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Rambo, a review by Jon

Rambo ***
3 out of 5

I tend to be cynical about Stallone. Once again he is crapping on earlier movies, insinuating in interviews that Rambo 3 (or even 2) is not what he intended in retrospect. Well, he wrote them, they made the character an icon, and he was always capable of more realism should he have chosen to do so. Strange he manages to do that now when his career was all but over. (see also, Rocky Balboa). He could never have made this, 20 years on, if the sequels hadn't been as dumb fun as they were.

But this is being picky, because right now, we have a pretty good movie in Rambo, that feels more like the first in terms of character, and brings him full circle. It also opens up the debate on screen violence. He was going for realism, but bloody hell this is violent! Rambo for the Hostel generation?

Maybe, but it is only the same realism we've seen in Saving Private Ryan, etc. What is making critics uncomfortable, leading them to call this "offensive", is that Rambo is first and foremost entertainment. Personally, the only problem I have with it is that it may alienate an audience who would otherwise enjoy this outing, but to call it offensive is a serious case of double-standards. Stallone never treats life as a cheap commodity here. He's dialled the character back to the self-loathing monk of First Blood and it emphasises the massive body count as a tragic consequence, not a score-sheet, unlike other action films.

Also, it's easy to be critical, but in choosing Burma he is lifting the lid slightly on an horrendous situation that is relatively unknown. So if the average guy watches this, cheering on the hero has he treats endless enemy soldiers like giant water balloons filled with gore, then makes a connection while watching the news reports about Karen rebels or Aung San Suu Kyi, then that's a worthwhile first step, surely.

Back on the pure entertainment front, I haven't bothered to go on about the plot, because you already know if you have half-a-chance of liking it! Suffice to say, I have nothing against a part 5. Stallone still looks convincing even at 60+! There was an abandoned idea for this outing that could still work, just so long as he doesn't get too successful in the meantime. The successful Sly Stallone can't write for shit.

(From Jon's Random Reviews on July 24th, 2009)

The Day of the Jackal, a review by Antares

The Day of the Jackal





Year: 1973
Film Studio: Universal Pictures, Warwick Film Productions, Universal Productions France
Genre: Suspense/Thriller, Drama
Length: 143 Min.

Director
Fred Zinnemann (1907)

Writing
Frederick Forsyth (1938)...Book
Kenneth Ross...Screenplay

Producer
Julien Derode (1913)
David Deutsch (1926)
John Woolf (1913)

Cinematographer
Jean Tournier (1926)

Music
Georges Delerue (1925)...Composer

Stars
Edward Fox (1937) as The Jackal
Terence Alexander (1923) as Lloyd
Michel Auclair (1922) as Colonel Rolland
Alan Badel (1923) as The Minister
Tony Britton (1924) as Inspector Thomas
Denis Carey (1909) as Casson
Adrien Cayla-Legrand as The President
Cyril Cusack (1910) as The Gunsmith

ReviewThe Day of the JackalThe Day of the JackalReview Criterion4 Stars - Historically important film, considered a classic.

(From The Day of the Jackal (1973) on July 27th, 2010)

Twilight Zone, a review by addicted2dvd

74. Deaths-Head Revisited (11/10/61)
A former Nazi SS Captain returns to the ruins of a concentration camp to re-live the good old days - until his long-dead victims appear to deliver overdue justice!

My Thoughts:
I have seen this episode before... it is a good episode... but not one I would call a favorite. Just a decent basic episode. Attached to the end of this episode was a TV Spot for Gunsmoke. The extras that come with this episode include a Marc Zicree interview with Buck Houghton, an Isolated Score and The Twilight Zone Radio Drama starring H.M. Wynant.

75. The Midnight Sun (11/17/61)
The Earth's orbit has suddenly changed, drawing ever closer to the sun and promising imminent destruction. Or has it? Who really knows how the Earth may be doomed?

My Thoughts:
This is another episode I have seen before... this one I liked quite a bit. Much more then the last episode. Attached to the end of this episode is a commercial for The Refugee Program. Extras included for this episode are an Audio Commentary with Lois Nettleton and an Isolated Score.

76. Still Valley (11/24/61)
A Confederate soldier (Gary Merrill) gets the chance to win the Civil War for the South. But to do that, he must call on a very dubious ally.

My Thoughts:
This was a really good episode. A confederate soldier stumbles upon a book of black magic and must decide if it is worth calling upon the devil for his side of the war. It was another episode that I never seen before now. Attached to the end of the episode was a TV Spot for the series Gunsmoke. Extras included with this episodes are an Isolated Score and a Twilight Zone Radio Drama starring Adam West.

