Index of High Definition (HD) Movies on HD Cinema & Monsters HD

[Sean Mota]

Pinata:Survival Island (2002) [Monsters-HD]

<p><img border="0" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00007ELI2.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg" align="left" hspace="5"> PINATA: SURVIVAL ISLAND is a conglomeration of countless other slasher, dumber than doodoo teenagers and few surprises. But, in spite of that, I found the movie entertaining in a perverse sort of way? The Hillenbrand brothers offer us hunky Nicholas Brendon and babe Jaime Pressly, and some other lesser known actors, trapped on an island with a killer pinata! Now, give them an A+ for originality on that one. The combination of CGI and mechanical effects worked for me. The pinata's ability to transform into some kind of flying monster is intriguing, and overall the effex are good for a movie with an obviously low budget. Credit the Hillenbrands for making it seem a lot more expensive. Brendon brings that boyishly handsome charm to his role as Kyle, the more mature underwear chaser, who has had a fight with his main squeeze, Ms. Pressly. This is of course secondary to watching the vengeful pinata spirit maim and dismember.
This is certainly not a classic, but it's better than average and I liked the end song, too.</p>

Starring: Director: David Hillenbrand, Scott Hillenbrand Studio: First Look Pictures Aspect ratio

Voomer Reviews:

TheTimm : 3.5 stars : Cheesy horror movie with a pinata that kills college kids on an island - but very well-done. Very good picture, excellent sound - a refreshing workout for 5.1 systems. Also has some pretty good special effects - along with some lame ones. Definitely worth a look - especially if you're rocking' the 5.1!

Walter L. : 2.5 stars. The action is very predictable and the special effects are not the best. The bloody scenes of killing maybe disturbing to some people. Excellent HD transfer.

 

[Sean Mota]

Troll 2 (1992) [Monsters-HD]

<p><img border="0" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/6305074305.01._PE_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg" align="left" hspace="5"> This doesn't have quite the same charm to it as its predecessor. Whereas Troll was Primarily fantasy, Troll 2 goes towards the Horror path. It is still a very good movie which is worthy of being made unlike many sequels. However, if you loved Troll, you may be slightly dissapointed with the change of styles. It is still good fun, but there is just a bit more malice and intent in this sequel. Whereas, the previous was suitable for a slightly younger audience this one isn't. It could almost be a Troma movie with the excessive usage of green gunk. It is also a bit reminiscent of Swamp Thing style movies, people turning into plants. It is original and it is fun and the fact that you are even looking at this page means that you are obviously the type of person who enjoys this type of film, so all I can say is buy it.</p>

Starring: Director: Claudio Fragasso Studio: Polygram Video Aspect ratio

Voomer Reviews:

TheTimm : 0 stars : Wow. Indescribably bad. Some of the worst acting ever put on film. PQ not too bad though.

TechCop : give this one "5 black-holes"! MST3k could have had a blast with this nugget!

 

[Sean Mota]

Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988) [Monsters-HD]

<p><img border="0" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/6305063419.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg" align="left" hspace="5"> You can't kill the bogeyman," the children insist to a terrorized Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) in the original Halloween. How right they are. Laurie is gone, but guess who's back in Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers? Acting as if the third entry never existed, this installment picks up 10 years after the original, with mad maniac Myers in a coma and moved to a new facility. But wouldn't you know it that as soon as a loose-lipped orderly lets slip that Myers has a surviving niece he springs back into action, leaving a bloody trail of corpses on the road to Haddonfield. Donald Pleasance returns as Dr. Loomis, scarred and crippled from his last encounter with Myers and seething with a fanatical zeal to stop the freak from repeating his previous rampage. Pleasance is the best thing about the film as an aging hero seemingly on the verge of madness who drags a bum leg in his manic rush to save little orphan Jamie (Danielle Harris), the 10-year-old waif terrorized by her homicidal uncle. Director Dwight Little has managed a generic if professional slasher picture, rife with improbabilities and dominated by a killer whose superhuman powers reach near-mystical dimensions, but he delivers the goods: shocks, stabs, and cold, cruel killings. --Sean Axmaker .</p>

Starring: Donald Pleasence, Ellie Cornell Director: Dwight H. Little Studio: Anchor Bay Entertainment Aspect ratio 1.85 : 1

Voomer Reviews:

TheTimm : 1.5 stars : Nothing special. Just what you'd expect.

