DVD Collectors Online

Miss Congeniality, a review by Tom

Title: Miss Congeniality
Year: 2000
Director: Donald Petrie
Rating: FSK-12
Length: 106 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78
Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1, German: Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1, Commentary: Dolby Digital Surround, Commentary: Dolby Digital Surround
Subtitles: Croatian, Czech, Danish, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish

Stars:
Sandra Bullock
Michael Caine
Benjamin Bratt
Candice Bergen
William Shatner

Extras:
Commentary
Featurettes
Scene Access
Trailers

A good comedy with the kind of role that Sandra Bullock does best. This was also the movie I first noticed Michael Caine in. Because of this, he will always be Victor for me.
Also this is one of the movies, where William Shatner plays a great caricature of himself.

Rating:

(From Weekend Movie Marathon: Sandra Bullock on June 7th, 2009)

Forbidden World , a review by Dragonfire

Forbidden World



On the planet Xarbia, an experimental life-form known as "Subject 20" has been created by an elite group of scientists in hopes of preventing a major galactic food crisis. However, instead of prolonging life, Subject 20 is destroying it, and the man-eating organism poses a double threat because it constantly changes its genetic structure. Bounty hunter Mike Colby is called in to investigate but soon suspects that the scientists are keeping something from him, and he discovers why ... Subject 20 is half-human!

My Thoughts

I'm still not sure if I ever saw any of Corman's movies before.  I know I've seem some lower budget movies with similar plots before, but I just can't remember for sure, even after watching this one.  A few scenes do look somewhat familiar.  After Jimmy started posting about Corman's movies being released this year, I read a little more about some of them.  The more I read, the more interested I got.  So I decided to pick up Forbidden World when I found it on sale at Amazon.

The plot is very thin, but it manges to be entertaining.  The script was written really fast, which is probably part of why the plot isn't stronger.  The movie was also filmed fairly quickly and sets used for Galaxy of Terror were reused for this one.  The first several minutes are a bit confusing with all the images shown.  After that part, things aren't as confusing and it is easy to follow what is going on.  The movie is just focused on the attempts to deal with Subject 20.  I'm thinking a few things that happen are intended to add complications, but they really don't.  Things happen at a fairly fast pace without making things feel rushed.

It is fairly clear that the movie was made with a limited budget.  The sets are fairly simple, with many of them having styrofoam food containers on the walls.  It is an odd look that somehow manages to look sort of futuristic.  The monster changes appearance throughout the movie and the effects for it are done well considering the budget.  I think some of the effects are created with makeup and puppets may have been used as well.  Those things do look good, especially the look of characters after being attacked by the monster.  Some of that is a bit gross looking, but it isn't that extreme.  There are some action scenes, though they mostly involve the monster attacking people.  This isn't an action packed movie, but the action that is in it does help to keep things interesting.  Things do get a bit gory in some parts.  There is a sex scene as well as a scene with two women showering together.  Those scenes don't add anything to what is going on, though some viewers will probably enjoy them.

The characters aren't that developed, but that didn't really bother me.  The women don't seem to be that bright, and they do a few stupid things.  The cast is fine, though the acting isn't exactly that great.

This movie does have issues with the plot, but that doesn't stop it from being a really entertaining movie.  It is cheesy at times, which works for what is going on.  The movie won't appeal to everyone, but I like it.  I'm glad I decided to get it.  It is just a fun, cheesy movie.



I did get a review posted on Epinions.

Forbidden World

(From Forbidden World on September 4th, 2010)

Smallville Marathon #2, a review by DJ Doena

Synopsis: Clark dreams about putting the key into the lock in the cave wall. He finally decides to take that step and he learns all about the symbols on the wall and understands that language. The very next day he can't control his heat vision and he burns the symbol for "hope" into the barn. When Chloe publishes this he gets a message from a man in New York who claims to know his origins.

My Opinion: It was a really great that they've managed to put Christopher Reeve on the show. One generation meets the next. I also really liked it that they used the original Superman theme in that episode. That reminded me of the way they incorporated the original Battlestar Galactica theme into the Colonial Hymn of the new series. And now we know, Clark is Kal-El from the planet Krypton and Krypton doesn't exist anymore.
I also liked the appeal for funds after the show - if one can use the popularity of the show for a good cause, why not?

Synopsis: A young student claims to come from another planet and he can set things on fire by staring at them and he can heal. Clark takes him under his wings and tries to find out whether he is really an alien or just a boy who needs help.

My Opinion: I liked that episode, one could feel Clark's loneliness and his hope that he might not be alone after all. Funny thing is, his communication tower, the lights and the place deep in the woods, it all reminded me of E.T.'s departure, though I cannot explain why. And I felt sorry for Cyrus when he mentally broke down.

Synopsis: Three student harass Lana in the "Talon" but Clark comes to the rescue. He trows one of them directly on the hood of the new Sheriff. He has to do 40 hours of community service but also get sued by this student. He wants to have one million dollars and the Kents could lose everything. Now its Lana's turn to come to the rescue and she does very well on her own. Meanwhile Dr. Bryce is stalked by a former boyfriend and neither Clark nor Lex trust Sheriff Adams enough and they take matters into their own hands.

My Opinion: For more than one season Lanas wishes to leave her image as "fairy princess" behind but now she finally does something about it. Ok, she did re-open the "Talon" but I still had the impression that everyone around her (Chloe, Clark) were standing more on their own feet than she was.
It was an ok episode.

Synopsis: A few guys have developed a way to inhale refined Kryptonite and become super-strong. One night they try to hijack one of Lionel's secret transports and Clark tries to stop them but they match his strength and they escape. When he tries to expose them they endanger his parents, yet Clark still tries to find a way to stop them. But he has other problems as well: After an argument with Chloe he quits his job at the "Torch" and puts his friendship with her on hold. And then Lionel makes Chloe an offer she can't resist.

My Opinion: Yet another appearance from a member of the Tim Taylor family: Zachery Ty Bryan (Brad in Home Improvement). I hated it to see Clark and Chloe to break up especially because I know what Chloe is going to do. The question that remains is whether the destruction of the "Torch" was staged by Lionel (not sure they will answer that question).

(From Smallville Marathon #2 on May 25th, 2008)