Marios Blog

Watch Superman - The Animated Series, Volume Two (The New Superman Adventures) on Xbox. Movie Title: Superman - The Animated Series, Volume Two (The New Superman Adventures) Average customer review: Superman - The Animated Series, Volume Two (The New Superman Adventures) is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download Superman - The Animated Series, Volume Two (The New Superman Adventures)

Prepare for the ultimate flight in adventure with Superman: The Animated Series - Volume Two. Featuring guest-star superheroes Batman, Dr. Fate and Steel, while introducing memorable villains Bizarro, Mr. Mxyzptlk, Kalibak and Darkseid (”THAT is who I am.”), this 2-disc set (390 min.) contains the 2nd wave of 18 episodes from the series. First-rate scripts and quality voice acting propel the episodes in this collection, which includes the 3-part Batman/Superman classic “World’s Finest”, “Ghost in the Machine”, “Brave New Metropolis”, “The Hand of Fate” and the excellent “The Late Mr. Kent” with a “killer” finale. Another splendid collection of Superman episodes awaits you. Here are the contents of this 2nd super-set:

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Disc 1:
Identity Crisis
Target

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Action Figures

Mxyzpixilated

Double Dose

Solar Power

Disc 2, Side A:

Monkey Fun

Brave New Metropolis

Ghost in the Machine

World’s Finest: Part 1

World’s Finest: Part 2

World’s Finest: Part 3

Disc 2, Side B:

Father’s Day

The Hand of Fate

Bizarro’s World

Prototype

The Late Mr. Kent

Heavy Metal

Special Features:

Video Commentary: “Mxyzpixilated” by Bruce Timm (Producer), Paul Dini (Producer), Dan Riba (Director) and Moderator Jason Hillhouse.

Audio Commentary: “Brave New Metropolis” by Bruce Timm (Producer), Paul Dini (Producer), Alan Burnett (Producer), Glen Murakami (Art Director), and Dan Riba (Director).

Audio Commentary: “World’s Finest Part 1″ by Bruce Timm (Producer), Paul Dini (Producer), Alan Burnett (Producer), Glen Murakami (Art Director), and Dan Riba (Director).

Featurette: “Menaces of Metropolis: Behind the Villians of Superman”: The Origin and Evolution of Superman’s Adversaries.

Well worth the wait, and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Like several other reviewers, I am looking forward to this release. I only recently finished Volume 1 of “Superman” and cannot wait for more episodes.

Just to clarify something a previous reviewer mentioned…the three-part episode “World’s Finest” (cross-over with Batman) originally aired as three episodes of “Superman: The Animated Series” and IS part of this show. The single-disc “Batman/Superman Movie” was released before WB started putting out season sets of “Batman” and “Superman.”

I’m looking forward to the other Batman cross-over episodes, as well as appearances from Aquaman and Green Lantern in future volumes, as well as the great episodes coming in Volume 2.

The True Glory - From D-Day to the Fall of Berlin Streaming. Movie Title: The True Glory - From D-Day to the Fall of Berlin Average customer review: The True Glory - From D-Day to the Fall of Berlin is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download The True Glory - From D-Day to the Fall of Berlin

A good look at one of the most significant events in human history. Enjoyable and informative

Download The Purple Plain Free. Movie Title: The Purple Plain Average customer review: The Purple Plain is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download The Purple Plain

While Gregory Peck heads the cast, “The Purple Plain” is a British World War II film, produced in 1954 by the J. Arthur Rank Studios (and presumably distributed by MGM). So far reviews seem to fall into two camps–people who love it and people who are unimpressed with it. I find myself somewhere between these two extremes. Unlike at least one other reviewer, I will try not to reveal too much of the plot for first-time viewers.

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Mr. Peck plays Squadron Leader Bill Forrester, a Canadian pilot and veteran of the Battle of Britain, now assigned to the Asian theatre of the war, specifically Burma, against the Japanese. Having lost his young wife in the London blitz, Forrester feels he has nothing to live for, and flies his Mosquito missions accordingly. He is reckless, even suicidal, much to the chagrin of his navigator as well as the people on the ground.

