DVD Collectors Online

Cidade de Deus, a review by Danae Cassandra

Where We Are:  Brazil
wikipedia

What We Watched:


Cidade de Deus  (City of God)

Year of Release: 2002
Starring:  Alexandre Rodrigues, Leandro Firmino da Hora, Phellipe Haagensen, Matheus Nachtergaele, Seu Jorge
Directed By:  Fernando Meirelles
Genre:  Drama, Crime

Overview:
Celebrated with worldwide acclaim, this powerful true story of crime and redemption has won numerous prestigious awards around the globe! The streets of the world's most notorious slum, Rio de Janeiro's "City of God," are a place where combat photographers fear to tread, police rarely go and residents are lucky if they live to the age of 20. In the midst of the oppressive crime and violence, a frail and scared young boy will grow up to discover that he can view the harsh realities of his surroundings with a different eye: the eye of an artist. In the face of impossible odds, his brave ambition to become a photographer becomes a window into his world and ultimately his way out!

My Thoughts:Cidade de Deus is an intense, visceral, magnificent film about a brutal life.  Live fast, die young, leave a corpse on the street in a pool of blood.  Recommended for any serious film fan, anyone who enjoys a good film, anyone with the stomach to watch it (in other words, not for my friend Katrina). 

If you get a chance, watch the featurette included on the disc as well, for a further look at the favelas and the drug/gun running culture.  Very informative.

Bechdel Test:  Fail

Overall:  5/5

(From Around the World in 86 Movies on November 22nd, 2012)

North by Northwest, a review by Achim

Title: North by Northwest
Year: 1959
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Rating: NR
Length: 136 Min.
Video: Widescreen 1.85:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital TrueHD, French: Dolby Digital Mono, German: Dolby Digital Mono, Italian: Dolby Digital Mono, Spanish: Dolby Digital Mono, Portuguese: Dolby Digital Mono, Commentary: Dolby Digital Surround, Music Only: Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: Danish, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish

Stars:
Cary Grant
Eva Marie Saint
James Mason (1889)
Jessie Royce Landis
Leo G. Carroll

Plot:
Cary Grant is the screen's supreme man-on-the-run in his fourth and final teaming with Master of Suspense Alfred Hitchcock. He plays a Manhattan adman plunged into a realm of spy (James Mason) and counterspy (Eva Marie Saint) and variously abducted, framed for murder, chased, and in a signature set-piece, crop-dusted. He also hangs for dear life from the facial features of Mount Rushmore's Presidents. Savor one of Hollywood's most enjoyable thrillers ever in this State-of-the-Art Restoration. It's Renewed Picture Vitality will leave you just as breathless as the chase itself.

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Trailers
Featurettes
Gallery
Production Notes

It has been many many years (darn, I just had to put two "many"...) since I last saw this and unfortunately I remembered it faster paced than it presented itself today. This could, of course, be a problem of changed perception due to the film making we are surrounded by today (with it's flash cutting and "MTV sensibilities"). However, even the slower bits were held up by good dialog and some thrown in comedy bits. Yet again, I agree that the film would not be any worse if it had some additional cuts here and there.

The plot is Hitchcock's beloved "wrong man" theme, where an everyday guy is mistaken for someone else and finds himself running from everyone (police and crooks). I think in past viewings I had always missed the point where he is mistaken, was glad to see today how well that was actually handled. Also, seeing the film sees it's 50th anniversary this year, I found it surprising just how much sexual innuendo, to the point where it almost wasn't just innuendo anymore, there was. Hitchcock varies whether to keep us slightly ahead of the film's main character or with the same knowledge for good effect and heightened suspense. There is little less suspense than one might expect though, as much room is given to the love story (almost like in To Catch a Thief, also with Cary Grant; maybe it was him who made the master plot a different course...?)

Cary Grant was a great choice for Roger Thornhill, providing the comedic timing needed for the role. James Mason amazes with his cool display of the bad guy. We also have the reliable Martin Landau as the henchman, the beautiful Eve-Marie Saint as the love interest and Leo G. Carrol.



The Blu-ray comes with a stunning picture, providing marvelous detail and mostly very sharp images. Given that the film is 50 years old I was highly impressed; I have seen terrible transfers on far more recent films. Also on the disc are four documentaries in total length of more than 3 hours and an audio commentary.

(From Alfred Hitchcock Marathon on November 23rd, 2009)

"Big Bang Theory" Marathon, a review by Tom

09. The Cooper-Hofstadter Polarization (2008-03-17)
Writer: Chuck Lorre, Lee Aronsohn, Dave Goetsch, Bill Prady, Stephen Engel
Director: Joel Murray
Cast: Johnny Galecki (Leonard Hofstadter), Jim Parsons (Sheldon Cooper), Kaley Cuoco (Penny), Simon Helberg (Howard Wolowitz), Kunal Nayyar (Rajesh Koothrappali), Talbott Lin (Chinese Leonard), Howard Chan (Chinese Sheldon)

Another great episode! Sheldon keeps on delivering my favorite lines


10. The Loobenfeld Decay (2008-03-24)
Writer: Bill Prady, Lee Aronsohn, Chuck Lorre
Director: Mark Cendrowski
Cast: Johnny Galecki (Leonard Hofstadter), Jim Parsons (Sheldon Cooper), Kaley Cuoco (Penny), Simon Helberg (Howard Wolowitz), Kunal Nayyar (Rajesh Koothrappali), D.J. Qualls (Toby)

They were talking about Sarah Connor Chronicles
Looks like Sheldon doesn't like it

Sheldon having to have to manufacture the perfect lie because he didn't like the white lie Leonard thought up

"You have a lot to learn about lying"

Nice to see D.J. Qualls again. Haven't seen him for years in anything.

(From "Big Bang Theory" Marathon on October 1st, 2008)