Welcome to one of the main features of 'Castle Dracula,' the movie reviews section.
The reviews placed here are from all around the world, from the USA to the UK Japan
and everything inbetween. The formats reviewed are video and DVD. I have included the
origin of the film reviewed so you can check your player for compatibility. You may
also notice that there are some DVD-R reviews. These are not 'bootlegs' or 'copies'
but official screeners that I have been sent containing an as yet unreleased film to 
review. All the reviews here have been reviewed either by myself or my current movie 
reviewers. If you're an avid watcher of horror movies then why not join 'Castle Dracula'
as an official 'staff member' reviewing them. To do so, just click on the 'Join My Staff'
link in the menu to the left for details of this and other vacancies.
New reviews are normally placed here once a week, check my front page for under 'Castle
Dracula Updates' to see what latest movie reviews have been placed.

- The Bone Collector - US DVD -  

'The Bone Collector' is a mystery thriller based on the book by Jeffery Deaver.  
A serial killer has a unique manner in which to obtain his victims. He traps them
in his cab and takes them away to be slaughtered. The unknown killer then stages 
the crime scene with peculiar clues. 
A young patrol woman, 'Amelia Donaghy' (Angelina Jolie) is called to one of the 
crime scenes. A murdered man is buried under gravel. Only a hand sticks up through
the crushed stones. Evidence is left on a nearby train track. Courageously 'Officer
Donaghy' stands on the tracks and stops an oncoming train. The evidence, an old bolt,
a piece of paper, some asbestos, and a strip from a newspaper, are not destroyed.
'Detective Lincoln Rhyme' (Denzel Washington) becomes involved in the case.  
Rhyme is a quadriplegic who was once one of New York City's top forensic invesigators.
He was injured several years earlier at a crime scene. The city had let him remain 
on active duty. 
'Lincoln' is bedridden. His nurse 'Thelma' (Rapper Queen Latifah) gives him round 
the clock care. 'Lincoln' has decided that due to a series of continuing seizures 
that he no longer wishes to live. His doctor agrees to assist him with his suicide.
This movie just does not have that much to offer. It is in my opinion all that is 
wrong with the big movie studios of today. 'The Bone Collector' is an expensive 
flick designed to bring in as much money as possible. It is an attitude that many of
us see today. Studios put millions and millions of dollars into hiring high-paid 
actors, directors, and throw in the best technology. That is what they think works. 
The sensationalism of this movie will grip you just enough to watch it. After it's 
over, well, who cares what you really think.
Angelina Jolie does a terrible job acting. She is there and that is about all I can
say about her. The reason her character exists is to develop some kind of relationship
between 'Amelia Donaghy' and 'Lincoln Rhyme'.
When 'Lincoln' takes over the case, he has 'Amelia' perform forensic investigations
at the crime scenes. 
'Officer Donaghy' has no forensic training. That was just too much for me to accept.  
I think the movie would have been more interesting if it focused more on the search
for the killer. I am not saying that there should not be any significant relationships
in this or any movie. The relationship between 'Rhyme' and 'Donaghy' just did nothing
special for this story. 
Michael Rooker (Henry Portrait of a Serial Killer, The Dark Half) is badly miscast as
'Captain Cheney'. Rooker is a veteran actor who normally gives a very satisfying 
performance. He just did not fit at all in this role. He seemed very uncomfortable.  
Ed O'Neil is cast as 'Detective Paulie Sellitto'. O'Neil is best known for his role 
of 'Al Bundy' in the American television comedy, 'Married....With Children'.  
I thought O'Neil was great in that role. He loses too much when cast on the big screen.
Director Phillip Noyce (The Saint, Clear and Present Danger) tries to bring a level
of intensity to the movie. He never quite gets there. Several of the scenes could 
have been significantly more thrilling and suspenseful. There was not enough to get 
my heart pounding. The movie was not boring. It also was not very exciting.
I found the ending of the movie to be almost too contrived. I will not give away who
the killer is and what was the motivation behind his actions. For the most part, I 
did not care who the killer was anyway. It is almost as if the movie had to have an 
ending, so something had to happen. Since I never read the book, I am not sure if 
this was what happened in the original story, or if the novel handled it differently.  
Either way, it was not very relevant.
This DVD version is shown in wide screen with Dolby SurroundSound 5.1. French is 
available.
Captions for the hearing impaired is also available. A short documentary "Spotlight 
on Location" is included. It is a discussion with some of the cast and crew of how 
the book was turned into a movie. Production Notes and bios on cast and crew members 
can be viewed.
A feature commentary with Director Noyce is part of the package. Noyce comes across 
a big bucks movie maker who has lost all touch with reality. He seems to base too 
much of the film on the availability of technology. Noyce was very aloof and spoke
as if he was one of the smartest men in Hollywood, or wherever they make movies like
this.
This movie is okay. That's about all that I feel like saying about it.   

Reviewed By Scal Williams.

Click here to read how this page is protected by copyright laws.