The kind Dr. Harris (a “pre-M” Bernard Lee) tries to help Forrester out of his depression by involving him with some of the local Burmese people, including a lovely young woman, Anna (Win Min Than). Forrester becomes captivated with Anna, and slowly regains his self respect and will to live. His survival instincts are soon put to the test. On the next flight, his plane crashes in very harsh, and Japanese-held, territory. Forrester survives the crash along with his young navigator

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(Lyndon Brook), who receives nasty burns, and an older scientist, Blore (Maurice Denham). With limited water, and the blazing Burmese sun, the three men face a harsh fate, with a questionable chance of survival. Can Forrester return to the woman who has rekindled his interest in life, and redeem a tattered reputation with his compatriots ?

Mr. Peck delivers a compelling performance–he remains one of the most watchable actors in movies. I should also mention that fine British character actress, Brenda De Banzie–her role is small, but she leaves an indelible impression as Miss McNabb, the indefatigable Scottish missionary.

The full-screen picture exhibits effective colour–the sound is mono–don’t look for extras.

“The Purple Plain” may not be one of Gregory Peck’s most famous films–nor can it be considered one of the classic films of the fifties. At the same time, I found it an absorbing drama, well-acted by Mr. Peck, Ms. Than and a fine British cast–there is action, romance, suspense and important, universal themes are explored. I am pleased to add this DVD to my collection.

“I wanted to die but I got medals instead.” This is squadron leader Bill Forrester (Gregory Peck), a mosquito fighter-bomber pilot stationed at a makeshift airbase in Burma during WWII. Forrester had met a young woman in London, they’d fallen in love and married, and on the evening of their marriage she was killed in a German air raid. Now he impassively takes enormous risks, sometimes endangering others. He really does want to die. Forrester meets a young Burmese woman, Anna (Win Min Than), and gradually begins to realize that death isn’t the best future he can imagine. He’s assigned to fly to another base carrying a passenger, but the mosquito crashes and he, his navigator and the passenger are stranded in Japanese territory in the middle of the Burmese desert, a desolate place of sun-burnt rock and scrub, with almost no water. His navigator is seriously injured and the passenger slowly just gives up and shoots himself. Forrester finds himself determined to carry the navigator thirty miles to the nearest river where they have a chance of rescue.

It’s hard to give a sense of this movie. The story line is relatively simple and can be described by what it is not. It’s not a war story. It’s not a simple romance. It’s not just the story of a man who finds his way back from tragedy. The atmosphere of the movie — at times a kind of dreamy quality, drenched with color and filmed in some unreal and spectacular scenery — keeps the story both engrossing and understated. The end of the movie, when Forrester finds his way back to Anna, is one of the most delicately filmed scenes of emotional commitment I’ve ever seen.

This is an unusual and first-class movie. According to IMDB, this is the only movie Win Min Than ever made. She is a combination of beauty and shyness that makes Forrester’s awakening entirely believable. The secondary characters are handled exceptionally well. The Scots missionary with whom Anna and many refugee children live is played by Brenda De Banzie, an outstanding British actress. If you have a chance, watch her in Hobson’s Choice. The doctor who befriends Forrester is played by Bernard Lee, another accomplished Brit. The DVD Technicolor transfer is outstanding.

My Review of M*A*S*H. Movie Title: M*A*S*H Average customer review: M*A*S*H is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download M*A*S*H

I have to be fair - this movie and resulting series both have an principal own on my memories of growing up and discovering what was going to perform me laugh in watching TV. I also fancy BD and what it has done for our industry, so I went into this release with ample expectations, and really, I was not disappointed (though it could always be better) . If you already have the special edition that Altman cleaned up, this appears to be an identical transfer with no distinguished changes.

Buy,Download, Or Stream M*A*S*H! Click HereThe portray looks expansive compared to the fresh releases as most of the artifact has been removed and the color has been saturated extensively - but in a suitable diagram. There is an apparent softness throughout, but compared to what the current product was, I don’t mind. The DTS was not the greatest, and the front three channels win all the work. I even tried the football game and some jeep scenes but nothing gets around to the rear channels worthy. The supplements are identical to the special edition release (roughly 5 hours of docus and extras on all the other DVD sets) with a couple exceptions here:
* Composed Gallery - 70 pics that had to be taken from the BD transfer as they are very crisp. Conceal saver grand.
* Complete Interactive Guide: A fun tally on all things done by the characters. When activated, a headshot pic pops up while that person is on hide and a cumulative number appears referencing how many drinks or fights partaken, and/or court martials that should be happening. When there are tremendous volumes of people on the hide the shots grasp up the whole top and bottom half of the region, but it helps hold track of who enters and leaves each scene. Worth doing once you have watched the film and have time to ruin. Customers walking by the screening actually liked this option as it is a nice review of the supporting actors.

