DVD Collectors Online

Mary Reilly, a review by Rich

Title: Mary Reilly

Movie Count:17 
TV Ep. Count:13 

Runtime:108
Certificate:R
Year:1996
Genres:Horror, Suspense/Thriller

Plot:The classic horror story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde gets a chilling new twist when seen through the eyes of Dr. Jekyll's devoted maid, MARY REILLY.
JULIA ROBERTS, JOHN MALKOVICH and the writer and director of DANGEROUS LIAISONS take terror to a new level as the immortal conflict between good and evil is played out in the soul of one man. Equally attracted to her kind employer, Dr.Jekyll, and his mysterious assistant, Mr. Hyde, Mary Reilly must confront her own dangerous desires if she is to survive humanity's greatest evil.

My Review:
Interesting viewpoint on the age old classic of Jekyll and Hyde, only the high calibre of the support cast (George Cole and Kathy Bates) dragged this from being too mundane. Why this would have a horror genre is beyond me, it is purely a drama with a couple of gruesome attachments.
The backdrops and direction give it an authentic feel, only spoilt by Roberts intermittent attempts at pulling off an Irish accent (it might even have been an attempt at cockney!). The introduction of romance in the story gave it a new twist, but strayed too far away from Stevensons original for my liking.
An okay film to pass the time, but not one to recommend as a purchase.




(From Rich's October Horror Fest on October 12th, 2009)

The Elephant Man, a review by Antares

The Elephant Man





Year: 1980
Film Studio: Paramount Pictures, BrooksFilms Productions
Genre: Drama, Classic
Length: 124 Min.

Director
David Lynch (1946)

Writing
Christopher De Vore...Screenplay
Eric Bergren...Screenplay
David Lynch (1946)...Screenplay
Sir Frederick Treves (1853)...Book "The Elephant Man And Other Reminiscences"
Ashley Montagu (1905)...Book "The Elephant Man: A Study In Human Dignity"

Producer
Stuart Cornfeld
Jonathan Sanger

Cinematographer
Freddie Francis (1917)

Music
John Morris (1926)...Composer

Stars
Anthony Hopkins (1937) as Frederick Treves
John Hurt (1940) as John Merrick
Anne Bancroft (1931) as Mrs. Kendal
John Gielgud (1904) as Carr Gomm
Wendy Hiller (1912) as Mothershead
Freddie Jones (1927) as Bytes
Michael Elphick (1946) as Night Porter
Hannah Gordon (1941) as Mrs. Treves

ReviewThe Elephant Man, I knew that the following weekend I would be sitting somewhere in a darkened theater. As the film ended, I along with the other patrons in the movie hall, sat emotionally drained from witnessing the cruelties inflicted upon this man. Mother Nature had dealt a cruel hand to John (Joseph) Merrick, born with a debilitating genetic combination of Proteus syndrome and neurofibromatosis type I, as the most poignant moment in the film. But for me, it is in the scene with Mrs. Kendal (Anne Bancroft) when she comments on the cardboard cathedral he has created, that is the most touching. As he imparts to her that he must rely upon his imagination to finish the structure, as he can only view the spire from his window, a sense of finality comes across his face as he understands that he is a prisoner of his physical appearance and destined to live a separate and sheltered life.

       Many film lovers have debated whether or not this film should have won the Best Picture Oscar for 1980. Up against Raging Bull and , it would eventually lose to Ordinary PeopleThe Elephant ManRatings Criterion
5 Stars - The pinnacle of film perfection and excellence.

(From The Elephant Man (1980) on February 19th, 2010)

Birds of Prey Marathon, a review by addicted2dvd

5. Sins of the Mother
Dinah learns of her family link to Batman. Family ties - a crime family - also impact Reese.

My Thoughts:
This was a great episode. In this one we discover Dinah's birth mother is Caroline Lance (The Black Canary). Plus Dinah also discovers her abilities are growing when she starts to show signs of telekinesis. This episode guest stars Lori Loughlin (Becky on sitcom Full House) as the Black Canary.

6. Primal Scream
Caged Bird. When Helena works undercover for Reese, her identity becomes compromised. Does Oracle fear intimacy?

My Thoughts:
This was a good episode... but pretty standard. It seemed a little on the weird side to see Helena undercover in a gang... but it did fit her character... after all Cat Woman was her mother... so she has a little of the bad in her as well.

7. Split
Helena is attracted to 'Darkstrike', a simpatico crime fighter who isn't as perfect as he seems to be.

My Thoughts:
This is another good episode. But unfortunately for some reason... even after 6 years... I remembered how this one ended. That did take away from the enjoyment just a hair... bur was still a lot of fun watching it again. The guy that played "The Crawler" (the serial killer Darkstrike was after) was Brian Thompson. He is one of those guys I never knew his name... but was highly recognizable since I seen him in so many other shows.

(From Birds of Prey Marathon on July 17th, 2008)