 

[Sean Mota]

Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989) [Monsters-HD]

<p><img border="0" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00004TJFL.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg" align="left" hspace="5"> Starting around Halloween 4, that masked nut Michael Myers stopped chasing his sister (played by Jamie Lee Curtis in the first and second films, as well as Halloween H20) and went after his niece. Now he's chasing her around again in part 5, but it's a lot of other people who die in the process. Donald Pleasence continues his mad-doctor bit from the earlier movies, Danielle Harris is the unfortunate relation, and Donald L. Shanks plays the monster. The film is an improvement on parts 2 and 4 (part 3 having nothing to do with Michael Myers), but it still amounts to routine slaughter with none of John Carpenter's stylistic brilliance from the original movie. --Tom Keogh .</p>

Starring: Donald Pleasence Director: Dominique Othenin-Girard Studio: Anchor Bay Entertainment Aspect ratio 1.85 : 1

Voomer Reviews:

TheTimm : 2 stars : Maybe a little better than you'd think -- not too bad for PQ and sound.

 

[Sean Mota]

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) [Monsters-HD]

<p><img border="0" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0000C8ART.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg" align="left" hspace="5"> This sensational, extremely influential, 1974 low-budget horror movie directed by Tobe Hooper (Poltergeist, Lifeforce, Salem's Lot), may be notorious for its title, but it's also a damn fine piece of moviemaking. And it's blood-curdling scary, too. Loosely based on the true crimes of Ed Gein (also a partial inspiration for Psycho), the original Jeffrey Dahmer, Texas Chainsaw Massacre follows a group of teenagers who pick up a hitchhiker and wind up in a backwoods horror chamber where they're held captive, tortured, chopped up, and impaled on meat hooks by a demented cannibalistic family, including a character known as Leatherface who maniacally wields one helluva chainsaw. The movie's powerful sense of dread is heightened by its grainy, semi-documentary style--but it also has a wicked sense of humor (and not that camp, self-referential variety that became so tiresome in subsequent horror films of the '70s, '80s, and '90s). OK, in case you couldn't tell, it's "not for everyone." But as a landmark in the development of the horror/slasher genre, it ranks with Psycho, Halloween, and A Nightmare on Elm Street. --Jim Emerson .</p>

Starring: Marilyn Burns, Edwin Neal Director: Tobe Hooper Studio: Geneon Entertainment Aspect ratio 1.37 : 1 (negative ratio) 1.85 : 1 (intended ratio)

Voomer Reviews:

TheTimm : 4 stars : Truly a horror film classic - and looks pretty damned good for a 30-year-old!

 

[Sean Mota]

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986) [Monsters-HD]

<p><img border="0" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0792846508.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg" align="left" hspace="5"> This wild, operatic 1986 sequel to 1974's low-budget horror hit--The Texas Chainsaw Massacre--is an extraordinary film that demonstrates just how far filmmaker Tobe Hooper had grown in the interim between the two movies. (Between the two movies, Hooper directed, among other things, the Spielberg production Poltergeist, the critically admired Lifeforce, and the spooky remake of Invaders from Mars.) In Massacre 2, Hooper enlists Dennis Hopper as a Texas Ranger seeking vengeance against the flesh-eating family that was introduced in the first film. Meanwhile, a radio deejay (Caroline Williams) is kidnapped by the family and brought to their underground lair. The performances are crazed, terrifying, and comic; the chainsaw fights are practically epic; the lighting and camera work are artful; the emotions are strong; and the ending is astounding, unparalleled in its imagery and force. --Tom Keogh .</p>

Starring: Dennis Hopper, Caroline Williams Director: Tobe Hooper Studio: Mgm/Ua Studios Aspect ratio 1.85 : 1

Voomer Reviews:

TheTimm : 0 stars : This movie didn't get a single thing right. A waste of time. As bad as the first one is good.