Buy,Download, Or Stream M*A*S*H! Click HereThere are subs in Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin and Thai. Dubbed in Spanish and French with an English 2.0 option. A Portguese trailer was thrown in for righteous measure. Overall, the recount turned out nice and the sound better than before, and this would be a nice upgrade if you did not already procure the other dwelling. I noticed considerable more grain on a larger indicate but the smaller LCD panels showcased a solid preservation. Hope you savor.

I’ve been a fan of MASH (the movie, not the TV present) since I first saw it at about age 14 or 15 on DVD. Recently, I’ve been getting into the rest of Altman’s movies, so when I saw the blu ray I knew I had to check it out. If you haven’t seen it yet, MASH is a bit of a (pardon me) mash up of a war movie, medical drama, and Animal House. Okay, it’s really impartial a lot like Animal House. Some reviews I’ve seen online have pegged this movie as being sexist and outdated, but the film is really about the attitudes of a bunch of really talented and really bored twenty something male doctors BS-ing and causing difficulty. Unlike the most of Altman’s other work, this is very worthy a guy movie. I primitive to judge this movie was unbiased effortlessly intellectual and an easy going fine time with a bunch of comical actors impartial doing whatever they felt like. On subsequent viewing after all these years, I can peruse impartial how noteworthy Altman’s distinctive style had already taken shape in his first film. The scene towards the ends of the movie in long shot with Hawkeye getting news from Radar is absolutely amazing in how noteworthy it conveys with no words at all. Even though I mild remembered all the jokes and cringed at the awkwardness of some of the characters, I smooth found myself laughing out loud at some of the more subtle moments.

Of course, these runt bits might have gone unnoticed had I not sprung for the HD version. Again, other reviews on the films recount quality range from decent to melancholy and the loyal result is somewhere in between. Immediately after watching the disc, I popped in the extinct THX mastered DVD, upconverted by my blu ray player. I’ll admit I was a bit surprised. The major predicament with the blu ray is an excessive amount of exquisite on any scenes with white clothing. They give off a glow a few centimeters out from the characters. I first opinion this was haloing, but no, they were objective really intellectual in comparison with the black backgrounds. On the DVD, this execute was a lot less noticeable, but everything else picture-wise was worse. For one, the image was a lot darker, smudging out a lot of heavenly detail. The rest was lost in the digital noise and non-film related pixelated graininess. However, in stripping away the murk on the blu ray, it revealed Altman’s almost vaseline-like filter on the camera and color timing intended to accentuate the drab military greens.

The first thing I looked for on the blu ray was unbiased how considerable grain they did or didn’t leave on the image. Thankfully, they left most of it in, but it does acquire a exiguous overwhelming at times, with it seeming to snow over background scenery. There’s a lot more surface detail on fabrics and the stubble on the actors’ faces stands out a bit more. There’s a scene advance the beginning of the movie with nurses looking into a tent giggling that was less apparent on DVD, since it was so lickety-split and more difficult to read facial expressions. I’m once again going to expose the mantra of almost every reviewer covering HD movies from the 70’s - this is probably the best this movie is going to leer. The main reason I bought this was fair to contemplate what 70s Altman movie can ogle like in high definition. I sing you that now I’m going to absorb out for the HD version of Nashville, instead of buying the DVD.

As far as sound goes… well, I honestly couldn’t say you if it was an improvement or not. I don’t have a surround sound system to really establish the track to test, but I don’t deem there can be that great of an improvement over the 5.1 mix on the new DVD. I do mediate I could follow the quickly overlapping better than I obsolete to, but that probably unprejudiced comes from repeated viewing, rather than a steady technical achievement. All of the extras were ported over from the previous disc, which is suitable, since it was a fairly packed two disc area. However, there’s no steady current stuff to be had. Overall, I’m really unbiased jonesing to look how McCabe and Mrs. Miller, Brewster McCloud, and Nashville have up on the format. It may not explore perfect, or even that capable, but this disc shows unbiased what a puny TLC can do towards making huge murky-looking 70s films watchable on HD sets.

