DVD COLLECTION # 39

The Wind in the Willows (1983)
SD DVD

Director: Mark Hall and Chris Taylor
DVD Release: 11/9/2000
Region: 2 (UK)
Label: Prism

Awaiting Rating

DVD COLLECTION # 38

Summer of Sam (1999)
SD DVD

Director: Spike Lee
DVD Release: 24/7/2000
Region: 2 (UK)
Label: MGM

Awaiting Rating

DVD COLLECTION # 37

Sleepy Hollow (1999)
SD DVD

Director: Tim Burton
DVD Release: 24/7/2000
Region: 2 (UK)
Label: Pathe!

Awaiting Rating

DVD COLLECTION # 36

Jaws (1975)
SD DVD - Anniversary Collector's Edition

Director: Steven Spielbeg
DVD Release: 24/7/2000
Region: 2 (UK)
Label: Universal/Columbia Tristar

Awaiting Rating

DVD COLLECTION # 35

Manhattan (1979)
SD DVD

Director: Woody Allen
DVD Release: 10/7/2000
Region: 2 (UK)
Label: MGM

Awaiting Rating

DVD COLLECTION # 34

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* But Were Afraid to Ask (1972)
SD DVD

Director: Woody Allen
DVD Release: 10/7/2000
Region: 2 (UK)
Label: MGM

Awaiting Rating

DVD COLLECTION # 33

Annie Hall (1977)
SD DVD

Director: Woody Allen
DVD Release: 10/7/2000
Region: 2 (UK)
Label: MGM

Awaiting Rating

DVD COLLECTION # 32

Stigmata (1999)
SD DVD

Director: Rupert Wainwright
DVD Release: 10/7/2000
Region: 2 (UK)
Label: MGM

Awaiting Rating

DVD COLLECTION # 31

Stardust Memories (1980)
SD DVD

Director: Woody Allen
DVD Release: 5/7/2000
Region: 1 (USA)
Label: MGM

Awaiting Rating

DVD COLLECTION # 30

Don't Torture a Duckling (1972)
Original Title: Non si Sevizia un Paperino
SD DVD

Director: Lucio Fulci
DVD Release: 23/5/2000
Region: 0 (USA)
Label: Anchor Bay

Awaiting Rating

DVD COLLECTION # 29

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
SD DVD

Director: Tobe Hooper
DVD Release: 8/5/2000
Region: 0 (UK)
Label: Blue Dolphin

Awaiting Rating

DVD COLLECTION # 28

The Sixth Sense (1999)
SD DVD

Director: M. Night Shyamalan
DVD Release: 8/5/2000
Region: 2 (UK)
Label: Buena Vista/Hollywood

Awaiting Rating

DVD COLLECTION # 27

Vertigo (1958)
SD DVD

Director: Alfred Hitchcock
DVD Release: 26/4/2000
Region: 2 (UK)
Label: Universal

Awaiting Rating

DVD COLLECTION # 26

Walking with Dinosaurs (1999)
SD DVD

Director: Tim Haines and Jasper James
DVD Release: 18/4/2000
Region: 2 (UK)
Label: BBC

Awaiting Rating

DVD COLLECTION # 25

The Blair Witch Project (1999)
SD DVD

Director: Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez
DVD Release: 17/4/2000
Region: 2 (UK)
Label: Pathe!

Awaiting Rating

DVD COLLECTION # 24

The Alien Legacy Box Set (1979-1997)
SD DVD - 20th Anniversary Edition - 5 discs

Director: Ridley Scott, James Cameron, David Fincher and Jean-Pierre Juenet
DVD Release: 15/4/2000
Region: 2 (UK)
Label: 20th Century Fox

This set contains:

*Alien
*Aliens
*Alien³
*Alien Resurrection
*Bonus disc

Awaiting Rating

DVD COLLECTION # 23

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
SD DVD

Director: Stanley Kubrick
DVD Release: 3/4/2000
Region: 2 (UK)
Label: Warner Bros

Awaiting Rating

DVD COLLECTION # 22

Black Sunday (1960)
Original Title: La Maschera del Demonio
SD DVD - Mario Bava Collection

Director: Mario Bava
DVD Release: 14/12/1999
Region: 1 (USA)
Label: Image Entertainment

Awaiting Rating

DVD COLLECTION # 21

Citizen Kane (1941)
SD DVD

Director: Orson Welles
DVD Release: 18/11/1999
Region: 2 (UK)
Label: Universal

Awaiting Rating

DVD COLLECTION # 20

The Phantom of the Opera (1998)
Original Title: Il Fantasma dell'Opera
SD DVD - Unrated Director's Cut

