DVD Collectors Online

Practical Magic, a review by Dragonfire

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Practical Magic Fun and excitement abound in the Owens family of wily witches. One problem, though: the men the Owens women fall in love with are doomed to an untimely death. Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman sparkle in Practical Magic, adapted from Alice Hoffman's bestseller and directed by Griffin Dunne (Addicted to Love). They play Sally and Gillian Owens, sisters hexed by a centuries-old curse...and coping with a witches brew of events involving a possible love match (Aidan Quinn) for one, a zombie (Goran Visnjic) for the other and a need to resume the age-old witchcraft taught by two doting Owens aunts (Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest). Sit for a spell and enjoy!

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This is another one that isn't really a horror movie or scary movie, but that I like to watch in October.  I first saw it in the theater and it was one of the first DVDs I got.  I still really enjoy the movie.  The plot isn't overly complicated, but it is fun and entertaining overall.  I like Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman and I think they worked together well as sisters in the movie.  There is supernatural type things going on since they are witches and they go and bring Jimmy back to life.  I never really did fully get why Gillian wanted to bring him back...he was trying to kill her before he died.  Unless it was just so they wouldn't possibly face being charged with murder or something.  I haven't read the book, though I did consider it before. 



I did post a longer review at Epinions several years ago if anyone wants to take a look. 

Practical Magic


(From Marie's 2013 Halloween/Horror Marathon on October 8th, 2013)

East of Eden, a review by Antares

East of Eden (1955) 4.5/5 - For many years I've never understood the iconic appreciation for James Dean. I had seen both Rebel Without a Cause and Giant, but I had seen the sullen, brooding performance in the former, done better by Montgomery Clift in a couple of films, and Dean's performance in the latter film is only half good. Meaning he's great in the first half as the loner, wildcatting his way to a fortune, but when that fortune is achieved and the screenplay advances him in age, he looked lost in the role. So I've always avoided East of Eden because I thought I was going to get more of the same out of him. I now admit that I was wrong in prejudging him and this film. From the get go, his moody absorption into the troubled life of Cal is a breath of fresh air in what was a sea of by the book type acting in Hollywood. His scenes with Raymond Massey highlight this very well. It's like watching the old school butting heads with a revolution. Now I've never read East of Eden, the travesty of which I'm soon going to remedy, so I would have liked to have had a bit more exposition as to why the brothers were so different and why the mother wasn't there. But from what I've read, the film only covers about the last 70 or so pages of the book. Maybe this was a blessing for me, as I wasn't jaded by having read the book first. There are probably many out there who don't care for this film because of that fact, but until I finish reading it, the film is a success for me.

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

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Marathon, a review by addicted2dvd

5. Never Kill a Boy on the First Date
Buffy sets her sights on the mysterious and brooding Owen and she opts to go on a date rather than help Giles prevent a prophecy about an unstoppable vampire rising to help the Master.

My Thoughts:
This was a good episode... really enjoyed it. Buffy learns a lesson on just how much her being a slayer effects her personal life... and you also see how the outcome can sometimes be less then perfect.

6. The Pack
While enduring the annual field trip to the Zoo, Xander and several other students enter the quarantined Hyena pen and leave in an altered state. Xander begins acting strangely, sniffing Buffy and being cruel to people, including Willow; and Buffy becomes convinced that he has been possessed by the spirit of the wild animal.

My Thoughts:
This episode was just a lot of fun... Xander is in a bit of trouble once again... and of course it is Buffy to the rescue!

7. Angel
After saving her from a gang of vampire warriors, Angel and Buffy's "relationship" grows until he reveals his true self to her. Angel is really 'Angelus', a 240-year-old vampire who has a reputation for being the most violent creature to ever walk the Earth. Faced with the reality that her possible true love is an enemy, Buffy must ask herself - can a vampire really be a good person or must she do her sworn duty and destroy him?

My Thoughts:
Great episode where you first learn a lot about Angel... Where Buffy and the gang first learn that Angel is actually a vampire.

8. I Robot, You Jane
Willow, saddened by Xander's affection for Buffy turns to the chat rooms and meets a charming boy on-line, ignoring Buffy's concerns about Internet freaks. Meanwhile, the rest of the gang discover a demon trapped in the school computer network.

My Thoughts:
This is another one of those episode that while good... is not one of my favorite episodes. And one I really can't put my finger on why I feel that way. It is also the first time we get to meet Jenny Calander.

(From Buffy the Vampire Slayer Marathon on November 9th, 2007)