DVD Collectors Online

Cuando me toque a mi, a review by Danae Cassandra

Where We Are:  Ecuador
wikipedia

What We Watched:


Cuando me toque a mi (My Time Will Come)Overview
A predawn murder sets in motion a series of interlocking tragedies that eventually find their way to the city morgue's brooding Dr. Arturo Fernandez.  Physically and emotionally isloated from the world around him, Arturo develops an oddly intimate relationship with the personal lives of his cases, gradually forcing him to confront his connection to the living, and the dead.  Adapted from the novel De Que Nada Se Sabe, director Victor Arregui's serpentine tale is a dark but sympathetic portrait of one man's solitude set against a richly textured rendering of Quito, Ecuador's capital city.

My Thoughts:
My first thought was that the overview made Arturo sound like much more of a prominant character than he was, for the first part of the film is very much an ensemble piece.  Gradually, however, Arturo takes a greater role in the film, until he does become the protagonist, such as the film has.  This is a low-budget film not overly concerned with the technical (the camera work, for instance, is a bit shoddy).  Instead, this is a slice-of-life kind of picture, a look at the lives of these characters, where and how they intersect, and the dark, gritty Quito they inhabit.  It is also a character study of Arturo, a man with an inability to form connections with other people.  One wonderful scene, perhaps the best scene in the film, is very short and completely wordless, but tells the viewer everything they need to know about Arturo's family.  I couldn't help but think after that scene that a US film would have felt the need to have a lot of dialogue there, but that instead Arregui had the actors convey everything with body language.  It was a wonderful moment and really showcased that Arregui has quite a bit of talent as a director.  If you like quirky, character-driven films that aren't transparent as to where they're headed, give this one a try.  Much like others I've watched, if you need a lot of action or a tidy, wrapped-up ending, skip it.

Bechtel Test:  Fail

Overall: 3.25/5

(From Around the World in 86 Movies on September 2nd, 2012)

International House, a review by addicted2dvd

International House (1933/United States) Universal Home Entertainment (United States) Director: Edward Sutherland Writing: Francis Martin (Screenwriter), Walter DeLeon (Screenwriter), Neil Brant (Original Material By), Louis E. Heifetz (Original Material By) Length: 68 min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

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Stars:
Peggy Hopkins Joyce as Peggy Hopkins Joyce
W. C. Fields as Professor Quail
Stuart Erwin as Tommy Nash
Sari Maritza as Carol Fortescue
George Burns as Doctor Burns

Plot:
After a scientist creates the first television, a cast of characters from around the world (including W.C. Fields, George Burns, Gracie Allen and Bela Lugosi) clamour to purchase the rights at the International House Hotel in China.

Extras:

• None

This one I liked quite a bit. Unfortunately not so much because of W.C. Fields. More because of George Burns and Gracie Allen. After watching three of his movies recently I found I just not much of a fan of W.C. Fields. I mean he seems ok at best... but I just haven't found him all that funny so far. But then maybe I just haven't hit on any of them where he shines.



(From November Movie Marathon: Classic Comedy Greats on November 15th, 2017)

My PILOT Marathon, a review by Rich

Farscape - Season 1

Premiere (48:05)
We start on Earth and meet John Crichton and his father. During John's experimental space flight, he is sucked into a wormhole and transported to the far reaches of the galaxy. After being dragged aboard a large and strange craft, he is injected with translator microbes giving him the ability to understand what the strange aliens he finds on board are saying to him. At first what he hears is probably not quite what he expected. Using the theory that he was working on back at Earth, he and the others escape their pursers and run to the uncharted territories.



An astronaut testing an experimental space craft is catapulted into another dimension in space. Chased by the maniacal leader, John Crichton battles against all the odds to get back to Earth.

Again a series purchased for my kids several years ago, I must admit to being pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this premiere. The characters are introduced well and were interesting, the budget looks and feels respectable in terms of production, sets and special effects, and there is a major 'must see next episode' ending to this which will force me to watch more.
There were little touches of comedy, a freshness in the writing, and enough differences to other sci-fi series to make it original.
Difficult to make a huge judgement on just a pilot, but based on this I am impressed.
 

(From My PILOT Marathon on September 11th, 2009)