DVD Collectors Online

Smoke, a review by Tom

Title: Smoke
Year: 1995
Director: Wayne Wang
Rating: R
Length: 112 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85
Audio: English: Dolby Digital Surround , French: Dolby Digital Stereo , Commentary: Dolby Digital Stereo
Subtitles:

Stars:
Harvey Keitel
William Hurt

Plot:
In the tradition of 'The Big Chill'... William Hurt ('Changing Lanes', 'Tuck Everlasting') and Harvey Keitel ('Pulp Fiction','U-571') head an all-star casting this unforgettably fun and entertaining motion picture! A group of people's lives intertwine when a New York cigar store manager, Auggie (Keitel), befriends them. Among them is a writer...who can't write (Hurt), a reluctant father...hiding from his past (Forest Whitaker - 'Panic Room'), a streetwise teen...with an unusual identity crisis, and Auggie's long-lost ex-girlfriend (Stockard Channing - TV's 'The West Wing', 'Life Or Something Like It')...who returns with some surprising news! Critics and audiences hailed SMOKE for its offbeat humor, unexpected wit and dazzling performances - you'll cheer it too!

Extras:
Closed Captioned
Commentary
Deleted Scenes
Featurettes
Scene Access


Well acted story around a cigar store owner. I got the impression, that they were trying to do something similar to Clerks. Could definetaly be, as the studio who bought the rights to Clerks is the same producing this picture (Miramax).

Rating:

(From Tom's Random Reviews on March 16th, 2008)

Titanic (1943), a review by Tom

Title: Titanic
Year: 1943
Director: Herbert Selpin
Rating: FSK-12
Length: 85 Min.
Video: Full Frame 1.33:1
Audio: German: Dolby Digital Mono
Subtitles: German

Stars:Extras:
Featurettes
Scene Access
Trailers

This is the oldest Titanic movie I have and I think it is the first talkie about the Titanic disaster. It was produced in Nazi Germany in 1942.
Besides the fact that the movie blames the greed of the capitalistic Britain for causing the disaster by having the Titanic go at full speed despite the ice warnings, this movie is quite similar to later attempts.
Many elements of Cameron's Titanic can already seen here.
For its time the movie had great effects. Not once is there is a scene which looked cheap.

Rating:

(From Titanic Marathon on May 31st, 2009)

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

01. The Freshman (1999-10-05)
Writer: Joss Whedon (Writer)
Director: Joss Whedon
Cast: Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy Summers), Nicholas Brendon (Xander Harris), Alyson Hannigan (Willow Rosenberg), Seth Green (Oz), Anthony Stewart Head (Giles), Kristine Sutherland (Joyce Summers), Marc Blucas (Riley), Dagney Kerr (Kathy Newman), Pedro Balmaceda (Eddie), Katharine Towne (Sunday), Lindsay Crouse (Maggie Walsh), Mike Rad (Rookie), Shannon Hillary (Dav), Mace Lombard (Tom), Robert Catrini (Prof. Riegert), Scott Rinker (R.A.), Phina Oruche (Olivia), Denice J. Sealy (Student Volunteer), Evie Peck (Angry Girl), Anil Raman (Earnest Fellow), Jason Christopher (Nonserious Guy), Jane Silvia (Conservative Woman), Mark Silverberg (Passing Student), Walt Borchert (New Vampire)

As usual the season opener is one of the weaker episodes. But this one isn't as bad. I just find it curious, that Buffy had so much trouble fighting this rather average vamp.

Rating:



02. Living Conditions (1999-10-12)
Writer: Marti Noxon (Writer)
Director: David Grossman
Cast: Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy Summers), Nicholas Brendon (Xander Harris), Alyson Hannigan (Willow Rosenberg), Seth Green (Oz), Anthony Stewart Head (Giles), Dagney Kerr (Kathy Newman), Adam Kaufman (Parker Abrams), Clayton Barber (Demon 1), Walt Borchert (Demon 2), Roger Morrissey (Tapparich), David Tuchman (Freshman)

I never really cared for this episode. I didn't like the whole evil roommate storyline.

Rating:

(From Tom's Buffy and Angel Marathon on July 23rd, 2009)