DVD Collectors Online

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, a review by addicted2dvd

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby: Widescreen: Unrated and Uncut (2006/United States) Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Director: Adam McKay Writing: Will Ferrell (Writer), Adam McKay (Writer) Length: 121 min. Rating: Unrated Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.40:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Commentary: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround Subtitles: English, French

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Stars:
Gary Cole as Reese Bobby
Jane Lynch as Lucy Bobby
Jason Davis as Waffle House Manager
Lorrie Bess Crumley as Schoolteacher
Luke Bigham as 10-Year-Old Ricky
Austin Crimm as 10-Year-Old Cal

Plot:
The fastest man on four wheels, Ricky Bobby (WILL FARRELL) is one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history. A big, hairy American winning machine, Ricky has everything a dimwitted daredevil could want: a luxurious mansion, a smokin' hot wife (LESLIE BIBB) and all the fast food he can eat. But Ricky's turbo-charged lifestyle hits an unexpected speed bump when he's bested by flamboyant Euro-idiot Jean Girard (SACHA BARON COHEN, TV's "Da Ali G Show") and reduced to a fear-ridden wreck. Losing his wife and job to best bud and fellow fool, Cal Naughton, Jr. (JOHN C. REILLY), Ricky must kick some serious asphalt if he's to get his career back on the track, beat Girard and reclaim his fame and fortune. 'Cause as Ricky Bobby always says, IF YOU AIN'T FIRST, YOU'RE LAST!

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Audio Commentary
• Feature Trailers
• Bonus Trailers
• Deleted Scenes
• Featurettes
• Interviews
• Outtakes/Bloopers
• Closed Captioned

A friend of the family been bugging me to watch this movie every since he found out that I got it. It is one of his favorite movies. He told me it is just plain hilarious... yes in a stupid sort of way... but hilarious all the same. Today I finally got tired of being asked about it so I popped it in. Now maybe he had my expectations up too high... but I didn't care for this one as much as he did. Sure it is a fun comedy in that stupid sort of way.... but it is not one I would call hilarious. Sure there was a few scenes I caught myself literally laughing out loud... but not all that many. But I did find it to be a fun movie over all. Maybe a little long for they type of movie it is. But it is one I found to be worth watching.




(From What Movies I Been Watching on February 3rd, 2012)

Ocean Waves, a review by dfmorgan

Title: Ocean Waves
Original Title: Umi Ga Kikoeru
Year: 1993
Director: Tomomichi Mochizuki
Rating: PG
Length: 72 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1
Audio: Japanese: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo
Subtitles: English

Stars:
Nobuo Tobita
Toshihiko Seki
Yoko Sakamoto
Yuri Amano
Kae Araki

Plot:
Rarely seen outside of its native Japan and never before released within the U.K, Ocean Waves (also known as Umi Ga Kikoeru and I Can Hear The Sea) is one of Studio Ghibli's most obscure and sought after titles. Directed by Tomomi Mochizuki (Princess Nine) and based upon author, essayist and playwright Saeko Himuro's most popular, best selling novel, Ocean Waves is one of the most poignant and unsung masterpieces within Studio Ghibli's legendary creative output. Wonderfully detailed and incredibly subtle, there are very few films in the histroy of animation that have managed to capture so well the joys and drama of adolescence and teenage alienation.

Kochi is your average coastal town on the sleepy, idyllic island of Shikoku and young Taku is definitely your average high school student. But soon his quiet life will be turned upside down with the arrival of Rikako: a beautiful, female student recently transferred fromTokyo. By the end of term Taku will have learnt a valuable lesson in love and friendship.

Extras:
Scene Access
Feature Trailers


I only watched and reviewed this in February so my thoughts are still much the same. At heart a sweet and gentle love triangle. Taku and Yutaka have been friends since starting high school. Yutaka as the class representative is asked to show a transfer student, Rikako, around. Rikako has transferred in from Tokyo following her mothers separation from her father. Taku realises that his friend has feelings for Rikako but tries to not get involved. However fate has other plans and stirs things up until the friendship starts to strain. As a short film there isn't a lot of character development and some bits of the storyline appear rushed. It is obviously not a Miyazaki film as most scenes featuring trees, plants, fields, the sea are static images but then again it was also a low budget film.

A bit of background as, like Only Yesterday, this film has not been released in the US. Apparently, as a made for TV film, Disney decided not to accept this as part of the overall Studio Ghibli catalogue it wished to promote. Optimum Releasing, from the UK, had the opportunity to take this film in 2009 and did so. They released the film to DVD in its original Japanese language with subtitles as part of their Ponyo promotion in early 2010.

Overall still an enjoyable film but I'll drop the 4 rating down to 3 now that I've watched this following other Studio Ghibli titles

Dave

(From dfmorgan's Studio Ghibli Marathon on July 7th, 2010)

Buffy The Vampire Slayer Marathon , a review by Critter

1.03
Witch

Plot: Buffy tries out for Sunnydale High's cheer leading squad. The Scoobies at first suspect that Amy is causing all the havoc but discover that her mother, also a practicing witch, has swapped bodies with her.

My Thoughts: This has always been one of my favourite episodes of season 1. I love the fact that for one 40 minute episode the story manages to have many twists and turns, some that you really don't expect from the start of the ep. I also love the addition of Amy who becomes one of my favourite minor characters throughout the whole show (even though a lot of that time is spent as a rat). I think she is one of the most interesting characters in the show, the way she progesses from being a student who is a victim of her monther, just trying to fit in to school, and then to an antagonist in later seasons. Another thing I love about this ep is seeing the gang pull together and work in almost detective mode, it was quite entertaining seeing them piece this one together. And as always with Buffy eps, this one had some great funny lines. Such as Xanders, "I laugh in the face of danger. Then I hide until it goes away".

Rating: 5/5 

(From Buffy The Vampire Slayer Marathon on May 23rd, 2010)