DVD Collectors Online

The Rocky Horror Picture Show, a review by goodguy

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) Written by: Richard O'Brien & Jim Sharman Directed by: Jim Jarman Starring: Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Richar O'Brien DVD: R1-US Fox (2000) My rating:

Cover blurb: The Rocky Horror Picture Show is an "erotic nightmare beyond any measure." Relive Richard O'Brien's sinfully twisted salute to horror, sci-fi, B-movies and rock music - a "sensual daydream to treasure forever" - starring Tim Curry (in his classic gender-bending performance), Barry Bostwick, and Oscar winner Susan Sarandon. Do the "Time Warp" and sing "Hot Patootie" with Meat Loaf again...and again...and again. Pull up a slab and let the madness begin!

I guess you have to be at one of those whacky screenings to fully enjoy this. The movie is great for the first half hour, after that it rapidly deteriorates. Still, even then it retains a certain silly charme and the occasional catchy song (e.g. Eddie's Teddy) makes sitting through the remaining parts worthwhile.

(From goodguy's Watch Log on February 17th, 2009)

Near Dark, a review by Danae Cassandra

Near Dark
Year of Release: 1987
Directed By: Kathryn Bigelow
Starring: Adrian Pasdar, Jenny Wright, Lance Henriksen, Bill Paxton, Jenette Goldstein
Genre: Horror, Western, Crime

Overview:My Thoughts:
This is a stylish hybrid film, bridging horror, western and crime genres together to create a uniquely modern look at the vampire.  Perhaps one shouldn't use the term here, they certainly don't in the film, but it is still definitely a vampire film.  All of the actors do an excellent job, and the pull Caleb finds himself in between his two contrasting families creates quite a bit of excellent tension as you wonder whether he will accept his new family and new life, or continue to cling to his humanity.  Jenny Wright's portrayal of Mae is also just about the best portrayal of Stockholm Syndrome I've ever seen.  There is a bit of gore here, but nothing too bad and all necessary to the story.  Well worth a watch.

Bechdel Test: Fail (I think)

Overall: 4/5

(From Month Long Horror/Halloween Marathon on October 9th, 2014)

My PILOT Marathon, a review by Rich

CSI: NY: The Complete First Season

Blink
The team finds three young women, all of whom appear to have been brutalized in the same way. With a possible serial killer on hand, the only witness they have is the one of the three who survived, but she can only communicate through blinking. Photographs found at one of the crime scenes lead the team to a couple that had sponsored one of the victims, the boyfriend who claims he hasn't spoken to her in weeks, and the owner of one of the buildings a photo was taken from.



The third edition of the "CSI" franchise sets up shop in the Big Apple, where taciturn Detective Mac Taylor (Gary Sinise) and his partner, Detective Stella Bonasera (Melina Kanakaredes), lead a crime-solving team. Like his counterparts in Las Vegas and Miami, Taylor knows that people may lie, but the evidence rarely does.

A vast improvement over the CSI Miami 1st episode, this felt slicker, and the major improvement was a convincing lead actor in Gary Sinise backed up by some good support cast.
The downside is what I found in the other pilot, the solving of the case was just too easy, quick use of lasers to re-fingerprint, and the killer confesses up with no pressure at all, in a Hollywood version of "it's a fair cop guv, you got me banged to rights". In fact I'd go as far as saying based on the 2 pilots of CSI viewed that the suspense and mystery is akin to a scooby doo cartoon. Neither have I warmed to the cast as I did with shows such as NCIS.
But as this is such a popular show with so many people, I am sure that it must develop and the characters become more interesting, so i will definately give the whole series a try in the near future.
 

(From My PILOT Marathon on September 27th, 2009)