Prizzi’s Honor [1985]
Used Price: ?0.24
Customer Review: The less you know about it, the more you’ll enjoy it
So many of the laughs in Prizzi’s Honor come from the plot twists (most of them included in the film’s trailer, conspicuous by its absence on this DVD) that it’s best not to go into it knowing too much. The fact that I’d forgotten so many of them is perhaps why I enjoyed it so much more the second time around. It’s a civilized entertainment - perhaps a little too civilized at times, although William Hickey’s deathly white vampiric Don gives a whole new meaning to the phrase Cookie Monster - elegantly made and plotted, which wasn’t so rare in 1985 but these days is a positive novelty. Jack Nicholson’s hamming it up again, but not as much as usual as the luckless Mafia enforcer who meets the woman of his dreams only to discover she’s ripped off the family. His comparative restraint helps keep the film from disappearing into slapstick and ridicule, but he still feels something of an impostor in this world - far more so than Kathleen Turner, on good form here as his fatal attraction. Quietly enjoyable. No real extras on the UK DVD apart from a few text trivia notes, but at least it isn’t panned-and-scanned like other titles from theABC library but has an acceptable non-anamorphic 1.85:1 widescreen transfer.
Customer Review: Bullets are hitting the wrong targets and missing the right ones
When the mafia becomes the argument of an action film and little more it is no longer funny, it is no longer strange, it is no longer fascinating. It is nothing but outlandish and terroristic. It takes all Jack Nicholson can give to make these characters in anyway palatable, and even so. In the Prizzi family all other considerations than the family is outlawed, except maybe for a couple of weeks and the woman concerned by this out-breeding passing passion has to submit and take the color of the wall on which she is being pinned. If she does not then she will be executed and cut off. There is no depth in that film, no subtleties or even subtlety. Get the message, bang it down on the table and then cram it down your brain. Business is business and in-breeding is the rule. I will always wonder why a hit-woman with a reputation of efficiency and effectiveness misses her husband when he intends to kill her though she manages to shoot one bullet first. Suspend your disbelief and incredulity. The cinema is the new church of the visual dominant animal man is. To see is to believe. But at times to believe is easier when you are blind, and probably deaf too. Apart from that it is interesting even if we do spend a little bit too much time in planes going east and planes going west, kind of an airlift between New York, or whatever may titillate you, and Los Angeles, or whatever it takes to please you. Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris Dauphine & University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne
Stargate SG-1: Season 2
The success of the first year meant that Stargate SG-1’s second series could afford to spread its wings. In only the second episode, Carter is temporarily possessed by a good Goa’uld. This immediately allowed for both any amount of quick fix inside knowledge as well as story off-shoots, now that the show was bent on franchise longevity.
There appeared to be information overload (splinter group Tok’ra, Earth’s second Gate, Machello, endless Apophis encounters), as the finely interwoven threads of alien histories and inter-relationships were developed. But thankfully, SG-1 never lost sight of the need for great individual stories. There was a planet of Native American Indians; a planet on the edge of a Black Hole; a planet of aliens sensitive to sound. Even a planet run by Dwight Schultz! Better still, they found time to have fun with their universe, too.
“1969″ remains one of the best comic romps the series has enjoyed, and is a near-perfect self-contained time-travel story to boot. The team of actors had obviously bonded early on in the first year. It may be a bit of a military faux pas that there is only ever four of them leading every major explorative expedition, but the limited number of principals is actually something else the show has always had in its favour, allowing quality screen time to be spent on each of them from the outset (although Richard Dean Anderson would probably rather not have spent an entire episode impaled by a spike). –Paul Tonks
List Price: ?59.99
Amazon Price: ?17.97
Used Price: ?13.94
Customer Review: fsss
Stargate Rocks. Seasons one and three are better than season two but it still rocks.’The serpents lair’ and ‘Thors Chariot’ are two of the best episodes ever and the asgard and the tok’ra are very cool.
