DVD Collectors Online

Never Been Kissed, a review by DJ Doena

January, 17th


Drew Barrymore    ...    Josie Geller
David Arquette   ...    Rob Geller
Michael Vartan   ...    Sam Coulson
Molly Shannon   ...    Anita
John C. Reilly   ...    Gus
Garry Marshall   ...    Rigfort
Leelee Sobieski   ...    Aldys
Jeremy Jordan   ...    Guy Perkins
James Franco   ...    Jason
Gregory Sporleder   ...    Coach Romano

Synopsis: Josie Geller was one of the nerds in highschool, the kind of girl who asked for extra homework. It was not a pleasent time for her. But now she's an editor at the Chicago Sun-Times and good at her job. But she wants to be a reporter, to write stories instead of reading them. And for this she has to go undercover to highschool again. But neither she nor highschool has changed.

My Opinion: A sweet liitle comedy about a young woman who gets the chance of having a better highschool memory and to finally fall in love with the right guy. Not the best romance I've ever seen but still quite enjoyable.

(From DJ Doena's movie watchings 2009 on January 17th, 2009)

Dracula, a review by Hal

Title: Dracula: Classic Monster Collection
Year: 1931
Director: Tod Browning
Rating: NR
Length: 75 Min.
Video: Full Frame 1.33:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: Mono, French: Dolby Digital: Mono, Spanish: Dolby Digital: Mono, Music Only: Dolby Digital: 5.0, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo
Subtitles: English, French

Stars:
Bela Lugosi
Helen Chandler
David Manners
Dwight Frye
Edward Van Sloan

Plot:
This DVD edition contains three special versions of Dracula!

Dracula (The Restored Version)
Although there have been numerous screen versions of Bram Stoker's classic tale, none is more enduring than the 1931 original. The ominous portrayal of Count Dracula by Bela Lugosi, combined with horror specialist director Tod Browning, help to create the film's eerie mood. Dracula remains a masterpiece not only of the genre, but for all time.

Dracula (Featuring New Music By Philip Glass)
The original version of Dracula starring Bela Lugosi has been remastered to feature a specially composed musical score by world-renowned composer Philip Glass and performed by the Kronos Quartet. Glass' music lends greater depth to an already timeless classic!

Dracula (Original Spanish Version)
Filmed simultaneously with the English language version, the Spanish version of Dracula is a completely different, yet equally ominous vision of the horror classic. Utilizing the same sets and identical script, cinematographer George Robinson and a vibrant cast including Carlos Villarias and Lupita Tovar deliver this chilling and evocative tale.

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Feature Trailers
Featurettes
Gallery
Production Notes
DVD-ROM Content
New Isolated Music Score

Although there are some good scenes in this film, overall, I think this was overacted and way too melodramatic.  Legosi's handling of this role (even though it is the one he is best known for) is just too much for me and unrealistic to the point of being laughable.  The mood and setting of the film was good, but I think the "effect" of brightening the eyes of the vampires was overdone.  It is interesting how some of the mythos of Dracula was all established in this early film; e.g., fear of garlic, wolfbane, sunlight, crosses; lack of reflection in mirrors, death by wooden stake through the heart, changing into bats and/or wolves, having to rest in soil of the "homeland", sleeping in coffins during the day.  Some of these have endured the test of time; others have not.
I suppose given the age of this film it has many merits, but I cannot rate it any higher than a 3.

Rating:

(From Hal's 2010 Horror Marathon Reviews on October 16th, 2010)

Life on Mars Marathon (US Version), a review by addicted2dvd

10. Let All the Children Boogie
When rock star Sebastian Grace (Cheyenne Jackson) receives a death threat, Sam and Chris are sent to provide him with police protection. Chris later accompanies Sebastian and one of his groupies, Rocket Girl, to wait for UFOs in the New Jersey Meadowlands, but Sebastian is arrested for murder when Rocket Girl disappears. Sam also has to try and cover up his fling with Maria before Gene figures out who his partner in the file room was.

Guest Stars:
Cheyenne Jackson as Sebastian Grace
Wallace Shawn as The Sorcerer
Maggie Siff as Maria Belanger
Robert Clohessy as Frank Wyatt

My Thoughts:
This is one of the ones I didn't care too much for. having to protect a rock star of course means there is music in the episode. And I of course didn't care for that. While the whole idea of them thinking the girl was abducted by a UFO was pretty entertaining for some reason I didn't care for Wallace Shawn in the role of The Sorcerer. I gues because I usually find his characters funny to watch... and this one just wasn't.

My Rating:

---

11. Home is Where You Hang Your Holster
A city councilman who is arrested and brought into the 125th on prostitution charges privately reveals to Sam that he's from 2009 and knows the way home, but he is murdered in the middle of the precinct house before Sam can find out the secret. Hunt locks down the squad house to investigate the murder. Ray and Annie were both out of the house at the time and are sent out to investigate leads on the outside, but squabble over how much authority a policewoman should be given in investigating a crime.

Guest Stars:
Laura Benanti as Denise Carling
Maggie Siff as Maria Belanger
Jason Kravits as Jerry
Armand Schultz as Councilman Bobby Prince

My Thoughts:
A good episode. I liked how they had the crime happen in the police station itself. The liuetenant finds out that it was his daughter that was in the file room with Sam. I could have wenbt without the whole Wizard of Oz references and background music. But it didn't take away from the episode too much.

My Rating:

---

12. The Simple Secret of the Note in Us All
The squad tries to solve the murder of a newspaper columnist. After learning that the columnist had visited a gallery owned by Tony Crane, a man whom Sam has arrested in the 2000s for a very similar crime, Sam becomes an advocate for the 1973-style vigilante policing he's usually fighting against, while the media glare has Hunt uncharacteristically insistent on a strictly by-the-book investigation. The rest of the precinct believe the murderer is a restaurant chef.

Guest Stars:
Kerry Bishe as Eve Flannery
Chris Bowers as Tony Crane
Fred Dalton Thompson as Chief Harry Woolf
Peter Appel as Demetri Pantos

My Thoughts:
This is a pretty good episode. It was pretty fun to see the roles reversed a bit... and see Sam being the one to want to rough up the suspect and the lieutenant going strictly by the book. But I think what I really liked is how Annie is the one that came through in the end.

My Rating:

---

13. Revenge of Broken Jaw
While the squad tries to find a place to watch the Muhammad Ali-Ken Norton rematch, student radicals from the Weather Underground target the police with bomb threats, and it becomes all too personal to Lt. Hunt, who loses several close friends in the incendiary aftermath. As the investigation heats up, Sam, Annie and Hunt uncover mysterious connections to one of the students and a political science professor. The bomb threats continue as Hunt, suspiciously secretive, attempts to discover the professor's possible connection to the Weather Underground's dead leader; is the motivation politics or revenge, and do the Weathermen have the right target? With the 1-2-5 walking a dangerous tightrope to discover the target of the next bomb, the case takes a totally unforeseen but deadly turn.

Guest Stars:
Kevin Kilner as Dr. Richard Olsen
Janel Moloney as Pat Olsen
Arthur Nascarella as Rooney
Austin Pendleton as Dr. Goldman

My Thoughts:
Fun episode. I liked how Sam took advantage of knowing what will happen in the boxing match ahead of time and making a nice sized bet with Ray. And I think Ray said it all when Sam told him some day we won't have to go to a strip club to see the fights... and Ray says I hope that is one day that never comes! I am talking here mostly about a side story... but don't get me wrong. The story of the case was good too!

My Rating:

(From Life on Mars Marathon (US Version) on January 6th, 2010)