Topic: The Movies from Within My Lifetime: 2012 Edition

[addicted2dvd]

Clerks: Widescreen Collector's Series (1994/United States) Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Miramax Home Entertainment Director: Kevin Smith Writing: Kevin Smith (Writer) Length: 92 min. Rating: Rated R : Extensive Use of Extremely Explicit Sex-related Dialogue Video: Widescreen 1.85:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles: English

Stars:
Brian O'Halloran as Dante
Jeff Anderson as Randal
Marilyn Ghigliotti as Veronica
Lisa Spoonhauer as Caitlin
Jason Mewes as Jay
Kevin Smith as Silent Bob

Plot:
If you're in the market for what The Detroit News called "a lively comic adventure," Clerks delivers with wholesale hilarity! It's one wild day in the life of a pair of overworked counter-jockeys whose razor-sharp wit and on-the-job antics give a whole new meaning to customer service! Even while braving a nonstop parade of unpredictable shoppers, the clerks manage to play hockey on the roof, visit a funeral home, and straighten out their offbeat love lives. The boss is nowhere in sight, so you can bet anything can — and will — happen when these guys are left to run the store!

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Audio Commentary
• Feature Trailers
• Deleted Scenes
• Music Videos
• Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:

This is a movie several people told me was good and that I need to see it. So I was thrilled when it showed up in a recent box of DVDs that was given to me. I recently watched a couple episodes of Kevin Smith's TV Series Comic Book Men... and that reminded me that I had this movie to watch. I went into this one hoping I didn't have my expectations up too high. The first thing I noticed... that I didn't realize till now is that this movie was filmed in Black and White. I found this to just be a fun movie. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I have been both a convenient store and a video store clerk at some point in my life.... but I was able to relate to some of the things these clerks were saying... and I just got a kick out of some of the over the top  situations. I am glad I finally got around to checking this one out. I especially got a kick out of Randal's rant on Return of the Jedi and when he was ordering porn titles for the video store. After seeing this movie I need to see if I can get my hands on Clerks II.

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

[addicted2dvd]

Superman: The Movie (1978/United States) Warner Home Video Director: Richard Donner Writing: Jerry Siegel (Original Characters By), Joe Shuster (Original Characters By), Mario Puzo (Story By), Mario Puzo (Screenwriter), David Newman (1937) (Screenwriter), Leslie Newman (Screenwriter), Robert Benton (Screenwriter) Length: 151 min. Rating: Rated PG : Peril, Some Mild Sensuality and Language Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.30:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, Music Only: Dolby Digital: 5.0 Subtitles: English, French, Portuguese, Spanish

Stars:
Marlon Brando as Jor-El
Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor
Christopher Reeve as Superman / Clark Kent
Ned Beatty as Otis
Jackie Cooper as Perry White
Glenn Ford as Pa Kent

Plot:
Soaring even higher in a state-of-the-art digital transfer from restored elements and with dynamically remixed digital audio, the Academy Award®-winning* adventure also now includes eight minutes integrated into the film by director Richard Donner. Enjoy more footage of the Krypton Council, a glimpse of stars of prior Superman incarnations, more of Jor-El underscoring his son's purpose on Earth and an extended sequence inside Lex Luthor's gauntlet of doom. Christopher Reeve (Superman/Clark Kent), Marlon Brando (Jor-El), Gene Hackman (Luthor) and Margot Kidder (Lois Lane) give indelible performances that fuel the film's aura of legend. Looks like a swell night for flying. Why not come along?

*1978: Special Achievement in Visual Effects

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Audio Commentary
• Feature Trailers
• Deleted Scenes
• Featurettes
• Production Notes
• DVD-ROM Content
• Closed Captioned
• Audio Outtakes
• Screen Tests

My Thoughts:

This morning I found myself in the mood for some Superman movies. This movie... with Christopher Reeve in the starring role... was how I grew up knowing Superman to be. At the time I was more used to seeing him in the role more so then George Reeves. I believe this came from a time that I did not like to watch anything that was in Black and White.... yes... I was one of those people at one time. But I have sense learned there is a lot of great entertainment out there in Black and white... and now have all the George Reeves Superman episodes... including the early Black and White ones. But I think... to me at least... when I think Superman... I still picture Christopher Reeve.

My favorite scene in this movie... one that makes me laugh even to this day... has to be the scene when Superman is seen for the very first time. Especially when he flies up the side of the building to catch Lois Lane... saying "Don't Worry Miss, I got you."... and she comes back with... "You got me... Who's got you!!!"... I don't know what it is about it... but I love that line.

