DVD Collectors Online

Vertigo, a review by Tom

Title: Vertigo
Year: 1958
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Rating: PG
Length: 124 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85
Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1, German: Dolby Digital Surround, French: Dolby Digital Mono, Italian: Dolby Digital Mono, Spanish: Dolby Digital Mono, Commentary: Dolby Digital Stereo
Subtitles: Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Swedish

Stars:
James Stewart
Kim Novak
Barbara Bel Geddes
Tom Helmore
Henry Jones

Plot:
Set in San Francisco, James Stewart portrays an acrophobic detective hired to trail a friend's suicidal wife (Kim Novak). After he successfully rescues her from a leap into the bay, he finds himself becoming obsessed with the beautifully troubled woman.

One of cinema's most chilling romantic endeavors: its fascinating myriad of haunting camera angles shot among some of San Francisco's renowned landmarks. This film is a must for collectors; Leonard Maltin gives Vertigo four stars and hails it as "A genuinely great motion picture that demands multiple-viewings."

Awards:

Academy Award	1958	Nominated	Best Art Direction	Hal Pereira, Henry Bumstead (Art Direction); Sam Comer, Frank McKelvy (Set Decoration)
Academy Award	1958	Nominated	Best Sound	George Dutton (Sound Director, Paramount Studio Sound Department)
AFI	1958	Won	100 Years... 100 Movies (1998)
AFI	1958	Won	100 Years... 100 Movies (2007)
AFI	1958	Won	100 Years... 100 Passions (2002)
AFI	1958	Won	100 Years... 100 Thrills (2001)
AFI	1958	Won	100 Years... 25 Scores (2005)	"Composer": Bernard Herrmann
Directors Guild of America	1959	Nominated	Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures	Alfred Hitchcock

Extras:
Commentary
Featurettes
Production Notes
Scene Access
Trailers

I enjoyed this movie more than I had expected. Mainly due .
This time around it was mainly the story that kept me interested, not so much the actors. James Stewart was okay, but I didn't much care for Kim Novak. Part of that is not really her fault: I really hated the look of her bleached hair.
So overall I enjoyed this movie. So far it is one of the better Hitchcocks I have seen. But I am not sure if I will watch it again in the future.

Rating:

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

Ong Bak: The Beginning, a review by dfmorgan

Ong Bak: The Beginning

Year: 2009
Director: Tony Jaa and Panna Rittikrai
Cast: Tony Jaa, Sarunyu Wongkrajang, Sorapong Chatree
Overview: MARTIAL ARTS LEGEND TONY JAA IS BAK!
This jaw-dropping new film features some of the most breathtaking fight sequences ever seen. Battling his own demons, Tien (Tony Jaa), must fight to avenge the slaughter of his beloved family. Trained by vicious outlaws, he evolves into a dangerous and feared warrior, his lethal skills perfected to the point where he is able to exact a terrible revenge on the men responsible for the murder of those closest to him. Following the ground breaking global success of 'Ong Bak' and 'Warrior King', Tony Jaa once again brings his sensational skills to bear in one of the most eagerly anticipated martial arts films of recent years.

Watched: 26th Jul 2010
My Thoughts: I've enjoyed the other Tony Jaa films I've seen and in general enjoy martial arts films but this film hmmmm. I don't know whether it was because Tony Jaa wrote, directed and produced this film but it seemed to me to be disjointed. There was plenty of action and weapons but it was almost as if the actions scenes were all filmed and then they had to make up a story to combine them and if necessary repeat a flashback to take up a bit more time. Then the ending seemed to be - OK we've reached 90mins so we'd better end this somehow so let's have confusion from stupid plot devices and end with no clear resolution.

My Rating: I wanted it to be a 3 but overall wasn't enjoyable enough

Dave

(From Dave's DVD/Blu-ray Reviews on July 26th, 2010)

"Stargate SG-1" Marathon, a review by DJ Doena

Synopsis: Caused by the explosion of the sun and the activated Hyperdrive SG-1s Ha'tak has been catapulted into another galaxy. But Apophis is also there with his huge motherhip. But as soon as they have arrived another ship is apporaching that attacks Apophis's ship. It is the Replicators.

My Opinion: Nothing against a good deus ex machina now and then, but this time they've overdone it. First they land in a remote galaxy, then the Replicators arrive, then Teal'c has been brainwashed somehow and in the end the Replicators kindly bring SG-1 back home. Honestly! At least Apophis has breathed his last breath.

Synopsis: Teal'c is still brainwashed. According to Bra'tac, the only way to get him out of this, is to remove the larva and bring him to the brink of death.

My Opinion: Even though the events that led to this were rubbish, this was a very good compensation. It showed us how Teal'c became the man he is and how Bra'tac tought him all this. A great character drawing.

Synopsis: SG-1 discovers a device that could be a powerful weapon. But then Sam faints and has to be brought back to the SGC. When she is put on leave and comes home, she is awaited by a non-corporeal being. It declares that it comes from the planet Sam has just been to.

My Opinion: The most important information in this episode was the fact, that Teal'c has watched Star Wars nine times while Jack has never watched it. That aside this episode was a goof examply why in Star Trek a Prime Directive exists: Because it is not predictable, what happens if one interfers with the developement of a culture. But the extinction of that entire planet was also over the top, they simply could have taken the Stargate away.
The appearance of John de Lancie (Q in Star Trek: The Next Generation) was also nice, especially because it won't be the last.

Synopsis: Sam, Teal'c and Daniel return to the SGC under heavy fire while Jack and Lieutenant Tyler are grounded. But the real problem is: In the SGC no one knows this "Lieutenant Tyler". Only SG-1 can remember this man.

My Opinion: I liked this episode, too. Another fact has cought my eye here: Stargate SG-1 has found a good balance regarding the number of alien races. The universe isn't as crowded with non-humans as the Star Trek universe. But it is also not as empty as the Battlestar Galactica universe. While most of the aliens are still humanoid they aren't simply knobbly-nose-aliens but really alien-aliens.

(From "Stargate SG-1" Marathon on March 30th, 2008)