Topic: Marie's Random Movie Viewing

[Dragonfire]

Yes he does sort of end up possessed.  It seems like it is just a reaction to be exposed to toxic waste...then later the possession angle comes out.  I had forgotten that part of the story before watching it again.

[Dragonfire]

The Seven-Per-Cent Solution



I decided to watch this one after I found it on one of the HBO channels I get.  It is different from other Sherlock Holmes movies I've seen.  There is more focus on personal things tied to Sherlock and the mystery takes a back seat.  This is one of the few movies I've seen that doesn't just skim or gloss over Sherlock using cocaine.  His addiction is a huge plot point since much of the movie is devoted to his attempts to fight and overcome it.  There isn't as much going on, and several scenes do move kind of slow.  Later in the movie, a mystery does turn up and while it isn't that strong, it helps to make the movie more interesting.  There is a cool train chase scene at one point.  There really isn't any violence in the movie.  When Sherlock is fighting his addiction, he does start hallucinating ... and of course he has to hallucinate that he sees snakes everywhere.  I could have done without that part.

The cast is fine, though nothing really special.  Robert Duvall as Watson is kind of weird.  There is something about his voice that is odd..the tone is off and the accent isn't that great.  He does seem miscast.

Overall, the movie is enjoyable and entertaining.  People who like the character of Sherlock may find something to like about this one.



I did get a review posted on Epinions.

The Seven-Per-Cent Solution

[Dragonfire]

The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Fourth Season "Four seasons in, it is still laugh-out-loud funny. Every episode, every week," says USA Today's Robert Bianco about the hit series The Big Bang Theory. Subject his conclusion to empirical analysis by watching all 24 Episodes of Season Four on 3 Discs. This season, the Big Bang gang's romantic universe expands. On the rebound from Penny, Leonard falls for Raj's sister Priya. Sheldon gets a girlfriend - Amy, a dour neurobiologist who declares herself Penny's BFF. Howard and Bernadette heat up; meanwhile, Raj is romancing her in Bollywood daydreams. Observe all the forces of attraction in this genius, award-winning comedy.

I continue to enjoy The Big Bang Theory and it is still my favorite show.  I'm not as happy about a few developments in the fourth season, but the show is still great and entertaining. 

When Amy was introduced at the end of the third season, I wasn't sure what to think.  I really like her and think she works really well for the show.  She fits in.  She is sort of a female Sheldon, but there is more to her than that and she is very entertaining.  I also like that Bernadette is around more after she and Howard got back together.  She is works and fits in too.  I liked how the women were shown doing things together, giving Penny someone other than the guys to interact with and react to.  Though I still love seeing how she deals with the guys.

My issues with this season are tied to Leonard.  The one does go back to the end of season three.  Since he and Penny broke up, Leonard has sort of turned into a man slut and I don't like it.  Right after the break up, he jumped into bed with the woman who came to visit Sheldon..the scientist.  I can't remember her name now.  That just didn't seem in character for Leonard, especially given how strong his feelings for Penny are.  Time was taken to establish that Leonard hadn't had many relationships and he didn't just jump into bed with them..then all that goes out the window.  There is more of that in the 4th season, even having Leonard have sex with an older woman to get money for the college.  I didn't like that at all.  I really hate his relationship with Pryia.  When it first came out that the two of them had hooked up previously, I wasn't thrilled, but it didn't bother me too much.  But once she came back and they started dating, I hated it.  She keeps trying to change him - making him wear contacts that actually cause him pain - and then goes and tells him not to talk to Penny anymore...and she hides the relationship from her parents.  Pryia is so controlling.  I just don't like her and that relationship is horrible.  She doesn't fit with the show either.  She seems to always be judging the guys, especially Sheldon.  That relationship needs to end.

The different references to comic book characters and movies still pop up and I love those things.  The main characters are great and I love the cast.

The DVD has some short bits that have cast members interviewing each other.  Those are entertaining.  It is so weird to hear the actress who plays Bernadette talk ..her voice is so different in real life.  The bloopers are pretty funny again.

Overall, I still love the show even though I hate the Leonard/Pryia relationship.



