DVD Collectors Online

The Fall of the House of Usher, a review by Danae Cassandra

The Fall of the House of Usher
Year of Release: 1960
Directed By: Roger Corman
Starring: Vincent Price, Mark Damon, Myrna Fahey, Harry Ellerbe
Genre: Horror

Overview:
Legendary scare-master Vincent Price serves up a diabolical nightmare dripping with "brooding evil and sinister suspense" (Film DailyMy Thoughts:
I love Vincent Price. Love, love, love him. He's, like, one of my all-time favorites. This, also, has to be in my top 5 movies of his. He's a wonderful actor, and he does a wonderful job here as the melancholy, mad Roderick Usher. His supporting players do a fine job as well. Yes, it's a slow moving film, but once it gets started it only builds to crescendo.

Corman's staff all do a great job here too. The sets and costumes look terrific, and Price's makeup lends him an entirely different look than one is used to seeing for him. The house has a truly eerie feel, and is really the fifth character of the film. If I would have one criticism, it's that I would have liked more of a focus on Price's doomed Roderick, and less on Mark Damon's hero. That could just be my Price fangirl talking.

Watched For: Scavenger Hunt 19, Hoop-tober 3.0, Horror/Halloween Challenge 2016

Bechdel Test: Fail
Mako Mori Test: Fail

Overall: 4/5

Horror/Halloween Challenge Films: 8/52

(From Horror/Halloween 2016 Challenge on October 6th, 2016)

Primer, a review by Tom

Primer (2004/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia New Line Home Entertainment (United States) Director: Shane Carruth Writing: Shane Carruth (Writer) Length: 77 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78 Audio: English: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround, Commentary: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, Commentary: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Subtitles: English, Spanish

---

Stars:
Shane Carruth as Aaron
David Sullivan as Abe
Casey Gooden as Robert
Anand Upadhyaya as Phillip
Carrie Crawford as Kara

Plot:
Everything you think you know about modern science is about to unravel.

While conducting experiments in a garage, two brilliant engineers who lead double lives accidentally discover that their project enables them to travel back in time. Each man's curiosity leads to experiments without the other's knowledge, some with serious consequences. In an "ingenious blend of sci-fi and mystery" (Steven Read, "Philadelphia Inquirer"), viewers are challenged to solve the puzzle that is PRIMER.

Awards:
Nominated:

Independent Spirit Awards (2005)		Best Debut Performance (David Sullivan)
Independent Spirit Awards (2005)		Best Director (Shane Carruth)
Independent Spirit Awards (2005)		Best Feature (Shane Carruth)
Independent Spirit Awards (2005)		Best First Screenplay (Shane Carruth)

Extras:

• Bonus Trailers
• Closed Captioned
• Commentary
• Scene Access
• Trailers

When I watched this movie the first time, I labeled it "For Sale". I never came around to sell it and I wanted to give it another chance now. It seems I do not get the movie. Looks like it will be left with the label.

Rating:

(From Tom's Time-Travel Movie Reviews on January 6th, 2008)

Tom's Random Reviews, a review by Tom

Title: To Heart: Complete Collection
Year: 2008
Rating: NR
Length: 325 Min.
Video: Full Frame 1.33:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital Stereo , Japanese: Dolby Digital Stereo
Subtitles: English

Plot:
For as long as Akari can remember, she and Hiroyuki have always been friends. But with time, everything changes, and her feelings have turned into something more. As a new semester of high school begins, will the two childhood friends come closer together or drift further apart? Join Hiroyuki, Akari and all their friends - the bubbly Shiho, the quiet Serika, the lovely Kotone, and more - in this heartwarming tale of love, relationships and friendship!

Extras:
Featurettes
Photo Gallery
Production Notes
Scene Access
Trailers

This is a nice slow-paced high school slice of live anime series about a girl and a boy who have known each other since kindergarten and are now entering high school together. Maybe a little too nice in terms of character interaction. Almost no conflict there.
But it provides some fun guest character appearances. For example the girl who talks to low that almost nobody understands her. Or the girl who can the tragic future events of people close to her. And of course the human-like robot maid, who is enrolled as a regular student as a test by her creators

Rating:


And now short reviews about the last two episodes of the series. Both are set during christmas time and thus qualify for the christmas marathon

12. The Season of Emotions (1999-06-17)
Writer: AQUAPLUS (Original Material By), Shinzo Hujita (Screenwriter)
Director: Naohito Takahashi
Cast: Ayako Kawasumi (Akari Kamigishi (voice)), Kazuya Ichijo (Hiroyuki Fujita (voice)), Chieko Higuchi (Shiho Nagaoka (voice)), Souichiro Hoshi (Masashi Sato (voice)), Rumi Kasahara (Lemmy Miyauchi (voice)), Eriko Fujimaki (Sayuri (voice)), Takayuki Arai (Imai (voice)), Masaya Takatsuka (Clerk (voice)), Akiko Kimura (Student (voice)), Yui Horie (Student (voice)), Mie Sonozaki (Student (voice)), Harunori Miyata (Student (voice))

This episode is on the same level as the rest of this series. Here the main characters start to organize a christmas party.
This episode takes focus on Shiho's interest in Hiroyuki. Probably to build up to a love triangle to resolve for the next episode which is the series finale. But I have the feeling, that not much will get resolved, as it would not match the slow pace of the rest of the series. Also there already exists a follow-up series, which probably needs the same starting ground. But I will see soon, if that is the case.


13. On a Day of Snow (1999-06-24)
Writer: AQUAPLUS (Original Material By), Hiroshi Yamaguchi (Screenwriter)
Director: Naohito Takahashi
Cast: Ayako Kawasumi (Akari Kamigishi (voice)), Kazuya Ichijo (Hiroyuki Fujita (voice)), Chieko Higuchi (Shiho Nagaoka (voice)), Souichiro Hoshi (Masashi Sato (voice)), Aya Hisakawa (Tomoko Hoshina (voice)), Mayumi Iizuka (Aoi Matsubara (voice)), Rumi Kasahara (Lemmy Miyauchi (voice)), Kyoko Hikami (Kotone Himekawa (voice)), Ikue Oya (Rio Hinayama (voice)), Yui Horie (Multi (voice)), Hironori Miyata (Principal (voice)), Chizuko Hoshino (Akari's Mom (voice)), Masaya Takatsuka (Clerk (voice)), Eriko Fujimaki (PE Teacher (voice)), Mie Sonozaki (Announcer (voice)), Harunori Miyata (Student (voice)), Takayuki Arai (Student (voice))

Nothing really gets resolved. Shiho takes a step back to let Akari have a go at Hiroyuki. Akari even gave Hiro a scarf which is almost bold in this series
But beside enjoying a snow fall together at the end of the series, it is not really clear if they end up together or not. But I expected this outcome already.

(From Tom's Random Reviews on December 2nd, 2008)