DVD Collectors Online

United 93, a review by KinkyCyborg

Title:United 93
Year: 2006
Director: Paul Greengrass
Rating: R
Length: 111 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Audio Descriptive: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Commentary: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
United 93 - CrewJ. J. Johnson [JJ Johnson]
Gary Commock
Polly Adams
Opal Alladin

Plot:
It's an event that shook the world. Honest, unflinching and profoundly moving, United 93 tells the unforgettable story of the heroic passengers and crew members who prevented the terrorists from carrying out their plans for the fourth hijacked plane on September 11, 2001. As on-ground military and civilian teams scrambled to make sense of the unfolding events, forty people who sat down as strangers found the courage to stand up as one.

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Feature Trailers
Featurettes
Production Notes


Managed to get in another movie before I head off to bed and it was gripping.

The events of 9/11 will never be forgotten and everyone remembers where and what they were doing when they first heard of the planes hitting the World Trade Center. Myself, I was at work when my supervisor told me a plane had hit the Empire State Building... early details were mostly inaccurate and given the amount of chaos that was depicted in this film between the various air traffic controllers, the FAA, NORAD, news agencies and the military I'm not surprised. Nobody was prepared for this... who could conceive it possible? All I know is that day I felt a profound sense of shock, despair and fear, and at the same time a tremendous amount of gratitude that I was living in Canada. I still remember the headline on the Toronto Sun Extra that evening... it read 'BASTARDS!' I couldn't have agreed more.

What actually took place on United 93 before it went down has been left to pure speculation by not only director Paul Greengrass but also to the entire world. Conspiracy theorists have proclaimed that it was shot down by the air force, but given the amount of accounts of phone calls from loved ones who were on the plane in the moments before it crashed in Pennsylvania, I'd like to believe that the passengers and crew did decide to fight back and not let the terrorists complete their mission.

The final 30 seconds of the movie during the clash for control in the cockpit and the plane's death spiral to the ground... right up to it's impact were among the best and worst moments in my years of watching movies. I was holding my breath, heart racing, gripping the arms of my chair and gritting my teeth. When it ended and the screen faded to black a huge wave of emotion swept over me, not unlike the day I came home from work on September 11th, 2001, hugged my wife and 6 year old son... and wept.

I'm not a religious person... but God bless all those poor souls who lost their lives that day.

KC

Rating:

(From KinkyCyborg's Random Reviews 2010 on August 15th, 2010)

Sleeping with the Enemy , a review by Dragonfire

Sleeping with the Enemy



In this suspenseful romantic thriller, Julia Roberts stars as Laura, a young woman who thinks she's found the man of her dreams in Martin (Patrick Bergin). But after they are married, Laura discovers the "real" Martin: compulsive, controlling and dangerously violent. Faking her own death, Laura starts life over in a small Midwestern town. But even with a new identity, Laura lives in fear, stalked by the memory of Martin's brutality-a memory that terrifyingly comes to life when he discovers she is still alive.

My Thoughts

I first saw this movie back when the movie was first released in theaters.  I didn't realize at that time that the movie was based on a book.  I guess I didn't pay attention to the credits.  I did end up reading the book later.  The basic story is the same, though several minor things have been changed.  Some things in the book make more sense and some things in the movie make more sense.

The plot is interesting, though nothing that surprising happens.  Things that happen are predictable, but the movie is still interesting and entertaining.  I think the movie works as a good thriller, though there really isn't much mystery to what is going on.  Suspense and tension build over some scenes, especially later in the movie.  The movie manages to make canned food in a cabinet and hanging towels seem menacing.  There really isn't any action to what is going on, and some scenes do move a bit slower.  That doesn't bother me, but some people may feel differently.

Julia Roberts does a good job as Laura/Sara and is believable in the part.  I think this was one of the first movies I saw her in.  Laura's husband Martin is a complete jerk.  There is an attempt to make him look good guy at first, but there is just something about him that I didn't like at that point even the first time I saw the movie.  Patrick Bergin does a great job with the part, making Martin a horrible character that I hate.  This is the first movie I've seen Bergin in and I've really identified him with the part.  It is hard for me to see him play nice guys because of that.

I have lost track of how many times I've seen this movie.  I still really enjoy it and think it has held up well and is still worth watching.



I did get a review posted on Epinions if anyone wants to take a look.

Sleeping With the Enemy



(From Sleeping With the Enemy on September 3rd, 2010)

Caroline in the City Marathon, a review by Tom

Caroline and the Convict (1995-12-07)
Writer: Ellen Idelson, Rob Lotterstein
Director: Rod Daniel
Cast: Lea Thompson (Caroline), Eric Lutes (Del), Malcolm Gets (Richard), Amy Pietz (Annie), Tim Conlon (Stephen), David Byrd (Officer Bloch), Tom La Grua (Remo), Jimm Giannini (Bum)

A good episode. This series is at its best when doing a lot of sarcastic comments by Richard.



Caroline and the Christmas Break (1995-12-14)
Writer: Michelle Nader, Amy Cohen
Director: James Burrows
Cast: Lea Thompson (Caroline), Eric Lutes (Del), Malcolm Gets (Richard), Amy Pietz (Annie), Andy Lauer (Charlie), Tom La Grua (Remo), Lauren Graham (Shelly), Lorna Luft (Travel Agent)

In this episode Del and Caroline break up and first real signs are shown, that maybe there something between Richard and Caroline. This starts the love-triangle (and later quadrangle) story-arc which will be a major factor in the series as far as I remember.



Caroline and the Gift (1996-01-04)
Writer: Bill Prady
Director: James Burrows
Cast: Lea Thompson (Caroline), Eric Lutes (Del), Malcolm Gets (Richard), Amy Pietz (Annie), Tom La Grua (Remo), Keene Curtis (Mr. Davies), Fabiana Udenio (Donna), Wesley Thompson (Det. Sgt. Weld), Robert Miano (Pauly Brown), Andy Buckley (Rob Rothman)

Richard is painting a nude portrait of a mobster's girlfriend. An okay episode.



See, I am already at a point where I only say "This episode was good", "It was an okay episode" and similar stuff 

(From Caroline in the City Marathon on September 15th, 2008)