DVD Collectors Online

The Old Man and the Sea, a review by Danae Cassandra

The Old Man and the Sea
Year of Release: 1958
Directed By: John Sturges
Starring: Spencer Tracy, Felipe Pazos Jr., Harry Bellaver
Genre: Drama, Adventure

Overview:
Ernest Hemingway's choice for the lead in the film version of his The Old Man and the SeaThe Old Man and the Sea is a colorful cinematic ode to the indomitability of the human spirit.

My Thoughts:
Hemingway wrote a wonderful story, and this is a good adaptation, though it has its flaws.

On the good side:  The film hews closely to the story, and Spencer Tracy gives a powerful, moving performance as the old man.  Filming this story would always hinge upon casting that role, and he carries the film marvelously.  He is completely believable as this aged fisherman, worn down by life but still struggling, not giving up, still living.

On the other hand, while one can (and must) overlook the technical issues of a movie made in 1958 when watching almost sixty years later (such as the obvious composite shots and patchwork film sources), it is much harder to overlook the problem with the voice-over narration.  Someone needed to tell the director that "less is more."  A truth in writing is 'show, don't tell,' and that's equally true in movies.  Narration is a useful tool in telling a story like this, but the director overuses it to the point where this almost becomes an audiobook with visual. 

Worth seeing for Tracy's performance, but slow moving and very, very talky. 

Bechdel Test: Fail

Overall: 3.25/5

(From Within My (Mom's) Lifetime Marathon on November 20th, 2015)

The Princess Bride, a review by Dragonfire

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The Princess Bride

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I've lost track of how many times I've watched this movie over the years.  I still enjoy it every time I watch it.  It is a fun, entertaining adventure type movie with humor that is told in a unique way.  It is really well done and has held up well.  I do think of the story as a fairytale and it does have a sort of magical feel to it.  There is an interesting group of characters and the cast is wonderful in their parts, even the small parts like Miracle Max and his wife Valerie. 

I had the movie on DVD and I picked up the Blu-ray last year when I found it cheap.  There are several extras on it, but I haven't checked them out yet.

The Princess Bride is a wonderful movie that is definitely worth checking out.



The Princess Bride



(From Marie's Random Movie Viewing on July 3rd, 2013)

Tom's Random Reviews, a review by Tom

Title: RTL Samstag Nacht: Das Beste aus Staffel 1
Year: 1993
Rating: FSK-12
Length: 800 Min.
Video: Full Frame 1.33:1
Audio: German: Dolby Digital Stereo

Stars:
Just finished watching this set. "RTL Samstag Nacht" was the German incarnation of Saturday Night Live which was produced during the 90s. Like in its American counterpart, most sketches were more miss than hit, but the lasting effect this show had is still perceivable today. It made way for all the German comedy show that followed and a lot of the catchphrases from this show are still used today. It also made a lot of comedians household names.

This set calls itself "Best of Season 1". But what it really is, is a season set which includes all 25 episodes from season 1 but which were cut from their musical guests and some comedy acts due to licencing reasons and some skits which are not shown in current reruns because of other problems (mainly with the church).

Rating:  (due to its nostalgia bonus)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=oLy4co0zkAY

(From Tom's Random Reviews on March 2nd, 2008)