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cygnadu
 
 
 
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  • Review count
    7
  • Helpfulness votes
    2
  • First review
    October 8, 2007
  • Last review
    October 19, 2007
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    4.1
 
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cygnadu's Reviews
 
Customer Rating
3 out of 5
3
Awesome... Just Not Everybody's Idea Of "Awesome"
on October 19, 2007
Posted by: cygnadu
from Wellsboro, PA
What a sick but cool movie. It's perverse. It's demented. It's erotic. It will keep you watching through to the end. A girl grows up in an abusive household and creates a different psyche/persona for herself to escape her childhood. Her mother does the same thing in order to cope with the guilt she feels about her daughter's early years. The intersection of both their lives further along in time is where this story takes place. Be ready for a mind-bender towards the end.
What's great about it: Neat story. Good direction and acting.
What's not so great: Subtitles!! A little TOO far over the limit for most movie goers.
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
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Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
Sad Movie
on October 17, 2007
Posted by: cygnadu
from Wellsboro, PA
You can't go wrong with Heath Ledger. Period. The guy is GOOD. And he is up to his usual par in this movie. This is the tale of the downward spiral of two lovers who are addicted to heroin and the mess and tradgedy that the drug makes of their lives. It's a train-wreck of a story and you won't be able to look away as you wait for the next terrible, depraved thing to happen to the protagonists. For those of you who like happy endings - you're not going to like this one- it's depressing. And after an already depressing hour or so of film the end only gets worse. But I loved it. I recommend it even. But be warned - it's going to bring you down.
What's great about it: Great cast and story.
What's not so great: You watch it once you probably won't have the heart to watch it again.
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
 
Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
Slow story but you'll stay until the end
on October 15, 2007
Posted by: cygnadu
from Wellsboro, PA
This is a movie for fans of Indie Films... because that's what this is. The story is about two neighbors - one is a middle aged divorcee the other an 18 year-old call-girl. The girl makes a living as a call-girl all the while keeping it a secret from everyone she knows. Her secret is found out, however, by her neighbor while he attends a party that she is hired to work at. This is the basic set-up that gets the story rolling and I won't give any more away. It's a great little movie with fabulous acting by the two leads. Don't expect any action or fast-pacing - you won't get it here. But I'll bet that once you start watching and becoming involved in these two people's stories you won't stop the DVD before it's over.
What's great about it: Great soundtrack. Story is good.
What's not so great: Grainy film quality.
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
 
Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
Liev's Directorial Debut is Illuminating
on October 12, 2007
Posted by: cygnadu
from Wellsboro, PA
Great movie. Funny. Touching. A great journey movie where strangers become closer and learn more about themselves during the trip. Beautiful cinematography. Gorgeous colors and backgrounds. Extra and deleted scenes that are included on this DVD are great gems and are worth watching. Fantastic "under the radar" movie to watch and recommend to your friends.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
 
