DVD Collectors Online

Illuminata, a review by goodguy

Illuminata (1998) Written by: Brandon Cole & John Turturro Directed by: John Turturro Starring: John Turturro, Katherine Borowitz, Susan Sarandon, Christopher Walken DVD: R2-DE Kinowelt/Arthaus (2007) My rating:

John Turturro is mostly known as an actor, but he has also written and directed three movies. I already wrote about his gorgeous Romance & Cigarettes (2005) here. Illuminata is about a theater company in New York at the beginning of the 20th century. The movie disguises itself as comedia del'arte and has probably half a dozen dangling subplots, but its main theme really is the problematic relationship between two creative people. It's a bit like Fellini crossed with Bergman. The big names like Sarandon and Walken all deliver great performances, and so does Turturro himself, but Katherine Borowitz (a stage actress and Turturro's real-life partner) absolutely stands out.

(From goodguy's Watch Log on August 31st, 2008)

The Spoilers, a review by Antares

The Spoilers (1942) 64/100 - John Wayne gets third billing in this middling western that takes place in Alaska during the Klondike gold rush of the late 19th century. Marlene Dietrich dusts off her clothes, dialog & character from Destry Rides Again and supplants it here, thankfully, without any of her horrible warbling of songs. Randolph Scott plays the slick villain and I've come to appreciate the post- Budd Boetticher version of him a lot more after seeing him in other films during his heyday. He's too much a poor imitation of Gary Cooper, not character wise, but looks wise. The film plods along, but never really gets going. It's only better moments come from the supporting cast of Harry Carey, Samuel S. Hinds and Richard Barthelemess, of which, this was his last picture. Too bad, I always liked him and he should have had a longer career. But I guess audiences still saw him as the heartthrob of the silent era, and not as a gifted actor who should have kept the flame of fame burning bright in his post-silent career. John Wayne does a decent job with the role he's given, but the film itself is just a factory assembled bit of western ho-hum.

Teal = Masterpiece
Dark Green = Classic or someday will be
Lime Green = A good, entertaining film
Orange = Average
Red = Cinemuck
Brown = The color of crap, which this film is

(From Antares' Short Summations on March 12th, 2015)

Angel Marathon, a review by DJ Doena

Synopsis: Connor has found a way back into this world but now he is a teenager under the name of Steven, a name Holtz gave him. Now he tries to find his way through this new world.

My Opinion: They screwed up with the fighting logic in this one and I simply can't let go of something like this. First Connor/Steven fights against Angel, Groo and Gunn and he doesn't look overburdened. Then he jumps off a bridge, 20, maybe 30 meters into the deep. But shortly after that he has a problem to handle four muggers from the streets. Such a thing rankles me over an entire episode.

Synopsis: Holtz has also returned into our dimension and Steven regards him as his real father. But Holtz sends Steven to Angel, to learn from him.

My Opinion: Even in dying Holtz is still perfidious. In any case, father and son fight very well together - yet I fail to understand why they've change the camera work (e.g. bullet-time) in the middle of the series.

Synopsis: Steven has only ostensibly returned to his father because he assumes that Angel has killed Holtz. Lorne doesn't trus Connor/Steven and has also taken a job in another city. Groo leaves Cordelia because he sees that she loves Angel. And Cordelia and Angel want to admit to each other that they love one another.

My Opinion: Wow. This group has fallen apart. Not only are they scatterd into all horizontal directions but also into heaven and hell. Cordelia's ascension into another plane of existence strongly reminded me of Daniel Jackson in Stargate SG-1's fifth (sixth?) season. If they are remotely similar then we won't have seen the last of her.

The Season - My Opinion: This season was like a roller coaster. Darla returns pregnant. Holtz hunts them. Connor is "born". Connor is lost in a hell dimension and returns. And in the middle of it is always Wolfram & Hart. Yes, that was exciting.

(From Angel Marathon on February 22nd, 2008)