DVD Collectors Online

Trocadero, a review by Danae Cassandra

Trocadero
Year of Release: 1944
Directed By: William Nigh
Starring: Rosemary Lane, Johnny Downs, Ralph Morgan, Dick Purcell, Sheldon Leonard
Genre: Comedy, Musical

Overview:
Judy and Johnny are orphaned siblings being raised by Tony, a Hollywood restaurateur who knows no limit in supporting his adopted children.  When Tony dies suddenly, one of them has to return home from college to keep the establishment open.  They sign a variety of entertaining acts and some exciting jazz performers.

My Thoughts:
Here we have a thin but serviceable story of a brother and sister struggling to make a success of their father's nightclub and finding love along the way. The acting isn't the greatest, but they aren't completely terrible either. The cast is made up of reliable actors, if not stars.

Still, the reason to watch this is the big band and swing music acts that populate the nightclub. Ida James doing "Shoo Shoo Baby" is a particular treat. There are some novelty bits that are also amusing, especially Dave Fleischer's little animated character. Still, I can't exactly recommend it for everyone. If you like musicals of this era, and you don't mind B-movies, this isn't a terrible film. It's also nothing special.

Bechdel Test: Fail
Mako Mori Test: Fail

Overall: 2.5/5

(From July Movie Marathon: Musicals (Yes... You read right!) on July 21st, 2016)

Black River, a review by Antares

Black River (1957) 3.5/5 - This is the film that Masaki Kobayashi made just before The Human Condition trilogy. He still hadn't risen to prominence yet, but after watching this film, you get a sense that he was about to break through. The story involves a love triangle between a waitress, a student and a yakuza boss, and Kobayashi weaves a gritty, no holds barred approach to telling it. I was shocked at times by the level of realism in the dialog, with characters talking about abortions, prostitution and things of that ilk. I couldn't imagine hearing these things in a noir made in Hollywood at the same time. And that is what made this film click for me, it was refreshing to watch characters acting like real gangsters, with out all the Hays white washing. Tatsuya Nakadai, who would go on to star in many of the successive films by Kobayashi, plays the yakuza with a sly, coolness that plays against the atypical roles he was playing up until that time and in the following years. It showed me a depth I wasn't aware of in him. But it was Ineko Arima who stole the film for me. Looking a little like Setsuko Hara, she plays the love interest with not only the frailty of an innocent Japanese youth, but when her mind is made up to get away from the yakuza, a fatalistic femme fatal type vengeance.

If you're interested in watching this, I found a playlist on YouTube for it...

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=D9AAB9B22DCE0C60

(From Antares' Short Summations on February 17th, 2012)

Sliders Marathon, a review by addicted2dvd

1. PILOT (Double Length Episode)
A physics accident sends student Quinn Mallory and his trio of companions on an interdimensional roller-coaster ride to an apocalyptic San Francisco. After a narrow escape from an icy death, the Sliders find themselves in a Soviet-ruled U.S., where their only hope of escape is to free an imprisoned revolutionary.

My Thoughts:
This is a very good story. I enjoyed every second of it. It is a good introduction to all the characters. And the ending is well thought out where you think everything is going to be fine... then everything is turned upside down in a shocking and emotional way.

My Rating:

2. FEVER
When Wade is infected with a deadly virus on an Earth wracked by an epidemic, Rembrandt and Arturo race to find a cure and free Quinn from a Gestapo-like health agency.

My Thoughts:
Another good episode... I enjoyed a lot. This one shows that something that is simple and taken for granted can be life changing in one of the alternate universes.

My Rating:

3. LAST DAYS
The salvation of a world facing destruction by an asteroid rests in the hands of Arturo and an overzealous young scientist. Meanwhile, Quinn and Wade begin to face their feelings for each other.

My Thoughts:
Another episode I enjoyed a lot. I always enjoyed the disaster type movies with such storylines... and they did a good job converting it to a TV episode. This episode completes the first disc. The extras on this disc includes previews and a commentary on the pilot episode.

My Rating:

(From Sliders Marathon on August 12th, 2009)