DVD Collectors Online

Gamera: Guardian of the Universe, a review by Danae Cassandra

Year of Release: 1995
Directed By: Shusuke Kaneko
Starring: Tsuyoshi Ihara, Akira Onodera, Shinobu Nakayama, Ayako Fujitani
Genre: Action, Science-Fiction, Tokusatsu, Kaiju

Overview:
Ten thousand years ago, an advanced civilization created the Gyaos to eliminate rampant pollution. However, the Gyaos grew stronger, started breeding and began feasting on humans. For protection, the Gameras were created to fend off the attacks. The onslaught of the Gyaos was eventually halted, and they were forced into hibernation. Despite the best efforts of its people, the advanced civilization was ruined. So, the scientists preserved the last remaining Gamera and bequeathed him to the next civilization, should the Gyaos ever return.

The giant flying turtle is back to protect the world from his old enemy, Gyaos, the giant prehistoric bird who is wreaking havoc on Tokyo!

My Thoughts:
This is the gritty 90's reboot of Gamera, and it's objectively a better movie on every level than any of its predecessors. It's still a fun film, but it eschews the silliness of the earlier films for a much more serious tone. The human characters are actually decently acted and fleshed out. Gamera's design gets a lot better too. He looks much more realistic and much more menacing. Gyaos as well. Bottom line, if you like kaiju films, this is a winner.

Bechdel Test: Fail

Overall: 3.5/5

(From Gamera! on February 28th, 2016)

Buck Privates, a review by addicted2dvd

Buck Privates: Collector's Series (1941/United States) IMDb |Wikipedia |Trailer | Universal Home Entertainment, Image Entertainment (United States) Director: Arthur Lubin Writing: Arthur T. Horman (Screenwriter), John Grant (Writer) Length: 84 min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio: Mono Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

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Stars:
Lee Bowman as Randolph Parker, III
Alan Curtis as Bob Martin
Bud Abbott as Slicker Smith
Lou Costello as Herbie Brown
The Andrews Sisters

Plot:Extras:

• Scene Access
• Feature Trailers
• Featurettes

This is a fun Abbott and Costello flick. Seeing the misfits in the armed forces is always fun. While this one is definitely worth the time put in to watch it... if there is anything for me to complain about... it would have to be a little too much Andrew Sisters. I think I would have liked to have seen a non-musical version of this film. But to be honest... even that didn't really take away from my enjoyment.



(From April Fool-A-Thon on April 30th, 2016)

"Due South" marathon, a review by Tom

3.07 Seeing Is Believing (1997-10-12)
Writer: Paul Haggis (Created By), Michael Teversham (Writer)
Director: Steve DiMarco
Cast: Paul Gross (Constable Benton Fraser), Callum Keith Rennie (Stanley "Ray" Kowalski), Beau Starr (Lt. Harding Welsh), Camilla Scott (Inspector Margaret Thatcher), Tony Craig (Detective Jack Huey), Tom Melissis (Detective Dewey), Ramona Milano (Francesca Vecchio), Gordon Pinsent (Fraser Sr.), Polly Shannon (Judy Cates), Ross Hull (Keith Warren), Bruce Vavrina (Mike Bennet), Anne Marie Loder (Stella Kowalski), Yanna McIntosh (Candace Madison), Susan Coyne (Penny Morton), Sean Sullivan (Dennis Fagan), Mif (Johnny Maigot), Dolores Ettienne (Elderly Woman)

A really great episode. Ray, Lt. Welsh and Inspector Thatcher all witness the same crime, but their statements do not match. Now it is Fraser's job to get to the truth. This episode features a lot of great banter between the characters while they are trying to convince each other of each other's views. And Francesca is trying to get Lt. Welsh to buy a Cappucino machine for the station during all of this.

Rating:

(From "Due South" marathon on January 2nd, 2010)