DVD Collectors Online

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 League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, a review by DVDsRGreat

Title: The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

Overview:
A hunter, a scientist, a vampire, an invisible man, an immortal, a spy, a beast... when a masked madman known as "The Fantom" threatens to launch global Armageddon, legendary adventurer Allan Quatermain commands a legion of superheroes, the like of which mankind has never seen.  Now, despite fighting their own personal demons - and each other - they must join forces to save the world.

I really enjoyed this one. Hadn't watched it before. I liked how they had brought together so many characters like the Invisible Man, Dr. Jeykll and Mr. Hyde, Allan Quartarmain from various literature and even character's out of 20,000 Leagues under the sea and the Adventure of Sherlock Holmes. The pace of the movie was nice and the special effects were pretty good too. All in all a pretty good feature.

Rating: 

(From My November alphabet marathon reviews on November 3rd, 2008)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Marathon, a review by DJ Doena

Synopsis: A new movement is growing on Bajor. They call themselves "The Circle" and they want "Bajor to the Bajorans", i.e. all out-worlders should leave the bajoran system. Meanwhile Kira learns that Li Nalas - a hero of the resistance - is still alive and he's being held prisoner on a cardassian planet. She and O'Brien disguise themselves as traders and try to rescue him.

My Opinion: I remembered this three-part season opener to be somewhat uninteresting but I really enjoyed it this time. It's "funny" to see how something that happened almost only by accident can develop into a legend and how the protagonist becomes a hero. Although they are nothing alike the story of Li Nalas becoming a hero reminded me of the Firefly episode Jaynestown.

Synopsis: Li Nalas has become the new liasion officer aboard DS9 and Kira has been recalled to Bajor. But there fights have broken out. The Circle has acquired a lot of weapons and is now openly moving against the provisional government. What they don't know: The weapons were delivered by the Cardassians (although not directly) who are hoping that The Circle drives the Federation away and thus opening the system for another cardassian invasion.

My Opinion: That was an interesting turn of events with Frank Langella (Skeletor in Masters of the Universe) once again in the role of the bad guy. But I like him in these roles. Interesting thing - especially in comparison to later seasons and later shows - is that you only had to hear the distant rumbling of war to believe that there is one, without seeing it. I don't condemn special effects scenes, I really like them, but if a movie or series relies to heavy on them the actual storytelling moves into the background or is forgotten at all. That's the reason the Star Wars Episodes I - III didn't work for me.

Synopsis: All non-bajoran civilians have been evacuated with the help of the runabouts Ganges, Orinoco and Rio Grande. But Sisko and his Starfleet crew remains in the hope that he can delay the surrender of the station until Kira presents the evidence of the cardassian involvement in the Chamber of Ministers.

My Opinion: A good conclusion but I hated to see Vedek Winn squirm herself out again. As I said I like good bad characters. I'Ve always liked Gul Dukat or (later) Weyoun, but I never liked Winn (Louise Fletcher; Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest). But at least life is going back to normal on the station - for now.

Synopsis: During a plasma storm the station is running only with a skeleton crew when a nearby ship declares an emergency and has to be pulled in. But the mayday was a fake, the ship's crew takes control over DS9. Why? To get the Dax symbiont and transplant it into the group's leader who feels that he deserves to be blended with a Trill symbiont. But that will kill Jadzia and Sisko won't let that happen.

My Opinion:I didn't pay attention to the credits but when I saw Verad (Dax) I instantly knew I knew him. But it took me a while to figure it out. I assumed that - since he had not much of a mask - he usually wears one. But then it came to me. The beard and the long hair was missing: John Glover a.k.a. Lionel Luthor from Smallville.
I liked this episode because here we saw how a person can change when he/she is blending with a symbiont. This is one of the rare before/after moments since we've never known Jadzia without Dax.

(From Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Marathon on September 27th, 2008)