Grey’s Anatomy - The Complete Second Season Movie Streaming. Movie Title: Grey’s Anatomy - The Complete Second Season Average customer review: Grey’s Anatomy - The Complete Second Season is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download Grey’s Anatomy - The Complete Second Season

In under a year, Grey’s Anatomy has gone from a mid-season replacement show to one of the top rated dramas on television. The show consistently demonstrates that brilliantly written characters, a diverse cast, lots of romance, and loads of drama set in the fast-paced world of surgery makes for an wonderful combination. The 27 episodes of Season 2 build on the brilliance of season 1, delivering a knockout performance that is a must buy for any Grey’s fan.

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Grey’s Anatomy is about the lives and loves of 5 young surgical interns at Seattle Grace Hospital. Placed in the most competitive and grueling internship a hospital has, Grey’s follows the doctors as they learn to become surgeons from some of the best in the business. Season 1’s nine episode run saw romance blossom between surgeries with intern Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) and attending physician Dr. Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) as well as intern Christina Yang (Sandra Oh) and attending surgeon Preston Burke (Isiah Washington). Sparks also flew between fellow interns Dr. Izzy Stevens( Katherine Heigl) and Dr. Alex Karev (Justin Chambers) while Dr. George O’Malley (T.R McKnight) nursed an unrequited love on housemate Meredith. Every episode was filled with romance, comedy, drama, and tension.

Season 2 delivers more of the same, beginning with Derek’s previously unknown wife, Addison (Kate Walsh) showing up at Seattle Grace to try to win back her busband, who left her after she slept with his best friend. Confronted with two women he loves, Derek is forced to choose between them, a choice that would have wide reaching consequences. That choice and its consequences have become the central theme for the entire second season. Other continuing story arcs are Christina and Burke’s developing relationship, Izzy’s and Alex’s growing chemistry (thrown for a loop with the arrival of heart patient Denny), and Meredith’s still unfinished feelings for Derek, which in season 2 cause her to do some incredibly dumb things, including breaking fan favorite George’s heart. Series creater Shonda Rimes and the rest of the writing staff don’t shy away from making controversial choices with the plots, as evidenced in the shocking 3-hour season finale.

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Week after week this is hands down the most addictive show on television. This show gets you so interested in the characters, some days you will love them and some days hate them, but you never stop watching them. Thanks to the guys at tvshowsondvd, we know that the 6-disc box set contains over 5 hours of Grey’s extras, including extended version episodes of Thanks for the Memories, It’s the End of the World, What Have I Done to Deserve This, and Losing My Religion, a fan roundtable featurette with the cast answering questions from fans, a Bailey featurette, set tour with Dr. Webbe, tons of deleted scenes, and several audio commentaries. The set is mixed in 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound, with a 1.78:1 aspect ratio. If you have never seen Grey’s, pick up both the first and second season sets. One of the best shows on television and Highly Recommended.

A.G. Corwin

St.Louis, MO

Grey’s Anatomy is one of the best shows I have seen in a Television world filled with way too many reality shows. I will be the first to admit I have never really been in to medical shows. I bought the first season of this DVD set for a couple of reasons. First because I knew it stared Katherine Heigl who stared in one of my favorite Tv shows Roswell, and secondly because I kept hearing buzz and saw how many positive reviews it got here on amazon. Now Grey’s Anatomy The Complete Second Season will be released on DVD this September. Grey’s Anatomy is a show that has just the right amount of comedy mixed in with just the right amount of drama, and those two things along with the great cast take this far just beyond another medical TV show. This show just keeps you coming back for more. Along with Desperate Housewives and Lost, Grey’s Anatomy is another welcomed addition and a great break from all those reality TV shows. According to the press release from Buena Vista/Disney The DVD set of Season 2 will include all 27 episodes on a 6 DVD set, (presented in widescreen with 5.1 Surround Sound) and will include the Bonus Materials below.

*Three Extended Episodes: Exclusive to the DVD are scenes too steamy for TV.

*Fan Roundtable: favorite “Grey’s Anatomy” actors answer fans’ most burning questions.

*Audio Commentaries

*Deleted Scenes

*And Much More

Only You Review. Movie Title: Only You Average customer review: Only You is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download Only You

Who could not love a romantic comedy that takes place in Italy? Marisa Tomei and Robert Downey Jr have very obvious chemistry, and are well matched in this movie. The multiple locations in Italy were breathtaking, and an excellent backdrop.

