DVD Collectors Online

Suspicion, a review by Dragonfire

Even though I am horribly behind on this marathon and have been basically since it started, I went and got a few more Hitchcock movies again.  Evidently I don't think I'm far enough behind.     Anyway...I decided to go with one of my new Hitchcock additions since it was made before the next one in my list. 
So..I watched Suspicion last night.   I'm making progress again.

Suspicion My Thoughts The movie has a slower pace, but that is needed to properly build the tension and suspense.  Things are shown from Lina's point of view, so the viewer knows only what she knows for the most part, though the viewer isn't as likely to be swayed by feelings like she is.  So much of what happens hints at Johnnie having a sinister nature, but then he turns around and has an explanation that sort of makes sense.  It is at least acceptable to Lina.  The uncertainty surrounding Johnnie works very well for the movie and makes many things more suspenseful, especially as Lina slowly starts to learn more about her husband.  The mystery and suspense work very well.  The music and lighting in various scenes really add to the atmosphere as well.  That glass of milk that looks like it is glowing is really creepy.  The movie also has some lighter moments, mostly early in Johnnie and Lina's relationship.  Johnnie's friend Beaky also adds some humor in his scenes.  Lina is a good character, though she has issues.  That makes her a more believable character in my opinion.  She has confidence issues when she first meets Johnnie.  She does seem to gain some confidence after the marriage, but then she sort of...slides back again at other times.  I think a big reason for that is because of her feelings for Johnnie and how he has manipulated her.  Joan Fontaine and Cary Grant are wonderful in the parts.  My problem with Suspicion is the ending.   I don't think it fits and it is the weak spot of the movie.  I found out, though the one extra on my DVD and from research online, that this isn't the original ending. (click to show/hide) While the ending that is in the movie resolves things, it just doesn't seem to fit.  So much of what happens throughout the movie is setting up how Johnnie is a bad guy..and the ending just seems to fall short of what has been set up.  After seeing how he manipulates people out of money..how he shows he has no desire to work..how he is upset when Lina doesn't inherit more from her father..I just don't buy that he was thinking of taking the poison himself.  That just doesn't fit with the character established in the movie.  I think the original ending, in which Lina writes a letter to her mother saying she thinks Johnnie is going to poison her when Johnnie walks in with the glass of milk.  She asks him to mail the letter and she drinks the milk.  That would have fit the movie so much better.  It wouldn't be a happy ending - but I don't think movies always have to happy endings.  I do usually prefer happier endings, but this one just doesn't work right with the so called happy ending.  But when the movie was made, the studio wouldn't allow Cary Grant to be a killer.  Every time one of his big flaws is introduced, like selling the chairs Lina's father gave them so he could gamble, something is done fairly quick to offset it or at least make it seem less of a problem.  He can't even be a full jerk of a character.  The movie was based on a book, from what I have learned about the book, Johnnie is much more..villainous in the book.  Much of that is lost in the movie.  Partly because of the time and the moral code and probably also because the studio didn't want Cary Grant being that bad.  Even though I don't think the ending fits the movie, I still enjoyed this one overall.  It is definitely worth watching for fans of Hitchcock and Cary Grant. I even got a review posted on Epinions. Suspicion

(From Alfred Hitchcock Marathon on June 7th, 2010)

Main Hoon Na, a review by dfmorgan

Main Hoon Na: Collector's Edition (2003/India) (United Kingdom) Director: Farah Khan Writing: Farah Khan (Original Material By), Rajesh Saathi (Screenwriter), Abbas Tyrewala (Screenwriter) Length: 175 min. Video: Widescreen 2.20:1 Audio: Hindi: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Commentary: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround Subtitles: English

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Stars:
Shahrukh Khan as Maj. Ram Prasad Sharma
Sushmita Sen as Chandni
Sunil Shetty as Raghavan
Zayed Khan as Laxman Prasad Sharma
Amrita Rao as Sanjana

Plot:Extras:

• Scene Access
• Feature Trailers
• Deleted Scenes
• Featurettes
• Production Notes
• Music Videos
• Closed Captioned

A quite enjoyable film. It started as a full blown action fest but soon changed to the more normal Bollywood song and dance, with minor action bits, leading to the romance elements before ending in another action fest. There were elements of The Matrix and Mission Impossible within the action sequences and to me the final action sequences set in a church were a nod to John Woo films especially with the white doves flying around. Overall this was enjoyable but I had a couple of quibbles, but then again the expected outcome wouldn't occur if you didn't suspend belief at points in the majority of films. My main quibbles were the resolution to the family conflict and the fact that to fall in love all you have to do is dress feminine if you're the female and b) cut your hair if you're the male.



Rating: an enjoyable 3

Editted to remove an incorrect aspect within the review.

(From Dave's DVD/Blu-ray Reviews on March 5th, 2012)

Twilight Zone, a review by addicted2dvd

Slowly watching this series... finally finished the first disc of season 3...

66. Two (9/15/61)
Two lone survivors (Elizabeth Montgomery, Charles Bronson) of a nuclear holocaust must start the world anew - a difficult prospect since they are from opposing sides in the war!

My Thoughts:
This is an episode I enjoyed a lot... one that I have seen once or twice before. I really enjoyed both actors in this episode... so that was a plus. Attached to the end of this episode was a TV Spot for The Ed Sullivan Show. Unfortunately the only extra with this one is an isolated score. I would have liked to see some more extras with this one.

