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The Sound of Music, a review by addicted2dvd

The Sound of Music: 45th Anniversary Edition (1965/United States) Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (United States) Director: Robert Wise (1914) Writing: Howard Lindsay (Original Material By), Russel Crouse (Original Material By), Ernest Lehman (Screenwriter) Length: 175 min. Video: Widescreen 2.20:1 Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio: 7.1, English: Dolby Digital: 4.0, Portuguese: Dolby Digital: 5.1, French: DTS: 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles: Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Commentary

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Stars:
Julie Andrews as Maria
Christopher Plummer as Captain von Trapp
Eleanor Parker as The Baroness
Richard Haydn as Max Detweiler
Peggy Wood as Mother Abbess

Plot:Extras:

• Scene Access
• Audio Commentary
• Feature Trailers
• Featurettes
• Gallery
• Interactive Games
• Interviews
• BD-Live
• Music Machine, Sing-along, Radio Spots, Screen Tests

This is a film I went into not expecting to like at all as I am not a big fan of musicals. But found I enjoyed the story quite a bit. Though I do feel lit went on a little too long. In my opinion it should have ended with Marie coming back to the family and her and Captain Van Trapp getting married. The extra Nazi stuff in my opinion was too much and not needed at all. But over all I am still surprisingly glad I watched it.



(From 2018 Challenge: Box Office TOP 100 FILMS OF ALL-TIME (Domestic Gross) on April 27th, 2018)

Sherlock Holmes, a review by Jon

Sherlock Holmes
4 out of 5



Explosive action, baffling mystery and astonishing intrigue follow Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) and his trusted ally Watson (Jude Law) in a race to uncover and foil a terrifying plot that threatens to destroy the country. Director Guy Ritchie helms the all-action adventure reintroducing the great detective to the World. Robert Downey Jr. is the new Sherlock Holmes!

I wasn’t sure whether I would like Sherlock Holmes. I understood that Arthur Conan Doyle’s original books are actually far lighter and satirical than the rather serious adaptations so far, but still; blockbuster material? Really?

In truth, concessions to being a tent-pole multiplex hit do cause the script to be too obvious and over reliant on set-pieces, but it is tremendous fun, breathlessly paced and very exciting. And from Robert Downey Jr. possibly one of the best performances of the Sherlock Holmes character yet attempted, though in the context of how previous productions have been fashioned, that's impossible to put into context. Certainly I can’t think of a better depiction of the relationship with Dr. Watson, and Jude Law more than holds his own. If anything the film relies on him more as the straight man.

But this is RDJ’s show from start to finish and he is superb. Great accent, perfect timing and delivery, and with such infectious fun. He convinces as the action man and almost as the detective, though that isn’t his fault. As I said, the plot is too focused on the set-pieces to allow the audience to see Holmes actually coming to any conclusions, until at the end where he reveals everything he knew. Which is a hell of a lot. Not letting the viewer join in more is a poor mistake as it might have been something truly special. All the pieces were in place.

Along with RDJ, Jude Law completes a very strong pairing. Having Watson the more grounded character, trying to leave Holmes behind is a clever foundation on which to build the story. It gives Holmes a weakness, without spelling it out, except in what is not said between the two leads. In the books, Watson is Holmes’ rock, especially in relation to his drug addiction, which gets a tiny, but perceptive reference here. Purely from the acting perspective, the chemistry is fantastic too. It very much falls into the ‘bromance’ of action movies like Lethal Weapon. They both have girlfriends, well played by Kelly Reilly and especially Rachel McAdams who is effectively the third lead as original Conan Doyle character Irene Adler, but it’s clear there is a love that Shall Not Speak Its Name between Holmes and Watson! Mark Strong rounds out the cast with a powerful turn as the villain, Lord Blackwood. Moriaty is hinted at, so if part two doesn’t end at Reichenbach Falls, I’ll eat my hat!

The biggest revelation for me is Guy Ritchie as director. Sherlock Holmes is by far his best film, and I do like Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch very much. It’s just this is so different, requiring an eye for action cinema, and reveals both flamboyancy and restraint in expert use. Although the finale is a bit predictable, the sequence at the shipyard and the incidental fights are incredible. It’s a gorgeous looking film too, with sumptuous detail and lighting (there is a night-time scene that actually reminded me of Deliverance in that it was proper moon rather then movie lighting). Because of the attention to detail and eye for photography, this is one of the best modern movies I’ve yet seen on Blu-Ray, which so far has proved more impressive for older films.

Overall the sum of it's parts are better than the result. It hardly matters if it is a good or bad adaptation of the stories, because it's aimed at a young audience. It does exactly what it set out to do though. So bring on the sequel! Just next time, let’s have a bit of mystery that we can play along with.

(From Jon's Alphabet Marathon 2010 on July 17th, 2010)

NCIS Marathon, a review by addicted2dvd

21. BROTHERS IN ARMS
Director Shepard finds that meeting an informant alone can be murder. The NCIS team must gather all leads to hunt down the killer.

My Thoughts:
While this one has some good scenes... it was never one of my favorites. And you know... I really don't have a good reason for that. There really wasn't nothing bad about the episode. But I just didn't care for it too much.

My Rating:

22. IN THE DARK
The NCIS team taps into a blind photographer's special insight to investigate a crime.

My Thoughts:
This is a pretty good episode. I like the idea of a blind photographer and the story is interesting.

My Rating:

23. TROJAN HORSE
While Shepard is abroad, Gibbs is acting director, but he ignores his duties when a murdered man is found in a cab headed to the NCIS headquarters.

My Thoughts:
This is a fun episode. I liked how Gibbs acts about being left in charge of NCIS. That man just needs to stay in the field... running the entire agency is not his thing!

My Rating:

24. ANGEL OF DEATH
The deepest, darkest secrets of each NCIS team member are about to be revealed after they learn they have to take a Homeland Security polygraph test. Meanwhile, a ruthless drug dealer holds Tony and his girlfriend, Jeanne, hostage.

My Thoughts:
This is an enjoyable season finale... but not quite as good as some of the past seasons. It does end on a little bit of a cliffhanger... so I will be looking forward to starting season 5 before too long. Which will be the last season I have to review at this time.

My Rating:

(From NCIS Marathon on December 27th, 2009)