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Die Hard 2, a review by DJ Doena

Director: Renny Harlin

Bruce Willis    ...    Lt. John McClane
Bonnie Bedelia   ...    Holly McClane
William Atherton   ...    Richard Thornburg
William Sadler   ...    Col. Stuart
Reginald VelJohnson   ...    Sgt. Al Powell
Franco Nero   ...    Gen. Ramon Esperanza
John Amos   ...    Maj. Grant
Dennis Franz   ...    Capt. Carmine Lorenzo
Fred Dalton Thompson   ...    Trudeau
Tom Bower   ...    Marvin

Synopsis: "The same shit happens to the same guy twice." Another Christmas and Holly is flying in to Washington D.C. where her husband is waiting for her. But a flight designated FM-1 is also scheduled to land - and this flight has an important "passenger": General Esperanza, a despot and drug lord and he has friends at the airport. And they have no intentions of getting the General be handed over to the justice system. What they didn't expect was the hero of the Nakatomi Tower.

My Opinion: I like this movie nearly as much as the first one. It hasn't as good a villain as the first one had, but it's still a great action movie with a cool story, an awesome body count and a lot of exploding buildings and planes and even more swearing. What's not to like?

(From DJ Doena's movie watchings 2010 on January 25th, 2010)

Terra Sonāmbula, a review by Danae Cassandra

Where We Are:  Mozambique
wikipedia

What We Watched:


Overview:
In the midst of Mozambique's devastating civil war, Muidinga, an orphaned refugee, wanders the countryside in search of his mother.  His only companion is an elderly storyteller, and the only guide to finding his mother is a dead man's diary.  Together the storyteller and diary lead him on a magical, and sometimes macabre, journey across war-torn landscapes to find the family he lost.  Based on Mia Coutou's acclaimed Portuguese novel of the same name, Teresa Prata's transporting drama underscores the power of imagination in surviving, and ultimately overcoming, the catastrophe of war.

My Thoughts:
I'm a bit overwhelmed as to what to say.  This is a powerful film.  It has a lot to say about the effect of ongoing war on civilian populations, on the madness of madness of inter-tribal conflict and prejudice.  When the shopkeeper says that the kind of men he likes are those of "no color," it really resonates to conflict around the globe, not just Mozambique.

This is another low-budget film with amateur actors, but the two leads, Nick Laura Teresa as Muidinga and Aladino Jasse as Tuahir, are really good in their roles.  Jasse really brings Tuahir to life.  I was especially struck by the scene where he recalls life before the war, when he worked for the railroad, and how he brings that to life for Muidinga. 

This is, in part, magical realism, and as such can be read in multiple ways.  Tuahir and Muidinga journey in circles, ever-returning to the burned-out bus they first settle in.  Later the bus moves while they remain in it.  It is left to the viewer whether you believe in the magic, or it is simply their hallucination as the events of their lives overwhelm them.  Just as you are left to decide whether the story of Kindzu that Muidinga reads from the journal has happened as Muidinga reads it, or is it something that Muidinga is embellishing or making up.  The ending is equally ambiguous, letting the viewer end the story themselves.

This is a very compelling film, well made despite its budgetary limitations, but given the subject matter not for the tender-hearted.  There's also one scene that would offend most of my friends - - so let me also say that it's not for the easily offended.  It's a scene that could have been left out, but also makes sense in context.  Your mileage may vary, but that scene made me decide I could never show this great film to several of my closest friends and why I didn't rate the film higher.  Otherwise, recommended.

Bechdel Test:  Fail

Overall:  3.5/5

(From Around the World in 86 Movies on February 18th, 2013)

Tom's Buffy and Angel Marathon, a review by Tom

7.01 Lessons
Writer: Joss Whedon (Screenwriter)
Director: David Solomon
Cast: Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy Summers), Nicholas Brendon (Xander Harris), Emma Caulfield (Anya), Michelle Trachtenberg (Dawn Summers), James Marsters (Spike), Alyson Hannigan (Willow), Anthony Stewart Head (Giles), Alex Breckenridge (Kit Holburn), Kali Rocha (Halfrek), DB Woodside (Principal Wood), Mark Metcalf (The Master), Juliet Landau (Drusilla), Harry Groener (Mayor Wilkins), George Hertzberg (Adam), Clare Kramer (Glory), Adam Busch (Warren), David Zepeda (Carlos), Jeremy Howard (Dead Nerd), Ken Strunk (Dead Janitor), Rachael Bella (Dead Girl), Ed F. Martin (Teacher), Simon Chernin (Student), Jeff Denton (Vampire)

A nice enough start to a new season. I especially enjoyed the ending where we get the chance again to see all of the old dead big bads of the series.

Rating:



7.02 Beneath You
Writer: Douglas Petrie (Screenwriter)
Director: Nick Marck
Cast: Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy Summers), Nicholas Brendon (Xander Harris), Emma Caulfield (Anya), Michelle Trachtenberg (Dawn Summers), James Marsters (Spike), Alyson Hannigan (Willow), Anthony Stewart Head (Giles), Kaarina Aufranc (Nancy), DB Woodside (Principal Wood), Tess Hall (Punk Girl), Benita Krista Nall (Young Woman), Jack Sundmacher (Ronnie)

A rather average episode with some good moments.

Rating:



7.03 Same Time, Same Place
Writer: Jane Espenson (Screenwriter)
Director: James A. Contner
Cast



7.04 Help
Writer: Rebecca Rand Kirshner (Screenwriter)
Director: Rick Rosenthal
Cast: Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy Summers), Nicholas Brendon (Xander Harris), Emma Caulfield (Anya), Michelle Trachtenberg (Dawn Summers), James Marsters (Spike), Alyson Hannigan (Willow), Azura Skye (Cassie Newton), Zachery Bryan (Peter), Glenn Morshower (Mr. Newton), Rick Gonzalez (Thomas), Kevin Christy (Josh), Sarah Hagan (Amanda), Beth Skipp (Lulu), Anthony Harrell (Matthew), Jarrett Lennon (Martin Wilder), DB Woodside (Principal Wood), J Barton (Mike Helgenberg), Daniel Dehring (Red Robed #1), AJ Wedding (Red Robed #2), Marcie Lynn Ross (Dead Woman)

An okay episode. Nothing special.

Rating:

(From Tom's Buffy and Angel Marathon on February 19th, 2011)