Collection ID 1428
Director: Michael Reeves
Starring: Barbara Steele, John Karlsen, Ian Ogilvy, Mel Welles, Joe 'Flash' Riley
Genre: Horror
Studio: Euro American Pictures   Release date: 1966   Rated: Not Rated   
Language (Country): English (UK, Italy)
Summary: A young woman is driving alongside a lake. She has an accident and the car plunges into the water. Her body is then possessed by the spirit of an 18th-century witch who was killed by local villagers, and is bent on avenging herself on them.
My Rating:
My Review: An amazingly bad horror movie filmed in Italy and the UK. Story - The movie starts out 200 years in the past when the villagers hunt down a 'witch' to blame for some hideous murders (of course she didn't actually do it, but a little thing like evidence or proof doesn't deter the villagers). The witch is nailed to a chair and dunked repeatedly in the 'purifying' waters of the nearby lake. Before she dies she spits out a curse on the descendants of all the villagers. Vowing that she "Will be back". When she finally drowns, her body sinks to the depths of the lake and it's never recovered. Flash forward 200 years. Phillip (played by Ian Ogilvy) and Veronica (played by Barbara Steele) are on vacation in Transylvania (Communist Romania). The stop for the night at a roadside Inn where they meet the Count Van Helsing (played by John Karlsen) - Yes the ancestor of the Van Helsing who slew Vampires. After a brief conversation about the curse upon the people of this village, the couple retires for the night. They engage in some 'husband' and 'wife' activities, spot the innkeeper spying on them and Phillip nearly kills the innkeeper. In the morning Phillip beats up the inn keeper again, gets his car keys back and they split. While driving past a lake Phillip loses control of the car and it plummets into a lake. Phillip is pulled free and passes out. When he comes to, there's no sign of his wife, but the villagers have fished the decomposing remains of an ancient witch from the icy waters of the lake. From that point on the movie jumps into the realm of screaming witch attacks all the villagers. Nothing intelligent ever escapes the witch's lips, and the other characters are occupied with one of three motivations. Kill the witch, die at the witch's hands or capture the witch in order to perform an exorcism. The story started out pretty good, but it quickly went off the rails. The video transfer, direction, acting, sound, dubbing, makeup, lighting, color and framing (you could tell that much was missing from the way shots were cropped) were all horrible. Especially ridiculous was the fast-forward car chase at the end of the movie. Utterly forgettable. I give it a 2 out of 5. Part of a 15 film horror compilation called "Night of Horror - Do not watch alone"

Collection ID 720
Director: Guy Ritchie
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong, Eddie Marsan
Genre: Action, Adventure, Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures   Release date: 2009   Rated: PG-13   
Language (Country): English, French, Latvian (USA, Germany)
Summary: After finally catching serial killer and occult "sorcerer" Lord Blackwood, legendary sleuth Sherlock Holmes and his assistant Dr. Watson can close yet another successful case. But when Blackwood mysteriously returns from the grave and resumes his killing spree, Holmes must take up the hunt once again. Contending with his partner's new fiancée and the dimwitted head of Scotland Yard, the dauntless detective must unravel the clues that will lead him into a twisted web of murder, deceit, and black magic - and the deadly embrace of temptress Irene Adler.
My Rating:
My Review: This movie was purchased at Kim's insistence. She loved it. It was on my list (to watch), but I wasn't quite as impressed (the first few times I watched it, but the movie got better each time I watch it). Here's a re-imagination of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's detective series by Guy Ritchie (director of Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch). Starring Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes and Jude Law as Dr. Watson. This movie seeks to remake the genre as an action flick. This remake/reimagining is based on a Comic book by producer Lionel Wigram. The Comic book influence makes for great storyboarding, translated into great camera work, but the story was a little watered down when compared to the narrative of the original genre. I enjoyed the revised Watson character, but the new Holmes as a disheveled, pugilist, savant didn't quite meet with my approval (the first few time I watched the movie). The pacing was quite brisk, and the HD (we bought the Blu-ray version) treatment was great. Unfortunately, the plot was a bit transparent. Mystical bad man threatens to overthrow the British government using black magic. Holmes and Watson team up to thwart his dastardly plans and expose him as the fraud that he is. The level of intricacy was focused on the background of the investigations instead of the primary plot as it unfolds. The settings, props, and digital locations were all highly detailed. I liked the movie, but didn't appreciate the rather linear and uninspired plot. The ending was a clear set-up for sequels or a series. 4 of 5.

