DVD Collectors Online

Batman, a review by Tom

Title: Batman
Year: 1989
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: FSK-12
Length: 121 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85
Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1, German: Dolby Digital Surround, Spanish: Dolby Digital Surround
Subtitles: Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish

Stars:
Michael Keaton
Jack Nicholson
Kim Basinger
Robert Wuhl
Pat Hingle

Extras:
Production Notes
Scene Access

Until this movie was released, I only knew Batman from the 60s TV show. This movie has shown, that Batman has much potential as a darker character than the one I had known from the TV show (which I loved as a kid by the way).
I had forgotten, that Billy Dee Williams' Harvey Dent was in this movie (I thought it was the second). How fitting to have the character with Joker in the same movie again with "The Dark Knight".
Heath Ledger's performance as Joker in "The Dark Knight" sadly overshadows Jack Nicholson in the role. But I think we should not forget, that this Joker has been seen as a great portrayal of this character for years now.

Rating:

(From Tom's Random Reviews on April 5th, 2009)

A Christmas Story, a review by Dragonfire

The Christmas spirit isn't served up with more observant hilarity than in this beloved adaptation of Jean Shepherd's holiday story. In 1940s Indiana, nine-year-old Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) dreams of his ideal Christmas gift: 'a genuine Red Ryder 200-shot Carbine Action Air Rifle'. But when gruff dad (Darren McGavin) and doting mom (Melinda Dillion) regularly respond with '"You'll shoot your eye out!"' Ralphie mounts a full-scale 'Santa-begging' campaign. He encounters a slew of calamities from snowsuit paralysis to the dreaded tongue-on-a-frozen-flagpole gambit. We 'triple-dog-dare you to unwrap' a more welcome Yultide classic!

My Thoughts

I only saw all of this movie for the first time within the last 5 years or so.  Before that, I had just seen a few bits on television.  This was the first time I've watched it without commercials..much better.   Anyway, I really like the movie.  It has a lot of funny scenes, like the dad fighting with the furnace and being so impressed with the tacky leg lamp..or when the neighbor's dogs invaded the house.  lol  And poor Ralphie..just wanting to get the BB gun, but everyone kept telling him he'd shoot his eye out. 

 


(From 25 Days of Christmas on December 24th, 2008)

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

TNG 1.01 Encounter at Farpoint
Writer: J. Michael Bingham (Screenwriter), John D. F. Black (Original Material By), J. Michael Bingham (Original Material By)
Director: Paul Lynch
Cast: Patrick Stewart (Captain Jean-Luc Picard), Jonathan Frakes (Commander William Riker), LeVar Burton (Lt. Geordi La Forge), Denise Crosby (Lt. Tasha Yar), Michael Dorn (Lt. Worf), Gates McFadden (Doctor Beverly Crusher), Marina Sirtis (Counselor Deanna Troi), Brent Spiner (Lt. Commander Data), Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher), John de Lancie (Q), Michael Bell (Zorn), DeForest Kelley (Admiral McCoy), Colm Meaney (Battle Bridge Conn), Cary-Hiroyuki (Mandarin Bailiff), Timothy Dang (Main Bridge Security), David Erskine (Bandi Shopkeeper), Evelyn Guerrero (Young Female Ensign), Chuck Hicks (Military Officer), Jimmy Ortega (Torres)

I decided to do a Q marathon next. The start makes the pilot episode of Star Trek TNG.
This episode introduces the crew, which in retrospect it fails at, as the characters are very different compared to later on in this series. Picard is a grumpy old man. Tasha Yar is portrayed as a very incompetent security chief. Worf is really stupid (he even almost destroyed the view screen, because he wanted to shoot something appearing on it ).

I find it strange that the crew obviously came together without knowing who else will be on that ship. Even the captain didn't know. Riker and Troi are surprised to meet each other again. Picard even asks Crusher to leave again after he finds out that she has now the position of the chief medical officer.

Q is ultimately what gives this episode somewhat of a rewatch value. Especially because his storyline will bookend this series in the final episode of TNG. What I have read, he only was integrated into the story, after the pilot had be padded when the studio asked to make a 90 minute pilot movie instead of the planned 45 minute pilot episode.

Rating:

(From Tom's Random Star Trek Reviews on October 5th, 2009)