I did post a review of the DVD set at Epinions if anyone wants to take a look.

The Big Bang Theory - The Complete Fourth Season

[Dragonfire]

Castle: The Complete Third Season Famous mystery novelist Richard Castle and NYPD detective Kate Beckett return for the suspenseful Third Season of ABC's brilliantly funny series, Castle. Enjoy every inspired idea and flirtatious moment as this fiery duo solve the strangest homicides New York as to offer. It's the most entertaining season yet as Castle's wildly funny storytelling skills work their way into every case. Between his mixed-up partnership with Beckett and his relationships with his diva mother and his clever daughter, Alexis, Castle is always on his toes. Crime-fighting has never been this much fun! Get on the beat and relive every wild and witty moment in this 5-disc DVD set.

I still really enjoy this show.  I love the main characters.  They are the best thing about the show.  The cases are sometimes a bit silly, but they are always entertaining.  I like that there is some humor mixed in with what is going on.  The cases mostly stand alone, while the shows also deal with some on going stories that deal with relationships and things like that. 

Things tied to the death of Kate's mother have been coming up since the first season.  More of that is dealt with in this season and Kate does discover more.  There are surprises with that aspect of the show that I think work well.  I thought that the season finale was really good..one of the best I've seen in a long time.  I do think the episode ends with a cliffhanger.

(click to show/hide)

I've read some things online where some people didn't think there was a cliffhanger because the show was going to kill off Kate, one of the main characters.  I really wasn't doubting that Kate would survive.  I think the real cliffhanger is tied to Rick telling her he loved her after she was shot...and if she will remember it once she is better.  Or if she does remember, how she deals with it..denial, acceptance...  That is what made the cliffhanger.

The extras are interesting and worth watching.  The bloopers are pretty funny.   The DVD set is really good for fans of the show.



I did get a review posted at Epinions if anyone would like to take a look.

Castle: The Complete Third Season

[Dragonfire]

Body of Proof: The Complete First Season Step into the world of ABC's compelling new drama starring Dana Delany as a sharp-witted, headstrong medical examiner with unorthodox crime-solving methods and strained relationships with the living. Dr. Megan Hunt (Delaney) was second to none - a brilliant neurosurgeon in a class all her own - but when her lifesaving sift is destroyed in a career-ending car accident, she reinvents herself as a medical examiner.  Armed with keen instincts and vast medical knowledge, Dr. Hunt uses the victims' bodies to tell the stories of their lives and untimely deaths.  Relive all the twists and turns of each case as Dr. Hunt seeks justice for every victim while also embarking on a journey of personal redemption. Own each thrilling episode of ABC's Body Of Proof: The Complete First Season, including never-before-seen bonus features, in this 2-disc set.

I started watching this when it started airing in the spring.  I missed a few of the episodes, but I liked it enough to pick up this set when I found it for only $17.

Every episode has a different murder investigation that Megan gets involved in.  She ends up figuring out things from the bodies that ultimately help solve the crimes.  The show is a little like Bones in some ways because of how the bodies of the victims are so important to solving the cases, but it is different too.  I think the show is a bit like Quincey as well, but it has been so long since I saw any episodes of that one, that I could be wrong.  The cases are interesting and not always predictable.  So far, nothing too gross has been shown, even when Megan is doing an autopsy.  None of the victims have been in really gross condition that seems to happen on Bones fairly often.

Megan is a very interesting and complex character.  She can be a bit blunt at times and a little distant.  Despite that, I think she is likable overall.  She definitely has some issues that she is still dealing with.  Those personal things come up a little in every episode, and add to the development of the character.  Dana Delany is great in the part.  Several people that she works with turn up regularly, and they are all decently developed, though not as much as she is.  The characters all work together fairly well and the rest of the cast is good.

The first season is only nine episodes.  The DVD set has 2 discs.  There are a few extras about the making of the show on the second disc along with some bloopers that are pretty funny.

Overall, I think this is a good, entertaining show and it is worth watching.  I've watched all the new episodes for the second season so far and I'm still really enjoying them.



I did get a review posted on Epinions.

