DVD Collectors Online

Disturbia, a review by Dragonfire

Disturbia My Thoughts When I first saw the trailers for this one, I thought it looked like a more modern version of Rear Window.  Seeing the movie just reinforced that idea.  Even though the story borrows heavily from Rear Window, I still enjoy this one and think it is worth watching.  After watching Rear Window in the last few days, I decided to watch this one again. The story is very entertaining even though it isn't the most original.  Nothing is in the credits to say the movie is based on Rear Window or inspired by it, but I think it is very clear that the story has borrowed from the earlier movie.  Kale is confined for a different reason and he has a bigger area to move around in, but he ends up watching the neighbors too.  He resorts to that after his mom cuts off his XBox live and actually cuts the cord to the tv in his room.  He becomes convinced that a neighbor is a killer and 2 friends end up trying to help him prove his theory.  There is a good amount of mystery to what is going on and a few scenes are very suspenseful.  I do think the movie works as an updated version of Rear Window, though it isn't as good as the earlier movie.  Most of the movie is set in Kale's house, though some things do take place in other areas.  Even with the other locations, most still takes place in the immediate neighborhood where Kale lives.  A few scenes are very suspenseful and a few creepy things happen as well.  One scene clearly illustrates why it is a good idea to keep the doors locked and windows up in a car..especially if you happen to be following someone you think is a killer.  This isn't an action packed movie, though some action does turn up in a few scenes.  A little violence turns up in a few scenes as well.  That stuff does help to keep things interesting since some of the scenes do move slower.  The characters are fine, though not overly interesting.  Kale acts like a jerk at first, though it is sort of understandable given that he is still dealing with his dad's death.  It would have been nice if Kale had been a more likable character.  I also think he does some stupid things.  When he is watching the neighbors, he is always sitting in a room with a bunch of lights on.  He would clearly be visible to anyone who glanced in the direction of the window he is using.  Even after he has a scare about someone maybe catching him watching - before he is watching the guy he is sure is a killer - he still doesn't turn the lights off when he focuses on watching who he thinks is a murderer.  He should have had enough sense to turn the lights off as a precaution against being seen.  I know that is a minor thing, but it bugs me.  Shia LaBeouf does well with the part. Ashley and her family move into the neighborhood after Kale is stuck on house arrest.  She joins Kale and his other friend, Ronnie, in watching the suspected murderer.  Both of them are fine, though nothing special.  David Morse is wonderful as Robert, the neighbor Kale believes is a killer.  He is charming when needed and flat out creepy, freaky, and scary at other times.  Carrie-Ann Moss turns up a few times as Kale's mom.  She is concerned about what is going on with her son.  Overall, I really enjoy this movie and think it is worth watching. I did write a review on Epinions a few years ago after I saw the movie on HBO.  Disturbia

(From Dragonfire88's Alphabet Marathon on July 2nd, 2010)

Outlaw Women, a review by Rogmeister

Outlaw Women (1952)  In Cinecolor  75m
Directed by Samuel Newfield and Ron Ormond
Cast: Marie Windsor, Richard Rober, Maria Hart, Allan Nixon, Jackie Coogan, Brad Johnson

A lot of westerns are serious and grim...this one, not so much.  This movie deals with the town of Las Mujeres (which translates into English as "The Women") which is run by women...we specifically center on a gambling house and the woman (Windsor) who runs it as well as the town and what happens when it collides with both good and bad men who want to come in and take charge (as well as robbing a bank of a dying town that is transferring it's funds to another bank).  There is humor in here as well as the gunplay (including Jackie Coogan as a pitchman who goes from hawking his magic elixir to becoming a bartender at the gambling house.  In the end, law and voting comes to Las Mujeres...since the women don't have the vote yet and can't hold political office, it's the men who are officially in charge.  But not much has changed...the women are still bossing the men around in a not-too-obvious way.  I enjoyed this movie.  It'll never replace The Magnificent Seven in the Western Hall of Fame but it's a fun easy-to-take film.   



(From DCO fourth Alphabet Marathon - discussion/review/banter thread on July 10th, 2010)

Tom's Random Star Trek Reviews, a review by Tom

Star Trek
1.19 Tomorrow Is Yesterday
Writer: D. C. Fontana (Writer), Gene Roddenberry (Original Characters By)
Director: Michael O'Herlihy
Cast: William Shatner (Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), Roger Perry (Major Christopher), DeForest Kelley (Dr. McCoy), Hal Lynch (Air Police Sergeant), Richard Merrifield (Technician), John Winston (Transporter Chief), Ed Peck (Col. Fellini), James Doohan (Scott), George Takei (Sulu), Nichelle Nichols (Uhura), Mark Dempsey (Air Force Captain), Jim Spencer (Air Policeman), Sherri Townsend (Crew Woman)

The Enterprise accidentally ends up in the 1960s and transports an US Air Force pilot on board. Now they have to deal with him without changing the history.
Interesting episode. One of the better ones, which still holds up today.

Rating:

(From Tom's Random Star Trek Reviews on October 27th, 2011)