Collection ID 384
Director: John McTiernan
Starring: Antonio Banderas, Vladimir Kulich, Dennis Storhøi, Daniel Southern, Neil Maffin
Genre: Action
Studio: Touchstone Pictures   Release date: 1999   Rated: R   
Language (Country): German (USA)
Summary: In AD 922, Arab courtier Ahmad Ibn Fadlan accompanies a party of Vikings to the barbaric North. Ibn Fadlan is appalled by the Vikings customs-- their wanton sexuality, their disregard for cleanliness, their cold-blooded human sacrifices. And then he learns the horrifying truth: he has been enlisted to combat a terror that slaughters the Vikings and devours their flesh.
My Rating:
My Review: The 13th Warrior - 1999 (Action, Adventure, History, Fantasy) I own this movie, but I had no idea that it was a screen adaptation of a Michael Crichton novel. Based on the book "Eaters of the Dead". There are plenty of references to cannibalism in the movie, but I'll bet that the book focuses much more on cannibalism. After all, a movie about cannibalism would be quite shocking! Overall it was a very good movie. I enjoyed it immensely, the only drawbacks were the stereotypical depictions of an Arab by Antonio Banderas. His drinking 'Mead' - It's not made with grapes or wheat... He’s sleeping with a Viking woman? I liked the performance of the actor playing the lead viking (Vladimir Kulich). Stoic, strong, no-nonsense, willing to take a stand - to defend his people despite any personal danger. The plot, despite being based on Crichton's "Eaters of the Dead", was very much a "Beowulf" movie. The beast like enemy, the “Wendel” are a fairly direct translation of the mysterious beast like “Grendel” that plagued the Scandinavian inhabitants of “Beowulf”. The lead Norseman is named “Buliwyf”, umm, sounds sort of like “Beowulf” to me.. It would have been better if the story was more original. Another problem was the use of language in the film. Switching from Arabic to Norse to English was definitely a challenge, but I don't think they pulled it off very well. In the beginning, the Norseman speaking 'Greek' was actually speaking 'Latin', and it was unrealistic to expect that the Arab prince learned the Norse language by listening to it for a few minutes. I liked the Norse burial ceremony, and it's use in the climactic conflict. The costumes, sets and locations made this movie feel like a Conan classic - and that's a good thing! That's why I own a copy, that's why I rate it 4 out of 5.

Collection ID 1106
Director: John McTiernan
Starring: Antonio Banderas, Vladimir Kulich, Dennis Storhøi, Daniel Southern, Neil Maffin
Genre: Action
Studio: Touchstone Pictures   Release date: 1999   Rated: R   
Language (Country): German (USA)
Summary: In AD 922, Arab courtier Ahmad Ibn Fadlan accompanies a party of Vikings to the barbaric North. Ibn Fadlan is appalled by the Vikings customs-- their wanton sexuality, their disregard for cleanliness, their cold-blooded human sacrifices. And then he learns the horrifying truth: he has been enlisted to combat a terror that slaughters the Vikings and devours their flesh.
My Rating:
My Review: The 13th Warrior - 1999 (Action, Adventure, History, Fantasy) I own this movie, but I had no idea that it was a screen adaptation of a Michael Crichton novel. Based on the book "Eaters of the Dead". There are plenty of references to cannibalism in the movie, but I'll bet that the book focuses much more on cannibalism. After all, a movie about cannibalism would be quite shocking! Overall it was a very good movie. I enjoyed it immensely, the only drawbacks were the stereotypical depictions of an Arab by Antonio Banderas. His drinking 'Mead' - It's not made with grapes or wheat... He’s sleeping with a Viking woman? I liked the performance of the actor playing the lead viking (Vladimir Kulich). Stoic, strong, no-nonsense, willing to take a stand - to defend his people despite any personal danger. The plot, despite being based on Crichton's "Eaters of the Dead", was very much a "Beowulf" movie. The beast like enemy, the “Wendel” are a fairly direct translation of the mysterious beast like “Grendel” that plagued the Scandinavian inhabitants of “Beowulf”. The lead Norseman is named “Buliwyf”, umm, sounds sort of like “Beowulf” to me.. It would have been better if the story was more original. Another problem was the use of language in the film. Switching from Arabic to Norse to English was definitely a challenge, but I don't think they pulled it off very well. In the beginning, the Norseman speaking 'Greek' was actually speaking 'Latin', and it was unrealistic to expect that the Arab prince learned the Norse language by listening to it for a few minutes. I liked the Norse burial ceremony, and it's use in the climactic conflict. The costumes, sets and locations made this movie feel like a Conan classic - and that's a good thing! That's why I own a copy, that's why I rate it 4 out of 5.

