DVD Collectors Online

From Russia with Love, a review by Tom

Title: From Russia with Love
Year: 1963
Director: Terence Young
Rating: FSK-16
Length: 110 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78
Audio: German: Dolby Digital Mono, Spanish: Dolby Digital Mono, English: Dolby Digital Mono, Commentary: Dolby Digital Mono
Subtitles: Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, German, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish

Stars:
Sean Connery
Daniela Bianchi
Pedro Armendariz
Lotte Lenya
Robert Shaw


Extras:
Booklet
Commentary
Featurettes
Photo Gallery
Scene Access
Trailers

I really liked the first half hour or so. The introduction of typical Bond villains (who were obviously the template for Dr. Evil (Blofeld) and Frau Farbisina). Also always fun the scenes with Bond, M and Moneypenny. And now also with Q
But then the movie dragged a little for me, beginning with the train ride. But it picked up again towards the end.

Rating:

(From James Bond Marathon on February 4th, 2009)

Saving Mr. Banks, a review by GSyren

Title	Saving Mr. Banks (8-717418-419080)
Director	John Lee Hancock
Actors	Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Annie Rose Buckley, Colin Farrell, Ruth Wilson
Produced	2013 in United States
Runtime	125 minutes
Audio	English
Subtitles	Danish, English, Norwegian, Swedish
Overview	Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson bring to life the untold true story about the origins of one of the most treasured Disney classics of all time. John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side) directs this acclaimed film, which reveals the surprising backstory behind the making of Mary Poppins. Determined to fulfill a promise to his daughters, Walt Disney (Hanks) tries for twenty years to obtain the rights to author P.L. Travers' (Thompson) beloved book. Armed with his iconic creative vision, Walt pulls out all the stops, but the incompromising Travers won't budge. Only when he reaches into his own complicated childhood does Walt discover the truth about the ghosts that haunt Travers, and together, they set Mary Poppins free!
My thoughts	When I first heard of Saving Mr. Banks I thought it sounded mildly interesting. And since I loved Mary Poppins (the movie, that is) I felt I should see Saving Mr. Banks. Well, I have to admit that it turned out to be a lot better than I expected. From what I have heard, it seems that the filmmakers have used artistic license quite a lot. So maybe Walt Disney wasn't  quite as lovable as this film makes him out to be. And perhaps Mrs. Travers wasn't as pleased with the finished product as is implied here. But the fact that the film is fictional to some degree doesn't make it any less enjoyable. The film is full of great performances. Emma Thompson is great in what must have been a very difficult role. Tom Hanks is good as usual. Annie Rose Buckley is wonderful as young Helen Goff (P. L. Travers' real name), nicknamed Ginty, and Colin Farrell is a truly positive surprise as her father. In order to hold my attention for over two hours, a film has to be really good. This one clocks in at 2:05, and it never felt long at all for me. Very highly recommended!
My rating

(From Reviews and ramblings by Gunnar on April 14th, 2014)

Babylon 5: Marathon, a review by DJ Doena

Synopsis: A human space station called Babylon 5 was built in neutral terrritory between several star empires including the Minbari Federation, the Narn Empire, the Centauri Republic and the Earth Alliance. The construction finished ten years after the Earth-Minbar war where the Minbari nearly annihilated the humans but then surrenderd on the eve of victory. Now the station is complete to prevent such wars and every race sends an ambassador including the mysterious race called the Vorlons. But when the Vorlon ambassador Kosh arrives he is attacked and things get out of hands.

My opinion: Great start into the show even when not all things are already set as they will be in the following season(s). Babylon 5 is a show of great speaches and many wisdoms. It doesn't matter that the effects are somewhat cheesy because the show is built upon the characters and that will never change. We also learn that there is something mysterious about the end of the E-M war and that Sinclair is involved even if he doesn't remember.


Quote of the episode:
Sinclair: "When something we value is destroyed we rebuild it. If it's destroyed again we rebuild it again. And again and again and again. Until it stays. That is our poet Tennison once said the goal: To strive, to seek, to find and not to yield."

(From Babylon 5: Marathon on August 4th, 2007)