DVD Collectors Online

13 Going on 30, a review by DJ Doena

July, 12th


Jennifer Garner    ...    Jenna Rink
Mark Ruffalo   ...    Matt Flamhaff
Judy Greer   ...    Lucy Wyman
Andy Serkis   ...    Richard Kneeland
Kathy Baker   ...    Bev Rink

Synopsis: It's 1987 and Jenna has her 13th birthday. But it ends in disaster and she wishes nothing more than to be 30. And then her wish gets granted. When she awakes it's 2004 and she's Jennifer Garner and editor of the glamour magazine "Poise". But she's still 13 and she finds herself in a world where everything is different and - most importantly - where she's different.

My Opinion: Jennifer Garner is a great 13-year-old. It's funny to watch her react to things like a small girl would react. I also liked the fact that it turned out to be her that sold the front cover topics to their competitor and not Tom-Tom/Lucy because that would have been too obvious. What I didn't care much about was Mark Ruffalo, I have nothing against the actor, I just don't care about him in any of his movies.

And now:

'Cause this is Thriller!



(From DJ Doena's movie watchings 2009 on July 13th, 2009)

Hi-De-Ho, a review by Danae Cassandra

Hi-De-Ho
Year of Release: 1947
Directed By: Josh Binney
Starring: Cab Calloway, Ida James, Jeni Le Gon
Genre: Musical

Overview:
Bandleader Cab Calloway is tiring of his sexy girlfriend Minnie, who in turn is jealous of Cab's manager Nettie. When Nettie gets Cab a job at the Brass Hat Club, Minnie retaliates for his imagined infidelity by setting gangster Boss Mason, owner of a rival club, against him. Will she regret her action before it's too late?

My Thoughts:
The plot is really thin and none of the performers can act.  Seriously, they are all about as good as the cast of a high school play.  Fortunately that plot only takes up half the film, interspersed with music.  The second half is all music, and the music is the reason to watch this.  What Calloway lacks in acting chops he makes up for in fabulous jive. 

If this was just the music I'd rate the film higher, but the plot parts really drag.  Recommended only for the music - and hit fast-forward when those aren't on.

Bechdel Test: Fail
Mako Mori Test: Fail

Overall: 2.5/5

(From July Movie Marathon: Musicals (Yes... You read right!) on July 20th, 2016)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Marathon, a review by DJ Doena

Synopsis: Monks have found a 25,000 year old tablet under the ruins of the city Sisko once found. And that tablet mentions the Emissary and an upcoming Reckoning on which the future of Bajor will be decided. Sisko takes that tablet back to DS9 for studying but Kai Winn interfers and demands its return. But that tablet contains more than just a vague prophecy.

My Opinion: Have I mentioned that I hate Kai Winn? And it won't get better in the seventh season. Unfortunately the number of "Emissary" and the "Winn" episodes will increase towards the end of the end of the show. Too bad.

Synopsis: Nog - the only Ferengi in Starfleet - has been assigned to deliver treaty proposal  to the Great Nagus and Jake accompanies him. But they run into a group of Jem'Hadar ships and have to evade. But this leads them directly into Dominion space where they meet the USS Valiant. The Valiant was presumed lost eight months ago but it's still there and the crew - Starfleet Academy's cadet corps "Red Squad" - is fighting the war behind enemy lines.

My Opinion: Eight months ago the war had already started and it's very unlikely that a real Starfleet would give a Defiant-class ship to a bunch of cadets instead of using it on the front lines. But the overestimation of one's own capabilities is exatcly what I would expect of "Red Squad" cadets. And its easy to get sucked into a group that is very self-assured. It was interesting to watch this group and seeing Jake as the voice of reason or rather as Cassandra since no one listened to him.

Synopsis: Brunt has dethroned Zek and installed himself as acting Grand Nagus after Zek has issued an amendment to the Ferengi Bill of Opportunities that allows women to wear clothes. Zek tries to assemble the other FCA commissioners on DS9 to prove to them how profitable his move could be and to convince him to reinstate him. But when Quark's mother has a hard attack he needs another women to speak on their behalf.

My Opinion: I've seen better Ferengi episodes. But I have to say I am surprised that it had been so many of them. I knew there were quite a number of them but I had forgotten that it had been so many Ferengi shows over the course of DS9. But if memory serves, this was the last one.

Synopsis: The O'Briens go on vacation to a lovely planet. But then Molly wanders off on her own and falls into a cave and through an ancient time portal - 300 years into the past. But when O'Brien and Dax find a way to beam her through that portal and through time she comes out as an 18-year-old. She's spent 10 years on that planet alone and she's changed. While Worf and Dax are babysitting Kirayoshi, Miles and Keiko try to reconnect to their daughter.

My Opinion: Again the main plot wasn't as interesting as the side plot. I liked to watch Worf babysit and him trying to prove to Dax that he could be a good father. But the most interesting thing was the fact that abandoned time portals just seem to stand around on every other planet.

(From Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Marathon on February 28th, 2009)