DVD Collectors Online

The Beatles: Get Back, a review by Antares

The Beatles: Get Back (2021) 60/100"White Album", amply illustrates what the world lost when the four went their separate ways after Abbey Road. The real beneficiary of the breakup was George, who was always my favorite Beatle, as he went into the studio and recorded , the album that released Harrison from the chains of bondage that the Lennon-McCartney partnership had forged. Neither John Lennon, nor Paul McCartney ever released an album post-breakup that reached anywhere near the strata of this seminal work from the "get back Jojo...Go home!". There's a moment early in the first episode where Lennon hasn't arrived at Twickenham and Paul is just piddling around on his bass and you see the framework for the song being hatched in Paul's brain. Throughout the first and second episodes, you see Lennon & McCartney adding new lines to the song. There's no malevolence towards Ono in this part of their creative process for the song. The things Lennon conjured up in his head for that interview never happened and probably was due to his discouragement at how his career was turning at that point. I've never blamed Ono for breaking up the Beatles. I think the Lennon we all saw in the mid to late seventies was her doing, but not when he was still in the band. In fact, I've seen other video of Linda Eastman adding her two cents in where it wasn't probably needed. She could be seen as "Yoko"ing Paul with her opinions too. The Beatles broke up because George was tired of only getting his allotted two songs on an album. There's another moment in the documentary where he bemoans the fact to John that he has enough songs to fulfill his part of the next 10 Beatles albums. You can sense his frustration at this fact and the result would be "All Things Must Pass". And he's right, the first two albums in that three album release are all quality songs that would have made his statement prophetic.

(From The Beatles: Get Back (2021) on December 28th, 2021)

Sweet Sixteen, a review by Rich

Sweet Sixteen



Using a cast of unknown actors and newcomers, Ken Loach fashions another gritty social drama in SWEET SIXTEEN. In his acting debut, Martin Crampston plays Liam, whose mother is about to be released from prison on his 16th birthday. Liam recognises that the only chance for the pair of them to escape the poverty of their surroundings is to move away from the Greenock council estate they live on. However, to realise this dream he will need to get hold of some money. Roping in his friends to help, he sets out on a series of increasingly dangerous schemes to raise cash and soon finds himself out of his depth.

Typical Loach, gritty, at times depressing, a severely harsh look at modern society and it's youth stuck at the bottom of the pile. Incredibly difficult to follow some of the strong Scottish accents, to consider these were unknown actors the Director used is amazing as generally they were superb, especially Martin Compston in the lead role.
Completely unforgiving film, where the message that hope is futile and a better life does not exist for some of our society, is incredibly powerful and thought provoking. Not for the easily offended due to the continual coarse language and graphic violence, it is perhaps a film that should be seen as it is so raw and real.
 
 

(From Riches Random Reviews on April 24th, 2009)

Tom's TV Pilots marathon, a review by Tom

Family Guy: Season One (1999/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (United Kingdom) Length: 315 min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Subtitles: English

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Plot:
Meet the Griffins and find out what in the name of Quonoohontaug, Rhode Island is going on in their heads!

Peter Griffin is a big, lovable oaf who always says what's on his mind (even if it's at the wrong time and in the wrong place!) Domiciled in Rhode Island with wife Lois and three kids - Chris, Meg and Stewie - Peter would do anything for them, just as long as it didn't get in the way of his favourite TV shows... Lois Griffin is a modern housewife and (before she fell for Peter) a Rhode Island heiress. She gave up all hope of the Pewterschmidt millions when she fell in love with the good 'ol boy she's been with ever since. Lois is complex, but as yet, she's been unable to work out why baby Stewie, always seems as though he's about to kill her...

Sweet sixteen-year-old Meg Griffin leads a difficult life. Constantly trying to gain acceptance among the "in" crowd (or any crowd for that matter), she just can't help being a drama queen. Like most girls of her age, Meg is highly embarrassed by her father. But then again, most girls don't have Peter Griffin as their dad! Meet Chris Griffin. Overgrown, sweet-hearted, at the difficult age of 13 - Chris wouldn't hurt a fly ... unless it landed on his favourite hotdog! Still, Chris does have some hidden talents, especially his ability to draw. These days, he wastes too much time with Dad in front of the tube, looking at boobs!

Stewie Griffin is a one-year-old baby with a single goal: total world domination. He has the voice and manner of an evil Rex Harrison and were it not for his lack of muscle tone, toilet training and need for parentally-provided sustenance, Stewie would already have gained control over most of mankind! finally Brian Griffin is more than just the family dog. He is a gentleman, a scholar, and undeniably the most balanced member of the family. But the sarcastic barbs that Brian doles out can be as dry as a martini (and Brian has had more than a few of those in his time!).


Family Guy
1.01 Death Has A Shadow
Writer: Seth MacFarlane (Writer)
Director: Peter Shin
Cast: Seth MacFarlane (Peter Griffin / Stewie Griffin / Brian (voice)), Seth MacFarlane (Glen Quagmire / Tom Tucker / Additional (voice)), Alex Borstein (Lois Griffin / Loretta / Tricia Takanawa (voice)), Alex Borstein (Barbara Pewterschmidt / Additional (voice)), Seth Green (Chris Griffin (voice)), Lori Alan (Diane Simmons (voice)), Butch Hartman (Various (voice)), Phil LaMarr (Judge (voice)), Joey Slotnick (Dick Clark (voice)), Fred Tatasciore (Various (voice)), Wally Wingert (Various (voice)), Billy West (Various (voice)), Carlos Alazraqui (Mr. Weed (voice)), Lacey Chabert (Meg Griffin (voice, uncredited)), Pat Summerall (Himself (voice, uncredited))

Family Guy is a show I enjoyed from the beginning. Although I didn't seem to get around watching the new episodes the last few years. The first episode was okay. Not one of the better ones. I remember that Stewie was the one who won me over the first time I saw the first episode.

Rating:

(From Tom's TV Pilots marathon on April 12th, 2011)