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Master Spy: The Robert Hanssen Story, a review by KinkyCyborg

Title:Master Spy: The Robert Hanssen Story
Year: 2003
Director: Lawrence Schiller
Rating: R
Length: 122 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo
Subtitles: English, Spanish

Stars:
William Hurt
Mary-Louise Parker
David Strathairn
Ron Silver
Hilit Pace

Plot:
Journey into the world of high-stakes espionage with the gripping true-life tale of Robert Hanssen, the respected FBI agent who betrayed his family, his religion and his country. William Hurt captivates as the daring traitor who sells America nuclear secrets to the KGB - entering into a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse that could cost him his life.

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Deleted Scenes
Featurettes
Closed Captioned


I didn't clue in right away when I put in Master Spy : The Robert Hanssen Story that it was another retelling of the same story found in the movie Breach with Chris Cooper and Ryan Phillipe. This movie focused on the man himself and the demons he was battling while Breach was all about the attempts to capture the spy and traitor to his country.

William Hurt perfectly plays the role of Robert Hanssen, a man who lives a double life of a devout Christian husband, father and also his secret life of informant to the Russian KGB coupled with deviant sexual behavior. It was amazing to watch how this man so deftly flew under the radar for more than 15 years, delivering some of America's most sensitive secrets to the Russians with no one even coming close to suspecting him. It finally took the collapse of the Russian state and the dismantling of the former KGB to finally point a finger in his direction.

While I found this movie to drag at times it provided a much more insightful look into the man's life. It certainly lacked the high octane thrills of Breach but I'd still recommend it as a good watch.


Rating:

(From KinkyCyborg's Random Reviews 2010 on May 25th, 2010)

Duel, a review by addicted2dvd

Title: Duel: Collector's Edition
Year: 1971
Director: Steven Spielberg
Rating: PG
Length: 89 Min.
Video: Full Frame 1.33:1
Audio: English: DTS 5.1, English: Dolby Digital 5.1, English: Dolby Digital Mono
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Dennis Weaver
Jacqueline Scott
Eddie Firestone
Lou Frizzell
Gene Dynarski

Plot:
Before spinning cinematic gold from sharks, dinosaurs and homesick aliens, a young Steven Spielberg directed this high-velocity thriller about an innocent motorist terrorized by an evil truck. Spielberg's first full-length movie, Duel helped jumpstart the director's big-screen career, with a gripping, action-packed story hailed by critics as a film that "...belongs on the classics shelf reserved for top suspensers"(Daily Variety). Dennis Weaver stars as the traveling salesman waging a desperate battle for survival after he is mysteriously singled out for destruction. Praised for its deft use of relentlessly mounting psychological tension, Duel features one of the most uniquely terrifying "characters" in movie history: a massive, roaring 40-ton truck with more sheer menace than most flesh-and-blood villains. But Steven Spielberg was, literally, just getting started. A few years later, the action of Spielberg's blockbuster hit Jaws would echo Duel's tale of a lone hero in a heart-stopping fight to the finish against a monstrous, inhuman foe.

Extras:
Scene Access
Trailers
Featurettes
Gallery
Production Notes

My Thoughts:
This is another one I bought blind this past month that I never got the chance to watch. It was recommended to me by more then one person. I enjoyed the movie... it is filled with tension. Don't really know what to say with this one since it is basically one long car chase so I will be keeping this one short. I do have to admit the ending was pretty much predictable. But I would recommend checking this one out.



(From Weekend Movie Marathon: Unwatched DVDs on November 14th, 2009)

Smallville Marathon, a review by addicted2dvd

5. Perry
Perry White, a once promising journalist whose career was destroyed by Lionel Luthor, arrives in Smallville in search of alien stories for a tabloid news show. In spite of being constantly inebriated, Perry believes he has witnessed Clark using his extraordinary speed, so he devises a dangerous scheme to expose Clark's superpowers.

My Thoughts:
Perry was a pretty good episode... though not as good as I was expecting it to be. I do think that Michael McKeon did a good job a a young Perry White.

6. Relic
Clark discovers that Jor-El was on Earth forty years ago. Lana's great uncle, who was convicted of murdering his wife forty years ago, shows her a picture of the man he believes really killed her aunt, and she is shocked to discover the drifter looks just like Clark.

My Thoughts:
This was never one of my favorite episodes. It is ok... but I think it could have been better. It was kind of an interesting idea that Jor-El was on Earth before sending Clark.

7. Magnetic
Clark is suspicious when Lana suddenly becomes attracted to a fellow student and begins to act rebelliously, which eventually lands her in jail.

My Thoughts:
Again.... I really wasn't that impressed with this episode.  I don't know... just didn't hold my interest very much.

8. Shattered
Lex locates Morgan Edge and gets him to admit to dirty dealings with Lionel, but before Lex can take it to the authorities, someone tries to kill him at the mansion.

My Thoughts:
Well... seems like this whole disc didn't do too much to impress me. I don't know... just didn't care for the whole drive Lex crazy arc.  Anyway out of these four episodes I liked Perry the best. At least the next disc has a couple I really did enjoy!

(From Smallville Marathon on August 5th, 2007)