DVD Collectors Online

Into the Wild, a review by Danae Cassandra

Into the Wild
Year of Release: 2007
Directed By: Sean Penn
Starring: Emile Hirsch, Marcia Gay Harden, William Hurt, Jena Malone
Genre: Drama, Adventure

Overview:
Into the Wild is inspired by the true story of Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch), a young man who abandons his life of comfort to pursue the freedom of life on the road, a quest that leads him to the Alaskan wilderness and the ultimate challenge of his life. Screenplay and directed by Sean Penn and featuring an all-star cast including William Hurt, Marcia Gay Harden, Vince Vaughn, Catherine Keener and Hal Halbrook, Into the Wild is "as stirring, entertaining and steadfastly thrilling as it is beautiful." (Joe Morgenstern, The Wall Street Journal).

My Thoughts:
Is it better to die young, happy, living life on your own terms?  Or to live to an old age, doing what is expected of you by your family and society, but never reaching for your dreams?  How much courage does it take to do the former?  What do you lose with the latter? 

Wonderful adaptation of a book based on a true story.  Krakauer's book is even further thought provoking, and one I've read several times over.  This is my second viewing of the film, and I still enjoy it very much.  More than once I've heard it said that McCandless needed "sense."  If McCandless took things to one extreme, most of us live the other, comfort and security with never any adventure. 

This is not recommended if you need a happy ending. 

Bechdel Test: Fail

Overall: 3.5/5

(From Within My (Mom's) Lifetime Marathon on March 12th, 2015)

First Blood, a review by Antares

First Blood





Year: 1982
Film Studio: Carolco Pictures, Anabasis, Lions Gate Home Entertainment
Genre: Action, Suspense/Thriller, Drama
Length: 93 Min.

Director
Ted Kotcheff

Writing
David Morrell...Original Material By
Michael Kozoll...Screenwriter
William Sackheim...Screenwriter
Sylvester Stallone...Screenwriter

Producer
Mario Kassar
Andrew Vajna
Buzz Feitshans

Cinematographer
Andrew Laszlo (1926)

Music
Jerry Goldsmith (1929)...Composer
Jerry Goldsmith (1929)...Song Writer
Hal Shaper...Song Writer

Stars
Sylvester Stallone (1946) as Rambo
Richard Crenna (1926) as Trautman
Brian Dennehy (1938) as Teasle
Bill McKinney (1931) as Kern
Jack Starrett (1936) as Galt
Michael Talbott (1955) as Balford
Chris Mulkey as Ward
John McLiam (1918) as Orval

ReviewFirst BloodThe Deerhunter and Coming HomeFirst Blood will only be remembered as a B-level action movie instead of a classic tale of a disenfranchised cog in the machinery of American military might.


Ratings Criterion

(From First Blood (1982) on December 9th, 2009)

Smallville Marathon #2, a review by DJ Doena

Synopsis: Lana sees a former friend of hers. But that's impossible, Emily died six years ago. She isn't a ghost, but she isn't totally real either. Clark tries to help Lana and finds a secret lab - and there's more than one Emily. They are copies of a failed experiment and that experiment now endangers Lana's life.

My Opinion: Although I found it interesting that Lionel Luthor is conducting experiments on human beings, I wasn't much into that episode because I am not much into the horror genre.

Synopsis: Lana and Clark get closer and closer but then Dr. Walden is awaking from his coma and he claims that "the day is coming". He tries to kill Clark because he has read the same text as Clark, that "the last son will rule the third planet". Meanwhile someone has stolen Clark's blood from Dr. Bryce's office and there are supsects: Lex and his father Lionel.

My Opinion: This was the great begin of a season finale. As I said I've never read Superman comics but I don't like the idea that Jor-El really had the intention that his son should rule mankind and I am glad that he is opposed to that thought as well.

Synopsis: Clark and Lana have their very first date but then the ship calls out for Clark again. His biological father demands that he leaves everyone behind and that he has to leave Smallville. But he doesn't intend to follow his father's rule but instead he plans to destroy the ship. Meanwhile Lex walks down the aisle and marries Dr. Bryce. But from there everything changes for both Clark and Lex.

My Opinion: Great finale and an evil cliffhanger. I feel so sorry for both Martha who has lost her baby and Clark who feels responsible for that (ok, he actually is). But personally I also think that Clark made a bad choice when he ran away. This guy saves lifes on a nearly daily basis but he doesn't want to face the consequences of his actions. But then again I am forgetting that he is only 17 years old.
I believe that was the last episode I ever watched on television on a regular basis. I missed the beginning of the third season the next fall and then kind of dropped out. I only regained interest in the show after I bought the first seasons on DVD.

The Season - My Opinion: That was a very good season, exploring Clark's origins. We will learn more with every season. This season also had a lot of good stories that came together to several arcs and these will also continue. Of course there were also FotW episodes - and there will always be some in every season - but not so many than in the first season. And more importantly they weren't always bad guys.

(From Smallville Marathon #2 on May 25th, 2008)