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Where the Wild Things Are, a review by Achim

Title: Where the Wild Things Are
Year: 2009
Director: Spike Jonze
Rating: PG
Length: 101 Min.
Video: Widescreen 2.40:1
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Portuguese: Dolby Digital: 5.1
Subtitles: English, French, Portuguese, Spanish

Stars:
Max Records
Pepita Emmerichs
Max Pfeifer
Madeleine Greaves
Joshua Jay

Plot:Extras:
Scene Access
Featurettes

Usually a good thing when the film's message is not in your face the whole time, here I was missing the clarity at times. The film is rolling along having fun with Max and the Wild Things and only near the end the meaning becomes obvious. Maybe what I was missing a bit was more of a gradual growth for Max...? Maybe I was looking at it the wrong way, but the occasional realization of Max was not clear enough to me. But I am nitpicking, really.

The transition to the Wild Thing's world is done with a safety net, like indicating that Max is dreaming really. Only the one shot of Max pulling away from shore with the boat has an unreal quality to it, but it should only be obvious to those looking for such a hint (like I was ).

The Wild Things are awesome and an enjoyment to look at. Especially their expressions with the eyes and their mouth movements are excellent (the latter supposedly mostly real, only improved via CGI; I am not sure though). Max Records is bringing all subtleties of Max"s feelings across wonderfully. I was a bit baffled by Mark Ruffalo being in this and then only being on screen for about 1 or 2 minutes...



(From Achim's entirely random reviews on April 25th, 2010)

The Abyss, a review by Critter

The Abyss



Year: 1989

Director: James Cameron

Cast: Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Biehn, John Bedford Lloyd, Leo Burmester, Kimberly Scott, Todd Graff

Plot: A civilian diving team are enlisted to search for a lost nuclear submarine and face danger while encountering an alien aquatic species.

My Thoughts:

This review may contain some spoilers.Titanic. The AbyssThe Day The Earth Stood Still, we seem to think that we need aliens to tell us that humans are too violent. I highly enjoyed watching this film, but I felt I would have enjoyed it more if there had been more of a focus on the science fiction elements rather than just the crew ship and their problems. I would probably give it a 4, or 4.5 for how much I enjoyed the alien aspect of it.

My Rating:


(From Critter's Random DVD Watchings on March 13th, 2010)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Marathon, a review by addicted2dvd

12 . Helpless
For her upcoming 18th birthday, Buffy declines the Scooby gang's offer of a big party, hoping to celebrate with quiet reflection and a traditional trip to the ice show with her father. Suddenly, Buffy finds that her Slayer abilities are fading, perhaps completely. Is this some natural event in the lifecycle of the Slayer, or is it something more sinister?

My Thoughts:
This was another good episode.  The vampire in this episode was so weird... it was nuts.

13. The Zeppo
When Xander realizes that he isn't needed by the gang as much as he'd like to believe, his quest to prove he's cool leads him to an unforgettable night that finds him consorting with fast women, raising the dead and rolling with a dangerous crowd that could put Sunnydale in a world of hurt. Meanwhile, Buffy, Giles and the rest of the crew engage in a furious battle with the Sisterhood of Jhe, an all-female demon apocalypse cult that intends to reopen the Hellmouth and bring about the end of the world.

My Thoughts:
I always found this one to be more of a fun episode then anything else... an episode that seemed to center more on Xander then anything else. It is a good episode... but not one I would consider a favorite.


14. Bad Girls
While on a mission to retrieve an amulet before a powerful demon can use it to restore his strength, Faith introduces Buffy to her reckless method of slaying which leaves Buffy wanting more of the wild life. Meanwhile Giles is trying to keep his cool in front of the insufferably stuffy new watcher, Wesley Wyndam-Pryce.


My Thoughts:
This is a really good episode... with the help of Faith.. Buffy starts to explore her wilder side. I personally mostly enjoyed the 2 beautiful slayers dancing with each other in the Bronze. What more can you ask then that! This episode also introduces Wesley as the girls new watcher. After watching him on Angel... I actually forgot just how much of a dork Wesley was on Buffy!


15. Consequences
When Faith refuses to face up to the consequences of her actions, Buffy tries to get help from Giles and Angel. When Xander goes to confront Faith alone, however, he may be biting off more than he can chew.

My Thoughts:
This was a good continuation to the last episode.I enjoyed every minute of it.


16. Doppelgangland
Anya convinces an unsuspecting Willow to assist her with a spell that will return her amulet and, with it, her Vengeance Demon powers. Willow, sensing something wrong with the magic, balks at the last minute and disrupts the spell. Instead of returning the amulet, the spell summons the vampire Willow from the alternate universe in "The Wish" and sets her loose in Sunnydale.

My Thoughts:
This is another of my favorite episodes!  I love pretty much everything about this one... the alternate universe was very fun to see! And then there is the fact this is the first episode where we meet Anya. It was also fun to see how Buffy would have turned out without Giles and her friends. Just a fun episode all the way around...


17. Enemies


My Thoughts:
This is another episode I liked a lot... I love how they played the game with Faith to learn what she knew. Not to mention how Angel hit Xander when he walked past him as he did. Another episode that was a lot of fun.

18. Earshot
After an encounter with a demon with no mouth, Buffy is infected with the demon's blood and she gains the ability to hear people's thoughts. At first her newfound ability is useful for cheating on schoolwork and eavesdropping on the thoughts of those around her, but when the voices continue to flood her mind, she realizes that she cannot control the power. Amid the chaos, Buffy hears a killer planning a mass murder at the school. Now she must keep herself from going mad long enough to prevent a catastrophe.

My Thoughts:
Even though this is a good episode... it is one of those ones that is nothing really special. More of a filler episode then anything else.


19. Choices


My Thoughts:
Another good episode... I really liked how Willow stood her ground against Faith. Willow really showed a lot in this episode.


20. The Prom
The biggest night in High School life is just around the corner, when strange creatures start appearing around town attacking anyone in formalwear. Meanwhile, Angel tells Buffy that he wants her to have a chance at the normal life that he could never give her. He plans to leave Sunnydale after the Ascension. Buffy must put aside her own pain and try to track down the source of the demonic Hellhounds in time to save the Senior Prom.

My Thoughts:
This one is another that is more of a filler episode then anything else. But this one I liked a lot... I thought it was funny seeing how they had Hell Hounds going after people wearing formal wear just to ruin the Prom. Another fun episode.

21. Graduation Day (Part 1)
The gang receive some valuable information from their old enemy Anya, who has actually witnessed an Ascension. She reveals that the Mayor plans to transform himself into pure demon, something that has not been seen for thousands of years. When Angel is poisoned by Faith, Buffy faces Faith for the final time in order to get the only cure to the poison: the blood of a Slayer.

My Thoughts:
Another really good episode... you have Angel in the midst of dying and Buffy facing Faith for their final battle... in the hopes to save Angel. Lots of really good action in this one.

22. Graduation Day (Part 2)
During their battle, Faith manages to escape from Buffy, so Buffy forces Angel to drink her own blood to rid his body of the poison. With Buffy in a coma, the gang must devise a plan to defeat the Mayor once and for all.

My Thoughts:
This is a great ending to the 3rd season. Really action packed... with the whole senior class getting in on the fun this time!  And tell me... what high school kid didn't dream of blowing up the high school!



(From Buffy the Vampire Slayer Marathon on November 16th, 2007)