DVD Collectors Online

The Duke is Tops, a review by Danae Cassandra

The Duke is Tops
Year of Release: 1938
Directed By: William L. Nolte
Starring: Ralph Cooper, Lena Horne, Laurence Criner, Monte Hawley
Genre: Romance, Musical

Overview:
Lena Horne stars as Ethel Andrews, a young featured singer who is given the chance to work a Broadway show but things take a turn for the worse without her fiancee's behind-the-scenes support.

My Thoughts:
Notable for a leading performance from a young Lena Horne; otherwise forgettable.

Bechdel Test: Fail
Mako Mori Test: Fail

Overall: 2/5

(From July Movie Marathon: Musicals (Yes... You read right!) on July 22nd, 2016)

Mädchenjahre einer Königin, a review by Tom

Now I have to start to stretch the Cinderella theme a little.
This movie is an old "kitsch" classic in Austria and Germany from the year 1954. This is the first collaboration of Romy Schneider with writer/director Ernst Marischka. The following year they started making the famous Sissi trilogy. This movie is in the same vain as that trilogy.
The story: A young queen does not want to wed into an arranged marriage and therefore flees. On the run she meets a young man in a pub and falls in love with him. What she doesn't know: The young fellow she falls in love with is the prince she is supposed to marry. But both do not know of each others real identity yet.

(From Weekend Movie Marathon: Cinderella Stories on January 20th, 2008)

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

6.09 Smashed
Writer: Joss Whedon (Created By), Drew Z. Greenberg (Writer), Joss Whedon (Writer)
Director: Turi Meyer
Cast: Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy Summers), Nicholas Brendon (Xander Harris), Emma Caulfield (Anya), Michelle Trachtenberg (Dawn Summers), James Marsters (Spike), Alyson Hannigan (Willow Rosenberg), Danny Strong (Jonathan Levinson), Adam Busch (Warren Meers), Tom Lenk (Andrew Wells), Elizabeth Anne Allen (Amy Madison), Amber Benson (Tara Maclay), Jordan Belfi (Ryan), John Patrick Clerkin (Man), Rick Garcia (Reporter), Jack Jozefson (Rusty), Lauren Nissi (Girlfriend), Melanie Sirmons (Brie), Kelly Smith (Innocent Girl), Patrice Walters (Woman), Adam Weiner (Simon)

This is the start of the low point of this season for me. I like that Amy is back, but I do not like the way she is used here. Also they start here with beating the magic use=drug use metaphor to death. And the "magic spree" that Willow and Amy go on is too much like Sabrina the Teenage Witch. And I don't like Buffy and Spike humping while bringing a building down.

Rating:


6.10 Wrecked
Writer: Joss Whedon (Created By), Marti Noxon (Writer), Joss Whedon (Writer)
Director: David Solomon
Cast: Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy Summers), Nicholas Brendon (Xander Harris), Emma Caulfield (Anya), Michelle Trachtenberg (Dawn Summers), James Marsters (Spike), Alyson Hannigan (Willow Rosenberg), Elizabeth Anne Allen (Amy Madison), Jeff Kober (Rack), Amber Benson (Tara Maclay), Fleming Brooks (Mandraz), Michael Giordani (Jonesing Guy), Colin Malone (Creepy Guy), Mageina Tovah (Jonesing Girl)

This is where they have gone to far with the whole magic thing. They didn't even try to hide the drug comparison anymore. They even introduced a magic drug dealer. Also Willow's break-down at the end and her withdrawal symptons are that of a drug addict.

Rating:


6.11 Gone
Writer: Joss Whedon (Created By), David Fury (Writer), Joss Whedon (Writer)
Director: David Fury
Cast: Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy Summers), Nicholas Brendon (Xander Harris), Emma Caulfield (Anya), Michelle Trachtenberg (Dawn Summers), James Marsters (Spike), Alyson Hannigan (Willow Rosenberg), Danny Strong (Jonathan Levinson), Adam Busch (Warren Meers), Tom Lenk (Andrew Wells), Daniel Hagen (Social Services Supervisor), Susan Ruttan (Doris Kroeger), Dwight Bacquie (Security Guard), Jessa French (Cleo), Elin Hampton (Co-Worker), Jeffrey Jacquin (Meter Man), Kelly Parver (Girl in Park), Lyndon Smith (Little Boy), Melina Webberley (Little Girl)

The premise is interesting, but I didn't like how childish invisible Buffy was behaving. Nice that the gang finally meets up with the geek trio.

Rating:

(From Tom's Buffy and Angel Marathon on October 3rd, 2010)