calibanplayer's Reviews

Special Unit (2017)

10/10

26 April 2020

I've always enjoyed the work of Christopher Titus and in this film he does not disappoint. The humor is slightly irreverent, but funny. The main plot involves a police department having to create a unit of police officers with disabilities due to the fairness in disabilities act. Titus plays a screw-up cop who ends up in charge of this "Special Unit".

The movie is funny without making fun of people with disabilities and the production hired several disabled actors to appear in the film.

The always enjoyable Billy Gardell shows up as the police captain, and we get a great performance from the late Debbie Lee Carrington is wonderful in this film.

The real star here is Christopher Titus, who wrote, directed and started in the movie and managed to make a great film that holds up to repeat viewing.

If you like funny, off-beat humor or are a fan of Christopher Titus's stand-up you will love this movie.

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Steve Jobs (2015)

9/10

Film Different: A Cool Movie - Not meant to be a documentary

21 October 2015

This movie is a dramatization, based on stuff that really happened, and it is a really cool movie.

No, this movie isn't meant to show history exactly as it happened. If you want to know all that read the book by Walter Isaacson. It's a great book.

The script is pure Sorkin-Porn. Rapid-fire dialogue with 2 conversations going on at the same time. If you liked The West Wing or any of Aaron Sorkin's other movies, you'll feel at home with this one.

They also get the small emotional moments right as well. Some of the best moments are between Steve and his daughter.

The directing and editing is masterful. I liked the choice to shoot on different formats for the different years and the flashback scenes punctuate the drama on screen perfectly.

All the actors do a fine job, especially Michael Stuhlbarg who plays Andy Hertzfeld.

I hope when they release this movie on blu ray they include the video of the real Steve doing these product launches as bonus features.

If you can get past the fact that this movie isn't a word for word recreation of history, you will enjoy it.

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Curse of the Cat Woman (1991 Video)

8/10

Fun, Hot Vintage

2 December 2012

Warning: Spoilers

Good stuff from the early 90's era of adult movies.

I remember watching this video back in the 90s, then found it for viewing online in 2012. I noticed the story kind of jumped at one point, and realized a brief scene was missing. Then I looked on here and saw one of the actresses (Alexandria Quinn) was later found out to be slightly underage and the film was re-edited to remove her.

*** MINOR SPOILERS BELOW *** (no pun intended)

It's between when Raquel and Sonny are talking on the stairs, then the screen dissolves to a shot in the club of Veronica introducing Raquel to a man at the bar, and another sex scene begins.

As I remember Alexandria Quinn wasn't involved in any full on sex scene, just some slight fondling, and maybe some nudity. The scene is now edited to not show her, as she's standing behind Veronica in the shot.

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Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles (2006)

8/10

Good to see an old friend back with new stuff

20 March 2008

Warning: Spoilers

I wasn't sure how I would react to this movie follow-up to the Robotech saga that I loved so much when I was a kid. I was even skeptical as I started the DVD, but soon all that slipped away and I started enjoying it. Something about that theme music that really takes you back.

It was really nice to see the Robotech mecha and ships get a fancy computer animated upgrade while keeping the characters hand-drawn. It's also good to have the original voices back for several characters, especially Scott Bernard and Rick Hunter.

The story in the movie starts near the end of the last episode of the original series with the REF trying liberate Earth from the Invid occupation. A few details are added this time to make way for a new enemy, we meet new characters and a couple characters stories are changed from the stories set forth in the Robotech novels.

***MINOR CHARACTER SPOILERS AHEAD***

The android Janice was introduced in the Sentinels novels as having been constructed by Dr. Lang before the Expeditionary force left Earth after the 1st Robotech War, in this movie she was partly constructed by the Haydonites.

We are also introduced to Maia Sterling, who must be a daughter of Max and Miriya. In the Sentinel novels Miriya has another daughter named Aurora, but she would be a lot younger than Maia, and there's no other mention of them having a child.

***END SPOILERS***

It somewhat ignores events that happen in the novel The End of the Circle, which I wasn't real happy about since I'm a big fan of the novels. I know in Star Trek and Star Wars novels aren't considered official cannon, but with Robotech there is only 1 series of novels, and it directly follows the animated series, where as the Star Wars and Trek novels are all over the place.