Collection ID 461
Director: John Herzfeld
Starring: Robert De Niro, Edward Burns, Kelsey Grammer, Avery Brooks, Melina Kanakaredes
Genre: Crime
Studio: New Line Cinema   Release date: 2001   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English, French (USA)
Summary: A homicide detective and a fire marshall must stop a pair of murderers who commit videotaped crimes to become media darlings.
My Rating:
My Review: Written and directed by John Herzfeld (Better known for TV movies and TV shows/episodes). Starring Robert De Niro, Edward Burns, Kelsey Grammer and many others. The movies title is based on the premise that everyone gets their '15 Minutes' of fame/camera time. Here is a rather thin plot involving a homicide detective (Robert De Niro playing Eddie Flemming), a Fire Marshall (Edward Burns plays Jordy Warsaw), two 'terrorists' (Karel Roden plays Emil Slovak and Oleg Taktarov plays Oleg Razgul), and the slimy reporter (Kelsey Grammer playing Robert Hawkins) who profits from the mayhem that the criminals create. The Russian/Georgian/Eastern European? Criminals commit crimes and video tape them. Then they mail the tapes to Robert Hawkins who immediately airs them on prime time news. The criminals think that they will 'Get Rich' by committing spectacular crimes and then selling their story; you know because our criminal justice system will simply slap them on the hands for what they're about to do, or their lawyer will get them reduced sentences… That's it, you now know pretty much everything you need to know about the movie. The movie is a dark reflection of the circus that our media has become. In that regard its social commentary, as a movie I didn't really care for it. The movie is entirely predictable, the characters are cardboard cutouts. The only redeeming part of the movie was some of the acting. Some of the acting was good - dependent on which characters were being played; some had better development and afforded actors a richer background to draw from. Unfortunately the better bits of acting were wasted on this remarkably forgettable movie. Thankfully the bloodiest and most violent 'crimes' are out of focus and poorly framed, sparing the viewer of the unnecessary gore of an implied bloody scene. Some parts of the plot make no sense, like why is the Fire Marshall dragged along on this quest to stop the criminals? A Fire Marshall isn't a cop. Two cops would have been o.k. One was all you needed. If the Fire Marshall is there just to avoid the cliché of two cops investigating / trying to catch the criminals, then that's just stupid, and the logic doesn't work. The camera work and editing was too choppy. I get that the characters are rushing around, but this wasn't framed as a 'Found Footage' film, and the shaky cam editing and framing doesn't really help to bring across a sense of urgency. The music, direction, acting, editing and pacing were all they needed to convey that sense of urgency and tension. It was obvious that the plot of this movie was very simple, then made complicated by adding a bunch of relationship stuff to fill the movie out to two hours. The relationship stuff really didn't have a bearing on the movie, it seemed to be nothing more than distraction. I'm not entirely sure why I bought this movie. With this viewing, the rating actually drops a point. I now rate it 1 out of 5.

Collection ID 1173
Director: John Herzfeld
Starring: Robert De Niro, Edward Burns, Kelsey Grammer, Avery Brooks, Melina Kanakaredes
Genre: Crime
Studio: New Line Cinema   Release date: 2001   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English, French (USA)
Summary: A homicide detective and a fire marshall must stop a pair of murderers who commit videotaped crimes to become media darlings.
My Rating:
My Review: Written and directed by John Herzfeld (Better known for TV movies and TV shows/episodes). Starring Robert De Niro, Edward Burns, Kelsey Grammer and many others. The movies title is based on the premise that everyone gets their '15 Minutes' of fame/camera time. Here is a rather thin plot involving a homicide detective (Robert De Niro playing Eddie Flemming), a Fire Marshall (Edward Burns plays Jordy Warsaw), two 'terrorists' (Karel Roden plays Emil Slovak and Oleg Taktarov plays Oleg Razgul), and the slimy reporter (Kelsey Grammer playing Robert Hawkins) who profits from the mayhem that the criminals create. The Russian/Georgian/Eastern European? Criminals commit crimes and video tape them. Then they mail the tapes to Robert Hawkins who immediately airs them on prime time news. The criminals think that they will 'Get Rich' by committing spectacular crimes and then selling their story; you know because our criminal justice system will simply slap them on the hands for what they're about to do, or their lawyer will get them reduced sentences… That's it, you now know pretty much everything you need to know about the movie. The movie is a dark reflection of the circus that our media has become. In that regard its social commentary, as a movie I didn't really care for it. The movie is entirely predictable, the characters are cardboard cutouts. The only redeeming part of the movie was some of the acting. Some of the acting was good - dependent on which characters were being played; some had better development and afforded actors a richer background to draw from. Unfortunately the better bits of acting were wasted on this remarkably forgettable movie. Thankfully the bloodiest and most violent 'crimes' are out of focus and poorly framed, sparing the viewer of the unnecessary gore of an implied bloody scene. Some parts of the plot make no sense, like why is the Fire Marshall dragged along on this quest to stop the criminals? A Fire Marshall isn't a cop. Two cops would have been o.k. One was all you needed. If the Fire Marshall is there just to avoid the cliché of two cops investigating / trying to catch the criminals, then that's just stupid, and the logic doesn't work. The camera work and editing was too choppy. I get that the characters are rushing around, but this wasn't framed as a 'Found Footage' film, and the shaky cam editing and framing doesn't really help to bring across a sense of urgency. The music, direction, acting, editing and pacing were all they needed to convey that sense of urgency and tension. It was obvious that the plot of this movie was very simple, then made complicated by adding a bunch of relationship stuff to fill the movie out to two hours. The relationship stuff really didn't have a bearing on the movie, it seemed to be nothing more than distraction. I'm not entirely sure why I bought this movie. With this viewing, the rating actually drops a point. I now rate it 1 out of 5.