Collection ID 1409
Director: Guy Ritchie
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong, Eddie Marsan
Genre: Action, Adventure, Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures   Release date: 2009   Rated: PG-13   
Language (Country): English, French, Latvian (USA, Germany)
Summary: After finally catching serial killer and occult "sorcerer" Lord Blackwood, legendary sleuth Sherlock Holmes and his assistant Dr. Watson can close yet another successful case. But when Blackwood mysteriously returns from the grave and resumes his killing spree, Holmes must take up the hunt once again. Contending with his partner's new fiancée and the dimwitted head of Scotland Yard, the dauntless detective must unravel the clues that will lead him into a twisted web of murder, deceit, and black magic - and the deadly embrace of temptress Irene Adler.
My Rating:
My Review: This movie was purchased at Kim's insistence. She loved it. It was on my list (to watch), but I wasn't quite as impressed (the first few times I watched it, but the movie got better each time I watch it). Here's a re-imagination of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's detective series by Guy Ritchie (director of Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch). Starring Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes and Jude Law as Dr. Watson. This movie seeks to remake the genre as an action flick. This remake/reimagining is based on a Comic book by producer Lionel Wigram. The Comic book influence makes for great storyboarding, translated into great camera work, but the story was a little watered down when compared to the narrative of the original genre. I enjoyed the revised Watson character, but the new Holmes as a disheveled, pugilist, savant didn't quite meet with my approval (the first few time I watched the movie). The pacing was quite brisk, and the HD (we bought the Blu-ray version) treatment was great. Unfortunately, the plot was a bit transparent. Mystical bad man threatens to overthrow the British government using black magic. Holmes and Watson team up to thwart his dastardly plans and expose him as the fraud that he is. The level of intricacy was focused on the background of the investigations instead of the primary plot as it unfolds. The settings, props, and digital locations were all highly detailed. I liked the movie, but didn't appreciate the rather linear and uninspired plot. The ending was a clear set-up for sequels or a series. 4 of 5.

Collection ID 1484
Director: Guy Ritchie
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong, Eddie Marsan
Genre: Action, Adventure, Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures   Release date: 2009   Rated: PG-13   
Language (Country): English, French, Latvian (USA, Germany)
Summary: After finally catching serial killer and occult "sorcerer" Lord Blackwood, legendary sleuth Sherlock Holmes and his assistant Dr. Watson can close yet another successful case. But when Blackwood mysteriously returns from the grave and resumes his killing spree, Holmes must take up the hunt once again. Contending with his partner's new fiancée and the dimwitted head of Scotland Yard, the dauntless detective must unravel the clues that will lead him into a twisted web of murder, deceit, and black magic - and the deadly embrace of temptress Irene Adler.
My Rating:
My Review: This movie was purchased at Kim's insistence. She loved it. It was on my list (to watch), but I wasn't quite as impressed (the first few times I watched it, but the movie got better each time I watch it). Here's a re-imagination of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's detective series by Guy Ritchie (director of Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch). Starring Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes and Jude Law as Dr. Watson. This movie seeks to remake the genre as an action flick. This remake/reimagining is based on a Comic book by producer Lionel Wigram. The Comic book influence makes for great storyboarding, translated into great camera work, but the story was a little watered down when compared to the narrative of the original genre. I enjoyed the revised Watson character, but the new Holmes as a disheveled, pugilist, savant didn't quite meet with my approval (the first few time I watched the movie). The pacing was quite brisk, and the HD (we bought the Blu-ray version) treatment was great. Unfortunately, the plot was a bit transparent. Mystical bad man threatens to overthrow the British government using black magic. Holmes and Watson team up to thwart his dastardly plans and expose him as the fraud that he is. The level of intricacy was focused on the background of the investigations instead of the primary plot as it unfolds. The settings, props, and digital locations were all highly detailed. I liked the movie, but didn't appreciate the rather linear and uninspired plot. The ending was a clear set-up for sequels or a series. 4 of 5.

