DVD Verdict reviews: FINAL FANTASY: UNLIMITED: PHASE 7 and more!

Today, DVD Verdict posted reviews of FINAL FANTASY: UNLIMITED: PHASE 7,
GRAND THEFT PARSONS, HEDY LAMARR DOUBLE FEATURE, KALEIDO STAR: ALL
THINGS GREAT AND SMALL (VOLUME 2), LASSIE COME HOME / SON OF LASSIE /
COURAGE OF LASSIE, THE LOVELESS, THE MOTHER, R.O.D. THE TV, VOLUMES TWO
AND THREE, VINCENT PRICE DOUBLE FEATURE, WAR GAME, and WESTENDER:


FINAL FANTASY: UNLIMITED: PHASE 7 (reviewed by David Ryan, overall
score 65/100):
"For a while there, in the middle, Final Fantasy: Unlimited was shaping
up to be a decent anime series. Not great, but decent. But then, it had
to go and do this. There's no excuse for a show leaving its audience
hanging in such a disrespectful way."

FULL REVIEW: http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/ffuphase7.php

GRAND THEFT PARSONS (reviewed by Mitchell Hattaway, overall score
80/100):
"There's an affably loopy quality to Grand Theft Parsons. I don't care
how true it is, Phil Kaufman's story is pretty frickin' ridiculous, so
playing up the stoner-bud road trip aspects of the tale works in the
film's favor."

FULL REVIEW: http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/grandtheftparsons.php

HEDY LAMARR DOUBLE FEATURE (reviewed by Bryan Byun, overall score
85/100):
"What's most surprising about Dishonored Lady, given its
sensationalistic title and melodramatic plot, is how fresh and vital it
seems nearly sixty years later. Instead of settling into a conventional
morality tale about the redemption of a loose woman, the film focuses
squarely on Madeleine's self-actualization and search for an independent
identity. "

FULL REVIEW: http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/hedylamarr.php

KALEIDO STAR: ALL THINGS GREAT AND SMALL (VOLUME 2) (reviewed by Sandra
Dozier, overall score 90/100):
"Because of the focus on character growth, Kaleido Star neatly avoids
the trap of being needlessly unrealistic in its perky take on life."

FULL REVIEW: http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/kaleidostarvol2.php

LASSIE COME HOME / SON OF LASSIE / COURAGE OF LASSIE (reviewed by Barrie
Maxwell, overall score 74/100):
"Lassie enthusiasts will be pleased to have these vintage MGM efforts
now available to them on DVD. Each film is diverting, although the
overall quality declines slightly with each succeeding entry."

FULL REVIEW: http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/lassietriple.php

THE LOVELESS (reviewed by Paul Corupe, overall score 75/100):
"Unfortunately, The Loveless frequently crosses the double yellow line
into style over substance, as this achingly slow pace tends to work
against the film dramatically."

FULL REVIEW: http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/loveless.php

THE MOTHER (reviewed by Bryan Byun, overall score 95/100):
"The way the film depicts sexual relationships is almost painfully
frank, to the point where it's difficult sometimes to watch the screen
-- not because of what's being displayed, but because of what's being
said, and because of the little gestures and expressions and pauses that
convey things about why people have sex that most of us would rather not
think about."

FULL REVIEW: http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/mother.php

R.O.D. THE TV, VOLUMES TWO AND THREE (reviewed by Mike Pinsky, overall
score 89/100):
"Nearing its midpoint, R.O.D. the TV has established itself as an
intelligently written and suspenseful series. The show seems to improve
with each new volume, increasing in story complexity without sacrificing
character development. If it all pays off in the end, R.O.D. the TV
could be one of the more satisfying shows in recent years."

FULL REVIEW: http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/rodthetvvol2and3.php

VINCENT PRICE DOUBLE FEATURE (reviewed by Dennis Prince, overall
score 74/100):
"These are two terrific terror films that should be enjoyed by anyone
with a love of classic horror. At a bargain bin price, this disc from
ACME DVD Works has some value, I suppose, yet the films within deserve
much better treatment."

FULL REVIEW: http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/vincentpricedf.php

WAR GAME (reviewed by David Johnson, overall score 92/100):
"Though this is certainly aimed toward the family, it's not a light-
hearted romp of cupcakes and sprinkles. We are talking about World War
I, after all."

FULL REVIEW: http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/wargame.php

WESTENDER (reviewed by Joel Pearce, overall score 73/100):
"If I were to write a script for a fantasy film, I wouldn't have it
center around a quest for a ring. All that would do is draw attention to
the areas in which my film lacked the good qualities of a certain
fantasy trilogy. The creators of Westender did this anyway, which is one
of the reasons that so many critics have discussed the film's wild
ambition."

FULL REVIEW: http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/westender.php

Mike Jackson
Editor & Webmaster, DVD Verdict
www.dvdverdict.com