Collection ID 1615
Director: Edward D. Wood Jr.
Starring: Gregory Walcott, Mona McKinnon, Duke Moore, Tom Keene, Carl Anthony
Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi
Studio: Reynolds Pictures   Release date: 1959   Rated: Not Rated   
Language (Country): English (USA)
Summary: In California, an old man (Bela Lugosi) grieves the loss of his wife (Vampira) and on the next day he also dies. However, the space soldier Eros and her mate Tanna use an electric device to resurrect them both and the strong Inspector Clay (Tor Johnson) that was murdered by the couple. Their intention is not to conquer Earth but to stop mankind from developing the powerful bomb "Solobonite" that would threaten the universe. When the population of Hollywood and Washington DC sees flying saucers on the sky, a colonel, a police lieutenant, a commercial pilot, his wife and a policeman try to stop the aliens.
My Rating:
My Review:

Collection ID 45
Director: Franklin J. Schaffner
Starring: Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans, James Whitmore
Genre: Action
Studio:   Release date: 1968   Rated:   
Language (Country): German, English, Spanish (USA)
Summary: An astronaut crew lands on a planet where intelligent apes are the dominant species.
My Rating:
My Review: The original, not that ridiculous 're-imagination'. This is a classic movie. Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner (Patton, Papillon, The Boys from Brazil), based on a novel (w/same name) by Pierre Boulle, and starring Charlton Heston and Roddy McDowall, this movie spawned four sequels, novelizations, cartoons, a TV series, as well as a series of remakes starting with 'Planet of the Apes' by Tim Burton. Four Earth astronauts are set to return to earth after a long trip through space. Something goes wrong and they're awakened early. With the lone female dead, they crash land on an 'alien' planet and discover Apes in charge of Man. The social commentary is great, the music outstanding, and the story unbeatable. The ending shot of the movie is unforgettable. I give this movie a 5 out of 5.

Collection ID 1582
Director: Franklin J. Schaffner
Starring: Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans, James Whitmore
Genre: Adventure, Sci-Fi
Studio: APJAC Productions   Release date: 1968   Rated: G   
Language (Country): English (USA)
Summary: Taylor and two other astronauts come out of deep hibernation to find that their ship has crashed. Escaping with little more than clothes they find that they have landed on a planet where men are pre-lingual and uncivilized while apes have learned speech and technology. Taylor is captured and taken to the city of the apes after damaging his throat so that he is silent and cannot communicate with the apes.
My Rating:
My Review: The original, not that ridiculous 're-imagination'. This is a classic movie. Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner (Patton, Papillon, The Boys from Brazil), based on a novel (w/same name) by Pierre Boulle, and starring Charlton Heston and Roddy McDowall, this movie spawned four sequels, novelizations, cartoons, a TV series, as well as a series of remakes starting with 'Planet of the Apes' by Tim Burton. Four Earth astronauts are set to return to earth after a long trip through space. Something goes wrong and they're awakened early. With the lone female dead, they crash land on an 'alien' planet and discover Apes in charge of Man. The social commentary is great, the music outstanding, and the story unbeatable. The ending shot of the movie is unforgettable. I give this movie a 5 out of 5.

Collection ID 31
Director: Oliver Stone
Starring: Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe, Charlie Sheen, Forest Whitaker, Francesco Quinn
Genre: Action
Studio: Hemdale   Release date: 1986   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English (USA)
Summary: A young recruit in Vietnam faces a moral crisis when confronted with the horrors of war and the duality of man.
My Rating:
My Review: An excellent cast - Tom Berenger (playing Sgt. Barnes), Willem Dafoe (as Sgt. Elias), Charlie Sheen (as Pvt. Chris Taylor), Forest Whitaker (Big Harold), Francesco Quinn (Rhah), Keith David (King), Johnny Depp, Kevin Dillon, and many others. Written and directed by Oliver Stone, this movie is a choreographed piece of violent Vietnam War chaos. It's an auto-biographical chronicle of one man's Vietnam experience. Pvt. Taylor is relatively new recruit, a naive volunteer who thought he could 'make a difference' in Vietnam. Assigned to Bravo company, Taylor becomes witness to the atrocities, terror and madness that is the Vietnam 'Conflict'. Tom Berenger and Willem Dafoe are outstanding in their roles as the good and bad soldiers. The movie coalesces around these two soldiers as everyone struggles to survive the crescendo of war as it rains down all around them. An excellent duality of man movie. I give it a 4 out of 5.