I know it's tough to revisit a beloved property 20 years later and please all the fans, but I think they did really well with this. If you loved the cartoons, you should enjoy this. I hope they are able to make another one of these that's also good.

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Star Trek: Voyager: Muse (2000)

Season 6, Episode 22

8/10

Voyager Meets Sophocles

8 May 2007

The episode starts at an outdoor theatre on a planet resembling Ancient Greece. We see the inhabitants performing a play about B'Elanna Torres in the Delta Flyer crashing on their planet. We find out the play's writer has found B'Elanna and the crashed Delta Flyer. He has mistaken her for an "Eternal" a celestial being similar to the Greek Gods. He agrees to help B'Elanna try to repair the Flyer in return for more information for his next play.

This is a neat episode that shows what a Voyager episode would look like if performed in an amphitheatre. True Trek fans will notice John Schuck (the Kingon Ambassador from the Trek movies 4 & 6), though you have to go by his voice since he's not a Kingon here.

Also featured is actress Kellie Waymire who is probably most notably known by in the Trek World as Crewmen Cutler from Enterprise and non-Trek fans from the HBO show Six Feet Under and several other TV & Movie appearances before her untimely death in November of 2003 at age 36.

A good episode and a glimpse into a career cut far too short.

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Star Trek: Voyager: The Haunting of Deck Twelve (2000)

Season 6, Episode 25

8/10

A Campfire Ghost Story - Voyager Style

29 April 2007

This episode unfolds primarily from Neelix's talking to the Borg Children while Voyager has to shutdown main power for a couple hours. It's a new twist on the old Campfire Ghost story.

The director uses some unique angles for the scenes that are supposed to take place during Neelix's story, and there are some cool effects shots.

We also get to see crewman Tal Celes, who we first met 5 episodes earlier in "Good Shepherd".

This episode was probably done as a budget saver with the season finale coming up the following week. The Borg Children have some funny lines, but some fine action and acting from the cast keep this episode from skewing too far into the Nickelodeon realm.

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Star Trek: Voyager: Someone to Watch Over Me (1999)

Season 5, Episode 21

7/10

Voyager's take on My Fair Lady

26 April 2007

The main plot of this one involves Seven of Nine learning more social skills. The Doctor and Tom Paris make a bet about her potential, with the Doctor coaching her on.

A Sub-plot involves an ambassador from a bland culture visiting the ship and Neelix in charge of his well-being. Scott Thompson (The Kids in the Hall & The Larry Saners Show) plays the ambassador in a hilarious performance.

We also meet a crew member on the ship who isn't killed after speaking 2 lines, and he has a personality. He's the one Seven of Nine asks to dinner.

This one is more about laughs and singing and Seven of Nine's feelings, showing she does have a heart beneath the catsuit and Borg Impants. This one is worth the watching for Scott Thompson alone.

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Star Trek: Voyager: Good Shepherd (2000)

Season 6, Episode 20

8/10

Good Episode with Great Visuals

26 April 2007

This episode involves Janeway realizing that 3 of the crew have pretty much "fallen through the cracks". One is an anti-social jerk with a high IQ, one is a hypochondriac and the other is a Bajoran girl who always struggles with the math and has little self-confidence.

Under normal circumstances these 3 would have been transfered off the ship, but since they are stuck in the Delta Quadrant, they are also stuck on Voyager. Realizing that all 3 of them have never been on an away mission, Janeway takes them on the Delta Flyer on a routine study mission. As you can imagine, things don't go according to plan.

The FX shots in this episode stand are really well-done. Someone put in some over-time getting the neat close-ups of Voyager in the opening bit.

This episode also features a cameo from guitarist Tom Morello (Audioslave & Rage Against the Macine) as crewman Mitchell.

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Star Trek: Voyager: Virtuoso (2000)

Season 6, Episode 13

5/10

Good acting, but a sub-par episode

16 April 2007

While assisting a group of technologically advanced aliens, they hear the Doctor sing and instantly become mesmerized by his voice. Voyager returns the aliens to their home world where the Doctor becomes adored like The Beatles when they first came to America. The Doctor must decide if he wants to stay on this planet where he is worshiped as a singer or remain with the Voyager. There is also the question of if he should be allowed to leave the ship, since he is in essence an Emergency Medical Hologram.