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One of the best things about this movie was the beautiful setting. It was filmed in Venice, and there were some seriously magnificent shots. It made me wish I could just pick up and go there for a weekend, like Faith and Kate did.

The movie begins with Faith as a girl, playing with a Ouiji board. She asks who her soulmate is, and it gives her the name Damon Bradley. All her life, she waits to find him, but is unsuccessful. Marisa Tomei does an excellent job portraying the naive dreamer, Faith. When a phone call turns out to be a lead on discovering her soulmate, Faith and Kate fly to Venice, hoping to find him…ten days before Faith is supposed to marry the wrong man. In Venice, Faith runs into Peter Wright *literally* who chases her down to return her shoe. The moment she bumps into him, he falls in love with her! Seeing it as his only opportunity to get to know her, Peter (played by Robert Downey Jr.) pretends to be Damon.

I won’t spoil the ending, but I will say this movie really made me smile. It’s a great chick flick for those of us who love romance movies.

What did you think about Some Like It Hot?. Movie Title: Some Like It Hot Average customer review: Some Like It Hot is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download Some Like It Hot

To legal the technical info above, this DVD (both the special edition and movie-only edition) DOES HAVE an English monophonic soundtrack that was originally ancient in the film. Also included is a Dolby Digital 5.1 track, but one wonders if a dialog-heavy film like this should really need a surround soundtrack. Dialogs in both the mono and the 5.1 tracks sound perfectly positive and understable. The surround sound only comes into consume during the occasional music and gunfight sequences. I do applaud the inclusion of the fresh mono track, which quite a few unique DVDs of older movies do not provide in the hope of enticing unusual DVD owners with 5.1 audio.The video transfer looks mountainous — images are provocative, levels of dim scrutinize realistic (you can clearly survey and feel the velvety texture of a dim robe Monroe wears), signs of wear and move are virtually non-existent. The characterize aspect ratio is 1.66:1, which is not the 1:85:1 ratio customary for the modern US theatrical release and for all previous US letterboxed laserdisc releases. The 1.66:1 ratio adds a cramped portray to the top, but doesn’t really affect the composition. The video is also non-anamorphic, so the resolution is not as high on a widescreen TV as it would be with an anamorphic DVD. There is also no English optional subtitles, but there are yellow optional French and Spanish ones.I would have gladly paid a higher note if they had included better supplementary material on the Special Edition DVD, such as the audio commentary and home movies that were set on the Criterion laserdisc made in the early 90s. The extras on the Special Edition DVD include a curious but superficial 30-minute fresh interview with Tony Curtis reminiscing about the film, a rather humdrum 12-minute interview with the actresses who played the girl band members, a segment called “Virtual Hall of Memories” that is essentially a mild gallery, and trailers of 7 Wilder films including SOME LIKE IT HOT; all the trailers are in bad video condition. The most engrossing extra is a reproduction of a pressbook for the film, but the pictures are blurry and the smaller text is illegible. I am disappointed that we never accumulate to hear from Jack Lemmon or Billy Wilder, both quiet alive, on this DVD. These extras are not impressive, so one may deem buying the movie-only edition for a cheaper designate.

Billy Wilder’s most common comedy finally receives the deluxe treatment it deserves. MGM previously released this classic comedy in a nonanamorphic widescreen version a couple of years abet. While that edition looked attractive decent this anamorphic transfer puts any previous editions (including my mighty favored laserdisc edition) to shame. Wilder’s comedy operates as a spoof of gangster films and a comedy about gender roles. Jerry (the slow Jack Lemmon) and Joe (Tony Curtis) are two musicians on the lam when they peruse the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. With Spats Columobo (George Raft) and his men looking for the duo they go undercover as musicians faulty dressing and joining an all female band headed for a gig in Florida. Becoming a woman allows Joe/Josephine to spent time with Sugar (Marilyn Monroe) the latest woman that catches Joe’s savor. Jerry/Daphne on the other hand finds himself romanced by a rich man (Joe E. Brown) who won’t consume the hint as Jerry tries to blow off his advances.
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And you concept the 50’s were tame. One of Wilder’s richest 50’s comedies “Some Like It Hot” continues to be very comical inverting our expectations constantly and playing with the roles that Jerry and Joe steal on with their unusual identities. Joe’s eyes commence the most as before he was a resplendent ruthless womanizer. Becoming a woman puts him in the crosshairs of every male insight and he’s on the receiving extinguish of all the smirks, comments and passes that he would have extinct with Sugar before his change. Wilder mixes social commentary so deftly with comedy (like Hitchcock’s work with suspense and social commentary) that at his best–and he’s at his best here–it reminds us how tantalizing a movie can be without being heavy handed. It’s also filled with some friendly in jokes (for example Colombo played by George Raft observes a thug flipping a coin and comments, “Where did you occupy up that cheap trick? ” Raft of course did the true thing in one of his signature roles in “Scarface” from 1932) .

