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High Anxiety, a review by Dragonfire

High Anxiety My Thoughts I'm not sure when I first saw this one.  I really enjoyed it then even though I hadn't seen all the Hitchcock movies that were being spoofed.  Until this last time I watched it, I had just noticed the references to Psycho, The Birds, and Vertigo.  I noticed a bunch of other references this time, even going back to The Lodger, one of Hitchcock's silent movies.  The story dealing with Dr. Thorndyke becoming the new head of the institute is interesting, though it could have been a bit stronger.  A lot of what happens does seem to be just done as an opportunity to poke fun at a Hitchcock movie.  That may disappoint some viewers, but I think it works overall and makes for a fun, entertaining movie.  There is something a bit darker about this one than the other Mel Brooks movies I've seen.  That darker tone works perfectly since the movie is spoofing Hitchcock movies, several of which get rather dark.  There is a good amount of humor to what is happening throughout the movie, though this isn't the funniest Mel Brooks movie that I've seen.  That may disappoint some people expecting the movie to be funnier. The movie uses some unique shots, something that Hitchcock did in most of his movies.  One scene is shot through a fish tank which gives a unique look to the scene.  The fish in the tank look like little sharks which fits considering one of the characters involved.  Another scene is shot up through a glass table.  That is very much like when a glass floor was used in The Lodger to show someone pacing back and forth upstairs.  Since that movie was silent, Hitchcock had to find a way other than hearing footsteps to show the pacing.  The scene in High Anxiety is a bit twisted though..the characters keep putting stuff down on the table, blocking the camera.  There is a funny, if somewhat gross, scene that is inspired by The Birds.  The recreation of the shower scene from Psycho is wonderful.  The characters are interesting and entertaining.  Nurse Diesel is very stern and a bit scary with the way she acts.  Cloris Leachman is wonderful in the part.  I do like Mel Brooks as Thorndyke.  The bellhop, played by Barry Levinson, is only in a few scenes, but he is very entertaining.  Madeline Kahn does really well as Victoria, the blonde who gets mixed up in what is going on. The Blu-ray has a very interesting featurette that has Brooks and some of the other people who worked on the movie talking about the movie.  Brooks talks about how much he loved Hitchcock movies. He sent Hitchcock the script and got suggestions back.  Hitchcock really liked the movie when he saw it.  His granddaughter is also shown, talking about how the family enjoyed the movie so much and finding all the references to her grandfather's movies in it.  The other extras are a trivia track and a test.  The test thing pops up silly questions while the movie plays.  I only saw a few of them, but it was kind of fun.  I really enjoyed this movie.  I do think it is worth watching, though it probably won't appeal to everyone. I did get a review posted on Epinions. High Anxiety

(From Dragonfire88's Alphabet Marathon on July 13th, 2010)

The Dark Knight Rises, a review by Dragonfire

The Dark Knight Rises



I've been wanting to see another Nolan Batman movie since the credits started on The Dark Knight the first time I saw that one.  I was very happy when I read that Nolan decided to make a third movie even though he also said it would be the last one.  

I'm going to be very careful not to share any spoilers here.

Nolan has done what has seemed impossible for a long time.  He made a third movie about a superhero that didn't turn into a mess in some way.  Yes I have still managed to enjoy most of them overall - like Spider-Man 3 and X-Men: The Last Stand - they had major story problems with cramming too many storylines and characters in.  That does not happen with this movie.  It is every bit as good as the previous movies, and better in some ways.  I saw it Friday morning - start time of 11:40 am - and I'm still in awe of how good..and well freaking awesome this movie is.  For me, the movie more than lived up to the hype and I wasn't disappointed with it at all.  

The story is handled very well.  There is a new deadly threat to Gotham, but Bruce also have a few ....I'll call them lingering issues to figure out as well.  The story is complicated without being so complicated that it is hard to figure out what is going on.  The different story elements work together wonderfully without any of them feeling like they were short changed.  There is a proper resolution and I think it works really well.  I know some people don't care for one aspect of the ending, but I don't feel the same way.  The ending is great, not just for this movie, but for the trilogy.  I have seen that some people are debating the ending already.