Collection ID 795
Director: William Asher
Starring: Gene Barry, Valerie French, George Voskovec, Arnold Moss, Stefan Schnabel
Genre: Sci-Fi
Studio: Romson Productions   Release date: 1957   Rated: Approved   
Language (Country): English (USA)
Summary: Five individuals from five nations, including the "Superpowers," USA, USSR, and China, suddenly find themselves on an alien spacecraft. An alien gives each a container holding capsules. No power on earth can open a given container except a mental command from the person to whom it is given. Each person has been provided with the power of life and death. Any of these individuals has the capability to instantaneously launch the capsules to whatever coordinates he/she chooses, and each capsule will then eradicate all human life within a 3,000-mile radius of its designated location.
My Rating:
My Review:

Collection ID 1512
Director: William Asher
Starring: Gene Barry, Valerie French, George Voskovec, Arnold Moss, Stefan Schnabel
Genre: Sci-Fi
Studio: Romson Productions   Release date: 1957   Rated: Approved   
Language (Country): English (USA)
Summary: Five individuals from five nations, including the "Superpowers," USA, USSR, and China, suddenly find themselves on an alien spacecraft. An alien gives each a container holding capsules. No power on earth can open a given container except a mental command from the person to whom it is given. Each person has been provided with the power of life and death. Any of these individuals has the capability to instantaneously launch the capsules to whatever coordinates he/she chooses, and each capsule will then eradicate all human life within a 3,000-mile radius of its designated location.
My Rating:
My Review:

Collection ID 515
Director: Danny Boyle
Starring: Alex Palmer, Bindu De Stoppani, Jukka Hiltunen, David Schneider, Cillian Murphy
Genre: Sci-Fi
Studio: DNA Films   Release date: 2002   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English, Spanish, French (UK)
Summary: Four weeks after a mysterious, incurable virus spreads throughout the UK, a handful of survivors try to find sanctuary.
My Rating:
My Review: A modern day zombie flick. An excellent thriller with a bit of drama thrown in. The unknown cast was an added plus. I liked it a lot.

Collection ID 1220
Director: Danny Boyle
Starring: Alex Palmer, Bindu De Stoppani, Jukka Hiltunen, David Schneider, Cillian Murphy
Genre: Sci-Fi
Studio: DNA Films   Release date: 2002   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English, Spanish, French (UK)
Summary: Four weeks after a mysterious, incurable virus spreads throughout the UK, a handful of survivors try to find sanctuary.
My Rating:
My Review: A modern day zombie flick. An excellent thriller with a bit of drama thrown in. The unknown cast was an added plus. I liked it a lot.

Collection ID 437
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Starring: Robert Donat, Madeleine Carroll, Lucie Mannheim, Godfrey Tearle, Peggy Ashcroft
Genre: Mystery
Studio: Gaumont British Picture Corporation   Release date: 1935   Rated: Not Rated   
Language (Country): English (UK)
Summary: A man in London tries to help a counterespionage agent, and is soon finding himself in one jam after another.

This tremendously entertaining spy film from director Alfred Hitchcock's British period set the standard for all man-on-the-run films. Based on John Buchan's novel of an innocent Canadian tourist in Britain thrust unexpectedly into the world of spies, it's hard to find a better one than this.

Robert Donat is the Canadian, Richard Hanney, who gets more than he's bargained for when a woman named Annabella Smith (Lucie Mannheim) in fear for her life is killed in his flat after revealing to Hanney that she is a Secret Agent protecting the secrets of her country from a dangerous network of spies known only as the 39 Steps.

With a murder charge hanging over his head he must heed her words and make his way to Scotland and get to the bottom of the 39 Steps in order to clear his name. But when a misguided guess leads him right into the hands of the dangerous head of the network, Professor Gordon (Godfrey Tearle), the hunter now becomes the hunted.

