Change Your Image
lordzavulon666
But I continue to expand my DVD collection anytime I could. My favorite film directors of John Carpenter, Timur Bekmambetov, Ryuhei Kitamura and more.
Reviews
No One Lives (2012)
NO ONE LIVES... when Luke EVANS & RYUHEI KITAMURA are on the prowl....
*MINOR SPOILERS for those who haven't watched the film*
Luke EVANS' DRIVER (yeah, only I'll call him DARK DRIVER since Ryan Gosling is also a "DRIVER") is like what happens when RAMBO is mixed with JASON VOORHEES and is let loose to EXTREME PREJUDICE and MAYHEM. Brutal, gushy, and awesomely EPIC. The kills are like Friday THE 13th/MANIAC SPLATTER-SLASHER FEST to its HIGH OCTANE MAXIMUM CREATIVENESS.
Director RYUHEI KITAMURA's command of the camera is as flowing, dynamic and fast-pace as it was with THE MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN & AZUMI with some bloody VERSUS craziness into the mix.
For the cons, its mostly some of the acting, but nothing like 'REAL BAD ACTING" as some review would make it sound.
Doctor Who: Journey's End (2008)
All one's journey...comes to the end...in full circle.
The most EXCELLENT, SATISFYING, ALL HOLDS-BAR FINALE EVER....
Throughout the four GREAT seasons of the revived DOCTOR WHO, we've seen and journeyed with the Doctor and his companions who came and went. We've seen horrors, joys, sadness, and rebirths of many worlds, universes, and lives.
But in the end, what's next...? Russell T. Davies has finally brought his massive epic-scope of Doctor Who to full circle from the BAD WOLF warning throughout time and space, the MEDUSA CASCADE, The DALEKS, Companions of old and new, and most of all...Donna Noble's journey.
SEASON 4 FINALE TRILOGY has resurrected THE DALEKS, brought to this time by recurring Dalek enemy, DALEK CAAN, last of the CULT OF SKARO. But they are not alone. DAVROS, the creator of the Daleks and the Doctor's most evil nemesis, has returned, bringing with him the most sadistic and destructive epic-plot ever...THE END OF REALITY!!!! And now, The Doctor and Donna, along with Rose, the return of her mother JACKIE TYLER and MICKEY SMITH, former companions MARTHA JONES, JACK HARKNESS, and SARAH JANE SMITH (a welcome return), must band together to stop the Daleks, defeat Davros and return all the missing planets, including Earth back to their original galaxies.
But in the end...a tragic, bitter, and heart-felt goodbye from the Doctor's most faithful companion, will stain him forever....but as he always says...TIME GOES ON.
I wanted to acknowledge that last line because the stories are so rich, epic, and action-packed, yet in the end, its the dramatic emotional part of the show that takes the audiences in the heart. Russell T. Davies has FINALLY given us his farewell all into this MOST EXCELLENT FINALE CHAPTER in the SERIES 4 FINALE saga. Everything he's done throughout his four-year term as Doctor Who Head Writer has come full circle and there's no turning back.
The swelling bombastic epic score by MURRAY GOLD, bringing all his previous music and the great PLANET OF THE OOD finale rendition back is all so ENDURING, EXCITING, EMOTIONAL and EXCELLENT, worthy of this finale. He makes this look like Lord of the Rings in Time and Space...but for the TV screens.
Director GRAEME HARPER has FINALLY EXCELLED in this story. His direction is in pure CINEMATIC SCOPE that this finale should have been displayed in movie screens instead of Television. Thats the beauty of his work. And most notably, kudos to CATHERINE TATE, whose the most enduring companion of them all since SARAH JANE SMITH and ROSE TYLER. She's funny, witty, and annoying...then reveals her true character's self as EMOTIONAL, WARM, HAPPY, SAD, and LOYAL. Her performance is definitely the most amazing part of the stories and with good reason if you've seen SERIES 4 throughout.
David Tennant is wonder as always as THE DOCTOR (#10). Billy Piper as ROSE TYLER is emotional, funny, and feisty as always. But the most worthy performance of all goes to JULIAN BEACH as DAVROS, the sadistic, crazed, and brilliant adversary of all. He's evil, pure and calculating, smart, and scary. And its a welcome return to one of the Doctor's most brilliant and equal villains.
And so...all journeys come to an end....
Until next Christmas....
A new journey begins....
Doctor Who: The Stolen Earth (2008)
Stolen Worlds and Stolen Friends in peril...who will save them from the greatest threat yet?
This is DEFINITELY the most anticipated chapter in Doctor Who Series 4. And to celebrate it with Director Graeme Harper at the helm and Russell T Davies giving all he has left into this episode and the next and finale conclusion.
Throughout the fourth season, the Doctor and Donna have traveled throughout time and space, seeing wonders and extraordinary events that touched their lives. But throughout their journeys, hints and clues of missing planets, bees disappearing, and the return of ROSE TYLER, the Doctor's former companion from Seasons 1 & 2, (reprised by Billie Piper), all come full circle in THE STOLEN EARTH, the 2nd chapter in the SERIES 4 FINALE TRILOGY. The Earth has been stolen and all of the Doctor's companions from the spin-offs, TORCHWOOD and THE SARAH JANE ADVENTURES, are in endanger and attacked by old enemies from the Doctor's past. But another old enemy also returns, bringing forth a plot so massive in epic scale that could mean the end of every thing.