Collection ID 837
Director: Oliver Stone
Starring: Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe, Charlie Sheen, Forest Whitaker, Francesco Quinn
Genre: Action
Studio: Hemdale   Release date: 1986   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English (USA)
Summary: A young recruit in Vietnam faces a moral crisis when confronted with the horrors of war and the duality of man.
My Rating:
My Review: An excellent cast - Tom Berenger (playing Sgt. Barnes), Willem Dafoe (as Sgt. Elias), Charlie Sheen (as Pvt. Chris Taylor), Forest Whitaker (Big Harold), Francesco Quinn (Rhah), Keith David (King), Johnny Depp, Kevin Dillon, and many others. Written and directed by Oliver Stone, this movie is a choreographed piece of violent Vietnam War chaos. It's an auto-biographical chronicle of one man's Vietnam experience. Pvt. Taylor is relatively new recruit, a naive volunteer who thought he could 'make a difference' in Vietnam. Assigned to Bravo company, Taylor becomes witness to the atrocities, terror and madness that is the Vietnam 'Conflict'. Tom Berenger and Willem Dafoe are outstanding in their roles as the good and bad soldiers. The movie coalesces around these two soldiers as everyone struggles to survive the crescendo of war as it rains down all around them. An excellent duality of man movie. I give it a 4 out of 5.

Collection ID 1073
Director: Andy Wilson
Starring: David Duchovny, Timothy Hutton, Angelina Jolie, Michael Massee, Peter Stormare
Genre: Crime
Studio: Beacon Communications   Release date: 1997   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English (USA)
Summary: Stripped of his medical license after performing an operation while high on amphetamines, famed LA surgeon Dr Eugene Sands abandons his former life only to find himself crossing paths with Raymond Blossom, an infamous counterfeiter. Employed as a "gun-shot doctor" when Raymond's associates cannot risk visiting a hospital, Eugene is lured deep into the criminal world and becomes entangled with his boss's girlfriend.
My Rating:
My Review: A mid 'X-Files' movie for David Duchovny. Unfortunately, as much as you want Duchovny (playing Eugene Sands) to be a great actor - He isn't… and Timothy Hutton is stuck in another role where he's cast (playing Raymond Blossom) to overact. Another heavy role where he's found ranting and raving. He plays an excellent psychopath. Angelina Jolie (as Claire) plays the eye candy mobster's gal/undercover FBI agent. The story: Eugene Sands is a drug addicted former surgeon trying to slip between the cracks in LA. As his money slowly runs out he's crashing on a big long pity trip. That's when he makes the mistake of helping save someone's life. From that point on, he become's Eugene's 'Combat Medic'. Patching up the casualties in Eugene's drug war. A Dr. who can't make it without the thrill - no matter where it comes from; saving lives or living high. The script is full of twists and turns. An excellent thriller with plenty of character involvement with emotions close to the surface. The movie includes some voice over narrative (Duchovny's flat monologue as the Dr's inner thoughts), but it only severs to distract from the action and suspense unravelling on screen. While Angelina Jolie looks good in red, she's cast without any personality and we feel very little for her character. The direction and editing missed the mark, with some performances (notably Duchovny's) feeling a little off queue. I liked it. 3 out of 5.

Collection ID 339
Director: Andy Wilson
Starring: David Duchovny, Timothy Hutton, Angelina Jolie, Michael Massee, Peter Stormare
Genre: Crime
Studio: Beacon Communications   Release date: 1997   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English (USA)
Summary: Stripped of his medical license after performing an operation while high on amphetamines, famed LA surgeon Dr Eugene Sands abandons his former life only to find himself crossing paths with Raymond Blossom, an infamous counterfeiter. Employed as a "gun-shot doctor" when Raymond's associates cannot risk visiting a hospital, Eugene is lured deep into the criminal world and becomes entangled with his boss's girlfriend.
My Rating:
My Review: A mid 'X-Files' movie for David Duchovny. Unfortunately, as much as you want Duchovny (playing Eugene Sands) to be a great actor - He isn't… and Timothy Hutton is stuck in another role where he's cast (playing Raymond Blossom) to overact. Another heavy role where he's found ranting and raving. He plays an excellent psychopath. Angelina Jolie (as Claire) plays the eye candy mobster's gal/undercover FBI agent. The story: Eugene Sands is a drug addicted former surgeon trying to slip between the cracks in LA. As his money slowly runs out he's crashing on a big long pity trip. That's when he makes the mistake of helping save someone's life. From that point on, he become's Eugene's 'Combat Medic'. Patching up the casualties in Eugene's drug war. A Dr. who can't make it without the thrill - no matter where it comes from; saving lives or living high. The script is full of twists and turns. An excellent thriller with plenty of character involvement with emotions close to the surface. The movie includes some voice over narrative (Duchovny's flat monologue as the Dr's inner thoughts), but it only severs to distract from the action and suspense unravelling on screen. While Angelina Jolie looks good in red, she's cast without any personality and we feel very little for her character. The direction and editing missed the mark, with some performances (notably Duchovny's) feeling a little off queue. I liked it. 3 out of 5.

