DVD Collectors Online

House of Wax (2005), a review by Rich

Title: House of Wax

Movie Count:36  
TV Ep. Count:18  

Runtime:108
Certificate:15
Year:2005
Genres:Horror

Plot:Thrills and chills ooze all over you in House of Wax, from Dark Castle Entertainment and legendary horror producers Joel Silver and Robert Zemeckis (Gothika, House on Haunted Hill).
When their car breaks down on a road trip, six college friends are sidetracked into an eerie backwoods town. Curiosity gets the better of them when they are intrigured by its macabre House of Wax. They soon find out that the town is not what it seems and they must find their way out before they fall victim to its ghoulishly inventive killers.

My Review:
Above average remake, very watchable despite having Paris Hilton in the cast, although it was difficult to tell her apart from the wax dummies.
Some nice original scenes, such as the cinema, add gloss to a reasonable plot, albeit cheesy, but you find yourself enjoying it nonetheless.
Despite the stuttering start, once the action begins it is pacy and gory with reasonable tension, and with bodies dropping at regular intervals your attention is kept focussed.
Not great acting, but 'Trudy' is a pretty scary monster, and the set-pieces make this a surprisingly entertaining flick.  



(From Rich's October Horror Fest on October 28th, 2009)

Murder by Decree , a review by Dragonfire

Murder by Decree When Scotland Yard is unable to stop the gruesome rampage of Jack the Ripper, a citizens' committee asks Sherlock Holmes (Christopher Plummer) and his trusted associate Dr. Watson (James Mason to investigate. But even if Holmes' remarkable powers of deduction can unmask the manical fiend, can he and Watson face the most shocking secret of all? Find out in this masterful suspense thriller directed by Bob Clark (A Christmas Story) that both fans and critics have called the most exciting and original Sherlock Holmes movie ever made. My Thoughts I decided to pick this one up recently after reading a bit about it.  I hadn't seen it before.  I'm glad I decided to get the movie. The plot is very interesting and I like the idea of Sherlock trying to track down Jack the Ripper.  I don't know a lot about the Ripper murders, but I know enough to know that that aspect of the plot seems accurate.  At least the order of the victims and the condition of the bodies.  I do think there is a good amount of mystery to what is going on and a few scenes are very suspenseful.  As far as I know, the plot for this one has been created just for the movie and isn't pulled from any of the stories or books. The ...resolution for the Ripper murders is very much like one that has been used in another movie I've seen featuring Jack the Ripper.  From what I've read since watching the movie, the theory in the movie was taken from a book about the Ripper.  I think the theory was kind of popular for a while, so that part of the plot may not be much of a surprise to viewers.  I still thought the movie was very entertaining even though I wasn't surprised by the resolution Sherlock came up with.  The actual attacks aren't shown that much, and there really isn't a lot of violence, especially considering the subject.  More of the final murder is shown late in the movie, though it is through a grimey window, so things are obscured.  The things done to the victims is talked about and those descriptions might bother some people.  The versions of Sherlock and Watson in this movie are a bit different from how they have been portrayed in some of the other Sherlock movies.  I really like these versions of the character.  Sherlock is clearly intelligent and good at solving crimes without seeming smug or condescending.  He treats Watson as more of an equal and there seems to be more of a true friendship between them.  Watson isn't a bumbling fool and he even handles part of the investigation alone.  Sherlock also shows much more emotion - especially compassion for others.  It makes him seem more human than he has in some of the other Sherlock movies I've seen.  Christopher Plummer is wonderful in the part. This is a really good, entertaining movie.  Fans of Sherlock should definitely give it a chance. I did get a review posted at Epinions. Murder by Decree

(From Dragonfire88's Alphabet Marathon on July 14th, 2010)

Angel Marathon, a review by addicted2dvd

19. Sanctuary
Original Air Date: 5/2/2000
Convinced Faith is capable of changing her ways, Angel tries to help her even as Kate, the Watchers Council and Buffy continue to hunt her down.

Guest Stars:
Elisabeth Rohm
Christian Kane
Stephanie Romanov
Eliza Dushku
Sarah Michelle Gellar

My Thoughts:
This is a great conclusion to Faith coming to LA. Plenty of excitement. And Buffy comes to town seeking vengeance. Though I do think Wesley was a little quick to help Angel after the torture he went through at the hands of Faith.  At least Cordelia taking off for a vacation while they helped Faith was a little more believable.

My Rating:

(From Angel Marathon on February 28th, 2010)