A big movie looks even better in this enthralling looking transfer. The shadowy and white imagery of the film looks exquisite. Originally Marilyn Monroe lobbied to have the film shot in color which Billy Wilder felt wouldn’t work for this comedy (he persuaded her to agree to shoot in dark and white when he showed her acquire up tests for Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis in color where their invent up as women made them glance slightly green) while the film certainly would have looked gigantic in color the sumptuous cinematography by Charles Lang (”The Radiant Seven”, “Wait Until Shadowy”) looks extremely superb in this astounding looking transfer. Detail is quite gracious and blacks are solid with a nice array of different textures evident in the transfer. Audio is presented in the recent mono and sounds heavenly.
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For those that are into such things the special features here are a sizable improvement over the previous edition. We earn a commentary track compiled from comments by the tedious Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis and I.A.L. Diamond’s son (working with the comedy writers Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel–honestly I could have understanding of better writers to pair with Diamond’s son) . While the insights aren’t exactly a revelation it is an delectable commentary track.

We also earn two terrific documentaries on the making of the film. The first features a mixture of recent and older interviews from the cast and crew. The second documentary “The Legacy of `Some Like it Hot’” is packed with trivia about the making of the film, Wilder & Monroe’s relationship on the position and the difficult time Wilder had making the film with his leading lady including footage shot in the 80’s of Wilder and Diamond.

Finally we derive “Memories from the Sweet Sues” featurette with members of the women who played in the band, an interview with Tony Curtis entitled “Nostalgic Scrutinize Attend” where Curtis reveals that actor/voice artist Paul Frees did great of his impart as Josephine because he had disaster reaching the high instruct. We also earn the imaginatively titled but unimpressive “Virtual Hall of Memories 3-D Tour” The unusual pressbook appears on the DVD as well and we fetch reproductions of various lobby cards. Finally we fetch previews and the unique theatrical trailer.

Far more impressive than the lackluster previous DVD releases “Some Like It Hot” looks solid in this re-release although the film could eye a bit more vibrant. The featurettes are, for the most allotment, very proper and the compiled commentary track adds loads of trivia (some of which is duplicated in the featurettes) about the making of the film. I do wish that a film historian such as UCLA professor Howard Suber had been enthusiastic in some diagram to support provide context for the movie but that’s fair personal preference. A delicate release that could have been tremendous with a wee bit more difficulty on the allotment of Sony/MGM.

My Review of Scorpion Double Venom. Movie Title: Scorpion Double Venom Average customer review: Scorpion Double Venom is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download Scorpion Double Venom

[Warning small spoilers of scenes though not plot.] These (double feature, sharing plots and actresses) movies have neither the standard new-fish-in-big-house WIP movie elements of #701 (first Scorpion movie) nor the magical mythical female avenger of the later parts of #701 and all of Jail house 41 (second Scorpion movie). The actress is is of course beautiful but

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much less memorable than Meiko Kaji (of #701 and jail-house 41).
Rather there are more non-prison scenes which seem influenced by HK girl w/gun movies and MTV. There are still some fun WIP movie bits and pieces, in particular a group Japanese hip bath in the prison, and some modest medical inspection strippings. There are also many sex scenes with varying degrees of nakedness.

These movies are definitely not classic WIPs, though certainly watchable. It also occurs to me that VJs might find the quick cuts of weird flashy naughtiness useful, though I of course do not encourage any copyright violations.

