DVD Collectors Online

Strangers on a Train, a review by Tom

Title: Strangers on a Train
Year: 1951
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Rating: PG
Length: 97 Min.
Video: Full Frame 1.33:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital Mono, French: Dolby Digital Mono, Italian: Dolby Digital Mono, Commentary: Dolby Digital Mono
Subtitles: Arabic, Bulgarian, Dutch, English, French, Italian

Stars:
Farley Granger
Ruth Roman
Robert Walker
Leo G. Carroll
Patricia Hitchcock

Plot:
'STRANGERS ON A TRAIN', based on the Patricia Highsmith novel, quickly became one of Alfred Hitchcock's most successful thrillers and remains one of his most popular films. En route from Washington, D.C., champion tennis player Guy Haines (Farley Granger) meets pushy playboy Bruno Anthony (Robert Walker). What begins as a chance encounter turns into a series of morbid confrontations, as Bruno manipulates his way into Guy's life. Bruno is eager to kill his father and knows Guy wants to marry a senator's daughter (Ruth Roman) but cannot get a divorce from his wife, Miriam (Laura Elliot). So Bruno suggests the men swap murders, which would leave no traceable clues or possible motives. Though Guy refuses, it will not be so easy to rid himself of the psychopathic Bruno. The film is tightly paced and disturbing from beginning to end, an effect heightened by Hitchcock's inventive camera work, including a terrifying sequence shot through a pair of eyeglasses that have been knocked to the ground.

This picture quickly became one of Alfred Hitchcock's most successful thrillers and remains one of his most popular films. Undoubtedly one of his finest films, 'STRANGERS ON A TRAIN' transforms a highly improbable situation into a series of logical events that inexorably lead to murder. A psychopathic man plans what he thinks is an "exchange murder" with a stranger he meets on a train.

Extras:
Commentary
Featurettes
Preview & Final Release Versions; Vintage Newsreel
Scene Access
Trailers

An interesting premise which was often copied. But the movie itself was rather boring to me. And why are the murderers in Hitchcock movies always so stupid?

Rating:

(From Alfred Hitchcock Marathon on July 19th, 2009)

The Amityville Horror, a review by addicted2dvd

Title: The Amityville Horror: Widescreen Special Edition Year: 2005 Director: Andrew Douglas Rating: R Length: 89 Min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:Plot:
From Michael Bay, the producer of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, comes the true story of Amityville. In November 1974, a family of six was brutally murdered. Now, a year later, an unsuspecting young couple, George (Ryan Reynolds, Blade: Trinity, The In-Laws) and Kathy Lutz (Melissa George, TV's "Alias"), and their children move into the house that was the site of the horrific event and is now haunted by a murderous presence. What follows is 28 days of unimaginable terror. With demonic visions of the dead and relentless screams of terror, this is the haunted house story that isn't just a movie - it's real.

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Bonus Trailers
Deleted Scenes
Featurettes
Gallery
Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:
When I first heard that they were remaking "The Amityville Horror" I was rather worried that they would not do the original justice... or that they would make the same mistake they made with the "Psycho" remake.. and make it a carbon copy of the original just changing the actors. But this remake... I must admit... was done in the right way... kept enough the same to pay homage to the original... but changed enough to make it it's own movie.

For the most part I do not like to compare a remake to the original... as I like to judge every movie on it's own as a stand alone movie. But this is hard sometimes... especially when I enjoy the original movie as much as I do "The Amityville Horror." In this case though... I really enjoyed this remake... possibly as much as I liked the original. I think they did a wonderful job with it... and I really enjoy the actors that took over... I am a fan of both Melissa George and Ryan Reynolds. This is one remake that is definitely worth giving a chance... I don't think you will be sorry.




Count:
Movie Count: 55
TV Ep. Count: 20
Other Count: 8 I Made It! (10/15)

(From Month Long Horror/Halloween Marathon: 2010 on October 15th, 2010)

Tom's Buffy and Angel Marathon, a review by Tom

08. Lover's Walk (1998-11-24)
Writer: Joss Whedon (Created By), Dan Vebber (Writer)
Director: David Semel
Cast: Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy Summers), Nicholas Brendon (Xander Harris), Alyson Hannigan (Willow Rosenberg), Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia Chase), David Boreanaz (Angel), Seth Green (Oz), Anthony Stewart Head (Giles), Kristine Sutherland (Joyce Summers), Harry Groener (Mayor Richard Wilkins), James Marsters (Spike), Jack Plotnick (Deputy Mayor), Marc Burnham (Lenny), Suzanne Krull (Clerk)

I always loved this episode. Spike's return to Sunnydale mirroring his first appearence only this time at a low point of this life. Spike's crying on Willow's shoulder
Making us believe Cordelia died when showing a funeral but then when the camera gets to Buffy and Willow we find out, that Cordelia is okay.
And then concluding with Spike in high spirit again (singing the Sid Vicious version of "My Way"), but with anyone else arriving at a low point.

Rating:

(From Tom's Buffy and Angel Marathon on March 2nd, 2009)