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The Big Lebowski, a review by Dragonfire

The Big Lebowski



The Dude. One cool guy. Who one day comes home to find two thugs have broken in and ruined his favorite carpet - the one that made the room "hang together". Thing is, they did it because he's got the same name as one of the richest men in town. Lebowski. But, hey, no problem. He'll get even. At least he'll get someone to pay for the carpet.

My Thoughts

I kept hearing stuff about this one, but I hadn't seen it.  When I spotted it in Walmart last month for $7.50, I decided I would go ahead and get it. 

The movie is somewhat bizarre and odd, but that works for it and helps to make it more entertaining in my opinion.  Things start off rather straight forward.  The Dude is mistaken for someone else and his rug is used as a toilet, so it makes sense that he's ticked.  His friend Walter, who has anger issues, gets him more rilled up over the situation.  After that, more and more starts going on and things do get a bit more complicated.  I think the movie is more about following The Dude through all the ...weirdness than in finding resolutions for everything.  Though there are some resolutions. 

A lot of what happens is funny in a twisted way.  The humor won't appeal to everyone, but I think it works perfectly for the movie.  The language is extreme at times, so that will probably offend some people.  There is a little bit of violence in the movie, but I don't think of it as being violent overall. 

All the characters are different in some way in this movie.  The Dude is very laid back and tries to avoid anything that is stressful of requires him to do much of anything.  It isn't that he isn't capable of doing more.  He just choses not to.  He is far from stupid and he actually figures several things out.  Jeff Bridges is absolutely amazing in the part.  Walter keeps pushing The Dude to do things, and it rarely turns out well.  Walter definitely has anger issues.  Donnie is just sort of around, joining a conversation in the middle and asking questions that really tick off Walter. 

Overall, I ended up really enjoying this movie and I'm glad I decided to pick it up.  It is kind of bizarre, but it is extremely entertaining.  The movie isn't going to appeal to everyone though.



I did get a review posted on Epinions recently.

The Big Lebowski

(From The Big Lebowski on May 23rd, 2010)

Grave of the Fireflies, a review by RossRoy

Original Title: Hotaru no Haka Year: 1988 Country: Japan Director: Isao Takahata Rating: NR Length: 88 Min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.66:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital Stereo, Japanese: Dolby Digital Stereo Subtitles: English

What they say
In the aftermath of a World War II bombing, two orphaned children struggle to survive in the Japanese countryside. To Seita and his four-year old sister, the helplessness and indifference of their countrymen is even more painful than the enemy raids. Through desperation, hunger and grief, these children's lives are as heartbreakingly fragile as their spirit and love is inspiring. 'Grave of the Fireflies' is a tale of the true tragedy of war and innocence lost, not only of the abandoned young, but of an entire nation.

My Thoughts
Honestly, words totally fail me. Not that I really know what to say usually, but in this case, even if I was good with words, I wouldn't know what to say. But I'll try anyway.

I've rarely, if ever, been moved that much by a movie. You can't help but feel for these kids. All that they had to go through after losing their mother in the bombing. From their aunt who simply doesn't care, all the way to a farmer who won't spare even a spoonful of rice. You see these kids persevere, trying to make the best of what they have. But when it happens (if you've seen the movie, you know what I'm talking about), it just hits you. And then you start to think, that even though this is a work of fiction, you can't help but think that it may have been like that for some child. And not just in Japan during World War II, but in any war, anywhere on the planet, at any given time. We've all seen wars in movie or on the news, but it always feels so surreal, almost fake. But this movie, manages to bring it closer to home. It actually makes you realise how hard it must be.

Now, some may be thinking "What the heck man? It just a silly animated movie!". Well, I'll reply to that by saying that the fact that it is animated is probably what makes this movie work so well.

They don't take any shortcuts in this. You see the bombers in the air, the bombs raining down, people running for their lives, burnt bodies everywhere, even the common dumps. All this can be done live action, yes, but would it be as effective? With live action, you would know that the people aren't really running for their lives. You would know nobody got killed by the falling bombs, as they would probably be duds anyway. The burnt bodies would be mannequins and makeup. And you'd know that. Deep down inside, it wouldn't be real. The fact that it is all animated here, removes that layer of reality, so you are left with only that idea that it is real. And you get thrown back to what it might be like in real life. You have to imagine it yourself, you have to create the image in your mind, which makes it that much more powerful.

Even the little girl being animated makes it more real. (I'll put that in a spoiler tag. And it is a BIG spoiler, so please, if you plan on watching the movie, DO NOT READ THAT!)

The whole movie is really powerful in what it's trying to convey. I can wholeheartedly recommend the movie. It is a must see. I can't recommend it enough.



(From RossRoy's Random Viewings on April 21st, 2008)

Ghost Whisperer Marathon, a review by addicted2dvd

1. PILOT
Melinda is haunted by the spirit of a restless soldier who died 30 years ago in Vietnam. She helps the veteran and his living son find closure.

My Thoughts:
The episode that started it all... the one that had me hooked on this show from the first time it aired. I liked that this one was about helping a fallen soldier.  It makes your patriotic side care about the show as well. I thought this episode really set what this show was to be about very well. I also like that even though this is a series that is more of a drama then anything... they still can make it eerie. This is a show about ghosts and that does have a scary side to it. And I felt they did a good job at balancing the two.

2. THE CROSSING
A boy, killed in a train accident, gets Melinda to find and convince the boy's mother that it was not her fault.

My Thoughts:
Another really good episode. This one don't really have any eerie feeling to it what so ever... but it does deal with the death of a very young boy. A 6yr. old. So this episode really leans much more on the drama side of the series. In this episode we also meet Jim's (Melinda's husband) mother.

3. GHOST, INTERRUPTED
Following her twin sister's death, a young girl's strange behavior gets her placed in a psychiatric facility. Melinda discovers the girl's dead twin is haunting her and must help the sisters reconcile.

My Thoughts:
Not only is the main storyline really good... the side story on this one is excellent. it deals with Melinda remembering when she was young and what she went through when she lost her grandmother. Her grandmother could also see ghosts... and taught Melinda all she knows about them.

4. MENDED HEARTS


My Thoughts:
This is a good... but somewhat standard episode. It is my least favorite on the first disc. But that is not to say I didn't enjoy it because I did. I just found this story not of the same caliber as the first 3. I found the ghost of the nurse that helped Melinda in the hospital pretty eerie... so it was good to see that back a little.

(From Ghost Whisperer Marathon on July 31st, 2008)