DVD Collectors Online

Arcadia of My Youth, a review by Danae Cassandra

Arcadia of My Youth (Waga seishun no Arcadia)
Year of Release: 1982
Directed By: Tomoharu Katsumata
Starring: Makio Inoue, Kei Tomiyama, Reiko Tajima, Reiko Mutoo, Yuriko Yamamoto
Genre: Science-Fiction, Action, Anime

Overview:
Renowned Manga author Matsumoto Leiji's greatest creation, Captain Harlock, comes to the big screen in this magnificent film.

Set against the conquest of Earth by an alien empire, and drawing parallels to the post-WW2 occupation of Japan, Captain Harlock, together with those who will become his lifelong friends, battle against tyranny no matter what the cost.

As they fight the evil Illumidus Empire, the message of the film shines through: that one must stand up for one's beliefs, even when everyone else believes that slavery and suffering are preferable to the sharper pains endured by those who fight for freedom.

My Thoughts:
Old-school classic anime film that's still well worth watching.  Yes, the hand-drawn animation style looks dated, but so does most any animation from the 80's.  Don't be put off by this, there's a good story here and a lot of good things to take a way from this film. 

War is hell, but even an enemy may be a man of honor.  Collaborators, who prefer safe slavery to a fight, shortsightedly refuse to see that what the enemy does to others will come to them as well.  Valor, courage, honor and integrity are worth dying for.  Stand up for your beliefs; stand against tyranny.  Never submit to subjugation.  A life worth living is one you believe in; follow your dream.

This is a pretty rare DVD these days, so good luck getting a copy of this film to watch, but if you like space opera, sci-fi, or anime and ever get the chance, grab on.  You won't regret it.  It's subtitle only, though, so skip if you don't enjoy subs.

I live in freedom under my flag.

Bechdel Test: Fail

Overall: 4/5

(From Within My (Mom's) Lifetime Marathon on November 7th, 2015)

Blind Spot: Hitler's Secretary, a review by Danae Cassandra

Blind Spot: Hitler's SecretaryOverview:
The astonishing true story of Hitler's private secretary coming to terms with working alongside unspeakable evil after remaining silent for nearly sixty years.

In 1942, Traudl Junge was an apolitical 22-year-old chosen from a clerical pool to work as one of Adolf Hitler's private secretaries. Working day-in, day-out for Hitler, Junge viewed him as a surrogate father figure, private and polite, nothing like the crazed rhetorician of his speeches. Shielded from the knowledge of Hitler's acts of atrocity and convinced she was in the center of information, she was actually in a blind spot. As the Nazi regime teetered on destruction and Hitler plunged further into madness, Junge witnessed everything up to the final chaotic days in the bunker.

Completed just months before Traudl Junge's death, BLIND SPOT: HITLER'S SECRETARY is a riveting personal history which demands to be seen by all.

My Thoughts:
Powerful testimonial from the now-elderly Traudl Junge, who served as Hitler's secretary. You might be surprised how much this will hold your attention, since the entire film is just her talking about her memories of that time. Really powerful stuff here, in how monsters are human beings ... and human beings are monsters. That one can be complicit in evil through ignorance, and that perhaps ignorance is not an excuse. What is your culpability, what are your responsibilities, and what is your guilt? Really a story everyone should hear.

Bechdel Test: Fail

Overall: 3.5/5

(From March Around the World 2016 on March 11th, 2016)

"Stargate SG-1" Marathon, a review by DJ Doena

Synopsis: Thor's ship has been successfully destroyed during the re-entrance into the atmosphere but one of the Replicators did survive. It manages to rescue itself to a russian submarine. There it kills the entire crew and begins to replicate. In Thor's home galaxy things aren't good either, the Asgard have no weapon to defeat the Replicators and they close in on one of the Asgard planets.

My Opinion: It was cool how Thor tried to explain that the Asgard are to intelligent to find a primitive way to destroy the Replicators. I also liked the fact the russians actually spoke russian without being subtitled. It wasn't necessary for the understanding to know what they said - I understood it nonetheless. (The one asks what is making that noise and the other one actually replies that it could be the bugs from the previous episode!)

Synopsis: It's one of the rare moments when someone "calls" Earth and not the other way around. The people of the planet Euronda ask for help since there is a world war on their planet. If Earth gives them all the heavy water they need, they would give all their technology in exchange.

My Opinion: What bothered me about this was the initial behaviour of Jack's. He behaved more like in Shades of GreyStar Trek: Deep Space Nine) character turns against Teal'c. I didn't like it much.

Synopsis: The Tok'ra Freya/Anise (Freya is the host) brings an ancient technology to Earth. But she only does it because it doesn't work on Goa'uld/Tok'ra/Jaffa. After SG-1 (except for Teal'c) has put the armbands on many of their abilities enhance by several degrees: strength, speed, sight. Unfortunately the armbands can't be removed and the human body isn't able to cope with these changes over a longer period of time.

My Opinion: This episode and the behaviour of SG-1 was funny, especially the entire scene in the restaurant. But it also showed again that the team will be there for one another, no matter the price.

Synopsis: A friend of Teal'c's, the high priestess Shan'auc, did manage to communicate with her Goa'uld larva. She convinced it that it should join the Tok'ra. But this must happen soon since the larva is fully grown and cannot remain in Shan'auc much longer.

My Opinion: It was somehow predictable that the Goa'uld would betray Shan'auc but I liked to see Peter Wingfield (Methos in Highlander) again. And I could understand Jack's disappointment that they've fleeced by the Tok'ra again.

(From "Stargate SG-1" Marathon on March 27th, 2008)