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Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, a review by RossRoy

Original Title: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Year: 2007 Country: United States Director: Tim Burton Rating: 18 Length: 116 Min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1, French: Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

What they say
Johnny Depp and Tim Burton join forces again in a big-screen adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's award-winning musical thiller.

My Thoughts
Okay... This is an oddball.

On one hand, you've got the brilliance of Tim Burton's visuals, which wonderfully and beautifully presents this dark story. You also have the acting chops of the likes of Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter and Alan Rickman. But then, it's a musical. And at times, I found it painfully obvious that all three lead actors are NOT singers. Don't get me wrong, they still do a good job, but they acting is so far above their singing, that there's a sort of disconnect that happens with me. The emotions and atmosphere being depicted through acting and imagery, do not come across in the singing. Which is unfortunate, because the story of Sweeney Todd, while rather simplistic (betrayed man seeks revenge), still brings in elements to keep it flowing and interesting.

You know, I find myself wondering how it would've turned out, had it been decided to make a straight horror drama out of it, instead of a dark musical.

Rating:


(From RossRoy's Random Viewings on August 6th, 2008)

Changeling, a review by KinkyCyborg

Changeling



Title:Changeling
Year: 2008
Director: Clint Eastwood
Rating: R
Length: 142 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.40:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: 5.1
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Angelina Jolie
Gattlin Griffith
Michelle Gunn
Jan Devereaux
Erica Grant

Plot:Extras:
Scene Access
Featurettes


I was rather harsh on old Clint with my last review of one of his movies (Flags Of Our Fathers) but I think he'd like this one.

Stunning look at the corruption of the LAPD in the 20's-50's era entwined with the disappearance of a young boy. These true events not only uncovered a gruesome massacre of 20 young boys but also revealed truly despicable acts by a dirty, intimidating Los Angeles Police Department.

Great work by Angelina Jolie who forces you to concentrate on her performance as her sexuality is virtually stripped away in the fashion of a prim and proper lady of the 1920's. She's relatively quiet and reserved but fiercely determined to find her son, adamantly refusing to acknowledge the boy they brought back to her as her own child. Jolie embodies this woman, Christine Collins, perfectly.

The cinematography and finely detailed production designs are a marvel to look at, giving you the feel of life back in the roaring 20's. Eastwood tells this story in such a compelling way that despite the slow pace you are still on the edge of your seat. Nicely rounded cast to compliment Jolie including John Malkovich, Colm Feore, and Geoff Pierson from Dexter fame as attorney S.S. Hahn. His courtroom interrogations were masterful.

Something that I think is ofter overlooked when looking at Clint's resume is his composing skills. The entire musical score for Changeling was composed by Eastwood and it is great albeit somewhat similar in nature to some of his other films. It has an even flow to it and at times can be very haunting.

This one is highly recommended!

KC


Rating:

(From KinkyCyborg's Random Reviews 2010 on December 16th, 2010)

Smallville Marathon #2, a review by DJ Doena

Synopsis: Accidentally Chloe has been transported to the Arctic where the united stones have just built the "Fortress of Solitude" for Clark. Clark is allowed to rescue her and to fight a new enemy that has arrived with the meteor shower but he has to return until sunset. Meanwhile Lana and Lex meet these newcomers.

My Opinion: Sure, they were lazy, but I still thought that it was too easy for Clark to get rid of those two(!) Kryptonians. I really would have liked a scenario where Lana wouldn't have been knocked out and would have witnessed the entire scene (with or without Clark's knowlegde). But maybe the writers thought it to be too soon to let yet another person in on Clark's secret.
I wonder - if this were for real - whether Chloe and Clark have recapitulated their past, unfolding all the events where only Clark knew the whole truth, or if he told her that she already knew his secret (Rush).

Synopsis: Three patients can escape from Belle Reve and they take Lana, Martha and Jonathan hostage. They force Clark - who has lost his powers because he disobeyed his father - to break into LuthorCorp and steal an experimental Kryptonite-based drug. In the past this wouldn't have been much of a problem, but this time it turns out to be a good thing that he doesn't have his powers.

My Opinion: It's always funny to hear Clark saying, that he's not to keen with heights. I also liked the comparison of Pete and Chloe in their role as "sidekick".
But I also think, that the concept of "Belle Reve" and Lex's influence there is a bit of a plot hole. Lex may not believe one particular loony in there but if he really has spoken with a few of them and promised them something and they would have told him all the same story about Clark Kent's abilities (and there are quite a few in there that could tell such a story) then he wouldn't need to resort to such crude investigation methods - especially when he adds his own experiences with Clark.

Synopsis: Clark is still human and he and Lana have slept together and are very happy. Can it get any better?
In 60 minutes Smallville gets nuked and Clark lies in the hospital, dying from a gunshot wound. Can it get any worse?

My Opinion: Lionel takes up the role of Jor-El. In a weird way, Lex and Clark are now actually brothers. This episode marks the climax (pun intended) of Clark's and Lana's relationship. From now on it will go downhill.
What's even more interesting about this episode, are the discussions on the internet about it. For example, people were seriously offended that he didn't tell her about his true nature before they were sleeping together, because he is an alien. There were sentences like "If Lana were my child I would want to know that she's sleeping with an alien.".

Synopsis: Lois is back in Smallville and she moves back to the farm. On a warm sunny day she, Chloe, Lana and Clark go swimming in the Crater Lake. Suddenly Lois nearly drowns and gets rescued - by Arthur "AC" Curry. AC can swim fast, even faster than Clark. But his motive to be in Smallville is not to rescue drowning girls but to save the oceans from a terrible weapon, created by LuthorCorp.

My Opinion: After the events in Arrival Lex has gone into full defense mode. It's pretty ironic that he who wants to defend this planet from aliens will become the planet's greatest threat by the end of the season.
I really liked the appearance of "Aquaman" and the hints they implanted in the script, especially when AC proposes the foundation of a "Junior Lifeguard Association" and Clark replies that he isn't ready for the JLA yet.
And Tom seriously has to reshape his washboard abs, he looked pale in comparison to Alan Ritchson (AC) and he is supposed to be Superman.

(From Smallville Marathon #2 on June 8th, 2008)