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Fantasy Island, a review by addicted2dvd

Blumhouse's Fantasy Island (2020/United States) Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (United States) Director: Jeff Wadlow Writing: Jeff Wadlow (Writer), Chris Roach (Writer), Jillian Jacobs (Writer) Length: 109 min. Video: Widescreen 2.39:1 Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Audio Descriptive: Dolby Digital: 5.1 Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

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Stars:Plot:Extras:

• Scene Access
• Audio Commentary
• Deleted Scenes
• Unrated and Theatrical Versions

I noticed I am really in the minority on this one. But I enjoyed it quite a bit. It has good cast, and the story kept my interest with ease. Going by the trailer I seen for this film, it is what I expected going in. A movie of be careful what you ask for... you just might get it.



(From Horror/Halloween Marathon 2023 on September 26th, 2023)

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, a review by Dragonfire

This holiday season Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) vows his clan will enjoy "the most fun-filled old-fashioned family Christmas ever." Before you can sing "Fa-la-la-la-lah," he decks the halls with howls of folly in the perennial favorite 'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation'.

Seeing is believing. There are 25,000 lights on the roof. An exploding turkey on the dining room table. A SWAT team taking siege outside. A festive supporting cast (Including Beverly D'Angelo, Juilia Louis-Dreyfus, Juliette Lewis, William Hickey, and more) and a John Hughes script full of wit, heart and sheer goofiness. Yule love it!

My Thoughts

I saw this movie in the theater back when it came out.  I loved it then and I still love it and it is one of my favorite Christmas movies.  I've watched it every year at least once in December since I got the DVD several years ago.  I know it is silly and goofy, but I like it.  I think it is the best of the Vacation movies and probably the last really great Christmas movie made that wasn't aimed at kids - and several of those have been iffy.  The movie is hilarious with Clark going overboard trying to make Christmas perfect for everyone.  It started out innocent enough by going to get the tree and then everything spiraled out of control from there.  Clark, who I think has been known for having some flip outs, had 2 this one.  The first was a bit more minor when his twinkle lights wouldn't come on and then late in the movie he had the big one that always cracks me up.  It is the best of Clark's various flip outs.  Everything about the movie works, starting with the cute animation for the opening credits.

 

Here are two funny quotes from Clark.

Hey. If any of you are looking for any last-minute gift ideas for me, I have one. I'd like Frank Shirley, my boss, right here tonight. I want him brought from his happy holiday slumber over there on Melody Lane with all the other rich people and I want him brought right here, with a big ribbon on his head, and I want to look him straight in the eye and I want to tell him what a cheap, lying, no-good, rotten, fore-fleshing, low-life, snake-licking, dirt-eating, inbred, overstuffed, ignorant, blood-sucking, dog-kissing, brainless, dickless, hopeless, heartless, fat-ass, bug-eyed, stiff-legged, spotty-lipped, worm-headed sack of monkey shit he is. Hallelujah. Holy shit. Where's the Tylenol?

Where do you think you're going? Nobody's leaving. Nobody's walking out on this fun, old-fashioned family Christmas. No, no. We're all in this together. This is a full-blown, four-alarm holiday emergency here. We're gonna press on, and we're gonna have the hap, hap, happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny fucking Kaye. And when Santa squeezes his fat white ass down that chimney tonight, he's gonna find the jolliest bunch of assholes this side of the nuthouse.


(From 25 Days of Christmas on December 3rd, 2008)

My Pilot/Finale Episode Marathon, a review by addicted2dvd

Angel

Pilot:
City oft
Newly arrived in Los Angeles, Angel is befriended by a half-demon named Doyle who visions lead him to a powerful vampire whose next victim just may be Cordelia Chase.

My Thoughts:
This is the start of yet another great series. Watching this episode I was so tempted to continue on through out the whole series. But I knew that I had started this marathon... so this is the one I had to complete. I think my favorite part of this episode was when Cordilia was in the home of that vampire and Angel came to help her... and she said something to the effect of "You don't know who that is do you... ohhhh you are going to get your ass kicked!" That line alone showed this was a whole new series... one where Angel was starting over again where he was not known and had no allies yet.

Finale:
Not Fade Away
The gang prepares to attack the true powers of evil by attempting to take down the Circle of the Black Thorn - a battle none of them expect to survive.

My Thoughts:
When watching this episode what more can you say then... WOW!... talk about going out with a bang! part of me loved this series finale. I thought in a way the ending was ingenious. But then again another part of me wants to cry every time that it ended too soon! I wanted to see what happened from there so badly! I know I said I wanted a Buffy reunion movie before it was too late... but what I think I really want is a combined Buffy/Angel reunion movie! Let us see what happened from here!!!

(From My Pilot/Finale Episode Marathon on May 13th, 2008)