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Dial M for Murder, a review by Dragonfire

Dial M for Murder My Thoughts I think this is the first time that I've seen this entire movie.  I saw part of it on tv before.  I have also seen another version of the story, A Perfect Murder, a few times.  I think the movie is very entertaining and it has an interesting plot.  The way things are presented keeps the movie from being as suspenseful as some of Hitchcock's other movies, but I do think there is still suspense to what is going on.  Tony describes exactly how things are supposed to happen, but he doesn't take into account the fact that things rarely go exactly as planned in any situation.  When things start to go a bit wrong, some suspense is added to what is going on.  The mystery is mostly focused on how Tony will deal with how things worked out and if he will get caught.  The movie takes place almost completely inside Tony and Margot's apartment without a few short shots outside of it.  I honestly really didn't notice that while watching the movie.  This isn't the first Hitchcock movie with a more confined set and it won't be the last.  I don't remember knowing before that the movie was based on a play.  Things do move at a slightly slower pace for much of the movie that may not appeal to some viewers.  That works to build up what is going on and add what suspense there is.  There isn't a lot of action in the movie either, apart from the one important scene.  The movie does have a lot of talking which might bore some people, but I didn't think it was boring.  The talking was needed to introduced certain story elements..like how Tony puts his plan in motion.  The characters are interesting, though there could have been a bit more development for some of them.  Tony is sort of presented in a more sympathetic way at first because of Margot's affair.  Even with that, I really didn't like him.  He came across as smarmy and manipulative to me.  That comes out more and more as the movie progresses.  He is very calculating and things he has everything planned out perfectly.  He isn't happy when things go wrong, though he adapts fairly quick.  Ray Milland does really well with the part.  Margot seems to be trying to make her marriage work though she clearly still has feelings for Mark.  She thinks she has kept things from Tony.  She is clueless about a few things.  Grace Kelly does well with the part.  Mark is a writer and the man that Margot had an affair with.  They haven't seen each other in a year, but it is clear the feelings are still there.  Mark seems nice enough, though he really isn't developed much.  Chief Inspector Hubbard is the police officer investigating everything.  He keeps popping up with additional questions.  He picks up on much more than it seems at first. The two extras on the DVD are interesting and entertaining.  It is brought up how the movie was made in 3D because of how popular that format was at the time.  By the time the movie was ready to be released, it wasn't as popular anymore, so most theaters showed the movie in the normal format.  When I was at Universal Studios in Florida several years ago, they had a show thing about Hitchcock.  Part of it showed the one scene from this movie in 3D.  That shot worked really well..better than most of what I've seen more recently. This movie does move a bit slower than other Hitchcock movies and doesn't have as much suspense overall, but it is still really entertaining and worth watching. I did get a review posted on Epinions. Dial M for Murder

(From Alfred Hitchcock Marathon on June 29th, 2010)

Quigley Down Under, a review by Rogmeister

Quigley Down Under  (1990)  120m
Directed by Simon Wincer
Music by Basil Poledouris
Cast: Tom Selleck, Laura San Giacomo, Alan Rickman, Chris Haywood, Ron Haddrick, Tony Bonner, Jerome Ehlers

According to Phil Hardy's The Western, this movie was originally written in the 70s for Steve McQueen but it wasn't filmed until 1990 and Tom Selleck got the part.  Selleck made a lot of westerns in his time...possibly more than any current actor, though most have been for TV.  This is his one western (as far as I know) to hit the big screen and it's a good one.  The plot has him coming to Australia, apparently hired by rancher Alan Rickman to shoot wild dingos but he really wants him to off native aborigines.  Selleck (as Matthew Quigley) doesn't like that so they two quickly become enemies.  I really enjoy this movie...Selleck is a great cowboy, Rickman makes a fine villain, and Australia makes a fine (if different) landscape to set it all on.  We also have a fine director...Wincer did another little western you may have heard of...it's called Lonesome Dove.  I also love the film score which is by Basil Poledouris...hmmm, come to think of it, he did the music for Lonesome Dove, too.  Okay, Laura San Giacomo is not your normal leading lady, playing Crazy Cora who keeps calling Matthew Quigley by the name of Roy...but even she is endearing in her own way.  

(From DCO third annual November Alphabet Marathon - discussion/review/banter thread on November 29th, 2009)

Charmed Marathon, a review by addicted2dvd

20. Necromancing The Stone
Halliwell matriarchs who have been summond to bless Piper's baby fall prey to the Necromancer demon who has return to the Spirit Realm to absorb their magical powers.

My Thoughts:
This is a decent, but standard episode. This is actually a pretty big episode for Grams... someone you don't see much of on the series.

21. Oh My Goddess! Part 1 & 2
At the risk of being seduced by their vast new powers, The Charmed Ones are transformed into gorgeous Greek Goddesses possessing the ultimate power to defeat a band of angry Greek mythic gods, the Titans.

My Thoughts:
This was a very good double-length season finale. I really enjoyed every minute of it. This episode started a lot of changes. The biggest which is the introduction of Chris to the show. This is also the episode where Leo becomes an Elder.



(From Charmed Marathon on July 3rd, 2008)