DVD Collectors Online

Pagan Love Song, a review by Danae Cassandra

Pagan Love Song
Year of Release: 1950
Directed By: Robert Alton
Starring: Esther Williams, Howard Keel, Minna Gombell, Charles Mauu, Rita Moreno
Genre: Romance, Musical

Overview:
Island girl Esther plans to leave Tahiti, but maybe she'll have a reason to stay when Howard Keel arrives. Gorgeous, frothy fun with pristine Hawaiian locations filling in for Tahiti.

My Thoughts:
This is a pretty average Esther Williams vehicle.  The singing - which is almost all on the part of Howard Keel - isn't bad, and the chorus of "The House of Singing Bamboo" is actually kinda catchy.  The plot is very standard - boy meets girl, boy makes assumptions about girl, girl makes fool of boy, boy and girl fall in love.  The highlight is the water ballet dream sequence, which is trippy but delightful.  

If the plot and characters are nothing special, the painful part of the film is the condensation with which the native characters are treated.  Yes, I know this is from 1950, and I do try to make allowances for that, but it's still painful to watch in this day and age.  

Bechdel Test: Pass
Mako Mori Test: Fail

Overall: 2.5/5

(From July Movie Marathon: Musicals (Yes... You read right!) on July 27th, 2016)

Singin' in the Rain, a review by Danae Cassandra

Singin' in the Rain
Year of Release: 1952
Directed By: Gene Kelly, Stanley Donen
Starring: Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Jean Hagan, Millard Mitchell
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Musical

Overview:Singin' in the Rain, in dazzling, restored high definition, featuring an all-new documentary special feature that salutes not just this all-time favorite but also the musical legacy of its producer, songwriter Arthur Freed.

My Thoughts:
This is a near perfect film.  It has a great story, great performances, a lot of chemistry between its characters, memorable songs and beautiful choreography.  It's also a lot of fun to watch.  There's nothing particularly serious here; it's light, romantic and amusing.  O'Connor's "Make 'Em Laugh" is great, and Kelly's "Singin' in the Rain" is classic Hollywood. 

An absolute must-see for fans of musicals, or American film; this is one of the best examples of a big-budget, classic Hollywood musical.  Highly recommended.

Bechdel Test: Fail
Mako Mori Test: Fail

Overall: 4.5/5

(From July Movie Marathon: Musicals (Yes... You read right!) on July 3rd, 2016)

"Big Bang Theory" Marathon, a review by DJ Doena

Synopsis: The group's order is seriously disrupted when Howard makes out with a acquaintance of Penny's and Penny becomes the fourth player of the "Halo" night.

My Opinion: I loved it when Penny kicked Sheldon's ass, especially with the plasma grenade. But I have to point out that we've seen Sheldon sleep with his head towards the door a few episodes earlier.

Synopsis: Penny works one shift as a barkeeper now and she practices with the four guys when the unfathomable happens: Raj talks to her! And why? Because his parents try to pair him off with some indian girl.

My Opinion: All the alcohol-induced scenes were great, especially the one at the end. And it was also great to see how Sheldon swept her off her feet without knowing what he was doing.

Synopsis: Leonard and Sheldon get an invitation to present their findings about a project to a wider scientific community but Sheldon is above such things and forbids Leonard to present it alone. But Leonard has no intentions of not going.

My Opinion: What did Penny have against Leonard's clothes? I thought they looked decent. And while the remote controlling of the lamp and the stereo via Internet connection was really geeky I really liked it. It's that kind of thing that proves that every man has a child in him - and why should we be as serious as women?

Synopsis: Leonard makes up a lie to prevent him from going to a play in which Penny's starring. But Sheldon has the fear that she might see through it and constructs an entire lie web that sucks more and more people into it until it's un-unravelable.

My Opinion: I nearly fell off the couch when "Leo" suddenly sat in the kitchen and Sheldon and he discussed the "origin of his drug addiction". And the idea that he had to stay way longer to prevent the truth from coming out, it was great.

Synopsis: Alert: 'Condition Red'! Sound 'General Quarters'! Action Stations! Sheldon is sick! And while Leonard, Howard and Raj know exactly what that means and abandon ship, Penny has no idea and is on collision course with the iceberg.

My Opinion: I have to admit that Sheldon's constant whining became a bit annoying over the course of the episode. But I liked all the scenes where the three tried to avoid Sheldon at any cost.

Synopsis: A 15-year-old north-korean boy starts to work at the university and he is smarter than Sheldon! With all hopes lost to ever win the Nobel Prize Sheldon finally gets interested in what the others do but for reasons unknown to him, he always has to "go away".

My Opinion: I liked the obnoxious Sheldon much better than the whiny one. But somehow I felt this was similar to The Luminous Fish Effect with Sheldon looking for new tasks. But the idea of moving Jerusalem to Mexico and the subsequent discussions about the Wailing Wall and the Promised Land were brilliant.

(From "Big Bang Theory" Marathon on October 9th, 2008)