Bane is a great villain...not as complex as Joker, but that's ok.  I like that Bane isn't that much like Joker - other than wanting to cause destruction in Gotham that is.  This is not the mindless thug being controlled by Poison Ivy from Batman & Robin.  This guy is fully intimidating and a worthy opponent for Batman.  The fight between the two of them is handled very well.  From what I have read over the years, this version of Bane is more like he was in the comic books.  

I really like Selina.  She has ...questionable motives more often than not, but she isn't all bad.  I like Anne Hathaway in the part too.

The visuals are wonderful again.  At one point a somewhat different bat signal is seen.  The way it is shown, and the build up of the score make that a very powerful moment.  And it was cool.    There is a new vehicle that is just as awesome as the car and bike.  The action scenes are wonderful, and yes, there are things that are just freaking cool - like the flipping truck from TDK or the hallway fight from Inception.  The movie is still dark..which makes sense given the tone of the first two, but hope also plays a part in the movie.  There are emotional moments as well...the strongest in a few scenes with Alfred.  

There are a few things that happened or were shared that I didn't see coming.  I'm still wondering why I didn't suspect something with regards to one of them.  Well...I briefly thought of something and then quickly dismissed it. 

I absolutely loved this movie.  I'll definitely get it on Blu and I will probably see it in the theater again.  I also feel like having a Nolan movie marathon..and possibly a Batman movie marathon, ending with the first 2 Nolan Batman movies.



I did get a review posted at Epinions.  It did take me longer because I just couldn't stop thinking about a few things.  

The Dark Knight Rises


(From The Dark Knight Rises - No Spoilers on July 22nd, 2012)

Tom's TV Pilots marathon, a review by Tom

Karin: Complete Box Set (2005/Japan) IMDb | Wikipedia FUNimation Entertainment, Geneon Entertainment (United States) Length: 600 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78 Audio: English: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, Japanese: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Subtitles: English

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Plot:
In the 21st century, a family of vampires settled down in Japan. They lived among humans and sucked their blood quietly and discreetly. However their daughter Karin had a secret that she could not share with anyone. She did not suck blood like the rest of the family. Instead, her blood level increases! She is a blood making vampire!


Karin
1.01 Bleeding Is Embarrassing
Writer: Yuna Kagesaki (Original Material By), Yasunori Yamada (Screenwriter)
Director: Yutaka Kurosawa, Shinichiro Kimura
Cast: Japanese Cast), Sayuri Yahagi (Karin Maaka (voice)), Katsuyuki Konishi (Kenta Usui (voice)), Yuka Inokuchi (Anju Maaka (voice)), Dai Matsumoto (Henry Marker (voice)), Emi Shinohara (Carrera Marker (voice)), Nojima Hirofumi (Boogy (voice)), Mikako Takahashi (Maki Tokitou (voice)), Sayori Ishizuka (Class Teacher (voice)), Yuko Gibu (Fukumi Naito (voice)), Takashi Kawakami (Business Man (voice)), Mari Todo (Female Student (voice)), English Cast), Chelsea Curto (Karin Maaka (voice)), Chelsea Curto (Nurse (voice)), Yahav Rom (Kenta Usui (voice)), Marian Elizabeth Spencer (Anju Maaka (voice)), Marian Elizabeth Spencer (Naito (voice)), Paul John Pistore (Henry Marker (voice)), Paul John Pistore (Boogy (voice)), Chio Su Ping (Carrera Marker (voice)), Hillary Blazer-Doyle (Maki Tokitou (voice)), Coral Tong (Teacher (voice)), Jerry Szombathy (Narrator (voice)), Jerry Szombathy (Ren Maaka (voice)), Jerry Szombathy (Boss (voice)), Meriem Bekka (Fumio Usui (voice))

Karin is teenage vampire. But not the normal kind of vampire. Instead of sucking blood, her blood increases until it is released in violent nose bleeds. Or she bites someone and transfuses this excess blood to the other person. This abnormality also makes her a day person. This all is an embarassment to the family.
The pilot episode is a good introduction. I have also read the manga this series is based. During the first half of the anime, the storyline of the manga is followed, but then with the introduction of an original character halfway through, the story deviates from the manga.

Rating:

(From Tom's TV Pilots marathon on June 3rd, 2012)