I know there is some that don't like how Christopher Reeve portrayed Clark Kent. But you know... while I understand that point of view... I find it very entertaining and fun to watch. I also felt it added to the whole Clark Kent can't be Superman... even more so then the glasses for a costume. I have to say... I think I like the entire cast for these movies. Especially Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor and of course there is Marlon Brando as Jor-El.

Also I have to say I liked how they had some nodes to past incarnations of Superman when they showed a young Lois Lane riding the train with her parents early in the movie. They had Noel Neil as her mother... who was of course Lois Lane in Adventures of Superman and Kirk Alyn as her father... who was of course Clark Kent/Superman in the old movie serials.

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

[Najemikon]

I know there is some that don't like how Christopher Reeve portrayed Clark Kent.

The only time people make that complaint is when they don't realise the different perspective this version of Superman comes from. They've played with it a lot in the comics.

Most superheroes are presented as normal guys who pretend to be an alter-ego. Spider-Man is Peter Parker's disguise; Batman is really Bruce Wayne. Superman is different, because that's who he is. Clark is the disguise, not the other way around.

That said New Adventures did present him somewhat the other way, so Clark was the real identity. And the comics have gone a step further. When they killed him off, they brought him back with the idea that Superman forgot he couldn't die and it was Clark who thought he was mortal and allowed it to happen...

[addicted2dvd]

Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut (1980/United States) Warner Home Video Director: Richard Donner Writing: Jerry Siegel (Original Characters By), Joe Shuster (Original Characters By), Mario Puzo (Story By), Mario Puzo (Screenwriter), David Newman (1937) (Screenwriter), Leslie Newman (Screenwriter) Length: 116 min. Rating: Rated PG : Sequences of Action Violence, Some Language and Brief Mild Sexuality Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.40:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor
Christopher Reeve as Superman Clark Kent
Marlon Brando as Jor-El
Ned Beatty as Otis
Jackie Cooper as Perry White
Sarah Douglas as Ursa

Plot:
You haven't seen all the Superman films until you've seen this! Superman II starring Christopher Reeve returns with a never-before-seen beginning and resolution. Director Richard Donner began shooting his vision of Superman II while concurrently filming Superman The Movie. For the first time, his unique vision is here. Jor-El (Marlon Brando in recently found footage) appears in key new scenes that amplify Superman lore and deepen the relationship between father and son. Lois Lane (Margot Kidder) plots more schemes to unmask Clark Kent as Superman. With so many changes, large and small, this version is an eye-opening alternate experience.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Audio Commentary
• Deleted Scenes
• Featurettes
• Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:

Decided to watch Superman II today. Since I only ever seen the Richard Donner cut one time before... I decided I would watch this version again. I enjoyed it just as much this time as I did the first time I watched it. This version corrects most of the problems I had with the theatrical release. All those strange new powers that you never seen before in anything related to Superman is gone from this one. They still have Superman give up his powers... which is a portion of the movie I don't particularly care for as I find those scenes a little too slow. But I understand they are needed for the story they were telling. And I found I enjoyed the story better in this version. This version I would say is right up there with the first movie.

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

[addicted2dvd]

Knowing I don't have a movie yet for 2012 to watch in this thread... A good friend of mine is sending me...

Justice League: Doom When Vandal Savage discovers Batman's secret contingency plan to defeat the Justice League should any of them go rogue, he steals it, forms his own army of supervillains, and begins taking out the Justice League one by one.

She said she knows I needed something for 2012 and knew I like the animated superhero movies... so she is sending this over to me. How cool is that?  I am not sure yet if it will be the single disc movie only release or the two disc special edition. I will let you know when I find out!

[addicted2dvd]

I just heard back from my friend... I am getting the 2-Disc Special Edition of Justice League: Doom! 

[addicted2dvd]

Justice League: Doom: Two-Disc Special Edition (2012/United States) Warner Home Video Director: Lauren Montgomery Writing: Dwayne McDuffie (Writer) Length: 77 min. Rating: Rated PG-13 : Sequences of Violent Action Video: Widescreen 1.78:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, Portuguese: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo, Thai: Dolby Digital: 5.1 Subtitles: English, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai

Stars:
Kevin Conroy as Batman
Tim Daly as Superman
Susan Eisenberg as Wonder Woman
Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern
Carl Lumbly as Martin Manhunter
Michael Rosenbaum as Flash 

Plot:
The Justice League consists of Earth's finest Super heroes and protectors of humanity. But in the mind of the Dark Knight, it contains potentially the most dangerous people on the planet. Over time, Batman has compiled top-secret contigency plans should any of them go rogue. When these files are stolen by a rising group of super villains, the Justice League embarks on a collision course that will test the very fabric of their alliance. With a steller voice cast headed by Kevin Conroy, Tim Daly and Nathan Fillion, this thrilling DC Universe Animated Original adventure will challange what you know about the Justice League as well as redefine what heroes are made of!

