DVD Collectors Online

Everything Is Illuminated, a review by Rich

Confusing trek through the Ukraine...



Title: Everything is Illuminated

Runtime:105
Certificate:PG-13
Year:2005
Genres:Adventure, Comedy, Drama

Plot:Some people collect stamps, cigar bands or teacups. Jonathan saves memories of family: photos, cards, false teeth, handfuls of dirt - all sealed in individual bags and mounted on a wall. Now Jonathan seeks a more elusive memory. He'll journey to the Ukraine to find the woman who saved his grandfather from the Nazis in 1942.
Liev Schreiber ('Scream', 'RKO 281') makes his debut on the other side of the camera, directing and adapting (from Jonathan Safran Foer's novel) an affecting road movie. Elijah Wood starts as buttoned-up Jonathan, and Eugene Hutz plays his language-battering Ukrainian guide. Join them as cultures clash...and as the road leads where they want to go yet never expected. They, and you, will emerge illuminated.
My Review:
Odd film this, well acted, some highs and lows, but overall I didn't think it gelled well together. A quirky film which at times exploits the holocaust, it isn't my favourite style but I could understand how someone else could really enjoy this


(From Around the World in 80 DVD's on January 21st, 2008)

Alice in Wonderland (1933), a review by addicted2dvd

Alice in Wonderland (1933/United States) Universal Studios Home Entertainment (United States) Director: Norman McLeod Writing: Lewis Carroll (Original Material By), Joseph L. Mankiewicz (Screenwriter), William Cameron Menzies (Screenwriter) Length: 77 min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: Mono Subtitles: NONE

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Stars:
Richard Arlen as Cheshire Cat
Roscoe Ates as Fish
William Austin as Gryphon
Gary Cooper as White Knight
Leon Errol as Uncle Gilbert

Plot:
Alice's fantastic adventures lead her straight to some of the most memorable characters ever imagined, including the Mad Hatter, the Queen of Hearts, Humpty Dumpty, the Cheshire Cat, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum in the original Alice in Wonderland. Based on Lewis Carroll's beloved story, this live-action fantasy features Hollywood icons Cary Grant, Gary Cooper and W.C. Fields along with Charlotte Henry as Alice. Filled with spectacular sets and imaginative costumes, the classic Alice in Wonderland is a timeless adventure for the whole family!

Extras:

• NONE

First thing I will say about this one is I do not see myself watching it again. That being said it is a good curiosity piece. And some interesting casting. In this one we have W.C. Fields as Humpty Dumpty... Gary Cooper as The White Night..... and Cary Grant as Mock Turtle. For the time (1933) this film did have some decent special effects. Though a lot of the costuming should have been better. It is a very sporadic.... out there kind of film. But while I never read it... I hear the book is as well. The scary thing is that my roommate told me this is the film that is the most faithful to the book that she has seen. All that being said, I would go as far as recommending this one for a curiosity piece.



(From November Movie Marathon: Classic Comedy Greats on November 9th, 2017)

Tom's TV Pilots marathon, a review by Tom

Otto's Ottifanten (1997/Germany) IMDb | Wikipedia (Germany) Length: 370 min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: German: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Subtitles:

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Ottifanten


Ottifanten are cartoon characters created by Otto Waalkes, a famous German comedian. This series is based on them and first aired in the nineties. I had watched some of the episodes when it first aired. I enjoyed them. The best humor comes from the baby, whose thoughts are voiced by Otto Waalkes himself.

Rating:

(From Tom's TV Pilots marathon on June 21st, 2012)