Collection ID 271
Director: Robert Longo
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Dina Meyer, Ice-T, Takeshi Kitano, Dennis Akayama
Genre: Action
Studio: TriStar Pictures   Release date: 1995   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English, French, Spanish (Canada)
Summary: A data courier, carrying a data package literally inside his head too large to hold for long, must deliver it before he dies from it.
My Rating:
My Review: A brave vision of the future. Here is the first movie based on a William S. Gibson story. With a screenplay written by Gibson, you know the story is as close to the original material as possible. The casting, while junior in talent (Keanu Reeves had just completed Speed, and all of sudden he was big time) was big in enthusiasm. Starring Keanu Reeves (as cyber-courier Johnny 'Just Johnny'), Dina Meyer (as Jane, the NAS infected bodyguard), Ice-T (as J-Bone, leader of Low-Tech), Takeshi Kitano (as Takehasi, leader of Pharma-Kon), Dolph Lundgren (as the cyborg Street Preacher), Henry Rollins (as Spider, tech surgeon of the underground), and many others. Director Robert Longo was the weakest link in this movie. The pacing was way off and the character direction terrible. The scripted characters were awesome, unfortunately, the direction left them adrift and stiff. The story was fantastic. A dystopic culture that's descended into a world wide web of discordant integration. Man and machine aren't living in harmony. Man is being marginalized by the machine and a disease that affects the 'enhanced' citizens claims new victims daily. Johnny carries a secret in his skull. After uploading some corporate secrets, he finds his head in high demand. Everyone wants that data, and no one cares about the courier. Johnny wants the data out too, but he'd prefer to keep his skull intact in the end. The atmosphere was there, but the music failed to frame it properly. Some of the high-tech gear sounds dated today (July 2012), but when this movie premiered (1995), the year 2021 seemed a long way off, and William S. Gibson's vision of a dark technological future still seemed fresh and original; even after Blade Runner (1982) had flashed the dark future of Philip K. Dick on our retinas for all time. I give this movie a 4 out of 5.

Collection ID 345
Director: Robert Longo
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Dina Meyer, Ice-T, Takeshi Kitano, Dennis Akayama
Genre: Action
Studio: TriStar Pictures   Release date: 1995   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English, French, Spanish (Canada)
Summary: A data courier, carrying a data package literally inside his head too large to hold for long, must deliver it before he dies from it.
My Rating:
My Review: A brave vision of the future. Here is the first movie based on a William S. Gibson story. With a screenplay written by Gibson, you know the story is as close to the original material as possible. The casting, while junior in talent (Keanu Reeves had just completed Speed, and all of sudden he was big time) was big in enthusiasm. Starring Keanu Reeves (as cyber-courier Johnny 'Just Johnny'), Dina Meyer (as Jane, the NAS infected bodyguard), Ice-T (as J-Bone, leader of Low-Tech), Takeshi Kitano (as Takehasi, leader of Pharma-Kon), Dolph Lundgren (as the cyborg Street Preacher), Henry Rollins (as Spider, tech surgeon of the underground), and many others. Director Robert Longo was the weakest link in this movie. The pacing was way off and the character direction terrible. The scripted characters were awesome, unfortunately, the direction left them adrift and stiff. The story was fantastic. A dystopic culture that's descended into a world wide web of discordant integration. Man and machine aren't living in harmony. Man is being marginalized by the machine and a disease that affects the 'enhanced' citizens claims new victims daily. Johnny carries a secret in his skull. After uploading some corporate secrets, he finds his head in high demand. Everyone wants that data, and no one cares about the courier. Johnny wants the data out too, but he'd prefer to keep his skull intact in the end. The atmosphere was there, but the music failed to frame it properly. Some of the high-tech gear sounds dated today (July 2012), but when this movie premiered (1995), the year 2021 seemed a long way off, and William S. Gibson's vision of a dark technological future still seemed fresh and original; even after Blade Runner (1982) had flashed the dark future of Philip K. Dick on our retinas for all time. I give this movie a 4 out of 5.

