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Whip It, a review by Critter

Whip It



Director: Drew Barrymore

Writer: Shauna Cross

Plot: In Bodeen, Texas, an indie-rock loving misfit finds a way of dealing with her small-town misery after she discovers a roller derby league in nearby Austin.

Cast:
Ellen Page - Bliss Cavendar
Alia Shawkat - Pash
Drew Barrymore - Smashley Simpson
Landon Pigg - Oliver
Andrew Wilson - Razor
Juliette Lewis - Iron Maven

My Thoughts

This is Drew Barrymore's directorial debut and it shows. With Whip It Barrymore played it as safe as someone could making their first film by following a formula of these "teen breaking out of a rut" type films that seems to have developed over the years. She stuck to this forumula and followed all the regular conventions and cliches so closely in fact that I often felt while watching the film that I had seen it before.

That said however this still was a cute and easily enjoyable film, it just didn't break any boundaries or bring anything new. Ellen Page seems to be playing the same character over and over these days of the quirky and often misunderstood teenager. And while I must admit she's good at it it would be nice to see her go back to the days where she had a larger variety of roles such as An American Crime, Hard Candy and X-Men.

One thing this film does succeed in doing is educating the world of the sport of 'Roller Derby' which really is the highlight of the film. The derby scenes are fast-paced and in my opinion very well shot which made them a delight to watch. Especially for those of us who didn't even know of the roller derby sport before this film (keep in mind I'm from a small town in Australia )

Overall this film is light-hearted and quite enjoyable with some funny and memorable characters yet still brings nothing new to the table.

Rating: 3/5

(From Critter's Films at Cinemas Reviews on December 13th, 2009)

Die Geschichte vom Brandner Kaspar, a review by Tom

Title: Die Geschichte vom Brandner Kaspar
Year: 2008
Director: Joseph Vilsmaier
Rating: FSK-6
Length: 100 Min.
Video: Widescreen 2.35
Audio: German: DTS HD Master Audio
Subtitles: German

Stars:
Franz Xaver Kroetz
Michael Bully Herbig
Lisa Maria Potthoff
Herbert Knaup
Peter Ketnath
Detlev Buck


Extras:
Commentary
Interviews
Photo Gallery
Scene Access

This movie is based on a bavarian play from 1871. It is about a man, who is visited by Death (called in his old bavarian name "boanlkramer" which translates to "bone collector"). He offers death Kirschwasser and cheats him in playing cards. Thus he tricks death to prolong his life to his 90th birthday.
But as his wife his already dead and also his daughter died when giving birth to his granddaughter, he finds, that he looses interest in living, when also his only granddaughter dies in a hunting accident. He is offered by death (who has been found out in heaven of failing to get Brandner Kaspar at his supposed time) to take a look at heaven. When he got there and meets his wife, daughter and granddaughter, he decides to stay).
This movie is enjoyable adaption of the story. Most fun are the scenes in the bavarian heaven, which is based on a lot of bavarian stereotypes (e.g. they eat the whole day)

Rating:

(From Tom's Random Reviews on May 16th, 2009)

Firefly Marathon, a review by Tom

09. Ariel
Writer: Jose Molina (Writer)
Director: Allan Kroeker
Cast: Nathan Fillion (Mal), Gina Torres (Zoe), Alan Tudyk (Wash), Morena Baccarin (Inara), Adam Baldwin (Jayne), Jewel Staite (Kaylee), Sean Maher (Simon), Summer Glau (River), Ron Glass (Shepherd Book), Blake Robbins (Agent McGinnis), Jeff Ricketts (Blue Glove Man #1), Dennis Cockrum (Blue Glove Man #2), Tom Virtue (Pompous Doctor), Roma Chugani (Receiving Doctor), Ira Steck (Young Intern), Michael Nagy (Particularly Dressed Man), Alex Connie (Patient), Cate Cohen (Crash Team Nurse)

The episode is okay. What I really like is the end where Mal has to deal with

Rating:

(From Firefly Marathon on February 28th, 2010)