DVD Collectors Online

Black Sunday, a review by Jimmy

Title: Black Sunday (1960)

Genre: Horror
Director: Mario Bava
Rating: Unrated
Length: 1h27
Video: Widescreen
Audio: English
Subtitles: None

Stars:
Barbara Steele
John Richardson
Andrea Checchi
Ivo Garrani
Arturo Dominici

Plot:First thing that I must say is that I ain't the biggest fan of the British horror movies and this film feels a lot like one. But contrary to most of the British horror movies made during this period something happen on the screen, we aren't forced to watch endless dialogue scenes. I can't say that this is the most original movie ever made, but the movie is enjoyable and doesn't feel long. Evidently it's hard to comment on the acting since the movie is dub (not greatly, but I've heard much worst), but one thing I can say is that Barbara Steele has a great screen presence (the camera love her) and this isn't a surprise if this movie had made her a star. The set designing is really well done and the black and white cinematography is astonishing (not a surprise since Mario Bava had started his career as a cinematographer. Some of the shots are really beautifull, one exemple is the short slow sequence when the carriage come to pick the Dr. Kruvajan at the inn (by the way it looks like the most boring place on earth with this trumpet music). The special effects are particullary good for a 40 years old movie.

Rating :

(From Mario Bava marathon on June 16th, 2009)

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, a review by Tom

Title: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Year: 2005
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: PG
Length: 115 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85
Audio: English: Dolby Digital Surround EX, French: Dolby Digital Surround EX, Spanish: Dolby Digital Surround EX
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Johnny Depp
Freddie Highmore
David Kelly
Helena Bonham Carter
Noah Taylor

Plot:
What wonders await you in Willy Wonka's factory? Explore fields of soft minty sugar grass in the Chocolate Room...Sail along the Chocolate River in a pink sugar boat...Experiment with Everlasting Gobstoppers in the Inventing Room...Observe talented squirrels in the Nut Room and travel to the Television Room by a glass elevator. You'll find a lot that's funny, a little that's mysterious...and an adventure as sweet and satisfying as a Wonka Whipple-Scrumptious Fudgemallow Delight bar. This dazzling film adapted from Roald Dahl's classic children's novel, directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp and Freddie Highmore, is your Golden Ticket to a world so inventive, so imaginative, you won't want to miss a delicious moment!

Extras:
Closed Captioned
DVD-ROM Content
Featurettes
Interactive Game
Scene Access
Trailers

When I have first seen the trailer for this movie, I was thinking that they have Willy Wonka looking and acting too much like a parody of Michael Jackson.
But then when I saw this movie, I was proven otherwise.
At first I thought, that this movie wouldn't come close to the "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" movie (especially the performace of Gene Wilder in that one). But because this is not a simple remake of that movie, but actually stayed closer to the original book, this movie has its own merits.
Though I must admit, that I liked the songs in the old movie better. But I liked that they used different music styles for each song in this movie.
Just why must any Danny Elfman opening theme music sound like his Batman theme? I noticed this in Planet of the Apes, Spider-Man and here.

Rating:

(From Tom's Random Reviews on May 2nd, 2009)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Marathon, a review by DJ Doena

Synopsis: The war has been going on for three months and the Federation had to take heavy losses. But the minefield is still in place and seemingly unbreachable. Starfleet developes a plan to destroy the Ketracel-White supplies of the Dominion. Without the drug the Jem'Hadar won't be able to fight anymore. Sisko takes a commandeered Jem'Hadar ship behind enemy lines to accomplish the task.

My Opinion: This is the beginning of a six-part arc, it's the first time on Star Trek that they did something longer than a two-parter. While Sisko's mission was interesting it also was "just another mission". I found it more interesting to observe how the different characters on the station behaved. And I liked how Jake tried to be a reporter and how he and Weyoun discussed the "freedom of the press" in times like these.

Synopsis: Sisko's heavily damaged ship crashes on a planet in an uncharted nebula. Most of the crew survives but now they are stranded with no means of communication. And they have another problem: They are not the first to crash there. A group of Jem'Hadar and their Vorta leader are also there and the Jem'Hadar are running low on White which makes them all the more dangerous. On DS9 Terok Nor life goes on. Kira works within the military hierarchy of the Dominion (Dukat has taken command of the station again) and Odo is a member of the ruling council. But that all changes when some Bajorans begin to demonstrate against (what they feel is) the occupation.

My Opinion: It's seems that you can't genetically engineer certain attributes together in the same DNA. The Vorta are cunning and shifty and good negotiators but at the same time they aren't as nearly as loyal to the Dominion as the Jem'Hadar. I liked it how Sisko tried to prevent the bloodshed and although they are the enemy it was a bit sad that the Jem'Hadar had to be slaughtered. But Keevan (the Vorta) will get was he deserves in a later episode.

Synopsis: Alexander Rozhenko - Worf's son - starts as crew member abourd the IKS Rotarran and Worf has to deal with him, since he is the XO of that ship. But Alexander and Worf have never been close and until now Alexander denied his heritage as a klingon warrior. So why is he there? Meanwhile Dukat has brought Ziyal back from Bajor and to the station.

My Opinion: It was nice to see Alexander again whom we haven't seen in nearly four years. And I also liked that they didn't make him suddenly into the perfect warrior. I also liked how Ziyal tried to re-create the triangle relation between her, her father and Kira. But this time it had to fail and it was good that Kira didn't continue this absurd charade.

This was the second episode that was cut due to the BBFC. About 20 seconds are missing at the end where the three Klingons conducted their hand cutting ritual.

Synopsis: Quark learns that Damar (Dukat's second) has found a way to disable the minefield and Rom (who designed it) confirms that this could work. The resistance cell (consisting of Kira, Odo, Rom, Leeta & Jake) plans to sabotage the station. But then the female founder comes to the station and that changes everything. Meanwhile Sisko was promoted to Admiral Ross's assistant and Dax takes over the command of the Defiant and she takes it to a very dangerous mission.

My Opinion: This episode was an average one until short before the end. When I first watched it I expected that maybe not everything was going as planned but that they would succeed eventually. It really surprised me that Odo let them down just to get into a link with the other shapeshifter. But that makes the situation aboard the station all the more interesting.

(From Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Marathon on February 21st, 2009)