DVD Movie Review #132 Take the Money and Run

Hello again and welcome to another of my DVD movie reviews. This time I am covering a classic Woody Allen Film "Take the Money and Run". This film is actually Woody Allen's first film that he fully wrote and directed making this a fun choice and a historical favorite

This film follows a character that from a young age has turned to crime to solve his problems. His biggest issue...he sucks at it. He must try and choose between a happy family life or one that will result in him living out his life in jail. Enjoy the slap stick hilarity that follows.

This film is a classic Woody Allen comedy. The elements of slapstick comedy and witty remarks are reminiscent of masters like the Marx Brothers and Charlie Chaplin which were big inspirations. The gags are very funny and witty lasting through multiple viewings and allowing you to feel the fun after multiple viewings. The acting is spot on with great music to accentuate the point.

In the end Woody Allen may be the film's weak point as well as its strength. The acting for him is of a character that he portrays in most of his films so I can't really give him credit here. The music is dated and shoot I believe that they recycled most of this soundtrack when they came out with Austin Powers in later years.

I believe this is a good film but like all Woody Allen Productions is flawed.

Rating:   7/10

This is the original Anchor Bay release. When you buy a Woody Allen Film you don't really get much in the way of special features but this in turn is a collectors item as the main movie is pretty rare.

Used:     $9.01   Amazon Marketplace

New:     $15.37 Amazon UK

SeptumSin's Blue Ray & DVD update Blog 6/24/14

Hello again and welcome to the next edition of my acquisition blog. We have some big film names coming in this one and I am looking forward to this as much as you hopefully are. I wish you all the best for this one.

The Lego Movie 6/18/14: Yup We have it the Lego Movie. I have already watched and reviewed it so you can see that when it comes to be published. This movie was shown to me by a friend and I knew I had to see it again right away. This movie is probably one of my favorite's of the year thus far and I hope that it holds up to the standard of best animated feature shwn it does come to down this award season.

 The Lone Ranger 6/18/14: I have been wanting this for a while as I am a collector of Johnny Depp film acting credits. I even have the movie he acted, wrote and directed called The Brave on DVD. I did, however find out that this movie sucked through plenty of reviews, even my mother who loves Johnny Depp was barely able to give this an "interesting". This was on sale for $10 and this allowed me to finally jump on adding this to the Johnny Depp collection.

 Paranormal Activity The Marked Ones 6/18/14: This movie is the next in the lineup of Paranormal Activity Movies. This one is sort of a side movie taking place in the same universe. I am an OCD collector and when I saw this on Blue Ray for $5 at Amazon new I had to jump on it. I am uncertain though if this is worth the money I paid for it....the cover is nice though.

The Grand Budapest Hotel 6/18/14: I wanted this as soon as I saw it in theaters. Wes Anderson is a master of artistic film and all of his movies are well worth a watch. I feel he keeps improving with each attempt and this is not a disappointment. I jumped at it and when Amazon offered a preorder price of $16 I couldn't help myself here.

Wolf Creek 2 6/24/14:  Well I have it, for $5 I bought the sequel to one of the least desirable films in my collection. I heard it and my OCD decided that it was time to get it. I cannot say how terrible thing will go with this one. I am going to be watching it soon...yay me.

Curse of Chucky 6/24/14: I have wanted this movie since I heard they were doing another sequel. I of course would not have paid full price for it. Walmart obliged me by having the DVD for $5. For that I am definatly going down the rabbit hole again.

Sand Sharks 6/24/14: This is a theater of the absurd. This is a cover that screams "BUY ME I'M TERRIBLE!" Either way sand shark is in my collection to stay. A shark in the sand with the sequel being predicted by Clerks "Salsa Shark!"

DVD Movie Review #131 Amityville: It's About Time

Hello again I am back yet again with another of my wondrous movie reviews. This time I am covering one of the off films in the Amityville series called Amityville: Its about Time. This is one of those low cost films I found at the 2 for $3 at Moviestop. I am always up for a haunted house flick and this is fun.

This film takes place in a happy home where the sister of a fairly successful developer has come to live with the family and go back to school. Unfortunately a strange antique clock has come into the family and this clock seems to have strange satanic time control powers leading to make this place a strange satanic time wormhole...thing.

Well I love psychological elements of madness when it comes to film and this film is really fun trip down the rabbit hole of madness. The elements are disturbing but not disturbing enough that i have to look away from the screen. The acting is so so and the music is worth while. The Makeup is not too bad from the time it is coming from and at the same time it is unrealistic enough that I am not flinching.

