DVD Collectors Online

Conviction, a review by addicted2dvd

Conviction (2010/United States) Trailer |IMDb |Wikipedia | Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (United States) Director: Tony Goldwyn Writing: Pamela Gray (Writer) Length: 107 min. Video: Widescreen 1.85:1 Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio: 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: 5.1 Subtitles: English, Spanish

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Stars:
Hilary Swank as Betty Anne Waters
Sam Rockwell as Kenny Waters
Thomas Mahard as Law Professor
Owen Campbell as Ben
Conor Donovan as Richard

Plot:
Two-time Academy Award winner Hilary Swank and Sam Rockwell deliver unforgettable performances in this incredible true story that co-stars Minnie Driver, Juliette Lewis and Peter Gallagher. Swank plays Betty Anne Waters, a young woman whose world is shattered when her beloved brother Kenny (Rockwell) is convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. Steadfastly convinced of his innocence, Betty Anne embarks on an 18-year journey to set Kenny free, using state-of-the-art forensic technology. The unshakable bond between a brother and sister, at the heart of this real-life drama, will stir your emotions and inspire you.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Bonus Trailers
• Featurettes

This is a great story that easily kept my attention through-out. I really liked the characters... thought the cast did a great job. I had a little problem with the way they did the flashbacks...Felt a little confusing.. you have to really pay attention while watching. But the film is well worth the time put in to watch it.



(From July Movie Marathon: Based on a True Story on July 22nd, 2017)

Never Say Never Again, a review by Rich

Never Say Never Again



In this remake and updated version of the 1965 THUNDERBALL, James Bond (Sean Connery), who has been primarily teaching for the last few years, is quite happily yanked out of semiretirement to deal with the deadly SPECTRE organization's newest plan for the destruction of the planet. (The Bond story line mimics Connery's semiretirement from the role, which he had last played in 1971's DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER.) Agent Number 2, also known as Maximilian Largo (Klaus Maria Brandauer), has managed to steal two cruise missiles armed with nuclear warheads, and Agent Number 1, Blofeld (Max von Sydow), has threatened to explode them in areas with large populations if a huge, and almost impossible, ransom demand from the NATO countries is not met. The film features an excellent gaming battle between Largo and Bond, as well as stunning turns by Barbara Carrera and Kim Basinger. Technically not an offical Bond movie, NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN was released around the same time as OCTOPUSSY, starring Roger Moore.

Looks like a Bond, smells like a Bond, sounds like a Bond, but it isn't a Bond!
Despite the ingredients being similar, they could not quite replicate the winning formula that is 007. Connery does his best to pull the film through, Bassinger was a convincing Bond girl, and the sexy Barbara Carrera raised temperatures especially when dressed as a nurse with long leather boots. There were exotic locations, plenty of action and fights, and I am sure a fairly hefty budget.
But now the negatives and why it cannot be considered in the same breath as the 007 series. The theme tune is weak, the opening titles (minus the sexist girls) are run of the mill, M is a disaster with Edward Fox, Q is basically absent, lack of flirting with Moneypenny, 007's glib remarks lack the typical punch and cheesiness, the action is below par, the effects disappointed several times (notably the missile scenes), distinct lack of gadgets, and a different and inferior feel to the whole production compared to the mainstream Bonds.
Close - but no cigar
 


(From James Bond Marathon on April 30th, 2009)

Tom's TV Pilots marathon, a review by Tom

Gunslinger Girl: Il Teatrino (2008/Japan) IMDb | Wikipedia FUNimation Entertainment (United States) Length: 315 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78 Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1, Japanese: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Subtitles: English

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Plot:
The girls of the Social Welfare Agency are no ordinary children. They are the grizzly remains of human wreckage pieced back together with cybernetic implants and trained to kill by the government. The oldest, Triela, pursues her targets with a ferocious enthusiasm - unwilling to settle for less than total annihilation. Her mirror in this bloody stalemate is Pinocchio, a shell of a boy raised as an assassin by the FRF - a terrorist faction at war with the SWA. Cold and cruelly efficient, he wields sharpened steel as though it were his own hand. Once human, these shattered souls have become murderous machines with only vague recollections of what it meant to be real - and a brutal compulsion to be the last killer standing.


Gunslinger Girl: Il Teatrino
1.01 Distance Between Two: Brother and Sister
Writer: Yu Aida (Original Material By), Yu Aida (Screenwriter), Tatsuhiko Urano (Screenwriter)
Director: Akira Mano
Cast: Laura Bailey (Henrietta (voice)), Caitlin Glass (Triela (voice)), Luci Christian (Rico (voice)), Alese Johnson (Claes (voice)), Eric Vale (Jean (voice)), John Burgmeier (Jose (voice)), J. Michael Tatum (Hilshire (voice)), Brittney Karbowski (Enrica (voice)), Troy Baker (Alfonso (voice)), Colleen Clinkenbeard (Priscilla (voice)), Cynthia Cranz (Ferro (voice)), Mark Stoddard (Lorenzo (voice)), Scott Freeman ( (voice)), Nick Trautner ( (voice)), Ian Sinclair ( (voice)), Justin Cook ( (voice)), Joel McDonald ( (voice)), John Swasey ( (voice)), Phil Parsons ( (voice)), Cris George ( (voice)), Charlie Campbell ( (voice)), Barry Yandell ( (voice)), Japanese Cast), Kana Akutsu (Henrietta (voice)), Anri Shiono (Rico (voice)), Atsuko Enomoto (Triela (voice)), Risa Mizuno (Claes (voice)), Kozo Mito (Giuse (voice)), Takehito Koyasu (Jean (voice)), Masaya Matsukaze (Hirscher (voice)), Masaki Terasoma (Lorenzo (voice)), Mayuko Takahashi (Priscilla (voice)), Rie Nakagawa (Ferro (voice)), Hideo Watanabe (Alfonso (voice)), Yoji Ueda (Master of Antique Shop (voice)), Shinobu Matsumoto (Leader of Terrorists (voice)), Hiroshi Shimozaki (Terrorist (voice)), Takahiro Hirano (Terrorist (voice))

When a second Gunslinger Girl series was announced I was excited. BUt when I first saw it I was very disappointed. Another studio produced this one. They changed the character design, the voice acting and animation style. Everything I thought was great in the first series. The author of the manga was heavily involved in the second series and is responsible for the character design change. I have read that he wanted to bring it closer to the character design of later volumes of the manga. But I always preferred the early chapters.
The "handlers" of the Gunslinger Girls look much too young now in my opinion.
The only thing which I liked from the beginning is the new opening theme:


Rating:

(From Tom's TV Pilots marathon on July 4th, 2011)