DVD Collectors Online

Green Hornet, a review by Dragonfire

Since I tend to like movies about superheroes or that are based on comic books, I wanted to see Green Hornet.  I didn't know much about the character, but I was still interested.  The biggest drawback for me was the fact that Seth Rogen was in it.  I just don't like him that much.

The movie is interesting and entertaining overall, though the plot is rather simple and straight forward.  There is a origin story of sorts that explains why the main character Brit decides to start fighting crime as Green Hornet.  Much of what happens is a bit unbelievable, but it manages to be mostly entertaining.  There are decent action scenes, though Kato does more in those scenes than Brit.  I didn't see the movie in 3D and don't see how that would have added anything to the movie.

My biggest problem with the movie is the way that Brit acts.  I only barely remember seeing a few episodes of the tv show, so I don't know how Brit acted in it.  In the movie, he comes across as an arrogant jerk most of the time and it is hard to like him.  Rogen himself has come across that way to me in different interviews I've seen him give over the years and I've thought many of the characters I've seen him play have been jerks.  It is almost like he's just being himself.  Least it seems that way to me.  I did have concerns when I heard that Rogen had been cast.  He just isn't right for this type of part.  He also worked on the screenplay, and that didn't help things.  The other actors didn't bother me in their parts, though Cameron Diaz did seem wasted and even miscast her in the part of Lenore.

Despite Rogen, I did like the movie overall.  I think it would have been better if someone else had been cast as Britt/Green Hornet. 



I did get a longer review posted at Epinions.

http://www.epinions.com/review/Green-Hornet/content_541619752580

(From Green Hornet on March 19th, 2011)

House of Strangers, a review by Antares

House of Strangers (1949) 82/100 - It's truly sad that modern day film lovers only know Richard Conte as Don Barzini in The Godfather, because in his younger days, he had real screen presence and acting chops. He's the kind of actor George Raft would never become. I have yet to see him play a role in a film where he doesn't hold the viewer's attention whenever he's onscreen. But then, there's Susan Hayward, who gives him a run for his money with her performance. Their dialog together is biting, bantering, seductive and noirishly playful. There's a scene early in the film, where Hayward and Conte are sitting in an Italian bar, listening to a piano player and Hayward's character is in the process of ending their affair and she just radiates on the screen, her lines of dialog, cutting like a knife in Conte's heart. I couldn't take my eyes off of her. If this film doesn't make you fall in love with her, then I don't think any other would. Edward G. Robinson does what Robinson always did best, he disappears into his character, making him completely believable. Sure, some may say that his portrayal might be a bit stereotypical and somewhat of a caricature. But when you take into context, the fact that his character also speaks Italian throughout the film, these assessments don't hold water. If he just spoke the broken English, then yeah, he'd look like an over the top buffoon. The mixing of both languages is pivotal to making his character convincing. He's Old World and old school and I've known a few modern day, elderly Italian men who also spoke that way. Hell, he must have done something right, because he took home the at the Cannes Film Festival that year.

Teal = Masterpiece
Dark Green = Classic or someday will be
Lime Green = A good, entertaining film
Orange = Average
Red = Cinemuck
Brown = The color of crap, which this film is

(From Antares' Short Summations on November 29th, 2014)

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

Synopsis: As promised, after an abydosian year Daniel returns there. Unfortunately he returns with empty hands, both Sha're and Skaara are still Goa'ulds. Surprisingly Sha're/Amonet is already there - and advanced in pregnancy. Meanwhile Jack and Sam are about to receive a medal by the president himself in Washington, D.C..

My Opinion: They have found a good way to rejoin Daniel and Sha're without removing the Goa'uld. I also liked the sham they did to Amonet, Apophis and Heru-ur.
But the most emotional moment of the episode was when you see something break in Jack. The moment, when General Hammond points out to Jack, that "It was an accident!" - you simply know, that it isn't true.

Synopsis: On an uninhabited planet - that was once inhabited - Teal'c is stung by a bug that rewrites his DNA. Colonel Maybourne from the NID takes Teal'c to a research institute to have him examined.

My Opinion: I liked this episode, too, especially the interaction between Teal'c and the little girl. The end was cool, when Teal'c runs through that old building, equipped with sun glasses and a water rifle.

Synopsis: After a dream/recollection of Sam's, SG-1 visits a planet where they supsect to find the Tok'ra - enemies of the System Lords - and they indeed find them. The Tok'ra create tunnels and caves with the help of crystals that give them cover and protection. But the Tau'ri (Goa'uld name for the Earth humans) have nothing to offer to the Tok'ra that would benefit them and that would justify an alliance.

My Opinion: The Tok'ra need hosts and Sam's dad Jacob is terminal ill. It is obvious what will happen in the second part. I liked the episode nonetheless and Martouf/Lantash is a very likeable person.

Synopsis: General Jacob Carter is visited by his daughter and General Hammond in the hospital. He finally learns why his daughter refused his proposal to get her into NASA. The host of the Tok'ra Selmak is dying and Jacob is supposed to take her place. But then the Tok'ra planet is attacked by Goa'uld motherships.

My Opinion: The introduction of Jacob/Selmak was a good idea, SG-1 has now a close connection to the Tok'ra. But it happens surprisingly often that the "primitive" Tau'ri have to save the butts of the higher developed races, in this case the Tok'ra. This was a very good two-parter.

(From "Stargate SG-1" Marathon on March 6th, 2008)