DVD Collectors Online

Friday the 13th - Part 2, a review by RossRoy

WHAT THEY SAY

Just when you thought it was safe to go back to camp... here's even more heart-pounding terror. Five years after the horrible blood bath at Camp Crystal Lake, all that remains is the legend of Jason Voorhees and his demented mother, who had murdered seven camp counselors. At the nearby summer camp, the new counselors are unconcerned about the warnings to stay away from the infamous site. Carefree, the young people roam the area, not sensing the ominous lurking presence. One by one, they are attacked and brutally slaughtered. Suspense and screams abound in this compelling thriller.

MY THOUGHTS

Well, I think Part 2 us an improvement on the first. At least, this time around, they do show the killer moving around, stalking its prey. And I must say, Ginny makes a more believable victim than Alice did. I do hope they show some more creativity with the killings down the line, because if they stick with the machete hack'n'slash killings, it's getting old already.

RATING

(From RossRoy's Random Viewings on October 12th, 2009)

Gene Kelly: Anatomy of a Dancer, a review by Danae Cassandra

Gene Kelly: Anatomy of a Dancer
Year of Release: 2002
Directed By: Robert Trachtenberg
Starring: Stanley Tucci (narrator)
Genre: Documentary, Musical

Overview:
Everyone feels a connection with Gene Kelly. He's a guy's guy to men. To women, he's a knight whose shining armor is a T-shirt and khakis. And he solidifies that link with a vigorous, athletic way of dance he calls American Style. Gene Kelly makes us all fee like we should be dancing and singing in the rain.

The life and career of this innovator whose work includes Singin' in the Rain, On the Town and An American in Paris are recalled in this study of the driven genius - often narcissistic, always a perfectionist - who reenergized the movie musical and redefined dance on screen. Packed with marvelous clips and interviews with family and Hollywood colleagues, Gene Kelly: Anatomy of a Dancer is the definitive look at a magical talent whose story has never been fully told until now.

My Thoughts:
A really nice biography of Kelly and retrospective of his career. Kelly is not only an icon of dance, but an icon of the American film. Quite thorough and worth a watch for fans of his.

Bechdel Test: Fail (N/A)
Mako Mori Test: Fail (N/A)

Overall: 3/5

(From July Movie Marathon: Musicals (Yes... You read right!) on July 17th, 2016)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Marathon, a review by addicted2dvd

9. The Wish
Wanting to be rid of Xander for good, Cordelia comes to the conclusion that Buffy is the cause of all her problems and makes a wish that Buffy had never come to Sunnydale. A demon grants the wish and Cordelia's world suddenly changes.

My Thoughts:
This has always been one of my favorite episodes... I loved getting a peek at the alternate reality of what Sunnydale would have been like if Buffy never made it there. I really liked the vampire version of Willow and Xander. This is just one of those episodes that is just pure fun to watch.

10. Amends
While the gang prepares for their Christmas vacation, Angel is haunted by visions of his violent past. The ghost of Jenny Calendar appears to him and reminds him in great detail of the evil deeds he has performed. At first she almost seems to be taking pity on him, but gradually her counsel grows more sinister.

My Thoughts:
Another really good episode... and if I am not mistaken the only Christmas episode in the entire 7 year run of the series. Not to mention our first look at "The First Evil" which would later come back for the final season.

11. Gingerbread
Picking the wrong night for mother-daughter bonding, Joyce discovers the bodies of two children in the park, apparently sacrificed in an occult ritual. Deeply disturbed by what she has seen, Joyce rallies the adults of Sunnydale, convincing them to rid the town of all magical and occult influences. Soon, however, it becomes apparent that Buffy, Willow, and Amy are themselves considered a part of the occult threat to Sunnydale.

My Thoughts:
And this makes all 3 episodes on this disc good ones... Another episode I liked a lot. If I am not mistaken this episode also has another first... the first (and possibly only?) time we see Willow's mother. This is also the episode that Amy turns herself into a rat and stays that way for a very long time... till Willow can figure out how to change her back.

(From Buffy the Vampire Slayer Marathon on November 14th, 2007)