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An aficionado of the Batman action figures genre encompassing the Batman: The Animated Series and The Batman toy lines.
Reviews (51)
Sep 21, 2007
Those trapped in the house r the true stars of the film
2 of 2 found this helpful Based on George A. Romero’s 1968 cult classic “Night of the Living Dead,” Savini’s version portrays Barbara (played by Patricia Tallman) as a strong heroine lead who conquers her fears (e.g., witnessing the death of her brother Johnnie and seeing zombies that just won’t die) and shows a resolve not usually seen in people facing seemingly insurmountable odds—such a being trapped inside a secluded farmhouse surrounded by mindless zombies, with no transportation in sight.
But looking beyond the zombie crisis (whose origins were unfortunately not fully explained during the course of the film), the personality dynamics of those trapped inside this Western Pennsylvania farmhouse are the true stars of the film as they tackles a number of issues such as: How people handle crisis situations, who among them comes forward and takes charge, who ends up being the followers, and who among the characters is able to “reach down deep” and go beyond expectations? Lastly, are there those who would be altruistic or just end up fending from themselves?
At least from this perspective, Night of the Living Dead (1990) seems to have all the answers.
Sep 27, 2007
Pushes the envelope in its interpretation...
2 of 5 found this helpful Superman: Doomsday (2007)
Directed by:
Lauren Montgomery, Bruce W. Timm, and Brandon Vietti
14 years after, arguably, the most publicized and grieved “death” in the comic book industry, comes the first PG-13 direct-to-video animated adaptation of “The Death of Superman” entitled Superman: Doomsday.
Directed by Lauren Montgomery, Brandon Vietti, and Bruce Timm (the latter who was also responsible for other animated projects such as: Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series, The New Batman Adventures, Batman Beyond, Justice League, and Justice League Unlimited), Superman: Doomsday is an unprecedented animated movie having been conveyed a PG-13 rating by the Motion Picture Association of America for its action violence. Superman: Doomsday pushes the envelope in its interpretation of the death of the Man of Steel, his rebirth, and eventual ascension back as the guardian of the city of Metropolis.
Actors James Marsters (Buffy The Vampire Slayer) and Adam Baldwin (Turistas) take over from Superman: The Animated Series voice talents’ Clancy Brown and Tim Daly and give a “new voice” to the maniacal and cunning Lex Luthor and Superman. Actress Anne Heche (Six Days Seven Nights; Psycho (1998); and Men In Trees) seems to also hold her own as reporter Lois Lane.
Overall, if you are willing to divest yourselves from established comic book cannon, this DVD is highly recommended!
Sep 19, 2007
The Hit Man brought back a lot of childhood memories...
Watching the DVD compendium, to the very mention of the name, Bret “The Hit Man” Hart, brought back a lot of childhood memories. From his signature catch phrases such as “The Excellence of Execution,” and “The Best There Is, The Best There Was, The Best There Ever Will Be” (Lifted from “The Natural” (1984) movie line) to his metallic visor, leather jacket, and even images of “Monday Night Raw” being the only Brand of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) (Known then as the “World Wrestling Federation” (WWF)) out on television every week.
Probably my greatest Bret Hart memory would be an episode of Raw wherein Bret stepped into the ring as his estranged younger brother, the late Owen “The Rocket” Hart and his ex-brother-in-law The British Bulldog (the late Davey Boy Smith) were about to come to blows. Bret took it upon himself to patch his relationship with the two men by focusing on the importance of family and his “It’s us against America” stand. This lead to the birth of the new Hart Foundation which also included another brother-in-law and former Tag Team partner, Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart as well as the only American in the group, “the Canadian sympathizer,” the late Brian “The Loose Cannon” Pillman.
During this period in the history of the WWE, recognizable names such as Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Degeneration X, and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin rose to prominence as “faces.” But it was the new Hart Foundation, led by an aggressive, vindictive, and sadistic (by way of an illegal ring post figure-four leglock that Hart would apply on his opponent entangled legs during matches) Bret Hart that I believe carried the show as “heels.” America hated them! But Canada and Europe sure adored the new Hart Foundation!
In the end, despite 23 years in the wrestling business (Stampede Wrestling, WWE, WCW, and various other international productions), I believe that Bret Hart’s career ended prematurely (due to a post-concussion syndrome brought about in 99’ by a Bill Goldberg Mule Kick to the head).
I guess I am still waiting for that magical moment wherein the electric guitar intro of Jimmy Hart’s and JJ Maguire’s famed “Hitman” theme would be blazing over the arena’s PA and out of the shadows would be Bret Hart, clad in his familiar Pink and Black, ready to take on all comers for one final match.
Cheers Bret! Best of luck in your new life and thanks for the memories!
Most, if not all of the aforementioned events are chronicled to some degree in Bret Hart’s 2005 compendium, “Bret "Hit Man" Hart: The Best There Is, The Best There Was, The Best There Ever Will Be.”
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