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Kisses, a review by Danae Cassandra

Kisses
Year of Release: 2008
Directed By: Lance Daly
Starring: Kelly O'Neill, Shane Curry
Genre: Drama

Overview:
Kisses is the story of Kylie and Dylan, young runaways living on the fringes of Dublin who discover both beauty and danger in the big city. Kylie lives with five siblings and an overworked mother. Next door, Dylan is growing up with an abusive father and the memory of his runaway brother. After a violent altercation with his father, Dylan and Kylie flee. Together they make their way to the magical lights of downtown Dublin to search for Dylan's brother and hope for a new life. Dublin, as shown through the innocent eyes of our young protagonists, is a kaleidoscope of magic, wonder, and mystery. But as the night wears on, the city takes on a darker character, and the two must rely on the kindness of strangers and sagely wisdom of Bob Dylan to persevere. Featuring incredible breakthrough performances by Shane Curry and Kelly O'Neill, Kisses is a tale of two children who test the limits of what life can become, and learn what they can do for each other.

My Thoughts:
Sad, bleak little film about the cycles of poverty and abuse and the inability of children to escape them. Here we have two children, fed up with their abusive homes, striking out on their own, only to find the streets even more terrifying. Yet the truly bleak part, to me, is that when they approach a police officer all that occurs is the return to their homes. No hope of relief is offered from authority. The only scrap of hope they have is in their bond with each other.

Kisses is obvious in its low budget, but they make the most of what they've got with creative use of black and white vs. color cinematography and an effective use of music montages to take the viewer through their adventure in Dublin. At first Kelly O'Neill came off very stiff to me, but once the scene with her uncle occurred, she really impressed me with how much she was able to convey in body language and expression and my appreciation for her performance continued through the rest of the film. Shane Curry did a credible job as well. Recommended with caution. This isn't a feel-good film.

Bechdel Test: Pass

Overall: 3/5

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

Season of the Witch, a review by dfmorgan

Season of the Witch

Year: 2011
Director: Dominic Sena
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Ron Perlman
OverviewWatched: 1st Jul. 2011
My Thoughts: It was OK.

My Rating: Just a 2



(From Dave's DVD/Blu-ray Reviews on July 24th, 2011)

Weekend Movie Marathon: TV Show Reunion Movies, a review by addicted2dvd

The Incredible Hulk Returns
The Incredible Hulk is back...But is he any match for the Mighty Thor?
It's been two years since his last transformation, and Dr. David Banner (Bill Bixby) has developed a new Gamma Transponder that he hopes will cure him of his inner monster forever. But when a former colleague unearths the frozen tomb of an ancient Norse warrior king, the Mighty Thor (Eric Allan Kramer) is unleashed upon 20th Century society. Can the Hulk (Lou Ferrigno) end the rampage of this mead-crazed barbarian, or will the two raging beasts become allies to save both the Transponder and the woman Banner loves?

Six years after their hit series ended, Bixby, Ferrigno and Jack Colvin (as nosy reporter Jack McGee) returned for this top-rated television movie. Tim Thomerson, Charles Napier, Lee Purcell and Steve Levitt co-star in this action-packed fan favorite that Stomp Tokyo calls "quite possibly the best thing to come out of the series!"

My Thoughts:
Another show I always enjoyed in my younger years. This one was a great reunion movie. In it The Incredible Hulk teams up with The Mighty Thor. This made it twice the fun for me... as I used to watch the Thor cartoons when I was a kid as well. This reunion movie always felt like it should have also served as a pilot for a series for The Mighty Thor! I know I would have loved it as they made both the characters likable as well as interesting... I think it could have been a lot of fun!

NOTE: Jimmy... this is just another recycled review... no need to add it to the list.



(From Weekend Movie Marathon: TV Show Reunion Movies on June 15th, 2008)