Director: Dario Argento
DVD Release: 9/11/1999
Region: 1 (USA)
Label: A-Pix

Awaiting Rating

DVD COLLECTION # 19

Taxi Driver (1976)
SD DVD - Collector's Edition

Director: Martin Scorsese
DVD Release: 1/11/1999
Region: 2 (UK)
Label: Columbia Tristar

Awaiting Rating

DVD COLLECTION # 18

The Thing (1982)
SD DVD - Collector's Edition

Director: John Carpenter
DVD Release: 1/11/1999
Region: 2 (UK)
Label: Columbia Tristar/Universal

Awaiting Rating

DVD COLLECTION # 17

The Exorcist (1973)
SD DVD - 25th Anniversary Special Edition

Director: William Friedkin
DVD Release: 25/10/1999
Region: 2 (UK)
Label: Warner Bros

Awaiting Rating

DVD COLLECTION # 16

American History X (1998)
SD DVD

Director: Tony Kaye
DVD Release: 25/10/1999
Region: 2 (UK)
Label: Entertainment In Video

Awaiting Rating

DVD COLLECTION # 15

The Crow (1994)
SD DVD

Director: Alex Proyas
DVD Release: 27/9/1999
Region: 2 (UK)
Label: Entertainment In Video

Awaiting Rating

DVD COLLECTION # 14

Psycho (1960)
SD DVD - Collector's Edition
Sold

Director: Alfred Hitchcock
DVD Release: 1/9/1999
Region: 2 (UK)
Label: Universal

Awaiting Rating

DVD COLLECTION # 13

Dirty Harry (1971)
SD DVD - Clint Eastwood Collection

Director: Don Siegel
DVD Release: 23/8/1999
Region: 2 (UK)
Label: Warner Bros

Awaiting Rating

DVD COLLECTION # 12

Shakespeare In Love (1998)
SD DVD - Collector's Edition
Sold

Director: John Madden
DVD Release: 16/8/1999
Region: 2 (UK)
Label: Universal

Awaiting Rating

DVD COLLECTION # 11

Donnie Brasco (1997)
SD DVD

Director: Mike Newell
DVD Release: 28/6/1999
Region: 2 (UK)
Label: Entertainment In Video

Awaiting Rating

DVD COLLECTION # 10

Take the Money and Run (1969)
SD DVD

Director: Woody Allen
DVD Release: 15/6/1999
Region: 1 (USA)
Label: Anchor Bay

Awaiting Rating

DVD COLLECTION # 9

The Big Lebowski (1998)
SD DVD

Director: Joel Cohen
DVD Release: 19/4/1999
Region: 2 (UK)
Label: Universal

Awaiting Rating

DVD COLLECTION # 8

Flatliners (1990)
SD DVD

Director: Joel Schumacher
DVD Release: 17/3/1999
Region: 2 (UK)
Label: Columbia Tristar

Awaiting Rating

DVD COLLECTION # 7

L.A. Confidential (1997)
SD DVD - Special Edition

Director: Curtis Hanson
DVD Release: 7/12/1998
Region: 2 (UK)
Label: Warner Bros

Awaiting Rating

DVD COLLECTION # 6

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
SD DVD

Director: Milos Forman
DVD Release: 28/9/1998
Region: 2 (UK)
Label: Warner Bros

Awaiting Rating

DVD COLLECTION # 5

Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
SD DVD

Director: Arthur Penn
DVD Release: 21/9/1998
Region: 2 (UK)
Label: Warner Bros

Awaiting Rating

DVD COLLECTION # 4

City of Angels (1998)
SD DVD
Sold

Director: Brad Silberling
DVD Release: 11/2/1999
Region: 2 (UK)
Label: Warner Bros

Awaiting Rating

DVD COLLECTION # 3

Analyse This (1999)
SD DVD
Sold

Director: Harold Ramis
DVD Release: 25/10/1999
Region: 2 (UK)
Label: Warner Bros

Awaiting Rating

DVD COLLECTION # 2

Deep Blue Sea (1999)
SD DVD

Director: Renny Harlin
DVD Release: 5/6/2000
Region: 2 (UK)
Label: Warner Bros

Awaiting Rating

DVD COLLECTION # 1

Goodfellas (1990)

SD DVD
Sold

Director: Martin Scorsese
DVD Release: 25/3/1997
Region: 2 (UK)
Label: Warner Bros

The Film *****
The Disc *

One of Scorsese's best films and a landmark in the genre of crime thrillers. Unfortunately, this early DVD release is a true bare bones affair with only Production Notes, Cast and Crew Biographies and 2 Theatrical Trailers included in the way of Extras. Worst still this disc is a 'flipper' and the image transfer of the film is Non-Anamorphic. Although it should be noted the disc does feature an English Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track.