 

[Sean Mota]

Paperhouse (1989) [Monsters-HD]

<p><img border="0" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/6302038448.01._PE_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg" align="left" hspace="5"> have to say, Paperhouse is one of the most fascinating movies that I have seen in a long time. One definitely worthy of being in my video collection. The story is of a little girl who draws, and when she falls asleep, her drawings come to life in her dreams. She draws a house with a little boy at the window, and in her dreams he becomes her friend. She adds more and more to her drawings each day, but realizes that her drawings are not particularly "happy ones", and they turn into nightmares in no time. Wait until you see what happens when she erases things, or tries to cross them out...definitely a scary movie! More so for a child than an adult. I saw this film for the first time when I was 11 and I was frightened. I am 22 now, and while I still enjoy it to the fullest, it isn't quite as scary as I remembered it to be.</p>

Starring: Director: Bernard Rose Studio: Vestron Aspect ratio 1.66 : 1

Voomer Reviews:

TheTimm : 3.5 stars : Starts off a little slow, but gets creepier - and has better imagery and cooler soundbursts - as it goes on. Pretty cool.

 

[Sean Mota]

Hoodlum (1997, Crime)

<p><img border="0" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0792834712.01.LZZZZZZZ.gif" align="left" hspace="5"> A flawed but admirably ambitious gangster movie, Hoodlum aspires to be a kind of Harlem-based equivalent to The Godfather, and while it falls short of that lofty goal it's still got plenty of qualities to make it well worth seeing. It's the first film to tell the story of Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson (charismatically played by Laurence Fishburne), an ex-convict who dominated the Harlem numbers racket during the 1930s and '40s. As he rises to power he gains equally powerful enemies, including hotheaded Bronx gangster Dutch Schultz (Tim Roth) and the suave mobster Lucky Luciano (Andy Garcia). Determined to defend his Harlem turf against these invaders, Bumpy eclipses the "policy queen" Stephanie St. Clair (Cicely Tyson) and becomes a self-styled Robin Hood figure, attracting the attention of a community servant (Vanessa Williams) who must confront the brutality of Bumpy's business. A must-see for anyone who likes gangster movies, Hoodlum is certainly not a masterpiece, but sharp performances and some powerful scenes make it an interesting look at a little-known chapter in criminal history. --Jeff Shannon.</p>

Starring: Laurence Fishburne, Tim Roth Director: Bill Duke Studio: Mgm/Ua Studios Aspect ratio 1.85 : 1

Voomer Reviews:

TheTimm : 3.5 stars : I thought the cast was outstanding and that this is a really good movie. Thought the picture could be sharper, and a little more surround channel action wouldn't hurt - but the gunshots and explosion did sound good.

slick1ru2 : I give it a 4.

Sean Mota : 3.0 entertaining movie. I am not much into this type of movie but it was ok. PQ was fine.

 

[Sean Mota]

In Country (1989, Drama)

<p><img border="0" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00000JGHU.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg" align="left" hspace="5"> Directors Sidney Lumet, Alan J. Pakula, Sydney Pollack, and Norman Jewison astutely documented the political pulse of the '60s and '70s with such films as Prince of the City, The Parallax View, Three Days of the Condor, and In the Heat of the Night. Lumet and Jewison have carried their cinematic social consciousness into their past two decades of filmmaking as well. In Country (1989) is Jewison's mournful look at one American family's struggle to survive the aftermath of Vietnam. The film is based on Bobbie Ann Mason's book and it was Bruce Willis's first effort to break out of his Moonlighting and Die Hard mold by tackling the dramatically dark role of Emmett, a Vietnam veteran whose flashbacks of battle horror have pushed him into isolation from the world. His niece, Samantha (Emily Lloyd), lost her dad in the war, and these two unlikely people form a bond based on a past Emmett can't escape and a future that looms bright and beautiful for Samantha. What Jewison does best is evoke the sense of hope that was once held by the forgotten survivors of that terrible war. In Country ambitiously struggles to pull all of its threads together, and while this is a wonderful character study, it has a messy, meandering structure that never quite gels or answers the questions it poses. Yet there's no denying that the climactic closing scenes have a poignancy and power that will bring tears to anyone watching. --Paula Necha.</p>

