DVD Collectors Online

The Master, a review by Antares

The Master (2012) 48/100 - It's a well shot film with many scenes looking exquisite, but PTA is laughing at anyone who thinks this is a masterpiece. I believe he decided to conduct his own little experiment and the audience was the case subject. Could he dangle pretty baubles, scene after scene after scene, with a haunting score, yet no cohesive storyline but because it's from PTA, would the critics and the hipsters lap it up like mother's milk? From the reviews I've read, it looks like the answer is... YES! There's one key moment in the film when you should have realized you were being had. It's when the son says...He's making it up as he goes along. It was Anderson telling you what he himself was doing.

What the color coding means...

Teal = Masterpiece
Dark Green = Classic or someday will be
Lime Green = A good, entertaining film
Orange = Average
Red = Cinemuck
Brown = The color of crap, which this film is

(From Antares' Short Summations on January 3rd, 2014)

Die Wannseekonferenz, a review by Antares

Die Wannseekonferenz (1984) 84/100 - A few years back I caught the BBC film Conspiracy on HBO. It detailed the infamous Wannsee Conference held in Berlin in 1942 where Reinhard Heydrich, Adolf Eichmann and thirteen other top members of the Nazi party discussed the implication of the Final Solution to the "Jewish problem" in Europe. Taken from a copy of the documented minutes found in Martin Luther's personal effects, the film played out in real time and chronicled the heinous barbarity of the proceedings. But what always bothered me about this film, was that the Nazis were played by mostly British actors, and their accents tended to weaken the brusque nature of the dialog and it also seemed like some of the discussion was a bit enhanced, you could say, to make it more interesting. In a review I wrote a few years ago, I mentioned how I would like to have seen this story done with German actors. Matthias told me about this version, but I couldn't find it anywhere on DVD. But a few weeks ago I found it over at YouTube, in its entirety and with the essential subtitles. And just as I thought, the German dialects made the nonchalant delivery of these ghastly lines all the more powerful and striking. Unfortunately, this version followed the minutes almost verbatim, and it kind of lacked the intensity of the BBC version. Basically it's just a quick bureaucratic meeting that you are given a ringside seat to.

What the color coding means...

Teal = Masterpiece
Dark Green = Classic or someday will be
Lime Green = A good, entertaining film
Orange = Average
Red = Cinemuck
Brown = The color of crap, which this film is

(From Antares' Short Summations on July 20th, 2012)

My PILOT Marathon, a review by Rich

Apparitions

Episode One
Father Jacob is approached by a young woman who believes her father is possessed. He is initially skeptical but- against the advice of his church colleagues- agrees to perform an exorcism.





Very impressive pilot, the acting, especially Martin Shaw, is top notch, and the storyline and direction created a convincing and atmospheric horror/suspense backdrop. The initial episode dealing with certain characters possessed by satan, was unnervingly good and I was surprised by how good the effects were and that this passed a 15 certificate.
Will watch the remainder of this potentially great series during my October horror marathon.
 

(From My PILOT Marathon on September 7th, 2009)