DVD Collectors Online

I, Robot, a review by DJ Doena

Will Smith    ...    Del Spooner
Bridget Moynahan   ...    Susan Calvin
Alan Tudyk   ...    Sonny
James Cromwell   ...    Dr. Alfred Lanning
Bruce Greenwood   ...    Lawrence Robertson
Adrian Ricard   ...    Granny
Chi McBride   ...    Lt. John Bergin
Shia LaBeouf    ...    Farber

Synopsis: U.S. Robotics is producing and selling robots that work under the Three Laws of Robotics. The current series NS-4 is soon to be replaced by the NS-5 series which have an constant uplink to the central computer and can receive updates this way. But for personal reasons Detective Spooner doesn't trust robots and when one day on of the major scientiets of the robot project is killed, Spooner suspects that it was a robot who did it. But he is the only one who thinks so - until it is too late.

My Opinion: I've never read any of Asimov's stories, which is a shame actually. But I knew the basic story and thought that they made a good movie out of it. Sometimes the action was a bit over the top, especially in the Spooner-vs-masses-of-robots scenes but on the other hand, if they would have used less it wouldn't have felt right either, as they hadn't enough money or computer power to render more. And they managed to let me feel empathy for the non-human character whose face was rendered based on Alan Tudyk (A Knight's Tale, Firefly), who also spoke Sonny.

(From The "What I watch when I don't watch TV shows" thread on December 14th, 2008)

Never on Sunday, a review by Danae Cassandra

Where We Are:  Greece
wikipedia

What We Watched:


Pote tin Kyriaki (Never on Sunday)
Year of Release: 1960
Directed By: Jules Dassin
Starring: Melina Mercouri, Jules Dassin, George Foundas, Titos Vandis
Genre: Romance, Comedy

Overview:
Glasses are smashing.  Fingers are snapping.  Everybody is dancing to the sultry music of the Bouzoukies.  It is just another glorious moment in the carefree world of Illia, Greece's most radiant lady of the night.  Sensuous Illia adores her life and every man in her seaport paradise adores her.  But when Homer, a stuffy American intellectual, sails into town and tries to reform her, Illia shows him who is one free spirit who is happy with her wild life and not about to be tamed...

My Thoughts:
This was a beautiful, earthy movie with a lust for life.  Ilya is an independent woman, a woman who loves her life and her freedom, who grasps the pleasures of life and friends with both hands.  Melina Mercouri is a joy to watch as Ilya, her effortless charisma winning you over instantly.  I had no sympathy for the male lead, Homer, or for what the Captain tells Homer before he leaves, because Ilya does not need to be saved.  She is just fine the way she is, and those who cannot accept her do not truly love her.  This is a gem of a film that will make you feel good and leave a smile on your face.  Recommended.

Bechdel Test:  Pass

Overall: 3.75/5

(From Around the World in 86 Movies on March 6th, 2014)

"Stargate SG-1" Marathon, a review by DJ Doena

Synopsis: Lt. Colonel Mitchell has taken over the command of SG-1. The problem is: There is no SG-1 anymore. Teal'c is council member on Dakara, Sam has been reassigned to Area 51 and Daniel is about to leave to Atlantis.
But then Vala Mal Doran comes to Earth and brings an enrycpted tablet, written in Ancient. It points to a secret location on Earth that is supposed to contain treasures. Vala binds Daniel to herself with a special set of "hand cuffs" and they go off on the search for Avalon, the resting place of King Arthur.

My Opinion: In an early episode of the eight season Sam asked how people like her are ever going to have a family. If she would become pregnant could she simply take maternity leave? The absence of Sam in this and the following episodes is exactly for this reason: Amanda Tapping is on maternity leave.
But the chemistry between Daniel and Vala works very well again. The attempts of Mitchell (Ben Browder, John Crichton in Farscape) "to bring the band back together" are honourable but (so far) in vain.
O'Neill was promoted to Major General and has turned the command over to Major General Landry (Beau Bridges). This marks the end of Richard Dean Anderson as regular cast.

Synopsis: After they've successfully solved the puzzles in the cave, Daniel discovers a device of the Ancient's that stands in relation to the stones Joe Spencer and Jack have been using for years. They suspect that it is a means of communication. Since Daniel and Vala are still "bound" to each other they try it together - and land in a remote place in foreign bodies. They don't find the Ancients there but worshippers of the Ori.
In the meantime the situation in the newly found Jaffa council develops differently than Bra'tac and Teal'c had hoped.

My Opinion: I liked the fact that they've established a permanent doctor again (Lexa Doig, "Rommie" in Andromeda). They haven't had one since the death of Dr. Frasier.
But I didn't understand how the First Prime of a backwater Goa'uld could gather that many followers. A Jaffa (it hadn't to be the First Prime) of a System Lord would have been more believable.

Synopsis: Daniel and Vala have been brought to the "City of the Gods" by the Prior. There he meets the leader of the Priors and he learns that the Ori are Ancients, too. But the Ori believe that the mortals should worship them. Anyone who doesn't follow the "path of enlightenment" will be destroyed. Through the arrival of Daniel and Vala the Ori have learned of our galaxy and they have sent their first Priors.

My Opinion: As if by magic a new enemy emerges that is more powerful than Anubis or the Replicators. The fact that the Ori cannot come here themselves makes this war winnable. In terms of Dragonball, we have reached the Buu Saga.

Synopsis: Although the "hand cuffs" have been removed, Daniel and Vala still cannot part without collapsing. They try to find out why that is and how to undo it. But for this they have to "retrieve" a few items.

My Opinion: The story and the looks of this episode felt like a mixture of Farscape and Firefly. This is no critizism, since Mitchell shouldn't be a simple copy of Jack and Vala isn't an ordinary SG team member. I liked it a lot.

(From "Stargate SG-1" Marathon on April 26th, 2008)