(*) PANIC ROOM ****

USA: David Fincher, 2002

Format: SD DVD
Region: 2 (UK)
DVD Distributor: Columbia Tristar

IMDB reference

NEW SECTION: DVD COLLECTION

Turn down the lights, turn up the sound and enjoy the remastered splendour of films on digital versatile disc...

I have decided to set up a new section on my blog under the title of "DVD Collection". Unsurprisingly, this part of my blog shall comprise of a list of all the official DVD releases I own and my opinions on them. I intend to give a star rating out of five for the featured film/TV programme presented on each disc and another rating out of five for the extra content included.

In depth analysis shall not be paid to quality of image transfers and the like here. I will of course write a line or two if the image transfer of a release is of particular interest otherwise for specific commentary on DVD image transfers, I refer you to the informed opinion of Michael Mackenzie at Whiggles.com and his Image Transfer Hall of Fame.

At a guess I would say I have about 300 to 350 titles so it may take me a little bit of time to get all the DVD info posted. However, it should prove a useful exercise in organisation and it might even help me to identify discs I want to sell on and bring to my attention those films in my collection that have since had a superior release on DVD.

In the past I have infrequently used DVD Profiler to catalogue my DVDs and keep note of my purchases - can check out my list here. Hopefully, as this section is updated it will allow me to get a definitive list of my DVD Collection online.

By the way, two useful websites I use to determine the best available release on DVD of any given film are DVD Beaver and Rewind.

CYPHER **½

USA: Vincenzo Natali, 2002

Format: Film 4 Television Broadcast
Region: N/A
DVD Distributor: N/A

IMDB reference

(*) BLOOD ON SATAN'S CLAW ***½

UK: Piers Haggard, 1971

Format: SD DVD
Region: 2 (UK)
DVD Distributor: Anchor Bay UK

(Watched with audio commentary by Director/co-writer Piers Haggard, co-writer Robert Wynne-Simmons and actress Linda Hayden. Commentary moderated by Jonathan Sothcott)

IMDB reference

BLOOD ON SATAN'S CLAW ***½

UK: Piers Haggard, 1971

Format: SD DVD
Region: 2 (UK)
DVD Distributor: Anchor Bay UK

IMDB reference

(*) DRACULA ****

aka: Horror of Dracula
UK: Terence Fisher, 1958

Format: SD DVD
Region: 2 (UK)
DVD Distributor: Warner Bros

IMDB reference

SEA OF LOVE ***½

USA: Harold Becker, 1989

Format: Sky Digital Television Broadcast (DVD-R)
Region: 0 (UK)
DVD Distributor: N/A

IMDB reference

CASINO ROYALE ***

USA/GERMANY/UK/CZECH REPUBLIC, Martin Campbell, 2006

Format: SD DVD
Region: 2 (UK)
DVD Distributor: Sony Pictures

I thought Casino Royale was a solid and professional effort. It was the almost universally positive reviews (many from non-Bond fans to boot) that piqued my interest in this film.

Personally, I thought the Bond franchise was dead and buried after the Brosnan era, so the makers of Casino Royale do deserve a lot of credit for taking some brave decisions in an effort to re-imagine the Bond formula for the 21st Century.

I liked the contemporary setting and modern trappings of the film and understand why - having attached Daniel Craig to the picture - they went all out for a more rugged and muscular Bond. However, in my mind James Bond will always be blue-eyed, dark haired and intellectually attuned rather than the action-hero cypher, I felt Craig ended up being for most of the film. Although, I suspect this change of emphasis in Casino Royale is due to the desire to get back to a back-to-basics, no wisecracks, more believable-type Bond based more on Ian Fleming's original creation.

As an actor Craig is more than capable of delivering a good performance so I had no problems with him being Bond before I watched the film. Unfortunately, having watched it I was a little disappointed. It is just like I said for me personally, I prefer a little more going on upstairs and some wry wordplay over lots of running and jumping with explosions in the background. My memory of this film mainly consists of Craig trying too hard to put on a "I'm a tough guy face" for fear of cracking a smile or showing any emotional warmth and thus undoing the macho persona.

