DVDizzy Forum

Lucky Number Slevin, this is probably the most underrated movie of the year. Bruce Willis, Josh Hartnett, Morgan Freeman, Sir Ben Kingsley, and the rest of the marvelous cast that makes this movie work. This is probably the fourth or fifth time in the last two weeks that I have watched this movie.

Clue (1985)
The Little Mermaid (1989)

Over the last few weeks I've seen the following (hopefully not leaving any out):

Secrets of Life (1956) - Reviewed

Perri (1957) - Reviewed

Nature's Half Acre (1951) - Reviewed

The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974) - One of my all-time favorites. It just gets better every year!

The Year Without a Santa Claus (2003) - Disappointing overall... my more detailed thoughts on it have been posted in the appropriate thread.

Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas (2004) - Not a masterpiece and not as good as the first (even though I only own the sequel on DVD), but I do enjoy these shorts quite a bit. I think this might be the first time I've made it all the way through.

The Fox and the Hound 2 (2006) - Review coming soon

Home Alone (1990) - No matter how many times I see it, the pure brilliance of this movie never ceases to amaze me. One of the greatest movies ever made and a shining example of golden storytelling. Watching on the new Family Fun Edition made it all the better, as the transfer (while still problematic in a couple of areas) is lightyears better than that of the old release.

Santa Claus is Comin' to Town (1970) - I always like the Christmas movies/special that explain Santa's origins. Seems like it's been a while since I've seen this one, so it was good to watch it again this year. Now if only The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus would come to DVD.

The Little Drummer Boy (1968) - A little weaker than a lot of the other Rankin/Bass Christmas specials, but I do like it a lot. It's still very touching in the end, and I like the attention to the nativity story. I've always like the Little Drummer Boy story because of the unique perspective it gives.

A Smoky Mountain Christmas (1986) - A very good Christmas TV movie starring Dolly Parton. Why is this not on DVD? Luckily, I caught all but the first 12 minutes on TV. It's been a favorite since childhood... something about the blend of witches and Christmas, I guess.

Edward Scissorhands (1990) - I hadn't seen this in a long time so I barely remembered it. It was really good, though. Not Tim Burton's best by any means, but Johnny Depp, Dianne Wiest, Alan Arkin, and Kathy Bates were all really good and the story was solid. With Burton, the aesthetics are always part of the appeal, but the delightfully bizarre premise (and its juxtaposition with a picture-perfect setting) is really what won me over.

Scary Movie 4 (2006) - Second time seeing it and still hilarious. Maybe the second best of the series.

The Adventures of Huck Finn (1993) - I thought that I had never seen it but after watching, I realized that I'd seen it in school. Tom & Huck reigns supreme, but this is very good too. I was impressed by its faithfulness to the book (the very different ending and the disappointing absence of Tom Sawyer aside). The acting was really good all around... very impressive picture quality on the DVD, too.

A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) - Christmas DVDs are the gifts that keep on giving! The "Peanuts" specials are very charming and I grew even fonder of this one this year.

-Aaron

It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown (1992) - I have to say it's not quite so good as "A Charlie Brown Christmas", but they did a good job with not making it feel like an obviously 1990s production. As a stand-alone effort, still quite enjoyable. It's nice to be able to follow up the original with this.

Amy Grant: A Christmas to Remember (1999) - The CBS primetime special that I always like watching every year. Amy decided to ditch the cue cards prepared for the special and it's much more candid than most Christmas music specials (though still a little cheesy). Tony Bennet, 98 Degrees, and CeCe Winans were the special guests. There are some really good duets and conversations with them, and it's nice to see some of the late-90s charm.

-Aaron

I watched Elf earlier. it's just an entertaining Christmas movie and Will Ferrell is hilarious.

Lady in the Water. Very refreshing to see an original idea in a movie for a change.

Alice in Wonderland (1951)
The Rescuers (1977)

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby Theatrical Edition

wow where to begin...

I was highly disappointed in this movie. Aside from the major funny parts that were mostly covered by the trailers the movie just felt awkward. Maybe it will grow on me, but I'm not real sure.

A Christmas Story - One of the best Christmas movies ever made. I see it every year and it never gets old. Such a fun flick.

Drake & Josh Go Hollywood - A fun movie that everyone can enjoy. Being the Drake Bell fan that I am, I'm pretty much obligated to like this movie; but even if I weren't a fan, this movie would still be worth the watch.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

I got it for my mother for Christmas, so we watched it this evening. It's not as good as the first but I still can't wait for the 3rd to come out.

Invincible Good film just seemed to lack something, can't quite put my finger on it. Glad it didn't have a cheesy feel to it though.

Rocky Balboa - By far my 2nd favorite Rocky, just spent a little too much time going over things that have already been covered. Good fight and great story though.

Watched The Outsiders - The Complete Novel tonight. I thought it was a great film, but I can't say how I liked it compared to the original cut which I haven't seen in a long time.

Also, today I saw The Pursuit of Happyness. Man, this was such an amazing film. Both Will and Jaden deliver great performances. The story of Chris Gardener was one story I could partially relate to, as I have relatives who struggle a lot. A must-see.

All in all, two wonderful films on a partially wonderful Christmas.

Cheers,
JM

The Lord of the Ring: The Fellowship of the Ring

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest: 9.5/10
The Da Vinci Code: 10/10

Watched the best Christmas movie and I still don't understand why it hasn't been released to DVD. It's called Holiday Affair and stars Robert Mitchum, Janet Leigh and Wendell Corey. Janet Leigh plays a recently WWII widow who works for a comparison shopping company, and she buys an electric train from salesman Robert Mitchum. When she gets home with her purchase, he little 7-year-old boy, played by Gordon Gebert, peeks in the box and sees the train and thinks that it's for him. Enter the new boyfriend, lovingly played by Wendell Corey, and we find that the little boy doesn't like him much at all. Don't want to spoil this movie for anyone, but it is definitely one of those movies you can watch anytime of the year, but especially at Christmas time I give it a strong 10/10.

Dead Ringers (1988) - B-

Private Parts (1972) - B+

Little Women (the 1949 version)

This movie was really great. I liked the costumes and although you could see that everything was made in the studio it is amazing. The dialogue is very true to the original novel by Louisa May Alcott. A perfect adaptation of a very vast novel (it's not that big, but just so much happens).
I really enjoyed June Allyson's portrayal of Jo. She plays the part as if she were coming directly out of the book. Elizabeth Taylor is a very good Amy although the blond wig is kinda weird, but you get used to it.

This version of the classic story is IMO superior to the 90's version starring Winona Ryder. There isn't any of this modern emancipation talk that was far too present in the 90's version(which really annoyed me). There is only as much as the book itself has.
I guess Mrs Alcott would have liked the 1949 version.

I just finished The Emperor's New Groove. It IS the Grooviest Animated Feature since Aladdin. It is one of my favorites, and I am very glad that I recieved it as a Christmas present, the Ultimate Groove Edition, of course!

Akeelah And The Bee

Celebrated the third day of me wearing shoes for the first time in three months and went to the cinema to see Night at the Museum. I can't remember when I laughed so loud and so hard in a movie. This is one really fun movie for the whole family and the cast includes Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Carla Gugino, Jake Green, Robin Williams, Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney, and oh so many more. The special effects are dazzling, and just enough story to keep you going. I would say that it is a cross between "Jumanji" and "Indian in the Cupboard". I will give this movie a strong 3 out of 5 stars and strong recommendation for everyone to go see it.