DVD Collectors Online

Christmas in July, a review by Antares

Christmas in July





Year: 1940
Film Studio: Paramount Pictures, Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Genre: Comedy
Length: 67 Min.

Director
Preston Sturges (1898)

Writing
Preston Sturges (1898)...Writer

Producer
Paul Jones (1901)

Cinematographer
Victor Milner (1893)

Music
John Leipold (1888)...Composer
Leo Shuken (1906)...Composer

Stars
Dick Powell (1904) as Jimmy MacDonald
Ellen Drew (1915) as Betty Casey
Raymond Walburn (1887) as Dr. Maxford
Alexander Carr (1878) as Mr. Shindel
William Demarest (1892) as Mr. Bildocker
Ernest Truex (1889) as Mr. J.B. Baxter
Franklin Pangborn (1889) as Don Hartman (radio announcer)
Harry Hayden (1882) as Mr. E.L. Waterbury (office manager)

ReviewRatings Criterion4 Stars - Historically important film, considered a classic.

(From Christmas in July (1940) on January 19th, 2010)

Casablanca, a review by Antares

Casablanca





Year: 1942
Film Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures, First National Pictures
Genre: Romance, Classic, Drama
Length: 103 Min.

Director
Michael Curtiz (1886)

Writing
Julius J. Epstein (1909)...Screenwriter
Philip G. Epstein (1909)...Screenwriter
Howard Koch (1901)...Screenwriter

Producer
Hal B. Wallis (1899)
Jack L. Warner (1892)

Cinematographer
Arthur Edeson (1891)

Music
Max Steiner (1888)...Composer

Stars
Humphrey Bogart (1899) as Rick Blaine
Ingrid Bergman (1915) as Ilsa Lund
Paul Henreid (1905) as Victor Laszlo
Claude Rains (1889) as Captain Renault
Conrad Veidt (1893) as Major Strasser
Sydney Greenstreet (1879) as Signor Ferrari
Peter Lorre (1904) as Ugarte
S. Z. Sakall (1884) as Carl

Review
       Have you ever made such a horrendous mistake that you wished for a at Warner Bros. pictures, alongside James Cagney and Edward G. Robinson. He had reached a level of power at the studio that gave him first right of refusal for scripts that he did not like. In 1941, he turned down two seminal crime dramas, High Sierra and The Maltese FalconHigh SierraThe Maltese FalconCasablanca deserves its place in the upper echelon of film classics and will remain there as long as movies remain our top choice for escapism entertainment.


Ratings Criterion
5 Stars - The pinnacle of film perfection and excellence.

(From Casablanca (1942) on December 17th, 2009)

My PILOT Marathon, a review by Rich

THE WIRE - SERIES ONE - THE TARGET



First aired: 6/2/2002    
During the trial of D'Angelo Barksdale, a mid-level dealer accused of murder, the prosecution's star witness recants her testimony, resulting in a not guilty verdict. After the trial, Detective James "Jimmy" McNulty explains to Judge Phelan how he suspects the Barksdale crew for a slew of related murders. When the judge contacts McNulty's superiors about this revelation, McNulty is taken to task for his indiscretion. Meanwhile, D'Angelo is free to return to work, but he soon discovers that he's been demoted.


(From My PILOT Marathon on June 3rd, 2008)