DVD Collectors Online

Spies Like Us, a review by Dragonfire

Spies Like Us - I couldn't get the listing for it to load up in my page for my profiler for some reason.

Anyway..  I really like this one.  It is a bit silly, but it is very entertaining.  I think it is a good choice when I'm in the mood for something a bit silly or funny.  Chevy Chase and Dan Akyroyd were really good in the movie and worked well together.  A lot of the humor was a bit silly, but it worked for the plot of the movie and what was going on. 

 

I posted a review of the movie on Epinions a while ago if anyone wants to take a look.

Spies Like Us

(From Dragonfire: What I've Been Watching on January 14th, 2009)

3 Godfathers/Night Passage, a review by Rogmeister

I haven't posted any reviews for a few days so how about a double-feature?


3 Godfathers
Cast: John Wayne, Pedro Armendariz, Harry Carey Jr., Ward Bond, Mae Marsh, Jane Darwell, Ben Johnson, Mildred Natwick.
Director: John Ford

This was a popular story...it was told at least four times. This version is probably the most popular because it starred John Wayne, was directed by the great John Ford and was the most recent. It deals with three badmen who bungle a bank job in Arizona with one of them being shot in the shoulder during the getaway...but get away they do. While in the desert, they take refuge during a sandstorm, but their horses get lose and are gone the next morning. They soon find a wagon which contains a woman about to give birth. She is in a bad way, however, and soon passes on but not before she names the three men her baby's godfathers. The remainder of the movie deals with their trying to care for the infant and get it to civilization while a lawman and his posse are on their trail.

The movie is dedicated to the late Harry Carey, an old-time western star of his own (Ford used him several times, including a couple movies with Wayne), who had passed away before the film's release. This movie also marks the film debut of his son, Harry Carey Jr. This film has lots of humor as well as action and it contains some incredible color photography. It's not the best-known John Wayne film out there so people should look it up. It was included as one of the movies in the DVD box set The John Wayne-John Ford Movie Collection. It looks great, though its only extra is the original movie trailer.  This is a full frame picture because this was originally released in 1948, back in the pre-widescreen era.


Night Passage
Cast: James Stewart, Audie Murphy, Dan Duryea, Dianne Foster, Elaine Stewart, Brandon De Wilde, Jack Elam, Hugh Beaumont
Director: James Neilson
Music: Dimitri Tiomkin

About a week ago (on cable TV), I got to see Kirk Douglas sing and play the banjo in "Man Without A Star". Now, in "Night Passage", I got to see Jimmy Stewart sing and play the accordian. I guess these were the most expensive singing cowboy pictures ever made. I wonder who else got musical in the big pictures? Did John Wayne ever play the guitar? Did Randolph Scott ever play a fiddle? Somehow, I don't think so...

The accordian actually played a plot point in this movie. It involves Jimmy who, having once worked for the railroad, being offered a job again. An outlaw band has been robbing the train of its payroll for those who are laying the track. It turns out that one of the gang is The Utica Kid (Audie Murphy) who happens to be Stewart's brother. It culminates in a big climactic gunfight. And this is one of the few gunfights I can remember where we actually see the hero reloading. In some movies, you'd swear a pistol might hold 20 bullets. Brandon De Wilde is in this movie...he was the kid in the classic Shane.  Other notable supporting polayers include Jack Elam and Paul Fix.

As with 3 Godfathers, the only extra here is the movie trailer.  The film is presented in it's original widescreen aspect ratio of 2.35: 1.  We have a nice color print and a fine music score by Dimitri Tiomkin.

(From Roger's Ongoing Westerns Marathon on July 2nd, 2009)

Angel Marathon, a review by DJ Doena

Synopsis: A group of pure-blood demons who call themselves "The Scourge" hate all the half-demons and they try to destroy all of them because they "pollute" the demon blood. Angel & co try to help a group of refugees to escape from these demons.

My Opinion: Too bad that Doyle (Quinn) had to leave the show so early, that came a bit unexpected. On the other hand when it comes to Whedon you have to be aware that any main character could die at any time.
The parallels to the Nazis in this episode were quite obvious, although I have to say the the looks and the uniforms of the demons had a much closer resemblance to the Cromaggs from "Sliders" - but they were also characterized as similar to the Nazis.

Synopsis: While Angel and Cordelia mourn for their dead friend, Cordelia has to realize that she inherited something very special from him. Now she has the gift to get visions from the "Powers That Be" (PTB). Additionally there is a new demon hunter in town and he is after the newest client of Angel's.

My Opinion: Wesley?! That could become interesting. I presume he will give the show a humorous touch - at least that was my impression after seeing how he behaved in this episode. Let's see what they make of it.

Synopsis: Angel dreams, that he is killing people again. As it soon becomes clear, this dreams become reality, but it isn't Angel who sucks the blood out of this people. But it is his fault.

My Opinion: Now that he is in the intro I am sure, Wesley (Alexis Denishof) will be a part of the show for quite some time. I also did wonder when someone from Angel's/Angelus's past would appear and I am counting on it that it will happen again. The fact that the detective now knows what Angel is should be a guarantee for some exciting events in the future.

(From Angel Marathon on February 13th, 2008)