DVD Collectors Online

Evil Under the Sun, a review by Danae Cassandra

Evil Under the Sun
Year of Release: 1982
Directed By: Guy Hamilton
Starring: Peter Ustinov, Colin Blakely, Jane Birkin, Nicholas Clay, Maggie Smith
Genre: Suspense/Thriller

Overview:
When a shrewish stage star is found strangled at a posh island resort, detective Hercule Poirot (Peter Ustinov) is called in to investigate. But as the brilliant Belgian learns, it isn't a matter of who would want the diva dead, but who wouldn't? As he follows the twists and turns of clues and motives, Poirot soon dicovers that even among the rich and famous, murder never takes a holiday.

Maggie Smith, Roddy McDowall, Diana Rigg, James Mason, Jane Birkin, Colin Blakely, and Sylvia Miles co-star is this Christie favorite filmed on location in stunning Majorca, Spain, directed by Guy Hamilton (The Mirror Crack'd, Goldfinger), adapted by Anthony Shaffer (Sleuth) and filled with classic songs by Cole Porter.

My Thoughts:
This was a fun little murder mystery.  They spent a good amount of time setting things up, letting us get to know all the characters and their motives for the murder.  I thought it set all of them up quite well as suspects.  I had no sympathy for the murdered woman, her character was so obnoxious as to have me hoping for her to get murdered already.  Everyone else was much more pleasant company.  I really enjoyed Peter Ustinov's portrayal of Poirot.  It's a pretty film, showing off it's beautiful Spanish location quite well.  Recommended.  

Bechdel Test: Pass

Overall: 3.5/5

(From Off Day Alphabet Marathon on August 17th, 2014)

Night of the Demons, a review by addicted2dvd

Title: Night of the Demons
Movie Count: 71
TV Ep Count: 35
Other  Count: 2
Time Started: 8:30am
Plot:
It's Halloween night and Angela is throwing a party, but this is no ordinary spook bash. Everybody's headed to Hull House, a deserted funeral home with a shocking secret in its past and something evil alive in its basement. Now the guests are becoming possessed, and this party's treats include tongue-ripping, eyeball gouging, gratuitous nudity, bloody dismemberment and more. Welcome to the blowout where all Hell is breaking loose: You're invited to NIGHT OF THE DEMONS!

Scream Queen 'Linnea Quigley' stars in this twisted 80's splatter-fest dirrected by 'Kevin S. Tenney' (WITCHBOARD) and featuring grisly gore effects by 'Steven Johnson' (DEAD HEAT, SPECIES). NIGHT OF THE DEMONS is presented totally uncut and uncensored and loaded with exclusive new extras for the first time ever on DVD.

My Thoughts:
This is classic '80s horror. The kind of horror I grew up with... so I definitely have a soft spot for it.This one is definitely a no-brainer popcorn type movie... just a sit back... relax and get lost in the nonsense. Even though I would say this one is basically a low budget horror... I would also say it is at the high end of low budget horrors... if that makes any sense to you.  While watching it you don't feel low-budget coming from it... decent effects... including some pretty cool looking demons. Was definitely worth the 90min I put into the movie.



(From My Month Long Horror/Halloween Marathon: 2008 on October 22nd, 2008)

Grey's Anatomy Marathon, a review by addicted2dvd

13. Great Expectations
With Richard stepping down, the doctors at Seattle Grace begin jockeying to replace him -leading to harsh words and hurt feelings. George's method of dealing with his father's death is taking a toll on Callie, and Richard is surprised by his wife's reaction to his retirement plans. The plight of a young Amish girl inspires the staff to push for a free clinic. Cristina and Burke finally speak to each other, and what Burke has to say shocks Cristina.

My Thoughts:
A good episode. I really enjoyed the whole Amish girl storyline.  And this one ends with a bit of a surprise.

My Rating:

14. Wishin' And Hopin'
George and Callie return from a trip to Las Vegas with huge news. Meredith gets some big news of her own when her mother wakes up free from the effects of her Alzheimer's disease, but her excitement is short-lived when her mother is as critical of her as ever. Cristina worries that having a personal life will have a negative effect on her career, and Izzie frets that her money has gone to waste. The entire staff must pitch in when a patient's toxic blood endangers the hospital.

My Thoughts:
This is another one I really liked a lot. Especially the whole toxic blood thing. I also liked seeing Meredith's mother free from the effects of her Alzheimer's for a while.

My Rating:

15. Walk On Water
Derek worries that Meredith has let her mother's criticism affect her. Burke and Cristina discuss how best to tell the others about their engagement. Triage drills at the hospital are interrupted by a real-life emergency - a ferry has collided with a container ship in dense fog, resulting in multiple casualties. As each member of the Seattle Grace team deals with their own emergencies, Meredith finds herself in over her head.

My Thoughts:
Wow! What an episode! I absolutely loved every minute of it! This one definitely dealt more with the medical aspect of the show more then anything else. Which I dedfinitely love to see! And wow... the way this one ended! I was planning on making this one the last episode of the night... but after how this episode ended I had to see where the next one goes from here. Definitely one of my favorite episodes of the series that I have seen so far!

My Rating:

16. Drowning On Dry Land
Meredith is pulled from the water, unconscious and unresponsive. Izzie continues to fight for the life of the patient trapped between two vehicles on the ferry. Alex is put in charge of notifying friends and family members about the status of the patients, and George races to find a missing boy before his mother wakes up from surgery.

My Thoughts:
An excellent continuation to the last episode. Very dramatic and thrilling all at the same time. Probably for the first time in this entire series so far Alex actually impressed me. If this episode has a downside at all... it is the final moment of the episode. I think the episode would have been even more powerful if they didn't go where they did. But at the same time it was not so bad to take away from my enjoyment of the episode. The story will be continued on into the next episode. And as much as I really want to see it... it will just have to wait till tomorrow.

My Rating:

(From Grey's Anatomy Marathon on September 15th, 2009)