DVD Collectors Online

Spider-Man 3, a review by Tom

Title: Spider-Man 3
Year: 2007
Director: Sam Raimi
Rating: 12
Length: 134 Min.
Video: Widescreen 2.40
Audio: English: Dolby Digital TrueHD, English: PCM 5.1, English: Dolby Digital 5.1, Czech: Dolby Digital 5.1, Hungarian: Dolby Digital 5.1, Russian: Dolby Digital 5.1, Polish: Dolby Digital 5.1, Commentary: Dolby Digital Surround, Commentary: Dolby Digital Surround
Subtitles: Arabic, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Norwegian, Other, Polish, Romanian, Slovenian, Swedish, Turkish

Stars:
Tobey Maguire
Kirsten Dunst
James Franco
Thomas Haden Church
Topher Grace

Plot:
Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) has finally managed to strike a balance between his devotion to M.J. (Kirsten Dunst) and his duties as a superhero. But when his suit suddenly changes, turning jet-black and enhancing his powers, it also transforms Peter, bringing out a dark, vengeful side that he struggles to control. He must now battle his inner demons as two of the most-feared villains yet, Sandman (Thomas Haden Church) and Venom (Topher Grace), gather unparalleled power and a thirst for revenge which threatens Peter and everyone he loves.

Extras:
Commentary
Featurettes
Music Videos
Outtakes
Photo Gallery
Scene Access

This movie had the potential to be so much more. Three villians which could probably carry a film each get reduced to some few minutes each. Also the sequences where Peter is possessed by the symbiont were ridiculous (going through the streets like an idiot, dancing like an idiot? Is this the aggressive Peter Parker?). This also parallels Superman 3, where Superman is affected by red kryptonite and has behaving unlike his usual self. And to think that there (one of the lesser Superman movies) it was even handled better than in such a critically highly praised franchise as the Spider-Man movies.
I also remember how the audience was laughing in the cinema where MJ breaks up with Peter, and Peter started crying. Of course this scene was not intended to be funny. And why do we have to have, just before the showdown, Spider-Man in front of a big American flag? Do the filmmakers still have no idea, that this may be received well to some of the American audiences, but outside of the USA it is just groan-worthy.

I hope the next Spider-Man movie is more balanced like the first two were.

Rating:

(From Tom's Random Reviews on January 3rd, 2009)

Last Exit to Brooklyn, a review by samuelrichardscott

Last Exit to Brooklyn (1989) R2 United Kingdom SE

Overview:
From Uli Edel, acclaimed director of 'Christiane F' comes this celebrated adaptation of Hubert Selby Jr.'s controversial masterpiece about a desperate group of people, forging a sliver of hope in a relentless and cruel Brooklyn in 1952.
Strike-wary union leader Harry, transvestites Georgette and Regina, street-wise hooker Tralala, trucker Big Joe and his pregnant daughter are just a few of the tortured souls whose destiny's intermingle one simmering summer. It's a time which sees the tensions of these mean streets finally combust in a volatile explosion of union riots and civil unrest.

My Thoughts:
Movies with various characters whose stories tie in either work or they don't. Last Exit to Brooklyn, based on the book by Hubert Selby Jr., does work and on so many levels. Uli Edel has assembled a cast that put in great performances, from Jennifer Jason Leigh as a prostitute to Stephen Lang as a homosexual union leader, who work together very well from a tight and well adapted script. I have to recommend this film, but be wary if you want something that's going to make you feel good because this isn't it. 4/5

(From Never Ending Movie Marathon (short reviews) on July 28th, 2010)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Marathon, a review by DJ Doena

Synopsis: During his stay at the Utopia Planitia ship yards (prior to his assignment to DS9), Sisko has helped designing and building a ship whose sole purpose was to fight the Borg: The Defiant. It's over-powered and over-gunned for a ship this size but now DS9 needs it. And the feature list has been updated. In the hope to find the Founders of the Dominion without having to engage in battle the Defiant has got a cloaking system - sponsored by the Romulan Empire. Sisko hopes to contact the Founders and show them that the Federation is no enemy of them.

My Opinion: From a diplomatic and tactical POV this was a stupid idea. If you'd want to negotiate with the leaders of an enemy force, would you take your biggest gunship and try to sneak into enemy territory? It would be like taking a B-2 Spirit, landing it on the Red Square and trying to talk to Khrushchev. But I liked the general idea of the Defiant from the beginning. The Star Trekian universe has never been a very peaceful one and the Federation is surrounded mostly by hostile forces. I wonder how many Starfleet ships have been destroyed in the cardassian border wars because they weren't really equipped to fight in a war.

Synopsis: Unfortunately the cloaking system didn't help in the end and when the crew returns to DS9, the Vorta are already there and they negotiate with Starfleet. But Sisko and the others become more and more uneasy because of where these negotiations are going. Meanwhile Kira and Odo are still in the GQ because Odo has finally found his people.

My Opinion:Synopsis: A drunken Klingon attacks Quark in his bar but accidentally kills himself. But Quark tells a story how he heroically killed the warrior in a battle of life and death. And ironically, some Klingons actually want that he sticks to that story, although for different reasons. And suddenly Quark finds himself as the head of a klingon house.

My Opinion: I loved this episode. Quark and Grillka were great together and the clashing of ferengi and klingon culture was also fun to watch. But divorce seems to be painful. And it was nice to see chancellor Gowron again although I have to admit the more klingon episodes I watch the less I can wait for Martok to make his appearance.

Synopsis: Dax begins to behave irrationally and aggressively. Additionally she has hallucinations. Bashir fears that the symbiosis is breaking apart and that they may lose Jadzia. Sisko and Bashir return with her to Trill but the mystery is getting bigger instead of being solved. Something isn't right with one of Dax's previous hosts.

My Opinion: This was an average episode. The 'revelation' wasn't that interesting and the episode hadn't much plot at all.

(From Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Marathon on October 18th, 2008)