DVD Collectors Online

Léon, a review by DJ Doena

January, 5th

Synopsis:My Opinion:The Fifth Element.


(From DJ Doena's movie watchings 2009 on January 5th, 2009)

Lost Horizon (1973), a review by GSyren

Lost Horizon (851789-003375)

United States 1973 | Released 2012-12-04 on Bluray from Twilight Time

149 minutes | Aspect ratio Non-anamorphic 2.40:1 | Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Music Only DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

Directed by Charles Jarrott and starring Peter Finch, Liv Ullmann, Sally Kellerman, George Kennedy, Michael York

My thoughts about Lost Horizon:

For a very long time I did not know that there was a remake of Lost Horizon. It was only when I checked someone's films (it may have been Liv Ullman) on IMDb that I learned of it. I also learned that it had quite a bad reputation, but it still intrigued me. So when Twilight Time released it on blu-ray, I could not resist. Now, watching it was an interesting experience. It's not the worst film I have ever seen. I have seen some truly awful films. But it is probably the worst musical I have ever seen. The late, great, Roger Ebert put it so well that I feel I have to quote him: How true! With one or two exceptions, the song and dance numbers are truly awful and excruciatingly boring. Actually, the only number that I liked was Bobby Van doing a song and dance with a group of small kids. And I liked the kids better than Van. This was Hermes Pan's penultimate job as a choreographer in the movies (and his last in the US). It's obvious that he had lost the touch, and one would have wished that this once great choreographer would have ended his career on a higher note. The best thing I can say about Lost Horizon is that it looks great. Twilight Time has done a very good job with the blu-ray. So if you happen to be one of those masochists who actually like the movie, then you'll want this. The rest of you, beware. And Petejust say NO.

I rate this title

(From Reviews and ramblings by Gunnar on February 7th, 2015)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Marathon, a review by DJ Doena

Synopsis: Kira and Bashir find a ship where a fire has broken out. Aboard this ship are a dying prisoner, a dead and a living guard. The prisoner dies, too and Dr. Bashir can do nothing about it. But the guard isn't convinced that this prisoner is really dead. After their return to DS9 it is seems that she has been right and now a dangerous man is loose on the station.

My Opinion: Sometimes they overdo it with technology. We've seen mind transfers more than once in Star Trek and you often need to do a "leap of faith". Often they need - even in Star TrekSynopsis: A new species from the Gamma Quadrant arrives on DS9, but they aren't interested in establishing any diplomatic contacts. They just want to play and what better place than the "Quark's"? But when Quark cheats them they force him to play one of their games and the game counters are very, very real.

My Opinion: I always liked that episode; to see the two planes: Quark, Odo and the Wadi looking at the abstract game board and Sisko, Dax, Bashir and Kira as the pawns who try to find their way out of the mace. But I have to admit that it was not logical that Odo didn't force the Wadi to release the officers. Many people didn't like this episode but I thought it had a nice surrealistic touch.

Synopsis: The Grand Nagus - leader of the Ferengi Alliance - Zek comes to the station to discuss with his fellow "entrepreneurs" the new business opportunities that have opened with the wormhole. But then Zek announces his retirement and names Quark to be his successor because he had the "ears" to open a bar directly at the gateway to the Gamma Quadrant. But soon Quark realizes that being the Grand Nagus is a very dangerous position to be in.

My Opinion:TNG. This was also the first time that the "Rules of Acquisition" have been mentioned, which can be acquired here - every Ferengi must have at least one copy!
This episode was OK, but I like later Ferengi episodes better. That's one thing I also like about the DS9, many species get a much more deeper profile than TNG has given them. If TNG was about discovering new planets then DS9 was about unfolding the characteristics of the species of these planets.

Synopsis: Quark is doing illegal businesses again but this time someone gets killed and the murderer is a newcomer from the Gamma Quadrant. The planet he comes from wants him back to punish him for crimes he's done there, the brother of the murdered wants to see him dead, too and Odo wants to find out if he really knows something about "changelings" as he claims to do.

My Opinion: We've known since the pilot that Odo doesn't know where he's from and that he's trying to find out. I've never noticed before that the story the prisoner told actually sounds similar to that Odo's folk will tell later. But I doubt that it was consciously "planted" here to be used later. Star Trek is - after all - neither Babylon 5 nor Buffy, they just make it up as they go along.

(From Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Marathon on September 21st, 2008)