Customer Review: General, request permission to beat the c**p out of this man
When we last left Our Heroes, they were on Apophis’ ship, facing the impending destruction and/or enslavement of everyone on Earth. So unsurprisingly, the second season of “Stargate SG-1″ can only get better from there on. In fact, this is when the clever, innovative sci-fi series really started to gel together, with more intriguing storylines, character arcs, and some new alien allies — basically, it all blooms. Intending to blow up Apophis’ ship, our heroes get captured by the Jaffa and thrown in a cell — only to be unexpectedly rescued by Bra’tac (Tony Amendola), Teal’c’s old teacher. As Earth mounts a pitiful defense against the Goa’uld, SG-1 joins with a small band of rebel Jaffa to stop Apophis’ invasion — but they may have to leave one of their number behind. Obviously the Goa’uld make things awkward throughout the season, with the second episode featuring Sam (Amanda Tapping) being possessed by a Goa’uld during a rescue mission — but it seems that it’s part of a rebel Goa’uld faction called the Tok’ra. Teal’c’s (Christopher Judge) son is kidnapped and brainwashed, and Daniel (Michael Shanks) finds that his beloved wife is pregnant with Apophis’ child. And of course, SG-1 has to deal with lots of other stuff — insectile transformations, black holes, prison planets, Native American “spirits,” invisible bugs, hostile alien orbs, reliving their most traumatic memories in a VR world, and time traveling to 1969. And O’Neill (Richard Dean Anderson) gets an ancient repository of knowledge downloaded into his head — and he’ll die if they can’t reverse it. “Stargate SG-1″ really got into its stride in the second season — the basic Air-Force-versus-evil-headsnakes story gets expanded out into a bunch of arcs. We get new villains, some surprising new allies, hints about the true origins of the Stargates and the human race, and corrupt factions on Earth who use the spare Stargate for evil ends. The writing gets even steadier and the alien worlds more interesting — even stuff that sounds goofy, like the planet of singing mushroom-people, somehow works. The drama is stronger, and the sci-fi usage of the Stargate ever more creative, such as when a black hole’s gravity well keeps the gate open, and is slowly sucking Earth through the wormhole. Good, tense stuff. Of course, all the action and sci-fi is heavily tempered with comedy. Even in grim situations, there’s usually at least a few funny moments, such as Daniel’s tour of the custodial closet. And of course, the dialogue is priceless — most of the good stuff comes from O’Neill (”That’s between you and your god. Oh, wait a minute! You are your god! That’s a problem”), but Teal’c (”In my culture, I would be well within my rights to dismember you”) and the others usually get some good ones as well. Of the main cast, Amanda Tapping gets the juiciest role in this season — Sam deals with the impending death of her father, becoming a Goa’uld host, and trying to deal with the feelings it left behind. Including a cute Tok’ra boyfriend. Yet when we see Sam’s vulnerable sides, Tapping never lets her character be anything but a strong, capable military woman. But the other actors aren’t neglected — Shanks’ Daniel grapples with the news that his wife is pregnant with Apophis’ baby, while Teal’c faces losing his entire family. Anderson is brilliant as the quirky, capable O’Neill, but he really gets brilliant when Jack’s brain is being overwritten — he has to emote and communicate without a comprehensible word. The second season of “Stargate SG-1″ is where the story began to really get great, building up a series of strong story arcs, funny dialogue, and strong characters. Definitely a must-see.
Leprechaun [1993]
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Used Price: ?2.94
Customer Review: So awful you’ve got to see it
This is a film that I will never forget. It really is dreadful but unlike other dreadful movies, I would watch it again (and again), preferably with other people so that they too can experience its dreadfulness. When my boyfriend is hogging the TV, I threaten to put this film on and he instantly understands his wrongdoings. You have to see this film to believe it.
