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The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, a review by dfmorgan

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Part of

The Spaghetti Western Trilogy

Year: 1966
Director: Sergio Leone
Cast: Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, Eli Wallach
Overview: Sergio Leone's The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is even gutsier on Blu-ray!

With a saddlebag full of special features, including commentaries, featurettes, deleted scenes and more, it's the most exciting version of this groundbreaking western available! The inimitable "Man With No Name" (Clint Eastwood) teams up with two gunslingers (Lee Van Cleef and Eli Wallach) to pursue a fortune in stolen gold. But teamwork doesn't come naturally to the outlaws, and they soon discover that their greatest challenge is to stay alive in a country ravaged by war. Forging a vibrant and yet detached style of action never before seen and not matched since, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly shatters the western mold in true Eastwood style!

Watched: 20th Jun 2010
My Thoughts: The third film in the trilogy and to my mind the best one. Like For A Few Dollars More this film is not actually part of a Sergio Leone trilogy even though Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef may look like the characters in that film. This is one film I do enjoy watching and again the music forms an important part in setting the scenes and making the moods along with the individual motifs for the lead roles. Upgrade worthy again a yes, this time the video didn't have the grain of the previous two although there did appear to be a strange effect on the faces of the 3 gunslingers at the beginning of the film when their faces were in close-up. The audio is DTS HD-MA 5.1 once more with limited sound placement.

My Rating: A very enjoyable 5

Dave

(From Dave's DVD/Blu-ray Reviews on June 20th, 2010)

Echelon Conspiracy, a review by KinkyCyborg

Echelon Conspiracy



Title:Echelon Conspiracy
Year: 2009
Director: Greg Marcks
Rating: PG-13
Length: 105 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Shane West
Edward Burns
Ving Rhames
Jonathan Pryce
Sergey Gubanov

Plot:
When Max Peterson (Shane West) receives a series of mysterious cell phone messages that promise him untold wealth, he soon finds himself the victim of a deadly international plot. Chased by a lethal team of government operatives, Max races across the planet in a desperate attempt to unravel a conspiracy that threatens the stability of the entire world. Edward Burns, Ving Rhames and Martin Sheen co-star in this techno-charged edge-of-your-seat action thriller!

Extras:
Scene Access
Bonus Trailers



Good cast and above average action but when watching the trailer for this movie you can't help think it's a poor man's Eagle Eye which ironically was one of the preview trailers on the dvd. Same premise of an unknown entity making mysterious calls to an apparently random victim and pulling their strings.

Again it was entertaining enough but I thought the way the computer geek played a Jedi mind trick on the super computer that became self aware was a little too convenient and cheesy. Almost like it was playing homage to the ending of Wargames. Also the Russian bit at the end made for a muddled conclusion that just raised some unanswered questions.

Good popcorn action but completely bereft of originality.

KC


Rating:

(From KinkyCyborg's Random Reviews 2011 on September 5th, 2011)

Tom's Buffy and Angel Marathon, a review by Tom

Buffy the Vampire Slayer
7.12 Potential
Writer: Rebecca Rand Kirshner (Screenwriter)
Director: James A. Contner
Cast: Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy Summers), Nicholas Brendon (Xander Harris), Emma Caulfield (Anya), Michelle Trachtenberg (Dawn Summers), James Marsters (Spike), Alyson Hannigan (Willow), Tom Lenk (Andrew), Iyari Limon (Kennedy), Clara Bryant (Molly), Indigo (Rona), James C. Leary (Clem), Sarah Hagan (Amanda), Felicia Day (Vi), Derek Anthony (Imposing Demon)

The obvious storyline they had to do. Let Dawn think she is a potential. There is one argument for her not liking it, which really bothered me. She said, for her to be activated, her sister would have to die. Why do they always forget, that it would have to be who has to die for the next slayer to be called? The slayer line now runs with Faith. Only the first time that Buffy died, a new slayer was activated. This was Kendra and after her death, Faith was called. No new slayer was called after Buffy died the second time.

Rating:


Buffy the Vampire Slayer
7.13 The Killer In Me
Writer: Drew Z. Greenberg (Screenwriter)
Director: David Solomon
Cast: Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy Summers), Nicholas Brendon (Xander Harris), Emma Caulfield (Anya), Michelle Trachtenberg (Dawn Summers), James Marsters (Spike), Alyson Hannigan (Willow), Anthony Stewart Head (Giles), Adam Busch (Warren), Tom Lenk (Andrew), Iyari Limon (Kennedy), Elizabeth Anne Allen (Amy), Megalyn Echikunwoke (Vawn), Rif Hutton (Initiative Leader), Terence Bernie Hines (Shop Keeper), Anna Maria Maccarrone (Waitress)

Willow and Kennedy get closer and Willow gets turned into Warren. A fun episode. And it never bothered me, that Willow and Kennedy hooked up. The Willow/Tara fans obviously were upset about this.

Rating:


Buffy the Vampire Slayer
7.14 First Date
Writer: Jane Espenson (Screenwriter)
Director: David Grossman
Cast: Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy Summers), Nicholas Brendon (Xander Harris), Emma Caulfield (Anya), Michelle Trachtenberg (Dawn Summers), James Marsters (Spike), Alyson Hannigan (Willow), Anthony Stewart Head (Giles), Ashanti (Lissa), Danny Strong (Jonathan), Tom Lenk (Andrew), Iyari Limon (Kennedy), Sarah Hagan (Amanda), Kristy Wu (Chao-Ahn), K. D. Aubert (Nikki Wood), DB Woodside (Principal Wood)

An average episode where again Xander's date turns out to be a demon. And how could he write Willow a text message when he was tied up?

Rating:


Buffy the Vampire Slayer
7.15 Get It Done
Writer: Douglas Petrie (Screenwriter)
Director: Douglas Petrie
Cast: Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy Summers), Nicholas Brendon (Xander Harris), Emma Caulfield (Anya), Michelle Trachtenberg (Dawn Summers), James Marsters (Spike), Alyson Hannigan (Willow), Tom Lenk (Andrew), Iyari Limon (Kennedy), Clara Bryant (Molly), Sarah Hagan (Amanda), Indigo (Rona), Kristy Wu (Chao-Ahn), Lalaine (Chloe), DB Woodside (Principal Wood), Camden Toy (Ubervamp), Felicia Day (Vi), Sharon Ferguson (Primitive), Geoffrey Kasule (Shadowman #1), Karara Muhoro (Shadowman #2), Daniel Wilson (Shadowman #3)

Principal Wood joins the gang. A good episode but nothing special.

Rating:

(From Tom's Buffy and Angel Marathon on March 27th, 2011)