DVD Collectors Online

Gridlock'd, a review by Rich

Title: Gridlock'd

Runtime:91
Certificate:R
Year:1997
Genres:Drama, Comedy

Plot:When their friend Cookie o.d.'s, best buddies and musicians Spoon (Tupac Shakur) and Stretch (Tim Roth) decide it's time to kick their drug habit by putting themselves into detox. But they soon discover that the road to rehab is paved with reams of social service red tape. Spoon and Stretch are just trying to stay alive until they can get treatment. But, between the angry drug dealers, the cops who have mistaken them for murderers, and the people with forms and clipboards, this turns into a task of epic proportions. Thus enfolds their comic adventure to sobriety.

My Review:
At times fairly amusing, but with a cast I was unlikely ever to warm to, this drug/rehab tale is pretty run of the mill and wholly unremarkable. To be fair both leads seemed to gel quite well together, but the subject matter and supposed reasoning for rehabbing was unremarkable.
Paints an horrendous picture of US healthcare, which apparently is quite accurate in that if you do not have health insurance you are basically screwed.
Mildly entertaining, if you happen to be a Roth or Tupac fan you'd proably give this a higher mark.


(From Riches Random Reviews on January 17th, 2010)

Surrogates, a review by Dragonfire

I decided to go see Surrogates earlier this week. 

The movie is based on a comic book series that I haven't read.  It is about people using robot replacements - surrogates - in their daily lives while the people stay at home.  People are more disconnected from each other, even from their spouses.  Crime rates have gone down so much that the is basically no crime anymore.  Then someone uses a weapon that not only disables two surrogates, but kills the people who were operating them.  The FBI investigates and eventually Agent Greer is doing things as himself instead of as his surrogate.

The plot for the movie is very interesting, though I don't think it was developed enough.  The fact that some people don't like surrogates and are against the use does come out, but it isn't explored enough to make that a strong aspect of the plot.  No moral questions are raised about using surrogates.  There really isn't an explanation for how everyone can afford one.  There is no mention of what using one for hours on end every day does to people's health.  It is pointed out that people are more detached because of living through the surrogates, but even that isn't fully explored.  I think the movie would have been stronger if those things had been dealt with.

There is some action and a bit of violence in the movie, but nothing extreme.  The special effects are fine, though nothing outstanding.  The surrogates look attractive, though there is something about them that is slightly unnatural looking.  It is sort of a ..plastic look to the skin and there is a detached look in the eyes.  Not many actual humans are shown.  Most of the surrogates just look like younger, more attractive versions of the people operating them, though some of them look completely different.  None of the characters are developed that well, so they are all rather flat.  There isn't anything impressive about the acting either.

The movie is interesting and entertaining for the most part, but it could have been a better movie if more attention had been given to the plot.

 

I did get a review posted on Epinions.

Surrogates

(From Surrogates on October 3rd, 2009)

"Stargate SG-1" Marathon, a review by DJ Doena

Synopsis: The Hak'tyl have to abandon their base because the Goa'uld Moloc has learned of it. O'Neill grants asylum to them until they've found a new world. Additionally, Rya'c wants to marry one of the Hak'tyl but Teal'c is opposed to this idea. But this gets him in trouble with Ishta.

My Opinion: Very good episode about tradions and role perceptions. I liked it a lot.

Synopsis: With the help of the Asgard beam technology the Stargate is stolen directly out of the Gate room. Shortly after this millions of Jaffa die of no obvious cause. While the SGC is trying to reclaim the Stargate, Teal'c (who is stranded at the Alpha Site) tries to find out what has caused the deaths.

My Opinion: The huge handicap of this episode was "Previously on 'Stargate SG-1'". They practically spelled the punch line out before they had even shown the first real scene. The secret of the death Jaffa was none to the audience and the "VX gas" was immediately classified as "harmless" in one's mind.
I was also sad when the rebel Jaffa died, I liked the guy.


From disc 3 on there are only 3 episodes on each disc. Additionally there are a few episodes not in the correct order, but I will watch them chronologically.

Synopsis: RepliCarter has come to our galaxy and is the bearer of bad news: Fifth has encoded the Replicator blocks that makes them immune to the disintegration weapon. RepliCarter wants to help Sam breaking the code, because she despises Fifth.

My Opinion:

(From "Stargate SG-1" Marathon on April 24th, 2008)