Extras:

• Bonus Trailers
• Featurettes
• 2 Bonus Cartoons
• Sneak Peek: Superman vs. The Elite

My Thoughts:

I am sure you all are not surprised... but I just couldn't wait to watch this movie. I have always enjoyed the superhero animated movies. And this one is no different. I enjoyed every moment of this story. I especially enjoyed that this story has the Legion of Doom in it... as that is something I enjoyed every Saturday morning as a kid while watching the Super Friends. So I liked having a sort of nod towards that. This story did confuse me a little about Wonder Woman. It was like they couldn't decide if they wanted the version that could fly or not. In one scene they had her in her invisible plane and using a line to pull her up to the hovering invisible plane. Yet in another scene they had her flying. So I do wish they would have went one way or another with that. But that is ok... it didn't take away much from the story for me. For this being a 2-Disc Special Edition, there really isn't all that many extras offered here. Though they do have a nice 36min featurette on the late Dwyane McDuffie. There is also 2 episodes of Justice League... but that isn't a very big deal... especially if you already have the series in your collection. But either way... this is a good animated movie that I am happy I have in my collection!

My Rating:

[addicted2dvd]

The Dreamers: Original Uncut NC-17 Version (2003/United States) Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment Director: Bernardo Bertolucci Writing: Gilbert Adair (Screenwriter), Gilbert Adair (Original Material By) Length: 115 min. Rating: Rated NC-17 : Explicit Sexual Content Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, French: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, Commentary: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround Subtitles: English, Spanish

Stars:
Michael Pitt as Matthew
Eva Green as Isabelle
Louis Garrel as Theo
Anna Chancellor as Mother
Robin Renucci as Father
Jean-Pierre Kalfon as Himself

Plot:
From Academy Award®-winning director Bernardo Bertolucci (The Last Emperor, 1987), comes an unforgettable erotic story of three attractive young students brought together by their passion for movies — and each other.

When Isabelle and Theo (Eva Green, Louis Garrel) invite Matthew (Michael Pitt) to stay with them, what begins as a casual friendship ripens into a sensual voyage of discovery and desire in which nothing is off limits and anything is possible. Featuring an engaging, seductive cast, The Dreamers is an unforgettable tale of sexual awakening that will "make you fall in love or lust." (Chicago Tribune)

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Audio Commentary
• Feature Trailers
• Bonus Trailers
• Featurettes
• Music Videos
• Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:

This is the second movie I watched today... and it is the second movie I found to be a bit on the strange side. Though I did like this one a little more then the previous (Bug). At least it was definitely easier to understand what was going on at all times. The twins' (brother and sister) relationship is what I found to be so weird. This movie is little more then a strange story with a bunch of old film clips and lots of sex/nudity (both female and male nudity). It isn't that it is a bad film... just as I said... strange. I must say though. I was captivated by the female twin played by Eva Green... she is gorgeous.

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

[addicted2dvd]

Night of the Demons (2009/United States) E1 Entertainment Director: Adam Gierasch Writing: Jace Anderson (Screenwriter), Adam Gierasch (Screenwriter), Joe Augustyn (Original Material By) Length: 93 min. Rating: Rated R : Bloody Horror Violence/Gore and Language Throughout, Some Sexuality, Nudity and Drug Use Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles: English

Stars:
Tatyana Kanavka as Evangeline Broussard
Michael Arata as Louis Devereaux
Shannon Elizabeth as Angela
Linnea Quigley as Ballerina Lady

Plot:
Angela (Shannon Elizabeth) is throwing a decadent Halloween party at New Orleans' infamous Broussard Mansion. But after the police break up the festivities, Maddie (Monica Keena) and a few friends stay behind. Trapped inside the locked mansion gates, the remaining guests uncover a horrifying secret and soon fall victim to seven vicious, blood-thirsty demons.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Audio Commentary
• Feature Trailers
• Bonus Trailers
• Featurettes

My Thoughts:

This is a movie my brother rented from Netflix... and I wanted to check it out as I always enjoyed the original. It has been a while since I watched the original... so it is hard comparing this remake to it... but going by my memory... I definitely prefer the original. I am not saying I didn't like this one... it isn't a bad film. But I don't think it is as good as the original. I think they could have worked a little more on the storyline and they could have definitely done better then some of the cheesy, fake looking effects. Sure the original was rather cheesy and fake looking... but I think there should have been more care taken with the remake. Maybe it was the times that the original came out ('80s) or maybe it is just the fact that I grew up watching it this way... so I am more forgiving with the original... but the remake... with the capabilities out there today... I just can't be as forgiving. But either way... it is an entertaining flick. I wouldn't mind adding it to my collection at some point. But I would want to get it cheap.