Body of Proof - The Complete First Season

[Dragonfire]

I didn't watch as many Christmas movies this year as I had thought I would.  No particular reason...mostly I just didn't take the time. 

I'm hoping I'll do better at keeping up with posting about movies and tv shows here in 2012.  And get back to making some posts on the blog I started too.

[KinkyCyborg]

I've also got embarrassingly behind in my reviews the last half of this year mostly because of work although I did watch a fair amount. One of my New Year's Resolutions is to stay on top of it more this year... starting with the pile of watched, but un-reviewed movies sitting on my desk beside me. Funny (and sad really) that I should start working on this pile this evening, New years Eve instead of whooping it up....

Happy New Year Marie!

[Dragonfire]

Happy New Year to you too.


I have at least kept track in profiler of when I've watched stuff this year.

[Dragonfire]

Arsenic and Old Lace Cary Grant and a stellar cast romp through this classic farce based on Joseph Kesseling’s 1941 Broadway hit and breezily directed by Frank Capra.  Frazzled drama critic Mortimer Brewster (Grant) has two aunts (Josephine Hull and Jean Adair) who ply lonely geezers with poisoned libations, one sociopathic brother (Raymond Massey) who looks like Boris Karloff, one bonkers brother (John Alexander) who thinks he’s Teddy Roosevelt, one impatient new bride (Priscilla Lane) - and only one night to make it turn out right.  In this circus’ center ring is Grant, twisting his face into a clown’s gallery of flabbergasted reactions and transforming his natural athletic grace into a rubber-legged comic ballet.  You’ll die laughing.

I actually got this one for my mom for Christmas.  I watched it with her right after Christmas.  It was the first time I'd seen the movie.  I really didn't know much about the movie before watching it other than that Cary Grant was in it.  I did read the back of the case before we watched it.  I loved the movie and think it was a very well done comedy.  Some of what happens does get a bit crazy and silly, but it works for the movie.  It is based on a play, and some of the cast members are from the original run of the play on Broadway.  The movie does have a more limited setting, with most of it taking place in the large main room of a house in Brooklyn.

The plot is very entertaining and a lot happens even though it is confined to one Halloween when Mortimer and Elaine have just gotten married.  They return to Brooklyn to share the news with their families, and that is when the craziness starts.  Mortimer's brother Teddy still lives with their aunts - who raised them and their other brother Jonathan.  Teddy is..well...not all there you could say.  He thinks he is President Teddy Roosevelt and he talks to everyone like they are people Roosevelt would have worked with.  He doesn't just walk up the stairs to his room.  He yells charge and runs up the stairs, into his room, slamming the door behind him.  He plays a bugle at random times, night and day, which has many of the neighbors aggravated.  The family understands Teddy's issues and deals with them.  Mortimer discovers a dead body in the house, and he believes that Teddy finally completely flipped and killed the man, thinking he was fighting in battle or something.  The aunts - Abby and Martha - claim responsibility for the body and casually mention the other twelve buried in the basement.  The aunts have Teddy dig the graves, telling him it is the canal in Panama.  They are very calm about the situation while Mortimer freaks out, worrying how to deal with the situation in the best way for his family.  Then Jonathan returns home for the first time in years with his surgeon and accomplice Dr. Einstein.  Jonathan is a wanted criminal who, thanks to plastic surgery, looks like Boris Karloff.  The two men are trying to avoid the police and find a place to stash their own dead body.

A lot happens throughout the movie without making things too complicated.  Most of the movie takes place after Mortimer discovers the dead body and shows how he deals with an increasingly crazy situation.  The movie is a lot funnier than I expected it to be.  The way Teddy acts, yelling and racing up the stairs, is very funny.  Mortimer's reactions to what is going on is hilarious at times.  The entire situation is just a bit funny to begin with, and the humor continues throughout the movie.  The movies really isn't predictable and I was left wondering how a few things would work out.  The movie is very fun and entertaining overall, in a sort of twisted way.

