DVD Collectors Online

Family Plot , a review by Dragonfire

Family Plot When a wealthy woman unwittingly hires a con man and a phony psychic to find her missing heir, the results are diabolically funny in Alfred Hitchcock's tongue-in-cheek mystery thriller. Bruce Dern and Barbara Harris star as a conniving couple plotting to bilk an old lady out of her fortune by pretending to find her long-lost nephew (William Devane). Meanwhile, Devane, a larcenous jeweler, and his beautiful girlfriend (Karen Black) have kidnapped a rich Greek shipping magnate for ransom. Together they're on a nonstop merry-go-round of mystery, murder and mayhem that combines suspense and comedy for unforgettable entertainment. My Thoughts This one is a bit different from the other Hitchcock movies that I've seen.  I know this one isn't one of his more popular movies, but I did like it.  There isn't as much suspense in general, though I do think a sequence late in the movie is very suspenseful.  There is a bit of mystery to what is going on, though it isn't as strong since the viewers are aware of certain things fairly early.  Things are slightly more complicated in since there are basically two stories being told that intersect.  Things jump back and forth between the two stories and characters.  I think the plot is very interesting and entertaining.  Some of what happens is a bit more light hearted, but there are also some serious things happening as well.  Characters are definitely in danger at different points, though even some humor is added to some of those scenes.  The way humor is blended into everything that make the story a little different.  Some people may not like that the movie is more lighthearted in general, but I think that works for the plot and what is going on. The characters are interesting, especially Blanche who pretends to be psychic.  Her boyfriend George gets pulled into what is going on as well.  He has a legitimate job as a cab driver, but he ends up acting like a private investigator, following people and trying to track down someone.  Arthur isn't in the same league as other Hitchcock villains, but he makes a decent villain.  These characters are fine, but they aren't as memorable as others. Overall, I did enjoy this movie and am glad I decided to pick it up.  It is different from other Hitchcock movies, but it is still entertaining.  I do think it is worth watching. I did get a review posted on Epinions. Family Plot

(From Alfred Hitchcock Marathon on August 22nd, 2010)

Eyes of a Stranger, a review by addicted2dvd

Title: Eyes of a Stranger: Twisted Terror Collection Year: 1981 Director: Ken Wiederhorn Rating: R Length: 85 Min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: Mono, French: Dolby Digital: Mono, Spanish: Dolby Digital: Mono Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:Plot:Extras:
N/A

My Thoughts:
This is what I would call more of a light horror... it played out more like a suspense/thriller... but also had a bit of blood in it as well. Another thing I noticed is this movie (which was made in 1981) has a real TV Movie feel to it... if it wasn't for the gore and the several scenes of nudity I would have guessed that this one was a TV Movie. There is a couple familiar faces in it as well... Of course Jennifer Jason Lee... but also Lauren Tewes who was part of the main cast of The Love Boat. It is a good movie... well above average. Unfortunately the  DVD itself has absolutely no extras what so ever.




Count:
Movie Count: 68
TV Ep. Count: 35
Other Count: 8 I Made It! (10/15)

(From Month Long Horror/Halloween Marathon: 2010 on October 19th, 2010)

The One Where It All Began: The Pilot Marathon, a review by DJ Doena

Battlestar Galactica (2003)



What's the show about?
The Battlestar Galactica leads a group of refugee ships away from the destructed twelve colonies of Kobol to what they hope to find: the thirteenth colony, a planet called "Earth". They are hunted by the Cylons, a race of Robots that were once created by the Humans.

What happened before?
The new series is a re-imagination of the old one, not a continuation, therefore nothing "happened before". There are however many similarities between both shows but just as many differences.

"Battlestar Galactica"
The Battlestar Galactica is about to be decommissioned, it was commisioned during the last Cylon War. But then the unbelievable happens: after an armistice that lasted 40 years, the Cylons attack the colonial fleet and all the colonies. They have access to the colonial defense systems and are able to disable any resistance. After a great deal of the fleet is destroyed, the Galactica is the last remaining Battlestar and Adama becomes the head of the remaining forces. Meanwhile the secretary of eduction Laura Roslin is sworn into the office of the President of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol. Adama plans to strike back, but President Roslin has another point of view...

My Opinion
Really great show and I hope we are going to see the 4th season (that's currently uncertain due to the WGA strike). I'd hate to see that show be left open-ended, especially because they promised to bring the story to an end in the 4th season.

(From The One Where It All Began: The Pilot Marathon on January 5th, 2008)