Starring: Bruce Willis, Emily Lloyd Director: Norman Jewison Studio: Warner Studios Aspect ratio 1.33:1

Voomer Reviews:

TheTimm : 3.5 stars : I really liked this movie. I think Bruce Willis did a pretty damned good job, although Emily Lloyd may have overdone it a little bit - but she's so darned cute I really didn't mind! While the transfer wasn't the sharpest in history, it wasn't bad either. The surround mix is one of the best that I've heard on an HD Cinema 10 movie. And the story, especially the end, was just downright touching.

 

[Sean Mota]

Voyage of the Damned (1976, Drama)

<p><img border="0" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00002IJ3A.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg" align="left" hspace="5"> This was not your standard passenger list. Some were concentration camp victims. Others just wanted to join relatives in Cuba. Some were wealthy enough to afford the voyage. Most left everything behind in hope they could escape German terror. The passengers are unaware that the voyage is a sham, simply one of Goebbel's propaganda exercises. This ship will not be able to dock in Havana and, when the rest of the world turns the ship away, the Jews will have to return to Germany. Just as hope has all but vanished, the passengers receive word that some European countries may take them in. Come what may, the passengers resolve not to return to the camps. Faye Dunaway, Max Von Sydow, Oskar Werner, Malcolm McDowell, Orson Welles, James Mason, Katherine Ross, Ben Gazzara, Lee Grant and Julie Harris.</p>

Starring: Director: Stuart Rosenberg Studio: Warner Home Video Aspect ratio 1.85 : 1

Voomer Reviews:

Sean Mota : 3.0 Not the greatest PQ you will find but it was ok. The story is kind of slow but it is a good one. It's based on a true story and it was played on Epics. So I guess it is an Epic (sort of).

Rang1995 : Should be seen--considered a 4 star movie and is on Moritoriun (sic).

 

[Sean Mota]

I Come in Peace (1990)

<p><img border="0" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/6301885538.01._PE_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg" align="left" hspace="5"> I Come in Peace," says the alien visitor. "You Go in Pieces," replies the no-nonsense cop. And he's right, of course. The alien sees human beings as convenient drug factories for his kind and if his mission succeeds they will take over the Earth and turn us into walking crackhouses. </p>

Starring: Dolph Lundgren, Brian Benben Director: Craig R. Baxley Studio: Anchor Bay Entertainment Aspect ratio 1.85 : 1

Voomer Reviews:

TechCop : (Four Stars. It's not that good, I just like it!) I've been waiting to chow down again on this little junk-food gem for 10 years!
Lots of action, loads of explosions, and too many one-liners to count! (The last one is the best one). Enjoy it while you can, I doubt you will ever see this one anywhere else. Great transfer, too, both video and sound!

Way to go, VOOM!

TheTimm : 3.5 stars : Good call, TechCop! This movie frickin' rocks! It ain't gonna win any awards, but it sure is fun to watch! Love the surround sound mix - and there's plenty of gunplay and explosions to showcase. Aliens, drugs, chases, renegade cop, by-the-book fed, bad one-liners (and that last hilarious one!), even a little gratuitous nudity - what more could you want out of a movie?

Sean Mota : 3.0 finally had time to see it. I had actually seen this one before and did not remember it. It was quite enjoyable and HD transfer was quite good. So if you are into sci-fi, you have to watch this one.