The characters are wonderful and very entertaining.  Abby and Martha are such sweet, nice old ladies, yet they have killed thirteen men with poisoned wine.  They think they are doing something helpful for the men and don't understand why Mortimer is upset.  Teddy is harmless, though it is understandable why some neighbors are upset.  Jonathan has his own issues, but they have made him very violent and dangerous.  Even though they have killed all those men, the aunts just don't seem violent or threatening like Jonathan.  He's creepy and scary.  He gets very upset whenever anyone says that he looks like Boris Karloff.  Dr. Einstein is rather creepy as well.  Mortimer is a wonderful character who is struggling to deal with everything.  I love Cary Grant in the part.  For the most part, I've just seen him in more serious movies, though most of them have had a bit of humor in them as well.  This is the funniest I've seen him and I think he handles all the craziness, and the slapstick moments, very well.  Elaine isn't around as much, so she doesn't receive the same attention.

I loved this movie and am glad that I finally saw it.  I think it has held up well and is still well worth watching.



I did get a review posted at Epinions if anyone would like to take a look.

Arsenic and Old Lace

[Dragonfire]

The Sherlock Holmes Collection Only five episodes of the BBC's celebrated 1960s Sherlock Holmes  series survive. Coincidentally, all five star the inimitable Peter Cushing (Star Wars) as Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle's legendary detective, with Nigel Stock as Dr. Watson. And, fortunately for Holmes fans, they have finally been made available on DVD in North America courtesy of A&E. Having already starred as Holmes in the famous Hammer film Hound of the Baskervilles, Cushing was uniquely suited to craft the definitive portrayal for these five captivating televised mysteries. For his first outing as the BBC's Holmes Cushing revisits the moors of Dartmoor for a feature-length version of Holmes' most well-known case, The Hound of the Baskervilles. Subsequent adventures pit his vaulted intellect against murderers, cannibals and Australian bushwhackers in faithful productions of The Sign of Four, The Blue Carbuncle, A Study in Scarlet and The Boscombe Valley Mystery.

I actually picked up this DVD set a while ago.  I'm not sure why it has taken me this long to watch the episodes.  They are based on some of the original stories, and while I still haven't read them, I have seen versions of a few of them, so I am more familiar with some of them now.  The episodes aren't that long, so there isn't a lot of time to fully build up the suspense and develop things.  I'm thinking that some things from the stories has been condensed, though I could be wrong about that.  The stories are all separate and can be watched in any order.  They are all interesting and entertaining.  The mystery in them is decent, though it could be a little stronger.  The characters are done well, especially Sherlock and Watson.  They have a good relationship.  I like Peter Cushing as Sherlock.  I also have his movie version of Hounds of the Baskervilles.  Unfortunately, there are only 5 of Cushing's episodes left.

This DVD is definitely worth checking out for fans of the character.  I think it has held up pretty well too.  Some things do look a bit dated, but that doesn't make it any less entertaining.



I did get a review posted on Epinions if anyone wants to take a look.

Sherlock Holmes Collection

[Najemikon]

Regards Arsenic and Old Lace, you mention this is the first time you have seen Grant in such a comedic role, so you really should look up his other stuff because that's where he made his name. Bringing Up Baby and His Girl Friday are both very quick screwball comedies. Baby takes some keeping up with! The director was experimenting with just how fast he could do the dialogue. Both those films formed the basis for Arsenic.

Have you ever seen The Philadelphia Story with Grant? That's wonderful. And if you like this kind of stuff, look for his co-star Katherine Hepburn in Adam's Rib with Spencer Tracy.

[Dragonfire]

Regards Arsenic and Old Lace, you mention this is the first time you have seen Grant in such a comedic role, so you really should look up his other stuff because that's where he made his name. Bringing Up Baby and His Girl Friday are both very quick screwball comedies. Baby takes some keeping up with! The director was experimenting with just how fast he could do the dialogue. Both those films formed the basis for Arsenic.

Have you ever seen The Philadelphia Story with Grant? That's wonderful. And if you like this kind of stuff, look for his co-star Katherine Hepburn in Adam's Rib with Spencer Tracy.

I think my mom has His Girl Friday..I'll check.  I haven't seen Bringing up Baby..at least not that I remember.
I don't think I've seen The Philadelphia Story.  Or maybe I saw a little of it once but didn't watch all of it for some reason.  Hmmm.