He is helped along the way by a few kind souls who believe in his innocence. Peggy Ashcroft is memorable as a lonely farmer's wife who risks everything to help him escape. A kiss given by Hanney for her kindness is a poignant moment in a film both enjoyable and exciting. When he and a much more reluctant young woman named Pamela (Madeleine Carroll) are hancuffed together there is a shift in the film's tone as romance enters into the story.

The classy Carroll was a perfect match for Donat and the back and forth between the two is still enjoyable today. Sneaking off into the night while he is sleeping she overhears the men after him and comes back to help him, finally believing his colorful story of murder and spies. A tune stuck in Hanney's head will finally lead him to the "Memory Man" and a grand finale.

This is most definitely a film classic. Another good screenplay from Charles Bennet and good work from photographer Bernard Knowles, who always made the most of the sometimes meager budgets given he and Hitchcock in Britain, enhance a story with both tension and a dash of romance. A must see film.
My Rating:
My Review: An Alfred Hitchcock espionage thriller. Produced in 1935, this black and white movie is a great spy thriller. If only the sound production was better. The acting was pretty good (for the time). With Robert Donat and Madelline Carroll playing in the lead roles. These two complemented each other nicely, and they played more than one role in the movie. Robert Donat actually played four different characters! The story begins in a somewhat contrived manner, but it gets better in a hurry. Foreign agents are planning to smuggle vital secrets out of the country, and someone's got to stop them. A thrilling mystey, and grand adventure across the length and breadth of Great Britain. The secret reveal makes for a fantastic ending twist.

Collection ID 487
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Starring: Robert Donat, Madeleine Carroll, Lucie Mannheim, Godfrey Tearle, Peggy Ashcroft
Genre: Mystery
Studio: Gaumont British Picture Corporation   Release date: 1935   Rated: Not Rated   
Language (Country): English (UK)
Summary: This tremendously entertaining spy film from director Alfred Hitchcock's British period set the standard for all man-on-the-run films. Based on John Buchan's novel of an innocent Canadian tourist in Britain thrust unexpectedly into the world of spies, it's hard to find a better one than this.

Robert Donat is the Canadian, Richard Hanney, who gets more than he's bargained for when a woman named Annabella Smith (Lucie Mannheim) in fear for her life is killed in his flat after revealing to Hanney that she is a Secret Agent protecting the secrets of her country from a dangerous network of spies known only as the 39 Steps.

With a murder charge hanging over his head he must heed her words and make his way to Scotland and get to the bottom of the 39 Steps in order to clear his name. But when a misguided guess leads him right into the hands of the dangerous head of the network, Professor Gordon (Godfrey Tearle), the hunter now becomes the hunted.

He is helped along the way by a few kind souls who believe in his innocence. Peggy Ashcroft is memorable as a lonely farmer's wife who risks everything to help him escape. A kiss given by Hanney for her kindness is a poignant moment in a film both enjoyable and exciting. When he and a much more reluctant young woman named Pamela (Madeleine Carroll) are hancuffed together there is a shift in the film's tone as romance enters into the story.

The classy Carroll was a perfect match for Donat and the back and forth between the two is still enjoyable today. Sneaking off into the night while he is sleeping she overhears the men after him and comes back to help him, finally believing his colorful story of murder and spies. A tune stuck in Hanney's head will finally lead him to the "Memory Man" and a grand finale.

This is most definitely a film classic. Another good screenplay from Charles Bennet and good work from photographer Bernard Knowles, who always made the most of the sometimes meager budgets given he and Hitchcock in Britain, enhance a story with both tension and a dash of romance. A must see film.
My Rating:
My Review: Directed by Alfred Hitchcock (Psycho (1960), Vertigo (1958), North by Northwest (1959), The Lady Vanishes (1938)) in 1935. Screenplay by Charles Bennet (Screenplays: Foreign Correspondent, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea) and Ian Hay. This movie is loosely based on the novel (same name) of 1915 by John Buchan. It's the first screen adaptation of the novel. There are others; four listed in IMDB (one in development). This is one of my all time favorite movies. I have multiple copies (different cuts/reproductions) of the movie and I hope the movie in development turns out well. The movie is an Alfred Hitchcock espionage thriller. Produced in 1935, this black and white movie is a great spy thriller. If only the sound production was better (I should get a Criterion copy - They've produced at least two different restored versions of this movie - Sounds like a great Christmas gift for someone I know…). The acting was pretty good (for the time). With Robert Donat and Madelline Carroll playing in the lead roles. Robert Donat actually played four different characters in this movie. The story begins in a somewhat contrived manner, but it gets better in a hurry. Foreign agents are planning to smuggle vital secrets out of the country, and someone's got to stop them. A thrilling (pre WWII) mystery, and a grand adventure across the length and breadth of Great Britain. The secret reveal makes for a fantastic twist at the end. I give this movie a 4 out of 5 (I need a better copy).