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Near Dark, a review by Danae Cassandra

Near Dark
Year of Release: 1987
Directed By: Kathryn Bigelow
Starring: Adrian Pasdar, Jenny Wright, Lance Henriksen, Bill Paxton, Jenette Goldstein
Genre: Horror, Western, Crime

Overview:My Thoughts:
This is a stylish hybrid film, bridging horror, western and crime genres together to create a uniquely modern look at the vampire.  Perhaps one shouldn't use the term here, they certainly don't in the film, but it is still definitely a vampire film.  All of the actors do an excellent job, and the pull Caleb finds himself in between his two contrasting families creates quite a bit of excellent tension as you wonder whether he will accept his new family and new life, or continue to cling to his humanity.  Jenny Wright's portrayal of Mae is also just about the best portrayal of Stockholm Syndrome I've ever seen.  There is a bit of gore here, but nothing too bad and all necessary to the story.  Well worth a watch.

Bechdel Test: Fail (I think)

Overall: 4/5

(From Month Long Horror/Halloween Marathon on October 9th, 2014)

The Trench, a review by Rich

The Trench



THE TRENCH tells the story of a group of young British soldiers on the eve of the Battle of the Somme in the summer of 1916, the worst defeat in British military history. Against this ill-fated backdrop, the movie depicts the soldiers' experience as a mixture of boredom, fear, panic, and restlessness, confined to a trench on the front lines. At the center of the troops is 17-year-old Billy MacFarlane (Paul Nicholls), who alongside his older brother, Eddie (Tam Williams), has volunteered for service. Like their fellow squad members, they are boys dressed as men. Their survival is in the hands of war-hardened Saergeant Winter (Daniel Craig) and bookish Lieutenant Hart (Julian Rhind-Tutt). However, when word comes that the squad will join the first wave of the attack, they all face an equal fate.

Full of character cliches, cringe-worthy dialogue, totally inaccurate historical detail, embarrasingly cheap sets, this film was a mess from start to finish, and a total waste of the acting talent available. Do they believe that anyone would think the trenches before the Somme would be spotless and dry, full of clean cheery soldiers in perfect health, lolling about without any sense of imminent danger?
This is a totally unconvincing production, a major disappointment and an insult to the viewer.
 
 





(From Riches Random Reviews on May 11th, 2009)

NCIS Marathon, a review by addicted2dvd

21. BLOODBATH
Abby (Pauley Perrette) is almost killed by key evidence in her lab. Gibbs and the NCIS team quickly find that someone from her past wants her dead.

My Thoughts:
This is another of my favorites. An excellent episode. Of course I love the episodes about the adorable goth Abbey. This one is really disturbing... her stalker ex-boyfriend is in a league of his own. I enjoyed this episode so much that I had to watch it immediately again so I could watch it with the Commentary on (Cast Commentary with Pauley Perrettte [Abbey] and Michael Weatherly [DiNozzo]).

My Rating:

22. JEOPARDY
A suspect dies while iN Ziva's custody. The suspect's brother kidnaps Jenny and demands the release of his brother, whom he doesn't know is dead.

My Thoughts:
Another really good episode. I always like the ones where the main cast is in trouble. And this time not one... but two of the newest cast members in trouble. In this episode they did a good job of combining two storylines into one good one.

My Rating:

23. HIATUS (PART 1)
Gibbs is seriously injured in an explosion. While in the hospital he recalls his painful past. Tony is left in charge, which causes resentment among the NCIS team.

My Thoughts:
The start of a very good 2-part season finale. Though I have found while it is a very good story... I tend to drift away from the story after watching it multiple times.

My Rating:

24. HIATUS (PART 2)
Following the bomb explosion, Gibbs struggles to piece, together his memories of the past 15 years. Meanwhile, the NCIS team tries to prevent a terrorist group from carrying out another 9/11-magnitude bombing.

My Thoughts:
A good conclusion to the last episode. And it has an unexpected ending. A good way to end a season... but not really my favorite season finale.

My Rating:

(From NCIS Marathon on December 17th, 2009)