 

[Sean Mota]

Flawless (1999, Comedy)

<p><img border="0" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/6305781095.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg" align="left" hspace="5"> Who could possibly be the target audience for Flawless? Walter (Robert De Niro) is a homophobic policeman who suffers a stroke while responding to gunshots in his own apartment building; for speech therapy, he starts taking singing lessons from his neighbor Rusty (Philip Seymour Hoffman of Magnolia, Boogie Nights, and Happiness), a gay drag queen who's saving up money for a sex-change operation. However, there's another story line that takes up at least as much time as that one, about a drug dealer and his goons trying to find money that was stolen from them, brutally beating up everyone in their path. Furthermore, the local gay community (in New York City) seems to consist entirely of drag queens and Log Cabin Republicans, and one of Walter's cop buddies goggles at drag queens as if he's just arrived from the middle of Iowa. All the characters--including various prostitutes, drug dealers, a hotel clerk who's a weaselly mama's boy, as well as the aforementioned drag queens and cops--are horrific stereotypes. De Niro and Hoffman, both extremely talented actors, do all they can to overcome their cliché-studded dialogue, but they never seem to be in the same movie. Written and directed by Joel Schumacher, whose eclectic career includes Batman & Robin, A Time to Kill, Flatliners, and St. Elmo's Fire. --Bret Fetzer </p>

Starring: Robert De Niro, Philip Seymour Hoffman Director: Joel Schumacher Studio: Mgm/Ua Studios Aspect ratio 1.85 : 1

Voomer Reviews:

TheTimm : 3 stars : Surprisingly good sound, and a pretty good PQ too. The movie itself I found pretty entertaining, although I don't agree with it being labelled a "comedy" in the PG. Seems more like a drama, albeit one with comedic elements. I thought Philip Seymour Hoffman was excellent as a drag queen (although I still haven't forgiven him for wearing a "Detroit Sucks" t-shirt in Almost Famous). DeNiro was, well...DeNiro.

 

[Sean Mota]

Innocent Lies (1995, Mystery)

<p><img border="0" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/6303672477.01._PE_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg" align="left" hspace="5"> detective investigating the murder of an old friend uncovers a hidden incestuous passion when he interrogates his prime suspect's sister. His own attraction for the sister puts him in direct conflict with his suspect, who will stop at nothing to make his forbidden life-long love his own.</p>

Starring: Director: Patrick Dewolf Studio: Polygram Video Aspect ratio 2.35 : 1

Voomer Reviews:

TheTimm : 2 stars : Sound pretty good, PQ pretty good. Movie pretty dull. Kept waiting for it to pick up but it never really did.

 

[Sean Mota]

Cimarron (1960, Westerns)

<p><img border="0" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00004RFF7.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg" align="left" hspace="5"> The 1960 remake of Cimarron manages a slight improvement on the worst Best Picture (1931) in Academy Award history. Not that Edna Ferber's novel of pioneer Oklahoma was ever a movie natural. There's a plethora of themes--several species of prejudice, capitalism vs. charity, sons unhappily following in fathers' footsteps, and the irreconcilable tensions between a stability-craving wife and her footloose hero-husband--but the action is front-loaded and the husband (Glenn Ford) is offscreen for years at a time. Anthony Mann gets solo directorial credit, yet the movie seems more typical of his replacement, Charles Walters, a maker of pastel musicals. Most of the large cast comes and goes without establishing identities; Maria Schell's Sabra Cravat is tiresome as both ditz and pill. Photographed in CinemaScope and Metrocolor by Robert L. Surtees, the Oklahoma land rush is properly spectacular--though less impressive than John Ford's in Three Bad Men. --Richard T. Jameson.</p>

Starring: Director: Charles Walters, Anthony Mann Studio: Warner Studios Aspect ratio 2.35 : 1

Voomer Reviews:

TheTimm : 2.5 stars : I actually thought it was pretty good, but it ran a little long and I started to lose interest by the end. It started strong, though, with the Oklahoma land rush and all. Enjoyed the surround mix - PQ ok.

