DVD Collectors Online

Omen 4: The Awakening, a review by addicted2dvd

Omen IV: The Awakening
Gene and Karen York are the living embodiment of the American dream. Rich, influential attorneys, they have everything a couple could want...except a child.

When the Yorks learn of a beautiful baby girl wanting to be adopted, they instantly fall in love with baby Delia and adopt her. But terror and destruction seem to follow Delia wherever she goes. The priest who baptized her mysteriously dies, and her nanny falls from a second-story window, impaling herself on a merry-go-round.

Soon, Delia's mother begins to question the coincidence of these catastrophes. Her thoughts can't help turn toward the biblical prophecy of Armageddon...the final confrontation between the forces of good and evil, beginning with the birth of Satan in human form.

My Thoughts:
OK... I have seen that most everyone feels that this is the worst of the entire series. So I went into it expecting nothing at all. But what I found here is a movie that I personally enjoyed very much! STEP BACK!... everyone put away your pitch-forks away... And don't even think of stringing me up. I found that this movie (at least the majority of the movie) was more of a retelling of the original movie... only with a girl... so that is how I looked at it while watching it. I didn't look at it as a continuation at all. The first thing I noticed when I watched this movie is that it starred Faye Grant... who I enjoyed in everything I have seen her in since the TV Series The Greatest American Hero. I can definitely see myself watching this one again.

OK... Now should I turn in my membership... never to return?

(From Weekend Movie Marathon: Unwatched DVD Collection on April 19th, 2008)

Holiday Inn, a review by Danae Cassandra

Holiday Inn

Year of Release: 1942
Starring: Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Marjorie Reynolds, Virginia Dale
Directed By: Mark Sandrich
Genre: Romance, Comedy

Overview:
Experience one of the most popular holiday movies of all-time like never before with the 3-disc Holiday Inn Collector's Set featuring a brand-new color version of the film and the complete CD soundtrack!

Screen legends Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire star as two talented pals who find themselves competing for the affections of the same lovely lady (Marjorie Reynolds) in this Academy Award®-winning† musical, filled with singing, dancing, comedy and romance. Whether you are watching the original black & white masterpiece, discovering the new color version, or listening to the timeless Irving Berlin soundtrack featuring "White Christmas," the 3-disc Holiday Inn Collector's Set is the perfect way to enjoy the holiday season!

My Thoughts:
We've been trying to watch this for a few days, but life kept getting in the way.  But finally we were able to!  Here we have a couple of old Hollywood greats, Astaire and Crosby, doing what they do best (sing, dance, and romance).  Crosby is in his usual fine form with several excellent songs, and Astaire wows us with his dancing, especially the firecracker number.  Man, he sure could dance! 

I can't really consider it a Yuletide film however.  Sure, part of the film is set at Christmas, but it encompasses many more holidays and doesn't really have the spirit I expect from a Christmas film.  It is, after all, basically about one fellow trying to steal another's gal.

Despite the political incorrectness of it today, I'm glad the blackface number is still included.  We can't learn from the past by erasing it.  If you must apply modern sensibilities to the number, consider that this was a different time and how far we have come from it - and how far we still have to go. 

However it's a great film, really lovely with a great nostalgic feel, warm and romantic.  There's great chemistry among the cast, and you end the film with a smile on your face.  Really, what more does one want from a romance and a musical?  I will be untagging it from the Yuletide group however.

Bechdel Test: Pass

Overall: 4/5

(From Danae's Yuletide Marathon on December 30th, 2012)

"Stargate SG-1" Marathon, a review by DJ Doena

Synopsis: SG-1 attends the funeral service for Omac on Tollana. Omac died recently iof a heart attack. But a few days later the Tollans offer one of their ion cannons in exchange for a rare metal. SG-1 is both pleased and sceptical about this offer.

My Opinion: A very sad episode because you have to assume that most of the Tollans have been exterminated and that Narim is most probably dead. It happened before that entire races have been killed but that were no-names and you've never heard of them before nor have you seen them. This is different.
Ironically the actor who played Narim - Garwin Sanford - will reappear as the boyfriend of Dr. Weir in the Stargate Atlantis pilot.

Synopsis: After a piece of paper came through the Stargate (supposedly from the future) to never to visit a certain planet, the address is locked out of the computer. But on another planet SG-1 meets this race nonetheless: The Aschen. And once again the Aschen have a lot to offer and it seems hard to resist.

My Opinion: Interesting approach to continue the story from 2010. I especially liked that they worked in the smaller storylines, like the beginning relationship between the ambassador and Sam and Kinsey's ambitions to become president.
But it was sad that they killed off the ambassador so soon.

Synopsis: After Sam has been kidnapped by unknown forces on Earth, SG-1 tries to find out what happened and where she has gone. For this Jack has to ally himself with Maybourne once again because the trails lead to the NID, the russian Stargate program and a terminal ill selfmade millionaire.

My Opinion: Another episode I liked because they've managed to combine a spy story and science fiction. And that people are willing to make a pact with the devil when the death is near.

Synopsis: Martin Lloyd has once again "forgotten" who and what he is. But now he is a creative consultant on the set of a series: "Wormhole X-treme!". It's about three humans and an android who go through an intergalactic portal and fight against aliens. But simultaneously a real spaceship is closing in on Earth that was hidden behind Mars.

My Opinion: One of the funniest episodes (and the 100th) of the entire series. Maybe only the 200th episode is even more fun. Many of the crew of SG-1 had a cameo appearance but the best were Peter DeLuise as director and his brother Michael (who also played in SeaQuest) as the actor of the Colonel. It was also brilliant to point out some typical errors in science fiction series ("If I am out of phase and can go through walls, why don't I fall through the floor?").

(From "Stargate SG-1" Marathon on April 2nd, 2008)