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The Book Of Eli, a review by dfmorgan

The Book Of Eli

Year: 2010
Director: The Hughes Brothers
Cast: Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis
Overview: Eli walks alone in post-apocalyptic America. He heads west along the highway of Death on a mission he doesn't fully understand but knows he must complete. In his backpack is the last copy of a book that could become the wellspring of a revived society. Or in the wrong hands, the hammer of a despot. Denzel Washington is Eli, who keeps his blade sharp and his survival instincts sharper as his quest thrusts him into a savage wasteland... and into explosive conflict with a resourceful warlord (Gary Oldman) set on possessing the book. "We walk by faith, not by sight," quotes Eli. Under the taut direction of the Hughes Brothers (From Hell), those words hit home with unexpected meaning and power.

Watched: 3rd Jul. 2010
My Thoughts: An excellent film which I enjoyed very much. I had guessed what the book was from the overview and that was confirmed less than halfway through but the twist with the details of the book and Eli himself I didn't spot coming. Gary Oldman to me seemed to play the bad guy character very much as he did in other films, Zorg in The Fifth Element and the detective in . Denzel Washington played Eli with a laconic, laidback ease but with power when necessary. Mila Kunis I haven't seen before but she came over not too badly. The imagery with the bright sunlight and washed out backgrounds came over well especially with the subtle change at the end when Eli reached his destination. One section I wasn't too sure off was the scenes at the remote farm with Michael Gambon and Frances De La Tour, when Gary Oldman and his gang arrived it reminded me the house shootdown in Clint Eastwood's The Gauntlet.

My Rating: An excellent 4

Dave

(From Dave's DVD/Blu-ray Reviews on July 4th, 2010)

The Day of the Jackal, a review by Antares

The Day of the Jackal





Year: 1973
Film Studio: Universal Pictures, Warwick Film Productions, Universal Productions France
Genre: Suspense/Thriller, Drama
Length: 143 Min.

Director
Fred Zinnemann (1907)

Writing
Frederick Forsyth (1938)...Book
Kenneth Ross...Screenplay

Producer
Julien Derode (1913)
David Deutsch (1926)
John Woolf (1913)

Cinematographer
Jean Tournier (1926)

Music
Georges Delerue (1925)...Composer

Stars
Edward Fox (1937) as The Jackal
Terence Alexander (1923) as Lloyd
Michel Auclair (1922) as Colonel Rolland
Alan Badel (1923) as The Minister
Tony Britton (1924) as Inspector Thomas
Denis Carey (1909) as Casson
Adrien Cayla-Legrand as The President
Cyril Cusack (1910) as The Gunsmith

ReviewThe Day of the JackalThe Day of the JackalReview Criterion4 Stars - Historically important film, considered a classic.

(From The Day of the Jackal (1973) on July 27th, 2010)

Pete's Pilots, a review by addicted2dvd

Highway to Heaven
Jonathan Smith isn't your average helpful handyman. He's an angel with a mission from God, or "the Boss" as he likes to call him. Accompanied by ex-cop Mark Gordon, whose troubled life Jonathan once helped turn around, he travels the world, guiding the lost and suffering back toward the HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN.

Whether helping a young boxer pressured to throw a fight or a veteran's Eurasian daughter feel welcome in America, Jonathan finds a way to bring a little grace and love into the lives of those he touches. And when necessary, he helps things along with a little angel power.

Starring Michael Landon and Victor French, all 24 uplifting episodes from the first season of this family favorite are now available on DVD for the first time.

Highway to Heaven (Part 1)
Working as the new handyman at a retirement home, Jonathon brings pep and vigor into the dreary lives of its residents. However, a nurse's brother, Mark Gordon, doesn't trust the newcomer.

Highway to Heaven (Part 2)
With the retirement home on the verge of ruin, Jonathon reveals his true identity to Mark. It will take some heavenly high jinks to save the day.

My Thoughts:
Another show that I used to always enjoy back in the day.  A kind series... and this show is my favorite work of Micheal Landon's. Yes I always preferred this over Little House on the Prairie. The 2 part pilot is a very good introduction to the 2 main characters of the series. Not only is this a warm and touching drama... it also offers some laughs. One of my favorite scenes in the pilot is where Jonathon (the angel) sees Mark (his soon to be friend) getting beat up in the alley behind the bar. When he runs over to help.... he gets a right cross. Of course it don't effect him... he just looks at the guy and smiles. So then he is hit with a left cross. And to this his reaction is to pick the guy up into the air... look him in the face and say "I turned the other cheek"... and then throws him far across the alley.  So yes... this series does have some fun in it as well. Unfortunately I only have the first season at this point... but I would love to get some more season sets of this show.

My Rating:

(From Pete's Pilots on February 5th, 2010)