DVD Collectors Online

Black X-Mas, a review by addicted2dvd

Black X-Mas (2006)
THE HORROR CLASSIC 'BLACK CHRISTMAS', which spawned a wave of hit slasher films, is re-imagined for a new generation of fans in this terrifying remake. A group of sorority sisters, snowed in over the holiday break, tried desperately to survive the night as a relentless killer terrorizes and murders them, one by one. Featuring an old-school slasher story, the modern horror touch of director Glen Morgan (writer/producer, 'Final Destination') and a cast of today's hottest stars, including Michelle Trachtenberg ('Eurotrip'), Lacey Chabert ('Mean Girls'), Katie Cassidy ('When a Stranger Calls'), and Mary Elizabeth Winstead ('Grindhouse'), 'Black Christmas' is a thrilling, blood-soaked screamfest.

My Thoughts:
I never had the opportunity to see the original Black Christmas... but I definitely want to. As for this movie... It is pretty good... I did enjoy it... but it isn't the best I ever seen. I would even say it goes too far in some instances. I don't particularly care for incest storylines... but that is just me... not my type of entertainment. It also has a pretty good amount of gore. I don't mind the gore... but is not something I go looking for in movies. This movie does seem to lag for me towards the end... goes on a little longer then I think it needed to.



(From 25 Days of Christmas on December 11th, 2008)

Mondo Cane 2, a review by Jimmy

Title : Mondo Cane 2 (1964)

Overview
Two years after their international smash MONDO CANE became the most controversial documentary of its time, Directors Gualtiero Jacopetti and Franco Prosperi again ignited a firestorm of outrage and acclaim as they travelled the globe to film an all-new exploration of primitives, penitents and perversions in a world gone mad.

My Impression
This second part isn't as good as the original one for many reasons. The footage use for it is the one that was not good enough for the first, the footage is almost all about the occidental world, some of them is clearly staged and the ensemble is an image patching without a logic narrative. Not that it is bad, but this film is a weak follow up to the original. By exemple a musical number where 6 peoples are slap on stage while a pianist plays is clearly fake or, the most iconical image of the film, a monk who imolate himself on fire for protesting is fake too (the event is real, but it was not filmed for this movie as reveal by the director in the documentary who is included in the boxset). I like some scene like the photoshoot for the pulp fiction novel cover or the shooting target practice by the Mexican police or, my favourite, a park at London (I think) where all kind of crazy peoples make nonsense speech and nobody seems interested (does this place exist really? Look like a good place to get a free laugh).
 
Rating :

(From Shockumentary/Mondo Week Marathon on February 4th, 2009)

Pete's Pilots, a review by addicted2dvd

The Comeback
For fallen star Valerie Cherish - former B-list sitcom actress desperate to revive her career - no proce is too high to pay for clinging to the television spotlight. Valerie agrees to be the subject of an intrusive reality television show, with cameras following her every move as she lands the part of "Aunt Sassy" in a tedious new sitcom, Room and Bored.

Lisa Kudrow stars in this uncomfortably funny and insightfully biting comedy series from writer Michael Patrick King (Sex and the City).
In the spirit of reality television, there seems to be no end to the humiliating circumstances Valerie Cherish will endure, all in the name of fame.

The Comeback (Pilot)
Faded television starlet Valerie Cherish attempts to land a role in a new sitcom.'Room and Bored', by taking part in a reality show dhronicaling her somewhat mortifying "comeeback."

My Thoughts:
I watched this when it originally aired on HBO. I remember that I enjoyed it somewhat... but that I wasn't overly impressed with it. But when I found the DVD set on sale for less then $15 I decided to add it to my collection. That was almost 2 years ago now... and until now I haven't watched the DVDs at all. Watching the pilot episode again today I felt pretty much the same way I remember the first time around. It is one of those shows... while decent... I wasn't surprised when it was canceled.

My Rating:

(From Pete's Pilots on November 23rd, 2009)