DVD Collectors Online

The Watcher, a review by addicted2dvd

Title: The Watcher
Year: 2000
Director: Joe Charbanic
Rating: R
Length: 97 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1, French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English

Stars:
James Spader as Campbell
Marisa Tomei as Polly
Keanu Reeves as Griffin
Ernie Hudson as Ibby
Chris Ellis as Hollis

Plot:
Keanu Reeves ignites this action-packed, "superbly crafted thriller that zooms along like a sinister video game of hunter and prey!" (Richard Roeper, EBERT & ROEPER AND THE MOVIES)

After years of pursuing psychotic killers in Los Angeles, FBI agent Joel Campbell (James SpaderMarisa Tomei, this game of cat and mouse will have you gasping for breath from its first terrifying frame until its final explosive conclusion!

* 1992 Best Supporting Actress, My Cousin Vinny.

Extras:
Scene Access
Trailers
Production Notes
DVD-ROM Content

My Thoughts:
This is a movie I bought blind (Never even heard of the movie before) when I found it in the Walmart bargain bin. It is definitely not the best serial killer movie I ever seen. But it is an entertaining movie. I liked most the cast in this movie... even if it didn't seem to be their best work. I also liked the storyline... but was expecting a little more from it. While it is worth watching... there is just something I can't put my finger on that is missing from the movie.



(From Weekend Movie Marathon: Anything Goes on February 28th, 2010)

Despicable Me 2, a review by GSyren

Title	Despicable Me 2 (5-050582-944075)
Director	Chris Renaud, Pierre Coffin
Actors	Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Benjamin Bratt, Miranda Cosgrove, Russell Brand
Produced	2013 in United States
Runtime	98 minutes
Audio	English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Spanish DTS 5.1, Hungarian DTS 5.1, Polish DTS 5.1, Arabic DTS 5.1, Hindi DTS 5.1, Catalonian Dolby Digital 2-Channel Stereo, Audio Descriptive Dolby Digital 2-Channel Stereo, Commentary Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles	Arabic, English, Hindi, Commentary, Spanish, Hungarian, Catalonian, Polish
Overview	This blockbuster animated comedy from Illumination Entertainment sees the return of former super-villain Gru (Steve Carell), who has retired from a life of crime to raise his three daughters. But things take an unexpected turn when he is recruited by the Anti-Villain League to track down an elusive criminal who is threatening the world. Now, with new partner Lucy Wilde (Kristen Wiig) by his side, Gru and the Minions set off on an unpredictable and unexpected adventure.
My thoughts	Looking at the comments on IMDb, this seems to be pretty much a love-it-or-hate-it movie. Many people who loved DM1 were terribly disappointed by the sequel. I was not. I guess it's true that the story kind of meanders a lot. And it focuses on the minions a lot  more than the first one did. It's a matter of taste if this is a good thing or a bad thing. It does have its faults, but I was still hugely entertained. I'm guessing that the reactions to this film depend a great deal on what you are expecting. Gru isn't despicable, so if the title leads you to expect more despicability then I guess you may be disappointed. The villain is kind of weak, so not all that much despicability there either. There is a love story involved, well two actually, so if that isn't your cup of tea, then I guess that may put you off. It's cute, and there are a lot of sight gags, but the plot is just so-so. Still, I had a good time watching it. Not quite as much as with DM1, perhaps, but still a very positive experience.
My rating	4 out of 5

(From Reviews and ramblings by Gunnar on December 13th, 2013)

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" Marathon, a review by DJ Doena

Synopsis: Summer break is nearly over and Buffy has returned from L.A.. But she seems to to have changed. She is closed up and snubs virtually everyone. And it gets worse: The Anointed One wants to get the Master back from the really dead. And for this he needs the people who were close to him when he died.

My Opinion: This behaviour will develop into a habit. Everytime Buffy goes through a shocking or traumatizing event she will try to shut everyone out and keep the world at bay. She will do it again at the beginning of the third season and during the sixth season. It may not be a good character trait but it's definitively a defining one for the character. Just as the one that she will do what's right when it matters.
The episode was also a portent for the season. When she claims that Angel has thought about fighting her and that he should try it. When Snyder states that he would love to expel her. When she was lured away from the library and that's the place she was needed most.
I think it was a good start of the season.

Synopsis: During her patrol in one of Sunnydale's graveyards she discovers that a grave is empty that shouldn't be empty. But it's not another Vampire who has risen. The body is simply gone. So it's either the work of flesh-eating demons or a group that wants to build an army of Zombies. But when Cordelia finds a lot of body parts in the dumpster they can safely dismiss both theories. But who needs only some parts from several young women?

My Opinion: I never liked these frankenstein-y stories, neither here nor in the fourth season. But once again I liked it that good and bad weren't clear cut, that our Dr. Frankenstein in the form of Chris didn't go as far as killing someone just to build a bride for his brother. But I haven't understood what the other guy was hoping for. Why was he helping in the first place and why would he have killed Cordelia? I simply couldn't see his motive to act the way he did.

Synopsis: Buffy and another "rebel" is ordered to organize and host the annual parent-teacher-night. And Buffy has to keep her mother far away from principle Snyder. And some special Vampire holiday is coming up. And the Vampire Spike has come to town to have some fun around here. And he will kill Buffy on Saint Whatshisname's day. Fortunately those two events don't fall on the same day...

My Opinion: ...Unfortunately Spike isn't the most patient guy. I loved it how he single-handedly decluttered all the Vampire rituals and my prejudice about them. James Marsters once stated that he played Spike "with a bit more soul than he was supposed to". I knew him from Smallville and he was one of the reasons to give Buffy a chance and I couldn't wait to finally see him here. He will develop into one of the most interesting characters on the show even though he just lost his first battle against the Slayer.
But they also made two statements about him that they will "correct" later: Giles states that he's barely two hundred. I would assume "barely 200" means something like 190 or 180. Later they will make him just 150 years old (born around 1850). Spike also says that Angel was "his Sire, his Yoda". But as it will turn out, Spike was sired by Drusilla who was sired by Angel. But maybe Spike meant it in some figurative way. After all, Angel is his Grand-Sire and Yoda was Luke's second Jedi teacher after Obi-Wan.

Synopsis: During a visit of the local museum one of the student tries to steal a mummy seal and accidentally breaks it. The young, female Inka mummy re-awakes, kills the student and disappears from the museum. Shortly after she takes the place of an exchange student (whom she also killed) and moves in with Buffy for the next two weeks. And naturally Xander falls for her the minute he sees her. But then there's a mysterious knife guy who seems to be connected to the mummy and the body count is increasing. The gang has to find out what's going on.

My Opinion: I have to say, I liked this episode. As most creatures do this young woman tried to ensure her own survival. But in the end she couldn't kill the person she fell in love with. I also liked the comparison between her and Buffy's fate: The be the Chosen One and not being able to have a say in it. And in opposition to Teacher's Pet Xander could be Xander without being influenced from the outside.
In this episode we've also seen Oz and Jonathan for the first time but I think one notices Jonathan only if one knows him already - ironically that is exactly what this character will be about.

(From "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" Marathon on March 28th, 2009)