Guillermo del Toro knows what people want on their DVDs, and this three-disc second edition of Hellboy is proof positive of just that. Designed with extravagant attention to detail, all three discs are stuffed with enough bonus material to satiate any fan of the flick. With stellar treatments given to both the anamorphic 1.85:1 widescreen picture and 5.1 English track, this release does a monumental job of presenting the director's cut of the film. With far too many extras to count, disc one presents the film plus multiple branching features and a storyboard track that'll give new meaning to repeated viewings. Also worth noting, Hellboy's creator Mike Mignola supplied some new animated comics that you can branch out or, just like the others, watch through a "Play All" feature as well. The movie also comes complete with two commentaries, the first a new lone commentary with del Toro as he opts against a screen-specific commentary and delves into the whole filmmaking process of realizing his vision of Mignola's world, while the second track features both an isolated score and a commentary from composer Marco Beltrami. The director's cut itself adds in ten or so minutes of cut scenes, mostly character moments that add a bit more feeling into the film, while another subplot involving Rasputin's eyes finally sees the light of day here. Disc two delves more into the nuts and bolts of the movie, with even more added extras to make one solid second half to one hot special edition. The two-and-a-half-hour "Hellboy: The Seeds of Creation" documentary starts things off, taking you chronologically through the shoot by way of behind-the-scenes footage and cleverly inserted featurettes focused on individual aspects of the production. It's an interesting way to tackle a making-of, and the disc's producers go a long way to present all of it in a fresh and engaging way. More del Toro is rarely a bad thing, so his commentary on all three deleted scenes is more than welcome (and in one case, better than the actual clipped scene), as are the exclusive character bios that he wrote for the main actors when they signed onto the project. The rest of the immense disc includes sections on Animatics, Motion Board-a-Matics (the technique of animating the storyboards on a somewhat crude, but effective level), Maquette 3-D sculptures of the film's creatures, a lengthy Poster Explorations gallery, and not just trailers, but nine TV spots as well! Disc three makes its debut with this set and its explorations of the production are expansive to say the least. First off is the cast commentary from the previous edition, though here it is presented as a video commentary, with footage of stars Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Rupert Evans, and the always hilarious Jeffrey Tambor sitting in a recording studio as they view the film. For those interested in a more in-depth look at the movie magic in the film, look no further than the "Production Workshops" section. Including features on pre-production makeup and lighting tests, along with a few visual-effects how-to sections on some of the more complicated effects in the film, this area provides great insight to how the fantastical comic book designs were translated to the big screen. Speaking of comics, one of the set's greatest inclusions is the "Quick Guide to Understanding Comics" feature, hosted by none other than self-proclaimed comic scholar Scott McCloud. Taking many of the ideas from his acclaimed series of books on the subject, McCloud brings the viewers through history, showing how the comic art form has changed and developed as its social acceptance has broadened throughout the years. Also included is a 23-minute Q & A session at a 2002 Comic-Con, along with an expanded gallery section that holds an immense Mignola pre-production art section (complete with a 40-minute artist commentary) and a Comic-Book Artist Pinup area, where such comic legends as Frank Miller and others submit their versions of the big red guy. With incredible menu design and even more hidden features, this three-disc is the ultimate release of the film and should prove to be the one that most hardcore fans end up with when all is said and done. This set was also released in a Gift Set that included a collectible {%Hellboy} bust.
 
Customer Rating
4 out of 5
4
This Is What DVD Is All About
on October 10, 2007
Posted by: cygnadu
from Wellsboro, PA
This movie is just shy of "awesome". My problem with it is the dialogue. A lot of the time the conversation and one-liner jokes just don't work. I am guessing that since Guillermo del Toro wrote the script and he speaks primarily Spanish the translation didn't quite come across. But whatever. Visually and stylistically this movie is superb. The colors that you see on the screen are bright and the lighting of different sets is done in a moody way and it all combines to make this film a visual treat. Not to mention the special effects, imaginative creatures, huge fight scenes, elaborate set and costume designs... I could go on and on. This particular edition of the DVD allows you to explore every nuance that went in to making the film. From the original four-issue comic book series that it sprang from to the finishing touches done in post-production. There are so many extras in this three-disc version that you could be stuck on your couch for at least a week to see all of them. del Toro makes far better use of the DVD medium than most filmmakers. And this is one of the best out there.
What's great about it: Never-ending DVD extras
What's not so great: Dialogue
I would recommend this to a friend!
-1point
0of 1voted this as helpful.
 
Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Best Movie You'll Read This Year
on October 9, 2007
Posted by: cygnadu
from Wellsboro, PA
If you are an ADULT fan of fantasy then don't let this film go under your radar simply because it is subtitled. Many a supposed "movie-lover" have passed on films just because they have to read the sub-titles. Don't do it - trust me. This is an ADULT fairy-tale filled with magic and meanness. Inhuman creatures and human monsters. And a little girl who realizes she needs to escape the harsh world she is in and return to the land where she is princess. This movie WILL NOT let you down. The Special Edition DVD is filled with so many behind the scenes extras that you can remain in the world Pan's Labyrinth creates long after the movie itself is over. Extra tidbit: This movie was made as a companion piece to an earlier Guillermo del Toro movie The Devil's Backbone.
What's great about it: Effects, Make-Up, Power Of The Story
What's not so great: Spanish Language
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
1of 2voted this as helpful.
 
Customer Rating
5 out of 5
5
Best Movie In The 'Verse
on October 8, 2007
Posted by: cygnadu
from Wellsboro, PA
Joss Whedon and his underdog legion of Browncoats did it! Not only is this movie incredible but the story of its coming about is even more so. I encourage any Sci-Fi or drama fan to check it out and then follow the timeline backwards to see where Serenity came from. It's well-worth the trip and a good heart-wrenching story to boot.
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
 
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