Collection ID 981
Director: Robert Longo
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Dina Meyer, Ice-T, Takeshi Kitano, Dennis Akayama
Genre: Action
Studio: TriStar Pictures   Release date: 1995   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English, French, Spanish (Canada)
Summary: A data courier, carrying a data package literally inside his head too large to hold for long, must deliver it before he dies from it.
My Rating:
My Review: A brave vision of the future. Here is the first movie based on a William S. Gibson story. With a screenplay written by Gibson, you know the story is as close to the original material as possible. The casting, while junior in talent (Keanu Reeves had just completed Speed, and all of sudden he was big time) was big in enthusiasm. Starring Keanu Reeves (as cyber-courier Johnny 'Just Johnny'), Dina Meyer (as Jane, the NAS infected bodyguard), Ice-T (as J-Bone, leader of Low-Tech), Takeshi Kitano (as Takehasi, leader of Pharma-Kon), Dolph Lundgren (as the cyborg Street Preacher), Henry Rollins (as Spider, tech surgeon of the underground), and many others. Director Robert Longo was the weakest link in this movie. The pacing was way off and the character direction terrible. The scripted characters were awesome, unfortunately, the direction left them adrift and stiff. The story was fantastic. A dystopic culture that's descended into a world wide web of discordant integration. Man and machine aren't living in harmony. Man is being marginalized by the machine and a disease that affects the 'enhanced' citizens claims new victims daily. Johnny carries a secret in his skull. After uploading some corporate secrets, he finds his head in high demand. Everyone wants that data, and no one cares about the courier. Johnny wants the data out too, but he'd prefer to keep his skull intact in the end. The atmosphere was there, but the music failed to frame it properly. Some of the high-tech gear sounds dated today (July 2012), but when this movie premiered (1995), the year 2021 seemed a long way off, and William S. Gibson's vision of a dark technological future still seemed fresh and original; even after Blade Runner (1982) had flashed the dark future of Philip K. Dick on our retinas for all time. I give this movie a 4 out of 5.

Collection ID 469
Director: John Dahl
Starring: Steve Zahn, Paul Walker, Leelee Sobieski, Jessica Bowman, Stuart Stone
Genre: Horror
Studio: Regency Enterprises   Release date: 2001   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English, Spanish, French (USA)
Summary: Three young people on a road trip from Colorado to New Jersey talk to a trucker on their CB radio, then must escape when he turns out to be a psychotic killer.
My Rating:
My Review:

Collection ID 1181
Director: John Dahl
Starring: Steve Zahn, Paul Walker, Leelee Sobieski, Jessica Bowman, Stuart Stone
Genre: Horror
Studio: Regency Enterprises   Release date: 2001   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English, Spanish, French (USA)
Summary: Three young people on a road trip from Colorado to New Jersey talk to a trucker on their CB radio, then must escape when he turns out to be a psychotic killer.
My Rating:
My Review:

Collection ID 585
Director: Takashi Shimizu
Starring: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jason Behr, William Mapother, Clea DuVall, KaDee Strickland
Genre: Horror
Studio: Lions Gate Home Entertainment   Release date: 2004   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English, French (Japan)
Summary: Following in the footsteps of "The Ring" cycle, the "Ju-On" series of horror films has taken Japan by the throat. According to this movie, the title refers to a curse placed upon a house where violence occurred. Sure enough, we see a string of unhappy encounters in a seemingly ordinary home, where ghosts have settled in the aftermath of murder. Director Takashi Shimizu (who also directed the Hollywood remake, "The Grudge") constructs the picture out of separate fragments, not told in chronological order; the haunted house is the main character, not any one of the unsuspecting human characters. Cult mavens might suggest that Shimizu uses devices and images that have already worked well in films by Hideo Nakata and Kiyoshi Kurosawa--the Japanese horror film does have its conventions. But none of that matters if you're watching this movie alone at home on a dark night. Click, click, click.... "--Robert Horton"
My Rating:
My Review: Horrifying! Absolutely chilling. This movie made my hair stand on end, chills ran down my arms, and I inhaled deeply in an adrenalin induced panic. Written and directed by Takashi Shimizu, this movie is simply electrifying. Great acting, fantastic music, and absolutely riveting story created an eerie feeling that shook me. It got so bad I had to pause the movie, take a break, and get my mind of the movie before I could go on. Now that's scary! This movie positions Shimizu as a master of the macabre. I can't wait to see him try a different genre. I haven't seen 'The Grudge' (The American version) yet, but I'm looking forward to it. I was very impressed by the directors ability to create a creepy feel, a horrifying reaction, a bone chilling tale, without resorting to total digital effects.

Collection ID 1285
Director: Takashi Shimizu
Starring: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jason Behr, William Mapother, Clea DuVall, KaDee Strickland
Genre: Horror
Studio: Lions Gate Home Entertainment   Release date: 2004   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English, French (Japan)
Summary: Following in the footsteps of "The Ring" cycle, the "Ju-On" series of horror films has taken Japan by the throat. According to this movie, the title refers to a curse placed upon a house where violence occurred. Sure enough, we see a string of unhappy encounters in a seemingly ordinary home, where ghosts have settled in the aftermath of murder. Director Takashi Shimizu (who also directed the Hollywood remake, "The Grudge") constructs the picture out of separate fragments, not told in chronological order; the haunted house is the main character, not any one of the unsuspecting human characters. Cult mavens might suggest that Shimizu uses devices and images that have already worked well in films by Hideo Nakata and Kiyoshi Kurosawa--the Japanese horror film does have its conventions. But none of that matters if you're watching this movie alone at home on a dark night. Click, click, click.... "--Robert Horton"
My Rating:
My Review: Horrifying! Absolutely chilling. This movie made my hair stand on end, chills ran down my arms, and I inhaled deeply in an adrenalin induced panic. Written and directed by Takashi Shimizu, this movie is simply electrifying. Great acting, fantastic music, and absolutely riveting story created an eerie feeling that shook me. It got so bad I had to pause the movie, take a break, and get my mind of the movie before I could go on. Now that's scary! This movie positions Shimizu as a master of the macabre. I can't wait to see him try a different genre. I haven't seen 'The Grudge' (The American version) yet, but I'm looking forward to it. I was very impressed by the directors ability to create a creepy feel, a horrifying reaction, a bone chilling tale, without resorting to total digital effects.

