DVD Collectors Online

Rush Hour 2 , a review by Dragonfire

Rush Hour 2 Last time they nearly destroyed L.A., now they're about to break China!  Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker reprise their roles as mismatched detectives in this smash-hit follow-up that's even "faster and funnier than the first!" (Peter Travers, Rolling Stone) Reunited in Hong Kong, the two cops look forward to a much-needed vacation.  But their plans go up in smoke when a bomb explodes in the American Embassy.  Suddenly, they're tracking a group of slippery suspects, including a beautiful assassin (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon's Zhang Ziyi) and a mysterious mobster (John Lone, The Last Emperor).  With their irresistible mix of head-spinning action and gut-busting comedy, Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan prove they're the team to beat in this can't-miss movie that delivers the entertainment rush of the year! My Thoughts I don't think this movie is as good as the first one, but it is still enjoyable.  The plot is ok, though it could have been a bit stronger.  Things seem to pick up right after the end of the first movie with James going back to Hong Kong with Lee for a vacation.  Lee doesn't bother to share that he's trying to work on a case.  The basic formula used for the first movie is used again, just with James and Lee in opposite roles for the most part.  James is definitely out of place in Hong Kong.  That does add some humor to a few scenes, but not all of it works because of how over the top he goes.  The action is the same type that was used in the first movie.  It is done well and entertaining.  The action does add a bit of violence, though it isn't extreme.  The characters are fine for the most part, though James is annoying at times.  Chris Tucker can be funny, but he frequently crosses the line into annoying in this one.  He does too much yelling.  Jackie Chan does fine with his part.  My DVD has all sorts of extras on it, some of which can be accessed while watching the movie if a certain option is picked.  It has been a while since I watched any of them, though I think I remember some of them being interesting. Rush Hour 2 has some issues and could have been better, but it manages to be mostly entertaining.  People who liked the first one may find something to like in this one. I did get a review posted on Epinions a few years ago. Rush Hour 2

(From Rush Hour 2 on September 30th, 2010)

Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell, a review by GSyren

Title	Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell (883316-857052)
Director	Terence Fisher
Actors	Peter Cushing, Shane Briant, Madeline Smith, David Prowse, John Stratton
Produced	1973 in United Kingdom
Runtime	93 minutes
Audio	English Dolby Digital Mono, Commentary Dolby Digital Mono
Subtitles	English
Overview	Baron Frankenstein is dead, right? That's precisely what he wants folks to think. He's had it up to here with a public that doesn't appreciate the trouble a mad scientist goes through to snatch good body parts. To carry on his work, he holes up in a place where the possibilities are utterly maddening: a home for the criminally insane. A hand here. A brain there. True to form, the Baron (Peter Cushing) keeps his gruesome creation (David Prowse, widely known for his later portrayals of Darth Vader) in stitches in this sixth and final frightfest in Hammer Films' Frankenstein cycle.
My thoughts
My rating	4 out of 5

(From Reviews and ramblings by Gunnar on November 10th, 2013)

"Friends" Marathon, a review by Rogmeister

I started this marathon as part of my "What Rogmeister's Been Watching" thread...but have now decided I want to go ahead and do this as a regular review of the full series so I'm copying here what I wrote there and will then continue my Friends marathon here.  I've started watching from the beginning, of course, and am curious how long it'll take me to get through all 10 seasons.



"The Pilot" and "The One With The Sonogram At The End".

My Thoughts: I don't feel I need to do too much set-up...everyone knows "Friends", right?  It was a sitcom that lasted a full decade telling us the romances and escapades of brothers Monica & Ross Gellar, Chandler Bing, Joey Tribiani, Phoebe Buffay and Rachel Green.  The first episode has five of the six gathered (as usual) at Central Perk when an old friend of Monica's, Rachel, comes in wearing a wedding gown.  She has run out on her wedding and winds up as Monica's new roommate and (at first) becomes a waitress at Central Perk.  There's more back story which we'll find out about in future episodes.

One thing that's a bit surprising when you go back to these earlier episodes is how thin everyone was, especially Joey.  He was a nice-looking slender Italian...he would beef up a bit in later episodes.  You wonder how a starving actor could look so well fed...lucky for him he lives across the hall from Monica who is a chef.  In the second episode, we meet Barry (the groom who Rachel ran out on) and Carol, Ross' ex-wife who left him because she decided she was a lesbian.  In later episodes, Carol would be played by Jane Sibbett, but a different actress plays her in this early episode.  Everyone is pretty well defined in these early episodes...flighty Phoebe, wise-cracking Chandler, woman-crazy Joey, etc.  I've seen every episode multiple times but it's still a show I enjoy seeing again whenever I have the opportunity.  I always preferred this to NBC's other hot comedy of the time, Seinfeld...and the main reason is that, unlike the Seinfeld cast, the characters here were imminently likable.  Heck, I wouldn't mind if they were my friends.

The One With The Thumb--A lot of little things going on in this episode...Monica's new beau Alan (who everyone loves) might be considered the main storyline....Chandler starts smoking again, and Phoebe gets a soda with a human thumb in it..."...and on the way over here, I stepped in gum.  What is up with the universe?"  I noticed Gunther in the background at Central Perk but at this point, I don't think he's gotten any lines yet.

The One With George Stephanopoulos--Rachel gets her first paycheck which prompts this funny line..."Who's Fica?  And why's he gettin' all my money?"  The girls get together for a pizza party while the guys go to a hockey game where Ross gets injured when a flying puck hits him in the face.

At this point in the series, nothing too serious is going on...it's basically a few small events with a lot of sharp witty dialogue going back and forth.  I think I started watching this show because of Courtney Cox...but the quality of the show kept me tuning in.

The One With The East German Laundry Detergent--In this one, we see how the friends pair off and spend an evening.  Ross and Rachel do laundry together in which Ross brings the title object..."It's Uberweiss!  It's German, it's extra tough..."  This is the episode where Ross and Rachel share their first kiss, after which Ross immediately hits his head on a dryer door.  Another first...we meet Janice, Chandler's shrill-voiced on and off-again girlfriend.  Here he breaks up with her right after she gives him Bullwinkle socks.  What, is he mad?  A fun episode.

The One With The Butt--In this episode, we get to see Joey at work...first we see him in a play, a musical about Freud...hey, Joey has the lead role...and he sings!  Then we get to meet Joey's new agent Estelle.  Joey gets a part in an Al Pacino movie...he gets to be his butt double!  Chandler meets a stunning  young woman at the play...the only problem is she's married...and has a boyfriend.  But she and Chandler start going out anyway!  Oh yes, Joey gets fired because his butt overacts...we also get a  look at how compulsive Monica is.  Yes, all the friends have some weird quirk or another...

(From "Friends" Marathon on July 12th, 2009)