DVD Collectors Online

Ever After: A Cinderella Story, a review by Tom

Title: Ever After
Year: 1998
Director: Andy Tennant
Rating: FSK-6
Length: 116 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35
Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1, German: Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English, German, Spanish

Stars:
Drew Barrymore
Anjelica Huston
Dougray Scott
Patrick Godfrey
Megan Dodds

Plot:
Once upon a time...

'a dazzling rendering of the Cinderella story' (The Washington Post) brought new life to an age-old legend and made us believe in the strongest magic of all: the power of the human heart. Drew Barrymore and Anjelica Huston star in this enchanting adventure about having the courage to make your dreams come true.

A 'modern' young woman of the 16th century, Danielle (Barrymore) is as independent and wise as she is beautiful and kind. Against remarkable odds, she stands up to her scheming stepmother (Huston) and works miracles on the lives of everyone around her, including the crown prince of France (Dougray Scott)!

Now you can relive this captivating contemporary retelling of the classic fairy tale. No matter what you're looking for, 'action, romance, adventure...'Ever After' delivers it all!' (ABC-TV)

Awards:

AFI	1998	Nominated	100 Years... 100 Passions (2002)
Blockbuster Entertainment Awards	1999	Won	Favorite Actress - Drama/Romance	Drew Barrymore
Blockbuster Entertainment Awards	1999	Nominated	Favorite Male Newcomer	Dougray Scott
Blockbuster Entertainment Awards	1999	Won	Favorite Supporting Actress - Drama/Romance	Anjelica Huston
Satellite Awards	1999	Nominated	Best Costume Design	Jenny Beavan
Saturn	1998	Won	Best Actress	Drew Barrymore
Saturn	1998	Won	Best Costumes	Jenny Beaven
Saturn	1998	Nominated	Best Music	George Fenton
Saturn	1998	Nominated	Best Supporting Actress	Anjelica Huston
Teen Choice Awards	1999	Nominated	Film - Choice Breakout Performance	Dougray Scott
Teen Choice Awards	1999	Nominated	Film - Choice Drama

Extras:
Scene Access
Trailers

One of my all-time favorite movies! Definately my favorite Cinderella adaption. I loved this movie since I first saw it in the theatres. It made me a fan of Drew Barrymore.
It is a take on the Cinderalla story without any mystical help of a fairy godmother and such (if you do not count Da Vinci as a godmother).
Also nice to see that it is not Prince Henry who saves Danielle at the last moment, but that she saved herself. Her expression on her face when he comes for her rescue is a "What are YOU doing here?!"

Rating:

(From Tom's Alphabet Marathon Reviews on July 5th, 2010)

The Spy Who Loved Me, a review by Rich

Spy Who Loved Me



THE SPY WHO LOVED ME, the 10th film in the James Bond series, ventures not only into the depths of the ocean but into the deep topic of betrayal and morality as well, placing it among the boldest of the 007 films. James Bond (Roger Moore) is coupled with Russian agent Anya 'Triple-X' Amasova (Barbara Bach) to recover stolen Soviet submarines from evil oceanographer Carl Stromberg (Curt Jurgens) and his gigantic lackey, Jaws (Richard Kiel). When Triple-X learns that Bond killed her boyfriend on a mission in the Alps, she must overcome her selfish notions of revenge and work with 007 for the good of the world. In addition to the Bond staple of girls and gadgetry, the film features beautifully shot footage of the Austrian Alps, Venice, and the Egyptian pyramids. Furthermore, director Lewis Gilbert uses the film to push the cinematic envelope with stunning underwater action sequences, that leave the viewer gasping for air and a vodka martini--shaken, not stirred.

One of my favourite Bond films, it has all the elements that I really enjoyed in 007 when I was younger, and even watching it again over 30 years after it was made it has not diminished in my view. Beautiful women (especially Bach), superb villains, great action scenes, tongue in cheek humour, exotic locations, and a 7 foot steel toothed hitman.
The opening sequence before the titles is possibly as good as any movie I have ever seen, couple of corny jokes, Bond in bed, dramatic ski chase, followed by Bond skiing off a cliff, only to open a Union Jack parachute to safely drift down the mountainside - classic stuff.
Slick production, an amazing underwater base for Jurgens megalomaniac ambitions, this would be Moores best effort as Bond. Nobody Does it Better, and in this case I agree.
 


(From Riches Random Reviews on March 31st, 2009)

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

Synopsis: After a world war that was implicitly caused by SG1's arrival on the planet, Daniel is stuck there. A religious leader has overcome his goverment and has the Stargate under his control. With the help of the soldiers of the old administration and some SG teams he tries to regain control over the situation.

My Opinion: This episode failed to give the feeling that you are in a post world war situation. This is mostly due to the fact that we didn't see much of the planet and what we saw was undamaged.

Synopsis: Teal'c is testing a new machine that embeddes the consciousness into a virtual reality. But the program adapts itself and makes winning harder for Teal'c - until he wins no more. Unfortunately Teal'c can only leave after a having completed the scenario. Teal'c is trapped and he could very well die in real life.

My Opinion: Great episode. The First Person Shooter feeling was much better than in the movie Doom. I really liked the scenes when they showed the surveillance monitors in which Teal'c was seen as game character. The way Teal'c ran through the corridors also looked as if he was a player avatar and not a real person. But they should have given Daniel the god mode cheat.

Synopsis: Teal'c has moved into his first appartment outside the base. But he has problems to adapt to the lives of "normal" people. However, his neighbours like him, especially the good looking woman next door. But she has also problems of her own.

My Opinion: I also would like to have "T" as a neighbour. If I hadn't read Erica Durance's (Lois Lane in Smallville) name in the intro, I am not sure I would have recognized her. I had the feeling she was much more natural here, in Smallville she seems to be much more factitious and - alarmingly - old. I liked the episode, yet I found it unrealistic that Daniel has gone alone.

Synopsis: The industrialist Alec Colson discloses that alien exists in a press conference. He even presents a living Asgard. He got this information because his company has helped to build the F-302 and has analysed a part of the Asgard DNA. But there are forces outside the SGC who also have no interest that the truth comes out.

My Opinion: I liked this episode, too. Especially Carter's and Thor's attempts to cover it up with the help of the hologram technology. But the end felt a bit constructed with him having to leave Earth to avoid assassination.

(From "Stargate SG-1" Marathon on April 22nd, 2008)