DVD Collectors Online

Baraka, a review by Achim

Title: Baraka
Year: 1992
Director: Ron Fricke
Rating: NR
Length: 97 Min.
Video: Widescreen 2.21:1
Audio: Music Only: Dolby Digital 5.1, Music Only: DTS HD Master Audio

Plot:
In the ancient Sufi language, it is a word that translates to 'the thread that weaves life together.' In the pantheon of modern cinema, it remains one of the most unique and acclaimed motion picture events of our time. Shot in breathtaking 70mm in 24 countries on six continents, BARAKA is a transcendent global tour that explores the sights and sounds of the human condition like nothing you've ever seen or felt before. These are the wonders of a world without words, viewed through man and nature's own prisms of symmetry, savagery, chaos and harmony.

Extras:
Scene Access
Featurettes

Can you fault a film for being too beautiful? For giving you eye candy until the eyeballs bleed? (we had to take a break after watching for one our hour because it was information overload...

I had never heard about this film until I saw the Blu-Ray release announced or even read the review (I guess in 1992 my mind wasn't set on this sort of film). There is no obvious narrative of any kind and no dialogue in any shape or form (just one scene with some Balinese men chanting), not even title cards announcing what is coming up next. "All you get" is beautiful images of nature and humans. Humans are shown in their whole variety: from New Guinea aboriginals to Japanese going about their everyday routine in Tokyo. All this imagery is intercut almost randomly, apparently with the intent to blur the lines of separation and always keep the viewer guessing what they are looking at. It works rather well at that and slowly you can see some subtle, or not so subtle, subtext (you don't have to...). Many shots are static and the film can feel like a slide show, with definitely enough time given to take it all in. Every so often there's be a close-up  of people, some looking directly into the camera. At first I thought that it looked too staged but later I realized that it was done this way consciously.

In all reviews I read the Blu-ray image has been hailed as superb. It definitely held up for my eyes on my 46" screen. Lots of detail is shown and it's apparently one of those movies Blu-ray was made for. The film was scanned with an 8k process (or how that's said) and it shows wonderfully. If you like this sort of stuff then this and Planet Earth are essential to own on Blu-ray.



I guess the film is rather similar to Koyaanisqatsi which is I will now desperately await for release on Blu-ray.

(From Baraka on May 24th, 2009)

House of the Long Shadows, a review by Danae Cassandra

House of the Long Shadows
Year of Release: 1983
Directed By: Pete Waller
Starring: Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, John Carradine, Desi Arnaz Jr.
Genre: Horror

Overview:
Newly Re-mastered in HD! Horror legends Vincent Price (The Oblong Box), Christopher Lee (The Crimson Cult), Peter Cushing (Madhouse) and John Carradine (The Sentinel) star as the screen's greatest gruesome foursome! When a young novelist, Kenneth Magee (Desi Arnaz, Jr., Billy Two Hats) spends a night at Baldpate Manor to win a bet that he can turn a best-selling novel in 24 hours, he gets more than he bargained for. The grizzly Grisbane clan arrives to celebrate the 40th anniversary of a ghoulish family secret. And their dinner party has murder on the menu. Lightning! Thunder! Torrential rain! Clattering shutters! Creaking doors! A locked attic! A sinister secret! Murder! All the ingredients of the classic "Old Dark House" tale come together in this top-notch horror film by cult film-maker Pete Walker (House of Whipcord). Co-starring Richard Todd (The Assassin) and Sheila Keith (Frightmare).

My Thoughts:
Price, Lee, Cushing, Carradine.  These are the reasons to watch this film.  They're all the elder statesmen of horror by the time this film gets made (Lee is the youngest at 61), and this is the only film that all four appear in together.  If you're a fan of any of these actors, and most especially if you're a fan of all of them, their performances make this film worth watching.  All of them are superb.  Arnaz Jr. is also competent enough in his role.

On the other hand, the neat little twist at the end is completely overshadowed by the lame second twist and the lamer third twist.  Though it's true to the novel that inspired it (Seven Keys to Baldpate), I really think the film would have been better leaving those off and ending the film before the second twist.  The repeat twists were very much a let down after the rest of the film.  I was also really annoyed by Julie Peasgood's character.  Every time she would scream and cower all I kept thinking was "what a useless person!"

Recommended if you're a fan of the four lead actors.  These men are always a treat to watch, and this film is no different.  Not necessarily for the more casual, or modern, horror fan - I'd recommend a number of their earlier films first, simply because of the let down in the ending here.

Bechdel Test: Fail

Overall: 3/5

2015 Horror Movie Count: 10

(From Horror/Halloween Marathon 2015 on October 17th, 2015)

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

Synopsis: First Minister Shakaar is coming to the station to negotiate Bajor's joining of the Federation. But a cardassian terror group wants to assassinate him and Odo and Worf are trying to protect him. But Odo has also to deal with the fact that Kira is falling in love with Shakaar while he's also in love with her.

My Opinion: It's the same old story. He loves her but doesn't tell her and she runs off with another guy. But I liked how Quark could see right through Odo's mask and how he helped him and how Odo thanked him. They both like each other more than they dare to admit (in a total ungayish way ).

Synopsis: After he has brought Ziyal home, Dukat has been demoted to freighter captain and he is to bring Major Kira to a conference in cardassian space. But the conference is attacked by a klingon Bird of Prey and the freighter isn't a match for it. Even when Dukat attacks the BoP doesn't return fire but simply leaves. There isn't a worse thing you could have done to Dukat's pride and he plans to retaliate.

My Opinion: Although I found it a bit unrealistic that the freighter's disrupters couldn't penetrate the BoP's hull even when the shields were down this was a very good episode. I liked it how Kira taught Dukat how to think outside the box and use things in an unconventional way to defeat a superior enemy.

Synopsis: Worf's (younger) brother Kurn comes to the station and asks Worf to kill him so that he may have an honourable death. Due to previous events, Worf has become an outcast and he was stripped of lands and titles. Kurn, who had a seat on the klingon High Council, is also dishonoured. But Dax interferes and Kurn survives and has to adjust to a life outside the klingon society.

My Opinion: And once again human and klingon cultures have clashed. And once again Worf had to decide whether he wants to be a klingon warrior or a Starfleet officer. But it was a bit sad that Kurn had to "die" and that Worf has now lost his brother forever. He's alone again.

Synopsis: Due to the bajoran cleansing ritual, the turnover of the bar is minimal. Quark decides to cut wages by 1/3 but now he's gone to far. Even his brother revolts against him and they found a union. But unions and strikes are strictly forbidden by Ferengi law. Soon after the beginning of the strike Brunt arrives on the station and he makes it clear that the strike has to end or they will make an example of Quark and Rom.

My Opinion: Finally Rom has emancipated himself from his brother. This episode was a nice reminder of why the first unions were founded and what often happened to "union mans".  But one thing a Ferengi said is still true in our society: We don't want to overcome exploitation, we just want to become the exploiters.

(From Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Marathon on November 9th, 2008)