DVD Collectors Online

The Silence of the Lambs, a review by addicted2dvd

Title: The Silence of the Lambs
Year: 1991
Director: Jonathan Demme
Rating: R
Length: 118 Min.
Video: Widescreen 1.85:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital Surround, Commentary: Dolby Digital Mono
Subtitles: N/A

Stars:
Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling
Lawrence A. Bonney as FBI Instructor
Kasi Lemmons as Ardelia Mapp
Lawrence T. Wrentz as Agent Burroughs
Scott Glenn as Jack Crawford

Plot:Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Deleted Scenes
Featurettes
Production Notes
Storyboard Comparisons
FBI Criminal Profile Manual

My Thoughts:
I have loved this movie since the first time I ever seen it back when it was first released in the early '90s. I have watched it countless time both on VHS and DVD. I was surprised when I checked my database to find out I haven't watched it in about 2 years! Both Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins were excellent in this one. This movie is the one that truly made me a fan of Jodie Foster. Even after countless times of watching this movie... it still has me glued to the screen with such an excellent storyline. If you have been living in a cave for the past 20 and never seen this movie... it is one I couldn't recommend any higher! It really is a must see movie!

The Criterion Collection DVD is a great release. The Audio and Video is great (at least on my standard 20in TV) and there is a great selection of extras to check out. You really could easily spend hours with this DVD. But there  is one thing about this DVD release I do not like... where is the damn trailer! That is a pet peeve of mine... I think all releases should have the trailer for the movie on the disc. I personally love to watch the trailer before watching the movie... to kind of get me even more in the mood for a movie before I watch it.



(From Weekend Movie Marathon: 2/19 - 2/21 on February 20th, 2010)

Arsenic & Old Lace, a review by Dragonfire

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Arsenic and Old Lace

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I actually got this one for my mom for Christmas.  I watched it with her right after Christmas.  It was the first time I'd seen the movie.  I really didn't know much about the movie before watching it other than that Cary Grant was in it.  I did read the back of the case before we watched it.  I loved the movie and think it was a very well done comedy.  Some of what happens does get a bit crazy and silly, but it works for the movie.  It is based on a play, and some of the cast members are from the original run of the play on Broadway.  The movie does have a more limited setting, with most of it taking place in the large main room of a house in Brooklyn.

The plot is very entertaining and a lot happens even though it is confined to one Halloween when Mortimer and Elaine have just gotten married.  They return to Brooklyn to share the news with their families, and that is when the craziness starts.  Mortimer's brother Teddy still lives with their aunts - who raised them and their other brother Jonathan.  Teddy is..well...not all there you could say.  He thinks he is President Teddy Roosevelt and he talks to everyone like they are people Roosevelt would have worked with.  He doesn't just walk up the stairs to his room.  He yells charge and runs up the stairs, into his room, slamming the door behind him.  He plays a bugle at random times, night and day, which has many of the neighbors aggravated.  The family understands Teddy's issues and deals with them.  Mortimer discovers a dead body in the house, and he believes that Teddy finally completely flipped and killed the man, thinking he was fighting in battle or something.  The aunts - Abby and Martha - claim responsibility for the body and casually mention the other twelve buried in the basement.  The aunts have Teddy dig the graves, telling him it is the canal in Panama.  They are very calm about the situation while Mortimer freaks out, worrying how to deal with the situation in the best way for his family.  Then Jonathan returns home for the first time in years with his surgeon and accomplice Dr. Einstein.  Jonathan is a wanted criminal who, thanks to plastic surgery, looks like Boris Karloff.  The two men are trying to avoid the police and find a place to stash their own dead body.

