DVD Collectors Online

Hondo, a review by Rogmeister

Okay, pards...here we go with a bunch of western reviews which I hope you'll like.  I've got over 300 westerns in my collection (counting just feature films, not TV productions) and I'll keep reviewing as long as you keep enjoying them.  Saddle up!



Hondo (1953)  83 minutes.  Directed by John Farrow.  Music by Emil Newman and Hugo Friedhofer.  Based on the novel by Louis L'Amour.
Cast: John Wayne, Geraldine Page, Ward Bond, Michael Pate, James Arness, Rodolfo Acosta, Leo Gordon, Lee Aaker, Paul Fix

DVD Special Features
Introduction by Leonard Maltin
Audio commentary by Leonard Maltin, Frank Thompson and Lee Aaker
The Making of Hondo
Profiler: James Edward Grant (screenwriter)
The John Ford Stock Company: Ward Bond
From the Batjac Vaults
The Apache
Photo Gallery
Original Theatrical Trailer
Batjac Teaser

It seems only fitting to start a western marathon with a John Wayne movie. This movie was actually filmed in 3D, though the craze was pretty much dieing off by the time it was released. There aren't too many obviousl 3D moments in it...the credits obviously have that look and there are a few times in fights where a knife or other weapon comes in at the camera. Luckily, it's an excellent western as well. The story was by Louis L'Amour who first had it published as a short story and then expanded it into a full-length novel. Leonard Maltin, who provides an on-screen introduction, tells us the novel was the first published by L'Amour under his real name.

As with most Wayne westerns, there's lots of familiar faces. Ward Bond has a key role and James Arness is in here, too, two years before he would become Matt Dillon. Paul Fix has a supporting role as does Leo Gordon (the guy John Wayne slugged to start the big mudfight in McLintock!) but there are a few people here who weren't Wayne regulars...Geraldine Page makes her film debut (earning an Oscar nomination for her efforts) and Lee Aaker is her son (he was the young boy in the Rin Tin Tin TV series).

The storyline has Wayne coming to the woman's ranch after losing his horse, accompanied only by his dog Sam (played by Lassie). The small ranch is deep into Apache territory and they are about to go on the warpath because of a broken treaty. Hondo (John Wayne) stays on while he breaks a horse enough to ride, helping her out during his brief stay. Later on, he winds up killing her surly husband in self-defense but it doesn't keep the two from falling in love. The Indian uprising comes to a head, especially after the death of the tribe's original leader (who had been friendly to the two) and the new leader is much more antagonistic (and who Hondo had defeated earlier in hand-to-hand combat).

This film is a good example of a movie not needing to be well over two hours to be entertaining. It's not even a full 90 minutes long but it keeps things moving quickly and still has time for some quiet moments. I liked the photography and the score, surprisingly credited to two composers. Picture and sound are excellent, as you would expect from a major studio release.

Older movies, especially westerns, don't tend to get lots of extras when released on DVD but this is an exception in that area. Besides the intro by Maltin, he also provides an audio commentary and is joined there by western historian Frank Thompson and Lee Aaker who had played the boy, Johnny. There's also a making of short, a profile of screenwriter James Edward Grant, a piece on Ward Bond and (something I always want to see) the original theatrical trailer.

I give this classic western 4 big yee-haws!

(From Roger's Ongoing Westerns Marathon on June 22nd, 2009)

Gentleman's Agreement, a review by Eric

Gentleman's Agreement
First time seen



Now that was a very interesting movie.  Filmed in 1947, only 2 years after the 2nd war, it talks about antisemitism.  It's the story of a reporter who's asked to write on the subject but as the editor wants something from an angle that was never used before, the reporter decides to pretend he's a Jew for a while and see how they are really treated.

The movie brings an interesting POV about people who say they are not antisemite, that they despise it but still let go along.  One very interesting thing is that you would expect the movie to have references to the war and the nazis but it actually doesn't.  There's a military who's a Jew and a friend of the reporter but the war is hardly ever mentioned and the holocaust is not mentioned at all.

It is strange that a movie filmed only 2 years after the war and les than a year after the end of the Nuremburg trials would ignore it completely.  Was this an attempt to educate the american people, maybe most Americans in 1947 weren't aware of antisemitism and Zionism and the intended purpose of the movie was to try to change that ?

I really don't know but it surely is interesting to see things haven't changed in 60 years because what's showed in that movie still happens today.

(From Eric's DVD watching. on February 17th, 2008)

"Big Bang Theory" Marathon, a review by DJ Doena

Synopsis: The group's order is seriously disrupted when Howard makes out with a acquaintance of Penny's and Penny becomes the fourth player of the "Halo" night.

My Opinion: I loved it when Penny kicked Sheldon's ass, especially with the plasma grenade. But I have to point out that we've seen Sheldon sleep with his head towards the door a few episodes earlier.

Synopsis: Penny works one shift as a barkeeper now and she practices with the four guys when the unfathomable happens: Raj talks to her! And why? Because his parents try to pair him off with some indian girl.

My Opinion: All the alcohol-induced scenes were great, especially the one at the end. And it was also great to see how Sheldon swept her off her feet without knowing what he was doing.

Synopsis: Leonard and Sheldon get an invitation to present their findings about a project to a wider scientific community but Sheldon is above such things and forbids Leonard to present it alone. But Leonard has no intentions of not going.

My Opinion: What did Penny have against Leonard's clothes? I thought they looked decent. And while the remote controlling of the lamp and the stereo via Internet connection was really geeky I really liked it. It's that kind of thing that proves that every man has a child in him - and why should we be as serious as women?

Synopsis: Leonard makes up a lie to prevent him from going to a play in which Penny's starring. But Sheldon has the fear that she might see through it and constructs an entire lie web that sucks more and more people into it until it's un-unravelable.

My Opinion: I nearly fell off the couch when "Leo" suddenly sat in the kitchen and Sheldon and he discussed the "origin of his drug addiction". And the idea that he had to stay way longer to prevent the truth from coming out, it was great.

Synopsis: Alert: 'Condition Red'! Sound 'General Quarters'! Action Stations! Sheldon is sick! And while Leonard, Howard and Raj know exactly what that means and abandon ship, Penny has no idea and is on collision course with the iceberg.

My Opinion: I have to admit that Sheldon's constant whining became a bit annoying over the course of the episode. But I liked all the scenes where the three tried to avoid Sheldon at any cost.

Synopsis: A 15-year-old north-korean boy starts to work at the university and he is smarter than Sheldon! With all hopes lost to ever win the Nobel Prize Sheldon finally gets interested in what the others do but for reasons unknown to him, he always has to "go away".

My Opinion: I liked the obnoxious Sheldon much better than the whiny one. But somehow I felt this was similar to The Luminous Fish Effect with Sheldon looking for new tasks. But the idea of moving Jerusalem to Mexico and the subsequent discussions about the Wailing Wall and the Promised Land were brilliant.

(From "Big Bang Theory" Marathon on October 9th, 2008)