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30 Days of Night , a review by Dragonfire

30 Days of Night My Thoughts This one is based on a comic book that I haven't read.  Since I haven't read it, I have no clue how close to the source material the movie stays.  The idea of vampires attacking during 30 days of darkness is interesting and it seems like something they might do.  The plot really isn't that complicated since it is just about the vampires attacking and people trying to survive until daylight returns.  Much of what happens is predictable, though one major thing happens that I didn't expect.  Unfortunately, some of what happens doesn't make much sense.  Once the darkness sets in, the vampires move in and they kill almost everyone in what seems like minutes.  The vampires attack and kill everyone they find, leaving bodies everywhere.  A handful of people, including the sheriff, his estranged wife, and younger brother, manage to survive the attack and they find a somewhat decent hiding place.  All that happens fairly early in the movie.  After that, the rest of the movie is basically the survivors trying to stay hidden until the darkness ends.  The survivors are able to peek out and see that the vampires are systemically going through houses and buildings, seeming to be searching for anyone who may be hiding.  Yet someone the survivors manage to stay hidden, even as some fighting happens between them.  Huge chunks of time in the 30 days of night are skipped over, and then, very late in the movie, a few more survivors turn up without any explanations for how they have survived.  That doesn't work for me.  Too much time in the movie passes without much of anything happening, and that does make several scenes drag.  The movie is fairly violent and a lot of blood is shown, though it doesn't get really gory.  In several scenes, the violence happens off camera, and just the after math is seen.  That is gory enough most of the time.  These vampires are very savage and vicious with how they kill.  They basically rip out the throats of their victims instead of just sucking blood.  Blood is everywhere, even all over the vampires.  That was probably meant to make them look and seem scarier, but that effect doesn't last that long.  The vampires in this movie are a bit bizarre.  None of them are identified by name during the movie, though they have names in the credits.  Marlow seems to be in charge. He is the only one who talks and the others just screech and yell.  The screeching does sound creepy, but it is a bit weird.  When Marlow talks, it is in some other language and subtitles aren't provided.  The vampires have a mouth full of sharp pointy teeth that are almost shark like instead of just 2 fangs.  The face and eye shapes of a few of the vampires do make them look somewhat like a shark as well.  That is something else that is odd.  These differences do make the vampires more unique, but it also makes them a bit weird.  There isn't much character development for anyone, and basically none for the vampires.  Eben, the sheriff, does have a few issues to deal with and he probably has the most development.  Most of the characters seem nice enough, but I never felt that connected to any of them.  The cast all does fine with their parts. I did watch the extras on the making of the movie and they are interesting.  The extras mostly feature the crew and director talking.  A few cast members only briefly appear.  Overall, this is an entertaining vampire movie, though it isn't my favorite. I did get a review posted at Epinions. 30 Days of Night

(From Dragonfire88's Alphabet Marathon on July 30th, 2010)

Rocky Balboa, a review by Tom

Title: Rocky Balboa
Year: 2006
Director: Sylvester Stallone
Rating: 12
Length: 98 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85
Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1, English: DTS 5.1, English: Dolby Digital Surround, Commentary: Dolby Digital Surround
Subtitles: English

Stars:
Sylvester Stallone
Burt Young
Antonio Tarver
Geraldine Hughes
Milo Ventimiglia

Plot:
'30 years after the clang of the first bell, Rocky Balboa dons his gloves for his final fight...'
Armed with a highly credible, heart-wrenching story, Sylvester Stallone leaps back in to the ring in this knockout final chapter as one of the most iconic characters in the history of motion pictures!
Since retiring, Rocky reminisces about his glory days for the locals at his Philly diner, Adrian's. But his quiet world is shattered when the current reigning champion (Antonio Tarver) loses to a virtual, in-his prime Balboa in a computer-simulated match and challenges the retired Italian Stallion to the real thing! Never one to back down, Rocky does the unthinkable and agrees to the fight of his life... pushing himself to the breaking point to go the distance one last time.

Extras:
Alternate Ending
Commentary
Featurettes
Outtakes
Scene Access
Trailers

As I said, I felt that Rocky V was a great conclusion to the series. It wouldn't have needed a sixth part.
I am glad that this sixth movie works great as a well-done reunion kind of movie.
And I am surprised that the fight works reasonably well, which is surprising what with 60 year old Rocky fighting against the current undefeated world champion.
Rocky's son is played by Milo Ventimiglia (Peter from Heroes), which I never got quite used to. I am connecting him too much with his role in Heroes.
What surprised me is, that Rocky's wife died a few years ago. I really expected her in the movie as the actress is listed in the cast credits.

Rating:

(From Tom's Random Reviews on March 10th, 2009)

Babylon 5: Marathon, a review by DJ Doena

Synopsis: An old friend of Londo's arrives at the station and asks for help. His house and his name are about to be destroyed with false accusations. Meanwhile the captains begins to get hallucinations.

My opinion: Alas, there are still Centauri who feel uneasy about this whole war. I liked the character of Urza Jaddo and I like the actor Carmen Argenziano (Jacob Carter/Selmak from "Stargate SG-1"). But the Sheridan storyline wasn't that interesting.


Synopsis: The Markab aboard the station and aboard transports begin to die. It seems to be of natural causes but there are to many of them to call it natural.

My opinion: Again you get to know some people just to see them die. In this case an entire species. And again a sad episode.



Synopsis: Lyta Alexander - the commercial teep from the pilot episode - arrives at the station and announces that there is a sleeper agent amongst the station's crew. But the sleeper him- or herself doesn't even know it.

My opinion: And this is how the Talia storyline has ended. And again we see the Psi Corps meddling with one of their own. But all in all not a very good episode.


Synopsis: Again Londo uses his associates (on Lord Refa's request) to strike against a Narn fleet, while the Centauri fleet is attacking the Narn homeworld directly. Meanwhile Draal - the Minbari who has taken the place in the Great Machine on the planet beneath B5 - asks Sheridan and Delenn to visit him.

My opninion: Great episode. One could see the sadness and disgust in Londo's face when he see's what his people are doing to the Narn homeworld (they've collected meteors and asteroids and shoot them on the planet's surface with mass drivers, a weapon that is outlawed by most planets including the Centauri). And a great speech when G'Kar is removed from the council.
I also liked the side remark, that the appearence of Draal has changed (he's being played by a new actor )

Quote of the episode:
Citizen G'Kar: "No dictator, no invader can hold an imprisoned population by force of arms forever. There is no greater power in the universe than the need for freedom. Against that power, governments and tyrants and armies cannot stand."

(From Babylon 5: Marathon on August 10th, 2007)