Ok well now that we have that sorted out this story is so mad that I think that even the writers had a touch of it. I don't know exactly where it starts but there is a point where you are so lost in the madness that by the time the story ends you are left scratching your head in confusion. Ok well other than that this is not really that different from any other horror film with but a trifling connection to the Amityville series.

In the end this is a maddening journey that will leave you confused and upset.

Rating:     5/10

Used:     $21.40   Amazon Canada

New:     $54.98   Ebay

DVD Movie Review #130 Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles

Well we are back again with a series of fun and whimsical DVD movie reviews. This time we are reviewing Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles.  This is the third in the set of Crocodile Dundee movies coming a full 13 years after the second film. I watched this and enjoyed it not long after it came out and after many years of having only the first two films in my collection much like the long delay above the trilogy is finally together.

This movie takes place pretty much as far from the second film as the films span between each other. This film follows Mick Dundee with the child he has had with his long term girlfriend from the first two films. Her father is ill and needs her help in the Los Angeles office the family takes the long journey to the big city and get involved in a shady film scheme to produce bad movies and make millions. Mick must go undercover and find out their real scheme before more problems come up.

This film is actually fun taking the old formula and putting it through the paces in a more modern world with a kid in tow. I feel that they didn't overuse the kid as they have in many films of the day and just incorporated him into the overall story. With the world messed up as it is this is a fun reminder. The acting is standard I am sad the Paul Hogan didn't make more films in his career. The music is a remix of the old with a little of the new so this is very well done for what we are getting. In the end this is a fairly solid entry in the series.

This is still not going quite as far as a shadow but it is a fainter and not quite as good as the other two movies. Paul Hogan is a fun actor in these but really he isn't suited to much else which is why his career is where it is. I feel that they really did recycle the old formula and just throw a kid and a new city in hoping for old success so no real originality here. I kind of feel this sequel was unnecessary and the story was definitely overused.  In the end I don't have a lot that is bad about this other than it is a paler version of two really good movies.

Rating:    6/10

Used:     $4.37    Amazon Marketplace

New:     $4.76    Amazon UK

DVD Movie Review #129 Project X

Hello all and welcome to the next in my lineup of exciting DVD and Blu Ray reviews. Well this one comes fro the Blu Ray side and its called Project X. My girlfriend asked me a long time ago about Project X reporting that she loved that film. I said "Oh yeah I really liked that Matthew Broderick film!" Well I was wrong and this was a different Project X sort of a found footage comedy bit. I was crazy one day and at the Movie Stop found it for $10 on Blu Ray so I said "what the heck let's see what she's talking about". She also told me that I need to have had a few drinks before this one was seen so it took me a while but I did finally see it slightly intoxicated last night.

Well this film follows three friends in their trek for the perfect party planning. They are celebrating their friend's birthday and find it is the best excuse to get laid. Well the three and their hired friend from the A/V department set to video tap the disaster set off to go about having the most outrageous high school birthday party the world has ever seen. All for the quest for popularity and getting laid!

As things go this film was well thought out. I have to admit with the way this was filmed and what was going on I appreciate the originality. This is pretty well acted as far as any film of this genre is concerned. The effects used were pretty well appropriate and I did feel it was done believably. I did really want to strangle these kids after this was over and that plays well into things. Oh yeah, there is a lot of topless nudity.

Well this film was an exercise in frustration. I am not sure intoxication helped this point thought it did help me appreciate the nudity more. This film felt a little shaky to me and others like Superbad were done much better in my opinion. Though my main grip is the way this film ends. It feels like in the end they destroyed the neighborhood but it was well worth it as they got the holy grail of teenagers...popularity. Despite the disclaimer at the beginning of this film it has been recreated many times since this film came out and these teens are seeing real results. I am not really happy with this result and much like Fast and Furious I don't wish to endorse this film with a great rating.

In the end this is a party film don't take it seriously.

Rating: 6/10

This is the unrated Blu Ray edition

Used:    $5.98    Amazon Marketplace

New:     $7.98   Amazon Marketplace

SeptumSin's Blue Ray & DVD update Blog 6/12/14

Hello again and welcome to the next in my lineup of DVD movie acquisitions. This one may be a slow update as I am just putting this together now for one film. I am going down my list and when I reach a good number up it goes :)

 All Quiet on the Western Front 5/25/14: This movie is one that I kept passing up and passing up for a long time. The main reason is I kept thinking that I actually owned this movie confusing it with other war movies that I owned that are academy award winners. I am very interested in seeing this World War One picture as it will give me some insight into the time and into the basics of that part of history. Let us hope that it did deserve the winnings and this is a good film.