That said, Casino Royale was the best Bond film I can recall seeing in years - I haven't been a fan since I was a young child - and I appreciate the script's efforts to offer explanation for Bond's (now socially unacceptable) future promiscuity and misuse of women by showing us how he loved and lost in the form of Eva Green's character (a very lukewarm performance in my opinion, again because I believed the hype - she is though a beautiful and gifted actress) back when it all began.

In the end, I find the Bond character to be an anachronism and don't think the film makers have completely overcome that yet. I am optimistic that Craig will be allowed to grow in a more nuanced representation of Fleming's protagonist and Craig has the ability to make the role his own.

However, my personal taste is not for action moves and I found myself drifting off during many of the numerous action sequences with little compulsion to piece together the narrative for myself in between. That said my concentration may have been impaired due to a large dinner and two bottles of wine shared with the girlfriend.

I would like to see the Uncut version of the film and do intend to watch Casino Royale again at some point. Although I doubt I'll be adding it to the DVD Wishlist just yet.

IMDB reference

CHANGING LANES **

USA: Roger Michell, 2002

Format: Film 4 Television Broadcast
Region: N/A
DVD Distributor: N/A

IMDB reference

THE CAT AND THE CANARY **

UK: Radley Metzger, 1979

Format: Sky Digital Television Broadcast (DVD+RW)
Region: 0 (UK)
DVD Distributor: N/A

IMDB reference

DRACULA: PRINCE OF DARKNESS **½

UK: Terence Fisher, 1966

Format: SD DVD
Region: 2 (UK)
DVD Distributor: Warner Bros/Studio Canal

IMDB reference

SKY MOVIES EMBRACES GENRE

Source: Sky Movies.com

Sky Digital Television has re-launched its movies package to embrace genre programming. Thus, as of Wednesday April 4th, instead of having the usual Sky Movies 1, 2, 3... you now get eight film channels dedicated to movies of a specific type: Comedy, Action/Thriller, Drama etc, etc. Plus there is a specific channel for films showing for the first time on Sky aptly called Sky Movies Premiere (channel 301). As a useful addition Sky Movies Premiere +1 (channel 302) runs parallel to this channel one hour later in case you miss the start of any given film. According to the April edition of Sky Movies Magazine up to a total of five new films will be broadcast everyday for a week. For those viewers who work full-time or often have time pressures dictating the duration of their free time, this should prove a handy option as it means you'll get several chances through the week to watch the same film. The new-to-Sky films shown all week will then change to another five fresh premieres every Saturday. For those few who are High Definition ready there are two channels Sky Movies HD1 (channel 311) and Sky Movies HD2 (channel 312) which will show premieres and popular classics in HD format.

Naturally, the cynic in all of us might exclaim "but this is just the same thing as before but repackaged to sound new". Of course you'd be right, however, being a fan of genre cinema I am delighted at the re-shuffle as it saves me the time (and skin on my fingers) of channel flicking as now I can simply look through the dedicated channel to suit my preferred choice. My taste often runs to the darker and more macabre when it comes to films so my first stop will be the all new Sky Movies Sci-Fi/Horror (channel 307). I also love the pictures often termed "golden oldies" and now I can head straight to Sky Movies Classics (channel 308) or if I'm in the mood for low-budget outside the mainstream original fare there is Sky Movies Indie (channel 310). Sky Movies Modern Greats (channel 309) allows me to re-watch those mainstream hits over and over again and the same model follows for the other channels Sky Movies Comedy (channel 303), Sky Movies Family (channel 305), Sky Movies Action/Thriller (channel 304) and Sky Movies Drama (channel 306).

Significantly, I watch most of my films on DVD anyhow and therefore this revamp to Sky Movies programming shan't be any big shakes. But it should, in theory, make it far easier for me to identify those few films that have passed me by until now and allow me to find out when there due to be shown and on what channel with relatively little effort on my part. Now I suspect these all new genre-themed channels shall prove to be little more than a broad and very loosely assembled assortment of familiar films but if it saves me time then it is a welcome change for the better. Also I'll be quite keen to see how the people responsible for the Sky Movies programming and scheduling categorise the films into the eight different genres. No easy task and I for one have yet to see a video store (yes they still exist) that has managed to accurately impose such a strict system of differentiation. After all one man's thriller is another's man's horror and so on.

For more information on the new look Sky Movies and the full schedules head over to Sky Movies.com