67. The Arrival (9/22/61)
A plane lands safely, but all its passengers, pilot and crew are missing! When a veteran FAA investigator is called upon to solve the mystery his own past provides the answer.

My Thoughts:
Another really good episode...  this is another one I never seen before. I really liked the mystery in this one... it is one that I wasn't able to figure out before they revealed it. Attached to this episode was a TV Spot for Gunsmoke. Once again... the only extra to go along with this episode is an isolated score.

68. The Shelter (9/29/61)
When a UFO invasion appears imminent, several suburban friends and neighbors are reduced to selfish, conniving animals in a fight over one family's bomb shelter.

My Thoughts:
This is another really good episode.... one that I have seen before. Attached to the end of this episode is a TV Spot for Gunsmoke. Unfortunately there wasn't any extras with this episode what so ever.

69. The Passersby (10/6/61)
On the road home from the Civil War, a Confederate soldier stops at a house. He and the owner, a recent widow, soon realize that all who pass are dead! Including them!

My Thoughts:
This one I have seen before... good thing since the write-up that came with the disc contains such a big spoiler. Of course they hint extremely hard towards the beginning... so that is probably the reason for it. It was a very good episode though. I enjoyed every second of it. attached to the end of this episode is a commercial for The United Way. Extras for this episode include an isolated score and The Twilight Zone Radio Drama starring Morgan Britanny.

70. A Game of Pool (10/13/61)
Jesse (Jack Klugman) is a brilliant pool player whose dream of a showdown with the legendary (and dead) Fats Brown (Jonathan Winters) comes true. The stakes: his life.

My Thoughts:
Another one I have seen before... and a really good episode. I enjoyed every minute of it. Attached to the end of this episode is a TV Spot for Gunsmoke. This episode has a lot of extras with it as well... with this episode you get... Audio Commentary with Jonathan Winters... Marc Zicree Interview with Buzz Kulik and Buck Houghton... Jonathon Winters reads the Alternate Ending Scene from the Original Script... and a Clip from the 1989 Remake.

71. The Mirror (10/20/61)
After a poor, but ambitious Central American farm worker (Peter Falk) overthrows his country's tyrannical leader, he discovers that he may be his own worst enemy.

My Thoughts:
This is an episode I never seen before. Not one that I would call a favorite.. but not really bad either. I didn't even recognize Peter Falk in this one! Attached to the end of this episode is an advertisement for a booklet called The Promise of America. This episode had no extras what so ever with it.

72. The Grave (10/27/61)
Before he died, notorious badman Pinto Sykes put a curse on hired-gun Conny Miller (Lee Marvin). If Miller ever sets foot on his grave, he will kill him - a threat Sykes carries out!

My Thoughts:
This one I have seen before. And is one I enjoyed very much.I really liked the ending of this western story. Other then Lee Marvin it was cool to see James Best in this episode... who later plays Roscoe in "The Dukes of Hazzard. Attached to the end of the episode is a TV Spot for Gunsmoke. The only extra with this episode is an Isolated Score.

73. It's A Good Life (11/3/61)
He knows your every thought, can feel your every emotion. He can eliminate all you hold dear. Who is he? A six-year-old boy (Billy Mumy) from Peaksville, Ohio!

My Thoughts:
Another one that I have seen before... and is one that has always been one of my favorites. Attached to the end of this episode was a advertisement for Religion in American Life. The extras included with this episode are an Audio Commentary by Bill Mumy, an Isolated Score and a Clip from the 2003 sequel It's Still a Good Life with optional commentary by Bill Mumy


Episodes I seen for the First time on this set include:

   1. Judgment Night (Episode 10)
   2. And When The Sky Was Opened (Episode 11)
   3. What You Need (Episode 12)
   4. I Shot an Arrow into the Air (Episode 15)
   5. The Hitch-Hiker (Episode 16)
   6. The Purple Testiment (Episode 19)
   7. Elegy (Episode 20)
   8. Mirror Image (Episode 21)
   9. A World of Difference (Episode 23)
  10. Long Live Walter Jameson (Episode 24)
  11. People Are Alike All Over (Episode 25)
  12. Execution (Episode 26)
  13. The Big Tall Wish (Episode 27)
  14. A Nice Place to Visit (Episode 28)
  15. Nightmare as a Child (Episode 29)
  16. The Chaser (Episode 31)
  17. Mr. Bevis (Episode 33)
  18. The Mighty Casey (Episode 35)
  19. A World of his Own (Episode 36)
  20. The Man in the Bottle (Episode 38)
  21. A Thing About Machines (Episode 40)
  22. The Howling Man (Episode 41)
  23. A Most Unusual Camera (Episode 46)
  24. Dust (Episode 48)
  25. Back There (Episode 49)
  26. The Whole Truth (Episode 50)
  27. Twenty-Two (Episode 53)
  28. The Odyssey of Flight 33 (Episode 54)
  29. Static (Episode 56)
  30. The Rip Van Winkle Caper (Episode 60)
  31. The Silence (Episode 61)
  32. Shadow Play (Episode 62)
  33. The Mind and the Matter (Episode 63)
  34. Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up (Episode 64)
  35. The Arrival (Episode 67)
  36. The Mirror (Episode71)

(From Twilight Zone on March 16th, 2008)