DVD Collectors Online

Karigurashi no Arietti, a review by dfmorgan

Title: Karigurashi no Arietti
Year: 2010
Director: Hiromasa Yonebayashi
Rating:
Length: 94 Min.
Video: Widescreen 1.85:1
Audio: Japanese: PCM: 2-Channel Stereo, Japanese: DTS-HD Master Audio: 5.1, French: DTS: 5.1, Cantonese: DTS: 5.1, Mandarin: DTS: 5.1, Korean: DTS: 5.1
Subtitles: Chinese, English, French, Japanese, Korean

Stars:
Mirai Shida
Ryunosuke Kamiki
Shinobu Ohtake
Keiko Takeshita
Tatsuya Fujiwara

Plot:
14-year-old Arrietty and the rest of the Clock family live in peaceful anonymity as they make their own home from items "borrowed" from the house's human inhabitants. However, life changes for the Clocks when a human boy discovers Arrietty.

Extras:
Scene Access
Feature Trailers
Bonus Trailers
Featurettes
Interviews
Storyboard Comparisons



(From Ghibli Blu's on July 29th, 2011)

Hana & Alice, a review by Tom

Hana & Alice (2004/Japan) IMDb | Wikipedia (Hong Kong) Director: Shunji Iwai Writing: Shunji Iwai (Writer) Length: 135 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85 Audio: Japanese: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Subtitles: Chinese, English

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Stars:
Anne Suzuki as Hana
Yu Aoi as Alice
Tomohiro Kaku as Masashi Miyamoto
Sei Hiraizumi as Alice's Father
Tae Kimura as Ballet Teacher

Plot:
Hana (Anne Suzuki) and Alice (Yu Aoi) are childhood friends. Alice is unrestrained and free-spirited. Hana is always picking up the pieces as a result of it. But there are good things that Alice brings too, like Hana's first ever crush.

Following her sudden proclamation of "love at first sight," Alice decides to follow her "love", a high school student, dragging the reluctant Hana along with her. It is then that Alice recommends Hana to consider the boy's friend, Miyamoto (Tomohiro Kaku), as a possible boyfriend. Although not interested at first, Hana soon finds herself falling for him...

Extras:

• Production Notes
• Scene Access

Even though it is fairly long and slow-moving, I quite enjoyed it. The most fun was how Hana and Alice convinced the guy he has amnesia and just forgot about their relationships.
The ending is fitting but

Rating:

(From Tom's Random Reviews on December 30th, 2010)

Caroline in the City Marathon, a review by Tom

Caroline and the Kid (1996-06-14)
Writer: Will Calhoun, Bill Masters, Jay Sherick
Director: Tom Cherones
Cast: Lea Thompson (Caroline), Eric Lutes (Del), Malcolm Gets (Richard), Amy Pietz (Annie), Andy Lauer (Charlie), Burke Moses (Marco), Sam Gifaldi (Martin), Gregory Itzin (Mr. Lepner), Lupe Ontiveros (Rosa), Perry Anzilotti (Towel Attendant)

A good episode. Richard and Caroline have to deal with a brat boy. Del gets jealous when he sees in the gym's locker room, that an ex-boyfriend of Caroline is hung well.



Caroline and the Ex-Wife (1996-03-28)
Writer: Amy Cohen, Michelle Nader
Director: Tom Cherones
Cast: Lea Thompson (Caroline), Eric Lutes (Del), Malcolm Gets (Richard), Amy Pietz (Annie), Andy Lauer (Charlie), Joely Fisher (Jill), Adam Ferrara (Pete Spadaro), Kenny Johnson (Blair), Joseph Bologna (Lou Spadaro), Candice Azzara (Angie Spadaro)

Caroline meets the second ex-wife of Del. An average episode.



Caroline and the Movie (1996-04-04)
Writer: Bill Prady
Director: Tom Cherones
Cast: Lea Thompson (Caroline), Eric Lutes (Del), Malcolm Gets (Richard), Amy Pietz (Annie), Andy Lauer (Charlie), Robby Benson (Himself), John Landis (Himself), Jeff Altman (Howie Bloom), Steven Banks (A.D.), Kathy Griffin (DMV Clerk), Rick Pasqualone (Blade), Sandra Purpuro (Maria Louise Fanego), Wendee Cole (Howie's Date), Nina Jane Barry (2nd A.C.)

John Landis shoots a scene for a movie in the street where Caroline lives. Richard and Caroline get roles as extras in the movie.
A good episode and one of the cases I do not mind the stunt casting.

(From Caroline in the City Marathon on September 18th, 2008)