 

[Sean Mota]

Dark Habits (1984)

<p><img border="0" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00009XN3K.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg" align="left" hspace="5"> Who but Pedro Almodóvar would make a movie in which a nightclub singer named Yolanda, whose boyfriend has died from a heroin overdose, hides from the police in a nunnery--only to discover that the nuns have more perverse lifestyles than her own? The nuns of Dark Habits use drugs, write lurid pulp novels, design high-fashion habits, and keep a tiger in their courtyard. Yolanda (Cristina Sanchez Pascual) gets caught up in the head nun's scheme to regain the patronage of a wealthy noblewoman, but betrayal, illicit love, and a campy musical number are waiting in the wings. Dark Habits features Almodóvar regulars Carmen Maura and Marisa Paredes, as well as a bit part by Cecelia Roth of All About My Mother. Fans of Almodóvar's magnificent later films (like Habla Con Ella (Talk to Her)) may find Dark Habits a bit thin, but it offers its own charms and comic delights. --Bret Fetzer .</p>

Starring: Director: Pedro Almodóvar
Studio: Wellspring Media, In Aspect ratio 1.66 : 1

Voomer Reviews:

Sean Mota : 3.0 This one is not for everybody. I could have easily given a 2.0 but I am such a Pedro Almondovar fan that I love most of his movies. This one was a strange since it was hard to predict what was all about. It was non-oar and it would have been better if it had been shown oar. PQ is not great so OAR would have helped.

TheTimm : 2 stars : Those are some freaky nuns! Bad sound, even worse PQ, very strange (though interesting) movie, nuns on dope. And while I don't speak Spanish well, I know enough to realize the translator didn't do a very good job - kinda shorthanding a lot of the translations ( example: a rather sarcastic "que intersante" - how interesting - comes out "oh,yeah".)

 

[Sean Mota]

Vampire's Kiss (1989)

<p><img border="0" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000068IET.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg" align="left" hspace="5"> Nicolas Cage plays Peter Loew, a sleazy literary agent who prowls the bars in the evening looking for some action. One night he hooks up with Jennifer Beals, and in the course of their relations, she bites him on the neck. When he wakes up the next morning, Peter doesn't feel quite right. He is irritable, and has a hard time dealing with life at the literary agency, where his secretary takes the brunt of his ire. Suddenly, it dawns on Peter that he was bitten by a vampire, so he goes out and buys a set of real fangs. However, mere plot exposition can't begin to get at what makes this movie so incredible. Well, the film itself isn't really incredible, it's Cage's performance. Here, it seems, he was given free rein to act like a total madman. There is absolutely no precedent for this performance anywhere in film history, and Cage is a wonder to watch. Though this film is usually only mentioned when people want to talk about how Cage ate a live cockroach once because he insisted on absolute realism, his performance here dwarfs everything else he's ever done. The movie might be rather silly, what with its rather pretentious device of using Peter's transformation into a vampire as a metaphor for his other life as a parasitic literary agent and lady-killer, but Cage overacts so stunningly that you can't take your eyes off the film for a second.
.</p>

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Maria Conchita Alonso Director: Robert Bierman Studio: MGM/UA Video Aspect ratio

Voomer Reviews:

Sean Mota : 4.0 excellent movie. I loved this movie. PQ was great!

bbqman : agree with the good transfer, but IMO this was not one of Cage's better movies. I will admit, Beals with vampire teeth was inspirational.

TheTimm : 2 stars : The movie itself is crap -- but what a performance by Nicholas Cage! As he's proven over the years, he is a special sort of crazy - and it's all on display here. The man just goes nuts with this role and it's really fun to watch. Very good PQ, too.

