DVD Collectors Online

Stagecoach, a review by Rogmeister

Stagecoach: The Criterion Edition
Directed by John Ford  (1939)  96 minutes
Cast: Claire Trevor, John Wayne, Andy Devine, John Carradine, Thomas Mitchell, Louise Platt, George Bancroft, Donald Meek, Berton Churchill, Tim Holt, Tom Tyler

I think most people know about Stagecoach...it is a classic western, released in 1939, and usually makes the list when people are compiling lists of the top ten westerns ever made...heck, it's usually in the top five.  It deals with the people crowded into a stagecoach that is passing through Indian territory as Geronimo is on the warpath.  The passengers (in a film that, at the time of its release, was billed as a sort of Grand Hotel on wheels) include an escaped outlaw (John Wayne), a hooker with a heart of gold (Claire Trevor, though back then they never came right out and said that's what she was), a drunken doctor (Thomas Mitchell in an Oscar-winning performance), a dapper southern gambler (John Carradine) and a whiskey drummer (Donald Meek).   Of course, just when it looks like they're home free...but that would be telling.  This film deserves its legendary status and needs to be seen by everyone who can enjoy a good western adventure.

I've enjoyed Stagecoach in a number of formats.  My first copy was in the days before home video...I had a complete copy on Super 8 Sound film.  Since then I think I've had it on VHS and one or two other formats.  This is the second or third version I've gotten on DVD.  I also have a 2-disc special edition from Warner Brothers so it seems odd The Criterion Collection felt the need to also release their own versiion.   The picture quality looks to be on a par with the WB version...but it doesn't really look superior to it by my eye.  However, both the Criterion and WB versions each have their own special features (including two different audio commentaries) and I will likely keep both copies.  Extras on the Criterion edition includes an interview with John Ford, a silent Ford western titled Bucking Broadway, and other features.

Stagecoach, by the way, was remade in the 1960s...which is an edition to avoid, as is the one made in the 1980s featuring country music legends Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson and Waylon Jennings.  But for the 1939 original, I give it my heartiest recommendation.   

(From DCO fourth Alphabet Marathon - discussion/review/banter thread on July 8th, 2010)

Iron Man 3, a review by Danae Cassandra

Iron Man 3
Year of Release: 2013
Directed By: Shane Black
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall
Genre: Action, Science-Fiction

Overview:
The studio that brought you Marvel's The Avengers unleashes the best Iron Man adventure yet with this must-own, global phenomenon starring Robert Downey Jr.

When Tony Stark/Iron Man finds his entire world reduced to rubble, he must use all his ingenuity to survive, destory his enemy and somehow protect those he loves. But a soul-searching question haunts him: Does the man make the suit... or does the suit make the man? Featuring spectacular special effects, Marvel's Iron Man 3 explodes with exclusive Blu-ray content, including a Gag Reel, deleted scenes, a never-before-seen Marvel short film and a first-of-its-kind, interactive Second Screen Experience app hosted by JARVIS!

My Thoughts:
First let me say I enjoyed this film. I enjoyed it a lot. Now, I'm not a Marvel reader, except superficially, so the deviations from the comic don't bother me. I thought all of the actors did a great job, most especially Downey Jr, who is the heart and soul of this franchise and whom I am more and more impressed with every time I see him. I still don't like Cheadle's Rhodey as well as Howard's, but he's alright. He just doesn't seem to have the warmth Howard's portrayal did. I liked that Pepper had more to do in this film, and got a chance to be heroic. Overall, it's a good time to be had.

Now, I should probably say that this is the worst Iron Man film. You really don't see a lot of Iron Man, and certain scenes and plot points contradict established facts from the previous films. Other developments, particularly in the ending, are left unexplained.

Yet, conversely, it's the best Tony Stark film. This is Stark's movie, not Iron Man's, and it's about Stark's character growth. If one ignores the issues with his stupidity at the beginning of the film - in giving out his address, calling out the bad guy, and not making optimum use of his tech (for such a smart dude, these are incredibly stupid choices for Stark) - but if one chalks that up to Stark's bravado and lets it slide, then one can appreciate the rest of his growth. How he owns his mistakes, how he comes to realize himself as the hero, he, Tony Stark, not Iron Man. And, really, that is the answer. Iron Man is just gear. Tony is always, has always been, the hero.

Lots of fun, don't over-analyze the continuity problems and you should be fine. Recommended.

Bechdel Test: Fail

Overall: 3.75/5

(From Iron Man mini-marathon on February 1st, 2014)

Angel Marathon, a review by addicted2dvd

12. You're Welcome
Original Air Date: 2/4/2004
Cordelia returns to help her friends one last time after an old nemesis shows up determined to defeat Angel by overriding a secret failsafe created by the Powers That Be.

Guest Stars:
Charisma Carpenter
Christian Kane
Sarah Thompson
Ryan Alvarez
T. J. Thyne

My Thoughts:
An excellent episode. This is the 100th episode of the series. So you know they do a big one for that. Which also means I only have 10 more episodes of this series to watch now. In this episode we get closure of the Cordelia storyline as well as the Lindsey storyline. And I think they did an excellent job on both... especially with Cordelia. That character really grew since the self-centered character of the early days of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

My Rating:

(From Angel Marathon on March 24th, 2010)