DVD Collectors Online

Up, a review by Tom

Title: Up
Year: 2009
Director: Pete Docter
Rating: U
Length: 96 Min.
Video: Widescreen 1.78
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, French: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Dutch: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Flemish: Dolby Digital 5.1, Hungarian: Dolby Digital 5.1, Audio Descriptive: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Subtitles: Dutch, English, French, Hungarian

Stars:
Ed Asner
Christopher Plummer
Jordan Nagai
Bob Peterson
Delroy Lindo

Plot:
From the revolutionary minds of Pixar Animation Studios and the acclaimed director of Monsters, Inc.Awards:

Academy Award	2009	Won	Best Animated Feature Film	Peter Docter
Academy Award	2009	Won	Best Music, Original Score	Michael Giacchino
Academy Award	2009	Nominated	Best Picture	Jonas Rivera
Academy Award	2009	Nominated	Best Sound Editing	Michael Silvers, Tom Myers
Academy Award	2009	Nominated	Best Writing, Original Screenplay	Bob Peterson, Pete Docter. Story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Thomas McCarthy
American Film Institute Awards	2009	Won	Movies of the Year
Annie Awards	2009	Nominated	Best Animated Effects	Eric Froemling
Annie Awards	2009	Won	Best Animated Feature
Annie Awards	2009	Nominated	Best Character Animation in a Feature Production	Daniel Nguyen
Annie Awards	2009	Nominated	Best Character Design in a Feature Production	Daniel Lopez Munoz
Annie Awards	2009	Won	Best Directing in a Feature Production	Pete Docter
Annie Awards	2009	Nominated	Best Music in a Feature Production	Michael Giacchino
Annie Awards	2009	Nominated	Best Storyboarding in a Feature Production	Peter Sohn
Annie Awards	2009	Nominated	Best Storyboarding in a Feature Production	Ronnie Del Carmen
Annie Awards	2009	Nominated	Best Writing in a Feature Production	Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy
BAFTA	2009	Won	Animated Film
BAFTA	2009	Won	Music	Michael Giacchino
BAFTA	2009	Nominated	Original Screenplay	Pete Docter, Bob Peterson
BAFTA	2009	Nominated	Sound	Tom Myers, Michael Silvers, Michael Semanick, Doc Kane
Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards	2010	Won	Best Animated Feature
Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards	2010	Won	Best Composer	Michael Giacchino
Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards	2010	Nominated	Best Picture
Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards	2010	Nominated	Best Screenplay, Original	Bob Peterson, Pete Docter
Golden Globe	2009	Nominated	Animated Film
Golden Globe	2010	Won	Animated Film
Golden Globe	2009	Nominated	Original Score - Motion Picture	Michael Giacchino
Golden Globe	2010	Won	Original Score - Motion Picture	Michael Giacchino
Hugo Award	2010	Nominated	Dramatic Presentation, Long Form
National Board of Review Awards, USA	2009	Won	Best Animated Feature
Scream Awards	2009	Nominated	Best Director	Pete Docter, Bob Peterson
Scream Awards	2009	Nominated	Best Fantasy Actor	Ed Asner
Scream Awards	2009	Nominated	Best Fantasy Movie
Scream Awards	2009	Nominated	Best Scream-Play	Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Thomas McCarthy
Scream Awards	2009	Nominated	The Ultimate Scream
Teen Choice Awards	2009	Won	Choice Summer Movie - Comedy
World Soundtrack Awards	2009	Nominated	Film Composer of the Year	Michael Giacchino

Extras:
Deleted Scenes
Featurettes
Interviews
Scene Access

I really like the first half of this movie. Great introductions of the characters. But as with the first time I have watched it in the cinema, I felt it lost something from the moment "Kevin" appears. And then shortly after with all the talking dogs. It's a little too ridiculous even for a movie where a house flies with balloons. But still the second half is worth watching. Some great action scenes, which were even better in 3D.

