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The River Wild, a review by Jon

The River Wild ****
4 out of 5

Meryl Streep is Gail, a mother who organises a white water rafting trip to celebrate her son's birthday and salvage her shaky marriage. A former river guide, Gail's no longer the risk-taker she was in her youth, but her skills and courage are soon put to the ultimate test when an encounter with three mysterious strangers threaten to turn a family vacation into a living hell.

Very good action movie, in the vein of Cliffhanger. That was released only the year before, so it may be this is slightly derivative as the plot follows a very similar path (except this is a family unit taken hostage), but despite more explosions, I think this is the better film. Plus it may just have been the ticket director Curtis Hanson needed to make L.A. Confidential, so I'm eternally grateful for that.

As with many action films of this sort, the plot is simple, the dialogue broad and lumpy, but it's exciting stuff. What really helps is the outstanding cast. Kevin Bacon is always good value and is a brilliant, unpredictable villain. This was just the sort of film he'd go for back then, and reliable John C. Reilly has since become one of the best comic character actors around, but starring Meryl Streep as the heroine in a very physical role? It just goes to show her versatility, but it definitely means it's punching above its weight. Then you have David Strathairn as the resourceful husband, Tom. Hanson was a blessed man.

An all round excellent action-thriller, perfect for when you're not in the mood for the weighty Deliverance, but you still want nature playing a part in the action!

Oh yeah, next time you play Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, consider that Streep's young son is played by Joseph Mazzello of Jurassic Park and his sister in that film was played by Ariana Richards, who was in Tremors with Kev! Damn, he gets around... 

(From Jon's Random Reviews on November 1st, 2009)

The Batman/Superman Movie, a review by Tom

Title: The Batman/Superman Movie
Year: 1997
Director: Toshihiko Masuda
Rating: PG
Length: 59 Min.
Video: Full Frame 1.33:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital Stereo, Spanish: Dolby Digital Stereo, Hebrew: Dolby Digital Stereo, Italian: Dolby Digital Stereo
Subtitles: Arabic, Dutch, English, Hebrew, Italian, Spanish

Stars:
Tim Daly
Dana Delany
Kevin Conroy
Clancy Brown
Mark Hamill

Plot:
BATMAN, SUPERMAN, THE JOKER and LEX LUTHOR all come together in the most action-packed superhero adventure of all time.

When THE JOKER elicits the help of LEX LUTHOR in a fiendish new scheme, only the combined powers of BATMAN and SUPERMAN can save the city of METROPOLIS. Will the MAN OF STEEL and the CAPED CRUSADER be able to put aside their differences and foil the diabolical duo's evil plans?

Extras:
Scene Access
Trailers

This movie is cut together from three episodes of the 90s Superman animated series (World's Finest Part 1-3). It is a very fun watch. Here Superman and Batman meet for the first time and also discover each other's identities. Lois Lane starts to date Bruce Wayne much to the dismay of Clark. But she dumps Bruce at the end after she found out that he is Batman.
Also the teaming up of Joker with Lex Luthor is done wonderfully. This movie really holds up well as a stand-alone movie. It is not necessary at all to have seen anything from the TV shows.

Rating:

(From Tom's Random Reviews on August 16th, 2009)

Tom's Random Reviews, a review by Tom

Glee: Season One (2010/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (United Kingdom) Director: Writing: Length: 926 min. Video: Widescreen 1.78 Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Subtitles: Danish, English, Finnish, French, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish

---

Stars:


Plot:
Join the club and bring home the fun with Glee Karaoke and Glee A talented group of high school misfits transforms into a performing sensation with the help of a dedicated teacher. Through laughter, tears, irreverent humor and unforgettable music, they learn to follow their hearts and chase their dreams.

Awards:
Won:

American Film Institute Awards (2009)		TV Programs of the Year
Golden Globe (2010)		Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television (Chris Colfer)
Golden Globe (2010)		Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television (Jane Lynch)
Golden Globe (2010)		Best Television Series - Comedy Or Musical
Golden Globe (2009)		Television Series - Musical or Comedy
Primetime Emmy Awards (2010)		Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series ("Dream On": Neil Patrick Harris)
Primetime Emmy Awards (2011)		Outstanding Guest Performance in a Comedy Series - Actress ("The Substitute": Gwyneth Paltrow)
Primetime Emmy Awards (2010)		Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series ("The Power of Madonna": Jane Lynch)

Nominated:

Golden Globe (2009)		Actor - Television Comedy or Musical Series (Matthew Morrison)
Golden Globe (2009)		Actress - in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture made for Television (Jane Lynch)
Golden Globe (2009)		Actress - Television Comedy or Musical Series (Lea Michelle)
Golden Globe (2010)		Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series - Comedy Or Musical (Matthew Morrison)
Golden Globe (2010)		Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series - Comedy Or Musical (Lea Michele)
Golden Globe (2011)		Best Television Series - Comedy Or Musical
Primetime Emmy Awards (2010)		Outstanding Comedy Series
Primetime Emmy Awards (2011)		Outstanding Comedy Series
Primetime Emmy Awards (2010)		Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series ("Wheels": Mike O'Malley)
Primetime Emmy Awards (2010)		Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series ("The Rhodes Not Taken": Kristin Chenoweth)
Primetime Emmy Awards (2011)		Outstanding Guest Performance in a Comedy Series - Actress ("Never Been Kissed": Dot Jones)
Primetime Emmy Awards (2011)		Outstanding Guest Performance in a Comedy Series - Actress ("Rumours": Kristin Chenoweth)
Primetime Emmy Awards (2010)		Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series ("Mash Up": Matthew Morrison)
Primetime Emmy Awards (2010)		Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series ("Sectionals": Lea Michele)
Primetime Emmy Awards (2010)		Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series ("Laryngitis": Chris Colfer)
Primetime Emmy Awards (2011)		Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Comedy Series - Actor ("Grilled Cheesus": Chris Colfer)
Primetime Emmy Awards (2011)		Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Comedy Series - Actress ("Funeral": Jane Lynch)
Primetime Emmy Awards (2010)		Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series ("Pilot - Director's Cut": Ryan Murphy, Brad Fulchuk, Ian Brennan)
Teen Choice Awards (2009)		Choice TV Breakout Show
Teen Choice Awards (2009)		Choice TV Breakout Star - Female (Lea Michele)
Teen Choice Awards (2009)		Choice TV Breakout Star - Male (Cory Monteith)

Extras:

• Commentary
• Featurettes

After the pilot I was not sure if this series will get above an okay series for me. As a matter of fact it took the whole first disc to convince me otherwise. But after the first few episodes I was hooked. I like how they integrate the music into the storylines. And I like the music choices for the most part.
Also Jane Lynch is playing a great nemesis for the glee club as the coach of the chearleading team.
I couldn't resist ordering the second season now, even though I usually wait until the price drops to about half of what it currently is.
It's great that the Blu-ray has on each disc direct access to the songs (even with a play all feature).

#	Episode	Rating
01	Pilot
02	Showmance
03	Acafellas
04	Preggers
05	The Rodes Not Taken
06	Vitamin D
07	Throwdown
08	Mash-Up
09	Wheels
10	Ballad
11	Hairography
12	Mattress
13	Sectionals
14	Hell-O
15	The Power of Madonna
16	Home
17	Bad Reputation
18	Laryngitis
19	Dream On
20	Theatricality
21	Funk
22	Journey to Regionals

(From Tom's Random Reviews on March 11th, 2012)