DVD Collectors Online

Flesh and the Devil, a review by Antares

Flesh and the Devil (1926) 4.5/5 - One gaping hole in my film watching is most definitely Silent film dramas. I've seen plenty of silent comedy, but due to lack of material available or time constraints, I've never been able to really sink my teeth into what is my favorite time frame in Hollywood history. A few years back, I got the TCM collection The Garbo Silents Collection and it has been gathering dust ever since. But I'm in the midst of watching Kevin Brownlow & David Gill's mammoth documentary on the silent era, Hollywood, and decided to shake the dust off some of my silent film DVDs and this was first on the list. I've only seen Greta Garbo in one of her sound films, Grand Hotel, and glimpses of a few others such as Ninotchka and Queen Christina. Aside from being a radiantly beautiful woman, I find the performances I've watched either overly melodramatic or somewhat wooden and her voice to be a bit too deep and masculine to fit her image. I've never been able to understand why she survived the transition to sound, when so many other gifted, beautiful actors and actresses were left behind. I really wanted to watch this mainly because it starred John Gilbert, one of the most tragic figures in Hollywood history. And just as I expected, he was magnificent in the role of the love struck Prussian aristocrat who almost forsakes a life long friendship for the love of a woman who's not worth his efforts. After finishing the film, I started to ponder if Gilbert was the first actor to have true screen presence, because every moment he is on screen, he dominates. I couldn't think of one actor before him, where the camera just made them come alive so much. When the film was finished, I cursed Louis B. Mayer for what he did to his career. I've listened to a few of Gilbert's sound films and there was absolutely nothing wrong with his voice. I really hope Mayer is rotting in Hell for not only what he did to Gilbert, but to Judy Garland and Buster Keaton also. That being said, if you're into silent films, you need to definitely check this one out.

(From Antares' Short Summations on April 27th, 2012)

Going the Distance, a review by addicted2dvd

Going the Distance (2010/United States) IMDb |Wikipedia |Trailer | New Line Productions, Warner Home Video Director: Nanette Burstein Writing: Geoff Latulippe (Writer) Length: 103 min. Rating: Rated R : Sexual Content Including Dialogue, Language Throughout, Some Drug Use and Brief Nudity Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital: 5.1 Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

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Stars:
Drew Barrymore as Erin
Justin Long as Garrett
Charlie Day as Dan
Jason Sudeikis as Box
Christina Applegate as Corinne
Ron Livingston as Will

Plot:
Erin (Drew Barrymore) and Garrett (Justin Long) strike sparks for a summer fling in New York City but neither expects it to last once Erin heads home to San Francisco and Garrett remains behind for his Big Apple job. But after six increasingly romantic weeks, neither is sure they want it to end. So despite the opposing coasts, naysaying friends and family and a few unexpected temptations, the couple just might have found something like love. And helped by a lot of texting, sexting and late-night phone calls, the might actually go the distance.

Extras:

• Bonus Trailers
• Deleted Scenes

I couldn't sleep last night so ended up watching a few movies. I started with this one as I have always liked Drew Barrymore. And this one was no exception. I enjoyed this film quite a bit. I really liked all the characters and the film flowed well. This is actually a film I never even heard of before seeing it on the library shelf. Definitely worth the time put in to watch it. I recommend checking it out.



(From What Movies I Been Watching on November 30th, 2013)

Tom's TV Pilots marathon, a review by Tom

The Cosby Show: Season One (1984/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia Carsey-Werner Distribution, UrbanWorks Entertainment (United States) Length: 527 min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Subtitles:

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Plot:
The Cosby Show appeared on NBC from 1984 to 1992, becoming one of the most popular programs in the history of television. The series depicted a close-knit and prosperous African American family (The Huxtables) that dwelled in New York City. Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable, OB-GYN (Bill Cosby), and his attorney wife Clair (Phylicia Rashad), a happily married, dual-profession couple, had aspirations of raising their five children in an uplifting, positive environment. The Huxtables were truly a groundbreaking family for television.

The Cosby Show was an instant smash hit, holding TV's #1 slot for a record five consecutive years (1985 to 1990), and it remained in the Top 20 shows of all eight seasons it was on NBC. The Cosby Show's popularity was so intense that it has carried over into the 21st century, and in 2005 The Cosby Show is as relevant as it has ever been. The Huxtable's are adored around the world.

The Cosby Show
1.01 Pilot Presentation
Writer: Ed. Weinberger (Writer), Michael Leeson (Writer), Ed. Weinberger (Created By), Michael Leeson (Created By), Dr. William H. Cosby Jr., Ed.D. (Created By)
Director: Jay Sandrich
Cast: Bill Cosby (Cliff Huxtable), Phylicia Ayers-Allen (Clair Huxtable), Lisa Bonet (Denise Huxtable), Malcolm Jamal-Warner (Theo Huxtable), Tempestt Bledsoe (Vanessa Huxtable), Keshia Knight-Pulliam (Rudy Huxtable), Todd Hollowell (Rafael), Keith Reddin (Mr. McManus)

I grew up with the Cosby Show. I loved watching it. It's still one of the better sitcoms from the 80s. I especially love the scenes between Cliff and Theo in this pilot. It's classic how Cliff demonstrates Theo with Monopoly money, how "regular" people live. And Cliff's comeback after Theo tells his father, he should love him even if he was only regular people is great. Theo giving a typical sitcom speech and Cliff telling him that it's the dumbest thing he had ever heard.

Rating:

(From Tom's TV Pilots marathon on April 1st, 2011)