DVD Collectors Online

Salvador, a review by Rich

Getting the scoop in El Salvador...



James Woods gives his "fullest, most humane, most emotional performance"(New York Magazine) to date in this "gritty, harrowing and bold thriller"(Gannett Newspapers). It's 1980. Young men, women and children are being brutally killed in a bloody civil war in El Salvador. It'sa horrific setting...but a perfect one for Richard Boyle, a sleazy war photojournalist whose careerneeds a jumpstart. Armed with his camera, Boyle joins the front lines in an attempt to capture atrocious-but-valuable images of pain and horror. But with each picture he takes, he catches a tragic side of humanity that ignites his long-buried compassion. And he unexpectedly discovers something thatwill change him forever: his soul.

Gritty and intense, Stone gets great performances from James Woods and Belushi. A rather shocking account, not sure how accurate, of events in El Salvador at the time, and probably best judged as one mans view. A very good and unforgettable film. 6/10

(From Around the World in 80 DVD's on March 17th, 2008)

Seven Samurai, a review by Antares

Shichinin no samurai





Year: 1954
Film Studio: Toho Company
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama
Length: 207 Min.

Director
Akira Kurosawa (1910)

Writing
Akira Kurosawa (1910)...Screenwriter
Shinobu Hashimoto (1918)...Screenwriter
Hideo Oguni (1904)...Screenwriter

ProducerCinematographer
Asakazu Nakai (1901)

Music
Fumio Hayasaka (1914)...Composer

StarsReview
       Throughout the course of mankind's history, certain artistic endeavors have met with such critical acclaim that they stand as crowning achievements in their respected fields of culture. Michelangelo's Pieta, DaVinci's Mona Lisa, Beethoven's 9th Symphony and Tolstoy's War and PeaceCitizen KaneShichinin no samuraiCitizen KaneSeven SamuraiAmadeus. When he recounts the genius of Mozart's composing, Antonio Salieri states; "Displace one note and there would be diminishment, displace one phrase, and the structure would fall". Devoid of the sub-plots and character development, the film becomes just an action picture that begins to take on the resemblance of the American remake, The Magnificent SevenShichinin no samurai, Mifune's star would rise to a level in Japan, equivalent to that of John Wayne in the United States. In that same year he would be cast in Hiroshi Inagaki's Miyamoto Musashi, the first part of a trilogy based upon the popular novel that has been described as the Japanese Gone with the WindKagemusha in 1980. He would pass away in 1982 leaving behind a trio of memorable performances in the early Kurosawa masterpieces. His versatility as an actor would forever be immortalized on screen as the woodchopper in , Watanabe in Ikiru, and as Kambei (the samurai leader) in Shichinin no samuraiRatings Criterion
5 Stars - The pinnacle of film perfection and excellence.

(From Shichinin no samurai (Seven Samurai) (1954) on March 15th, 2010)

Tom's TV Pilots marathon, a review by Tom

At Last the 1948 Show (1967/United Kingdom) IMDb | Wikipedia (United States) Length: 172 min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital 1 Subtitles:

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Plot:
This historic, wildly silly series triggered a revolution that changed the face of TV comedy forever.

Bursting onto Britain's small screens in an explosion of outrageous and ofter surreal sketches. 'At Last The 1948 Show' featured John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Marty Feldman and Tim Brooke-Taylor. Produced in 1967, this recently discovered collection launched the Monty Python phenomenon and much like the effects of the Beatles on music, the world of comedy has never been the same.

This 2 DVD set features the recently discovered 5 episodes of the classic 'At Last The 1948 Show' series and a Comedy Family Tree poster booklet.

At Last the 1948 Show
1.01 Episode 1
Writer: Tim Brooke-Taylor (Writer), John Cleese (Writer), Graham Chapman (Writer), Marty Feldman (Writer)
Director: Ian Fordyce
Cast: Tim Brooke-Taylor), John Cleese), Graham Chapman), Marty Feldman), Aimi Macdonald), Jo Kendall), Dick Vosburgh), Barry Cryer), Dick Holmes)

An early show with John Cleese and Graham Chapman. I think it's only worth to check it out for curiosity sake. Though I only can base my opinion on this first episode. It's the first time that I ever saw any of them. This set has been in my unwatched pile for five years now.

Rating:

(From Tom's TV Pilots marathon on March 26th, 2011)