DVD Collectors Online

The Watcher, a review by addicted2dvd

Title: The Watcher
Year: 2000
Director: Joe Charbanic
Rating: R
Length: 97 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1, French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English

Stars:
James Spader as Campbell
Marisa Tomei as Polly
Keanu Reeves as Griffin
Ernie Hudson as Ibby
Chris Ellis as Hollis

Plot:
Keanu Reeves ignites this action-packed, "superbly crafted thriller that zooms along like a sinister video game of hunter and prey!" (Richard Roeper, EBERT & ROEPER AND THE MOVIES)

After years of pursuing psychotic killers in Los Angeles, FBI agent Joel Campbell (James SpaderMarisa Tomei, this game of cat and mouse will have you gasping for breath from its first terrifying frame until its final explosive conclusion!

* 1992 Best Supporting Actress, My Cousin Vinny.

Extras:
Scene Access
Trailers
Production Notes
DVD-ROM Content

My Thoughts:
This is a movie I bought blind (Never even heard of the movie before) when I found it in the Walmart bargain bin. It is definitely not the best serial killer movie I ever seen. But it is an entertaining movie. I liked most the cast in this movie... even if it didn't seem to be their best work. I also liked the storyline... but was expecting a little more from it. While it is worth watching... there is just something I can't put my finger on that is missing from the movie.



(From Weekend Movie Marathon: Anything Goes on February 28th, 2010)

Spider-Man 2, a review by Tom

Spider-Man 2 (2004/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (United Kingdom) Director: Sam Raimi Writing: Stan Lee (Original Characters By), Steve Ditko (Original Characters By), Alfred Gough (Story By), Miles Millar (Story By), Michael Chabon (Story By), Alvin Sargent (Screenwriter) Length: 136 min. Video: Widescreen 2.40 Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Audio Descriptive: Dolby Digital 5.1, English: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, French: Dolby Digital 5.1, Italian: Dolby Digital 5.1, Commentary: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround, Commentary: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround, Commentary: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Subtitles: Arabic, Commentary, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Hindi, Italian, Norwegian, Swedish

---

Stars:
Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man / Peter Parker
Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson
James Franco as Harry Osborn
Alfred Molina as Doc Ock / Dr. Otto Octavius
Rosemary Harris as May Parker

Awards:
Won:

Academy Award (2004)		Best Visual Effects (John Dykstra, Scott Stokdyk, Anthony LaMolinara, John Frazier)
American Film Institute Awards (2004)		Movie of the Year
BMI Film & TV Music Awards (2005)		BMI Film Music Award (Danny Elfman)
Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards (2005)		Best Popular Movie
Empire Magazine Awards (2005)		Best Director (Sam Raimi)
Saturn (2004)		Best Actor (Tobey Maguire)
Saturn (2004)		Best Director (Sam Raimi)
Saturn (2004)		Best Fantasy Film
Saturn (2004)		Best Special Effects (John Dykstra, Scott Stokdyk, Anthony LaMolinara, John Frazier)
Saturn (2004)		Best Writing (Alvin Sargent)
Taurus Award (2005)		Best Overall Stunt by a Man (Chris Daniels, Michael Hugghins)
Teen Choice Awards (2004)		Choice Movie of the Summer
Visual Effects Society Awards (2005)		Outstanding Compositing in a Motion Picture (Colin Drobnis, Greg Derochie, Blaine Kennison, Ken Lam (For the train sequence))
Visual Effects Society Awards (2005)		Outstanding Created Environment in a Live Act on Motion Picture (Dan Abrams, David Emery, Andrew Nawrot, John Hart (For the NYC street, night))
Visual Effects Society Awards (2005)		Outstanding Performance by an Actor or Actress in a Visual Effects Film (Alfred Molina)

Nominated:

Academy Award (2004)		Best Sound Editing (Paul Ottosson)
Academy Award (2004)		Best Sound Mixing (Kevin O'Connell, Greg P. Russell, Jeffrey J. Haboush, Joseph Geisinger)
AFI (2003)		100 Years... 100 Cheers (2006)
BAFTA (2004)		Achievement In Special Visual Effects (John Dykstra, Scott Stokdyk, Anthony La Molinara, John Frazier)
BAFTA (2004)		Sound (Paul Ottosson)
Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards (2005)		Best Family Film (Live Action)
Cinema Audio Society Awards (2005)		Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Motion Pictures (Joseph Geisinger, Kevin O'Connell, Greg P. Russell, Jeffrey J. Haboush)
Empire Magazine Awards (2005)		Best Actor (Tobey Maguire)
Empire Magazine Awards (2005)		Best Actress (Kirsten Dunst)
Empire Magazine Awards (2005)		Best Film
Hugo Award (2005)		Dramatic Presentation, Long Form
MTV Movie Awards (2005)		Best Action Sequence
MTV Movie Awards (2005)		Best Movie
MTV Movie Awards (2005)		Best Video Game Based on a Movie
MTV Movie Awards (2005)		Best Villain (Alfred Molina)
Satellite Awards (2005)
Satellite Awards (2005)		Best Cinematography (Bill Pope, Anette Haellmigk)
Satellite Awards (2005)		Best Film Editing (Bob Murawski)
Satellite Awards (2005)		Best Original Score (Danny Elfman)
Satellite Awards (2005)		Best Sound (Editing & Mixing) (Kevin O'Connell, Greg P. Russell, Jeffrey J. Haboush, Joseph Geisinger, Paul Ottosson, Susan Dudeck)
Satellite Awards (2005)		Best Visual Effects (John Dykstra, Scott Stokdyk, Anthony LaMolinara, John Frazier)
Saturn (2004)		Best Music (Danny Elfman)
Saturn (2004)		Best Supporting Actor (Alfred Molina)
Taurus Award (2005)		Best Specialty Stunt (Tim Storms, Garrett Warren, Susie Park, Patricia M. Peters, Norb Phillips, Lisa Hoyle, Kevin L. Jackson, Clay Donahue Fontenot)
Taurus Award (2005)		Best Work with a Vehicle (Tad Griffith, Richard Burden, Scott Rogers, Darrin Prescott, Mark Norby)
Teen Choice Awards (2005)		Choice Movie Bad Guy (Alfred Molina)
Visual Effects Society Awards (2005)		Best Single Visual Effect of the Year (John Dykstra, Lydia Bottegoni, Dan Abrams, John Monos (For the clock tower))
Visual Effects Society Awards (2005)		Outstanding Special Effects in Service to Visual Effects in a Motion Picture (John Frazier, James D. Schwalm, James Nagle, David Amborn)
Visual Effects Society Awards (2005)		Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects Driven Motion Picture (John Dykstra, Lydia Bottegoni, Anthony LaMolinara, Scott Stokdyk)

Extras:

• Bonus Trailers
• Commentary
• Featurettes
• Outtakes
• Scene Access
• Theatrical and Extended Versions

Usually I enjoyed Spider-Man 2 even more than the first one. But not this time around. It may be because now I watched the extended cut for the first time. The pacing seemed to be off a lot. Especially where the new or extended scenes where inserted. There is nothing new which adds to the story. It is just the opposite: The movie comes to a complete stop often in these new scenes. For example the old elevator scene was much funnier (albeit shorter) than the new scene. The only new scene which I found interesting to watch is where J.J. Jameson is wearing the Spidey outfit.

Rating:

(From Tom's Random Reviews on July 8th, 2012)

Smallville Marathon #2, a review by DJ Doena

Synopsis: Lex wakes up after a one night stand and finds her slain beside him. Naturally, Lex is the prime suspect but Clark starts an investigation of his own. And he has unexpected help in the form of Lionel who truly seems to have changed since the body-switch (from which he can't remember anything).

My Opinion: I liked the episode because Clark has to see what kind of character Lex is. Clark may have an influence on him but he also must not forget in what kind of environment Lex grew up. I also find it interesting how Clark's relationship both to Lex and Lionel is changing.