A lot happens throughout the movie without making things too complicated.  Most of the movie takes place after Mortimer discovers the dead body and shows how he deals with an increasingly crazy situation.  The movie is a lot funnier than I expected it to be.  The way Teddy acts, yelling and racing up the stairs, is very funny.  Mortimer's reactions to what is going on is hilarious at times.  The entire situation is just a bit funny to begin with, and the humor continues throughout the movie.  The movies really isn't predictable and I was left wondering how a few things would work out.  The movie is very fun and entertaining overall, in a sort of twisted way.

The characters are wonderful and very entertaining.  Abby and Martha are such sweet, nice old ladies, yet they have killed thirteen men with poisoned wine.  They think they are doing something helpful for the men and don't understand why Mortimer is upset.  Teddy is harmless, though it is understandable why some neighbors are upset.  Jonathan has his own issues, but they have made him very violent and dangerous.  Even though they have killed all those men, the aunts just don't seem violent or threatening like Jonathan.  He's creepy and scary.  He gets very upset whenever anyone says that he looks like Boris Karloff.  Dr. Einstein is rather creepy as well.  Mortimer is a wonderful character who is struggling to deal with everything.  I love Cary Grant in the part.  For the most part, I've just seen him in more serious movies, though most of them have had a bit of humor in them as well.  This is the funniest I've seen him and I think he handles all the craziness, and the slapstick moments, very well.  Elaine isn't around as much, so she doesn't receive the same attention.

I loved this movie and am glad that I finally saw it.  I think it has held up well and is still well worth watching.



I did get a review posted at Epinions if anyone would like to take a look.

Arsenic and Old Lace

(From Marie's Random Movie Viewing on January 4th, 2012)

"Stargate SG-1" Marathon, a review by DJ Doena

Synopsis: A film crew has the assignment and the approval of the president to make a documentation about the SGC. This is for the case the Stargate program becomes public knowledge. No one in the SGC is overly enthusiastic about this idea.

My Opinion: This episode's only purpose seemed to be the introduction of the characters. Then they don't have to do this in the second part. Since it didn't happen much in it, let me make a statement regarding the second episode: At some point the journalist gets angry and shouts at the soldiers that he - as well as they - also serves the people. I don't know how you feel about this but I registered a remarkable drop in the quality of journalism over the last years/decade. Many reports are mere pimped Reuters reports and most newspapers are only dictated by cost effectiveness. There is very few investigative, but instead "embedded" journalism. This "to serve the people" is a noble claim but it's not a reality.
I can only speak for Germany, of course.

Synopsis: SG-13 is trapped and is rescued by several SG teams (SG-1 amongst them). During the fire fight Colonel O'Neill receives a frontal hit by a staff weapon. Other people get also wounded and killed.

My Opinion: I honestly don't remember what I thought when I watched this for the first time. When I watched it this time, I already knew that not Jack but Dr. Frasier had been killed. But I still waited for the moment this is revealed. It was a very emotional (and therefore good) episode. But it was a bit sad that Teryl Rothery didn't get more screen time, considering that this was her last episode.

Synopsis: When the NID and SG-1 blow a rouge NID operation they find a young woman. She is an engineered Human-Goa'uld-hybrid whose growth rate has been accelerated with the help of nanites. She has been created to access the knowledge of the Goa'uld, but one half of her isn't as innocuous as it seems.

My Opinion: This episode was written by Michael Shanks, directed by Amanda Tapping and Richard Dean Anderson was once again absent. I didn't care much for it.

Synopsis: Henry Hayes is the new president of the United States and Kinsey is his vice president. After being briefed on all Top Secret projects there is yet another briefing where he learns about the Stargate project. Kinsey tries to convince him to replace most of the SGC's staff.

My Opinion: The fourth clip show of the series and another episode where no member of SG-1 had a live appearance. But I like William Devane as president although he seemed to be a bit "simple" in the beginning. But, coming to think about the actual president Bush jr., ... Anyway, I liked the fact that Woolsey (Robert Picardo, The Doctor in Star Trek: Voyager) was uncongenial yet he has integrity.

(From "Stargate SG-1" Marathon on April 19th, 2008)