DVD Collectors Online

Crazy Heart, a review by Silence_of_Lamb

Summary:
Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges) is a broken-down, hard-living country music singer who's had way too many marriages, far too many years on the road and far too many drinks way too many times. And yet, Bad can't help but reach for salvation with the help of Jean (Maggie Gyllenhaal), a journalist who discovers the real man behind the musician.

My Thoughts:
A movie like a freight-train: Slow and Powerful

In fact this movie is more or less a One-Man-Show, granted, there are other actors and actresses appearing but what makes it exceptional is the performance of Jeff Bridges.
And what a performance this is, Bridges is giving us the down-on-his-luck musician struggling for survival with such an intensity ... it's simply breathtaking.

The, besides the acting of Mr. Bridges, best thing about this movie is what it isn't.
It isn't a movie about an alcoholic drowning in his addiction.
It isn't a movie about an egomaniac doomed to destroy himself and all that love him.
It isn't a movie about a big comeback of an almost forgotten former idol.
And best of all: It isn't a fairytale, in which the ugly frog miraculously turns into a prince.

In the end we find Bad Blake exactly where he was at the beginning of the movie, with just one important difference: In the beginning he had to be there, in the end he wants to be there.

Highly recommended to all but Pete (too much music)

My Rating: (out of possible 5)

(From Michael's random reviews on March 26th, 2011)

The 7th Victim, a review by addicted2dvd

Title: The 7th Victim
Year: 1943
Director: Mark Robson
Rating: NR
Length: 71 Min.
Video: Full Frame 1.33:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital Mono, Commentary: Dolby Digital Stereo
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Tom Conway
Jean Brooks
Isabel Jewell
Kim Hunter

Plot:Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Trailers
Featurettes

My Thoughts:
This movie came in the Val Lewton Horror Collection. Though not what you would consider a horror now a day. It felt more like a mystery/thriller to me. But it is definitely an enjoyable movie. Granted the movie is only 71min long... but it seemed to go by so fast because I was glued to the TV screen... engrossed in this movie. I have to wonder if this movie is where Hitchcock got his idea for the shower scene in Psycho... as there was a somewhat eerie (though only a stern warning no murder) shower scene in this movie. I really liked Kim Hunter in this movie. I will have to see what else I may have with her in my collection. This movie also has Hugh Beaumont of the classic sitcom Leave it to Beaver. I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone that likes classic movies.



(From Addicted2DVD's November Alphabet Marathon on November 7th, 2009)

"Due South" marathon, a review by Tom

1.19 Heaven and Earth (1995-03-25)
Writer: Paul Haggis (Created By), Phil Bedard (Writer), Larry Lalonde (Writer)
Director: David Warry-Smith
Cast: Paul Gross (Constable Benton Fraser), David Marciano (Detective Ray Vecchio), Beau Starr (Lt. Harding Welsh), Daniel Kash (Detective Louis Gardino), Tony Craig (Detective Jack Huey), Catherine Bruhier (Elaine), Jonathan Banks (Garret), Ramona Milano (Francesca), Alex Carter (Agent Ford), Djanet Sears (Caroline Wilson), Mark Melymick (Agent Deeter), Karyn Dwyer (Mary Ann), Bill Macdonald (Kidnapper), Ken Quinn (Chili Cook), Roy Lewis (Manager), Jack Jessop (Cook # 1)

A good episode. Though I am not sure if it's a good idea that they did a Johnny Smith here. Also fun is how Ray tries to find out, if Fraser slept with Francesca.

Rating:

(From "Due South" marathon on July 26th, 2009)