Customer Review: AN ORIGINAL SORY AND GOOD GORE BUT NOT MUCH ELSE
Ten years ago, an evil leprechaun (Warwick Davis) lives, protecting his ill-gotten cold collection. Today, Dan O’Grady, (Shay Duffin) after finding what he believes are magical gold coins, steals the gold and returns back home, followed by the leprechaun. Ten years later, Tory Redding (Jennifer Aniston (Yes, it’s the same one)) and her father JD (John Sanderford) move into the same house, which Tory isn’t extremely fond of. Due to heckling from neighbor Nathan, (Ken Olandt) Tory agrees to stay. When friend Ozzie (Mark Holton) finds the leprechaun in the basement, no one believes him. When he finds the sack of stolen gold coins, he tells his little brother Alex (Robert Gorman) and they take it to get it evaluated. The leprechaun tracks it down, killing the shop owner. As the residents around the town start to be killed off, Tory and her friends start to realize that the killer is a leprechaun. Understanding the significance of the gold coins, they use them in a plan to rid themselves of the malevolent creature. The Good News: First of all, I want to get this out. This is the probably the goriest entry in the series. We have some really bloody kills such as a few really good looking face scratching, some convincing burn marks a face ripped off, a car burner to the nose, and an ear bitten off. The killings did look a little bit more creative than normal, and the effectiveness of them is a real testament to the movie. Another great thing about the killings is that the Leprechaun harmed before he killed. The great special FX is the best part here. This includes the only scare in the film: the recreation of the leprechaun. When Ozzie finds the crate with the Leprechaun in the basement, he leans in closer to hear what the crate is making and the hand shoots forth. The crate is then splintered into pieces as a terrified Ozzie is sent cowering away in fear, with the unbelievable story to tell. The Leprechaun’s make-up in this one is perhaps the most frightening of the series. It’s probably due to the fact that the film is a straight horror film, rather than the sequels’ more hilarious tone. Because of the cracks in the face and the different dimensions it has, with the lighting in the film, creates a really unnerving sight when first viewed. You can tell this was intended to be a great slasher film, as it does follow the slasher rules: the indestructible killer, the false death, the desolate location, the killer chasing the victim and catching them by walking, and the setting up of the sequel. All these things aside, the best reason to watch one is to see Jennifer Aniston in a pair of short-shorts for ninety minutes, as she never changes clothes. The Bad News: The sequels are what made the series. They were all downright hilarious, which this one really isn’t. This one feels intended to be a straightforward horror story, and there are no real big laughs in this one. There are a few funny scenes that definitely show where the series is going, such as a pretty funny scene where Ozzie is drenched in paint after an accident, but the fans who love the series for it’s wacky gags and smart one-liners will be lost here. Also readily apparent is Warwick Davis’ almost disinterest in playing the leprechaun. I didn’t see the glee that he had in the sequels in his performance in this one. You can almost tell that he didn’t think this was going to be big and never really put his all in. Another big problem is that the film really doesn’t have a lot of suspense or shock scenes. Even the few scenes that follow those conventions are total letdowns. When Nathan goes outside to check on a noise, he wanders around the building for a while before he steps into a clearly visible bear-trap the Leprechaun has set. It’s all too easy to see. You would think that wandering around a big dark house after dark would be a slam-dunk scare, but it’s wasted. The Final Verdict: It has a lot of people that are against it, and a lot of people who love this film. It is very hard to determine who will enjoy this movie, so give a rental or check it out on TV. Either way, it won’t hurt you too much.
Doctor Who - The Five Doctors [1983]
Yes, The Five Doctors is the one that gathers together Hartnell, Troughton, Pertwee, Baker and Davison, dumps them on some moorland and lets some of the Doctor’s greatest enemies take potshots at them. Except, of course, that William Hartnell had sadly passed on by the time this series was made in 1983 (although his replacement Richard Hurndall does an excellent job) and Tom Baker was only featured as a patched-in cameo, apparently prevented from joining in by a temporal thingummy. However, this kind of creakiness comes with the territory and is soon forgotten. The assorted incarnations of the Doctor (together with a scattering of assistants) are drawn together through time and space to battle Daleks, Cybermen, Yeti–those weird androids which keep jumping into the air and disappearing–and many other old foes. They realise that they’re on their home planet of Gallifrey and must eventually deal with the legacy of Rassilon, founder of the Time Lords. It’s all great fun, of course, and the excellent chapter points on this DVD compensate for the rather self-indulgent lack of editing. –Roger Thomas
List Price: ?19.99
Amazon Price: ?19.99
Used Price: ?4.38
Customer Review: Fun x 5!
