DVD Collectors Online

Airport 1975, a review by GSyren

Title	Airport 1975 (Disc ID: 1879-BE87-1B75-8D9E)
Director	Jack Smight
Actors	Charlton Heston, Karen Black, George Kennedy, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Susan Clark
Produced	1974 in United States
Runtime	106 minutes
Audio	English Dolby Digital Mono
Subtitles	English
Overview	The nail-biting action continues continues when a Boeing 747 collides mid-air with a small private plane during a cross-country flight. Now without a captain and first officer, it's up to the senior flight attendant (Karen Black) to pilot the crippled plane to safety with the help of Alan Murdock (Charlton Heston) and Joe Patroni (George Kennedy).
My thoughts	Well, Airport 1975 is a movie of its time. Disaster movies were at its most popular, and the 1970 Airport had been a big hit, so the time was ripe for a sequel. So, pack an airplane full of semi celebrity actors, pack a script full of cliches, and go for it. It would be an exaggeration to say that Airport 1975 is a good movie. It's not. But it's not really a bad movie either. Technically it's very well executed. And it's a fun ride. But the script drags it down. The bit with the sick kid (Linda Blair) and the singing nun (Helen Reddy) is just too much. I saw this on opening night in Stockholm (Jan 13, 1975, if IMDb is to be trusted). It seemed pretty exciting at the time. Now, 39 years later, not quite so much. What impressed me most now is how they managed to shoot the opening sequence in Dulles Airport. They must have closed off half the airport. I'd like to see anyone getting permission to shoot a movie like that today. But of course with today's technology they wouldn't have to. No, Airport 1975 hasn't aged well. But it's still kind of fun to watch. Not a total loss. Recommended for disaster nerds.
My rating

(From Reviews and ramblings by Gunnar on February 3rd, 2014)

Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde (1920), a review by Danae Cassandra

Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde
Year of Release: 1920
Directed By: John S. Robertson
Starring: John Barrymore, Charles Lane, George Stevens, Brandon Hurst
Genre: Horror

Overview:
The fifth American screen version, many regard this as the greatest of all adaptations of Stevenson's classic tale with Barrymore's performance being one of cinema's finest (equally as many regard his performance as excessive and place the 1932 version, with Frederic March, above it). Though it is often claimed that Barrymore used no make up for his transformation scenes this not strictly true. The first change from Jekyll to Hyde was achieved by the actor dislocating his jaw and contorting his facial features but thereafter makeup was used.

My Thoughts:
This is a very good film, held up almost entirely by Barrymore's excellent, chilling portrayal.  His Jeckyll is suitably altruistic in the beginning and conflicted, troubled, remorseful - but unable to cease giving in - after his transformation.  Barrymore's Hyde, meanwhile, is as menacing, distasteful and evil as one can imagine - yet still a charismatic character when he wants to be.  It's a fabulous performance, and one can easily see why Barrymore was one of the most celebrated actors of his day.

The rest of the film is up to snuff, if not as excellent as Barrymore.  The script is relatively tight and moves quickly, and the supporting cast are fine in their roles.  If the acting styles seem a bit broad, a bit over-the-top, or the makeup seems, maybe, more than a bit heavy, one must consider that this film was released in 1920, and as a silent film has different conventions than modern film making.  Silent films owe much more to stage productions, where such things are the norm.

Worth watching - both for its own merits and as a classic piece of silent film.  Recommended.

Bechdel Test: Fail

Overall: 3.5/5

(From Month Long Horror/Halloween Marathon on October 21st, 2014)

My PILOT Marathon, a review by Rich

JAMIE AT HOME - THE COMPLETE SERIES 1 - TOMATOES!



Over the last few years Jamie has been spending most of his spare time at home, growing things in his garden and becoming totally inspired to cook with all his own produce. Good food starts with good ingredients and what could be more exciting than cooking something you`ve grown yourself?
This brand new DVD includes all 12 episodes from the series. From potatoes and tomatoes to pumpkin and game, in each episode Jamie make sone ingredient the hero of the show. And if you fancy getting your hands dirty in the garden, there`s some basic planting information and tips that he learnt along the way too.
Full of sunshine, some (occasionally heavy!) showers, and lots of laughter, Jamie At Home sees Jamie where he loves to be, surrounded by good food and full of inspiration for cooking up a whole load of simple, delicious, seasonal and no-nonsense recipes.

Although I am not a great fan of Jamie Oliver personally, I do appreciate his style of no fuss cooking, outdoor barbequing, and the use of fresh local ingredients. Why are cooking programmes like this so popular?, I have no idea but will admit to being an avid follower. This original episode (and at least the next 3 which I also watched) are great viewing leading into summer and I will try several of the recipes and especially the barbequed salmon 
Good viewing if you like that sort of thing.


(From My PILOT Marathon on May 28th, 2008)