DVD Collectors Online

King Solomon's Mines, a review by GSyren

Title	King Solomon's Mines (7-319980-070334)
Director	Steve Boyum
Actors	Patrick Swayze, Alison Doody, Roy Marsden, John Standing, Gavin Hood
Produced	2004 in United States
Runtime	167 minutes
Audio	English Dolby Digital 2-Channel Stereo
Subtitles	Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish
Overview	TV drama re-telling of the classic treasure-hunting tale starring Dirty Dancer Patrick Swayze. Renowned safari hunter Allan Quatermain (Swayze) has given up the life of an adventurer, vowing to leave the natural beauty of Africa to its own people and its destruction to others. His acceptance, however, of a handsome offer from beautiful Elizabeth Maitland (Alison Doody) holds the promise of an expedition of another sort - to find the desperate woman's missing father who disappeared in Africa while searching for the legendary King Solomon's Mines. Quatermain knows the legend of King Solomon well. He also knows that no living soul who dared to seek out the world's greatest treasure has ever returned alive. But for Quatermain and his band of hardy adventurers no challenge is too great or too dangerous.
My thoughts	Now here is a $1.50 purchase that was money well spent. A bit long for my taste, but still it never got boring. Patrick Swayze is quite good as Allan Quatermain, but he looks terribly concerned all through the film. Alison Doody is fine. Roy Marsden is good too, once I managed to not think of him as Commander Adam Dalgliesh. I'm not sure how close this is to H. Rider Haggard's novel, but I have a feeling that it's not all that close. It's a good enough story, though. Shot in South Africa, the locations look great. I'm not always too keen on Hallmark productions, but this one was quite good.
My rating

(From Reviews and ramblings by Gunnar on December 27th, 2013)

Bats, a review by addicted2dvd

Bats
Something is coming in the night. The dark air fills with the sound of flapping wings and menacing shrieks. The night has wings and fear takes flight.

Swarms of genetically altered bats have descended upon a sleepy, small Texan town and no one is safe. The only hope to stop the growing tide of bloody devastation is a zoologist who studies bats, (Dina Meyer, 'Starship Troopers'), her assistant (Leon, 'Cliffhanger') and the local sheriff (Lou Diamond Phillips, 'The Big Hit'). BATS is a jolting ride of sight, sound and fear.

My Thoughts:
This is a movie I have not watched in years... not since it was first released on DVD. I probably never watched this again till now because I remembered it being just an OK movie. After watching this one again today I can say it was better then I remembered it being... I thought it was actually pretty good this time... I definitely still seen better... but I actually enjoyed watching it this time around. One thing I liked about this movie is that Lou Diamond Phillips is in it. I have always enjoyed him in whatever I seen him in... I always thought he was a very under-rated actor. Anyway... I think this is just a good... leave your brain at the door... horror movie. Of course if you actually think about this movie there is many problems... but if you are will to do no more then sit back and enjoy I think you will enjoy it. Which is something I always try to do... as I always thought some people tend to over-think the movies they are watching.


Trailer:
http://www.videodetective.com/TitleDetails.aspx?publishedid=00446833

(From Weekend Movie Marathon: 3/20 - 3/22 on March 21st, 2009)

Babylon 5: Marathon, a review by DJ Doena

Synopsis: A human man arrives on the station who was on the outer territories for the last couple of years. And in turn he sets up a meeting with every ambassador and asks one simple question "What do you want?". When this man called Morden encounters Delenn and later Kosh it gets darker as if shadows were moving. Meanwhile Mollari aquired an ancient piece of jewlery that belonged to the very first emperor of the Centauri Republic and tries to bring it back to Centauri Prime.

My opinion: It's the name-giving episode to the entire season and what an episode it is. Many important things are set in motion although one doesn't really know it. I found it quite fascinating how the different people answered to a simple question like "What do you want?". It's one of the key episodes of the entire series.


Synopsis: A rabbi and a boxer arrive at the station. The rabbi sets out to seek Susan Ivanova and sit shiva (a jewish mourning ritual) for Susans father who died in "Born to Purple". And the boxer tries to enter an alien martial arts kombat known as "Mutai" which is forbidden for humans.

My opinion: Even with the Mutai it's a rather quit episode.  It shows that not all aliens are pleased with the behaviour with the average human because they behave as they do on earth: mocking about the rituals and traditions of foreign cultures. But there is hope, they are able to learn.


Synopsis: On the station arrives a human man who is treated with utmost reverence by the Minbari. This man searches for the Holy Grail. Sinclair can't really take him seriously but for the Minbari it doesn't matter if the object of the search really exist but only that one is a true seeker.On the station he meets Jinxo, the "curse of Babylon 5" who had helped building all five Babylon stations and every time he left, the station was destroyed or got lost. And so he never left Babylon 5.

My opinion: The search for the Holy Grail should have always been a spiritual journey and not one for riches and/or power. I was moved when Aldous (the seeker) died and Jinxo promised to continue the search.


Synopsis: A colonel and a Psi Corps enter the station and start an investigation against Cmdr. Sinclair which soon turns to be a witch hunt. All command staff shall be questioned and scanned by the Psi Corps agent. But Ivanova won't allow a scan by any teep.

My opinion: I felt reminded of the Star Trek TNG episode "The Drumhead" in which Cpt. Picard said the memorable quote "With the first link, a chain is forged. The first speech censured, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably."  (Did I mention I love quotes?), which also turned out to be a witch hunt. I liked it because it showed the strong loyalty between the command staff.

(From Babylon 5: Marathon on August 5th, 2007)