DVD Collectors Online

Freaky Friday (1976), a review by addicted2dvd

Freaky Friday (1976/United States) Buena Vista Home Entertainment Director: Gary Nelson Writing: Mary Rodgers (Screenwriter), Mary Rodgers (Original Material By) Length: 98 min. Rating: G Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround Subtitles: English, Spanish

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Stars:
Barbara Harris as Mrs. Andrews
Jodie Foster as Annabel
John Astin as Mr. Andrews
Patsy Kelly as Mrs. Schmauss
Dick Van Patten as Harold Jennings
Vicki Schreck as Virginia

Plot:
Now experience all the laughs of the original comedy classic that inspired Disney's hilarious hit remake. Trading places was never so funny, and it could only happen on Friday the 13th! that's when the tomboyish and free-spirited Annabel (Jodie Foster) switches bodies with her straitlaced mother, Ellen (Barbara Harris), and suddenly finds herself responsible for running the entire household. In turn Ellen, now in her daughter's body, faces the daunting challenges of school, including a typing test, field hockey competition, and much more!

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Bonus Trailers
• Featurettes
• Interactive Games
• Closed Captioned

This movie is just plain fun! I got several chuckles out of it. I really enjoyed the field Hockey game I got a few laughs out of those scenes. The Baseball game in the park was pretty fun as well. Then there was the last scene of the movie... and once again I couldn't help but to laugh at it. There were a few familiar faces in this one... other then what I listed above there was the guy that played Arnold in Happy Days... as well as Marvin Kaplan who I have seen in several TV Series of the time. and then there is Sorrell Brooke as the principle... who was of course Boss Hogg on The Dukes of Hazzard. I am the first to admit that I enjoyed the remake of Freaky Friday with Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan... but I have to say... I prefer this one!

The DVD itself isn't bad... but it could have been much better. Both the audio and video are just fine... but when it comes to extras it leaves a bit to be desired. There is one game you can play... which is a match game. Very simple and very boring once you play it once or twice. But the "Look Back" with Jodie Foster was pretty cool. She don't only look back on Freaky Friday... but all the movies she did for Disney. I did enjoy watching it. And that is all the movie related extras you get. The only other thing on the disc is the "also from Disney" trailers.





(From TV Stars in the Movies: On-Going Mega Marathon on September 5th, 2011)

The House That Would Not Die, a review by addicted2dvd

The House That Would Not Die (1970/United States) IMDb  Echo Bridge Home Entertainment Director: John Llewellyn Moxey Writing: Henry Farrell (Teleplay), Barbara Michaels (From the Novel "Ammie, Come Home") Length: 74 min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles: None

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Stars:
Barbara Stanwyck as Ruth Bennett
Richard Egan as Pat McDougal
Michael Anderson, Jr. as Stan Whitman
Kitty Winn [Katherine Winn] as Sara
Doreen Lang as Sylvia Wall
Mabel Albertson as Mrs. McDougal

Plot:
Ruth (Barbara Stanwyck) and her niece, Sara, move into an old home with a dark past and are faced with strange occurrences of spirits and possession.

Extras:

• Scene Access

This is an old TV Movie that was in the Haunted Hollows set I got last week. As such it depends more on atmosphere then anything else. While this one has a slow start... I found it does a good job at drawing you into the story. I have seen better films of it's kind... but it is definitely worth the time put in to watch it. Going into this one I was a little concerned about the quality... especially what with there being 5 films on this single sided disc. But I was pleasantly surprised. While the image was a little soft... it was more then watchable. Really no complaints there either. This movie alone was worth the money I paid for the 8 film set.



(From What Movies I Been Watching on June 9th, 2013)

The One Where It All Began: The Pilot Marathon, a review by DJ Doena

What's the show about?
This is a children's show from East Germany. It was the second in the "Spuk" series. 200 years ago an inkeeper and his wife used to rob rich travelers until a police officer stops them. He curses them to do seven good deeds or else they won't rest in piece.

"Feuer und Wasser"
(lit. "Fire and Water")
After they've accidentally killed a police officer who tried to stop them robbing their customers both the innkeeper and his wife die when the inn burns to the ground. But since they had been cursed they don't stay dead. Now - 200 years later - they awake again and can only find piece when they do seven good deeds. But where their tavern used to be is now an apartment complex (in East Berlin) and a strange new world.

My Opinion
I can only repeat what I've said before: When I was a kid I enjoyed this seven-part show. So when it became available on DVD I bought it purely for sentimental reasons. But if you're having small children, it's still a great story.

(From The One Where It All Began: The Pilot Marathon on April 4th, 2013)