DVD Collectors Online

White Oleander, a review by Rich

Title: White Oleander

Runtime:109
Certificate:PG-13
Year:2002
Genres:Drama

Plot:Oleander can be poisonous. So can a mother's love. Flamboyant, self-centered Ingrid is jailed for the murder of her lover. Yet she still controls the life of her impressionable 15-year-old daughter Astrid.
Based on the popular bestseller by Janet Fitch, White Oleander traces Astrid's remarkable journey to independence. Alison Lohman portrays Astrid, struggling to get a foothold in life as she copes with her manipulative mother (Michelle Pfeiffer) and with the challenges of living in a succession of foster homes (Robin Wright Penn and Renée Zellweger play two of the foster mothers). Energized by the real and revealing performances of a stellar cast, White Oleander bewitches – and haunts – from beginning to end.

My Review:
Hard to describe this film, very grim but at the same time compelling, depressing but memorable, agonising but uplifting.
A host of female stars perform throughout the movie, but the star of the film is left to the main lead Alison Lohman, who superbly handles a very difficult and emotional part and never appears overawed in such lofty company. Pfeiffer is unusually gritty and severe as the domineering and at times heartless mother, who the viewer slowly hates more and more through the storytelling.
A steady methodical pace helps a sympathetic direction, and the emotional setbacks through murder, suicide, abuse and foster homes are not overwrung, so you never tire of the material.
A realistically tough tale of a mother/daughter relationship, above average fare.


(From December Marathons - DISCUSSION AND REVIEW THREAD on December 9th, 2009)

Tremors, a review by Dragonfire

Tremors



Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward star as two country handymen who lead a cast of zany characters to safety in this exciting sci-fi creature comedy.

Just as Val McKee (Bacon) and Earl Basset (Ward) decide to leave Perfection, Nevada, strange rumblings prevent their departure. With the help of a shapely seismology student (Finn Carter), they discover their desolate town is infested with gigantic man-eating creatures that live below the ground.

The race is on to overcome these slimy subterraneans and find a way to higher ground, in this enjoyable thriller co-starring Michael Gross and Reba McEntire.

My Thoughts

This was actually the first horror/monster type movie that I saw.  I remember not being interested in seeing the movie at all when I saw trailers.  Then I saw the movie when it turned up on tv and I really liked it.  Since then I've seen it several times and I still enjoy it.  I love the mix of comedy and horror...which may be why I'm still partial some more...corny horror types of movies.  Some things that happen are a bit cheesy and there is some over acting at times, but it all works to make a highly entertaining movie.  The characters are interesting and I think the cast did well.  The movie isn't that gory, so it is more mild than some movies.



I did get a review posted on Epinions last year.

Tremors

(From Dragonfire's Halloween/Horror Marathon 2009 on October 6th, 2009)

My PILOT Marathon, a review by Rich

Secret Diary Of A Call Girl - Series 1

Episode 1
Meet Belle, a high-priced high-class prostitute who explains her life and her adventures. She meets with her clients and runs into some problems when she breaks her own rules.



Hannah is more than she appears to be in Secret Diary of a Call Girl. Hannah is also Belle, one of the top high class call girls in the city of London. Hannah and Belle have the same common goal; to make as much money as possible while they still can

I was very surprised on how much i enjoyed this, as I had expected it to be just a softcore flimsy series. However it has substantially more substance and interest, a very interesting character lead, and a slick professional production and directive style.
Piper is incredibly sexy, sensual and watchable, and the mixture of various small characters and their 'quirks' works well.
Fascinating little series and certainly recommended at the budget price now available.
 

(From My PILOT Marathon on September 6th, 2009)