DVD Collectors Online

The Fall, a review by Achim

Title: The Fall
Year: 2006
Director: Tarsem Singh [Tarsem]
Rating: R
Length: 117 Min.
Video: Widescreen 1.85:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital TrueHD, Commentary: Dolby Digital Stereo, Commentary: Dolby Digital Stereo
Subtitles: English, French

Stars:
Catinca Untaru
Justine Waddell
Lee Pace
Kim Uylenbroek
Aiden Lithgow

Plot:
Filmed over a period of 4 years in 18 different countries, Tarsem's The Fall is an unforgettable movie experience. In 1920s Los Angeles, Alexandria (Catinca Untaru), a 5-year-old girl hospitalized from a fall, strikes up an unlikely friendship with Roy (Lee Pace, TV's "Pushing Daisies"), a Hollywood stuntman shattered by a near-fatal movie set accident and his lover's betrayal. To pass the time, he tells Alexandria the epic story of Governor Odious and the 5 remarkable heroes determined to defeat him - a dazzling world of magic and myth. Only when the line between reality and fantasy begins to dissolve does Alexandria realize how much is truly at stake. Presented by David Fincher (Fight Club) and Spike Jonze (Adaptation), The Fall is an awe-inspiring, cinematic tour de force.

Extras:
Scene Access
Audio Commentary
Trailers
Deleted Scenes
Featurettes
Gallery
BD-Live



There isn't really much to say for me about this film. The story is held rather simple to make room for the BEAUTIFUL, jaw-dropping imagery. It is, however, not that simple to become entirely boring. Especially in the later part, when story and reality begin to mix there is some inspired moments.

The director is Tarsem who previously made The Cell, which had a boring story but was also full of beautiful images. Almost none of the actors appetared in any other film of my collection. That is not to say they didn't act well. The little girl reaches her limits quite a few times, but all adult actors do a good job.


I found the film to be inspired by Baraka as several locations can be recognized throughout the film.


(if mainly for its beauty)

(From The Fall on July 19th, 2009)

Alex & Emma, a review by DJ Doena

June, 16th


Luke Wilson    ...    Alex Sheldon / Adam Shipley
Kate Hudson   ...    Emma Dinsmore / Ylva / Elsa / Eldora / Anna
David Paymer   ...    John Shaw
Sophie Marceau   ...    Polina Delacroix

Synopsis: Alex owes some guys 50 grand due to gambling problems and of course he doesn't have the money. But he's a writer and he promises them a hundred grand in 30 days when his new book is finished - but he hasn't even begun it yet. He needs a stenographer to type 300 pages in 30 days and thus he hires Emma to type while he's dictating his story.

My Opinion:Alex & Emma fails. It's like watching a village creek flow for 92 minutes. Nothing extraordinary happens, not even the blunder was a big deal. They even had this basically cool idea to "jump" into the story Alex was writing and Emma interrupts him and demands changes. There was so much potential to use (for example) rewind effects or morphing effects to change to story while telling but they barely made use of such devices. And what's worse: The story Alex was writing was boring as hell.
This was a blind buy, of course.

(From DJ Doena's movie watchings 2009 on June 19th, 2009)

Tom's TV Pilots marathon, a review by Tom

Star Wars: Clone Wars: Volume One (2003/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia (Canada) Length: 69 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78 Audio: English: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround, Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround, French: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround, Commentary: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, Commentary: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Subtitles: English

---

Plot:
The Saga continues with the Emmy-winning 'Star Wars: Clone Wars', available for the first time on DVD. This animated micro-series, directed by Genndy Tartakovsky, captures George Lucas' vision in a dynamic animated style that is a visual delight for all ages. 'Star Wars: Clone Wars Volume One' reveals the epic adventures that bridge the story arc between 'Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones' and 'Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith'. Follow the valiant Jedi Knights and the brave soldiers of the Republic's clone army as they battle againts the droid forces of the Separatists, led by the evil Sith Lord, Count Dooku. Witness the battles that made galactic heroes out of Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, and along the way get a first look at the new menace from 'Episode III', General Grievous. This is a must-have for any 'Star Wars' DVD collection.




Star Wars: The Clone Wars
1.01 Chapter 1

This is the first Clone Wars TV series. Never saw the newer one. This series put me off completely from the modern Star Wars. There is only one true Star Wars, and that is the original trilogy.

Rating:

(From Tom's TV Pilots marathon on July 25th, 2012)