DVD Collectors Online

House on Haunted Hill (1999), a review by Jimmy

Title: House on Haunted Hill (1999)

Genre: Horror
Director: William Malone
Rating: R
Length: 1h33
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1:78.1
Audio: English
Subtitles: English and French

Stars:
Geoffrey Rush   
Famke Janssen
Taye Diggs
Peter Gallagher   
Chris Kattan

Plot:
One night in the house, one million bucks, no questions asked. But there is a catch for anyone who accepts the offer. Murder is a way of life at the House on Haunted Hill, a jolting, effects-ramped remake of the 1959 cult classic that starred Vincent Price and was directed by screen horror legend William Castle. Geoffrey Rush plays twisted theme park bigshot Steven Price, who's hosting a scary/jokey birthday bash for his wife (Famke Janssen) at an abandoned institute for the criminally insane. Taye Diggs, Ali Larter, Bridgette Wilson, Peter Gallagher and Chris Kattan portray strangers mysteriously assembled for the event that could make them all very rich. Or profoundly dead. And you? We won't start the party without you.

Even if it's a remake I've appreciated that film. Not that it's the scariest movie ever made since it isn't really frightening, but it's a good ghost story (or mabe it isn't ), Most of the effects are practical effects wich is always a plus for me (but when they use the computer effects this is awfull, optical effects would have done the trick without looking fake). The acting is perfectly convenable, Geoffrey Rush do a good job in the role belonging to Vincent Price in the original and, since I love Ali Larter, I was more than happy at the end of the film. But on the other side Chris Kattan is highly annoying as usual...

Not the best film ever made, but better than expected.

Rating :

(From Jimmy's - 2013 Ooctober Horror Marathon on October 13th, 2013)

Paranormal Entity, a review by addicted2dvd

Title: Paranormal Entity
Year: 2009
Director: Shane Van Dyke
Rating: NR
Length: 88 Min.
Video: Widescreen :1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround
Subtitles:

Stars:
Erin Marie Hogan
Fia Perera
Shane Van Dyke

Plot:
Twenty-three-year old Thomas Finley was arrested for the murders of his nineteen-year-old sister, Samantha, and fifty-two-year-old Edgar Lauren, professor and paranormal investigator. Police were called to the scene by Thomas Finley himself. He was found with his sister's body cradled in his arms.

Despite evidence against him, Thomas claimed that the victims were attacked by a demonic entity of unknown origin. Days later, he committed suicide.

At the request of those close to the Finley family, this video, found at the scene, is being released to the public for the first time as a testament to what really happened inside the Finley home. Decide the truth for yourself.

Extras:
Scene Access
Digital Copy

My Thoughts:
My brother gave me this DVD a couple weeks back. This is one of those movies that try to make it seem "real" by trying to play it off as real types found from someone's camcorder. Much like Blair Witch Project or St. Francisville Experiment. This one obviously a rip off of Paranormal Activity... so I went into it not expecting a whole lot. I must say though... I really enjoyed this one quite a bit. But I found where many people do not... I like this style of movie. The whole illusion of making you think you are watching some real lost tapes of unexplainable happenings... I just find it fun for some reason. I don't really feel right about comparing this one to Paranormal Activity... only because it has been a while since I watched it so I don't think I could do it fairly. As it has been almost a year since I watched it. But I do like where this one went... the urn of their father's ashes... the sister in the attic... footprints on the ceiling,, they had some decent ideas for the atmosphere of the movie. It is worth checking out if you like this style of movie.



(From Weekend Movie Marathon: Unwatched DVDs on January 28th, 2011)

Grey's Anatomy Marathon, a review by addicted2dvd

Main Cast:
Ellen Pompeo as Dr. Meredith Grey
Sandra Oh as Dr. Cristina Yang
Katherine Heigl as Dr. Isobel "Izzie" Stevens
Justin Chambers as Dr. Alex Karev
T. R. Knight as Dr. George O'Malley
Chandra Wilson as Dr. Miranda Bailey
James Pickens, Jr. as Dr. Richard Webber
Isaiah Washington as Dr. Preston Burke
Patrick Dempsey as Dr. Derek Shepherd

---

1. A Hard Day's Night
Meredith Grey reports for her first day as an intern at Seattle Grace Hospital, only to find that her new boss is Dr. Derek Shepherd, the man she had a one-night stand with the previous evening. As they meet the hospital staff and patients, Meredith and her fellow interns slowly begin to realize exactly what they are up against. They may have been students yesterday, but today they are doctors facing a world where on the job training can be a matter of life and death.

My Thoughts:
This is a good opening to the series. It introduces all the characters nicely. Most all the interns (well except one) is really likable. And what a way to meet your boss! On a plus side... This is a good way to curb my craving to see horror... without watching anything in the horror genre! There is a decent amount of blood in a medical drama. 

My Rating:

2. The First Cut Is The Deepest
The surgical staff tries to be optimistic as a young woman clings to life after a brutal attack. Meredith puts her career on the line to save a newborn baby in the hospital nursery. New assignments teach the interns that it takes more than just medical knowledge to be good at their jobs.

My Thoughts:
This is a great episode! I enjoyed this one more then I did the pilot episode! The main case in this episode really makes you feel for that rape victim while at the same time cheer for her for how she got back at him!

My Rating:

3. Winning A Battle, Losing The War
A no-holds-barred bicycle race brings an assortment of injuries into the hospital, causing the interns to compete for the most severe cases. A flirtatious patient sends George into a panic, and the competition heats up between Derek and Burke over the chief of surgery position.

My Thoughts:
Another episode I enjoyed a lot. That bicycle race was nuts! Though I wouldn't be surprised if such races really do occur as people are nuts! The on main racer that was a patient looked so familiar to me but just couldn't place him. Checking the credits after the episode it turns out it was Callum Blue (Mason on Dead Like Me). And I must admit that I got a kick out of George's reaction to a VIP patient (a gay man) hitting on him.

My Rating:

4. No Man's Land
Cristina's encounter with a former nurse, now a patient at Seattle Grace, becomes an unexpected learning experience. Derek and Meredith treat a construction worker who has miraculously survived an injury but is now faced with tough decisions about his future. A patient recognizes Izzie from a lingerie ad, which makes her the subject of hospital gossip.

My Thoughts:
Another very enjoyable episode. George has a bit of a problem adjusting to having 2 women as a roommate (they walk around in their underwear... come in the bathroom while he is showering... is expected to pick up tampons from the store)... seems like minor inconvenience to me! And how in the world is the first one a problem at all?!?!?!? The main patient in this episode was amazing... a construction worked falls down the stairs with a nail gun and ends up with 7 nails in his skull... and not only is he still alive when he arrives at the hospital... but he is talking and seems to be in good humor. In this episode we get to see Izzie (Katherine Heigl) in her underwear in more then one occasion. I definitely am enjoying this series! 

My Rating:

5. Shake Your Groove Thing
An exhausted Meredith thinks she may have made a mistake during surgery, which could jeopardize her career. Izzie's plan to throw a party for her new boyfriend goes completely awry, and Alex deals with a patient who is addicted to painkillers.

My Thoughts:
A decent episode... though not quite as good as the previous ones. This episode show a lot on the trials and tribulations of being a doctor. It covers everything from the fear of making a mistake to the fact that the interns has no life of their own outside the hospital. The episode has interesting cases... and longer story lines are advanced... just that the episode seem slightly on the blah side.

My Rating:

(From Grey's Anatomy Marathon on September 2nd, 2009)