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Mask, a review by KinkyCyborg

Mask



Title:Mask
Year: 1985
Director: Peter Bogdanovich
Rating: NR
Length: 127 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, English: DTS: 5.1, English: Dolby Digital: Mono, Commentary: Dolby Digital: Mono
Subtitles: French, Spanish

Stars:
Cher
Sam Elliott
Eric Stoltz
Estelle Getty
Richard Dysart

Plot:
Acclaimed filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich directed this heartwarming and inspirational film based on the real life story of Rocky Dennis (Eric Stoltz), a terribly disfigured but highly sensitive and intelligent teenager. Motivated by his loving mother, Rusty (Cher), and her boyfriend, Gar (Sam Elliott), Rocky ultimately overcomes pain, loneliness and prejudice to become a role model to his classmates and teachers alike.

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Feature Trailers
Interviews


True story of Rocky Dennis, a young man with a terrible disease that horribly disfigured his face, he lived well beyond his doctors expectations but still died at the young age of 16.

Great movie and truly inspiring. Rocky, played by Eric Stoltz, was ever the optimist despite all the negativity around him, he never let his condition hold him back, always living every day to the fullest.

Seen this a few times now and there are some outstanding performances, particularly Cher as Rocky's wild, drug addicted mother. It was often Rocky taking care of her and not the other way around. Sam Elliott, one of the coolest actors ever is great as Gar, sometimes live-in boyfriend and father figure to Rocky. It's been so long since I've watched this that I totally forgot Laura Dern played the young blind girl Rocky falls in love with and there was Estelle Getty as Rocky's grandmother!

I thought it was cool that during a scene in this movie on the TV screen in their living room was playing another movie that I recently watched, Madigan!

I've never been a big fan of Peter Bogdanovich, as an actor or during his long winded interviews but I have to give credit where credit is due... he directed a fantastic movie that ranks very high with me all time. 

KC

Rating:

(From KinkyCyborg's Random Reviews 2010 on January 15th, 2011)

Jeff Dunham's Very Special Christmas Special, a review by addicted2dvd

Title: Jeff Dunham's Very Special Christmas Special
Year: 2008
Director: Michael Simon
Rating: NR
Length: 85 Min.
Video: Widescreen 1.78:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, English: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo
Subtitles: N/A

Stars:
Jeff Dunham
Brian Haner

Plot:Extras:
Scene Access
Deleted Scenes
Featurettes

My Thoughts:
I got this one for my marathon last year... so this is my second time watching it. Before last year I didn't even know who Jeff Dunham was. Now this is to become a yearly tradition. This guy is just freaking hilarious! I really liked all his characters... my favorite is a toss-up between Achmed and Peanut. I watched this along with Britt... and let me tell you... I thought Britt was going to laugh so hard that she would pee herself! I wasn't expecting to like a ventriloquist as much as I liked this one. Brittany and I actually had to pause it more then once to catch our breathe from all the laughter and be able to hear what he had to say next. It is just as good on the second viewing as it was on the first. If you never checked this guy out before... I highly recommend it!



(From Addicted2DVD's 25 Days of Christmas Marathon: 2010 on December 5th, 2010)

"Stargate SG-1" Marathon, a review by DJ Doena

Synopsis: Jack trains a group of young recruits (among them Hailey and Lt. Elliot). He prepares them to become members of SG teams., But then a "foothold" situation arises in the SGC and Jack has to use them to repel the alien attack.

My Opinion: A very nice training scenario, especially the last part. It was a bit unfortunate that they revealed to the audience so early that the situation in the SGC is fake. When I watched it for the first time, I didn't recognize Grace Park (Sharon Valerii in Battlestar Galactica) but back then I didn't even know her.

Synopsis: After Teal'c has killed Tanith, his Al'kesh crashes into the Stargate and the wormhole is disrupted. But this traps the fleeing Teal'c inside the Stargate's buffer and he isn't being re-integrated. Sam tries to get him out of there, Daniel negotiates with the Russians about the second Stargate and Jack is looking for "alternate sources of information".

My Opinion: In principle this episode reminds me of a "typical" transporter incident in Star Trek. But that doesn't mean that they've re-used a script, the characters behave as they should be and the other story elements would prevent that this script could be used in Star Trek. I really liked the negotiations with the Russians and the "That didn't happen in the simulations." after the borrowed DHD blew up (of course only after Teal'c's rescue). I also liked the first appearance of Dr. McKay who behaved exactly like he will do when he becomes a main character in Stargate Atlantis.

Synopsis: Daniel infiltrates a summit of the System Lords in disguise of a human slave. Among others, Yu, Ba'al, Bastet and Kali attend this meeting. The plan was that Daniel releases a new and deadly Tok'ra virus that would kill them all. But then Osiris arrives and claims to speak in the name of Anubis who wishes to return to this council. In the meantime, Lord Zipacna attacks the Tok'ra base and he, too, acts under orders from Anubis.

My Opinion: The thrilling element of this episode was to wait for the moment Daniel and Osiris run into each other. It was cool that it only happened in the last minute and that it would turn out to be a two-parter. Fortunately the titles don't give that info away.

Synopsis: The Tok'ra base is under heavy fire and many have been killed. Martoufs former symbiote Lantash had no choice but to enter Lt. Elliot. Jack, Sam, Teal'c and Elliot/Lantash have to find a way to the Stargate. Daniel has managed to deceive Osiris with the help of the same drug he used to slip into Yu's entourage. But he had to give up the plan to kill them all because that would bring Anubis into a very powerful position. And Anubis has already threatened to ignore the Asgard treaty and to attack Earth.

My Opinion: The mind can paint the worst pictures. They didn't show how SG-1 "successfully" returned home and it wasn't necessary. One can imagine how the surroundings of the Stargate had to look like, after Elliot/Lantash sacrificed himself and killed thousands of Jaffa with the help of the virus. I am torn when it comes to the Jaffa. In most cases they are simply the attacker who have to be shot in self-defence. On the other hand they are presented as slaves who have no other choice but to fight for their "god" and that makes their death deplorable. There was a similar dilemma in The Matrix, where all the inhabitants were potential enemies even though they were the persons to be freed.

(From "Stargate SG-1" Marathon on April 5th, 2008)