DVD Collectors Online

L.A. Confidential, a review by Dragonfire

L.A. Confidential My Thoughts I wasn't interested in this one when I first saw previews for it.  I just didn't think I would like it.  Then I kept seeing the trailer and I started changing my mind and I eventually saw the movie..and I loved it. The plot is rather complicated, so people could get confused or lost if they don't pay attention.  Things do start off slower while characters are introduced and situations are set up.  Some of what is shown doesn't seem that important at first, but it all ends up being tied to what is going and adding to the set up of things.  I think there ends up being a decent amount of mystery and I didn't find the movie to be predictable at all.  I remember being really shocked by one thing that happens - though it does make sense for the story.  I did end up reading the book after I had seen the movie.  I think I'd seen it a few times by that point.  The book is even more complex than the movie with even more characters and events going on.  I think the movie is a really good adaptation since it focuses in on the most important elements of the story.  From what I remember, a lot more time is covered in the book. Even though there aren't any actual sex scenes in the movie, sex does have a big impact on the story.  Sid, the tabloid reporter, is always hoping to catch famous or sort of famous people in some sort of compromising sexual situation.  Sid even sets some of them up, promising one person that no one else will ever know..and then he plasters the pictures all over the cover of Hush-Hush, the tabloid magazine he writes for.  Lynn, the main female character, is a call girl who looks like Veronica Lake.  There are other call girls who look like other actresses, though they are mostly just talked about and only one of them is briefly seen.  Bud and Lynn have a relationship and it is very clear that it involves sex even though not much is shown.  There is a lot of violence in the movie, some of which is rather graphic and extreme.  There are shoot outs and fights with several people getting hurt or killed.  The violence didn't really bother me, though some people may feel differently.  The movie definitely deserves the R rating and it isn't one for children. Several of the characters are just in a few short scenes, but they still manage to be interesting.  This was the first movie I saw Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce in.  I really didn't like Pearce's character Ed at first.  Technically he is the good guy since he is out to end corruption, but his attitude at first makes him unlikeable.  I don't see Bud as really a bad character, though he isn't all good either.  Jack has gotten use to being a bit of a celebrity thanks to the exposure from working with a tv show and the busts that he sets up for Sid to take pictures of.  Jack is a bit corrupted, but no where near the level that some other cops are.  The cast is wonderful in their parts. I really like this movie and think it is has held up very well. At the time, I was ok with Titanic winning more Oscars, including best picture.  Now I'm thinking this one really should have won.  I posted a review on Epinions last night - my 1300th review there.  L.A. Confidential

(From L.A. Confidential on June 16th, 2010)

Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical, a review by Tom

Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical (2005/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia VCL Communications (Germany) Director: Andy Fickman Writing: Kevin Murphy (Screenwriter), Dan Studney (Screenwriter), Kevin Murphy (Original Material By), Dan Studney (Original Material By) Length: 104 min. Video: Widescreen 1.78 Audio: German: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English: Dolby Digital 5.1 Subtitles: English, German

---

Stars:
Kristen Bell as Mary Lane
Christian Campbell as Jimmy Harper
Neve Campbell as Miss Poppy
Alan Cumming as Lecturer/Goat-Man/FDR
Ana Gasteyer as Mae Coleman

Plot:
Inspired by the legendary 1936 film of the same name, Reefer Madness is a tongue-in-cheek raucous musical comedy about clean-cut kids who fall into a twisted, hilarious downward spiral of reefer, sex and mayhem! A straight-laced high school lecturer (Alan Cumming) seeks to impart his wisdom to frightened parents about the "demon weed" by telling them the frightful tale of two innocent teens. Mary Lane (Kristen Bell) and Jimmy Harper (Christian Campbell), who fall under the spell of the public's enemy #1 and quickly find themselves in a world of evil jazz music, dance and madness. Filled with outrageously funny and musical performances by Neve Campbell, Christian Campbell, Kristen Bell and Steven Weber, Reefer Madness is the feel good event of the year that should not be missed!

Extras:

• Featurettes
• Reefer Madness Orig. Film 1936
• Scene Access
• Trailers

A nice musical which I can see myself watch again. But so far (after first time viewing) there are no songs which really stood out for me. Mostly the movie seemed like wanting to be another Rocky Horror. Like the first song with Kirsten Bell and Christian Campbell reminded me of the song "Dammit Janet" from Rocky Horror, only not nearly as catching. The story in both is about a nice, innocent, All-American couple who gets seduced to be bad.
Matthias stated a few times that he prefers this over "Repo! The Genetic Opera". I can see that. I also bought that one recently, but I couldn't get into the movie in the first few minutes, so I haven't really watched it yet. With this one I didn't have a problem, even if the songs seemed more like standard musical fare. But who knows. Sometimes musicals need more viewing to really catch on with me.

Rating:

(From Tom's Random Reviews on April 24th, 2011)

Tom's TV Pilots marathon, a review by Tom

Das Amt: Staffel 1 & 2 (1997/Germany) IMDb Koch Media, RTL Television, Spirit Media (Germany) Length: 479 min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: German: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Subtitles:

---

Das Amt
1.01 Die Neue
Writer: Dietmar Jacobs (Writer)
Director: Micha Terjung
Cast


(From Tom's TV Pilots marathon on February 23rd, 2012)