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The Devil's Messenger, a review by addicted2dvd

Title: The Devil's Messenger
Year: 1962
Director: Herbert L. Strock
Rating: NR
Length: 71 Min.
Video: Full Frame 1.33:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: Mono
Subtitles: N/A

Stars:
Lon Chaney, Jr. [Lon Chaney]
Michael Hinn
Ralph Brown
John Crawford
Bert Johnson
Chalmers Goodlin

Plot:
Three macabre tales of terror are featured in this frightful thriller hosted by the incomparable "Mr. D" (Lon Chaney Jr.). A psychotic photographer is faced with a beauty that haunts his pictures and dreams in one tale. A scientist becomes obsessed with a frozen "Ice Princess" that leads to an unfortunate ending in another tale. Finally, a man fears his own death after a visit with a fortuneteller in the last of these horrifying stories.

Extras:
Scene Access

My Thoughts:
This is another anthology that came in that 100 movie boxset I recently got.  This one I enjoyed quite a bit.  Of course Lon Chaney, Jr. plays the devil. Sitting in hell checking everyone in... when Satanya (played by Karen Kadler) who is there because she committed suicide. He gives her the chance to earn her way out of hell by making her the Devil's Messenger. Her job is to deliver items to people that are about to do something to earn their way to hell. Which is the wraparound story for the three stories (deliveries that she has to make) in this movie. while I enjoyed each of the movies.... the first one was best by far. The image on this release is decent with some flaws. The audio is pretty good... except for the scenes in hell... which seemed to be recorded in a cave as there is a problem with echoing making it harder to understand what is being said. But over all I am definitely glad I got this one in the set.



(From Movies of the '60s Marathon on May 14th, 2010)

Up, a review by Dragonfire

I went to see the new Pixar movie Up today. 

After a long, mostly happy life with his wife Ellie, Carl is trying to deal with being alone and the changes going on around their home.  He decides to finally go to South America like they had planned for years, though he uses an unique mode of transportation.  Russell, a young Wilderness Explorer ends up along for the trip.  Once in South America, their adventure continues as they try to get to a specific spot.  Along the way, they encounter Dug, a talking dog, a goofy bird that Russell names Kevin, and Charles Muntz, an explorer that had been the hero of Carl and Ellie in their childhood.

My Thoughts

I loved this movie.  The plot is a bit different, especially for an animated movie, but it works so well and makes for a wonderful movie.  Time is taken at the beginning to introduce Carl and even show highlights of his relationship with Ellie.  Only glimpses of their life together are shown, but it is enough to know how strong their marriage was.  Those few minutes lay the foundation for the heart and emotion that the movie has.  There are a few sad scenes in the movie that might make some people cry.  The movie is incredibly touching and has more emotion than the live action movies I've seen this year. 

Some of what is going on during the movie is silly, but it works and blends perfectly with the more serious moments.  The balance between silliness and sweet, touching things is just right.  There is a lot of humor in the movie, much of which is provided by Dug and Kevin.  That bird is just so goofy that I can't help but crack up.  The movie didn't resort to gross humor like many other animated movies do.  The plot is interesting and makes for a very enjoyable movie.  The animation is stunningly beautiful.

This is the first Pixar movie to be done in 3D.  It is the first movie that I've seen in 3D..the theater here finally upgraded or whatever to show 3D movies.  I have seen the normal versions of some other movies that were also available in 3D, and with those other movies, I usually could pick out things that were done specifically because of the 3D to make the audience jump.  That wasn't done in Up and Pixar didn't use the 3D as a gimmick.  The 3D just ...enhanced things without distracting from the plot.  I did enjoy the 3D stuff.  Even the trailers before the movie were in 3D.

Overall, this is an excellent movie that deserves to be seen. 

 

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

Up

(From Up on May 30th, 2009)

Pete's Pilots, a review by addicted2dvd

Ghost Whisperer
Melinda Gordon (Jennifer Love Hewitt) is a young newlywed with the unique gift to communicate with spirits of people who have died - a talent that was inherited from her grandmother.

The dead seek out Melinda's ability to help them relay significant messages and information to the living. Despite her fear, compassion compels her to help these earthbound spirits cross over by completing their unfinished business with the living. Relive these amazing journeys in all 22 first-season episodes.

Pilot
Melinda is haunted by the spirit of a restless soldier who died 30 years ago in Vietnam. She helps the veteran and his living son find closure.

My Thoughts:
A wonderful series... one of my all-time favorites. This series is what made me a big Jennifer Love Hewitt fan.... as while I did hear of her before I really wasn't that familiar with her until this show. In the early episodes the show was focused more on the dramatic touching storylines. But it didn't take long for it to become more then that. To put some eerie scenes into the show. To put an over-all story arc. If by chance you never seen this show... I highly recommend it.

My Rating:

(From Pete's Pilots on January 26th, 2010)