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Reviews
Legend (1985)
A beautiful movie...
... but if you're going to buy it, spring for the two disc set. I have loved this film since I was a little kid, back before the era of DVDs when I all I could do was watch a battered VHS copy over and over again. The sets and artistry are just gorgeous. Just recently, I purchased the DVD set with the Director's Cut. Honestly, it's almost like watching an entirely different film. And a better one. The story is more complete, many scenes that were chopped to bits are back in their entirety and more coherent, and the ending has changed (and, in my opinion, the new ending makes a great deal more sense). That said, I still have a fondness for the shorter Tangerine Dream version as well. Luckily, the DVD set includes BOTH versions, plus some interesting extras.
Ella Enchanted (2004)
One of my childhood favorites... destroyed
If you are seeing this movie because of the book with which it shares its title (and not much else), spare yourself.
Had this been an original film, not based on anything, I might have enjoyed it somewhat as a bit of silly fun. But it continually advertised its self as a film translation of a book that is near and dear to my heart, a book which I had been longing to see made into a well-done film.
Unfortunately, when it comes to being a translation of the book, the movie is pure garbage. They've taken the most basic premise of the plot, the names of the characters (in most cases, ONLY the names), and discarded just about everything else. The characters are, for the most part, shallow reflections of themselves (if they're even recognizable at all), and the plot has become silly, cheesy, and full of pointless and totally unnecessary pop-culture references. Gone are the interesting and well developed character interactions, and Ella's curse, which in the book was a constant source of true emotional and physical discomfort, is, with the exception of its use as a catalyst in the end of the film, mainly exploited as comic relief. This was a story that would have made a wonderful movie on it's own merits. It didn't need to be put through the MTV Hollywood wringer.
And no matter what anyone says... you can't call something "Ella Enchanted" if it has no stair rail.
D.E.B.S. (2004)
You'll either love it or hate it
I found, both from showing this movie to various friends and from reading reviews, that this is the sort of movie that you either get (and if you get it, you love it), or just don't get (in which case, you probably won't like it). The film gets major brownie points from me right out of the starting gate simply for being a lesbian romantic comedy, even if it is wearing spy- spoof clothing. I think I speak for all my fellow teenage lesbians when I say that there really isn't much out there for us in the entertainment world... and a lot of what is out there is edgy or dramatic or horribly tragic and soul-searching. Do they realize that gay and lesbian teenagers, just like everyone else, sometimes just want to kick back and watch some mindless cutesy drivel just like our heterosexual counterparts? Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the mainstream, cheesy chick flicks as much as the next person, but I do feel rather under- represented sometimes.
There are a few times the movie misses it's mark a little, but the rest of it makes up for that. Funny, sweet, and just an overall good time.