DVD Collectors Online

Father Goose, a review by Danae Cassandra

Father Goose
Year of Release:  1964
Directed By:  Ralph Nelson
Starring: Cary Grant, Leslie Caron, Trevor Howard, Jack Good
Genre: Comedy, Romance, War

Overview:
Cary Grant stars in one of his funniest roles as a boozy beachcomber sitting out WWII in peace – until the Allies recruit him to be a lookout on the South Pacific Isle.  During an enemy attack, he answers a distress call and discovers a beautiful French schoolmarm (Leslie Caron) and her 7 girl students.

And so begins a hilarious battle of the sexes between a messy American, a prim Mademoiselle and 7 mischievous little girls.  Who will win is anybody's guess, but you can be sure that Father Goose delivers plenty of romantic fun and adventure along the way.

My Thoughts:
This has been a personal favorite since I first saw it on TV in 1987. This is a charming, funny film with an eminently quotable script. It's a great blend of romance, comedy with a dash of wartime action thrown in. I love Cary Grant, and his performance makes this film. His timing is impeccable and his performance, in a character distinctly different from his usual fare, is superb. Leslie Caron does a good job too, but I always find her character to be insufferable in the beginning. Still, this is a movie that I've seen numerous times and never gets old and still remains funny, even when you know the jokes. Is there higher praise for a comedy than that?

Bechdel Test:  Pass

Overall: 4/5

(From Father Goose on January 2nd, 2014)

The Lake House, a review by Hal

Title: The Lake House
Year: 2006
Director: Alejandro Agresti
Rating: PG
Length: 98 Min.
Video: Widescreen 2.40:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital: 5.1
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Keanu Reeves
Sandra Bullock
Shohreh Aghdashloo
Christopher Plummer
Ebon Moss-Bachrach

Plot:
Dr. Kate Forster has finally found romance. Trouble is, it's a long-distance relationship. She's in downtown Chicago. He's in a remote lakeside suburb. And there's more: She's in 2006. He's in 2004.

Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock team for the first time since Speed for this heart-lifting story of a love that transcends time. It begins when Kate moves out of her visually stunning lake house and leaves a note for the tenant, architect Alex Wyler. They begin a correspondence and soon come to realize they are meant for each other... and that, somehow, they live two years apart. Can they ever meet? What would happen if they tried? Magical and emotionally rich, The Lake House is a love story for 2004, for 2006, for all times.

Extras:
Scene Access
Feature Trailers
Deleted Scenes




(From The Lake House on July 13th, 2010)

Tom's TV Pilots marathon, a review by Tom

Spin City: Season One (1996/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia Shout! Factory (United States) Length: 537 min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Subtitles:

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Plot:
Spin City is a smart, sophisticated ABC sitcom about the behind-the-scenes workings of City Hall in the biggest city in America. Workaholic Mike Flaherty (Michael J. Fox) is the Deputy Mayor of New York City, serving as Mayor Randall Winston's (Barry Bostwick, Rocky Horror Picture Show) key strategist and much-needed handler.

Mike runs the city with the help of his oddball staff: an anxious and insecure press secretary (Richard Kind, Mad About You); a sexist, boorish chief of staff (Alan Ruck, Ferris Bueller's Day Off); an impeccably groomed gay activist running minority affairs (Michael Boatman, Arliss); a sharp and efficient, man-crazy accountant (Connie Britton, Friday Night Lights); and an idealistic young speechwriter (Alexander Chaplin). Like Mike, they are all professionally capable but personally challenged.

Spin City was an immediate hit when it debuted in 1996. The series reunited Fox with Family Ties executive producer and creator Gary David Goldberg and proved that the magic of their creative partnership was enduring.


Spin City
1.01 Pilot
Writer: Gary David Goldberg (Created By), Bill Lawrence (Created By), Gary David Goldberg (Writer), Bill Lawrence (Writer)
Director: Thomas Schlamme
Cast: Michael J. Fox (Mike Flaherty), Carla Gugino (Ashley Schaeffer), Richard Kind (Paul Lassiter), Alan Ruck (Stuart Bondek), Michael Boatman (Carter Heywood), Connie Britton (Nikki Faber), Alexander Gaberman (James Hobert), Barry Bostwick (The Mayor), Victoria Dillard (Janelle), Taylor Stanley (Karen)

Even though I haven't watched the complete series yet, I always enjoyed it when I watched an episode. Michael J. Fox is great in it.

Rating:

(From Tom's TV Pilots marathon on July 8th, 2012)