Robert Picardo turns in a fine performance in this episode, and there are some great scenes with him and Kate Mulgrew, but this is one of the show's weaker episodes.

It's still worth watching as it brings up some interesting concepts about exactly how to classify the Doctor now. Hologram property of Starfleet or a sentient being. In a way this is a courtroom episode, but instead of a courtroom it takes place in a concert hall.

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Star Trek: Voyager: The Disease (1999)

Season 5, Episode 16

8/10

Harry Kim comes of age

11 April 2007

A well-told episode involving Harry Kim falling in love. Voyager is helping a group of Xenophobic aliens make repairs to their ship's systems when Harry Kim has an affair with a female on the other ship which is a major no-no. The intimate encounter has an unexpected effect on Harry's body and the whistle is blown, much to the disappointment of Captain Janeway.

What is nice about this episode and different from the previous "Harry Kim develops feelings for (insert random female here) this time the girl likes him back and he handles himself pretty well with her, with no awkward stumbling.

We soon learn that life on the Aliens ship is not enjoyed by all who are there and a secret separatist group is planning mischief.

This episode features some nice moments between Janeway and Harry, and it's a nice break-out show for Garrett Wang. It's just doesn't seem fare that Captain Kirk nailed half the female life forms in the Alpha Quadrant and never got any diseases, but Harry Kim gets lucky 1 TIME and ends up with the Delta Quadrant's version of the clap.

The camera work in this episode is really good. Many long tracking shots, one of which starts in the briefing room, goes to the bridge and ends in Janeway's Ready Room all in 1 shot. Very Cinematic.

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Star Trek: Voyager: Once Upon a Time (1998)

Season 5, Episode 5

7/10

the 24th century's Sesame Street

31 March 2007

This episode showcases Voyager's youngest crewmen, Naomi Wildman, played by Scarlett Pomers. Her mother is on a mission on the Delta Flyer which has gone missing. The Voyager crew are searching, hoping to find the Delta Flyer before the air supply runs out on the trapped away team.

At issue is should they tell Naomi the truth about her mother being in danger yet, since they don't have solid facts. Neelix hopes to keep her occupied, sparing her the worry and pain of thinking she may never see her mother again.

A neat element of this episode is the holideck program for children. In the 24th century instead of watching Elmo and Big Bird kids actually get to play with Flotter & Trevis. The adventures involve an educational element to encourage learning. But Sesame Street has better songs.

Guest Cast: Under Flotter's makeup is Wallace Langham of CSI and The Larry Sanders Show. It's the only appearance of the holideck program, but the stuffed Flotter that Neelix and Harry make for Naomi is shown in future episodes.

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Star Trek: Voyager: Time and Again (1995)

Season 1, Episode 3

10/10

A Great Early Episode

31 March 2007

This is a great early episode of Voyager. Several elements made me think of the original Star Trek with the Captain leading the away team and a Vulcan officer leading the rescue team. Some of the clothes worn on the planet look like they came from the 60's as well. There is also some Next Generation influence with the empathic female Kes discovering her expanded mental abilities.

The actors have settled into their characters after the pilot and the story is well-written. The crew finds a planet that has recently destroyed itself due to a huge energy explosion. When visiting the surface Captain Janeway and Lt. Paris end up trapped 2 days in the planets past, just before the explosion. Should they try and stop the incident that leads to the explosion, and can the Voyager crew find a way to rescue them? The classic Star Trek Time Travel Parradox.

A great example of this series potential.

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Harmonic Distortion (2002)

9/10

A Really Good Short

9 October 2006

I got to see this at a showing in Chapel Hill on a big movie theater screen, but it would work just as well on a decent TV.

A girl wants to be a musician when a mysterious figure gives her a card with his number and tells her to call him when she's "ready to play for keeps". After several failures she takes him up on the offer and gets a taste of success, but at what cost?

It was shot really well and did a convincing job portraying different eras of history and the acting is really good. Both the male and female leads have done lots of other projects.

Instead of trying to fill with hokey effects, the filmmakers keep things pure, allowing the viewer to use a little imagination, much like the early years on the X-Files. It worked well there, it works here too.

If iTunes ever accepts a wider variety of short films this would be a great one to see. Well-worth the time to watch.

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