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Little Miss Sunshine , a review by addicted2dvd

Little Miss Sunshine (2006/United States) Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment Director: Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris Writing: Michael Arndt (Writer) Length: 102 min. Rating: Rated R : Language, Some Sex and Drug Content Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.40:1, Pan & Scan 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, Commentary: Dolby Digital: Mono, Commentary: Dolby Digital: Mono Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

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Stars:
Abigail Breslin as Olive
Greg Kinnear as Richard
Paul Dano as Dwayne
Alan Arkin as Grandpa
Toni Collette as Sheryl
Steve Carell as Frank

Plot:Extras:

• Scene Access
• Audio Commentary
• Bonus Trailers
• Deleted Scenes
• Music Videos
• Closed Captioned

This is another movie I never seen before. It was given to me in a box full of DVDs here recently. There is a couple familiar faces in this one first there is Toni Collette who played Tara in United States of Tara. Then there is Mary Lynn Rajskub who played Chloe O'Brian in 24. Though her part was very small. I really didn't know what to think going into this movie. I basically went into this one with no expectations what so ever. Well other then the fact that I never been much of a fan of Greg Kinnear... so I was a little nervous there.

It turned out that I enjoyed the movie... but as I figured Greg Kinnear was my least favorite person in it. It has a few decent laughs in it... but felt it wasn't as funny as they tried to make it. Over-all would say it is worth watching. I can see myself watching it again at some point.




(From TV Stars in the Movies: On-Going Mega Marathon on July 3rd, 2011)

Picnic at Hanging Rock, a review by Danae Cassandra

Picnic at Hanging Rock
Year of Release: 1975
Directed By: Peter Weir
Starring: Rachel Roberts, Vivean Gray, Helen Morse, Anne Lambert, Margaret Nelson
Genre: Suspense/Thriller

Overview:
Twenty years after it swept Australia into the international film spotlight, Peter Weir's stunning 1975 masterpiece remains as ineffable as the unanswerable mystery at its core. A Valentine's Day picnic at an ancient volcanic outcropping turns to disaster for the residents of Mrs. Appleyard's school when a few young girls inexplicably vanish on Hanging Rock. A lyrical, meditative film charged with suppressed longings, Picnic at Hanging RockMy Thoughts:
This was a beautiful, moody, haunting film.  The cinematography is absolutely gorgeous, and the pan flute soundtrack is perfectly chosen for the otherworldly ambiance of Hanging Rock.  This is a film about repression and freedom, dreams and nightmares, of time moving and standing still.  It has a sort of magical realism quality to it, and what should be the nightmare doesn't feel like it is one, while what should be reality feels like it might be the nightmare.  It's not so much about the disappearances as it is about those who are left behind, less about the mystery than how others deal with the mystery.   

I'll readily admit it's not for everyone.  It's a slow film, with a lot of symbolism and atmosphere but not a lot of action.  The ending doesn't tie up anything or solve the mystery.  Of course, not all mysteries are ever solved.  Recommended for art film lovers.  Definitely something I want to upgrade to blu.

Bechdel Test: Pass

Overall: 4/5

(From Within My (Mom's) Lifetime Marathon on January 15th, 2015)

"Battlestar Galactica" Marathon (1978-2009), a review by DJ Doena

Synopsis: Baltar and his Basestar is driving the Galactica and the fleet forward. And of course he is driving them into a trap. Starbuck and his patrol detect a Cylon-occupied planet on which a huge pulsar cannon is positioned. This gun could destroy a Battlestar with a single shot. Starbuck, Boomer, Apollo and a group of demolition experts (read: criminals who like to blow things up) try to destroy it, but they get shot down and have to fight for their survival on an ice planet.

My Opinion: Except for the cold it must be paradise for Starbuck: Countless nice women and they are all equally beautiful (because they all look the same ). I didn't remember that the old fleet also had a prison ship. But it bothered me that Boxey could sneak in on the shuttle - that boy seems to be everywhere. And crash-landing (instead of just landing) also seems to be a recurring theme on the show. But I didn't care much for this or the following episode.


Synopsis: Having found help in the form of a group of Human clones the colonial fighters are still trying to destroy the pulsar cannon. But they are running out of time because the fleet is closing in on the shooting range of the cannon. If they fail the fleet will most likely not survive.

My Opinion: An OK conclusion to the story (of course they destroyed the gun). But I liked how Baltar toyed with the fleet and made them do what he wanted.

Synopsis: The Cylons have attacked the fleet and destroyed two of the agricultural ships and damaged another. The fleet needs new seeds and they hope they can trade for it on a nearby planet. Even Adama is coming along on this landing mission. But Boomer and Starbuck get robbed and have now nothing to trade. Fortunately for Starbuck the people there play cards, too. Unfortunately that brings him in even deeper trouble and in the middle of a fight between the local Humans and another alien race.

My Opinion: A rather ridiculous story. The entire story about Adama and his "stalker" was absurd and the way Starbuck became the Constable was ludicrous. And on top of that all were these "pig aliens".

Synopsis: Starbuck gets shot down by a Cylon patrol and has to crash-land while Boomer returns to the fleet. Shortly after he got apprehended by a patrol of the local Cylon garrison he gets freed by local Human resistance fighter. But they are merely children, not warriors.

My Opinion: "Starbuck crash-lands" I should put this on a shortcut key. I really liked the banter between Lucifer and Specter (same production line as Lucifer), the commander of the local garrison. I also liked that he was able to lie and to deceive but I didn't like that Baltar fell for it the whole time. But the story on the planet was again over the top. Starbuck attacks a garrison with a bunch of kids (some of them not older than ten) who ride on unicorns(!) and they win.
Interestingly the female lead was a young woman called Miri who had a crush on Starbuck. In Star Trek there was also an episode called Miri where the female lead was a young woman called Miri who had a crush on Kirk.

(From "Battlestar Galactica" Marathon (1978-2009) on March 21st, 2009)