DVD Collectors Online

Clerks, a review by addicted2dvd

Clerks: Widescreen Collector's Series (1994/United States) Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Miramax Home Entertainment Director: Kevin Smith Writing: Kevin Smith (Writer) Length: 92 min. Rating: Rated R : Extensive Use of Extremely Explicit Sex-related Dialogue Video: Widescreen 1.85:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles: English

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Stars:
Brian O'Halloran as Dante
Jeff Anderson as Randal
Marilyn Ghigliotti as Veronica
Lisa Spoonhauer as Caitlin
Jason Mewes as Jay
Kevin Smith as Silent Bob

Plot:Extras:

• Scene Access
• Audio Commentary
• Feature Trailers
• Deleted Scenes
• Music Videos
• Closed Captioned

This is a movie several people told me was good and that I need to see it. So I was thrilled when it showed up in a recent box of DVDs that was given to me. I recently watched a couple episodes of Kevin Smith's TV Series Comic Book Men... and that reminded me that I had this movie to watch. I went into this one hoping I didn't have my expectations up too high. The first thing I noticed... that I didn't realize till now is that this movie was filmed in Black and White. I found this to just be a fun movie. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I have been both a convenient store and a video store clerk at some point in my life.... but I was able to relate to some of the things these clerks were saying... and I just got a kick out of some of the over the top  situations. I am glad I finally got around to checking this one out. I especially got a kick out of Randal's rant on Return of the Jedi and when he was ordering porn titles for the video store. After seeing this movie I need to see if I can get my hands on Clerks II.




(From The Movies from Within My Lifetime: 2012 Edition on February 24th, 2012)

Hellboy, a review by Jon

Hellboy
4 out of 5



When a Nazi mystical experiment goes awry in 1944, the target of a wizard's spell, the child of Satan, Hellboy, is wrenched from his home, and adopted by the U.S. agents who intercept his arrival.

Hellboy is a wonderfully inventive and entertaining film, though it’s a hard sell and many novice viewers will be left scratching their heads. You have to “get” this film to have any chance of liking it! For me, I was familiar with the marvellous comics by Mike Mignola and he was heavily involved in the films development, so it’s all good.

It’s madder than a box of frogs and Guillermo Del Toro is the perfect director for something akin to Men In Black on drugs. It’s visually dazzling, but exciting too, as he is an accomplished action director. It’s more fantasy than anything else, but its tale of prophecies and demons makes it a bona fide horror too and Del Toro has a better understanding of classic horror than any other director working at the moment (one of his many upcoming films is a remake of Frankenstein).

The story is typical comic book stuff. The Nazi’s are messing with the occult and summon a demon. Unfortunately for them, said demon is a just a kid and is raised by the Government (specifically John Hurt’s kindly professor) as a member of a special task force to deal with paranormal. The problem is, Hellboy is part of a prophecy and his effective stone right hand is actually a key that could end the world!

Phew. What makes the film and comic so entertaining are the incredible characters, who are very human despite their appearance. The bruising unstoppable hulk that is Hellboy (Ron Perlman, having the time of his life), is actually a petulant, overgrown lovesick teenager, always in trouble with his “Dad” and pining after Selma Blair’s fiery (literally) Liz. It’s very much a sitcom at heart and it works very well indeed. So long as you are already on its wavelength! So the moment a corpse is resurrected to get directions and ends up in a hilarious argument with our hero will either be the moment you become a fully paid-up member of the Hellboy fan-club or you scream in frustration!

The villains are just as fantastic as the heroes, especially the clockwork assassin, and the ending is suitably serious, so far as something like this can be. The film is let down by concessions to making it marketable, such as the very human new-comer to the team (although the long-suffering boss is great). It’s a lazy plot device that hampers the film, but overall, it’s big and funny, just like its lead character.


(From Jon's Marathon of Horror! 2009 on November 1st, 2009)

"Due South" marathon, a review by Rick

Juliet is Bleeding
Pretty intense episode mostly centered around Ray. Not must from Fraser in this one, or any of the other regulars really. Nice work from Carrie-Anne Moss.

Rating:

(From "Due South" marathon on August 13th, 2009)