DVD Collectors Online

Resident Evil: Extinction, a review by Hal

Title: Resident Evil: Extinction
Year: 2007
Director: Russell Mulcahy
Rating: R
Length: 94 Min.
Video: Widescreen 2.40:1
Audio: English: Dolby TrueHD: 5.1, French: Dolby TrueHD: 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Portuguese: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Commentary: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround
Subtitles: English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Commentary

Stars:
Milla Jovovich
Oded Fehr
Ali Larter
Iain Glen
Ashanti

Plot:
Milla Jovovich is back in the third chapter of the hugely successful Resident Evil franchise! This action-packed horror film is filled with intense special effects and more zombie terror! Also stars Ali Larter, Ashanti, Mike Epps, and Oded Fehr.

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Feature Trailers
Deleted Scenes
Featurettes
Picture-in-picture
Blu-Wizard 2.0

I think they should have just quit after the first one.  Five years after nuking Racoon City, and yet the "bad" guys still have all the power and supplies they need to run their underground complexes; while on the surface, the virus has wiped out the rest of the world except a few odd survivors.  Cites are buried under sand.  Hundreds of clones have been created (full grown, no less), but what exactly is the purpose.  If they really want to cure the virus, why aren't they working together with Alice. How is it that Alice has wandered for 5 years when she is supposedly under the control of the "Alice program".
It's just all too disjointed.  Not to mention that they have to revert to Hitchcock to add something new to the horror.  Just did not work for me!  Maybe I'm just burned out on this storyline.   

Rating:

(From Hal's 2010 Horror Marathon Reviews on October 10th, 2010)

Spirited Away, a review by Danae Cassandra

Spirited Away  (Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi)
Year of Release: 2001
Directed By: Miyazaki Hayao
Starring: Rumi Hiiragi, Mari Natsuki, Miyu Irino, Yumi Tamai
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Anime

Overview:
From one of the most celebrated filmmakers in the history of animated cinema comes the most acclaimed film of 2002. Hayao Miyazaki's latest triumph, filled with astonishing animation and epic adventure, is a dazzling masterpiece for the ages. It's a "wonderfully welcoming work of art that's as funny and entertaining as it is brilliant, beautiful and deep" (Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal).

Spirited Away is a wondrous fantasy about a young girl, Chihiro, trapped in a strange new world of spirits. When her parents undergo a mysterious transformation, she must call upon the courage she never knew she had to free herself and return her family to the outside world.

This deluxe 2-disc set overflows with outstanding bonus features, including the Japanese television special about the making of the film, an inside view into the artistry of Miyazaki, and a storyboard-to-scene comparison. Spirited Away is a spectacular DVD the whole family will want to experience over and over again.

My Thoughts:
This is probably Miyazaki's best known film.  It did after all win the Oscar for Best Animated Feature in 2002.  It's not my favorite of his films - but that's not saying much.  Miyazaki's films are universally excellent.  Every one of them.  If I prefer others over this one, that doesn't make Spirited Away any less a great film.

And it is a great film.  It has a wonderful story, superb animation, and great voice work.  There is so much detail in the film, so much life and imagination and character in evidence in every part of the film, every little thing unique and fantastic. Chihiro is a great heroine, too, who begins in a place of being a pretty ordinary kid, a bit selfish and a bit whiny, but who grows into an independent, strong young woman, who puts others ahead of herself and works hard to help them.

I can't recommend this film highly enough.  And like I said, this isn't even my favorite Miyazaki film, which I think says a lot.  I really recommend the subtitled version, as I think the voice work is better, and I really believe every film should be heard in its original language.  But, the dub isn't bad.  I pretty much hate dubs, but this one isn't terrible and if you really can't take subtitles then that's the way to go.  

Great film for anyone, except very small children, who might get scared of the spirits in the film and wouldn't follow the story anyway.

Bechdel Test: Pass

Overall: 5/5

(From Within My (Mom's) Lifetime Marathon on January 26th, 2015)

Tom's Buffy and Angel Marathon, a review by Tom

05. Reptile Boy (1997-10-13)
Writer: Joss Whedon (Created By), David Greenwalt (Writer)
Director: David Greenwalt
Cast: Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy Summers), Nicholas Brendon (Xander Harris), Alyson Hannigan (Willow Rosenberg), Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia Chase), David Boreanaz (Angel), Anthony Stewart Head (Giles), Greg Vaughn (Richard), Todd Babcock (Tom Warner), Jordana Spiro (Callie), Robin Atkin Downes (Machida), Danny Strong (Jonathan), Christopher Dalhberg (Tackle), Jason Posey (Linebacker), Coby Bell (Young Man)

A weak episode which I never really liked. Some funny Xander moments, but otherwise dull. Maybe it's because it's a cliched plot with a sorority which is doing funny business.
There is a movie sound cliché which always bothers me and it did strike again in this episode. Why do cars in American movies/episodes always sqeak, when they are stopping (even with new cars)? I always think to myself, that maybe the brakes of American cars do make this sound. But why put this sound bite to German cars (like in this episode)? Maybe to not confuse the American audience?

Rating:

(From Tom's Buffy and Angel Marathon on February 8th, 2009)