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blayneleonard
Reviews
Nosferatu - Phantom der Nacht (1979)
Not a good rendition of the Dracula story. Sloppy production.
I only saw the last part of this movie several years ago, but now after seeing the whole thing, I'm glad that I didn't actually pay real money to see this movie. For starters, the entire film moves extremely slow. Also, there are many inconsistencies and scenes that are totally out of place in the film. Example 1 - Harker has arrived at Dracula's castle and appears to be devoid of life - aside from Harker and Dracula. But then a little boy playing a violin appears out of nowhere for no reason. Not just once - but twice. Example 2 - Dracula is about to head back to Harker's home town, and Harker somehow figures it out. When he pursues him, Harker makes a rope out of linen to climb out his window - leading one to believe that he is locked in his room. But in previous scenes, Harker appears to be able to move freely about the house and outside of the house with no problem. Example 3 - Everyone in the town near Dracula's castle is afraid of him, yet Dracula manages to find 3 (or 4)guys to help him transport his coffins on a raft to the ship going to Harker's home town.
I also thought that the film was poorly edited...like in the first scene where Harker leaves for Dracula's castle - after kissing Lucy, Harker instantly appears on the horse riding away...no fade or anything in between.
It's good for a laugh here and there, but if you really have to see this movie, I would recommend borrowing it from a friend or the library...if you don't mind burning the extra gas to pick it up.
Martha Speaks (2008)
Great show!
My kid LOOOOOOVES Martha Speaks! We stumbled on this by accident while channel surfing. After I saw how interested he was in it, I went to the library to borrow a couple of DVDs. I knew then that he loved them enough for me to buy them. He now has 2 of Martha's DVDs and can't get enough of her. I love them because they do manage to write great and very funny stories that appeal to both kids and adults. I can truly call this a family show.
The thing that appeals to me about "Martha Speaks" is even though Martha is very intelligent and can articulate like a human, she's still a dog who still thinks like a dog (i.e., she still likes to drink out of the toilet bowl, dig holes and eat out of the garbage), which creates some very interesting situations! It also exposes my son to very big words and their meaning - and it does seem to have helped expand his vocabulary.
I think that this would make an excellent live-action movie if anyone decided to make that move (hint, hint) and I would be the first one to see it! I would HIGHLY recommend these DVDs and the books!