DVD Collectors Online

Things We Lost in the Fire, a review by Rich

Title: Things We Lost in the Fire

Runtime:118
Certificate:R
Year:2007
Genres:Drama

Plot:My Review:
Not sure why this film attracted me so much, perhaps the mood I am in, or maybe such a great performance from love him or hate him actor Benicio Del Toro. His portrayal of a heroin addict, friendless bar one, hated initially by the wife (halle berry) until his redeeming features and kind heart start showing through, is oscar like in its domination of the screen.
Although the pace is somewhat slow, and the length nearly 2 hours, I enjoyed this moving film and totally got in to all of the emotions, heartbreaks, fears and despairs. I have not a great experience with drugs or addicts, but this film seems to genuinely portray such a life accurately, the usual depressive state a user feels, and maybe hope for anyone either going through rehab or trying to find reasons to attempt to get clean.
But the film offers much more than this, it is uplifting and motivating, the script is exquisite, the acting of an extremely high standard once Duchovny disappears from the set, the direction is superbly and sympathetically handled by Susanne Bier, and the camerawork truly makes you feel part of the unfolding drama.
One of the best movies I have seen this year, highly recommended.


(From December Marathons - DISCUSSION AND REVIEW THREAD on December 22nd, 2009)

Masters of Horror: The Washingtonians, a review by addicted2dvd

Title: Masters of Horror: The Washingtonians
Movie Count: 24
TV Ep Count: 9
Time Started: 11am
Plot:My Thoughts:
As with all the Masters of Horror episodes... this one was a blind buy. Going into this one I wasn't sure what to expect as I have read a handful of reviews online and they were pretty well mixed reviews. It had just as many people loving it as they did hating it. So I went into it with less then high hopes. But I must say I really enjoyed every minute of it. I thought that it was not only an interesting... but a fun idea. There was definitely some gore to this episode... but it was much less... or at least less graphic then I have seen in some past episodes. Nothing I would be too concerned with. So once again... I remain impressed with the Masters of Horror series... unfortunately I recently found out that the series will not be returning for a 3rd season. What a shame.

(From Month-Long Horror/Halloween Marathon on October 8th, 2007)

"Stargate SG-1" Marathon, a review by DJ Doena

Since I've accidentally watched disc 4 before disc 3, here's a double review:


Synopsis: The Enkarans can only live under a certain ozone layer without going blind. SG-1 has found the perfect planet for them. But shortly after they've settled there a huge spaceship arrives and starts a terraforming process which will make it impossible for humans to live there anymore.  There's not enough time to evacuate and thus SG-1 has to stop the spaceship.

My Opinion: I am in two minds about this. The idea was well chosen and the way Daniel convinced Lotan was really good. What bothered me though was the fact that Jack would have sacrificed Daniel. Of course he had to protect the Enkarans but I still belive that the decision should have been harder to make.

Synopsis: The members of SG-1 work in an undergound factory - without having a memory of who they are. Only Teal'c seems to remember but he's soon brought to the infirmary. But over time the others remember fragments of their past as well. Enough to find out what happend to them.

My Opinion: What I really liked here was the way how the members of SG-1 behaved even when they didn't know theirself or one another. Jack and Daniel clash once again but still work together to achieve a common goal. But the best scene was when Jack remembered a bald guy with a short-sleeved shirt who is somehow important to him (an accurate description of General Hammond) - "I believe his name is Homer".

Synopsis: A man called Martin Lloyd calls the Stargate Center and wants to speak to Colonel O'Neill. He "knows" about the Roswell landing, about the Kennedy assassination and - the Stargate. SG-1 tries to find out what he knows and from where.

My Opinion: "To be paranoid doesn't mean that you aren't being followed." Episodes with Martin are always fun because he is such a comical character. Ironically this is the second time in three episodes that we see an actor from the later Battlestar Galactica series. First Alessandro Juliani (Lt. Gaeta in BSG) in Scorched Earth and now Matthew Bennett (Aaron Doral in BSG).

Synopsis: In Area 51 one of Apophis's Deathgliders was equipped with Earth technology and redesigned to the X-301. But when Teal'c and Jack make their first testflight something goes wrong. Apophis's retrieval program activates and both are trapped.

My Opinion: This episode was rather boring because nothing really happened.


Synopsis: The artefacts that have been found during an excavation are to be brought from Egypt to America but the ship sunk. Many years later - now - the freight has been recovered and has been brought to Chicago. Among the artefacts are the urnes of Isis and Osiris. But these aren't normal urnes and soon SGC has to deal with the possibility that a Goa'uld runs free on our planet.

My Opinion: They did a very good job in pointing to the wrong person and conceiling who the real Goa'uld is. I also liked the fact that we've learned more about Daniel's life from before the Stargate.

Synopsis: Apophis and Heru-ur secretly meet to negoiate an alliance. Together they are able to defeat all the other System Lords. The Tok'ra and SG-1 try to prevent that. They try to make them fight one another thus detroying both their fleets.

My Opinion: I never quite understood how the Jaffa believe - that the Goa'ulds are gods - works. The Jaffa operate a great deal of the Goa'uld technology; when a Jaffa dies the Goa'uld within him also dies and the Goa'uld fight and kill one another since aeons even without the interference of the humans. I don't understand how someone can still believe under these circumstances but maybe I am the wrong kind of person fro this - I am ignostic. But the acting of Teal'c and his Jaffa guard was still very good.

Synopsis: After SG-1 once again nearly died on a mission General Hammond decides to retire. But Jack doesn't believe that this is the true reason and he investigates further. In the meantime Sam and Daniel have to deal with the new General.

My Opinion: Of course the new General is an idiot - we have to want Hammond back. But I still liked how far Jack (with the help of Maybourne) went to achieve exactly this.

Synopsis: It is the year 2010. 10 years ago the humans have met the Aschen. They have helped to defeat the Goa'uld and they teach the humans in many ways such as medicine and physics. Regarding the first contact Jack noted in his report "They are to good to be true" - how right he was.

My Opinion: The prevention of the extermination of mankind is a good enough reason for me to undo 10 years of history. Not like other series where it was about the convenient return of a certain starship crew. I liked it a lot.

(From "Stargate SG-1" Marathon on March 29th, 2008)