you!

This show truly shines in the struggles that the characters go through and in the way that they fight with and for each other. The sence of family--which is what gives Star Trek its unwavering uniqness--is what really drives Deep Space Nine. We care for these people, because the people making the show cared. There is pride you feel from watching it, discussing it, you just know that something special has been created. And it has been. It fits in well with the ST universe, yet it stands at a distance from the rest of the franchise, due to the pain that our characters endure through a seven year story, and through the unresolved stories that pull us away from formulaic drama. Filled with tragedy to the end, where we fall, and hope for resserection, and try to move on.

Anchor Bay's restoration of the complete Italian version is another matter altogether. Except for the extra material added to Hemmings' search of 'The House of the Screaming Child' (where an important clue is literally concealed in the brickwork), none of the additional material adds anything truly significant to the film and simply slows the pace down to a crawl. Whereas the characters were once defined by their experiences, now they become bogged down in dialogue scenes which are allowed to ramble well beyond the point of no return. These shortcomings are amplified in the English version of the film (which preserves Hemmings' distinctive voice and, by default, his terrific performance), where the additional scenes are presented in Italian with English subtitles, an unfortunate necessity which some viewers will find incredibly distracting. The original Italian soundtrack is also available on the disc, with subtitles throughout, and this is a much more satisfying experience, though it remains overlong and self-indulgent.

But the true majesty of "Deep Red" remains inherent in Anchor Bay's anamorphic (2.35:1) DVD release. Except for minor print damage which appears as speckles on the far right of the image (99 minutes into the film and continuing for several minutes thereafter), the DVD print is bright, clean and beautiful. This was Argento's return to the giallo movie following his disastrous detour into comedy ("Le Cinque Giornate"), and the first time he was allowed to 'let rip' with cinematic abandon. The results are magnificent - camerawork, editing and production design conspire to turn the convoluted script into a baroque masterwork which thrives on offbeat imagery and chilling use of music: The child's song which pre-empts the shocking murders; the heart-stopping moment when Hemmings catches a glimpse of Meril at her apartment window, screaming soundlessly as the killer advances on her from behind, a shot which is both horrific and profoundly humane at the same time; the crazy-surreal mannikin which appears from nowhere and 'confronts' a potential victim; and the climactic revelation when Hemmings slots the final piece of the puzzle into place, thereby revealing the killer's true identity. There's a wealth of equally stunning images in this extraordinary film, even if Anchor Bay's definitive print reveals the tragic flaws in Argento's original vision. Look out for fine supporting performances, too, by Daria Nicolodi, Gabriele Lavia and Clara Calamai in pivotal roles. DVD running time: 126m 28s.

The original mono soundtrack has been ditched in favor of 5.1 audio playback, but Argento's films have always benefitted from this kind of revision, and the results here are genuinely impressive. There's a couple of trailers and a short documentary on the film, dedicated to co-writer Bernardino Zapponi who died in February 2000. By the way, "Deep Red" contains the only questionable shot in Argento's entire filmography: The activities of a sadistic little girl are represented by a lizard with a needle driven through its body (for real). There's no excuse for it - Argento could have demonstrated the child's monstrous pathology in a thousand other ways.

That said, get your sea legs, load the double-barrel shotgun, and let's venture into the hold of this derelict. Is "Deep Rising" worth a look? Well let me ask you a few questions:

Do you like the idea of lots of bloodshed, wanton carnage, and wholesale slaughter?

Do you like the prospect of watching the gorgeous (and water-logged) Famke Janssen clamber around a derelict ocean-liner for nearly two hours?

Do you like movies about voracious, wicked sea-beasties that eat first and ask questions later?

Do you like seeing movies in which Evil Cowardly Villains get their just desserts in exactly the fashion they deserve, screaming and mewling in pain and horror?

Have you ever wondered what it's like to buzz around a luxury ocean liner on a ski-doo?