 

[Sean Mota]

Time After Time (1979, Drama)

<p><img border="0" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/6300271781.01._PE_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg" align="left" hspace="5"> In this clever speculative tale, story collaborators Karl Alexander and Steve Hayes and screenwriter-director Nicholas Meyer (Star Trek II and VI) send two famous historical figures ahead in time. In late 19th century England, writer H.G. Wells (Malcolm McDowell) unwittingly includes Jack the Ripper (David Warner) in his social circle. When one of Wells's dinner parties is crashed by the police looking for the Ripper, Jack uses the author's time machine to escape. But there's one catch--after it has been used, the machine returns to Wells's time. Thus the literary genius bravely sets out to find his evil friend before he can wreak havoc on another time period, and soon arrives in modern-day San Francisco. What follows is a fascinating merger of a suspense thriller--as the charming and polite Wells tries to hunt down the shrewd, brutish Ripper and take him back to the past--and a love story, as Wells befriends and falls in love with a bank administrator (Mary Steenburgen) who acts as his guide through the future. Through its brilliant combination of creepy suspense and tender romance, Time After Time manages to become a classic in two genres at once--a rare cinematic achievement. --Bryan Reesman.</p>

Starring: Malcolm McDowell, David Warner Director: Malcolm McDowell, David Warner, See more Studio: Warner Studios Aspect ratio 2.35 : 1

Voomer Reviews:

TheTimm : 3 stars : Pretty cool. Time travel with famous folks - what's not to like? Good PQ, weak sound, Corey Feldman (his debut,maybe?) as Boy in Museum.

 

[Sean Mota]

Danton (1982)

<p><img border="0" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0780021797.01._PE_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg" align="left" hspace="5"> This is probably the finest movie ever done concerning the French revolution and its anarchic aftermath. Everything is just accomplished so well, the acting, the story, the dialogue and historical accuracy are just amazing. For fans of French history, it is an amazing treat, while to the regular movie buff, it is a memorable cinema experience.

The story of Danton takes place in what is known in French history as the Terror. Following the overthrow and execution of King Louis XVI, groups of revolutionaries formed various councils and committees, such as the infamous Committee for Public Safety in Paris. Although started with good intentions, the Committees soon became harsh instruments of brutal tyranny and social control. Their power soon reached the levels of dictators, and the their most powerful committee leader was Robespierre. A puritanical revolutionary, he believed any dissent was a direct threat to the revolution. As he became more power hungry, his old comrades began to turn against him. Robespierre used any means necessary to stamp out dissent, including the famous guillotine. However, powerful sources soon turned against him, such as Danton, the peoples favorite. Danton was the polar opposite of Robespierre, a wild and vivacious revolutionary who valued all the good in life. The two clashed numerous times, until, as the movie shows, Robespierre descends into madness, lashing out at anyone who questions him. This leads to disaster for Danton, and for the Republic.

This movie delivers on all levels. The beauty and darkness of terror era France are portrayed vividly, with director Andrzej Wajda filling the screen with historic finery. The characters, especially Robespierre and Danton are exquisitely detailed, with actors Gerald Depardieu and Wojciech Pszoniak delivering powerful performances. The tension and drama builds, culminating in the wonderful courtroom scenes. The movie delivers a powerful message of human freedom and bravery in the face of official repression.</p>

Starring: Gérard Depardieu, Wojciech Pszoniak Director: Andrzej Wajda Studio: Home Vision Entertainment Aspect ratio 2.35 : 1

Voomer Reviews:

1080iBeVuMin : This had 4 stars -- that's what attracted my attention. I liked it! Great flick if you enjoy historical films and especially if you enjoy foreign films with subtitles and their European approach to cinema.

It covers the period of the French Revolution "Reign of Terror" and the conflict between Robbespierre and Danton (Gerard Depardieu). Danton stayed true to his revolutionary roots while Robbespierre became a state autocrat. Well done!

 

[Sean Mota]

The Magnificent Seven (1960)