Okay, let me preface this review by saying this disc is by no means classic material… … DOUBLE FEATURE. That means two times the Chiharu Kimatsu than your ordinary CK DVD (not that there are any others at current, but I wish there were). Based solely on the fact that you get two pretty entertaining movies for the price of one, ought to sell those on the fence of a purchase. I will say this: The first part of the double feature is better than the second simply because it’s a simple setup for a story that gets a little out of hand and overexplained in the second part. But what the hell. It’s exploitation, it’s supposed to go over the top. It makes it more fun that way. I’m pretty surprised more people haven’t reviewed this disc. Call up the fellers, crack a few bronsons, and have some whoops and giggles. It’s pretty candy, if you ask me.

Why I hate The Descent. Movie Title: The Descent Average customer review: The Descent is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download The Descent

You’ve got a pretty tight group of girlfriends. You’re a pretty tough girl yourself. You do a lot of adventurous stuff that usually includes mostly just your girlfriends.

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After a year’s hiatus due to a terrible family tragedy, you decide it’s time to hook up with your girls and shake the bad memories on a spelunking outing.

You head to a remote area of the Appalachian Mountains to some charted caves recommended by a spelunking guide, according to one of your group members. You embark with 6 friends into the caves from the highpoint in the mountain…down…down…down through the bowels of the mountain in search of an exit at a lower point.

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Then two of a plethora of bad things happen. A tunnel that you came through is sealed off leaving you only one way to go…down. And your partner reveals the reality that a guide didn’t recommend the caves at all; she thought it would make the excursion more adventurous in unexplored caves. There is no charted way out.

Think that’s a problem? How about shining your light down the next tunnel where you see an eerie human-ish looking figure crouched in the dark peering back at you?

The Descent has chills. There’s high suspense. It goes without saying that there are good old fashioned jump-out-of-the-dark scares (they are in a cave!). No special effects needed here to generate excitement. The creatures are well designed and scary.

The story flows very well. The acting is better than the average Horror flick. And Director Neil Marshall (Dog Soldiers) keeps a better than average flow of twists and turns coming.

Do indeed see it if you’re into the genre. The Descent is one of the movies on my Amazon Listmania List, “15 Flicks Guaranteed To Leave A Permanent Impression”.

Note: The US theatrical version had a lame ending compared to the original UK version. The US DVD release gives you the option of which ending you’d prefer to view. Go with the original.

I’m not typically accustomed to going “gaga” over horror films. It’s not that I don’t like them, I love them–but truth be told, it’s hard to find genuinely good ones. I’m entertained by lots of the gory, splatter films that have recently dominated the box office. Usually, however, it’s a matter of accepting the limitations within these films and getting whatever enjoyment you can out of the scenarios. It’s been a very long time since I thought of a current horror movie as a 5 star event, so nothing could have surprised me more than “The Descent.”

The preliminary setup is a good one. Our heroines begin to explore some unknown, uncharted cave systems and quickly become trapped. Now our ladies must use their resourcefulness and intelligence to try to get out. The dynamics start to play out between the women–good and bad–and a real fear for survival starts to set in. We are squarely in a man versus nature psychological thriller atmosphere. It recalls for me “Open Water”–a film whose horror is about helplessness and being stranded, not about sharks.

But just as soon as I was sure where I was headed, the rug was pulled out. The last third becomes a monstrously bloody battle for survival. It is so well choreographed, I was sucked in wholeheartedly. And far from being victims–our heroines exhibit intelligence, brutality, resilience, loyalty and a real survival instinct. We’ve got some real female empowerment going on! For pure horror, this film goes out with a real bang.

I was completely blindsided by this one. There’s a good screenplay, a credible backstory, appealing actresses, great cinematography and nice effects.

“The Descent” may not be the “best” movie I see this year–but as a pure adrenaline rush, I promise you it will be one of my favorites. KGHarris, 12/06.

What did you think about Star Trek: The Original Series - Season Three?. Movie Title: Star Trek: The Original Series - Season Three Average customer review: Star Trek: The Original Series - Season Three is available for streaming or downloading. Click Here to Stream or Download Star Trek: The Original Series - Season Three

I reviewed most of The Original Series episodes during the initial DVD release which began in 1999. So, the comments here focus on this new, remastered, edition.

