DVD Collectors Online

The Pit and the Pendulum, a review by Danae Cassandra

The Pit and the Pendulum
Year of Release: 1961
Directed By: Roger Corman
Starring: Vincent Price, John Kerr, Barbara Steele, Luana Anders, Antony Carbone
Genre: Horror, Suspense

Overview:
Happily-ever-after goes under the knife in this "eerie [and] excellent" (The Hollywood Reporter) saga of murder, madness  and forbidden desire. Starring Hollywood horror great Vincent Price, this "spine-tingling thriller" (Redbook Magazine) is a  "lush, elegant and bloody" (CueMy Thoughts:
Roger Corman certainly knows how to make a movie.  You don't need a big budget and lots of state-of-the-art effects.  What you need are good actors, suspense, and a lot of atmosphere.  Vincent Price, of course, is superb.  Some people consider his style a bit "hammy" but, honestly, I think they're just jealous because they'll never be as awesome as Vincent Price.  The rest of the cast is pretty solid, though John Kerr's character comes off as very one-note for most of the film, and isn't as interesting as either of the others.  Of course, this is really Price's show as far as the actors go.  The rest is down to great art direction, a pretty interesting script that keeps the viewer guessing, and wonderful, creepy, gothic atmosphere.  Recommended for anyone who likes older horror films. 

Bechdel Test: Fail

Overall: 3.75/5

(From Danae's 2013 Horror Marathon on October 7th, 2013)

Scream, a review by addicted2dvd

Scream
A crowd-pleasing smash hit with a sizzling cast - critics are calling SCREAM the hippest thriller of the year! After a series of mysterious deaths, a seemingly peaceful community becomes a place where no one is safe...and everyone is suspect! That's when an offbeat group of friends rally to unlock the town's deadly secrets...and get caught up in a lively mix of thrills, chills and surprises! Featuring all-star talent, including Drew Barrymore ('Boys on the Side'), Courteney Cox (TV's 'Friends'), Neve Campbell ('The Craft'), Skeet Ulrich ('Touch'), and David Arquette ('Beautiful Girls'), this strikingly original and entertaining motion picture delivers nonstop edge-of-your-seat excitement...and fun! Bonus: Contains an audio commentary by director Wes Craven and screenwriter Kevin Williamson!

My Thoughts:
There is no way I could have a Wes Craven Marathon and not watch Scream! This was a really good movie... I liked it because it dealt with the subject of horror movies. And of course horror movies are my favorites! I like not only the opening scene where they had the horror movie trivia questions the killer asked on the phones... but where it continued on with the "Rules" of horror movies. A lot of fun.

I still have the original release of this one... though I am hoping to upgrade it to the Collector's Series.

Well... that makes 7 Wes Craven movies.. I think I will just go ahead and call it an end to this marathon... and decide what I will watch next. It was a really fun marathon though... and look forward to revisit my Wes Craven collection again in the future.

(From Wes Craven Marthon on July 26th, 2007)

My PILOT Marathon, a review by Rich

Fringe

Pilot
When all the passengers and crew on Flight 627 Hamburg-to-Boston die in a hideous manner, FBI agent Olivia Dunham investigates the event. While following up a lead, her partner and lover, John Scott, undergoes life-threatening chemical contamination. A desperate Olivia looks for help and finds Dr. Walter Bishop, who cannot help her because he has been institutionalized. The only way to even question him is with the help of his son Peter.
Olivia continues her investigations and goes to Nina Sharp, a manipulative executive. Olivia, Peter and Dr. Bishop begin to discover what really happened on Flight 627 and start to uncover a larger truth.



A television drama centered around a female FBI agent who is forced to work with an institutionalized scientist in order to rationalize a brewing storm of unexplained phenomena.

The first part of this pilot is incredibly interesting and promised a great deal. A bit of x-files with more focus on the investigation, the characters were optimistically well thought out, and the pace gripping. I felt it lost its way in the middle as the storyline floundered, with a bit too much focus on introduction of the leads and providing backdrop to the series, but it picked up well with a good and surprising finish.
A definate series to revisit before year-end, this is good viewing for all.
 


(From My PILOT Marathon on September 27th, 2009)