<p><img border="0" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/630442972X.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg" align="left" hspace="5"> Akira Kurosawa's rousing Seven Samurai was a natural for an American remake--after all, the codes and conventions of ancient Japan and the Wild West (at least the mythical movie West) are not so very far apart. Thus The Magnificent Seven effortlessly turns samurai into cowboys (the same trick worked more than once: Kurosawa's Yojimbo became Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dollars). The beleaguered denizens of a Mexican village, weary of attacks by banditos, hire seven gunslingers to repel the invaders once and for all. The gunmen are cool and capable, with most of the actors playing them just on the cusp of '60s stardom: Steve McQueen, James Coburn, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn. The man who brings these warriors together is Yul Brynner, the baddest bald man in the West. There's nothing especially stylish about the approach of veteran director John Sturges (The Great Escape), but the storytelling is clear and strong, and the charisma of the young guns fairly flies off the screen. If that isn't enough to awaken the 12-year-old kid inside anyone, the unforgettable Elmer Bernstein music will do it: bum-bum-ba-bum, bum-ba-bum-ba-bum.... Followed by three inferior sequels, Return of the Seven, Guns of the Magnificent Seven, and The Magnificent Seven Ride! --Robert Horton.</p>

Starring: Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen Director: John Sturges Studio: Mgm/Ua Studios Aspect ratio 2.35 : 1

Voomer Reviews:

squicken : 3 stars. This is a 5 star movie, but Voom screwed it up. This movie is 2.35-1 aspect ratio, Voom shows it 16x9. Mosquito noise all over, either bad transfer or typical Voom PQ crapiness. Sound is great. Quite frankly, I'd rather watch the OAR DVD with DD 5.1 than watch this again on Voom. I'm love this movie, and Voom did not do right by it.

Sean Mota : 3.0 I just saw this movie. Not OAR and this is why I would not give a good rating. The HD transfer was not that great either. A lot of grainy. It does make you appreciate the good western movies and it made me laugh. Charles Bronson when he was young is a must see. He looked big in this movie too. Steve McQueen, Yul Brynner, Rico Alaniz are just a few feature in this one. Great movie; a western classic. I am watching the Return of the Magnificent Seven and will write my review later.

 

[Sean Mota]

Mr. Mom (1983)

<p><img border="0" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0792844866.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg" align="left" hspace="5"> When Jack Butler (Michael Keaton) loses his job at an auto factory, he expects to quickly find another. But instead, his wife Caroline (Teri Garr) starts working for an ad agency and Jack ends up taking care of the house and kids. He soon runs afoul of shopping etiquette, a voracious vacuum cleaner, and he can't even drop his kids off at school properly. He starts losing his pride and letting himself go. He stops shaving, drinks at all hours, and watches soap operas. And not only does a predatory divorcée (Ann Jillian) have her eye on him, Caroline's new boss (Martin Mull) has more than business on his mind. Will their marriage survive? What makes Mr. Mom work isn't its role-reversal premise, but its clever off-the-main-plot scenes like the obstacle course at the company picnic, where a footrace with swim fins is set to a variation on the theme to Chariots of Fire; a poker game using discount coupons for money; or a traumatic, soap-opera-influenced dream Jack has when he realizes his life is going down the toilet. This is the first starring role for Michael Keaton, who went on to star in Beetlejuice and Batman; he makes the most of both its comic and sentimental side. The script, incidentally, is written by John Hughes, who later went on to write and direct The Breakfast Club and Home Alone. --Bret Fetzer.</p>

Starring: Michael Keaton, Teri Garr Director: Stan Dragoti Studio: Mgm/Ua Studios Aspect ratio

Voomer Reviews:

Dvlos : 3 out of 5 Stars, late 70s and early 80s recession forces some trying times on certain families. Micheal Keaton stars as the Dad who loses his job, and is now the "house wife" while his wife gets a job at an ad agency and pays the bills. Some laughs, some corny moments. Heh those of us that have always been into HT equipment the radios and TVs in this are a blast from the past, I can't believe I actually owned a TV like that in my bedroom as a kid.

Sean Mota: 3.0 Funny, it is the only way I can describe it. Makes me appreciate what my wife does for me and I can of ignore it because I find it to be done by her. Another one that was very good and you should not miss.

TheTimm: 2.5 stars : A cute movie with some funny bits - and what's not to like about Teri Garr? - but I think this movie shows it's age a bit. It just doesn't seem that unusual to me for a man to be that involved with raising the children and keeping the house. Plus, it has Martin Mull. That's not a good sign for any movie.