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The Spirit, a review by Rich

The Spirit



Above shadowy, crime-infested streets a masked avenger watches. Denny Colt (Gabriel Macht) was once Central City's finest cop until a gangster's bullet ended his life. Now Fate has brought him back from the beyond as The Spirit, a street-hardened hero who faces off against seductive foes like the voluptuous Sand Saref (Eva Mendes) or the alluring Silken Floss (Scarlett Johansson) in this graphic action-thriller.

Once you get past the wow factor of stunning cinematography, slick design, delightful backdrops and gorgeous cast, the storyline is very flat and hollow, and overall the film tails away into a forgetful mess.
This lacks the substance of Sin City and 300, and clearly Miller directing alone has cost the movie in lack of characterisation, acting direction, and sadly creates a feeling of blandness.
I'd seriously recommend not buying this disappointing dvd.
 

(From Riches Random Reviews on July 29th, 2009)

Lips of Blood, a review by Danae Cassandra

Year of Release: 1975
Directed By: Jean Rolin
Starring: Jean-Loup Philippe, Annie Belle, Natalie Perrey
Genre: Horror

Overview:
LIPS OF BLOOD (Levres de sang) was considered by Jean Rollin to be the best, or most developed, story he ever wrote. Of all his films, it perhaps best transcends his tendencies toward the poetical and arcane, while remaining at the same time true to his most personal, recurring obsessions: childhood, nostalgia, lost love, romantic quests, the cinema, obsolescence. In the course of its telling, it may also touch on such unsavory topics as vampirism and incest, but it would not be an exaggeration to call LIPS OF BLOOD "Jean Rollin's Somewhere in TimeForever EmanuelleMy Thoughts:
This is my second Rolin film (we watched The Iron Rose last year), and I continue to be impressed with his work.  This is another beautiful film.  It's like visual poetry, dark, romantic, atmospheric.  The visuals, as in The Iron Rose, are simply gorgeous at points.  There isn't much dialog - large parts of the film are silent, leaving us to the ethereal, lyrical beauty of Rolin's visuals - and the pace is relatively slow.  This is horror as art, or art as horror.

I can't say I'd recommend it outright.  I think Rolin is likely an acquired taste.  I've enjoyed both films I've seen of his, and since watching this bought two more (Fascination and The Living Dead Girl), so I definitely enjoy his style, but I don't think it's for everyone.

I have to say, however, that the trailer does absolutely no justice to this film.  It shows most of a single scene near the end of the film, and gives one a completely different idea about the content of the film.  My mom, who had the same opinion of The Iron Rose as I did, was so completely turned off by the trailer that I watched Lips of Blood while she wasn't home.  She wants to see it now, though, after I told her about it.

Bechdel Test: Fail

Overall: 3.75/5

(From Month Long Horror/Halloween Marathon on November 9th, 2014)

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

Synopsis: Thor's ship has been successfully destroyed during the re-entrance into the atmosphere but one of the Replicators did survive. It manages to rescue itself to a russian submarine. There it kills the entire crew and begins to replicate. In Thor's home galaxy things aren't good either, the Asgard have no weapon to defeat the Replicators and they close in on one of the Asgard planets.

My Opinion: It was cool how Thor tried to explain that the Asgard are to intelligent to find a primitive way to destroy the Replicators. I also liked the fact the russians actually spoke russian without being subtitled. It wasn't necessary for the understanding to know what they said - I understood it nonetheless. (The one asks what is making that noise and the other one actually replies that it could be the bugs from the previous episode!)

Synopsis: It's one of the rare moments when someone "calls" Earth and not the other way around. The people of the planet Euronda ask for help since there is a world war on their planet. If Earth gives them all the heavy water they need, they would give all their technology in exchange.

My Opinion: What bothered me about this was the initial behaviour of Jack's. He behaved more like in Shades of GreyStar Trek: Deep Space Nine) character turns against Teal'c. I didn't like it much.

Synopsis: The Tok'ra Freya/Anise (Freya is the host) brings an ancient technology to Earth. But she only does it because it doesn't work on Goa'uld/Tok'ra/Jaffa. After SG-1 (except for Teal'c) has put the armbands on many of their abilities enhance by several degrees: strength, speed, sight. Unfortunately the armbands can't be removed and the human body isn't able to cope with these changes over a longer period of time.

My Opinion: This episode and the behaviour of SG-1 was funny, especially the entire scene in the restaurant. But it also showed again that the team will be there for one another, no matter the price.

Synopsis: A friend of Teal'c's, the high priestess Shan'auc, did manage to communicate with her Goa'uld larva. She convinced it that it should join the Tok'ra. But this must happen soon since the larva is fully grown and cannot remain in Shan'auc much longer.

My Opinion: It was somehow predictable that the Goa'uld would betray Shan'auc but I liked to see Peter Wingfield (Methos in Highlander) again. And I could understand Jack's disappointment that they've fleeced by the Tok'ra again.

(From "Stargate SG-1" Marathon on March 27th, 2008)