Synopsis: There's an accident at the LuthorCorp plant and a gas is released into the atmosphere. Soon after, people (with Jason being the first) start to collapse and are falling into a "panic mode" coma. Before they fall into that coma they see their worst fears come true. If the doctors and Lex can't stop it all will die when their hearts finally give up.

My Opinion: I always knew that Clark blamed himself for the death of Lana's parents. I just didn't know that he feared that she would, too. I also found the other insights interesting. The make-up of Chloe's mother scaringly reminded me of Heath Ledger's "Joker" make-up in the upcoming Batman movie The Dark Knight. I also found it fascinating that Lex has the same nightmare of what could become of him as the old lady in Hourglass.

Synopsis: Alicia has been released from Belle Reve and she is healed. Clark who hasn't stopped being very fond of her, goes out with her but then she does something very stupid and it involves the usage of red Kryptonite. Meanwhile Lana fears to lose Jason and offers him to bring their relationship to a more "adult level".

My Opinion: I still like Alicia, the episodes with her are very good because Clark can be different (even without red Kryptonite). He's way more open and it seems that the weight of the world is falling off his shoulders when he's around her.
The end was interesting for me in a different way: His parents are disappointed because for them marriage is still something very sacred. Maybe that still true in the real Kansas as well but it doesn't really reflect my reality of life where more couples get divorced than get married.

Synopsis: Despite what has happened, Clark still cares for Alicia and he goes out with her (again). But them aside nobody is happy about it. Not his parents and certainly not Lana who was nearly killed by Alicia in the previous year. And then Lana is attacked again by someone who can enter and leave a locked room without being seen. Everyone suspects Alicia at once but Clark believes in her. Wouldn't it be easier for her if people knew what Clark can do and has done?

My Opinion: One of my favourite episodes! Chloe finds out and Clark doesn't even know it. I really like that scenario because it gives us a number of good episodes in this season. I like it how Chloe encourages Clark from now on.
Unfortunately Alicia is dead. I don't blame Clark that he began to doubt her, she was perfectly framed. Therefore I also liked the end fight including the fact that he nearly killed the guy if it hadn't been for Lois.
And now the key scene:




Synopsis: Clark is about to get accepted to the Metropolis University football team and he gets a scholarship. But there's another player on the field who has an unfair advantage over his opponents. Meanwhile Lois is in serious trouble. After a drinking game she kicks a stalker to the ground but gets arrested the next day - the guy is paralyzed.

My Opinion: As I said, I love Chloe's remarks and her nodding him in the right direction. But that aside the episode was average, they've invented a FotW that said all the right things to make Clark drop football ("In high school it was ok but this is another world ...").
Even so, I found it funny that Lois would compete in a drinking game while wearing her pyjamas and (bunny?) slippers.

Synopsis: Due to the previous events Lois has been kicked out of the Met U and lives on the Kent farm again. But one night she hits a dog with her car. This dog was stolen from a LuthorCorp lab and has enhanced abilities. It was used for robberies until Lois had hit it and his "owners" want him back.

My Opinion: This was a funny episode with Lois being back on the farm and a dog with superpowers. The dog was of course a hint to "Krypto the Superdog" from the Superman comics.

Synopsis: Dr. Swann has died but before that he has returned the octagonal disc to Clark. When he enters it into the cave table his father tells him about the three mystical stones. One of them is already in Clark's possession (thanks to Kal-El) and no human must be allowed to put the three together. The map hidden under the page in Lex's office points to the third stone. Soon Jason, Lex, Clark, Lana and Isobel find themselves on the hunt for the stone - in China.

My Opinion: Plans within plans within plans. While I like the hide-and-seek I still don't like the fact that witchcraft is involved and that Isobal can cast a blade that is able to wound Clark. But Lana looked great in that chinese outfit.

(From Smallville Marathon #2 on June 7th, 2008)