I do remember seeing Adam's Rib years ago...I can't remember much of it though.  I've also seen Desk Set with Hepburn and Tracy.  I just watched part of it again the other day when I found it on HBO again. 

I got my mom Father Goose for Christmas too...We sort of watched it...basically it was playing, but we didn't pay close attention the entire time.  That one has some funny stuff in it too, though not as screwy I don't think.  At least from what I noticed.  I'll have to watch it properly sometime.

[Dragonfire]

Ok, I'm going to attempt to keep up with what I'm watching again.  Hopefully it will be a while before I get behind again.

[Dragonfire]

Futurama: Volume 6 Blast off your inhibitions as The Simpsons creator Matt Groening brings you another far-out collection of FUTURAMA™ fun! In addition to a full payload of outrageous extras not shown on TV, Volume Six delivers 13 mind-Bendering new episodes that involve time travel, self replication, covert missions, alien eggs, and more robot roughhousing than you can shake a girder at. It's a scream...the good kind!

I picked this set up not long after it came out when I found it on sale.  I have always liked Futurama and I still do.  The show is very fun and entertaining, though it may not appeal to some people. 

The episodes in this set can stand alone fairly well, but they do build on things that have happened in previous episodes as well.  There really aren't any new surprises for any of the characters, though they do face some new adventures and situations.  All the episodes are funny, though the humor could be a little silly for some people.  The same main characters are back as well, with the same voice cast.  The characters are very well developed by this point.  They all have some sort of issue.  Fry and Leela have sort of being involved on and off for a while, and that does receive some more attention in these episodes. 

My biggest problem with the set is the design of the case.  I hate these cases.  This one does hold the discs more securely so they aren't at least falling out if you look at it wrong, but with the way the discs are held, I worry about them getting scratched.  This is only a tiny bit better than the cases for The Simpsons.  At least the discs can be seen without having to look for a slit in the cardboard.

This is a good set for fans of the series.



I did post a review on Epinions if anyone wants to take a look.

Futurama: Volume Six

[Dragonfire]

Batman: The Animated Series: Volume Two Fight crime day and night alongside The Dark Knight with this deluxe 4-disc set packed with 28 heroic adventures from the acclaimed series! Filled with gripping plots, multidimensional characters and superb voice talent, this Emmy-winning series has defined Batman for legions of fans. Enjoy amazing encounters with Catwoman, duels with The Penguin, contests with The Riddler and of course, battles of wit with The Joker – plus Exclusive Extras from the minds that conceived this cutting-edge version of the classic hero! Grab your cape and swing into action with this quintessential Batman compilation! EPISODES: [1] Eternal Youth [2] Perchance To Dream [3] The Cape And Cowl Conspiracy [4] Robin's Reckoning Part One [5] Robin's Reckoning Part Two [6] The Laughing Fish [7] Night Of The Ninja [8] Cat Scratch Fever [9] The Strange Secret Of Bruce Wayne [10] Heart Of Steel Part One [11] Heart Of Steel Part Two [12] If You're So Smart, Why Aren't You Rich? [13] Joker's Wild [14] Tyger, Tyger [15] Moon Of The Wolf [16] Day Of The Samurai [17] Terror In The Sky [18] Almost Got 'im [19] Birds Of A Feather [20] What Is Reality? [21] I Am The Night [22] Off Balance [23] The Man Who Killed Batman [24] Mudslide [25] Paging The Crime Doctor [26] Zatanna [27] The Mechanic [28] Harley & Ivy

I finally finished watching this DVD set recently.  This series is a great representation of Batman and the various villains.  I love how a few things from this - like Dr. Freeze's backstory and Harley Quinn - ended up being added into the comic books.  The episodes in this set stand alone fairly well, though there is some building on previous events.  I don't know how much has been pulled directly from the comic books or what might have been changed.  The show is very entertaining and definitely worth watching, especially for fans of Batman.  The show has held up really well and still deserves to be seen.



I did post a longer review on Epinions if anyone wants to take a look.

Batman: The Animated Series