DVD Collectors Online

El amor brujo, a review by Danae Cassandra

El amor brujo
Year of Release: 1986
Directed By: Carlos Saura
Starring: Antonio Gades, Cristina Hoyos, Laura del Sol, Juan Antonio Jimenes
Genre: Romance, Drama, Performing Arts, Musical

Overview:
The most straightforward narrative in the "Flamenco Trilogy" is also its most forthrightly theatrical, a modern take on composer Manuel de Falla's gypsy ballet, dressed up in pink sunsets and hellishly red fires. Set in a dusty Andalusian village, El amor brujo (Love, the Magician) is a seductive melodrama of a man (Antonio Gades) whose beloved is haunted by the ghost of another.

My Thoughts:
Such wonderful, gorgeous dancing!  Seriously, these folks are splendid, and if you enjoy classical dancing, especially flamenco, this is worth watching just for that alone.  Top that off with de Falla's wondeful music, and a haunting, romantic tale of love and betrayal, this was a great film. 

I should probably only recommend it to art film lovers, as it is done in a very minimalist fashion and set much more like it would be on stage than what one thinks of as a traditional movie.  I really enjoyed this film, however.

Bechdel Test: Fail
Mako Mori Test: Fail

Overall: 4/5

(From July Movie Marathon: Musicals (Yes... You read right!) on July 8th, 2016)

Saboteur, a review by Dragonfire

This riveting wartime thriller stars Robert Cummings as Barry Kane, a Los Angeles aircraft factory worker who witnesses a Nazi agent firebombing his plant. However, it is Barry who is accused of the fiery sabotage, and to clear his name he sets off on a desperate, action-packed cross-country chase that takes him from Boulder Dam to New York's Radio City Music Hall to the top of the Statue of Liberty. Hitchcock's first film with an all-American cast moves with breakneck speed towards its final heart-pounding confrontation and remains a suspense classic.

My Thoughts

Overall I did enjoy this one.  Some scenes move a bit slower, and the patriotism did get a bit heavy handed at times - like when Pat kept going on about it being the duty of every American to turn in Barry or how she couldn't believe the villain was messed up in sabotage.  She went on to say how she had trouble believing that any American would do something like that, yet she'd had no trouble deciding that Barry was guilty.  There is a decent amount of mystery and some suspense in the movie, though I don't think it is one of Hitchcock's most suspenseful movies.  The plot is interesting overall.  There are a few little bits of humor added in here and there, though the tone of the movie is serious overall.  Having the characters travel all across the country in an effort to figure out what is really going on is something that was done in other Hitchcock movies as well. 

Overall, I enjoyed the movie, though it isn't my favorite Hitchcock movie.   

(From Alfred Hitchcock Marathon on July 10th, 2009)

The 2013 Pilot Review, a review by DJ Doena

Hello Ladies

Hello Ladies @ IMDb
Hello Ladies @ Wikipedia

Synopsis: An Englishman who thinks of himself as sleek but is rather awkward tries to find love in Los Angeles.

My Opinion: The series believes itself to be funny but Stuart's actions (Stephen Merchant, show creator and main character) are just painful to watch rather than funny.

(From The 2013 Pilot Review on October 10th, 2013)