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The Dilemma, a review by addicted2dvd

The Dilemma (2011/United States) IMDb |Wikipedia |Trailer | Universal Studios Home Entertainment Director: Ron Howard Writing: Allan Loeb (Writer) Length: 112 min. Rating: Rated PG-13 : Mature Thematic Elements Involving Sexual Content Video: Widescreen 2.35:1 Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio: 5.1, Spanish: DTS: 5.1, French: DTS: 5.1, Audio Descriptive: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

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Stars:
Vince Vaughn as Ronny Valentine
Kevin James as Nick Brannen
Jennifer Connelly as Beth
Winona Ryder as Geneva
Channing Tatum as Zip
Queen Latifah as Susan Warner

Plot:
Vince Vaughn and Kevin James headline an all-star comedy from director Ron Howard. Ronny's (Vaughn) world is turned upside down when he inadvertently sees something he should not have, and makes it his mission to get answers. As the amateur investigation dissolves his world into comic mayhem, he learns that his best friend Nick (James) has a few secrets of his own. Now, Ronny must decide what will happen if he reveals the truth. Also starring Jennifer Connelly, Winona Ryder, Channing Tatum and Queen Latifah.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Bonus Trailers
• Deleted Scenes
• Featurettes
• Outtakes/Bloopers
• BD-Live
• Digital Copy
• pocket BLU

I bought this film blind (never even heard of it before) soley because it stars Kevin James... who I became a fan of every since first seeing him on King of Queens. This is listed as a comedy film... and while there is comedy here... it really isn't that much. I found it more of a serious story about 2 friends. Sure there was some funny moments that put a bit of a smirk of enjoyment on my face... but there was no laugh out loud moments here. I actually thought Queen Latifa's character was the funniest in the entire movie. That being said... I did like the film. It was defintely worth the time put in to watch it.



(From What Movies I Been Watching on August 11th, 2014)

Monterey Pop, a review by Danae Cassandra

Monterey Pop
Year of Release: 1968
Directed By: D. A. Pennebaker
Starring: The Mamas and the Papas, Canned Heat, Simon and Garfunkle, Hugh Masekela, The Animals, Big Brother and the Holding Company, Jefferson Airplane, The Who, Country Joe and the Fish, Otis Redding, Jimi Hendrix, Ravi Shankar,
Genre: Music

Overview:
On a beautiful June weekend in 1967, at the height of the Summer of Love, the first and only Monterey International Pop Festival roared forward, capturing a decade's spirit and ushering in a new era of rock and roll. Monterey would launch the careers of Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Otis Redding, but they were just a few among a wildly diverse cast that included Simon and Garfunkel, the Mamas and the Papas, the Who, the Byrds, Hugh Masekala, and the extraordinary Ravi Shankar. With his characteristic verite style, D.A. Pennebaker captured it all, immortalizng moments that have become legend: Pete Townshend destroying his guitar, Hendrix burning his. The Criterion Collection is proud to present this timeless document of a landmark event.

My Thoughts:
Interesting documentation of the Monterey Pop Festival but it feels incomplete. As a concert film, the music is excellent but it cuts between acts. I'm pretty sure it's to create a portrait of the entire festival, as if the viewer is travelling from one act to the next, but it means you never get a full set from anyone. There are also moments during Otis Redding's song that the camera is facing directly into the light and the screen becomes a blinding white square. Really annoying. As a documentary it includes little information about the Festival and it's place in the Summer of Love. So there's a lack of context for the less informed viewer.

But for those of us who would never have been able to go, the film offers a trip to the Festival, a capsule of a time and place in history. It is wonderful to have it, even if it leaves you wanting more.

Bechdel Test: N/A
Mako Mori Test: N/A

Overall: 3.5/5

(From July Movie Marathon: Musicals (Yes... You read right!) on August 1st, 2016)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Marathon, a review by DJ Doena

Synopsis: Martok takes command of the IKS Rotarran, a Bird of Prey whose crew has not achieved a victory in months. Worf joins the crew as first officer for this mission, while Dax takes the post of science officer. But Martok has changed in the two years of his imprisonment, he is cautious and unwilling to take any risk - but that's unworthy of a Klingon. Worf has to do something or the morale will break down completely.

My Opinion: I love the Klingons, especially in DS9. And this was a great episode in my opinion. How Martok wavered and how Worf helped him and risked his own life - I loved that part. I especially liked that this was an all-klingon episode - except for Dax, but Dax is highly honoured in the Klingon Empire.

And for what do we need Esperanto, when we have Klingon? It sounds far better.  





Synopsis: After passing a giant energy field surrounding an entire planet the crew of the Defiant finds a colony of 8000 people - their descendants. The Defiant tried to escape the barrier and travelled 200 years back in time and crashed. The survivors built the colony and lived their lifes there. Only the Dax symbiont and Odo are still around from the original crew. The question is: Can the crew escape this time but what happens then to the colonists?

My Opinion: The episode was good - until the end, I hated the end. To see all these different people wiped out from existance because one man wanted to save his secret love and Odo of all people, the man who despises injustice above all else. It just didn't fit.

Synopsis: The Maquis has been destroyed, most of its members were killed by Dominion forces. But they have one last ace in the sleeve. They have launched cloaked missiles to Cardassia. These missiles are loaded with bioloical and chemical weapons and will cause the death of millions and they will cause a retaliation strike against the Federation. Sisko needs Eddington to stop these missiles.

My Opinion: This was a good closure to the Eddington storyline. He finally got what he wanted, to die in an heroic act, "for the cause". I thought that it was a good idea that he didn't simply went to prison and was forgotten. But I also liked the part where Nog tried to get respected by the Klingons, Martok in particular.

Synopsis: The station needs to be repaired but it's unlikely that they will get spare parts from the Cardassians. Chief O'Brien leads a salvage team to the abandoned cardassian station Empok Nor which is of identical design as DS9. They take Garak with them because it's likely to be booby-trapped. But there are unexpected guards on the station...

My Opinion: Even though there is no up and down in the universe drifting ships and abandoned stations are always portrayed as if they had keeled over. The episode was really good, it was dark, the enemies were dangerous and we've seen what Garak is capable of. We've seen him before doing terrible things but these happened in the "comfy" surroundings of an interrogation cell. This was a combat situation but I guess when one was in the Obsidian Order one needs such skills to survive.

(From Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Marathon on February 1st, 2009)