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Doubtless, Paramount will eventually release these episodes on Blu-ray. But even at standard definition, the picture has never looked better. The colors pop off the screen, scratches have been removed, and grain, while noticeable, has been reduced to a bare minimum. Unfortunately, with the improved picture, flaws in the original production are also more noticeable: shadows from boom microphones are occasionally detectable, and the 3rd Season budget cuts show in some of the temporary sets. Still, the picture shows the obvious care taken with the lighting and composition of the original shots (very different from today’s flatly-lit, smash & grab style of television filming).

Of course, the primary feature of this new release is the new CGI visual effects. Season Three had a number of effects heavy episodes, including “The Tholian Web” and “The Enterprise Incident,” and they benefit the most from the new effects. Most of the new space shots are very convincing, remaining in the original spirit of the series. Only a few of the shots are major deviations from the originals, such as when the shuttle is seen exiting the Enterprise from the outside. Restraint seems to be the watchword here, and I would have liked to have seen a little bit more done, such as the replacement of some very dated tricorder screen graphics in “The Empath”, and some faulty dialog looping in “The Cloud Minders.” But the enhanced castle in “Requiem for Methuselah” is simply stunning, and the expanded backgrounds seen in “Spock`s Brain” and “The Way to Eden” (two otherwise weak episodes) are subtly done. By the way, my uncle, James Drake, was a background extra and can be seen in “The Way to Eden” as an orderly in sickbay. Blink and you’ll miss him as a red shirt in “Turnabout Intruder”.

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Also included here is a totally remastered and restored version of “The Cage”, the original, rejected, pilot which was shot in 1964 and starred Jeffrey Hunter. 64 minutes in length, it almost looks like a feature film, and in tone is more like an episode of The Next Generation than the Original Series. The new CGI visuals feature a slightly different version of the Enterprise (based on the original pilot model) than seen later in the series. The unrestored version, in alternating color and black & white, is also included.

With the exception of The Cage, the episodes also include audio tracks in Spanish and French, although my partner (fluent in Spanish) tells me many of the Spanish translations are not faithful to the English originals. As for bonus features, most are carried over from the 2004 reissue, but the real highlight is Billy Blackburn’s behind the scenes movies, which show the actors in costume but out of character - a real treat.

Although not as well regarded as the first two seasons of “Trek”, the third season still has some gems. Gene Roddenberry got his wish to have the show renewed but the show was moved to Friday evenings when their core audience would be out on dates or in bed. Roddenberry wasn’t as involved in the third season as previous ones and the loss of Gene L. Coon was noticable even if he did contribute some good scripts (and one particularly bad one that appeared under Coon’s nom de plume “Lee Cronin” that I suspect was drastically rewritten by new producer Fred Frieberger entitled “Spock’s Brain”). What’s odd about the third season is that it’s almost like the characters don’t know each other in some episodes where Kirk refers to Spock as “science officer” or just calls “Bones” doctor. I really never noticed this when it was in syndication.

The third season like the previous two looks extremely good and the new visual effects are a highlight in episodes such as, “Spectre of the Gun”, “The Tholian Web” and “The Enterprise Incident”. In “Gun” the art director uses imaginative surreal set designs consisting of the facades of buildings and the insides present without walls or ceilings which add to the surrealistic element of the episode.In the latter the “new” Klingon designed Romulan War Birds sport the traditional “warbird” painting on the bottom of the ships adding details that no doubt would have pleased Roddenberry.

The third season set also includes the original pilot episode for “Star Trek” starring Jeffrey Hunter with new visual effects and titles. As with the previous set, the original version with the introduction by Gene Roddenberry is included. The latter version is cobbled together from a B&W print of the pilot episode. The only two new extras are a tribute to Associate Producer Robert Justman and “Billy Blackburn’s Star Trek Treasures” which features behind-the-scenes home video footage of the cast rehearsing, clowning around on the set and some footage of make up tests. The remainder of the special features are ported over from the previous set although it should be noted that not ALL of the special features were brought over (which is a bit bizarre).

I still really dislike the packaging as the plastic holder I received was broken (and it was a chronic problem with my second season set). Still, the image quality is very good with nicely cleaned up episodes and new, sharp looking visual effects. A pity there was no way for Paramount to include the original episode visual effects as part of the DVD. My guess is that we’ll see that when the show receives a high def transfer to Blu-ray as an extra.

For hardcore fans, the third season is highly recommended even with the weaker episodes. I am disappointed that Paramount chose NOT to have any commentary tracks. I’m sure