DVD Collectors Online

The Lady Vanishes, a review by Achim

Title: The Lady Vanishes
Year: 1938
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Rating: NR
Length: 95 Min.
Video: Full Frame 1.33:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital Mono, Commentary: Dolby Digital Stereo
Subtitles:

Stars:
Margaret Lockwood
Michael Redgrave
Paul Lukas
Dame May Whitty
Cecil Parker

Plot:
In this best-loved of Hitchcock's British-made thrillers, a young woman on a train meets a charming old lady (Dame May Whitty), who promptly disappears. The other passengers deny ever having seen her, leading the young woman to suspect a conspiracy. When she begins investigating, she is drawn into a complex web of mystery and high adventure.

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Featurettes
Production Notes


This must have been the first Hitchcock film I ever saw. It used to play on German TV often I possibly saw it each and every time. It has, however, been at least 20 years since I saw it last.

It is a great little film. It has lots of Hitchcock's typical ingredients: MacGuffin, suspense, witty dialogue and plays out with a rather high pace that the 90min pass by very quickly. The first 30min we are slowly and ingeniously (because of the way the focus is passed on from one to the other) introduced to all main characters. This bit plays mostly like a comedy with light hearted humor and only a hint (well, a murder) that this is not a comedy at all. The second 30min are the mysery section, where "The Lady Vanishes" (I don't think I need a spoiler tag here ) and the conspiracy plays out. The last third is the suspense section, where we finally gain more knowledge than the characters in the film and Hitchcock has us worried about how it will end!

I was rather surprised how well put together this film was. Considering its age the "special effects" (some matte painting mixed with miniature work) looked quite convincing and appropriate. The dialogue, I keep finding in all the Hitchcock films I rediscover (I used to watch these as a teenager and in a dubbed version!) is quite sharp and the sarcasm(?) is great fun for modern audiences and feels fresh. I especially enjoyed the bits with the two English gentlemen. The only cringe worthy moment was when some piece of evidence "flew by" rather conveniently...

Hitchcock does appear, but near the end of the film, so I missed him.



(From Alfred Hitchcock Marathon on May 8th, 2009)

The Great Outdoors , a review by Dragonfire

The Great Outdoors



When an unannounced, uninvited and unwelcome family of fun-loving misfits converge on a lakeside resort to join their relatives for a summer of relaxation, the result is anything but restful in this raucous comedy starring Dan Aykroyd and John Candy.

It's a vacationer's worst nightmare, as wheeler-dealer Aykroyd, his sexually repressed wife and eerie twin daughters "join" the easygoing Candy and his straight-laced clan for a season of "fun" in the sun. Unfortunately, the only thing these two in-laws have in common is their intense dislike for each other. Soon, it's brother-in-law against brother-in-law in an uproarious and hilarious fight to the finish to see which one really knows how to enjoy The Great Outdoors.

My Thoughts

I really enjoy this movie.  The plot is rather simple and predictable, but it still works as a fun, entertaining movie.  It is definitely worth watching, especially for fans of John Candy or Dan Aykroyd. 

Other movies have also dealt with things going wrong on a vacation, so that aspect of the plot isn't that original.  The way things go wrong is more original and ends up making for a very entertaining movie.  I didn't expect a few things that happened.  The movie is pretty funny and it still makes me laugh.  Some of what is done for humor is silly, but it works for the movie.  Candy and Aykroyd both add a lot of funny things to the movie.  There are a few sexual discussions and one situation, but there isn't anything offensive in the movie. 

The characters are entertaining even though they aren't that developed.  Chet and Roman are very different, which sets up a lot of the situations in the movie.  I do like Candy and Aykroyd in the parts.  Annette Benning seems wasted as Kate, Roman's wife.  She doesn't really do anything other than back up Roman or make a few cracks.  I think this was one of her first parts. 

My DVD of the movie doesn't have any extras.

The movie is very entertaining and definitely worth watching, especially for fans of Candy or Aykroyd.



I did get a review posted on Epinions if anyone wants to take a look.

The Great Outdoors

(From The Great Outdoors on September 4th, 2010)

Pete's Pilots, a review by addicted2dvd

The Comeback
For fallen star Valerie Cherish - former B-list sitcom actress desperate to revive her career - no proce is too high to pay for clinging to the television spotlight. Valerie agrees to be the subject of an intrusive reality television show, with cameras following her every move as she lands the part of "Aunt Sassy" in a tedious new sitcom, Room and Bored.

Lisa Kudrow stars in this uncomfortably funny and insightfully biting comedy series from writer Michael Patrick King (Sex and the City).
In the spirit of reality television, there seems to be no end to the humiliating circumstances Valerie Cherish will endure, all in the name of fame.

The Comeback (Pilot)
Faded television starlet Valerie Cherish attempts to land a role in a new sitcom.'Room and Bored', by taking part in a reality show dhronicaling her somewhat mortifying "comeeback."

My Thoughts:
I watched this when it originally aired on HBO. I remember that I enjoyed it somewhat... but that I wasn't overly impressed with it. But when I found the DVD set on sale for less then $15 I decided to add it to my collection. That was almost 2 years ago now... and until now I haven't watched the DVDs at all. Watching the pilot episode again today I felt pretty much the same way I remember the first time around. It is one of those shows... while decent... I wasn't surprised when it was canceled.

My Rating:

(From Pete's Pilots on November 23rd, 2009)