nvserv Reviews

Moonlight (2007–2008)

Improving...

[10/10 · 12 October 2007]

From a questionable first episode (yes, they had to lay groundwork, but they could have made it a bit more interesting) to a much more interesting and revealing second episode, Moonlight has begun to be more fun to watch.

With new additions (and references back) to "classic" vampire lore, there are other things to look forward to in the show.

The cast is good and for a change, don't sound like they're from north of the United States.

CBS needs something to make Friday nights more interesting, and I think this show will do just that.

Dirty Jobs (2005– )

A Breath of Fresh Air

[10/10 · 11 March 2007]

Instead of the pompous type of show we've become inured to, Dirty Jobs is a show that doesn't take itself too seriously. Host Mike Rowe shows us what the people who keep our lives clean do to make them that way. From cleaning up chewing gum, cleaning out sewers, working the salt mines, tarring roofs and more, Mike shows us what's involved in those nasty little jobs we don't think about and what those who do them for us experience every single workday.

Mike has a self-deprecating sense of humor, and I've never seen him shy away from getting dirty. He's literally been right there underneath it all when the charcoal dust fell. Somehow, I can't see a lot of other hosts putting themselves in that position.

Kaidômaru (2001 Video)

Overall, not bad... (English dub)

[7/10 · 12 January 2006]

The animation is very good, though a bit pale in places. I can get into the storyline fairly well, but the English dub is so stilted, it makes it difficult to get into the story. Also, it would have been better to refer to characters as -san rather than Mr -insert name here-. Honestly, it flows better.

A lot of this may have to do with the Western habit of doing dub work with the actors in a room on their own, with no one to play off. The Japanese practice is to have the actors all in the same room, where they may act off each other's performances.

I'd be interested in seeing a reworking of this with a different dub performance.

Poirot: The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1990) Season 3, Episode 1

A gem!

[10/10 · 25 December 2005]

David Suchet is the quintessential Hercules Poirot, and it was a joy to see his portrayal of the famed detective's first case. After a slow start, the "funny little man" makes his first appearance on the screen. Of course, the character as portrayed by Suchet was still being developed, so there are a few minor differences, but nothing that would be annoying.

As was mentioned before, the period sets, clothing and props were delightful. The mannerisms of the upper crust are always fun to watch in Poirot, as they seem completely oblivious to the real world.

I highly recommend this program to fans of the series.

Serenity (2005)

Wow!

[10/10 · 30 September 2005]

Just an amazing film.

I saw a midnight showing on opening day, so there were die-hard fans there. I can tell you a great time was had by all. It reminded me of the bubbly energy at the Star Wars sequels, where I did the midnight movie thing for Empire and Jedi...

The actors did a fantastic job. They know their characters well. Whedon has done stellar work here. I'm just tickled that Universal was willing to take a chance on a show that was canceled (after a seriously botched short run as a series - all blame to the network for that fiasco).

As a previous poster said, you'll end up experiencing all your emotions with this one. These are the movies I most enjoy.

Overall, it's one big exciting roller-coaster, and you'll find yourself wanting to get back in line once its over.

Rome (2005–2007)

Excellent production

[30 August 2005]

After seeing the first episode, the show promises to be an excellent production showing the civilization and intrigue of the Rome of Julius Caesar. We can't place our own moral code on these characters. They had their own, and are shown living it. When your life depended upon position and knowledge, you did everything you could to put yourself in the best position possible. In an "about the show" program that I saw about "Rome", the actress who plays Atia says that she doesn't feel her character is evil. The character is doing what she has to in order to keep her position and stay alive in that time. Life was hard, and so one didn't have the luxury of being soft.

To those who complain about the accents, so what? Why would someone from ancient Rome speak with an Italian accent? Language and dialect evolve over time. Who knows what an ancient Roman accent sounded like? They aren't Italians speaking in English, they are Romans speaking their own Latin dialect. Latin is not Italian. Just ask my old High School Latin teacher. We just happen to have the movie magic version of a Universal Translator, so we can understand them.

The sets are perfect, showing a bustling city, full of activity. To those who complain about them, they have to remember that the ruins of ancient Rome that we see today have been scoured clean by the progression of time. The filmmakers felt that ancient Rome would have been more like Bombay, India, and I tend to agree with them.

The series shows life as it was in those days. I'm looking forward to seeing how it develops further.

Fluffy (1965)

Very funny...

[10/10 · 8 August 2005]

This movie was always a guilty pleasure for me. Whenever I saw it would be on, I finagled a way to be able to watch. Being a cat-lover, I loved the lion. Even now, I find myself smiling, just thinking about the film.

The cast was perfect in their over-reactions and bluster when confronted by the lion and Tony Randall's insistence that Fluffy would hurt no one. It's classic comedy for its time, and the humor still works, all these years later.

I highly recommend this film for harmless fun that's enjoyable for adults and children.