DVD Collectors Online

Easy Living, a review by Antares

Easy Living (1937) 72/100 - This is one of those films that's been getting a lot of discussion lately as a lost gem of the screwball comedy era. But to be honest, you would think that a screenplay written by Preston Sturges, the Shakespeare of screwball, would be a gut busting ride, but for a few glitches, never finds it's course to classic comedy. It's as if someone at Paramount was given a set of blueprints for how to make a screwball comedy and everyone except Jean Arthur and Luis Alberni was manufacturing their roles to specification. Edward Arnold and Ray Milland spend the first 45 minutes of the film yelling their lines as if high volume made the lines funnier...well... it doesn't. It just makes the proceedings seem a bit amateurish. The film only really gets its footing once Jean Arthur takes up residence at Mr. Louis Louis' swanky hotel. The scenes with her and Alberni are priceless and for my money, Alberni steals almost every scene he's in. That isn't to say that Jean Arthur doesn't carry her weight, quite the contrary, she just radiates in this role. I've never seen her look more beautiful in a film and her performance proves that she was the queen of screwball comedy. It's too bad the first 45 minutes aren't as funny as the last 45 minutes, because this could have been a contender for top screwball comedy of all time. But alas, it's really only worth watching for the reasons I stated.

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 October 18th, 2012)

The Big Lebowski, a review by Rich

The Big Lebowski



The Coen brothers' irreverent cult hit comes to DVD as a Collector's Edition, with all-new bonus material. The hilariously twisted comedy-thriller stars Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi and Julianne Moore.  Join the "Dude" and his bowling buddies on their journey that blends unforgettable characters, kidnapping, a case of mistaken identity and White Russians. Enter the visually unique and entertaining world from the creative minds of the Coen brothers and remember: the Dude abides.

DUDE!! whats all the hype over this film??

Inconsistent and over-rated, this is an ok 90's comedy with an odd script and inspired acting. I was really looking forward to this film because of all the rave reviews, and thus just felt disappointment when I finally viewed it. I can appreciate why some people could like this, with the Coen brothers typical collection of zany characters, and good performances particularly from Bridges and Buscemi. Goodmans character was irritating and I was waiting patiently for him to get killed at some point early in the film.
Average comedy, worth watching once.
 




(From Riches Random Reviews on May 20th, 2009)

Tom's TV Finales marathon, a review by Tom

Undeclared: The Complete Series (2001/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia Shout! Factory, Sony BMG Music Entertainment (United States) Length: 403 min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1, English: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround, Commentary: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, English: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Subtitles:

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Plot:
College life as seen through the eyes of Steven Karp, a freshman determined to reinvent himself at a new school. Faced with dilemmas as miserable as being "sexiled" to the rec room while roommates use the bedroom and as dire as confronting a girlfriend's jealous stalker-ex-boyfriend, Steven and his new friends tackle the challenges of higher education. Named one of Time magazine's top ten television shows of 2001 and praised for its "pitch perfect" casting, Undeclared is "one of the cum laude comedies of the new season . . . a sneaky funny hoot with endearingly offbeat characters." (Los Angeles Times)




Undeclared
Season 1.18 Eric's POV
Writer: Judd Apatow (Original Characters By), Judd Apatow (Writer), Nicholas Stoller (Writer)
Director: Jon Favreau
Cast: Jay Baruchel (Steven Karp), Carla Gallo (Lizzie Exley), Charlie Hunnam (Lloyd Haythe), Monica Keena (Rachel Lindquist), Christina Payano (Tina Ellroy), Seth Rogen (Ron Garner), Timm Sharp (Marshall Nesbitt), Loudon Wainwright (Hal Karp), Ben Stiller (Rex), Jason Segel (Eric), David Krumholtz (Greg), Kyle Gass (Eugene), Jarrett Grode (Perry), Sarah Ann Morris (Janice), Kim Fifield (Alice), Leroy Adams (Adam), P. B. Smiley (P.B.), Alex Breckenridge (Celeste)

A nice little series. The last episode was fun, but nothing special. Jason Segel plays a derailed ex-boyfriend really well. You saw hints of this with his character in Freaks & Geeks. But here it is a completely different level.



(From Tom's TV Finales marathon on February 18th, 2022)