DVD Collectors Online

Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes, a review by Antares

Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes (1972) 3/5 - This is my first Werner Herzog film and it just didn't float my boat (pun intended). The cinematography and Klaus Kinski were both great, but the story just didn't have as much to offer as the more exciting tales that coincided with the film's making. Don't get me wrong, there were some very good scenes in the film, but by the halfway point the film appeared to run out of steam, which kind of coincided with the expedition's movement into the river's slower spots. One thing that did stand out to me was that Brad Pitt must be a big fan of Kinski, because at times, when Kinski would make a gesture or expression, I instantly thought of Pitt in Troy. I guess I'll have to try out Fitzcarraldo next, but I hope there's a little more meat in that film.

(From Antares' Short Summations on June 23rd, 2011)

Black X-Mas, a review by addicted2dvd

Black X-Mas
THE HORROR CLASSIC 'BLACK CHRISTMAS', which spawned a wave of hit slasher films, is re-imagined for a new generation of fans in this terrifying remake. A group of sorority sisters, snowed in over the holiday break, tried desperately to survive the night as a relentless killer terrorizes and murders them, one by one. Featuring an old-school slasher story, the modern horror touch of director Glen Morgan (writer/producer, 'Final Destination') and a cast of today's hottest stars, including Michelle Trachtenberg ('Eurotrip'), Lacey Chabert ('Mean Girls'), Katie Cassidy ('When a Stranger Calls'), and Mary Elizabeth Winstead ('Grindhouse'), 'Black Christmas' is a thrilling, blood-soaked screamfest.

My Thoughts:
Ahhh... now this is better... what Christmas is all about... Family. Slight Spoiler: Now you had to know there was no way I was going to miss out on watching some Christmas horror movies! Though I don't have many at the moment... I still need to see the original Black Christmas... which I hear is awesome. I did enjoy this remake.. though it is impossible for me to compare with the original. That might be a good thing. There is a nice amount of gore in this movie... some of which is realistic enough... other which looks very fake.  I did feel this movie went on longer then it had to... I don't know it just felt like it slowed down towards the end. This movie does have 1 (that I noticed) familiar face in it... Michelle Trachtenberg  (Dawn on Buffy the Vampire Slayer) which was pretty cool to see.

(From My 25 Days of Christmas Marathon on December 10th, 2007)

"Battlestar Galactica" Marathon (1978-2009), a review by DJ Doena

Synopsis: After many yahren, the Galactica has finally discovered Earth. But Earth isn't the save heaven they had hoped for. They are technologically inferior and wouldn't survive a Cylon attack. Adama decides to send small teams down there to speed up Earth's development while he leads the fleet away from Earth since they are still followed by the Cylons. Troy (who was called Boxey when he was a child) and Dillon are being send to a country called "United States of America" where they want to meet with a leading nuclear scientist. And the local TV reporter Jamie Hamilton becomes their "tour guide".

My Opinion: And once again Los Angeles was destroyed by aliens - even though it was only a simulation. I liked this first episode of the series, it showed promise. To bad the bridge sets seemed to be destroyed. The new bridge looked far inferior to the old one, but I liked to see Colonel Boomer again. I had forgotten that another recurring character (besides Adama) from the old show reappeared in this show. I also like the new two-seated Vipers because I like Jamie and that gives her the chance to ride along.

Synopsis:My Opinion: The whole plot doesn't make much sense. Even if he could change the past, 36 years are clearly not enough to catapult Earth's technology forward in a way that it would be of any use in 1980. And even though the Nazis were the most advanced in regards to rocket science at this point in time I think it's very unlikely that the "Master Race" would be very open-minded towards a truly superior alien race.

Synopsis: Troy and Dillon can successfully sabotage the start of the V2 and it explodes shortly after launch. Xaviar is accused of being a spy and gets arrested but can escape, returns to his Viper and travels back to his own time. Jamie, Dillon and Troy follow him but lose his trail. After they successfully returned Jamie to California a new problem arises: The cloaking field has deactivated and made the Vipers visible. They are now in the hand of the US military and they need to get them back.

My Opinion: Even if the V2 test had worked (btw: the V2 tests started in 1942, in 1944 they were already mass-produced in slave labour), one year later a nuclear bomb over Europe would have still ended the war.
Also: They won't kill german soldiers because that would change the future but they free an entire train of Jews who were about to be brought to Auschwitz. Don't get me wrong: I don't critizise the break-out but then they might as well shoot the Germans.

Synopsis: After the Cylons have attacked and destroyed the fleet's school ship, Dillon and Troy have to evacuate 12 of the children down to Earth. There they disguise themselves as boy (and girl) scouts. Due to the higher gravity and the denser atmosphere in the fleet the children are stronger and faster as normal children of Earth. But that doesn't protect them from Earth's diseases and especially not from water that is poisoned by a chemical plant.

My Opinion: C'mon, gimme a break! Kids that jump 30 foot high? How high can Troy and Dillon jump? The Empire States Building? It's always a good idea to critizise how we treat our environment, but to shift the focus in a Sci-Fi show from their main protagonists to a bunch of kids who (of course) do childish things isn't a good idea.

Synopsis: Troy and Dillon have to care for three of their children who are very ill. But that's not their only problem. The military is after them because they detected the landing of the shuttle. The police is after them because they are accused of bank robbery. And the local workers are after them because they threaten the chemical plant.

My Opinion: And now a real "flying saucer", too. This ship looks nothing like a ship from the colonies. Why would they use such a design? No, these two episodes didn't work for me at all.

(From "Battlestar Galactica" Marathon (1978-2009) on April 19th, 2009)