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Slacker uprising, a review by Rich

3rd November

Slacker uprising



Michael Moore's new film is strategically timed to mobilize voters in anticipation of the 2008 United States presidential election.

Slacker Uprising takes us back to the 2004 election, when the polling margin between candidates George W. Bush and John Kerry could have tipped either way. Framed like a concert film, it captures Moore's activities as he set out on a campaign trip almost as rigorous and far-reaching as the candidates' own. He targeted young people as the demographic that could make the most difference, visiting sixty-two cities in forty-five days, and holding large rallies on college campuses. He dubbed it the Slacker Uprising Tour.

This documentary of his journey is made in the feisty spirit of independent media, budgeted at a tiny fraction of Moore's recent films. It acts like a time machine, returning us to the weeks prior to the November 2, 2004, election, when campuses across the country were exhilarated by a sense of hope and urgency. Moore masterfully foments this energy, speaking to audiences as large as fifteen thousand. He riles up the crowd with his hilarious improvisation, riffing off the day's headlines or responding to hecklers. He also brings a star-studded lineup of friends - we see appearances and performances by Roseanne Barr, Eddie Vedder, Viggo Mortensen, Steve Earle and Joan Baez, among others. His political opponents certainly take notice, lobbying schools to ban him from campus, sometimes successfully.

Although the election didn't go Moore's way, this film is a cure for the hangover that followed, and a reminder that a new political force emerged on those campuses. Young voters turned out in record numbers in 2004, reversing a trend of decline since 1972 (after the voting age lowered to eighteen). The youth vote increased even more in the following mid-term elections. If you want to understand the future of American politics, Slacker Uprising is a great place to start, showcasing what the filmmaker calls "the birth of a new political generation

As always with Moore films this is entertaining, stage managed, skilfully edited, and enlightening to a European. I'm not sure if he is a patriot or just a troublemaker, but he certainly whips up a fervour on every subject he undertakes.
Good timing for this release, it is important to note the influence of this venture did not keep the war criminal Bush from taking office for a further 4 years.
Biggest downside for me as the viewer were the many musical interludes, it kept stalling the flow of the feature IMO
 

(From November Alphabet Marathon - Discussion/Review Thread on November 3rd, 2008)

Little Miss Sunshine , a review by addicted2dvd

Little Miss Sunshine (2006/United States) Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment Director: Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris Writing: Michael Arndt (Writer) Length: 102 min. Rating: Rated R : Language, Some Sex and Drug Content Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.40:1, Pan & Scan 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, Commentary: Dolby Digital: Mono, Commentary: Dolby Digital: Mono Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

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Stars:
Abigail Breslin as Olive
Greg Kinnear as Richard
Paul Dano as Dwayne
Alan Arkin as Grandpa
Toni Collette as Sheryl
Steve Carell as Frank

Plot:Extras:

• Scene Access
• Audio Commentary
• Bonus Trailers
• Deleted Scenes
• Music Videos
• Closed Captioned

This is another movie I never seen before. It was given to me in a box full of DVDs here recently. There is a couple familiar faces in this one first there is Toni Collette who played Tara in United States of Tara. Then there is Mary Lynn Rajskub who played Chloe O'Brian in 24. Though her part was very small. I really didn't know what to think going into this movie. I basically went into this one with no expectations what so ever. Well other then the fact that I never been much of a fan of Greg Kinnear... so I was a little nervous there.

It turned out that I enjoyed the movie... but as I figured Greg Kinnear was my least favorite person in it. It has a few decent laughs in it... but felt it wasn't as funny as they tried to make it. Over-all would say it is worth watching. I can see myself watching it again at some point.




(From TV Stars in the Movies: On-Going Mega Marathon on July 3rd, 2011)

Tom's Random TV Episodes Reviews, a review by Tom

Columbo
No Time to Die
Writer: Ed McBain (Story By), Richard Levinson (Created By), William Link (Created By), Robert Van Scoyk (Screenwriter)
Director: Alan J. Levi
Cast: Peter Falk (Columbo), Joanna Going (Melissa Alexandra Hayes), Thomas Calabro (Detective Andy Parma), Dan Butler (Sergeant Goodman), Doug Savant (Detective Dennis Mulrooney), Daniel McDonald (Strassa), Daniel Davis (Alex Varrick), Lance LeGault (Police Captain), Juliet Mills (Eileen Hacker), David Byrd (Bailey), Don Swayze), Donald Moffat (Sheldon Hays), Patricia Huston (Louise Hays), Cliff Emmich (Tubby Comfort), Beth Chamberlin (Cindy), Siobhan McCafferty (Samantha), Stack Pierce (President Loren Jefferson), Yvonne Farrow (Janet), Richard Assad (Abdul), Tom Marvich (Technician #1), Gary Hollis (Technician #2), Jose Rey (Bartender), Darnell Harrison (Technician #3), Mark Alan Kaufman (Sandy)

Different to the usual Columbo episode. In this one no murder takes place but a kidnapping. And Columbo and the other cops are trying to find out who the kidnapper is througout the episode. There is no scene where Columbo is talking to the criminal trying to get him to slip up.
It answers a question: Is the behaviour of Columbo towards a criminal a complete act or is he like that by nature. This episode shows him as a very competent and highly regarded police officer throughout. There is no scene with the typical Columbo mannerisms at all.

Rating:

(From Tom's Random TV Episodes Reviews on March 1st, 2011)