DVD Collectors Online

Rambo, a review by Jon

Rambo ***
3 out of 5

I tend to be cynical about Stallone. Once again he is crapping on earlier movies, insinuating in interviews that Rambo 3 (or even 2) is not what he intended in retrospect. Well, he wrote them, they made the character an icon, and he was always capable of more realism should he have chosen to do so. Strange he manages to do that now when his career was all but over. (see also, Rocky Balboa). He could never have made this, 20 years on, if the sequels hadn't been as dumb fun as they were.

But this is being picky, because right now, we have a pretty good movie in Rambo, that feels more like the first in terms of character, and brings him full circle. It also opens up the debate on screen violence. He was going for realism, but bloody hell this is violent! Rambo for the Hostel generation?

Maybe, but it is only the same realism we've seen in Saving Private Ryan, etc. What is making critics uncomfortable, leading them to call this "offensive", is that Rambo is first and foremost entertainment. Personally, the only problem I have with it is that it may alienate an audience who would otherwise enjoy this outing, but to call it offensive is a serious case of double-standards. Stallone never treats life as a cheap commodity here. He's dialled the character back to the self-loathing monk of First Blood and it emphasises the massive body count as a tragic consequence, not a score-sheet, unlike other action films.

Also, it's easy to be critical, but in choosing Burma he is lifting the lid slightly on an horrendous situation that is relatively unknown. So if the average guy watches this, cheering on the hero has he treats endless enemy soldiers like giant water balloons filled with gore, then makes a connection while watching the news reports about Karen rebels or Aung San Suu Kyi, then that's a worthwhile first step, surely.

Back on the pure entertainment front, I haven't bothered to go on about the plot, because you already know if you have half-a-chance of liking it! Suffice to say, I have nothing against a part 5. Stallone still looks convincing even at 60+! There was an abandoned idea for this outing that could still work, just so long as he doesn't get too successful in the meantime. The successful Sly Stallone can't write for shit.

(From Jon's Random Reviews on July 24th, 2009)

Duplex, a review by addicted2dvd

Title: Duplex
Year: 2003
Director: Danny DeVito
Rating: PG-13
Length: 89 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1, Pan & Scan 1.33:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: 5.1
Subtitles: English, Spanish

Stars:
Ben Stiller
Drew Barrymore
Eileen Essel
Harvey Fierstein
Justin Theroux
James Remar

Plot:
Hollywood favorites Ben Stiller (Meet the Parents, The Royal Tenenbaums) and Drew Barrymore (Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, Never Been Kissed) lead a star-studded cast in this darkly hilarious comedy where one wrong move turns out to be a monumental mistake! Young and vibrant New Yorkers Alex (Stiller) and Nancy (Barrymore) have just found the perfect place to settle down and share a bright future. But their new home comes with a permanent fixture they didn't expect; an obnoxious elderly tenant who won't move out and refuses to die! Pushed to the edge of insanity as their dream home turns into a nightmare, it's only a matter of time before Alex and Nancy begin to entertain some truly sinister solutions to their problem! Also featuring the ever-popular Harvey Fierstein (Death To Smoochy, Independence Day) written by Larry Doyle and directed by Danny DeVito (The War Of The Roses, Throw Momma From The Train), Duplex is another laugh-packed crowd-pleaser you don't want to miss!

Extras:
Scene Access
Deleted Scenes
Featurettes
Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:
This is one of the several movies that was given to me lately. Being a big Drew Barrymore fan I was looking forward to seeing it. And she was good in this movie I found it to be just plain fun. I was expecting a little more laugh out loud moments in it... but it was enjoyable all the same. I liked Ben Stiller in this one as well. Which is a good thing as he has been a little hit and miss for me on the ones I have seen.



(From Weekend Movie Marathon: Unwatched DVDs on August 29th, 2010)

Tom's TV Pilots marathon, a review by Tom

Dexter: Season One (2006/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia Showtime Entertainment (United States) Length: 652 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78 Audio: English: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround, English: Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital 1, Commentary: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Subtitles:

---

Plot:Six Feet Under), Dexter is one of the most critically acclaimed, must-see television shows of the year! Like no other crime drama you've seen before, this horrifying and intoxicating DVD includes all 12 riveting Season One episodes and a host of delightfully twisted special features.


Dexter
1.01 Dexter (2006-10-01)
Writer: James Manos, Jr. (Screenwriter), Jeff Lindsay (Original Material By)
Director: Michael Cuesta
Cast: Michael C. Hall (Dexter Morgan), Julie Benz (Rita Bennett), Jennifer Carpenter (Debra Morgan), Erik King (Sgt. Doakes), Lauren Velez (Lt. Maria La Guerta), David Zayas (Angel Batista), James Remar (Harry Morgan), C. S. Lee (Vincent Masuka), Jim Abele (Mike Donovan), Margo Martindale (Camilla), Dominic Janes (Young Dexter), Christina Robinson (Astor), Daniel Goldman (Cody), Patrick Michael Buckley (Officer Oliver), Ethan Smith (Jaworski), Susie Taylor (Detective Sue), Marc MaCaulay (Detective), Devon Graye (Teenage Dexter), Justin Kane (Officer Simon), Neeona Neel (Jane Saunders), Jeanne Tidwell (Mrs. Donovan), Roy Rutland (Desk Sergeant)

This is a good series. But just not something which really clicked for me. I never had the urge to watch the next episode and if I wouldn't have watched it together with my brother, I am not sure if I would have finished watching it. I never bothered to pick up further seasons.

Rating:

(From Tom's TV Pilots marathon on April 3rd, 2011)