DVD Collectors Online

Hana-Bi, a review by Tom

HANA-BI

This movie was okay. A high improvement over the movie I have seen on Saturday 
Director and star is Takeshi Kitano, who has played the character Kitano in Battle Royale. In my opinion he was like a Japanese version of Harvey Keitel in this movie. This movie is a little reminiscient of Tarantino (especially Jackie Brown), but much more subdued with sprouts of violence in-between.

Rating:

(From AsiaFilmFest 2008 on November 4th, 2008)

Rear Window, a review by Tom

Title: Rear Window
Year: 1954
Director: Alfred Hitchcock, The Restoration
Rating: PG
Length: 110 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.66
Audio: English: Dolby Digital Mono, German: Dolby Digital Mono
Subtitles: Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, German, Norwegian, Swedish

Stars:
James Stewart
Grace Kelly
Wendell Corey
Thelma Ritter
Raymond Burr

Plot:
None of Hitchcock's films has ever given a clearer view of his genius for suspense than Rear Window. When professional photographer J.B. "Jeff" Jeffries (James Stewart) is confined to a wheelchair with a broken leg, he becomes obsessed with watching the private dramas of his neighbours play out across the courtyard. When he suspects a salesman may have murdered his nagging wife, Jeffries enlists the help of his glamourous socialite girlfriend (Grace Kelly) to investigate the highly suspicious chain of events... Events that ultimately lead to one of the most memorable and gripping endings in all of film history.

Awards:

Academy Award	1954	Nominated	Best Cinematography, Color	Robert Burks
Academy Award	1954	Nominated	Best Director	Alfred Hitchcock
Academy Award	1954	Nominated	Best Sound Recording	Loren L. Ryder (Sound Director, Paramount Studio Sound Department)
Academy Award	1954	Nominated	Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay	John Michael Hayes
AFI	1954	Won	100 Years... 100 Movies (1998)
AFI	1954	Won	100 Years... 100 Movies (2007)
AFI	1954	Won	100 Years... 100 Thrills (2001)
BAFTA	1954	Nominated	Film And British Film

Extras:
Featurettes
Photo Gallery
Scene Access
Trailers

I went into it with high expectations. Probably this is why I was disappointed. I have seen this story hundred times now, and I expected to have it more impact coming from Hitchcock. But it didn't for me. I even go so far to say, that I enjoyed the Due South version I watched recently more.

Rating:

(From Alfred Hitchcock Marathon on August 8th, 2009)

My Pilot/Finale Episode Marathon, a review by addicted2dvd

Angel

Pilot:
City oft
Newly arrived in Los Angeles, Angel is befriended by a half-demon named Doyle who visions lead him to a powerful vampire whose next victim just may be Cordelia Chase.

My Thoughts:
This is the start of yet another great series. Watching this episode I was so tempted to continue on through out the whole series. But I knew that I had started this marathon... so this is the one I had to complete. I think my favorite part of this episode was when Cordilia was in the home of that vampire and Angel came to help her... and she said something to the effect of "You don't know who that is do you... ohhhh you are going to get your ass kicked!" That line alone showed this was a whole new series... one where Angel was starting over again where he was not known and had no allies yet.

Finale:
Not Fade Away
The gang prepares to attack the true powers of evil by attempting to take down the Circle of the Black Thorn - a battle none of them expect to survive.

My Thoughts:
When watching this episode what more can you say then... WOW!... talk about going out with a bang! part of me loved this series finale. I thought in a way the ending was ingenious. But then again another part of me wants to cry every time that it ended too soon! I wanted to see what happened from there so badly! I know I said I wanted a Buffy reunion movie before it was too late... but what I think I really want is a combined Buffy/Angel reunion movie! Let us see what happened from here!!!

(From My Pilot/Finale Episode Marathon on May 13th, 2008)