Russell T. Davies has his Ups and Downs in some of his stories. But when it comes to finales, he never disappoints. His writing is in top-notch form along with the explosive epic-scale action. Graeme Harper is behind the director's chair, bring his all as usual with his cinematic style of directing the action and the characters. SOMEBODY PLEASE GIVE THIS GUY A BLOCKBUSTER FILM TO WORK ON!!! He is too good of a director to just remain doing television. But as long its Doctor Who, he's a must-have.
As for the music of Murray Gold, its the most bombastic and dramatic exciting score yet, bringing the foreboding sense of dread and doom and also bringing back some old favorite pieces from previous DW works.
THE STOLEN EARTH, as if has with all finale sagas, has the most INTENSE CLIFFHANGER yet. And then, it all concludes with JOURNEY'S END....
Doctor Who: Utopia (2007)
MAGNIFICENT, PULSE-POUNDING, and another day with the Doctor at the end of the universe!!!
UTOPIA is the first in the SEASON 3 finale trilogy. Jack Barrowman returns as CAPTAIN JACK HARKNESS after being resurrected from death and settling in with his revamped version of TORCHWOOD. Freema Agyman is marvelous as Martha Jones, which in this episode proves she is a definite companion-in-time-traveling with the Doctor.
The story is very intriguing which involves the Doctor, Martha, and Captain Jack strolling along at the End of the Universe (in the year 100 TRILLION AD). They encounter many goings-on with a local cannibalistic horde known as THE FUTURE-KIND and stumbling into an underground refugee base where the residents of humans are awaiting to be transported to the fantastical-mythological place known as UTOPIA. Although, the local scientist, THE PROFESSOR, has some trouble with the rocket and its engines. But the light of hope shines with the arrival of the Doctor and his friends. Though, by the end of this episode, things get from hopeful...to apocalyptic as this episode marks the return of an 'old enemy' from the Doctor's past. And this sets the stage for the next two episodes.
GRAEME HARPER is definitely becoming a grand master of delivering excellent DOCTOR WHO episodes. He has so much energy put into this episode along with RUSSELL T. DAVIES' script that makes me jump for joy for more. The sets, the effects, and the revelation at the end as definitely marked UTOPIA as an instant classic. David TENNANT as the TENTH DOCTOR truly shines here. But the real star of this episode goes to SIR DEREK JACOBI, best known in GLADIATOR and UNDERWORLD: EVOLUTION, as he plays "THE PROFESSOR" in top-form, charismatic, and class. His scenes are the best directed stuff I've ever watched. His chemistry with Tennant is absolutely amazing. Especially near the end.
As for the next episodes...keep'em coming.
Doctor Who: The Caves of Androzani: Part One (1984)
An excellent finale for the FIFTH DOCTOR!!!
The Caves of Androzani is definitely one of the most intriguing and thrilling classic DW stories.
The story is set around the Doctor and his new companion Peri Brown (whom debuted in the previous story, PLANET OF FIRE), arriving on the planet of Androzani Minor. The duo venture deep beneath the caverns of Androzani where they are immediately dragged into an underground war between the army of Androzani Major (Androzani's twin planet) and the renegade forces of Sharez Jek and his android army. The Doctor and Peri are taken for gunrunners, supplying weapons for Jek, as the real gunrunners are trying to make good on their dealings with Jek. While the Doctor and Peri plead their innocence, they discover that the war revolves around Spectox, the greatest substance in the universe. When raw spectox is refined, it is a turned into a life-sustenance drug to keep humanity living on for a younger and longer lifetime. But to the Doctor and Peri's dismay, it is also the deadliest substance when in its raw form. The Doctor and Peri earlier came in contact with a Spectrox nest where they have immediately become infected a horrifying disease known as "Spectrox Toxaemia".
Meanwhile, Sharez Jek is planning his ultimate revenge against his hated nemesis, Morgus. But unknown to Jek, Morgus is also planning Jek's demise as he uses the gunrunners who supplied Jek's weapons to bring his enemy down. As the war escalates into betrayal, political intrigue, and ultimately greed, the Doctor struggles to stay alive long enough to save himself and Peri from not only the disease that's killing them, but also the forces that are after his life.
This story is so top-notch. The actors, the sets, and the performances are amazing. Though, dated the production is, the story itself is definitely gritty, atmospheric, and not to mention, the last story of Peter Davison's period as the Fifth Doctor. Director Graeme Harper has to be one of the best directors of the series. His energetic and eye for drama and action is what makes the story so great. After watching his directed-episodes for the revived series of Doctor Who, it is no wonder why he is considered the best director of the series.
The Caves of Androzani is all and all the best story of the Davison years. And also holds one of the greatest regeneration scenes featuring all his companions and his enemy, the Master, to send him off into the next incarnation.