DVD Collectors Online

The Pacific, a review by Antares

The Pacific (2010) - 3/5

I was really disappointed in this mini-series. Band of Brothers was an excellent story about a unique group of soldiers who fought in Europe. There was rich character development in the first episode and throughout the following 9 episodes I cared about the individuals who were part of Easy company. The Pacific, on the other hand, had virtually no character development until the later episodes and this caused the series to be confusing at times, because you just didn't know what was happening to what soldier at a given time in the story. I had a sense that this series was made because some ex-WWII Marine got pissed because the Army got all the glory in BoB, and Spielberg and Hanks said OK, we'll do it. The first 6 episodes had a schizophrenic structure to them, there was no coherency to the narrative. Episodes 7 - 10 righted the ship and saved this series from being a disaster.

My second hobby is military history, and it's rare that I don't care for a film about warfare, but this one tried my patience in the beginning. If you liked BoB, I'd go into this with caution, you may also be as disappointed in it as I was.

(From Antares' Short Summations on February 16th, 2011)

An Education, a review by goodguy

An Education (UK 2009) Written by: Nick Hornby, based on a memoir by Lynn Barber Directed by: Lone Scherfig Starring: Carey Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard DVD: R1-US Sony (Mar 30, 2010) My rating:

Cover Blurb: From acclaimed writer Nick Hornby (About a Boy, High Fidelity) comes this inspired coming-of-age film Rolling Stone magazine calls "a miracle of a movie." When Jenny (Academy Award and Golden Globe nominee Carey Mulligan), a bright young school girl who longs for adulthood, meets David (Peter Sarsgaard), a dashing older man, he introduces her to his vibrant world of glamorous friends, chic jazz clubs and her own sexual awakening. Will she let this affair ruin her dreams of attending Oxford, as her headmistress (Emma Thompson) fears? This captivating film sparkles with wit, charm and style of 1960s Britain.

I have just one thing to say: How could Carey Mulligan not win the Oscar for this? The movie itself is a bit of a mixed bag, to eager to portrait the parents and some other characters as dull, clumsy and uneducated. A bit more subtlety would have been appreciated. That's also true for the safely played wrap up that ends the cautionary tale with the proper morale. However, all that is forgiven because of the way Mulligan lights up the screen as the bright young girl in love not so much with that older guy, but with a world full of possibilities.

(From goodguy's Watch Log on November 15th, 2010)

Tom's Buffy and Angel Marathon, a review by Tom

11. Out of Mind, Out of Sight (1997-05-19)
Writer: Joss Whedon (Created By), Ashley Gable (Screenwriter), Thomas A. Swyden (Screenwriter), Joss Whedon (Story By)
Director: Reza Badiyi
Cast: Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy Summers), Nicholas Brendon (Xander Harris), Alyson Hannigan (Willow Rosenberg), Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia Chase), Anthony Stewart Head (Giles), David Boreanaz (Angel), Clea DuVall (Marcie Ross), Armin Shimerman (Principal Snyder), Ryan Bittle (Mitch), Denise Dowse (Ms. Miller), John Knight (Bud #1), Mercedes McNab (Harmony), Mark Phelan (Agent Doyle), Skip Stellrecht (Agent Manetti), Julie Fulton (FBI Teacher)

An average episode. Nothing really special. But this episode start to get Cordelia more involved with our group.



12. Prophecy Girl (1997-06-02)
Writer: Joss Whedon (Created By), Joss Whedon (Writer)
Director: Joss Whedon
Cast: Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy Summers), Nicholas Brendon (Xander Harris), Alyson Hannigan (Willow Rosenberg), Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia Chase), Anthony Stewart Head (Giles), Mark Metcalf (The Master), David Boreanaz (Angel), Kristine Sutherland (Joyce Summers), Robia LaMorte (Jenny Calendar), Andrew J. Ferchland (Colin), Scott Gurney (Kevin)

Joss Whedon always had a good hand with writing season finales (with maybe the controversial exception of season 4). This episode has in my opinion one of the most memorable scenes of the entire series in it. The scene were Buffy learns, that she is prophecied to die and she is quitting therefore.

"The way you've been eating we can affort it". Even her mother notices it, that she's getting thinner



Now I am forced to take a (hopefully) short break from this marathon. Currently a colleague has my season 2 Buffy set. I will continue as soon as I have it back.

(From Tom's Buffy and Angel Marathon on November 29th, 2008)