DVD Collectors Online

Silent Running, a review by Danae Cassandra

Silent Running
Year of Release: 1972
Directed By: Douglas Trumbull
Starring: Bruce Dern
Genre: Science-Fiction

Overview:
As this science fiction classic opens, botanist Freeman Lowell (Bruce Dern) has spent eight years aboard the space freighter "Valley Forge" preserving the only botanical specimens left from Earth under huge geodesic domes. When he receives orders to destroy the project and return home, Lowell rebels and hijacks the freighter, killing his fellow crewmen, injuring himself, and plunging the craft into the gaseous Rings of Saturn. From that moment on, he has only the trees, the gardens and two "Drone" robots, Huey and Dewey, to keep him company on the loneliest adventure of all.

My Thoughts:
At some point I went looking for a list of "the best sci-fi films ever made" and this came up on several lists. Having sat down for the watch, I can definitely see why. What gives it a place on those lists is that the film provokes thought about the future of humanity, which is what truly good sci-fi should always do.

Bruce Dern's performance is superb. He is the only human character on screen for the vast majority of the movie, and he has to carry it - and he does. Lowell isn't necessarily likable, but you do sympathize with his motivation. The droids are much more likable characters, and extremely expressive for characters with no speaking lines. I think Lowell should have left Huey with Dewy however at the end of the film.

It's far from a perfect film - there are some plot holes in the basic set-up, Lowell doesn't have the basic knowledge one would expect from a man in his position, and the three songs that are sung by Joan Baez (usually a great singer) are gawd awful. Leaving that aside, it's still an extremely worthwhile film and one that deserves a watch. Yes, it's a slow moving piece, and yes, it's message is heavy-handed, but the message and ideas are even more pertinent today then they were in 1972. Watch this film.

Bechdel Test:  Fail

Overall: 4/5

(From Silent Running on March 13th, 2014)

Marion Bridge, a review by goodguy

Marion Bridge (CA 2002) Written by: Daniel McIvor Directed by: Wiebke von Carolsfeld Starring: Molly Parker, Rebecca Jenkins, Stacy Smith DVD: R1-US Film Movement (2005) My rating:

Cover blurb: In the midst of struggling to overcome her self-destructive behavior, the youngest of three sisters, Agnes (Molly Parker), returns to her hometown in Nova Scotia determined to confront the past. Her arrival sets in motion a chain of events that allows a family of women to each in their own way re-connect with the world and each other. The film speaks volumes about siblings and parental relationships with a beautiful realized tale of loss, healing and humor.

The basic story of Marion Bridge is a bit like in those Lifetime movies of the week, but it is done right here. In fact, Carolsfeld's approach is so subtle and low-key that you might mistake it for boring, but it has the most startling effect in a confrontation near the end. Molly Parker is one of my favorite actresses, and she is great here as always. As a bonus, a very young Ellen Page can be seen here in a small but crucial role.

(From goodguy's Watch Log on August 31st, 2008)

Tom's Random Reviews, a review by Tom

Title: Genshiken: Complete Collection
Year: 2004
Director:
Rating: NR
Length: 325 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85
Audio: English: Dolby Digital Stereo , Japanese: Dolby Digital Stereo
Subtitles: English

Plot:
Calling all Scruffy Nerd-Herders!

Welcome to the Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture

It is Sasahara's first day of college and a fateful choice awaits him: which college clubs will he chose to join? But Sasahara is no ordinary young man - a dark secret lurks within his soul. For one thing, he knows what "cosplay" is, how to unlock all the secret characters in "Guilty Gear X," what the plot twist is in episode twenty-five of "Kujibiki Unbalance" because he's read the manga, he's heard of doujinshi, and he needs to know more. Enter Genshiken, the barely legitimized Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture, home to all subspecies of Otaku!

Now Otaku can watch this complete series from the safety of their own basements!!

Contains all 12 episodes of Genshiken plus 3 episodes of Kubijiki Unbalance.

Extras:
Bonus OVA: Kubijiki Unbalance
Featurettes
Interviews
Music Videos
Production Notes
Scene Access
Trailers

Great adaption of the first few volumes of the manga. I also like the music from the opener.

Cannot wait to see further episodes (3 OVAs and a second season already exists) which will introduce my favorite character from the manga.

As a bonus there are three full episodes of the fictional anime series the characters in Genshiken like to watch.

Rating:

The opening
http://youtube.com/watch?v=cueQYuFCW_Y

A funny scene from the series I found on YouTube
http://youtube.com/watch?v=vQcL0qHTlMk

(From Tom's Random Reviews on June 22nd, 2008)