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A Marine Story , a review by Tom

A Marine Story (2010/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia Peccadillo Pictures (United Kingdom) Director: Ned Farr Writing: Ned Farr (Writer) Length: 98 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.40 Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1 Subtitles:

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Stars:
Dreya Weber as Alexandra Everett
Paris Pickard as Saffron Snow
Anthony Michael Jones as Leo
Christine Mourad as Holly
Jeff Sugarman as Lt. Col. Pollard

Plot:
Tough, accomplished and decorated lesbian Marine officer Alexandra Everett unexpectedly returns home only to find that, away from the gunfire and harsh conditions of the Iraqi desert, life in the real world isn't all she hoped for. After a brush with the local police, she finds an unlikely sparring partner in Saffron, a tearaway teen who has been recruited to prepare for boot camp. Just as the pair begin to bond, the true reasons for Alexandra's return begin to unravel, threatening the future for both of them.

The award-winning A Marine Story highlights the absurdity of the US military's 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy through the personal story of one courageous woman.

Extras:

• Commentary
• Deleted Scenes
• Scene Access

The story about a woman who gets discharged from the Marines because she is gay and how she is dealing with the aftermath. She also befriends a troubled teen who they want to sent off to boot camp and she is preparing her for it.
A nice enough movie which kept me interesting throughout the runtime.

Rating:

(From Lesbian Movie Marathon on July 25th, 2011)

John Carter, a review by GSyren

Title	John Carter (Netflix)
Director	Andrew Stanton
Actors	Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, Samantha Morton
Produced	2012 in United States
Runtime	127 minutes
Audio	English Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles	Swedish
Overview	From Academy Award-winning filmmaker Andrew Stanton (Best Animated Film, WALL-E, 2008) comes John Carter - a sweeping action-adventure set on the mysterious and exotic planet of Barsoom (Mars). Based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' classic novel, John Carter is a war-weary, former military captain who's inexplicably transported to Mars and reluctantly becomes embroiled in an epic conflict. It's a world on the brink of collapse, and Carter rediscovers his humanity when he realizes the survival of Barsoom and its people rests in his hands. Stunning special effects, great characters and villains - and complete with extraordinary bonus features - John Carter is a heroic and inspirational adventure that will thrill you beyond imagination.
My thoughts	This seems to be a film that most people either love or hate. I didn't hate it, but I couldn't quite get into it, either. I found Taylor Kitsch to be a rather bland hero. He didn't do anything for me. And I tend to get hung up about details. I know it's a fantasy film, and I accept some things while other just annoy me terribly. Air, water and cities on Mars? Well, that's OK, mainly because this was written long before we knew what Mars is really like. And perhaps also to some extent because it is set in the 19th century. Carter's ability to jump is another matter. While the gravity on Mars is less than on Earth, his jumps are just ludicrous. I found the story somewhat disjointed (or was that just because I was getting bored). The CGI was mostly good, but good CGI doesn't impress me much these days. I liked Lynn Collins. I wouldn't mind seeing more of her. So it was not entirely a waste of  time, but not something I'd care to revisit.
My rating

(From Reviews and ramblings by Gunnar on September 21st, 2014)

"Due South" marathon, a review by Tom

3.01 Burning Down the House (1997-09-14)
Writer: Paul Haggis (Created By), Paul Gross (Writer)
Director: George Bloomfield
Cast: Paul Gross (Constable Benton Fraser), Callum Keith Rennie (Stanley "Ray" Kowalski), Beau Starr (Lt. Harding Welsh), Camilla Scott (Inspector Margaret Thatcher), Tony Craig (Detective Jack Huey), Tom Melissis (Detective Dewey), Catherine Bruhier (Elaine), Gordon Pinsent (Fraser Sr.), David Marciano (Detective Ray Vecchio), Ramona Milano (Francesca Vecchio), Dean McDermott (Constable Turnbull), George Bloomfield (Zoltan Motherwell), Neil Dainard (RCMP Inspector), Diane Douglass (Greta Garbo), Vito Rezza (Tony), Edgar George (Battalion Commander), Bill Parrott (Junior Mountie), Kevin Lee Louis (Officer), Sam Shields (Janey), David Taylor (Sven), J.J. Evans (Witness)

After Due South was cancelled after season 2, it seemed to be the end. But because this series was very popular overseas (e.g. here in Germany), it got international funding for further episodes. This resurrected series is often regarded as a spin-off series (for example IMDb lists it as an extra entry). There are some cast changes. David Marciano didn't come back to play Ray, so a new Ray was introduced. In my opinion in a fun way (it's funny how Fraser tries to prove throughout this episode, that the new Ray is not the Ray he knew). A lot of people didn't like this replacement, but I always enjoyed it. I think it brings a fresh wind to the series. Other cast change is, that Fraser's dad and his boss (I really do no like her new hair) are now series regulars. Also other supporting characters like Thurnball and Francesca are getting more screen-time (about time!).

Rating:

(From "Due South" marathon on September 3rd, 2009)