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

[addicted2dvd]

Heebie Jeebies (2005/United States) Lions Gate Home Entertainment Director: Doug Evans, Michael Hawkins-Burgos Writing: Doug Evans (Writer), J. J. Shebesta [JJ Shebesta] (Writer) Length: 89 min. Rating: Rated R : Horror Violence and Language Video: Widescreen 1.85:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles: Spanish

Stars:
Bobby Jo Westphal as Cassandra
Deb Billing as Cassandra's Mother
Michael Hawkins-Burgos as Tony
Jeff Lee as Casper
Vanessa Yuille as Cindy
Amy Geyser as Girlfriend

Plot:
Cassandra dreams about the murdering of her friends one by one. Desperate to save their lives, she attempts to evade the inevitable by bringing them together under one roof. She learns that fate is too powerful to be controlled.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Bonus Trailers
• Deleted Scenes
• Outtakes/Bloopers
• Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:

This is a movie I got cheap off of Amazon Marketplace. I only spent a dollar on it. Thankfully I didn't waste too much money... because I had a very hard time to just sit through this movie. It wasn't too long in I found myself doing other things... with the movie mainly playing in the background. This is a very low budget movie... acting needs help (though I have seen worse)... effects are basically non-existent... and the story itself is just plain strange. Don't bother wasting your time and money on this one!

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

[addicted2dvd]

Creepers (1984/Italy) Mill Creek Entertainment Director: Dario Argento Writing: Dario Argento (Writer), Franco Ferrini (Writer) Length: 83 min. Rating: R Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles: None

Stars:
Jennifer Connelly as Jennifer Corvino
Daria Nicolodi as Frau Brückner
Dalila Di Lazzaro as Headmistress
Patrick Bauchau as Inspector Rudolf Geiger
Donald Pleasence as John McGregor
Fiore Argento as Vera Brandt

Plot:
The young daughter of an American actor has been having problems with sleepwalking that her doctor attributes to a possible mental disorder. Sent to a Swiss boarding school for an education and treatment, the young girl discovers that a serial killer has been stalking the grounds of the school. Using the telepathic abilities she has with insects, the girl teams up with a renowned forensic expert to track down the murderer.

Extras:

• Scene Access

My Thoughts:

I got this movie in the Horror Classics: 100 Movie Pack... so I wasn't expecting to much quality wise before I even popped the disc in. While the picture was a little on the soft side... and it is in full frame 1.33:1 (is this OAR?... doubt it.)... the picture wasn't bad at all. Sound was good too. This is the American version/cut of the movie Phenomena. So the first thing I want to know... is this version cut? Is there any difference other then (I would guess) the language? In other words... do I need to seek out Phenomena? Because I enjoyed it quite a bit.. definitely more then I expected to. Reading the overview I wasn't expecting much... but it really drew me into the story. So it has me curios about the differences between this release and the one entitled Phenomena.

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

[samuelrichardscott]

OAR is 1.66:1. Cuts wise, there is the integral version (115 mins), Director's version (109 mins) and a director approved shortened edit - sometimes refered to as the R-Rated version (82 mins).

These are the differences between the shotened edit and the integral version - http://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=687204

[Jimmy]

Can't say what is cut but I've the uncut original version and the running time is 1h50. So an awfull lot of things are certainly missing...

The complete version released a couple of years ago by Anchor Bay isn't too costly. Be cautious if you take the marketplace road, sometimes the sellers ship the wrong version of a movie.

[samuelrichardscott]

Can't say what is cut but I've the uncut original version and the running time is 1h50. So an awfull lot of things are certainly missing...

The complete version released a couple of years ago by Anchor Bay isn't too costly. Be cautious if you take the marketplace road, sometimes the sellers ship the wrong version of a movie.

The integral version adds some dialogue scenes to the AB release. Integral version is available in Italy, Germany, Japan and Holland.

[addicted2dvd]

Thanks guys! I do love my '80s horror... That is about when I first really started to get into movies. Actually surprised I missed this one. At least I don't remember ever seeing it before.