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Ban the Sadist Videos!, a review by Jimmy

Title: Ban the Sadist Videos! (2005)

Genre: Documentary
Director: David Gregory
Rating: NR
Length: 1h34
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1:78.1
Audio: English
Subtitles: None

Stars:
Chris Theobald (Narrator)

Plot:
An in-depth analysis of the "Video Nasty" scandal of the early 1980s in Britain.

As an outsider I've always find all that Video Nasty phenomena that happen in the UK ridiculous... in fact it's a good exemple of what happen when the "hollier than you" crowd take control. Here in my province we have one of the least strict film board in the world, everything goes as long as it isn't illegal (those being pedophilia, bestiality or necrophilia) or if they are humiliating for the people involved (and the only one I can thing fitting that criteria is Bum Fight who is always banned for good reason), so we don't ban or cut movie because of violence, nudity or rumours.

That two parts documentary is a very complete study of that case from the start of the video boom untill the end of that over the top case of censorship (and in case it was when you think that movie like The Exorcist were banned in England). Of course you must like talking head documentary since it's what it is, but we got some short films excerpt and archive footages (it's the only way to see how insane was Mary Whitehouse since she was already dead in 2005 and to listen Graham Bright since he was to chicken to appear).

If you are interested by the phenomena this is recommanded. The documentary was done when the "Box of the Ban" set were released in the UK (the first part in the first set and the other in the second one) but those sets are OOP and costly. Now you can get it from Severin Films since it's a bonus disc in their recent release of House on Straw Hill, but if you want the disc you must act fast since it's limited and only included in the first pressing. 

Rating :

(From Jimmy's - 2013 Ooctober Horror Marathon on October 11th, 2013)

Memento, a review by addicted2dvd

Title: Memento
Year: 2000
Director: Christopher Nolan
Rating: R
Length: 113 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, English: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround
Subtitles: English, Spanish

Stars:
Guy Pearce
Carrie-Anne Moss
Joe Pantoliano
Mark Boone Junior
Russ Fega
Jorja Fox

Plot:
The revenge thriller gets an unforgettable new twist with Memento, an intricate crime story about a man with a damaged memory chasing a murderer whose identity he cannot possibly ever know for sure. Directed by newcomer Christopher Nolan, Memento has blown the minds of audiences around the world - by deftly forging a reality in which neither the lead character nor the audience know who is pulling the strings...until every thing that seemed true flips upside down.

Leonard (Guy Pearce) suffers from a rare brain disorder - the inability to form any new memories. He can remember in detail everything that happened before his injury, but anyone he has met or anything he has done since that fateful night, simply vanishes.

Who are his friends? Who are his enemies? What is the truth? In Leonard's world, the answers to these questions shift and change from second to second. And the more he tries to figure out what is true and real, the deeper he sinks into a multi-layered abyss of uncertainty and surprises.

Extras:
Scene Access
Feature Trailers
Bonus Trailers
Featurettes
Gallery
Production Notes
DVD-ROM Content
Closed Captioned
'Memento Mori' - original short story

My Thoughts:
Well... two movies in a row to make your head swim a bit. I think I will have to watch something I won't have to think about much next! Once again it is one I enjoyed quite a bit... but it is definitely one you really need to give your full attention to. I don't know how real such brain damage is... but I couldn't imagine trying to get through life with such an illness. Definitely worth checking out if you never seen it.



(From Weekend Movie Marathon: Unwatched DVDs on August 1st, 2010)

"Due South" marathon, a review by addicted2dvd

Heaven and Earth

Another good episode. I personally have mixed feelings about the "Johnny Smith" route they took in this episode. It really didn't bother me much... but much like the father/ghost(?) thing (at least so far)... it just didn't seem to fit in the kind of show I saw this as so far. But then again between those 2 things this shows that they will go the supernatural route. Which my just help me enjoy the whole father storyline more.

My Rating:

(From "Due South" marathon on July 30th, 2009)