DVD Collectors Online

My Winnipeg, a review by Danae Cassandra

My Winnipeg
Year of Release: 2007
Directed By:  Guy Maddin
Starring: Ann Savage, Louis Negin, Amy Stewart, Darcy Fehr
Genre: Documentary, Drama, Fantasy

Overview:
The geographical dead center of North America and the beloved birthplace of Guy Maddin, Winnipeg is the frosty and mysterious star of Maddin's "docu-fantasia." A work of memory and imagination, the film burrows into what the director calls "the heart of the heart" of the continent, conjuring a city as delightful as it is fearsome, populated by sleepwalkers and hockey aficionados. Take part in Winnipeg's epic annual scavenger hunt! Pay your respects to the racehorses forever frozen in the river! Help judge the yearly Golden Boy pageant! What is real and what is fantasy is left up to the viewer to sort out in Maddin's hypnotic, expertly conceived paean to that wonderful and terrifying place known as My Hometown.

My Thoughts:
Is the truth important? How important is truth to memory? What truly matters: what really happened or how you perceive it and remember it? Are the stories of your hometown important because they are true? Or because you believe them? If they are false, does that make them less true? Maddin's blend of memoir, documentary and fantasy asks these sorts of questions and doesn't exactly provide answers. We all have local legends that will never be proven, we all have memories that didn't happen the way we remember them, we all have embellished family stories. Maddin's ultimate point might just be that all of this is important in how we see the world - just as important as the actual truth.

Bechdel Test:  Fail

Overall: 4/5

(From March Around the World 2016 on March 11th, 2016)

The Lost Boys, a review by Dragonfire

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The Lost Boys Sam and his older brother Michael are all-American teens with all-American interests. But after they move with their mother to peaceful Santa Carla, California, things mysteriously begin to change. Michael's not himself lately.  And Mom's not going to like what he's turning into. The Lost Boys reshapes vampire tradition, deftly mixing heart-pounding terror, rib-tickling laughs and a body-gyrating rock soundtrack. Under Joel Schumacher's direction, a marvelous cast - Jason Patric, Jami Gertz, Kiefer Sutherland, Corey Feldman, Corey Haim, Barnard Hughes and Edward Herrmann - stakes you to gleefully ghoulish entertainment.

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I had heard about this one for many years before I finally watched it and it is one of my favorite vampire movies...about proper, creepy, scary, will rip your throat out vampires...not sparkly, wimpy, whiney vampires.  The plot works well without being too simple or too complicated.  Some of the dialogue is a little cheesy at times, but that doesn't bother me too much.  When I first saw the movie, it was probably one of the first things I saw with younger vampires and had teenagers in danger of becoming vampires.  Things develop a little slower, which works for the movie.  It isn't clear at first what is going on or that David and his gang are vampires.  The story works very well.  The movie isn't too violent overall, though there are a few scenes that are bloodier than others.  The effects are fine and while some things might look a little dated now, I think they and the movie has held up well overall.  The movie is definitely still worth watching.  People that like good vampire movies should check it out.



I did post a longer review at Epinions several years ago.

The Lost Boys


(From Marie's 2013 Halloween/Horror Marathon on October 15th, 2013)

Angel Marathon, a review by addicted2dvd

9. Lullaby
Original Air Date: 11/19/2001
Fearing for her baby's life, Darla makes the ultimate sacrifice just as Holtz arrives to take his revenge on her and Angel.

Guest Stars:
Julie Benz
John Rubinstein
Stephanie Romanov
Daniel Dae Kim
Keith Szarabajka

My Thoughts:
Another good episode. Though I don't care too much for the Holtz character storyline... it is at least entertaining. It is a shame that this is the last we see of Darla... I will miss seeing Julie Benz on the show for the rest of the marathon.

My Rating:

(From Angel Marathon on March 13th, 2010)