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Monsters vs Aliens, a review by Critter

Monsters vs Aliens



Year: 2009

Director(s): Rob Letterman, Conrad Vernon

Run Time: 94 minutes

Plot: When a meteorite from outer space hits a young woman and turns her into a giant monster, she is taken to a secret government compound where she meets a ragtag group of monsters also rounded up over the years.

Cast: DVD Extras:My ThoughtsMy Rating



(From Critter's Animated Film/Anime Marathon on March 6th, 2010)

Trans-Siberian Orchestra: The Ghosts of Christmas Eve, a review by Danae Cassandra

Trans-Siberian Orchestra: The Ghosts of Christmas Eve
Directed By: Bart Perry
Starring: Ossie Davis, Allie Sheridan, Jewel, Michael Crawford, Tony Gaynor, and Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Genre: Music

Overview:
The Ghosts of Christmas Eve, is a timeless holiday story of a young runaway who has broken into an old movie palace, looking for shelter on a snow filled Christmas Eve. Closed for decades, the building is filled with countless discarded artifacts from the past. There she is discovered by the old caretaker who uses the ghosts and spirits that inhabit this long abandoned world to turn her life around. This enchanting tale featuring Ossie Davis, singer/songwriter Jewel, and Broadway superstar Michael Crawford is highlighted by the performances of Christmas favorites as well as Trans-Siberian Orchestra's own unique arrangements of holiday classics.

My Thoughts:
Beautiful music, with the video for "Christmas in Sarajevo" in the center, my only complaint is that it's so short. I really wish TSO would put together another video; I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

Bechdel Test: Fail
Mako Mori Test: Fail

Overall: 4/5

(From Christmas 2016 on December 26th, 2016)

Angel Marathon, a review by DJ Doena

Synopsis: Harmony doesn't feel like she is accepted, neither by Angel nor by her colleagues. When she awakes one day on the side of a dead man - bitten by a vampire - she panics because Angel has a zero tolerance policy when it comes to the killing of humans.

My Opinion: Very funny episode from the POV of a recurring character. But Angel does treat her very dismissively. Unfortunately it's hard to translate episode titles like this into other languages. German episode titles have a tendency to spoil the episode. Not only with this but most TV shows. For example: Imagine a science fiction show episode where someone makes a clone of himself but this would only be revealed at the end of the episode. The original title would be something like "Look Upon Yourself". Most likely the german title would be "Der Klon" ("The Clone").
And I am not alone in that assessment.

Synopsis: Angel has more often and longer lasting dreams that tell him that he is not the chosen one of the Shanshu prophecy. Lindsey on the other hand represents himself to Spike as "Doyle" and declares that it was him who made Spike corporeal again and that he has visions from the "Powers That Be".

My Opinion: If they couldn't get Sarah Michelle Gellar Prinze for a guest appearance, they shouldn't have done this. It didn't felt real. But the rest of the episode was good, I liked the scene where Fred disembowels Angel like a shark.
PS: "Soul Purpose" was the only episode in "Angel" that one of the cast (David Boreanaz) directed.

Synopsis: A young woman with great strength escapes from a mental institution. As it turns out, she was one of the potential Slayers and is now - thanks to Willow's spell - a Vampire Slayer. Now she's after Spike whom she believes to be her former torturer.

My Opinion: Even Buffy thinks that it was a bad idea that Angel took the job of CEO at Wolfram & Hart's. The episode was average, but the self-reflection of Spike at the end and the appearance of 12 Slayers raised it a bit. It's sad that we haven't met Buffy personally, I thought there would be another crossover after the "Buffy" finale.

(From Angel Marathon on February 26th, 2008)