Wine Guide
CD-ROM for Mac
Microsoft Home This private class with wine expert Oz Clarke is more like a lecture since you
can’t ask him questions. You can, however, appreciate his quaint British accent
as he swirls, sniffs, and sips his way through 6,000 individual wines without
so much as a slur. The wine guide essential for beginners now comes on a CD,
complete with an atlas of the great wine-producing regions, a tasting tour, and
the Wine Selector which, after you learn a few things, helps you set
your own criteria for making vintage choices. Just remember around the keyboard
to pop the cork with care.
— Jen Scoville
Eastern Mind: The Lost Souls of Tong-Nou
CD-ROM for Windows
Sony Imagesoft Fundamentally a click-where-you-want-to-go-style puzzle/adventure game,
Eastern Mind stands out for its unusual art and music. The story
concerns the journey of Rin, whose soul has been stolen by the island of
Tong-Nou. The bizarre characters Rin meets (and becomes) during his travels are
perhaps the best part of this game; but unfortunately, much of the animation is
marred by a dependence on processor speed, giving it a frenzied, hyperkinetic
quality. Ultimately, the inspired creative material fails to compensate for the
mediocre gameplay. — Michael Uhlik
Tank Girl
D. Rachel Talalay; with Lori Petty, Naomi Watts, Malcolm McDowell,
Ice-T.
VHS Home Video Set in a future that’s running out of fresh water, but refreshingly lacking in
Kevin Costner, Tank Girl breaks no new plot ground: Road
Warrior-ish renegades fight a monolithic evildoer (Malcolm McDowell, who
else) for precious liquids and the right to be weird. What’s new and different
is that a major motion
picture displays some clue about the construction of
a contemporary heroine: Tank Girl (Petty) is only vaguely altruistic, rarely
gets rescued, and is full of understated, ball-busting wit. Add to that an
incipient bisexuality and a passion for large weaponry, and you’ve got the
makings of a truefine fantasy figure. Equally inspired is Ice-T’s deadpan
delivery of patented, gangsta-tough speeches in ridiculous, mutant kangaroo
costume. Tank Girl fans disappointed to find the comic’s scrappy lil’
butch has been turned into a fine-featured femme will discover that it still
translates as an intelligent, tongue-in-cheek castration cartoon. — Cindy
Widner
Indiana Jones and
the Fate of Atlantis
CD-ROM for Windows
LucasArts Indy is on another adventure, searching for the supernatural this time with
action, mystery, and that famous wit and charm. You control our hero’s quest to
stop the Nazis from gaining the secret to the mysterious powers entombed in
Atlantis. There is fighting, quick-witted conversation, and a female sidekick.
Fans will love the fine touches, which include the bull-whip and the red line
guiding Indy’s world travels. With several puzzles ranging in difficulty, the
entertainment value goes a long way. — Nisa Sharma
Thief
D: Michael Mann; with James Caan, Tuesday Weld, Willie Nelson, James
Belushi, Robert Prosky.
Laserdisc Thanks to the current success ofHeat, the folks at Warner Home Video
have finally released this long-delayed laserdisc of Michael Mann’s first
theatrical feature, Thief. This intense tale of a professional thief
seeking a better life still holds up marvelously today, thanks to its amazing
sense of authenticity and a raw performance from James Caan that easily ranks
among the star’s best work. Unfortunately, even though Thief looks and
sounds better than it ever did on videotape, the rest of the disc is somewhat
problematic. Both the commentary track and supplemental section prove
disappointing. Certainly, any letterboxed laserdisc of the film is
better than none, but a film this good deserves better.
— Joey O’Bryan
Sister My Sister
D: Nancy Meckler; with Julie Walters, Joely Richardson, Jodhi May, Sophie
Thursfield.
VHS Home Video Soft porn meets Masterpiece Theatre in this surface rendition of the
true story of two sisters’ incestuous love affair that leads to murder. Hoping
for a rich film akin to Heavenly Creatures, I should have been
forewarned when it was placed next to Playboy‘s Sisters. Aside
from the rounded performance of Britain’s Walters as the uptight Madame
Danzald, performances fall short as Richardson and May (sisters) overdramatize
with bursts of anger, tears, and breathy dialogue. The overall style of film —
work, set, and costumes — has sophistication and polish, but the sketchy
script omits psychological insight and factual explanations surrounding the
tragedy. One dewy love scene after another ensues, ending with a Lizzie
Borden-style homicide.
— Stephany Baskin
This article appears in February 2 • 1996 and February 2 • 1996 (Cover).