DVD Collectors Online

Frenzy, a review by Achim

Title: Frenzy
Year: 1972
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Rating: R
Length: 116 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: Mono, French: Dolby Digital: Mono
Subtitles: English, Spanish

Stars:
Jon Finch
Barry Foster
Barbara Leigh-Hunt
Anna Massey
Alec McCowen

Plot:Extras:
Scene Access
Feature Trailers
Featurettes
Gallery
Production Notes

I have watched the film two or three times through my school years and not since then. I was very surprised to find that it was much better than I remembered it (and I already remembered it to be a good film). At its core the film is still based on Hitchcock's favorite theme, the "wrong man", he did well in avoiding just doing more of the same and playing some interesting riffs on what he would have usually done earlier in his career. The main protagonist is far from the likable "man next door" who gets mixed up in some criminal plot, the plot is not just about being wrongly accused and then getting out of it and through the last third the theme actually shifts away I very much enjoyed how detailed it was described how poor Richard Blaney got deeper and deeper into the mess, even through events that had happened 2 years earlier! It looks like Hitchcock had great fun putting all that on screen.

Acting is excellent all through the cast, including smaller bit parts. I enjoyed Barry Foster and Alex McCowen the most.

It can be argued that this is Hitchcock's nastiest film (we had a discussion on this forum whether Hitchcock's films would be much the same today or if he'd make more use of gore himself), by what is shown on screen (e.g. we get to see a rape-murder) but just as well theme (there's not many nice people here). A good portion of that success is due to the decision to work much more on location than before; gone is the fake look of outdoor sets.



(From Alfred Hitchcock Marathon on May 5th, 2010)

The Mummy, a review by Hal

Title: The Mummy: Classic Monster Collection
Year: 1932
Director: Karl Freund
Rating: NR
Length: 73 Min.
Video: Full Frame 1.33:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: Mono, Commentary: Dolby Digital: Mono
Subtitles: English, French

Stars:
Boris Karloff
Zita Johann
David Manners
Arthur Byron
Edward Van Sloan

Plot:Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Feature Trailers
Featurettes
Production Notes
Web links

This film is truly more of a love story than a horror film.  Karloff gives an excellent performance and the supporting actors/actresses are all credible in their roles, not to mention the beauty of Zita Johann.  The film provides quite a bit of the historical background for the story of Imhotep that is missing in many other later films which simply have a mummy rise up still wrapped in cloth and go on a killing spree.  Surprisingly, only two people die in this version, and there is absolutely no gore.  It is amazing how the dread of what is happening can be portrayed without the blood and guts required today.  I really enjoyed watching this again.

Rating:

(From Hal's 2010 Horror Marathon Reviews on October 16th, 2010)

Birthday Marathon, a review by addicted2dvd

Adventures of Superman: Season 1
The Birthday Letter
Superman is implicated in the abduction of a young girl who is thought to have information concerning hidden counterfeit plates.

My Thoughts:
I always enjoyed this episode. I especially enjoyed the ending where Superman is flying the crippled little girl around the city. But how times have changed! The idea of a cripple child staying home by herself during the day is unheard of now! That would be a good way to get into some serious trouble. And here when this show was made ('50s) they acted like it was no big deal at all.



(From Birthday Marathon on May 24th, 2009)