DVD Collectors Online

Ban the Sadist Videos!, a review by Jimmy

Title: Ban the Sadist Videos! (2005)

Genre: Documentary
Director: David Gregory
Rating: NR
Length: 1h34
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1:78.1
Audio: English
Subtitles: None

Stars:
Chris Theobald (Narrator)

Plot:
An in-depth analysis of the "Video Nasty" scandal of the early 1980s in Britain.

As an outsider I've always find all that Video Nasty phenomena that happen in the UK ridiculous... in fact it's a good exemple of what happen when the "hollier than you" crowd take control. Here in my province we have one of the least strict film board in the world, everything goes as long as it isn't illegal (those being pedophilia, bestiality or necrophilia) or if they are humiliating for the people involved (and the only one I can thing fitting that criteria is Bum Fight who is always banned for good reason), so we don't ban or cut movie because of violence, nudity or rumours.

That two parts documentary is a very complete study of that case from the start of the video boom untill the end of that over the top case of censorship (and in case it was when you think that movie like The Exorcist were banned in England). Of course you must like talking head documentary since it's what it is, but we got some short films excerpt and archive footages (it's the only way to see how insane was Mary Whitehouse since she was already dead in 2005 and to listen Graham Bright since he was to chicken to appear).

If you are interested by the phenomena this is recommanded. The documentary was done when the "Box of the Ban" set were released in the UK (the first part in the first set and the other in the second one) but those sets are OOP and costly. Now you can get it from Severin Films since it's a bonus disc in their recent release of House on Straw Hill, but if you want the disc you must act fast since it's limited and only included in the first pressing. 

Rating :

(From Jimmy's - 2013 Ooctober Horror Marathon on October 11th, 2013)

White Noise, a review by Hal

Title: White Noise
Year: 2005
Director: Geoffrey Sax
Rating: PG-13
Length: 98 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Commentary: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround
Subtitles: English, Spanish

Stars:
Michael Keaton
Chandra West
Deborah Kara Unger
Ian McNeice
Sarah Strange

Plot:
The year's most disturbing thriller explores the unsettling possibility that the dead can contact us...
all we have to do is listen.

When architect Jonathan Rivers (Michael Keaton) loses his wife in a tragic accident, he turns to the shadowy, unnerving world of Electronic Voice Phenomonon - communication from beyond the grave. But as he begins to penetrate the mysteries of E.V.P., Jonathan makes a shocking discovery: once a portal to the other world is opened, there's no telling what will come through it.

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Feature Trailers
Deleted Scenes
Featurettes

Michael Keaton, as Jon Rivers, is excellent in this movie as he becomes obsessed with a phenomenon known as EVP, Electronic Voice Phenomenon after the death of his wife.  Once introduced to EVP by a man who claims to have been contacted by his dead wife, Jon's life is taken over by his pursuit of further contact with the other side.  He soon learns that there is both good and bad in the hereafter as well, and his wife leads him to discover the grim truth about her own death.  When Jon discovers that he is seeing the deaths of people before they actually happen he begins a crusade to save them.

A chilling and eerie movie based on a supposedly real phenomenon.  Definitely a keeper.

Rating:

(From Hal's 2010 Horror Marathon Reviews on October 8th, 2010)

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles: The Complete Second Season marathon, a review by goodguy

2x15 Deset Cantos
Synopsis: The Connors investigate the company town connected to the destroyed factory and find something startling. Weaver searches for a survivor of the explosion.
My Rating:

While I can understand that from both a conceptual and ethical viewpoint, this episode was a bit of a let down after the previous strong run. I would go as far as saying it is the weakest episode of the season.

I liked that Sarah had to face the wife of the guy she shot at the warehouse, but the girl with the obnoxious boyfriend was merly a plot point, not very engaging. Too much X-Files stuff, dead cows and all. The basement confrontation of our unhappy terrorists with the "sleepwalking" townspeople was a nice note, but felt forced all the same.

It is good that Sarah's hunch was proven right, but on first viewing I was a bit worried about the drone thing. Without spoiling anything, let me just say that the worry was unwarranted. The guy Weaver sent to investigate is dead and at least one person and a piece of technology from the warehouse is still around.

A slightly above average episode that clarified a few things and set some plot points in motion, but was rather unsatisfying as far as the characters were concerned.


(From Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles: The Complete Second Season marathon on February 19th, 2010)