Irresponsible Captain Tylor Lite Box 5/27/14: I admit that last time I got something from movie stop that prompted this buy from Amazon.com. I really am curious about this series and I am finally getting the chance to see it for the first time. Another Classic anime from the 90s and thus far what little I have watched prompts me to believe this will be very fun.

Lupin III The Hemingway Papers 6/3/14: I love Lupin the 3rd and yet again another is being released by Eastern Star. I really encourage people to keep supporting this as I want the to keep going with these releases the more that they get the more they are going to release and My hopes are up for the 2nd and 3rd season to be released.

Gargoyles Season 1 6/7/14: I finally decided to break down and get this series on DVD. Most of my friends loved this series and I would like to see this and for the price of $8 a volume this is well worth it. Though the second series that completes the story is not out I can have help.

 Gargoyles Season 2 Volume 1 6//7/14: I really am glad that this series is out as much as it is on DVD. Continued Disney release and continued enjoyment with the series.

Gargoyles Season 2 Volume 2: Bless Disney Movie Rewards for working on completing this things that disney had started yet decided "oh we can quit half way". I look forward to future releases completing such cartoons as Ducktales and Rescue Rangers.

Machete Kills 6/9/14: Who doesn't love a really bad action movie that makes fun of action movies? Machete Kills is one of those that I am really looking forward to seeing and after managing to get a copy for $5 I am hoping that this will be a great addition to my collection if it is anything like the first one.

Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs 2 6/9/14: I have been wanting to see this for a long while. I am, however concerned about the lower quality look of the animation and am hoping that there is not a significant drop of quality with Mr. T and Bruce Campbell no longer being involved on the project. I can still hope for this to be a fun experience and will be watching this one quite soon.

Shakugan No Shana Season 1 6/12/14: Well we have the start of a fairly long series but i have been thinking of this one for a very long time. Funimation finally got some sense in them and now they are releasing SAVE editions of seasons 1-3. The original releases were overpriced (well not season 1) but the other two were divided in to 13 epsiodes blocks so you had to buy 5 sets at $40 a piece to get the three seasons and of course then you need to add the movie and OVA which would be another $40. These are a little under $20 a piece and each season is a full set. 3 Sets for $20 each vs. 5 sets $40 each....hmmm what will I go for. So now that they made it convenient and add the fact I was depressed that day and we have a new series for me to start.

DVD Movie Review #128 Voltron Collection Eight

Hello again and welcome to my next in my line up of wonderful DVD movie reviews. This time we are covering the 8th and final installment of the american version of the cartoon Voltron defender of the universe. This series was bought up in the lion sets as they were exceptionally cheap and I eventually finished the sets up by snatching up the last three for under $10 a piece. This feels like the end of an age for me as I feel I've been watching this series along with Andy Griffith for over a year now.

In this volume the search for a new home planet amps up as the Drool home planet is about to die. The final decisions are made for weather they will try to work together with the galaxy alliance or fight till the death to preserve their honor as warlords.

This series was a very good one as it had me hooked pretty much from the beginning. This space explorer story line is written quite well and this final arc is so good that I had to actually drop everything and watch it to the end. The characters are deeper than you would expect out of an Americanized Japanese anime from the 70s or 80s. The animation is much sharper than it was in the beginning and the action is pretty much non stop with less of the bad puns and campiness that had littered the rest of the series. The music is old yet it is appropriate with what I expect from the series. The voice acting has improved over the last time we have seen this group but still other than optimas prime's voice for the commander it could have been done better. I am satisfied with the way this series ended.

Well this series is as it is which is an older Americanized anime. I feel the plot here has improved over the past work but one may be turned away by the preahiness about how war and pollution ended the enemy planet. I also have to wonder about the enemy. I mean they have to be the most disorganized and undisciplined armed force in the universe. I mean they always disobey direct orders from their superiors fail a multitude of times and not get a lick of punishment for their actions. With this level of disorganization Is a wonder they were able to get out of bed in the morning much less challenge Voltron. In the end the only one that gets punished is the guy who is trying to present the only plans that might work and yet the guy's superiors are surprised when his misbehaving henchmen keep messing up by doing the same crap they did before. This is pretty frustrating and stinks of bad writing. Though despite this I cannot give it as much flak as the rest of the series.

This is pretty much a pretty strong end to an otherwise weak yet important series.

Rating:  7/10

Used:     $15.49    Half.com

New:     $5.98    Amazon Marketplace