DVD Collectors Online

Knowing, a review by Rich

Knowing



In 1958, as part of the dedication ceremony for a new elementary school, a group of students is asked to draw pictures to be stored in a time capsule but one mysterious girl fills her sheet of paper with rows of apparently random numbers instead. Fifty years later, Professor John Koestler (Nicolas Cage) makes the startling discovery that the encoded message predicts every major disaster of the past 50 years. As John further unravels the document's chilling secrets, he realizes the document foretells three additional events - the last of which hints at destruction on a global scale and seems to somehow involve John and his son.

Excellent idea for a film, and the first hour or so was enough to convince me I should exchange this for blu-ray. Unfortunately the Hollywood disease hit it at this point, and it disappeared down the toilet with too typical mushiness and far-fetched ending to spoil the whole movie.
The action scenes are spectacular, great attention to detail, dramatic realistic crashes (subway and plane), the fast paced action is fairly breathless once it gets into it's stride, and the production excellent.
However what will totally deflate the viewer is the out of context ghost story that develops, and the bullshit ending that was way too out there, bunnies and all!
Fell into the rail just before cleaning up the pins!
 

(From Riches Random Reviews on July 6th, 2009)

Quantum of Solace, a review by goodguy

Quantum of Solace (2008) Written by: Paul Haggis, Neal Purvis, Robert Wade Directed by: Marc Foster Starring: Daniel Craig, Olga Curylenko DVD: R2-DE Fox (Mar 27, 2009) My rating: -

Sorry, not much to say about it. More entertaining than Casino Royale, although a second viewing will have to confirm that, because I gave CR the same rating the first time I saw it, and it dropped to plain "boring" the next time around.

Marc Foster (does anyone remember Stay?) doesn't do action all too well, plus some intercuts are beyond cringeworthy. Gemma Arterton could have been as good as Eva Green, but she didn't have enough screen time. And as far as Olga Curylenko movies go, I prefer Hitman.


(From goodguy's Watch Log on June 17th, 2009)

My PILOT Marathon, a review by Rich

WITHOUT A TRACE - SEASON ONE - PILOT



First aired: 9/26/2002   
Missing Persons Squad have to solve the case of a 28-year-old female marketing executive who appears to have simply walked away from every thing in her life, having left everything of hers behind. She was last seen by her doorman on the night that she vanished, her apartment appears to be intact with even her purse and cell phone left behind in her apartment. Her parents and co-workers reveal that she is a hard worker, and that she is a loner and had just been dumped by a married co-worker with whom she had an affair. A security tape from her apartment building shows her walking away into the night. Jack fears that she is lost forever until a ransom note appears on her mother's email list demanding a million dollars for her safe return.

As a pilot it appeared somewhat like a grope in the dark as actors felt their way into unfamiliar character roles, but their were signs to show encouragement for future improvement & development. I had hoped for a better pilot considering this series ran for some time, I can only imagine it will improve. The characters were concise and showed initial signs of good chemistry together, although Poppy Montgomery is just not right for this show.
This initial episode lacked punch, the investigation was not particular 'huge' for a pilot, but their were encouraging signs in there for the series.




(From My PILOT Marathon on May 28th, 2008)