77. The Jungle (12/1/61)
Returning from a business trip to Africa, Alan Richards (John Dehner) scoffs at the voodoo lion curse that was placed on him. Yet soon he will sense that something is chasing him through the streets of New York.

My Thoughts:
This is one of the many I never seen before. This one didn't impress me too much. I mean  it was ok... but nothing really special about it. attached to the end of this episode was a special service announcement about the mentally ill. There was no extras what so ever with this episode.

78. Once Upon a Time (12/15/61)
Woodrow (Buster Keaton), a janitor living in the year 1890, accidentally activates a time-traveling helmet which transports him to 1962 - then promptly breaks down!

My Thoughts:
This one I have seen before... it is one I really enjoyed. It has comedy mixed in... naturally what with Buster Keaton in  it. I liked how the parts that took place in 1890 was like a silent movie... where the parts that took place in 1962 had sound. Was just an all around fun episode. Attached to the end of this episode was a special service announcement for wearing seat belts. The only extra attached to this episode is an Isolated Score.

79. Five Characters in Search of an Exit (12/22/61)
A clown, a hobo, a ballet dancer, a bagpipe player and an Army major are trapped together in an enormous cylinder. They don't know who they are or how they got there. But when the major tries to escape, they finally learn the truth.

My Thoughts:
This is one I saw a year or so ago while watching some episodes during a sci-fi channel marathon. This is a pretty good episode... I enjoyed it. attached to the end of this episode is a TV Spot for Gunsmoke, Extras along with this episode include an Audio Commentary by William Windom and a Marc Zicree Interview with Lamont Johnson.

80. A Quality of Mercy (12/29/61)
A soldier (Dean Stockwell) gets a new perspective on war when he is forced to experience it from the enemy's point of view.

My Thoughts:
This was another episode I never seen before... and a very good one. I enjoyed it quite a bit. I would have never recognized Dean Stockwell if I didn't know it was him going into it. Attached to the end of this episode is a public service message for colleges. The only extra included with this episode is a commentary with Leonard Nimoy.

81. Nothing in the Dark (1/5/62)
An old woman has fought with death a thousand times and has always won. But now she finds herself afraid to let a wounded policeman (Robert Redford) in her door for fear he is Mr. Death. Is he?

My Thoughts:
This is a very good episode that I have seen before. One I enjoyed every minute of. Attached to the end of this episode is a TV Spot for Gunsmoke. The extras included with this episode are a Marc Zicree interview withLamont Johnson and George Clayton Johnson and an Isolated Score.


Episodes I seen for the First time on this set include:

   1. Judgment Night (Episode 10)
   2. And When The Sky Was Opened (Episode 11)
   3. What You Need (Episode 12)
   4. I Shot an Arrow into the Air (Episode 15)
   5. The Hitch-Hiker (Episode 16)
   6. The Purple Testiment (Episode 19)
   7. Elegy (Episode 20)
   8. Mirror Image (Episode 21)
   9. A World of Difference (Episode 23)
  10. Long Live Walter Jameson (Episode 24)
  11. People Are Alike All Over (Episode 25)
  12. Execution (Episode 26)
  13. The Big Tall Wish (Episode 27)
  14. A Nice Place to Visit (Episode 28)
  15. Nightmare as a Child (Episode 29)
  16. The Chaser (Episode 31)
  17. Mr. Bevis (Episode 33)
  18. The Mighty Casey (Episode 35)
  19. A World of his Own (Episode 36)
  20. The Man in the Bottle (Episode 38)
  21. A Thing About Machines (Episode 40)
  22. The Howling Man (Episode 41)
  23. A Most Unusual Camera (Episode 46)
  24. Dust (Episode 48)
  25. Back There (Episode 49)
  26. The Whole Truth (Episode 50)
  27. Twenty-Two (Episode 53)
  28. The Odyssey of Flight 33 (Episode 54)
  29. Static (Episode 56)
  30. The Rip Van Winkle Caper (Episode 60)
  31. The Silence (Episode 61)
  32. Shadow Play (Episode 62)
  33. The Mind and the Matter (Episode 63)
  34. Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up (Episode 64)
  35. The Arrival (Episode 67)
  36. The Mirror (Episode 71)
  37. Still Valley (Episode 76)
  38. The Jungle (Episode 77)
  39. A Quality of Mercy (Episode 80)

(From Twilight Zone on April 2nd, 2008)