DVD Collectors Online

Soul Survivors, a review by Rich

Title: Soul Survivors

Movie Count:23 
TV Ep. Count:15 

Runtime:86
Certificate:R
Year:2001
Genres:Horror, Suspense/Thriller

Plot:After a night of partying, college freshman Cassie (Melissa Sagemiller) and her friends are involved in a bloody car accident that turns into a horrifying tale of the supernatural. Overwhelmed by startling hallucinations, Cassie's grip on reality slips further as she begins a desperate race against time to learn who her real friends are, who wants her dead, and who will be the Soul Survivor.

My Review:
Fairly unoriginal and clichéd, but not the worst of its ilk. Think final destination and I know what you did last summer, and it fits squarely in that stable of genre.
Pretty good production, reasonable teen friendly cast, sensible pace and undramatic portrayal, the film is easy to watch with very little blood letting and more intelligent psychological challenges. The ending is too predictable, and some parts are handled clumsily, with elements of the script just too improbable to be believable.
Average movie worth watching, but truthfully not worth recommending as a purchase.




(From Rich's October Horror Fest on October 20th, 2009)

Grave of the Fireflies, a review by RossRoy

Original Title: Hotaru no Haka Year: 1988 Country: Japan Director: Isao Takahata Rating: NR Length: 88 Min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.66:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital Stereo, Japanese: Dolby Digital Stereo Subtitles: English

What they say
In the aftermath of a World War II bombing, two orphaned children struggle to survive in the Japanese countryside. To Seita and his four-year old sister, the helplessness and indifference of their countrymen is even more painful than the enemy raids. Through desperation, hunger and grief, these children's lives are as heartbreakingly fragile as their spirit and love is inspiring. 'Grave of the Fireflies' is a tale of the true tragedy of war and innocence lost, not only of the abandoned young, but of an entire nation.

My Thoughts
Honestly, words totally fail me. Not that I really know what to say usually, but in this case, even if I was good with words, I wouldn't know what to say. But I'll try anyway.

I've rarely, if ever, been moved that much by a movie. You can't help but feel for these kids. All that they had to go through after losing their mother in the bombing. From their aunt who simply doesn't care, all the way to a farmer who won't spare even a spoonful of rice. You see these kids persevere, trying to make the best of what they have. But when it happens (if you've seen the movie, you know what I'm talking about), it just hits you. And then you start to think, that even though this is a work of fiction, you can't help but think that it may have been like that for some child. And not just in Japan during World War II, but in any war, anywhere on the planet, at any given time. We've all seen wars in movie or on the news, but it always feels so surreal, almost fake. But this movie, manages to bring it closer to home. It actually makes you realise how hard it must be.

Now, some may be thinking "What the heck man? It just a silly animated movie!". Well, I'll reply to that by saying that the fact that it is animated is probably what makes this movie work so well.

They don't take any shortcuts in this. You see the bombers in the air, the bombs raining down, people running for their lives, burnt bodies everywhere, even the common dumps. All this can be done live action, yes, but would it be as effective? With live action, you would know that the people aren't really running for their lives. You would know nobody got killed by the falling bombs, as they would probably be duds anyway. The burnt bodies would be mannequins and makeup. And you'd know that. Deep down inside, it wouldn't be real. The fact that it is all animated here, removes that layer of reality, so you are left with only that idea that it is real. And you get thrown back to what it might be like in real life. You have to imagine it yourself, you have to create the image in your mind, which makes it that much more powerful.

Even the little girl being animated makes it more real. (I'll put that in a spoiler tag. And it is a BIG spoiler, so please, if you plan on watching the movie, DO NOT READ THAT!)

The whole movie is really powerful in what it's trying to convey. I can wholeheartedly recommend the movie. It is a must see. I can't recommend it enough.



(From RossRoy's Random Viewings on April 21st, 2008)

The 2013 Pilot Review, a review by DJ Doena

Mom

Mom @ IMDb
Mom @ Wikipedia

Synopsis: Christy (Anna Faris, The Dictator) used to be a teenage mom who has now a teenage daughter, is working as a waitress at a restaurant and is having an affair (on his side) with her boss. And then there is her mother (Allison Janney, The West Wing) who - like her daughter - is a recovering alcoholic and Violet (Christy's daughter) who's also becoming a teenage mom. A laugh track sitcom.

My Opinion: This is the newest creation by Chuck Lorre (Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory, Mike & Molly). The characters are enjoyable and grow on you over the first few episodes. I'm not completely sure about the show yet but I'm willing to give it a chance.

(From The 2013 Pilot Review on October 8th, 2013)