DVD Collectors Online

Singin' in the Rain, a review by Danae Cassandra

Singin' in the Rain
Year of Release: 1952
Directed By: Gene Kelly, Stanley Donen
Starring: Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Jean Hagan, Millard Mitchell
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Musical

Overview:Singin' in the Rain, in dazzling, restored high definition, featuring an all-new documentary special feature that salutes not just this all-time favorite but also the musical legacy of its producer, songwriter Arthur Freed.

My Thoughts:
This is a near perfect film.  It has a great story, great performances, a lot of chemistry between its characters, memorable songs and beautiful choreography.  It's also a lot of fun to watch.  There's nothing particularly serious here; it's light, romantic and amusing.  O'Connor's "Make 'Em Laugh" is great, and Kelly's "Singin' in the Rain" is classic Hollywood. 

An absolute must-see for fans of musicals, or American film; this is one of the best examples of a big-budget, classic Hollywood musical.  Highly recommended.

Bechdel Test: Fail
Mako Mori Test: Fail

Overall: 4.5/5

(From July Movie Marathon: Musicals (Yes... You read right!) on July 3rd, 2016)

Time Table, a review by Antares

Time Table (1956) 84/100 - It's a shame that this wasn't made by a bigger studio like Warners or Columbia, two studios famous for crime dramas. A few more bucks thrown into the budget and we'd probably be talking about this film in the same breath as Double Indemnity, The Asphalt Jungle or Out of the Past. For a low budget indie, this is a well made noir that moves as fast as the train that the crime takes place on. No unnecessary exposition, just taut action and dialog which sets the mood perfectly. But because it was probably made on a shoestring budget and time schedule, certain scenes seem a bit forced or slightly overblown. A little more money and time probably would have cleared up this small, yet not too disheartening aspect of the film. One funny thing though, when the copter pilot is introduced, I felt a sense of hearing that voice before. Sure enough, when the film ended, I jumped on to IMDB and lo and behold, it was the voice of Fred Flintstone, actor Alan Reed.

What the color coding means...

Teal = Masterpiece
Dark Green = Classic or someday will be
Lime Green = A good, entertaining film
Orange = Average
Red = Cinemuck
Brown = The color of crap, which this film is

(From Antares' Short Summations on November 21st, 2013)

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)