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Ritual, a review by addicted2dvd

Ritual (2002/United States) IMDb |Wikipedia |Trailer | Echo Bridge Home Entertainment Director: Avi Nesher Writing: Curt Siodmak (Screenwriter), Ardel Wray (Screenwriter), Inez Wallace (Original Material By), Rob Cohen (Screenwriter), Avi Nesher (Screenwriter) Length: 106 min. Rating: Rated R : Violence, Language and some Sexuality Video: Widescreen 1.78:1 Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles: None

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Stars:
Jennifer Grey as Alice Dodgson
Craig Sheffer as Paul Claybourne
Daniel Lapaine as Wesley Claybourne
Kristen Wilson as Caro Lamb
Gabriel Casseus as J.B.
Tim Curry as Matthew Hope

Plot:
Jobless after having her medical license revoked, Dr. Alice Dodgson (Jennifer Grey, Dirty Dancing) accepts an offer to travel to Jamaica and treat American Paul Claybourne's (Craig Sheffer, A River Runs Through It) mysteriously ailing brother. But immediately upon her arrival, Alice finds herself immersed in the exotic rhythm and harmony of this foreign civilization...and besieged by the locals with terrifying tales of zombies and demonic possession. As her long-held faith in science clashes with her new experiences in the supernatural, Alice must ultimately submit to the strange native culture to save her patient, while fighting to escape with her own life. Also starring Tim Curry (Kinsey).

Extras:

• Scene Access

This is the first time I ever seen this one.  Matter of fact... until recently I didn't even know that Tales from the Crypt did a third film. Now if I am not mistaken I have everything done by them. I never been a big fan of films about voodoo... but this one was pretty good. Over-all I enjoyed it... even though I seen the ending coming from a mile away. Worth the time put in to watch it... but don't go in expecting too much. The Blu-ray disc has no extras what so ever... but this isn't surprising what with it coming from Echo Bridge.



(From Addicted2DVD's Month Long Horror/Halloween Marathon on October 17th, 2013)

Batman: Gotham Knight, a review by Tom

Title: Batman: Gotham Knight
Year: 2008
Director: Have I Got a Story For You, Shojiro Nishimi, Crossfire, Futoshi Higashide, Field Test, Hiroshi Morioka, In Darkness Dwells, Yasuhiro Aoki, Working Through Pain, Toshiyki Kubooka, Deadshot, Jong-Sik Nam
Rating: 15
Length: 76 Min.
Video: Widescreen 1.85
Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital Stereo, German: Dolby Digital Stereo
Subtitles: English, German, Spanish

Stars:
Kevin Conroy
Jason Marsden
Scott Menville
George Newbern
Corey Padnos

Plot:
Acclaimed screenwriters including David Goyer (Batman Begins), Josh Olson (A History of Violence) and Alan Burnett (Batman The Animated Series) join forces with revered animation filmmakers on six spellbinding chapters chronicling Batman's transition from novice crimefighter to The Dark Knight. These globe-spanning adventures pit Batman against the fearsome Scarecrow, the freakish Killer Croc and the unerring marksman Deadshot. From some of the world's most visionary animators comes a thrilling depiction of Batman as man, myth and legend.

Extras:
Commentary
Exclusive DC Comics Character Guide
Featurettes
Scene Access

I did not buy this release until now, because of what I have read about it, it didn't seem that I would enjoy it. But then I saw the trailer for it on the Wonder Woman Blu-ray I watched recently, and I thought it could be something I will enjoy. But sadly, it didn't quite work out this way. The animation quality varies, but all stories were rather boring. Batman done by anime directors may sound fitting, but I think they didn't quite catch the character. Though I never was a big fan of animated Batman.
This Blu-ray contains four episodes of the 90's Batman animation series. I will watch those next. The first one I already watched. The story there is similar to the one in the first segment of the main feature. Of what I have read so far, one of the others is about Freeze. Another about Batgirl, where Commissionar Gordon, her father, finds out about her nightly activities (I am curious about that episode).

Rating:

(From Tom's Random Reviews on June 27th, 2009)

My PILOT Marathon, a review by Rich

The Royle Family - Series 1

Bills, Bills, Bills
Jim is annoyed when the latest phone bill arrives, before his daughter's wedding, and finds out someones been calling Aberdeen. Cheryl brings over the catalogue, and she and Denise decide to buy leather jackets. Meanwhile, Barbara is nervous about starting her new job at the bakers.




Sit down, put your feet up, light a fag and join Britain's first family in their sitting room, for the complete first series of The Royle Family.
The Royle Family is a real-life comedy set in a Manchester council house. Imagine a secret camera placed in the living room of an average working class family. The intense drama and emotions of everyday life, such as whose turn it is to go to the off-licence, is set against the continuous hum of the television. The rosy hue of their life is yellowed only by a nicotine haze.

When series 1 first aired on TV in UK I didn't bother with it, the whole premis of a 'sitcom' that was 99% based in a families front room sounded ridiculous. Fortunately I was convinced to watch series one on dvd and ever since I have been hooked and could not praise this masterpiece in British comedy enough. It rates only slightly below Fawlty Towers in my book, and similar to that series you can watch it again and again, and every time find something new to amuse.
The writing is inspired, the characters are so deep and convincing you recognise parts of yourself, family or friends in each one. The actors, each and every one of them, are top drawer and appear made for the roles. Their timing, facial expressions, appearance and demeanour oozes class and polish. You feel by series 2 that you know them very well, and fully relate to so many scenarios.
The first episode is a good introduction to the characters and the 'feel' of the series, but it is only after a few more episodes that you realise you are fully addicted.
Pure understated humour that will have you laughing for years, if you have never given this series a chance you are missing out on perhaps the best UK comedy in decades.
 

(From My PILOT Marathon on September 16th, 2009)