DVD Collectors Online

Carnival of Souls, a review by addicted2dvd

Title: Carnival of Souls: The Criterion Collection Year: 1962 Director: Herk Harvey Rating: NR Length: 78 Min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: Mono, Commentary: Dolby Digital: Mono Subtitles: English

Stars:
Candace Hilligoss
Frances Feist
Sidney Berger
Art Ellison
Stan Levitt
Tom McGinnis

Plot:
Herk Harvey's macabre masterpiece gained a cult following through late night television and has been bootlegged for years. Made by industrial filmmakers on a modest budget, Carnival of Souls was intended to have the "look of a Bergman" and "feel of a Cocteau," and succeeds with its strikingly used locations and spooky organ score. Mary Henry (Candace Hilligoss) survives a drag race in a rural Kansas town, then takes a job as a church organist in Salt Lake City. En route, she becomes haunted by a bizarre apparition that compels her to an abandoned lakeside pavilion. Criterion is proud to present the ultimate special edition of this eerily effective B-movie classic that continues to inspire filmmakers today.

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Feature Trailers
Deleted Scenes
Featurettes
Gallery
Production Notes
Outtakes/Bloopers

My Thoughts:
This is one I have watched a few times before. I originally got this one in a cheaply made freebie boxset. After enjoying it so much a friend of mine got me the 2 disc Criterion edition for my birthday a couple years ago. I really have a hard time putting my finger on what it is about this movie I like so much... so it is a really hard one to review. It really is kinda different then what I usually watch. But I think it is definitely worth checking out.




Count:
Movie Count: 81
TV Ep. Count: 47 I Made It! (10/20)
Other Count: 8 I Made It! (10/15)

(From Month Long Horror/Halloween Marathon: 2010 on October 23rd, 2010)

My Neighbours The Yamadas, a review by dfmorgan

Title: My Neighbours The Yamadas
Original Title: Houhokekyo tonari no Yamada-kun
Year: 1999
Director: Isao Takahata
Rating: PG
Length: 104 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio: 5.1, Japanese: DTS-HD Master Audio: 5.1
Subtitles: English

Stars:
Yukiji Asaoka
Toru Masuoka
Masako Araki
Hayato Isohata
Naomi Uno

Plot:
A stylistic departure for Studio Ghibli, with writer-director Isao Takahata using digital production to create the feel of a moving watercolour sketch, My Neighbours The Yamadas follows the exploits of the Yamada family. Takahata charts the day-to-day life of husband and wife Takashi and Matsuko who, along with their two children, their dog, and Matsuko's live-in mother, navigate the pitfalls of modern life to often comic effect.

Featuring the voices of Jim Belushi, David Ogden Stiers and Molly Shannon, My Neighbours the Yamadas is a one-of-a-kind comic treat.

Extras:
Scene Access
Feature Trailers
Bonus Trailers
Featurettes
Full-length storyboard version of the film



As I said in my review of the DVD a weird film which takes some getting used to and because the colouring used is based on pastel shades with the drawings based on comic strips the upgrade to Blu-ray doesn't pop as much as Laputa: Castle in the Air. Still looks good though but maybe not an essential upgrade, also the only credits again are the Japanese ones.

Original DVD review is here

(From Ghibli Blu's on May 15th, 2011)

Tom's Glee Marathon, a review by Tom

Glee
Season 2.04 Duets
Writer: Ryan Murphy (Created By), Brad Falchuk (Created By), Ian Brennan (Created By), Ian Brennan (Writer)
Director: Eric Stoltz
Cast: Dianna Agron (Quinn Fabray), Chris Colfer (Kurt Hummel), Jessalyn Gilsig (Terri Schuester), Jane Lynch (Sue Sylvester), Jayma Mays (Emma Pillsbury), Kevin McHale (Artie Abrams), Lea Michele (Rachel Berry), Cory Monteith (Finn Hudson), Heather Morris (Brittany Pierce), Matthew Morrison (Will Schuester), Mike O'Malley (Burt Hummel), Amber Riley (Mercedes Jones), Naya Rivera (Santana Lopez), Mark Salling (Noah "Puck" Puckerman), Jenna Ushkowitz (Tina Cohen-Chang), Harry Shum, Jr. (Mike Chang), Chord Overstreet (Sam Evans), James Earl (Azimio), Max Adler (Karofsky), Jean Sincere (Ancient Librarian), Jonathan Wolf (Random Guy)

A good episode which I always enjoyed.

Brittana:
This episode marks the official storyline about the Brittany/Santana relationship. They can be seen making out (very harmless). Santana gets scared when a remark by Brittany puts their hooking up in a relationship territory and rejects Brittany. Brittany starts going out with Artie. Initially to get Santana jealous.

Notable music:
I like the Sam & Quinn duet "Lucky" the best.
Video

Tina & Mike's "Sing!" is also really interesting:
Video

Santana & Mercedes's "River Deep, Mountain High" is also good:
Video

Rating:

(From Tom's Glee Marathon on November 28th, 2012)