DVD Collectors Online

Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers, a review by Rogmeister

Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers (1956)  B&W  83m
Special Effects by Ray Harryhausen
Directed by Fred F. Sears
Cast: Hugh Marlowe, Joan Taylor, Donald Curtis, Morris Ankrum

Dr. Russell Marvin heads up Operation Skyhook, which is tasked with sending rockets into the upper atmosphere to probe for future space flights. Unfortunately, all the rockets are somehow disappearing. While investigating this strange occurrence, Russell and his new assistant/wife Carol Marvin are abducted by a flying saucer, where the aliens demand to meet with certain people in order to negotiate. But it was a trick; the aliens only wanted to kill them. The invasion has begun and if Russell and Carol can't find a way to get past their defenses and stop these creatures, it may be the end of the human race.

Science fiction movies seemed pretty rare prior to 1950...you got a few here and there (like Metropolis in the silent era) but they didn't really come into their own until the 1950s.  In fact Sci-Fi films of the fifties seem to be a genre all their own.  Some were excellent, some less so, but most of them seem at least interesting to check out, if for nothing but to see how we might react to aliens from outer space and other such things.  This is definitely one of the better ones with first rate special effects by Ray Harryhausen, a stop-motion artist normally known to work with mythological beasts such as might appear in the Sinbad movies but who nonetheless gave us some first rate flying saucer effects here.  Not only that, but we get to see most of Washington D.C. get destroyed...the Washington Monument, the Capitol building, even the Lincoln Memorial all reduced to rubble at the hands of these mysterious aliens.  Interestingly enough we do get to see the interior of a saucer but it's all rather bare and we do get one look at an alien but all in all it's quite a good action film.  Check it out.  

I got this DVD as part of a set...The Fantastic Films of Ray Harryhausen: Legendary Science Fiction Series which includes four other movies.  The movie was also released by itself.  The disc has a few extras but it was re-released early last year in a 2-disc special edition.

(From DCO third annual November Alphabet Marathon - discussion/review/banter thread on November 28th, 2009)

Holy Man, a review by KinkyCyborg

Holy Man



Title:Holy Man
Year: 1998
Director: Stephen Herek
Rating: PG
Length: 114 Min.
Video: Widescreen 2.35:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1
Subtitles: English

Stars:
Eddie Murphy
Jeff Goldblum
Kelly Preston
Robert Loggia
Jon Cryer

Plot:
The always hilarious Eddie Murphy (Dr. Dolittle) stars with Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park) and Kelly Preston (Jerry Maguire) in a refreshingly funny hit that elevates shopping to a near religious experience! A stressed-out senior executive at the Good Buy home shopping channel, Rick Hayman (Goldblum) is praying for a miracle that will lift the network's lousy ratings and save his job. Then, from out of nowhere, "G" (Murphy) walks into his life! An outrageous, self-styled inspirational guru with a knack for showing up where he isn't exactly wanted, "G" proceeds to wander in front of the cameras 'just long enough' to exude the irrestable star quality that will make him the sales-boosting savior Ricky's network has been looking for! Also featuring a host of well-known celebrities in a sidesplitting series of comic infomercials - you're bound to be another satisfied customer with nothing but praise for Holy Man!

Extras:
Scene Access
Closed Captioned


This wasn't bad with some entertaining bits. Eddie Murphy is actual pretty good in this one in an engaging, understated way. Jeff Goldblum on the other hand is quickly becoming my least favorite actor. This guy has like ZERO range. He looks, talks and acts the same way in every movie and now I am starting to notice how much he resembles a Vulcan. Kelly Preston is predictably sexy and gorgeous once again.

Very average, very middle of the road.

KC

Rating:

(From KinkyCyborg's Random Reviews 2011 on July 18th, 2011)

Xena: Warrior Princess Marathon, a review by addicted2dvd

1. Sins of the Past
Xena vows to change her evil ways - then must face off against a warlord who's determined to keep her on the wrong side of the law.

My Thoughts:
I enjoyed watching this pilot episode again. It is a good introduction to most the characters. But while it touched on it... not so much for Xena herself. You wouldn't be lost if you never saw her in Hercules... but it definitely would help.

My Rating:

2. Chariots of Fire
After being befriended by a homesteader named Darius, Xena takes on a bloodthirsty warlord and his son, who have mercilessly pillaged Darius's community in an effort to drive the settlers off their land.

My Thoughts:
Another episode I enjoyed. In this one both Xena and Gabrielle found someone they probably could be happy spending the rest of their lives with. But they felt the need to continue their journey and in Xena's case continue to make up for her past and right wrongs wherever she could find them.

My Rating:

3. Dreamworker
Xena enters a mystical realm known as the Dreamscape to save Gabrielle, who has been taken there and forced to complete a series of tasks that will make her worthy of becoming the bride of the dream god, Morpheus.

My Thoughts:
This episode is definitely different then the previous two... but is a fin episode. I like it that Gabrielle is interested in learning to fight as well. As I said... I like strong women. But I also like that Xena doesn't want to teach her to fight. It goes along with the character. She knows how fighting and killing effected her life... and she don't want that for her friend.

My Rating:

4. Cradle of Hope
Xena and Gabrielle set out to find the parents of an abandoned baby, and discover that the infant's been marked for death due to a prophecy declaring him a future threat to a local king.

My Thoughts:
This show really has been consistantly very good. Of course it is still early into the series yet with only four episodes down. While the story about the baby was good... in this episode I enjoyed the side episode a little more. The side story dealing with the loss and attempts to get back Pandora's Box.

My Rating:

(From Xena: Warrior Princess Marathon on November 19th, 2009)