DVD Collectors Online

Pom Poko, a review by dfmorgan

Title: Pom Poko
Original Title: Heisei tanuki gassen pompoko
Year: 1994
Director: Isao Takahata
Rating: PG
Length: 119 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, Japanese: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo
Subtitles: English

Stars:
Kokontei Shinchou
Makoto Nonomura
Takehiro Murata
Shigeru Izumiya
Nijiko Kiyokawa

Plot:Extras:
Scene Access
Feature Trailers
Bonus Trailers
Gallery
Storyboard Comparisons
Closed Captioned



Although not a Hayao Miyazaki film this has the environment and ecology at its heart. Expansion of Tokyo is having an adverse affect on the woods, forests and hills surrounding the city. Although all creatures are affected by the changes none are hit more than the tanuki or raccoons as Disney called them, the Japanese actually call the tanuki raccoon dogs. The raccoons used to live harmoniously with the farmers and villagers keeping pests down and eating up scraps but the incursion of the city has caused the locals to leave and the animals to fight over what scraps can be had. The raccoons revive the the art of transformation so that they can become goblins and beasties to haunt the sites. They also pass themselves of as humans and effect damage to the construction sites. Everything seems to come to naught though when following one of their biggest hauntings an amusemnet park owner claims the credit. Will the raccoons recover from this setback? Yes and no is the answer.

A piece of minor background to the Disney version of this film. Back in my review of Only Yesterday I said that Disney were informed by Studio Ghibli that they were allowed to change the wording of the films providing that they kept to the meaning behind them. This film contains a major rewording that upset some hardcore anime fans. In the Japanese language and also within the English subtitles references are made to testicles but in the English language and Hard of Hearing captions the testicle references are changed to pouches.

A very enjoyable film again from Studio Ghibli and a 4

(From dfmorgan's Studio Ghibli Marathon on July 18th, 2010)

Annabelle, a review by addicted2dvd

Annabelle (2014/United States) IMDb |Wikipedia |Trailer | Warner Home Video (United States) Director: John R. Leonetti Writing: Gary Dauberman (Writer) Length: 99 min. Video: Widescreen 2.40:1 Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Portuguese: Dolby Digital: 5.1 Subtitles: English, French, Portuguese, Spanish

---

Stars:
Annabelle Wallis as Mia
Ward Horton as John
Tony Amendola as Father Perez
Alfre Woodard as Evelyn
Kerry O'Malley as Sharon Higgins

Plot:Extras:

• Scene Access
• Bonus Trailers
• Deleted Scenes
• Featurettes
• Digital Copy

While I enjoyed this one, I found it to not be quite as good as The Conjuring, I just found my intrest drift off the movie with some scenes. But definitely worth the time out in to watch it.



(From Horror/Halloween Marathon 2023 on September 22nd, 2023)

Smallville Marathon, a review by addicted2dvd

5. Run
After Jonathan's wallet is stolen, Clark super-speeds after the thief but is stunned when he cannot catch him. The thief, Bart, a.k.a. The Flash, later shows up at the farm and tries to talk Clark into leaving Smallville for a life on the road together, flexing their super powers.

My Thoughts:
Definitely one of my favorites... the first other DC Comics superhero shows up in Smallville... The Flash! Was a fun episode... seeing him start out as a thief was a little weird to me... but that is cool... I think the storyline worked out great.

6. Transference
Clark hears a painful ringing sound in his ears and is drawn to the prison where Lionel is being held. When he sees Lionel attempt to stab Lex with a strange glowing stone, Clark grabs for the stone causing the two men to switch bodies.

My Thoughts:
I actually enjoyed this one more then I expected to. I thought they did a good job on the story. but I wouldn't say it is a favorite of mine... just a good basic episode that brings the main arc further along.

7. Jinx
Chloe is drawn into an underground gambling ring at school run by foreign exchange student Mikail Mxyzptlk and loses her savings on a football game after Mxyzptlk uses his powers to control all the players - including Clark.

My Thoughts:
This one didn't impress me all that much... I mean it was ok... but I was left feeling disappointed... mainly because they changed the character Mxyzptlk too much. He was supposed to be a prankster being from another dimension... not some exchange student with a hidden ability.

8. Spell
After Lana reads from a spell book written in the 1600s, she, Lois and Chloe become possessed by witches that had been burned at the stake. The three witches have come back seek revenge and search for the powerful Kryptonian crystals, wreaking havoc on the town in the process.

My Thoughts:
This is an episode that I know most people didn't like... but I enjoyed every minute of it.I thought the story-line was a fun one... and the fact that all 3 of the girls looked absolutely HOT while being possessed by the witches didn't hurt matters either!

(From Smallville Marathon on August 8th, 2007)