Rating:

(From Tom's Random Reviews on June 26th, 2010)

I Confess, a review by Jon

I Confess (1953)
4 out of 5



Father Logan (Montgomery Clift) hears the confession of a murderer, Keller (O.E. Hasse), and urges him to turn himself in. Instead he stands by as helpless Father Logan himself is suspected of the crime and unable to tell the wily Inspector Larrue (Karl Malden) the truth.

Hitchcock must have relished this plot, expanded from a play. It’s an ingenious conceit to trap a priest within his own belief system, unable to reveal anything he heard in confession, with lots of margin to turn the screws on both the characters and viewer! From the simplicity of that central theme, the story unfolds gracefully, revealing a compelling motive for Father Logan to have actually done the crime.

In Montgomery Clift, Hitchcock has the perfect lead. Clift was the original method actor and a controversial choice, apparently causing some issues on set, but still, it suited the role. There isn’t a glimmer of doubt in his eyes, except when he walks the picturesque Canadian town alone, and even then it is implied he is considering turning in his frock, not the confessor.

He is never judgmental or emotional. All we see is a man willing to accept whatever fate is laid out. This is an excellent depiction of faith and sacrifice, and Logan is a heroic character to rival Atticus Finch, especially given that Keller is German and Logan an ex-soldier. It's criminal that such a character is not more well known and makes this one of the most underrated Hitchcock films.

Clift is ably supported by Hasse as the nervy Keller, and the late Karl Malden who is typically superb as the Inspector barely hiding his glee when he has the scent. The scene with the two of them in Larrue’s office is wonderful. The other main role is Anne Baxter as Logan’s ex-lover and potential motive. She’d recently won an Oscar for All About Eve, but this is a warmer, if simpler, role. Still the plot twists around her brilliantly as she unwittingly digs Logan in deeper while undermining her own marriage to Roger Dann. Mind you, he is a bit of wet blanket anyway, perhaps the weakest character.

The film seems to lose a lot of energy during the courtroom sequence (thankfully still much better than the method used in Spellbound), as it can’t help but repeat a lot of what we already know, but the story still has a couple of twists and it’s fascinating to see how Logan still doesn’t condemn Keller, not even with a mere glance. Apparently the subject of much discussion with the Catholic savvy censors.

A key to Baxter’s story is a flashback sequence which compares to Stage Fright as it is also subjective and open to interpretation because it is strictly from her point of view. Not just a technical theme, it suits the narrative in that it does not specifically explain Clift's reasons for becoming a priest and keeps him enigmatic. It’s an interesting break of pace from Hitchcock because it is so bright and romantic! He even uses slow motion at one point.

The rest of the film compares with Shadow of a Doubt. It is beautifully lit, with real locations and nothing flashy, but just solid, efficient quality revolving around character, not least at its most potent during Logan’s walk. After an ironic start with road signs, it settles for an overall serious, nourish tone, but it is very compelling throughout. Interestingly, it finishes as Hitchcock often likes to do, on a stage. But this time there is no audience. I'm not sure what to make of that, if anything.

There’s a quote in the making of which is worth remembering throughout this marathon: “a bad film is a photograph of people talking; a Hitchcock film is a photograph of people thinking”.

(From Alfred Hitchcock Marathon on July 24th, 2009)

My PILOT Marathon, a review by Rich

Futurama - Season 1

Space Pilot 3000



This collection presents the entire first season of Matt Groening's Futurama in all of its absurd, sci-fi glory. After accidentally freezing himself in 1999, pizza delivery boy Fry (voiced by Billy West) wakes up in New York City at the beginning of the 31st century. There he meets the fiesty, one-eyed Leela (voiced by Katey Sagal), the beer-swilling robot Bender (voiced by John Di Maggio), and other strange characters. Together they embark on ridiculous journeys as part of a interplanetary delivery service.

Never going to be a favourite show of mine, but my son is a big fan and probably the target audience in terms of age etc.
Personally I am glad to have now seen the original episode which explains the whole concept, how Fry got there, how he met up with the other characters. It helps make sense of the few random episodes I've seen over the years.
There are a few laughs to be had, but to be honest I was glad this finished so quickly.
 

(From My PILOT Marathon on September 28th, 2009)