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The Langoliers, a review by KinkyCyborg

The Langoliers



Title:The Langoliers
Year: 1995
Director: Tom Holland
Rating: PG-13
Length: 180 Min.
Video: Full Frame 1.33:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo
Subtitles:

Stars:
Tom Holland
Mark Lindsay Chapman
Kate Maberly
Julie Arnold Lisnet
Bronson Pinchot

Plot:Extras:
Scene Access
Closed Captioned


Read the novella from Four Past Midnight and loved it so I was expecting this made for tv mini-series to fail miserably compared to the book.

Story of a flight the goes through a time rip which causes everyone who wasn't sleeping at the time to disappear. Those who slept through the phenomena are left puzzled and looking for answers. When the truth becomes apparent they must thrust aside their terror in order to find a way to stay alive.

The first two hours of this three hour movie was very good. Suspenseful and thrilling while developing the key characters along the way. Then the 'Langoliers' appear and I was completely disgusted.  The book describes them as rolling black masses that just envelop everything in their path until there is nothing left. The movie portrays them as vicious, thrashing entities with rows of jagged teeth and a hunters instinct. These idiotic computer generated 'things' almost ruined the entire movie for me after a stellar start. I was so thankful when that segment was over.

A decent cast led by David Morse, all in turn tell their stories. Bronson Pinchot was great as the crazed Toomey. It was nice to see him in a different role than the fruits he usually plays. I immediately remembered the robotic ripping of the paper his character did in the book and he absolutely nailed the detachment that was described in King's story.

The movie finished up strong although I was almost expecting a dark turn that deviated from the book, not unlike the way The Mist ended but it didn't happen. Oh and King made his mandatory cameo in this one as well... during a hallucinogenic vision. Seems appropriate. 

KC



Rating:

(From KinkyCyborg's Random Reviews 2010 on January 8th, 2011)

The Old Dark House, a review by Danae Cassandra

The Old Dark House
Year of Release:  1932
Directed By:  James Whale
Starring:  Boris Karloff, Melvyn Douglas, Charles Laughton, Lilian Bond
Rating:  Not Rated

Overview:
Weary travelers find shelter in a mysterious Welsh manor in this definitive "Old Dark House" thriller and cult movie favorite by horror pioneer James Whale (the director of Frankenstein, The Invisible Man and The Bride of Frankenstein, and subject of the recent film Gods and Monsters).

Greeted with an animal-like grunt by the mansion's hideously scarred butler (Boris Karloff), three disoriented voyagers (Melvyn Douglas, Raymond Massey and Lillian Bond) find themselves in the unwelcoming company of the psychotic Femm family, whose members include a religious fanatic obsessed with mortality and other matter of the sinful flesh (Eva Moore), her browbeaten brother (Ernest Thesiger), and a scripture-quoting homicidal pyromaniac (Brember Wills)... all watched over by their androgynous, 102-year-old father (Elspeth "John" Dudgeon). Relieving the story's overwhelming weirdness are Charles Laughton and a young Gloria Stuart (Titanic) as two confused visitors to the strange estate.

As witty and surprising as it is darkly unsettling, The Old Dark House is a ghoulishly delightful treat, a one-of-a-kind macabre comedy blanketed with rain-soaked, gothic eeriness orchestrated by one of the foremost directors of the American horror film.

My Thoughts:
Another great little film.  I enjoyed this one as much as Island of Lost Souls, though I think Island is the better film (if by a slim margin).  We have Laughton here again, in a completely different character.  He was a great, versatile actor.  We also have another classic horror heavyweight, Boris Karloff, doing a wonderfully menacing turn as Morgan.  In fact the entire ensemble cast is good, creating unique, and often eccentric characters, even if I did think Gloria Stuart's character was incredibly silly and stupid and I didn't sympathize with her at all. The really great things about the film are the cinematography (this really is an old, dark house), and the dry, witty, darkly humorous dialogue.  Highly recommended if you like old films or classic horror.

Bechtel Test:  Pass

Overall:  4/5

(From Danae's 2012 Horror on October 2nd, 2012)

Pete's Pilots, a review by addicted2dvd

The Incredible Hulk


The Incredible Hulk (Pilot)
In this thrilling two- hour movie, Dr. David Banner inadvertantly exposes himself to a high amount of gamma radiation and is horrified to discover that in moments of frustration and anger he is transformed into the incredibly powerful Hulk. Susan Sullivan guest stars.

My Thoughts:
This was always one of my favorite shows at the time it originally aired. I still enjoy it very much. I like this origin story they made... even if it don't stay accurate to the comics.  At this point I have the first 2 seasons as well as all the TV movies in my collection. But I do hope to get the final 3 seasons eventually.

My Rating:

(From Pete's Pilots on February 10th, 2010)