Collection ID 259
Director: Danny Cannon
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Diane Lane, Armand Assante, Rob Schneider, Jürgen Prochnow
Genre: Action
Studio: Hollywood Pictures   Release date: 1995   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English, French (USA)
Summary: In a dystopic future, Dredd, the most famous judge (a cop with instant field judiciary powers) is convicted for a crime he did not commit while his murderous counterpart escapes.
My Rating:
My Review: Starring Sylvester Stallone, Diane Lane, Armand Assante, Rob Schneider, Jurgen Prochnow (one of my favorites), Max von Sydow (another favortie) and others. Yes it's a movie based on a comic book. Notably one that I read and enjoyed in my youth. It presents a dark distant future of mega-cities sorrounded by the 'scorched earth'. Judge Dredd is a cop with ultimate judicial powers - Judge, jury and executioner. Charged with upholding 'The Law', Stallone's character is framed for murder, and must overcome the odds to right the wrongs of those resopnsible. The acting is actually pretty good, but the lines are the best part of this movie. I love it.

Collection ID 970
Director: Danny Cannon
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Diane Lane, Armand Assante, Rob Schneider, Jürgen Prochnow
Genre: Action
Studio: Hollywood Pictures   Release date: 1995   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English, French (USA)
Summary: In a dystopic future, Dredd, the most famous judge (a cop with instant field judiciary powers) is convicted for a crime he did not commit while his murderous counterpart escapes.
My Rating:
My Review: Starring Sylvester Stallone, Diane Lane, Armand Assante, Rob Schneider, Jurgen Prochnow (one of my favorites), Max von Sydow (another favortie) and others. Yes it's a movie based on a comic book. Notably one that I read and enjoyed in my youth. It presents a dark distant future of mega-cities sorrounded by the 'scorched earth'. Judge Dredd is a cop with ultimate judicial powers - Judge, jury and executioner. Charged with upholding 'The Law', Stallone's character is framed for murder, and must overcome the odds to right the wrongs of those resopnsible. The acting is actually pretty good, but the lines are the best part of this movie. I love it.

Collection ID 722
Director: Jason Reitman
Starring: Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Allison Janney
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Studio: Mandate Pictures   Release date: 2007   Rated: PG-13   
Language (Country): English (USA, Canada)
Summary: A tale told over four seasons, starting in autumn when Juno, a 16-year-old high-school junior in Minnesota, discovers she's pregnant after one event in a chair with her best friend, Bleeker. In the waiting room of an abortion clinic, the quirky and whip-sharp Juno decides to give birth and to place the child with an adoptive couple. She finds one in the PennySaver personals, contacts them, tells her dad and step-mother, and carries on with school. The chosen parents, upscale yuppies (one of whom is cool and laid back, the other meticulous and uptight), meet Juno, sign papers, and the year unfolds. Will Juno's plan work, can she improvise, and what about Bleeker?
My Rating:
My Review: Directed by Jason Reitman (Thank you for smoking) and written by Diablo Cody (She won an oscar for the screenplay). This movie stars Ellen Page, Jason Bateman, Jennifer Garner, Michael Cera, Olivia Thirlby, J.K. Simmons, Allison Janney, Rainn Wilson, Lucas MacFadden and others. High school teenager, Juno (played by Ellen Page) is pregnant. It's definitely not something she planned, and now she's in over her head. With the help of her supportive friends and family, she decides to have the child, then give it up to someone who's more capable of raising a child. It's a positive, pro-choice, pro-life movie. While Juno 'chooses' what to do with her baby/body, she ultimately decides to have the child. It's a feel good compromise, that neatly avoids the controversy of the 'other' choice. Thankfully, it makes for a good plot, good drama, and that's what it is. A feel good drama about consequences, responsibility, and making the right decisions. The movie is full of complicated real-life decisions, slightly quirky yet intelligent characters in complicated relationships (teen and adult), and fantastic music. The acting was definitely top-notch, and the story deserved the oscar it captured. A bit like a combination between Knocked up and Napoleon Dynamite. I liked it so much I bought a copy. 5 out of 5.