If you answered "yes" to even one of the questions above, then "Deep Rising" is for you. Sommers is the Leonardo da Vinci of the Action Film, and he keeps the pace taut, the dialogue crisp, the blood flowing like cheap Merlot, and the bodycount rising into the double digits! Best of all, you get the sadly underrated Treat Williams as the gruff and mercenary boat-captain-with-a-heart-of-gold (he'd be wearing a fedora and wielding a whip if Sommers thought he could get away with it)
unwittingly transporting a gaggle of terrorists to a cruise-liner for pillage and plunder.

Plot? You want plot? Fine. The terrorists are after loot hidden away on a luxury cruise liner on its maiden voyage, a liner owned by a greedy shipping tycoon played by Anthony Heald. Fun stuff!

A downside to this Pleasure Ship of Death? The CGI graphics, which nearly undo the movie's creepy, ghoulish, uber-gory vibe: the creature itself looks atrocious and has far too much freedom of movement to be truly scary. Sommers should have recognized that with a film of this type, less is more, and stuck with prosthetics.

But I'm quibbling. "Deep Rising" is a perfect little horror flick and just what the doctor ordered if you're in the mood for hungry undersea beasties, gore galore, amoral and greedy villains, and a healthy selection of panicked victims-to-be, to say nothing of the best axe-killing scene this side of "The Shining." Make sure you get a cabin with a picture window and sea-view---Tickets, please.

It's not just the gags that I like, either. There's something about the beginning of the film that I find curiously evocative - this high tech speedboat racing racing racing with single-minded, straight-line purpose toward an unknown destination in complete darkness. The fact that the audience knows what the crew will find when they arrive makes it more tantalizing.

Still, with a B-movie one must have B-movie expectations. The CG effects are only average and often unconvincing. The plot motivations are ridiculous. The acting ranges from extremely engaging (Treat Williams) to labored (Anthony Heald).

The DVD presentation is sparse (typical for a Hollywood Pictures release). The transfer is great, but non-anamorphic. There is a trailer, but nothing else of note. The sound quality is exceptionally good.

Sorry to go back to this comparison, but here I go anyway. Where DEEP BLUE SEA is lofty, DEEP RISING is lowbrow. Both are decent films, and each has its strengths over the other, but since this one is a heckuvalot of fun (and the other just plain isn't), I'd rather watch DEEP RISING again.

I hope you found this review informative! Thanks for reading.

The human cast is not bad either. Treat Williams as "Finnegan" is a steady, likeable leading man, delivering some incredibly silly lines with an engaging smirk on his face. Pickpocket Famke Janssen, is dynamite in a red dress, and handles a gun like a pro. Comic relief is provided by Kevin J. O'Connor as "Joey", a character you will either love or hate. Anthony Heald as "Canton" the pompous ships owner, provides the "weasel factor". The hard-boiled mercenary group, led by "Hanover"(Wes Studi), ably performs their most critical function, that of being bloody fodder for the monster.

The plot enfolds in time tested fashion. Finnegan is hired to take a group of mercenaries to an unknown location at sea. They rendezvous with the "Argonautica" a disabled cruise ship, expecting to find it filled with passengers, only to discover just a handful of survivors. A mysterious creature is apparently loose on board. As the survivors continue to investigate the crippled ship, the monster makes its presence felt, and the fun begins. The body count continues to rise, and blood flows freely, up until the film's climax, where the monster pursues a jet ski through the ship's corridors. Wild mindless fun.

Writer and director Steven Sommers took the experiences gained from his first "creature feature", and put them to good use in his next films, the more commercially successful "The Mummy", "The Mummy Returns" and the yet to be released "Scorpion King".

Deep Rising is a great choice for pure escapist enjoyment. Jerry Goldsmith's soundtrack also adds considerably to the atmosphere and excitement. The DVD features just the movie and the trailer, and is perhaps a good candidate for the "Special Edition" treatment common these days, especially as this film has been overshadowed by Sommers latter efforts.