Collection ID 639
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, Scatman Crothers, Barry Nelson
Genre: Horror
Studio: Warner Home Video   Release date: 1980   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English (UK, USA)
Summary: Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining" is less an adaptation of Stephen King's bestselling horror novel than a complete reimagining of it from the inside out. In King's book, the Overlook Hotel is a haunted place that takes possession of its off-season caretaker and provokes him to murderous rage against his wife and young son. Kubrick's movie is an existential Road Runner cartoon (his steadicam scurrying through the hotel's labyrinthine hallways), in which the cavernously empty spaces inside the Overlook mirror the emptiness in the soul of the blocked writer, who's settled in for a long winter's hibernation. As many have pointed out, King's protagonist goes mad, but Kubrick's Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) is Looney Tunes from the moment we meet him--all arching eyebrows and mischievous grin. (Both Nicholson and Shelley Duvall reach new levels of hysteria in their performances, driven to extremes by the director's fanatical demands for take after take after take.) "The Shining" is terrifying--but not in the way fans of the novel might expect. When it was redone as a TV miniseries (reportedly because of King's dissatisfaction with the Kubrick film), the famous topiary-animal attack (which was deemed impossible to film in 1980) was there--but the deeper horror was lost. Kubrick's "The Shining" gets under your skin and chills your bones; it stays with you, inhabits you, haunts you. And there's no place to hide... "--Jim Emerson"
My Rating:
My Review: More frightening than I remember. It's been some time since I saw this movie, and it's Awesome! A Stephen King story made into a movie (screen play and direction) by Stanley Kubrick. A man in transition (played by Jack Nicholson) brings his family with him to a remote hotel in the rockies in order to play caretaker over the winter. As the weather turns cold and bitter the restless spirits of the hotel start to have an effect on these winter inhabitants. Eventually Jacks character succumbs to the corrupting influences of the malevolent spirits. As he launches into a killing spree, his wife and child must find a way off this frozen mountain or die at the hands of a homicidal axe wielding maniac. Awesome acting by Jack Nicholson and Shelly Duvall. Fantastic cinematography and an outstanding score.

Collection ID 1335
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, Scatman Crothers, Barry Nelson
Genre: Horror
Studio: Warner Home Video   Release date: 1980   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English (UK, USA)
Summary: Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining" is less an adaptation of Stephen King's bestselling horror novel than a complete reimagining of it from the inside out. In King's book, the Overlook Hotel is a haunted place that takes possession of its off-season caretaker and provokes him to murderous rage against his wife and young son. Kubrick's movie is an existential Road Runner cartoon (his steadicam scurrying through the hotel's labyrinthine hallways), in which the cavernously empty spaces inside the Overlook mirror the emptiness in the soul of the blocked writer, who's settled in for a long winter's hibernation. As many have pointed out, King's protagonist goes mad, but Kubrick's Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) is Looney Tunes from the moment we meet him--all arching eyebrows and mischievous grin. (Both Nicholson and Shelley Duvall reach new levels of hysteria in their performances, driven to extremes by the director's fanatical demands for take after take after take.) "The Shining" is terrifying--but not in the way fans of the novel might expect. When it was redone as a TV miniseries (reportedly because of King's dissatisfaction with the Kubrick film), the famous topiary-animal attack (which was deemed impossible to film in 1980) was there--but the deeper horror was lost. Kubrick's "The Shining" gets under your skin and chills your bones; it stays with you, inhabits you, haunts you. And there's no place to hide... "--Jim Emerson"
My Rating:
My Review: More frightening than I remember. It's been some time since I saw this movie, and it's Awesome! A Stephen King story made into a movie (screen play and direction) by Stanley Kubrick. A man in transition (played by Jack Nicholson) brings his family with him to a remote hotel in the rockies in order to play caretaker over the winter. As the weather turns cold and bitter the restless spirits of the hotel start to have an effect on these winter inhabitants. Eventually Jacks character succumbs to the corrupting influences of the malevolent spirits. As he launches into a killing spree, his wife and child must find a way off this frozen mountain or die at the hands of a homicidal axe wielding maniac. Awesome acting by Jack Nicholson and Shelly Duvall. Fantastic cinematography and an outstanding score.

