Have you ever loved anyone so much you didn't care what happened to yourself? [Showtime from a StudioPlus hotel room] {april 26, 2005}

The Showtime set of channels is a strange one. I still don't understand (although only after two nights of viewing) how they decide which movies to butcher (aka stretch out) for the TV screen and which to retain with "those strange black bars at the top and bottom". The elasticity of Die Another Day [thoughts elsewhere] was challenged, but Starship Troopers stayed untouched (perhaps because the toothy Denise Richards grin/smile, when "formatted to fit your screen", was scarier than the arachnids).

Which brings us to The Hole. Aside from being unfortunately stretched to fit the confines of the TV screen, this flick has merits in the performances and the atmosphere. The elements are familiar, as is the denouement. But there's enough to raise some creeps. If only the hole lived up to the macabre tone set by the narrative and the background score. The lighting just sucks sometimes (although the texture boasts a great descent as the story gets darker).