The Five Doctors was originally broadcast on the 25/11/1983. It was the 20th anniversary special of the series and was what usually would be 4 25 min episodes in 1 90 min movie lenght episode. It see’s a powerful timelord (not tellin who!) gather the 5 incarnations of the Doctor (Peter Davison, Jon Pertwee, Patrick Troughton, Richard Hurndall, Tom Baker and William Hartnell) and a variety of companions that include Tegan (Janet Fielding), Turlough (Mark Strickson), Sarak Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen), Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart (Nicholas Courtney) and Susan (Carole Ann Ford) in the Death-Zone, a sort of Gallifreyan theme-park were either the innocent or the guilty are put to the test of survival. The 5 Doctors all try to reach the tomb of Rassilon (a great timelord god!) to try and find the answer to the mystery. Of course it won’t be easy, along the way there are Cybermen, a Dalek and a Yeti and that sort of feeling you get when you feel your being watched! An absolutely great Doctor Who story and a must have for Doctor Who fans!
Customer Review: A HELL OF A LOT OF FUN!
“The five doctors”, it`s not the most amazing doctor who story ever, but it`s alot of fun. Let me start with the bad points: 1. The absence of Tom Baker (however at least they got unseen footage of him in it) 2. The dalek only appears for about two minutes. 3. Susan twisting her ankle is totaly unnecessary That done and dusted, bring on the good points: 1. Richard Hurdnall does a good job portraying the first doctor. 2. The awsome battle between the Cybermen and the raston warrior robot. 3. Peter Davison, Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee on screen together. (such a shame Tom Baker isn`t there though.) 4. The whole yeti scene. I won`t spoil it for those who haven`t seen it. There are no extras but “the five doctors” remains a great buy. Bon Apetite!
Scarecrows [1988]
List Price: ?9.99
Used Price: ?3.75
Customer Review: Corn — y horror flick?
I loved this film when it first came out on VHS here in the UK back in 1990 — what could be cooler than a bunch of maniacal scarecrows roaming the woods in search of human prey? A bit dated now, but nevertheless a good watch with a few jars on a dull evening. What’s the general plot, then — ~ A group of armed bank robbers in full military attire have hijacked a plane and subsequently bail out over a stretch of jungle, while the plane’s owner and his daughter are forced to land nearby and wait. They discover a run-down and abandoned wooden house and use this as a base of operations. But it seems that they are not alone — the neighbours are roaming the woods, scarecrows who crave human prey. The money, it turns out, is blood money, although the act of revenge is never really explained. Greed is soon forgotten as they are forced to make their way back to the plane ~ You could say dated. Corny. Badly-acted. Ridiculous in premise. And you may be right. Unless, like myself, you have been a fan of cool and creepy, dark and violent horror films since a kid. If so, you’ll love this film. Check out also ‘Night of the Scarecrow’ and the ‘Scare-CrOw Slayer’ trilogy. Matt Lee-Williams
Customer Review: This is lovely!
A real, good, absorbing, creepy horror movie. Just the way I like them! No silly attempts at injecting humour into it, which ruins so many horror movies today, but loaded with menace and atmosphere, and so what if the story itself is a bit preposterous? (Spirits of three long dead people living on by inhabiting scarecrows) It works! And that is the main thing. The main premise of the plot is a group of robbers hijack a small plane and force the pilot and his daughter and their dog, to fly them away, but one robber bales out with the money and they go after him, and that’s where the real story begins. I like the way that it’s not all explained away and resolved with a neat, but boring, ending. The ending is great and most satisfactory. A must-see for all those who like a more in-depth horror movie with no real clear cut distinction between goodies and baddies and not one favoured over the other by the spooky and unnatural forces at work. When I first watched it years ago, it was on a very dark vhs tape recording, seeing it on dvd for the first time (I have the region one version) was a revelation. Great to see some of these old much loved movies getting dvd releases now.
Allegheny Uprising [1940] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
