DVD Collectors Online

Max and Mona, a review by Danae Cassandra

Max and Mona
2004, South Africa

Max, bright-eyed and hopeful, leaves his home village for Johannesburg, to attend university and become a doctor.  Things go wrong from the beginning, when he is sent off with the sacred village goat instead of the goat he is supposed to deliver.  Max names the goat Mona, and with her in tow, ends up staying with his uncle Norman, a shady fellow who just happens to be in debt to a local gangster.  Once Norman learns Max is a gifted mourner, he comes up with the perfect plan for getting himself out of debt and making them some money...

This is a bright, funny comedy from South Africa.  Max, correctly referred to throughout the film as a country bumpkin, arrives a naive innocent, wide-eyed at the big city.  He knows nothing of the city or its dangers - or his uncle Norman and his dangers.  This leads Max into increasingly humorous, and increasingly dangerous, situations.  His innate good heart puts him at odds with his shady uncle, who nonetheless he stands by as family and tries to help. 

This is another release that is part of The Global Lens Collection, and like the rest it is obviously a low-budget film.  Like the other South African film I've seen, Bunny Chow (also Global Lens), it demonstrates South Africa's multicultural society both visually and aurally, since the characters speak a combination of English, Afrikaans and Zulu, sometimes switching from one to another and back in mid-sentence.  This was a fun movie, though it had its serious side when Max worries about upsetting his ancestors with what Norman gets him involved in, and ends on an upbeat and hopeful note.

Definitely worth watching, unless you absolutely can't stand subtitles.

Overall:  3/5

(From Danae's reviews on April 21st, 2011)

Dracula (1931), a review by addicted2dvd

Dracula (1931)
After a harrowing ride through the Carpathian mountains in eastern Europe, Renfield enters castle Dracula to finalize the transferral of Carfax Abbey in London to Count Dracula, who is in actuality a vampire. Renfield is drugged by the eerily hypnotic count, and turned into one of his thralls, protecting him during his sea voyage to London. After sucking the blood and turning the young Lucy Weston into a vampire, Dracula turns his attention to her friend Mina Seward, daughter of Dr. Seward who then calls in a specialist, Dr. Van Helsing, to diagnose the sudden deterioration of Mina's health. Van Helsing, realizing that Dracula is indeed a vampire, tries to prepare Mina's fiance, John Harker, and Dr. Seward for what is to come and the measures that will have to be taken to prevent Mina from becoming one of the undead.

My Thoughts:
This is the first movie I ever watched with  Bela Lugosi in it. And one of my favorite versions of Dracula. I think Bela Lugosi does an outstanding job in the title role. What with this movie being over 75 years old... I wasn't expecting much from the audio and video on this release. But I must admit I was pleasantly surprised. Though I did have to turn the volume up on my surround sound a little... the quality was impressing. There was some noticeable dust on the video... but nothing that bad at all. It was a very good presentation... and the DVD gives us a nice collection of extras. though I only watched the Theatrical Trailer so far... I like to watch those before the movie to help me get in the mood for what I am about to watch.

(From Classic Monster Movie Marathon on May 15th, 2008)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Marathon, a review by DJ Doena

Synopsis: Quark learns that he has a fatal illness and will die within the next week. As it is custom he tries to auction his vacuum-desiccated remains on the Ferengi Futures Exchange. And there's actually a buyer who wants to pay a lot. It's only after that Quark learns he isn't ill at all. But Brunt - who was the buyer - insists on the deal (Rule of Acquisition #17: "A contract is a contract is a contract... but only between Ferengi") and now Quark tries to find a way to not to break the contract, even if that means that Garak must kill him. Meanwhile the Runabout "Volga" has an accident in which the pregnant Keiko O'Brien is injured. Dr. Bashir has no choice but to transfer the baby into Major Kira, the only other woman aboard.

My Opinion: Both storylines were very interesting. The latter one was necessary due to Nana Visitor's real pregnancy. But it was nice to see how the O'Brien's invited her to live with them until the birth and so on. But Quark's storyline was really great. How he tried to remain true to the Ferengi ways even if that would result in his death. But also how he saw that the price would be ultimately to high even though Brunt subsequently stripped him of everything he owned. And it was nice to see how all the people on the station helped him to re-equip the bar with drinks, glasses and furniture. They are like a big family with many different members, but a family nonetheless and that's what I like about the show.

Synopsis: Odo has suddenly become ill and Dr. Bashir has no way of helping him. Sisko decides to bring him to the Founders, maybe they can help him. But it was the Founders who made him ill, to force him to come home, to judge him. Never before has a changeling harmed another until Odo killed one last year.

My Opinion: Minbari do not kill Minbari. Never has a changeling harmed another. It's highly unlikely that species who wage wars and kill other species would actually have such a strict view regarding their own kind. It doesn't really add up. But be that as it may I thought it to be an interesting judgement, to make him "solid". I also thought that Garak's actions were also fitting for his character, that he would actually try to do something like this.

The Season - My Opinion: I thought the season had a lot of interesting episodes, especially the growing conflict with the Klingons and Worf's role in it, but also Dukat's developement. He remains an interesting character. The conflict with the Dominion is growing but it's not yet the main focus of the show - but that will change next year. I think it was a good idea that they didn't start the war yet, even the Dominion needs time to prepare (= to infiltrate the AQ) and it gave the Federation the time to get paranoid.
After the winter break it was a bit hard to restart this marathon, I wanted to watch other stuff like House M.D., but now I am totally hooked again - but I still will watch it only on weekends. So I see you coming friday in this topic!

(From Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Marathon on January 11th, 2009)