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A Cinderella Story , a review by Tom

A Cinderella Story (2004/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia (United Kingdom) Director: Mark Rosman Writing: Leigh Dunlap (Writer) Length: 91 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85 Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1, Commentary: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Subtitles: Arabic, English, Hebrew

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Stars:
Hilary Duff as Sam
Jennifer Coolidge as Fiona
Chad Michael Murray as Austin
Dan Byrd as Carter
Regina King as Rhonda

Plot:
Meet high school student Sam (Hilary Duff), who scrubs floors at a diner, copes with her wicked stepmother and stepsisters, and all the while dreams of Princeton (the perfect spot for a would-be princess to find a prince). But maybe she has a Prince Charming already: her anonymous e-mail buddy (Chad Michael Murray), who arranges to meet her at the Halloween dance. Sam panics when Mr. Anonymous turns out to be the coolest guy on campus. Can he love a girl who isn't part of the in crowd? Can fairy tales come true? Sure - but only if Sam stands up for herself and turns her dreams into reality.

Awards:
Won:

Teen Choice Awards (2004)		Choice Breakout Movie Star - Male (Chad Michael Murray)
Teen Choice Awards (2005)		Choice Movie Blush Scene (Hilary Duff)
Teen Choice Awards (2005)		Choice Movie Sleazebag (Jennifer Coolidge)

Nominated:

Golden Raspberry Awards (2004)		Worst Actress (Hilary Duff)
Teen Choice Awards (2005)		Choice Date Movie
Teen Choice Awards (2005)		Choice Movie Actress: Comedy (Hilary Duff)
Teen Choice Awards (2005)		Choice Movie Chemistry (Hilary Duff, Chad Michael Murray)
Teen Choice Awards (2005)		Choice Movie Liplock (Hilary Duff, Chad Michael Murray)
Teen Choice Awards (2005)		Choice Movie Love Scene (Chad Michael Murray, Hilary Duff)
Teen Choice Awards (2004)		Choice Movie of the Summer

Extras:

• Commentary
• Deleted Scenes
• Featurettes
• Music Videos
• Scene Access
• Trailers

Because of mediocre reviews and a horrible DVD cover, I never bothered to pick this one up in the past. But now I was in the mood for a Cinderella story and I saw this movie cheap in a two-movie set.
I have to admit I enjoyed this movie. There aren't any surprises but I never actually expected them anyway. I expected a Cinderella story and that I got. Including the girl being orphaned and being left with a evil stepmother and stepsisters. A midnight deadline, a ball and a happy ending.

Rating:

(From Tom's Random Reviews on July 3rd, 2011)

Dioses, a review by Danae Cassandra

Where We Are:  Peru
wikpedia

What We Watched:


Dioses (Gods)OverviewMy Thoughts:
Dioses is a great depiction of a dysfunctional family.  The overview is a bit misleading, as it implies Elisa trying to develop a relationship with Diego and Andrea, and that isn't the focus of the film at all.  Instead Diego and Andrea's primary relationships are with each other, while Elisa works at trying to fit in with the elite and develop her relationships with the other wives in her new social circle.  All of the main characters are very well drawn.  They're believable, sympathetic, flawed individuals and the actors really breathe life into them.  I was very impressed by all four of the main actors.  The director, meanwhile, focuses on the artificiality of their lives while contrasting them with brief glimpses of the genuine.  Great little film, quite well made, very much worth a watch if you have an interest in familial drama.

Bechtel Test:  Pass

Overall: 4/5

(From Around the World in 86 Movies on September 3rd, 2012)

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

Synopsis: Cmdr. Riker from the Enterprise visits the station but then he hijacks the Defiant by faking a warp core breach. This man isn't really William T. Riker. He's his identical copy, created by a transporter accident several years ago: Lt. Thomas Riker. And Thomas is a member of the Maquis now and he intends to use the Defiant against the Cardassians.

My Opinion: It's interesting how certain organizations are supposed to report to someone else but have developed a life of their own and begin to exist outside of any hierarchy. In this case both Central Command (the military) and the Obsidian Order (intelligence) are supposed to report to the Detapa Council (the civilian government) but neither of them does anymore. I think some real intelligence services behave pretty much the same way. On the other hand: Do we really and honestly want to know what they are doing or do we simply feel safer because they are there?

Synopsis: Peldor joy, my friends! The bajoran gratitude festival is coming up and the station prepares for it. Vedek Barail comes to the station, as well as Keiko - who's currently on a botanical expedition on Bajor - and the Betazoid ambassador: Lwaxana Troi. But something is happening. As if someone slipped a love potion in the punch people are starting to chase one another - but of course in the wildest combinations.

My Opinion: Although it wasn't actually a love potion the plot of this episode is quite common throughout the TV show landscape and wasn't that fascinating.

Synopsis: Sisko, Bashir and Dax have to report back to Earth and they take the Defiant. But when they beam down, they don't land exactly where (or better when) they were supposed to land. It's the year 2024 and while Dax manages to meet a nice industrialist, Bashir and Sisko are brought to Sanctuary District A, a slum without the possibility to leave it.

My Opinion: Although the timeline/time travel logic wasn't logical at all (to explain it here would take than more than a few lines) I liked this episode. But it was scary at the same time. To use concentration camps (although not in the Nazi meaning) for home- and jobless people - a few years back I wouldn't have thought it possible. But if we really slide into a larger depression now, I wouldn't it put past some politicians, who are always looking for simple solutions to complex problems.

Synopsis: The uprising in the sanctuary was one of the turning points in the 21st century but unfortunately the important leader, Gabriel Bell, was just killed protecting Bashir. History is about to be changed, but Sisko mustn't allow that, since it could jeopardize the existence of the Federation itself. He becomes Gabriel Bell. Meanwhile the Defiant's crew tries to re-create the accident and tries to find the three.

My Opinion: This was a good conclusion to the episode, the storming of the district reminded me of the ending of Gangs of New York and O'Brien's and Kira's trips into other eras brought a light touch to this very dark episode without destroying the intended effect.
But I have to make one remark regarding the timeline: The alteration of the timeline was a bit too blatant. No Federation? No space travel at all? Because of the outcome of one revolt that happened even before the third world war? A bit much, don't you think? But as I said the main story was interesting and scary at the same time.

(From Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Marathon on October 19th, 2008)