Collection ID 826
Director: Paul Verhoeven
Starring: Elizabeth Berkley, Kyle MacLachlan, Gina Gershon, Glenn Plummer, Robert Davi
Genre: Drama
Studio: Carolco Pictures   Release date: 1995   Rated: NC-17   
Language (Country): English (France, USA)
Summary: Nomi Malone, a mysterious young girl with the ambition to dance embarks on a journey to Las Vegas to become a showgirl in a high-class hotel show. There she meets Molly, a seamstress at the Stardust Hotel and the two quickly become good friends. She gets a job as a lap dancer at the seedy Cheetah Club but after a chance meeting with Cristal Connors, the star of Goddess, the current show at the hotel where Molly works, Nomi manages to secure an audition for a spot on the chorus line.However she soon realises that fame comes with a price as her friendships, her morals and her soul are put to the test as she works her way up the ladder and eventually becomes the star of the show, stealing Cristal's part. She begins to wonder if all of her work was for nothing and if she can reclaim her life back before it is too late.
My Rating:
My Review: Another cult film. You either love it or you hate it. It's the movie that everyone hates, but secretly likes. First things first. Yes this movie contains a LOT of Nudity. The full frontal type, the topless type. A lot of sex, lap dances, sex in a pool, simulated sex (stage shows), lot's of kissing, lots of sex, skin, tits, ass, and more. There's a bit of violence as well. Broken bones, a rape scene, slapping, physical violence. Directed by Paul Verhoeven (Hollow Man, Starship Troopers, Basic Instinct, Total Recall, RoboCop), starring Elizabeth Berkley (from Saved by the Bell), Kyle MacLachlan, Gina Gershon, Glenn Plummer and others. The Story - Nomi (played by Elizabeth Berkley) is a drifter, hoping to make it big in Vegas, she hitch hikes into town one day, only to discover that Vegas isn't all glitz and glitter. It's gritty, competitive and dangerous. She starts out with nothing but raw ambition and energy. She starts working as a stripper, bunks up with a costume designer, and soon gets that lucky break, an audition at the Stardust. Soon she's in the chorus line. That's not enough for her though. Ambition gets the best of her, and she does what she has to in order to make her way to the top of the heap. As she claws her way to the top, she sacrifices some of her principles, makes compromises, indentures herself to the corruption of the system that put her on top. In the end, her secrets are all held by others. She's owned by the system. Can she ever escape? Can she get it all back? Can she? really? Despite the poor acting (by Elizabeth Berkley), mediocre direction, and very cliched writing, the dance moves, energy and choreography were outstanding. The costumes, sets, and music were excellent. Oh yeah, then there was the 'Sexiness!' I give it a 4 out of 5. Boy, did I just blow that NetFlix ratings algorithm. NF predicted a 1.8 out of me.

Collection ID 826.5
Director: Paul Verhoeven
Starring: Elizabeth Berkley, Kyle MacLachlan, Gina Gershon, Glenn Plummer, Robert Davi
Genre: Drama
Studio: Carolco Pictures   Release date: 1995   Rated: NC-17   
Language (Country): English (France, USA)
Summary: Nomi Malone, a mysterious young girl with the ambition to dance embarks on a journey to Las Vegas to become a showgirl in a high-class hotel show. There she meets Molly, a seamstress at the Stardust Hotel and the two quickly become good friends. She gets a job as a lap dancer at the seedy Cheetah Club but after a chance meeting with Cristal Connors, the star of Goddess, the current show at the hotel where Molly works, Nomi manages to secure an audition for a spot on the chorus line.However she soon realises that fame comes with a price as her friendships, her morals and her soul are put to the test as she works her way up the ladder and eventually becomes the star of the show, stealing Cristal's part. She begins to wonder if all of her work was for nothing and if she can reclaim her life back before it is too late.
My Rating:
My Review: Another cult film. You either love it or you hate it. It's the movie that everyone hates, but secretly likes. First things first. Yes this movie contains a LOT of Nudity. The full frontal type, the topless type. A lot of sex, lap dances, sex in a pool, simulated sex (stage shows), lot's of kissing, lots of sex, skin, tits, ass, and more. There's a bit of violence as well. Broken bones, a rape scene, slapping, physical violence. Directed by Paul Verhoeven (Hollow Man, Starship Troopers, Basic Instinct, Total Recall, RoboCop), starring Elizabeth Berkley (from Saved by the Bell), Kyle MacLachlan, Gina Gershon, Glenn Plummer and others. The Story - Nomi (played by Elizabeth Berkley) is a drifter, hoping to make it big in Vegas, she hitch hikes into town one day, only to discover that Vegas isn't all glitz and glitter. It's gritty, competitive and dangerous. She starts out with nothing but raw ambition and energy. She starts working as a stripper, bunks up with a costume designer, and soon gets that lucky break, an audition at the Stardust. Soon she's in the chorus line. That's not enough for her though. Ambition gets the best of her, and she does what she has to in order to make her way to the top of the heap. As she claws her way to the top, she sacrifices some of her principles, makes compromises, indentures herself to the corruption of the system that put her on top. In the end, her secrets are all held by others. She's owned by the system. Can she ever escape? Can she get it all back? Can she? really? Despite the poor acting (by Elizabeth Berkley), mediocre direction, and very cliched writing, the dance moves, energy and choreography were outstanding. The costumes, sets, and music were excellent. Oh yeah, then there was the 'Sexiness!' I give it a 4 out of 5. Boy, did I just blow that NetFlix ratings algorithm. NF predicted a 1.8 out of me.

