DVD Collectors Online

Rashômon, a review by Antares

Year: 1950
Film Studio: Daiei Studios
Genre: Drama, Classic
Length: 88 Min.

Director
Akira Kurosawa (1910)

Writer
Akira Kurosawa (1910)...Writer
Shinobu Hashimoto (1918)...Writer

Producer
Minoru Jingo
Masaichi Nagata (1906)

Cinematographer
Kazuo Miyagawa (1908)

Music
Fumio Hayasaka (1914)...Composer

StarsReview.


Ratings Criterion
5 Stars - The pinnacle of film perfection and excellence.


(From Rashômon (1950) on December 4th, 2009)

The Hound of the Baskervilles, a review by RossRoy

WHAT THEY SAY

On his uncle's death Sir Henry Baskerville returns from abroad and opens up the ancestral hall on the desolate moors of Devonshire. Holmes uncovers a plot to have Sir Henry murdered by a terrible trained hound. First casting of Rathbone and Bruce as Holmes and Watson.

MY THOUGHTS

I was in the mood for some mystery and crime solving.. What's better than Sherlock Holmes for that? And the original, with Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce? What more can I ask for? I've always loved Sherlock Holmes, despite the fact I've never read a book, but everytime I stumble accross something Holmes-related, I always love it. But it's been mostly video games so far. Back a few years ago, I saw a Sherlock Holmes Collection that had the 14 movies with Rathbone, so I bought it. This is no different. I loved it through and through.  The story is great, Rathbone and Bruce are well cast as our iconic duo. There's also something about the 1930's cinematography that I found lends well to this kind of story. There's an eeriness to the image during the whole movie that gives it that much more mystery. It may be due to the deterioration and subsequent restoration of the film, but I like to think it is as intended. It was nice to see Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce have that chemistry and more "easy going" manner. Acting back in the 30's is usually, I find, a bit stiff. Rathbone brings a refreshing change of pace. Only down point for me was that since this is the first of a series of Sherlock Holmes movies... where was Holmes? Most of the movie is Dr Watson at Baskerville mansion, and then, out of nowhere, Holmes reappears. Oh well, can't be perfect

RATING

(From RossRoy's Random Viewings on December 13th, 2009)

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

Synopsis: First Minister Shakaar is coming to the station to negotiate Bajor's joining of the Federation. But a cardassian terror group wants to assassinate him and Odo and Worf are trying to protect him. But Odo has also to deal with the fact that Kira is falling in love with Shakaar while he's also in love with her.

My Opinion: It's the same old story. He loves her but doesn't tell her and she runs off with another guy. But I liked how Quark could see right through Odo's mask and how he helped him and how Odo thanked him. They both like each other more than they dare to admit (in a total ungayish way ).

Synopsis: After he has brought Ziyal home, Dukat has been demoted to freighter captain and he is to bring Major Kira to a conference in cardassian space. But the conference is attacked by a klingon Bird of Prey and the freighter isn't a match for it. Even when Dukat attacks the BoP doesn't return fire but simply leaves. There isn't a worse thing you could have done to Dukat's pride and he plans to retaliate.

My Opinion: Although I found it a bit unrealistic that the freighter's disrupters couldn't penetrate the BoP's hull even when the shields were down this was a very good episode. I liked it how Kira taught Dukat how to think outside the box and use things in an unconventional way to defeat a superior enemy.

Synopsis: Worf's (younger) brother Kurn comes to the station and asks Worf to kill him so that he may have an honourable death. Due to previous events, Worf has become an outcast and he was stripped of lands and titles. Kurn, who had a seat on the klingon High Council, is also dishonoured. But Dax interferes and Kurn survives and has to adjust to a life outside the klingon society.

My Opinion: And once again human and klingon cultures have clashed. And once again Worf had to decide whether he wants to be a klingon warrior or a Starfleet officer. But it was a bit sad that Kurn had to "die" and that Worf has now lost his brother forever. He's alone again.

Synopsis: Due to the bajoran cleansing ritual, the turnover of the bar is minimal. Quark decides to cut wages by 1/3 but now he's gone to far. Even his brother revolts against him and they found a union. But unions and strikes are strictly forbidden by Ferengi law. Soon after the beginning of the strike Brunt arrives on the station and he makes it clear that the strike has to end or they will make an example of Quark and Rom.

My Opinion: Finally Rom has emancipated himself from his brother. This episode was a nice reminder of why the first unions were founded and what often happened to "union mans".  But one thing a Ferengi said is still true in our society: We don't want to overcome exploitation, we just want to become the exploiters.

(From Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Marathon on November 9th, 2008)