DVD Collectors Online

Dave, a review by DJ Doena

January, 13th


Director: Ivan Reitman

Kevin Kline    ...    Dave Kovic / Bill Mitchell
Sigourney Weaver   ...    Ellen Mitchell
Frank Langella   ...    Bob Alexander
Kevin Dunn   ...    Alan Reed
Ving Rhames   ...    Duane Stevenson
Ben Kingsley   ...    Vice-President Nance
Charles Grodin   ...    Murray Blum

Synopsis: Dave Kovic is a simple man who works in an agency that gives people jobs. But he also looks exactly like the President of the United States. One day the Secret Service hires him for a public appearance because the real President Bill Mitchell has "more important" things to do. But when Mitchell falls into a coma due to a stroke the chief advisor Bob Alexander engages Dave to play the President for real.

My Opinion: This is a great fun flick about American politics with all its aspects (like the budget, running campaigns and so on) and Dave pretending to be the President and getting used to the job. I liked all the characters in their roles, from the First Lady to the bodyguard and of course the villain of the piece - Bob Alexander (Skeletor in Masters of the Universe) but the scenes between Dave and Ellen I like the most because then it shows how different a man Dave is from Bill.

(From DJ Doena's movie watchings 2010 on January 25th, 2010)

Aurore, a review by RossRoy

Original Title: Aurore Year: 2005 Country: Canada (Quebec) Director: Luc Dionne Rating: 16+ Length: 110 Min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78:1 Audio: French: Dolby Digital 5.1, French: Dolby Digital Stereo, Commentary: Dolby Digital Stereo Subtitles: English, French

What they say - (translated from French)My Thoughts
Like the back cover of the DVD says, this story has touched everyone in Quebec in one way or another. Everybody is affected by this story. Of course, being such a relatively old story, it all happened at the beginning of the last century after all, it has been ingrained in our collective cultural heritage here in Quebec. Even before seeing this movie, or the one that came before it, or before reading about it, I was still very much aware of Aurore's suffering, and the collective indifference to her situation.

Unfortunately, movies being the beast they are, and the actual events taking place so long ago, there's no way to know how much of it real, and how much of it was romanced. Still, from what I've read of the case in the past, they couldn't be all that far. And that, makes it a movie that is hard to bear. You know it actually happened. You know a young girl had to go through this. You know she wasn't alone. You know she wasn't the first. You know she wasn't the last.

I may be reading more than I should into this movie. But I can't help it. I can't help but think of all these children who are being abused, to this day, by a parent and/or close relative, and nobody will say anything. So many kids have had their lives turned into hell, only because nobody will talk.

And that's what this movie is all about. Yes, it's telling Aurore's story in particular. Yes, it's easy to say that the movie may not be faithful to the actual event. Yes, it's also easy to say that the movie is flawed because it may have tried to show the stepmother as being mad, instead of just mean.

But that's not the point. That's not what the director intended.

Aurore's story is mean to an end. What he's doing, is showing how a full community becomes just as guilty as the parents, because they ignored the cries of the children. Everybody knew, yet nobody did anything until it was too late. Everybody had their suspicions. Nobody went in, or even confronted the parents. Even after Aurore was treated for a full month in a hospital.

That's the message of the movie. If you have reason to suspect something, say something. Don't wait until it's too late.

Rating:

(From RossRoy's Random Viewings on November 6th, 2008)

Tom's TV Pilots marathon, a review by Tom

Dollhouse: The Complete Series (2009/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (United Kingdom) Length: 1162 min. Video: Widescreen 1.78 Audio: Subtitles:

---

Plot:
From Joss Whedon, the creative mastermind behind Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, comes THE COMPLETE SERIES of the sexy, suspenseful thriller, Dollhouse.

Dollhouse is an illegal organisation that provides its elite clientelle with "actives" - programmable human beings, who temporarily become anyone or anything - the perfect burglar, lover, spy or assassin.

The stunningly talented Eliza Dushku stars as the lovely but lethal "active", Echo - who is charged with unlocking the deadly secret that will ultimately determine the fate of mankind.


Dollhouse
Season 1.01 Ghost
Writer: Joss Whedon (Created By), Joss Whedon (Writer)
Director: Joss Whedon
Cast: Eliza Dushku (Echo), Harry J. Lennix (Boyd Langton), Fran Kranz (Topher Brink), Tahmoh Penikett (Agent Paul Ballard), Enver Gjokaj (Victor), Dichen Lachman (Sierra), Olivia Williams (Adelle DeWitt), Amy Acker (Claire Saunders), Reed Diamond (Laurence Dominic), Kurt Caceres (Gabriel Crestejo), Brett Claywell (Matt), David Doty (Sam Zimmerman), Tim Kelleher (Detmer), Vincent Laresca (Mr. Sunshine), Haley Alexis Pullos (Davina Crestejo), Greg Collins (Older Man), Bryan Costanich (Friend), Jonny Lee (Deerskin), Christian Meoli (Thug 1), Oscar Torre (Chui), Becky Wu (Assistant)

I had watched the first two or so episodes when it originally aired and was not hooked. But they say it got better, so I am willing to give this series another chance. Especially because I was fan of Eliza Dushku on Buffy (and I am still disappointed that she turned down a Faith spin-off) and I am fan of Joss Whedon in general.
The pilot episode is good and I can see myself giving this series another go. I think it was more the second episode which turned me off this series.

Rating:

(From Tom's TV Pilots marathon on November 10th, 2012)