Collection ID 1564
Director: Paul Verhoeven
Starring: Elizabeth Berkley, Kyle MacLachlan, Gina Gershon, Glenn Plummer, Robert Davi
Genre: Drama
Studio: Carolco Pictures   Release date: 1995   Rated: NC-17   
Language (Country): English (France, USA)
Summary: Nomi Malone, a mysterious young girl with the ambition to dance embarks on a journey to Las Vegas to become a showgirl in a high-class hotel show. There she meets Molly, a seamstress at the Stardust Hotel and the two quickly become good friends. She gets a job as a lap dancer at the seedy Cheetah Club but after a chance meeting with Cristal Connors, the star of Goddess, the current show at the hotel where Molly works, Nomi manages to secure an audition for a spot on the chorus line.However she soon realises that fame comes with a price as her friendships, her morals and her soul are put to the test as she works her way up the ladder and eventually becomes the star of the show, stealing Cristal's part. She begins to wonder if all of her work was for nothing and if she can reclaim her life back before it is too late.
My Rating:
My Review: Another cult film. You either love it or you hate it. It's the movie that everyone hates, but secretly likes. First things first. Yes this movie contains a LOT of Nudity. The full frontal type, the topless type. A lot of sex, lap dances, sex in a pool, simulated sex (stage shows), lot's of kissing, lots of sex, skin, tits, ass, and more. There's a bit of violence as well. Broken bones, a rape scene, slapping, physical violence. Directed by Paul Verhoeven (Hollow Man, Starship Troopers, Basic Instinct, Total Recall, RoboCop), starring Elizabeth Berkley (from Saved by the Bell), Kyle MacLachlan, Gina Gershon, Glenn Plummer and others. The Story - Nomi (played by Elizabeth Berkley) is a drifter, hoping to make it big in Vegas, she hitch hikes into town one day, only to discover that Vegas isn't all glitz and glitter. It's gritty, competitive and dangerous. She starts out with nothing but raw ambition and energy. She starts working as a stripper, bunks up with a costume designer, and soon gets that lucky break, an audition at the Stardust. Soon she's in the chorus line. That's not enough for her though. Ambition gets the best of her, and she does what she has to in order to make her way to the top of the heap. As she claws her way to the top, she sacrifices some of her principles, makes compromises, indentures herself to the corruption of the system that put her on top. In the end, her secrets are all held by others. She's owned by the system. Can she ever escape? Can she get it all back? Can she? really? Despite the poor acting (by Elizabeth Berkley), mediocre direction, and very cliched writing, the dance moves, energy and choreography were outstanding. The costumes, sets, and music were excellent. Oh yeah, then there was the 'Sexiness!' I give it a 4 out of 5. Boy, did I just blow that NetFlix ratings algorithm. NF predicted a 1.8 out of me.

Collection ID 361
Director: Edward Zwick
Starring: Denzel Washington, Annette Bening, Bruce Willis, Tony Shalhoub, Sami Bouajila
Genre: Action
Studio: Twentieth Century Fox   Release date: 1998   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English, French (USA)
Summary: The secret US abduction of a suspected terrorist leads to a wave of terrorist attacks in New York that lead to the declaration of martial law.
My Rating:
My Review: When the U.S. military abducts an extremist Sheikh, terrorists respond with bomb attacks inside America. The result is a declaration of martial law which endangers our way of life. As the heros of the film try to find the terrorists, the military crackdown creates a threat of civil uprising. Written by Lawrence Wright, and directed by Edward Zwick. Starring Bruce Willis, Annette Bening, Tony Shalhoub and Denzel Washington. It's amazing how closely this 1998 movie mirrors the events leading up to and following the attacks on 9-11. Granted, the treatment of Arab Americans in this film was a bit over the top, and the stereotypes were quite thick. The acting was o.k. The best acting (in my opinion) came from Tony Shalhoub. The characters were rather black and white. The dialog and subtext made this movie better after 9-11. Before 9-11 it seemed cliched and stereotypical. This movie raised/raises many questions regarding executive powers, the power of the military, torture and retribution. Highly polarizing and prejudicial, the movie was nonetheless entertaining, thrilling and tense. I wasn't very happy with the ending. It basically laid all the blame at the feet of a single rogue element inside the U.S. military. Neatly avoiding any finger pointing at his leaders, those who adbucted the Sheikh, or the questions of how he could have operated in the manner that he did.