Collection ID 348
Director: Gary Ross
Starring: Tobey Maguire, Reese Witherspoon, William H. Macy, Joan Allen, Jeff Daniels
Genre: Fantasy
Studio: New Line Cinema   Release date: 1998   Rated: PG-13   
Language (Country): English, Musical Score/Commentary (USA)
Summary: Two teenagers find themselves in a 1950's sitcom where their influence begins to profoundly change that complacent world.
My Rating:
My Review: Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon play David and Jennifer; brother and sister from a typical 90s family. While feuding over a remote control the pair are magically transported into a 1950s sitcom. Stuck in the TV-Land town of 'Pleasantville' the pair soon find themselves involved in and the catalysts for a wave social change that totally changes the look of Pleasantville in many ways. The acting was fine - I still don't care for Tobey Maguire. His range of acting skill is limited to the performance seen in this movie. The writing in this movie was outstanding; as was the cinematography and color. Throughout the movie color is used to great effect. The 1950s world is depicted in black and white at first; as the characters become more liberated, the movie starts to turn to color to depict a liberation from the sitcom world that they're trapped in. While one character is content to leave the 50s as they are, and adapt his world to theirs, the other is rebellious and discontent. She insists on changing this world, adapting it to adopt her sensibilities. The two characters change and affect change in a circular motion. While one character starts out living a 1950s attitude, he slowly begins to embrace a more liberal view outlook on life. The other character starts out quite modern, but slowly comes to realize that some things are better when taken in moderation. The influences that the town has on the characters are mirrored by inverse changes that the characters have on the town. A very interesting and philosophical treatment in a movie that some might see as quite normal on its exterior. A story with multiple layers. The film is filled with numerous social issues. Racism, censorship, marital fidelity, sexuality, social norms, justice and more. An excellent film. The only problems were the slightly overt social agenda and Tobey Maguire's acting. I give it a 4 out of 5.

Collection ID 1080
Director: Gary Ross
Starring: Tobey Maguire, Reese Witherspoon, William H. Macy, Joan Allen, Jeff Daniels
Genre: Fantasy
Studio: New Line Cinema   Release date: 1998   Rated: PG-13   
Language (Country): English, Musical Score/Commentary (USA)
Summary: Two teenagers find themselves in a 1950's sitcom where their influence begins to profoundly change that complacent world.
My Rating:
My Review: Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon play David and Jennifer; brother and sister from a typical 90s family. While feuding over a remote control the pair are magically transported into a 1950s sitcom. Stuck in the TV-Land town of 'Pleasantville' the pair soon find themselves involved in and the catalysts for a wave social change that totally changes the look of Pleasantville in many ways. The acting was fine - I still don't care for Tobey Maguire. His range of acting skill is limited to the performance seen in this movie. The writing in this movie was outstanding; as was the cinematography and color. Throughout the movie color is used to great effect. The 1950s world is depicted in black and white at first; as the characters become more liberated, the movie starts to turn to color to depict a liberation from the sitcom world that they're trapped in. While one character is content to leave the 50s as they are, and adapt his world to theirs, the other is rebellious and discontent. She insists on changing this world, adapting it to adopt her sensibilities. The two characters change and affect change in a circular motion. While one character starts out living a 1950s attitude, he slowly begins to embrace a more liberal view outlook on life. The other character starts out quite modern, but slowly comes to realize that some things are better when taken in moderation. The influences that the town has on the characters are mirrored by inverse changes that the characters have on the town. A very interesting and philosophical treatment in a movie that some might see as quite normal on its exterior. A story with multiple layers. The film is filled with numerous social issues. Racism, censorship, marital fidelity, sexuality, social norms, justice and more. An excellent film. The only problems were the slightly overt social agenda and Tobey Maguire's acting. I give it a 4 out of 5.

Collection ID 1530
Director: Jerry Paris
Starring: Steve Guttenberg, Bubba Smith, David Graf, Michael Winslow, Bruce Mahler
Genre: Comedy
Studio: Warner Bros.   Release date: 1985   Rated: PG-13   
Language (Country): English, French (USA)
Summary: When a new gang moves into town it's up to the screwball police team to stop them.
My Rating:
My Review: The first Police Academy movie was pretty good, but here's the first sequel to a franchise with ever diminishing returns. Starring a no talent cast (Steve Guttenberg, Bob Goldthwait, Bubba Smith (yes the American Football player, Colleen Camp, Howard Hesseman, Julie Brown and others). In this sequel the graduates of 'Police Academy' go on their first assignment. The story; a sad little plot about common criminals who's biggest crime is the defacing of public property with graffiti. These saps in blue are put on the case to capture these no good hooligans. While their hi-jinks may not be enough to entertain, there's plenty of sub-plot on inter-office politics to keep you entertained. The writing is purile, boring and uninspiring. The best part of this movie? It's short. At only 87 minutes, the pair subsides quickly. I give it a 2 out of 5.