DVD Collectors Online

Scrooge, a review by Antares

Scrooge (1935) 3.5/5 - Seymour Hicks played Ebenezer Scrooge probably more times than all the other actors who have portrayed the greedy miser combined. He started in 1901 as a young man, and by 1935, had the character down cold. I used to think that Alastair Sim was the quintessential Ebenezer Scrooge, but after watching Hicks, I'm starting to change my mind. His Scrooge is more crotchety, and mean spirited in the beginning, while his transformation to a humble philanthropist is on par with Sim. The film itself, stays pretty true to the narrative of Dicken's short story, and the supporting cast handle their roles admirably. I wish that some DVD company would spend just a little on remastering the print of this film, because having another excellent version of this story alongside the Sim version, is gravy for the goose...pun intended.

(From Antares' Short Summations on December 10th, 2011)

Dolphin Tale, a review by Danae Cassandra

Dolphin Tale
Year of Release: 2011
Directed By: Charles Martin Smith
Starring: Harry Connick Jr, Ashley Judd, Nathan Gamble, Kris Kristofferson, Cozi Zuehlsdorff, Morgan Freeman
Genre: Drama, Family

Overview:
In an inspiring story of the bond between animals and humans, a boy named Sawyer discovers an injured dolphin, who is brought to a marine hospital and named Winter. Unfortunately, her injuries cost Winter her tail, without which she may not survive. But with Sawyer's devotion, a marine biologist's (Harry Connick Jr.) and the brilliance of a prosthetist (Morgan Freeman) charged with creating a new tail, Winter may receive a second chance at life.

My Thoughts:
This is a lovely family film, inspired by the true story of the rescue of an injured dolphin. It's very much a feel good movie, with a message of triumph over adversity, and to not give up no matter how hopeless things might seem. Don't give up on yourself, don't give up on your dreams, don't give up on your family.

Don't know why it's rated PG, there's no violence and absolutely nothing offensive. The acting is solid, especially the child actors. I really liked that Sawyer and Hazel are allowed to be children, and that the adults are not portrayed as the enemy. Maybe they don't always understand where the kids are coming from, and maybe they're world-weary when the kids are all optimism, but they're not the villain here. Even the person you think is going to be the villain isn't.

All in all, a warmhearted, uplifting family film, and a solid choice for anyone interested in such things, and any kid who can sit through a 2 hour movie. Recommended.

Bechdel Test: Fail

Overall: 4/5

(From Within My (Mom's) Lifetime Marathon on January 22nd, 2015)

Tom's TV Pilots marathon, a review by Tom

My Name Is Earl: Season One (2005/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia (United States) Length: 526 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78 Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1, English: Dolby Digital 1, Spanish: Dolby Digital 1 Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

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Plot:
Earl (Jason Lee) is learning the hard way that when you do something bad, it has a way of coming back and biting you in the butt! Hoping to turn his life around, Earl's got a lengthy list of detestable deeds to make up for, from stealing a one-legged girl's car to avoiding a nasty break-up by faking his own death. Nominated for two Golden Globes and winner of the People's Choice Award for Favorite New TV Comedy, My Name is Earl is wildly offbeat and hilariously irreverent - the #1 new comedy of the season!

My Name Is Earl
1.01 Pilot (2005-09-20)
Writer: Greg Garcia (Writer)
Director: Marc Buckland
Cast: Jason Lee (Earl), Ethan Suplee (Randy), Jaime Pressly (Joy), Nadine Velazquez (Catalina), Eddie Steeples (Darnell), Leo Fitzpatrick (Sonny), Gregg Binkley (Kenny), Dale Dickey (Patty), Carson Daly (Himself), Trace Adkins (Himself), Laura Gardner (Kenny's Mom), Frank Collison (Kenny's Dad), Noah Crawford (Young Earl), Andy Pessoa (Young Kenny), Patrick McCarthy (Teacher), William Belli (D.J.), Deborah Cresswell (Wanda), Louis T. Moyle (Dodge), Trey Carlisle (Earl Jr.)

A great first episode to a great series. All the important elements are already here. Even little things like Earl always having is eyes closed in photos.
Towards the end the series grew tired though. So I was not sad that it when it was cancelled. To bad though that it didn't get a proper closure.

Rating:


(From Tom's TV Pilots marathon on June 11th, 2012)