DVD Collectors Online

In the Heat of the Night, a review by Antares

In the Heat of the Night





Year: 1967
Film Studio: United Artists, The Mirisch Corporation
Genre: Drama, Classic, Suspense/Thriller
Length: 110 Min.

Director
Norman Jewison (1926)

Writing
Stirling Silliphant (1918)...Screenplay
John Ball (1911)...Novel

Producer
Walter Mirisch (1921)

Cinematographer
Haskell Wexler (1926)

Music
Quincy Jones (1933)...Music By

Stars
Sidney Poitier (1927) as Virgil Tibbs
Rod Steiger (1925) as Gillespie
Warren Oates (1928) as Sam Wood
Lee Grant (1927) as Mrs. Colbert
Larry Gates (1915) as Endicott
James Patterson (1932) as Mr. Purdy
William Schallert (1922) as Mayor Schubert
Beah Richards (1920) as Mama Caleba

ReviewIn the Heat of the NightRatings Criterion4 Stars - Historically important film, considered a classic.

(From In the Heat of the Night (1967) on March 4th, 2010)

Hostel Part II, a review by Hal

Title: Hostel Part II: Unrated Director's Cut
Year: 2007
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: Unrated
Length: 95 Min.
Video: Widescreen 2.35:1
Audio: English: PCM: 5.1, English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo
Subtitles: Chinese, English, French, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai

Stars:
Lauren German
Roger Bart
Heather Matarazzo
Bijou Phillips
Richard Burgi (1958)

Plot:
Presented by Quentin Tarantino (Kill Bill, Vols. 1 & 2) and written and directed by Eli Roth (Hostel, Cabin Fever), HOSTEL PART II is the shocking and gruesome sequel about the underground torture ring where rich businessmen pay to torture and murder their victims.

The second installment in this terrifying franchise centers around three young American women (Lauren German, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Bijou Phillips, Bully, and Heather Matarazzo, Welcome to the Dollhouse) who are studying in Rome. They are lured into a hostel by a beautiful young woman who sells them in as the next victims of a murder-for-profit business. Also starring Roger Bart (TV's "Desperate Housewives") and Richard Burgi (Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation).

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Feature Trailers
Deleted Scenes
Featurettes
Interviews
Outtakes/Bloopers
Interactive Surveillance Camera Footage

The carnage continues in this sequel to Hostel but with young women as the targets instead of young men.  We get a little closer look at the inner workings of the "enterprise", and a little less of the blood and gore; not much less but a little.

The role reversal of Todd and Stuart was an interesting and unexpected twist and Stuart's fate will give lifelong nightmares to any red-blooded male!  

Rating:

(From Hal's 2010 Horror Marathon Reviews on October 3rd, 2010)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Marathon, a review by DJ Doena

Synopsis: Dr. Bashir and O'Brien are helping two formerly waring races to dispose of their biological weapons. But then one side is breaking the treaty and they kill all the scientists and try to kill O'Brien and Bashir who can barely escape. The crew of DS9 is informed that they've died in an accident while they have to hide out and try to contact either Starfleet or the other fraction.

My Opinion: As a general rule, I happen to like most of the Bashir/O'Brien episodes. And while their previous pairing in The Storyteller wasn't that interesting, I really liked this one. To put them together in a dangerous situation without any other characters around them was a really good decision.

Synopsis: When Miles returns to DS9 he notices that something is different. Most of the command staff and even his wife is acting weird. And since important negotiations are coming up and he's cut off from the security preparations, he suspects that someone tries to sabotage these negotiations.

My Opinion: We have seen so many unfriendly takeovers of bodies during the history of Star Trek that O'Brien's suspicions weren't that far fetched. Another episode I really liked, especially with O'Briens sympathy he's shown to his copy and the copy's declared love for Keiko at the end.

Synopsis: Sisko and O'Brien beam down to a planet that doesn't lie along the usual trading routes. But as soon as they arrive they find out that none of their technology is working and they can't contact their runabout. But they find a village full of people who have crashed here a decade ago. They have gotten used to the situation but Sisko doesn't give up that easily.

My Opinion: This episode reminded me a lot of the former socialistic countries. "Hey we have a good idea and now you have to live in that "ideal" whether you like it or not." I really liked it when Sisko went back into the box, not bowing to Alixus's rule. And I also liked how he interrupted her speech pointing out that she let people die for her dream to come true.

Synopsis: Again looking for signs of his people, Dax and Odo are following a strange radiation signature. At the end of it they find a device in a small village, which seems to be the only settlement on the planet. But something is going on in that village: People are disappearing without leaving a trace and Odo tries to help.

My Opinion: This was a rather quiet episode and it only became interesting when the holographic generator had been disabled and we learn about the true nature of the relation between the people of that village and the only real person.

(From Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Marathon on October 11th, 2008)