Members
Stats
Users Online Users: 0Guests: 14Total: 14 |
|
May 18, 2024, 03:42:47 PMToy Story  My ThoughtsI decided to watch this one for the first time in a few years the other night. I thought the idea of toys coming to life when no one is around was a good idea for a movie when it first came out and I still feel that way. The story makes sense and is entertaining and it has held up really well. The characters are interesting and while they are likable, they also have issues and flaws..even Woody. The story isn't overly complicated, but there is still more than enough going on to keep things interesting. The animation has held up well, though it doesn't look as good as the new movies that Pixar makes..which is understandable considering how long ago it was made and how much Pixar has continued to improve since then. Even though it doesn't look as good as the new Pixar computer animation, the animation is still wonderful and looks great. The people look a bit off and some of the characters move a bit jerky at times, but those are minor issues. The backgrounds don't have the same level as detail as the later Pixar movies, but some of the details are there..nicks and scratches on furniture or baseboard to give the house and room a more lived in feel. I never noticed all that before. The movie looks wonderful on Blu-ray. There are extras about the making of the movie that are very interesting. A decent amount of information is shared about what the animators at Pixar call Black Friday when the first version of the movie was shot down...after they incorporated all the notes they got from Disney and Eisner into the movie...which changed everything so it wasn't the same movie any more. Black Friday was covered in A Pixar Story, but there is a bit more about it here, including showing some of the rough footage they had at that point. Thankfully they were able to quickly start over and get back on track. It is really interesting to see the reel or whatever from that screening. Lasseter is right..it was horrible. If they had kept going in that direction, the movie wouldn't have been anywhere as good. Sure it would be known as the first computer animated movie, but it wouldn't be the well loved movie it became. Woody was awful and if I'd had to watch much more of that version of the character, I would have wanted to feed him to a wood chipper or run him over with a lawn mower. The extras from the DVD that came out about 5 years ago are included as well. Those were new to me since my DVD of Toy Story basically had no extras. The one with the Lasseter, Peter Doctor, Andrew Stanton, and Joe Ranft sitting around talking about the movie is really interesting. The extras are definitely worth watching.  I did post a longer review on Epinions a few years ago. Toy Story Yes it was worth upgrading to the Blu-ray..though I still blame Jon.  |
(From Toy Story on June 12th, 2010)
Member's Reviews
The Host, a review by Tom
 | The Host (2006/South Korea) IMDb | Wikipedia
|
Stars:
Song Kang-ho as Park Kang-du
Byun Hee-bong as Park Heui-bong
Park Hae-il as Park Nam-il
Bae Doo-na as Park Nam-ju
Ko A-sung as Park Hyeon-seo
Plot:
On the banks of the Han River, a crowd gathers to watch an unidentified object hanging onto a bridge. In an instant, the object reveals itself as a terrifying creature, turning the riverbank into a gruesome sea of blood.
Amid the chaos, a little girl, Hyun-seo is snatched up by the creature right before her father, Gang-du's eyes. After receiving a mobile phone call from his daughter confirming that she has miraculously survived, the once-ordinary citizen Gang-du and his family decide to wage war against the creature, despite both the Korean authorities' and U.S. army's every efforts to stop them.
Directed by Bong Joon-Ho (Memories of Murder), The Host has broken box office records in its native South Korea. Combining stat of the art visual effects from the team behind Superman Returns, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Sin City with the dark and offbeat humour synonymous with Korean cinema, The Host is one of the most original monster movies to emerge for decades.
Awards:
Nominated:
| Saturn (2006) | Best International Film | |
| Saturn (2006) | Best Performance by a Younger Actor (Ko A-Sung) |
Extras:
- Commentary
- Deleted Scenes
- Featurettes
- Interviews
- Outtakes
- Production Notes
- Scene Access
- Storyboard Comparisons
- Trailers
My Thoughts:
I am not particularly a fan of monster movies but this one I did enjoy. And another film which stars Bae Doona. This time her character reminds me a lot of her character in "Linda Linda Linda". This movie is a good mix between comedy, satire, drama and action. Even though the monster is obviously CGI it does not really detract from its appearance.
Rating:
(From Tom's Random Reviews on January 4th, 2011)
Member's TV Reviews
Smallville Marathon, a review by addicted2dvd
Season 2: Disc 2
EPISODE 5: NOCTURNE
The poems of a secret admirer leaves for Lana are heartfelt and eloquent, but are they harmless? Perhaps not when the writer is a reclusive youth who mysteriously turns monstrous when forced into the light of day.
My Thoughts:
This was a pretty good episode... their take on Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I really like how they did the make-up of the character... it was a slight change that had a massive result.
EPISODE 6: REDUX
Clark and Lana are confronted with family secrets from the past. And a spirited cheerleader has a secret of her own: she's a geriatric fiend who hides her age by sucking the youthfulness out of teens.
My Thoughts:
Not a bad episode... but not a favorite. I think the ending could have been better.... think she was beaten way too quickly.
EPISODE 7: LINEAGE
If she's Clark's mother, Lex is his half-brother! A woman claiming to be Clark's biological mother sparks a revisiting of events that brought Clark to Smallville and mysteriously linked the Kent and Luthor families.
My Thoughts:
In a TV Series about the teen years of Clark Kent.... of course they had to do the supposed Real Parent comes to town type show. I think they did this one really good though. It not only gives a decent story... it also sets up a good story for later.
EPISODE 8: RYAN
Clark uses his powers to free his young mind-reading friend Ryan. But Ryan's plight leads Clark to realize there are some things even a fledgling superhero can't do.
My Thoughts:
Cool... The return of Ryan... the boy from the episode "Stray" (Season 1 episode 16). This is a good... but sad episode.... which also sets up something for later this season... when he tells Clark's mother he knows her secret and asks when she will tell the family. Definitely a good episode.
(From Smallville Marathon on August 1st, 2007)