DVD Collectors Online

Ghost Town, a review by Jon

Ghost Town
3 out of 5



Ricky Gervais plays dentist Bertram Pincus, who briefly dies during a small operation. This gives him the ability to see ghosts and they, like most people, really annoy him. Especially Frank (Greg Kinnear) who wants help making sure his widow (Tea Leoni) doesn't remarry.

This is a cute film. In some ways it can't help but repeat old ground from Ghost, but there's just a hint of [British] irony to stop it being purely sentimental mushy rubbish. Though there is that too. Greg Kinnear is great as Frank, trying to right the wrongs of his life, but he would have been lost without straight-man (for the most part) Gervais. It's another miserable bastard variation for him to play, but he does very well and I'm always pleasantly surprised at the mileage he gets out of what is essentially the same routine. There's a nice twist on his usual trick of pretending not to understand a question when a Doctor does it to him, brilliantly. I'm certainly never bored by him and he has some cracking lines that made me laugh out loud, especially when he's dealing with the various ghosts begging him for help (which of course he refuses). I'm not sure his character would have been that witty, but he saves it mainly for scenes with or about Tea Leoni's character so we can easily claim she's having the effect on him as he falls for her. I enjoyed her character and the two work very well off of each other, and all three leads flesh out what could easily have been very thin roles. Leoni on particular has always had a slight unpredictability, which is essential in a film like this.

Because yes, this is fully-certified, middle-of-the-road, completely harmless rom-com, and as should be, it is very predictable. Heck, think really hard for a couple of minutes and I bet you can work out the broad plot without seeing the film! Don't do that though, it is worth seeing, because like all good rom-coms, it knows how predictable it is and generally gets on with it. I do wish the middle section had been shorter so there'd have been more time in the last act. A couple of very funny ghosts fall by the wayside, which was a shame. Still, it's occasionally moving, occasionally hilarious, if dependably obvious.

EDIT: Btw, this is worth seeing on Blu-Ray. New York looks absolutely gorgeous, especially just on the cusp of winter. And there's some nice time-lapse effects that I'm sure would have been lost a little bit on DVD.

(From Jon's Marathon of Horror! 2009 on October 3rd, 2009)

Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant, a review by RossRoy

WHAT THEY SAY

Welcome to the Cirque du Freak, a traveling sideshow filled with magical creatures, misunderstood freaks, and the mysterious vampire, Larten Crepsley (John C. Reilly). Drawn to the dark, unpredictable world of the Cirque, 16-year-old Darren (Chris Massoglia) decides to trade in his ordinary life for a chance to become an immortal vampire. As Darren explores his newfound powers and faces unexpected enemies, he'll find that his existence as a memeber of the undead is filled with more challenges, suspense and fun than he ever thought possible. Based on the best-selling book series and co-starring Salma Hayek, Josh Hutcherson, Ken Watanabe, and Willem Dafoe, it's a fast-paced, suspenseful journey critics call, "Imaginative!" (Peter Hall, Cinematical.com)

MY THOUGHTS

Ok movie. Nothing special. It was entertaining, but I found I didn't care much for the actual characters. It drags along at times with not much happening. The concept of the warring Vampire factions is interesting, but not fleshed out enough.

RATING

(From RossRoy's Random Viewings on March 28th, 2010)

Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Marathon, a review by addicted2dvd

16. Lucky Leon (3/12/95)
Jimmy is arrested for murder, Superman is accused of stealing nuclear warheads and as assistant DA discovers Clark Kent's secret identity. But here's the big news: Lois and Clark share a first date...and a first kiss!

My Thoughts:
This is a real good episode that a lot happens on. It was pretty fun watching Lois and Clark deal with their first date. Before watching this episode again I had forgotten not only how Assistant DA Drake found out that Clark being Superman... but also that this episode ends in those 3 oh so famous words... To Be Continued...


17. Resurrection (3/19/95)
Searching for Assistant DA Mayson Drake's killer, Lois and Clark encounter a dark plot involving faked deaths, escape convicts and a hunky government, agent who finds Lois captivating.

My Thoughts:
This is a good conclusion to the last episode.I enjoyed it quite a bit. Unfortunately this is also the episode that introduces the character of Dan Scardino... the government agent mentioned above. That is one character I just never liked.


18. Tempus Fugitive (3/26/95)
H.G. Wells drops in - via his time machine - and gives Lois and Clark a glimpse of a surprising world to come. Then they race to the past to save baby Superman from a deadly fugitive from the future.

My Thoughts:
This is a great episode. Talk about fun! I enjoyed every minute of it... but I especially enjoyed Tempus' who routine of telling Lois how galatically stupid she is... and that Clark is Superman.


19. Target: Jimmy Olsen! (4/2/95)
The most dangerous man in Metropolis is Jimmy Olsen? Injected with a synthetic virus when he was an infant, Jimmy comes under the power of evildoers who transform him into a mind-controlled assassin.

My Thoughts:
Not bad... it is an enjoyable episode. I really liked the character of Sarah who was also injected with the synthetic virus. I thought she made a good companion for Jimmy. Unfortunately if I remember correctly we don't see her again. This is the second episode with Scardino... and nope... still don't like that guy.



(From Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Marathon on July 24th, 2009)