Michael-Douglas Movie Reviews

In this episode Angelus plans the end of the world when he finds the tomb of the demon Acathla. Buffy has to keep her romantic feelings for the vicious killer under wraps and stop him before Acathla can destroy the world. Sounds silly doesn't it? Well, what most people don't realise is the genius of 'Buffy'. It uses overexaggeration to demonstrate the true trauma of adolescense, a horror unto itself. Here it literally is the end of the world when Buffy's boyfriend doesn't want her anymore. He changes, only literally.

Among this we also get a fantastic fight between Buffy and Xander, Kendra's return and some dramatic outbursts. There are some fantastic scenes, such as when Buffy's mother finds out about her 'identity'. We get mom on the side asking her daughter if she's 'tried not being a slayer' and the mutual frustration at loving one another but quite understanding each other. Then there's the end, which will blow the audience away. The acting from all concerned (but particularly Gellar and Boreanaz) is excellent, as we are led to a tragic conclusion. Sarah McLachlan's 'Full Of Grace' perfectly fits the end.

All in all, a real winner.

In the epsidoe entitled WARLORD
The Federation pacification program has caught on like wildfire. Soon no one will be able to stop the Federation ever growing grip on the universe. In a last ditch effort Avon has called on the non allied planets to a conference. These worlds working as one could make the anti-toxin needed to stop the Federation cold in its tracks. But everything hinges on the mighty warlord known as Zukan. It is Zukan who holds the most powerful fleet in the universe that could help these other planets fight off the Federation and give them the time needed to give the anti-toxin to those and begins a full scale war aginst the Federation. Avon thinks he may have finally done it finally but an end to the Federation takeover of the known universe. But something doesn't seem right Zukan seems to be thinking of other things. Has Avon gambled and lost?
In the final episode entitled BLAKE

This is it. Everything that has happen that will happen is in this episode. And with that in mind nothing else of this episode shall be mentioned. The ending will make your jaw drop. If you read the other reviews of this episode they will all agree this is one thing that no one can write about. It is an episode that must be watched to be belived. On a personal note this final episode truly shows the scope of the series from the final words spoken in the first epsidoe THE WAY BACK "No I shall be coming back" muttred by Blake to the final few moments of this episode called BLAKE. A series that made sci-fi what it is today and shall be rembered by this reviwer in the years to come.

"Graduation Day Part 1" Faith shoots Angel with a poison arrow. The only cure is Slayer blood. First Buffy tries to get Faith's blood, but ends up giving Angel her blood.

"Graduation Day Part 2" Buffy, her friends, and all the students of Sunnydale High School prepare to battle the Mayor and his vampires.

- Graduation Day Part 2 has the best ending you could ever imagine. You don't know what you are missing.

Of course, this wouldn't be a finale without things falling apart at the seams elsewhere, a clever hyperbole on graduation. There's Angel dying from a poison arrow, Willow and Oz sharing their first night together, an awkward romantic experience and more than a few deaths. All this adds up to a real corker that's not only intelligent and superbly acted but also a roller-coaster ride of a trip.

The long-term fans (like me, lol) will appreciate the scene where Angel drinks from Buffy in a scene that is disturbingly close to a love, or even a rape, scene. There's also a message from Faith on things to come, something that was to confuse watchers for over a year until Dawn's arrival finally made it click into place. Looking back at this episode now, with Giles giving Buffy her diploma and the screen fading out from a yearbook which states 'The Future Is Ours' also manages to pinpoint not only the poignancy of Buffy's life (tragedy was on the horizon) but also the ultimate achievement of 'surviving', in this case literally, high school. Utterly magnificent.

Jerry is this time a second-rate magician, who goes to Japan and war-time Korea, to entertain the soldiers; instead, he falls in love with a Japanese woman Kimi (Nobu McCarthy). He also forms an unlikely relationship with an orphaned boy, who considers Jerry as a new father. As the time of returning to America comes near, he has to decide: stay or leave?

Besides the touching story, in which Jerry shows his tender side, he exhibits lots of his crazy gags as usual, and they are very funny even now. Among many others, my favorite is "the biggest splash in the world" that happens in the Japanese public bath. And Harry the Hare always steals the show -- look how he runs in a hotel -- and Sessue Hayakawa appears as a cameo, to parody his role in a David Lean film (you know what).

As far as I can judge from the film, Jerry's segments are all shot inside America, just like they did in Bogart's "Tokyo Joe" (though we see a big statue of Buddha in Kamakura, Japan, Jerry does not share the screen with it.) The town of Japan is obviously made in a soundstage, but these facts are not important. As a Japanese, I am not a little surprised (pleasantly) to find that the film is friendly to Japan, (remember both nations were at war 13 years before) and inaccurate descriptions of Japan, which are still often found in Hollywood movies, are reduced to the minimal level. It is quite possible that someone behind the production team gave information on Japan, not to offend Japanese audience. The biggest suprise is that some of the gag are clearly made for Japanese; check out the scene where a Japanese boy watches a TV program. An American is speaking (dubbed) Japanese, but his speech is in a dialect of Kansai, western district of Japan. This causes a big laugh in Japan, because it is like hearing a Japanese speaking with a strong accent of, say, New Orleans or Scotland. Who thought of this idea?

My only complaint is the film is longer than it should be, and the opening and ending reels move a little slowly. And Pleshette's character (her debut, and appears in military uniform) should be given more screen time. But these are minor things. A good film that makes you laugh a lot.

Jerry plays a magician named Mr. Wooley, who plans to entertain troops overseas to make a few bucks. Part of his tricks include a rabbit named Harry. This rabbit plays a big part in the movie (perhaps taking Dean's place?). Struggling, Mr. Wooley thinks that playing for the USO will make him a few bucks and give him, perhaps, the big break he's been waiting for. In this time he meets a beautiful Japanese woman, who has a nephew that laughs at practically the sight of Mr. Wooley, and is forever changed by Mr. Wooley. In this comical love story, also featuring Suzanne Pleshette in her first movie role, Jerry really shows true talent for clean comedy and laughs without a sidekick (if you don't count the rabbit). There are also a few surprise things in the movie that you really have to pay attention to catch, making it even more fun!

I highly recommend anyone who enjoys Jerry to watch this film. It will have you rolling with laughter and magically feeling good!

The second part is called "Love, Trevor", and is about a young man named Trevor (Corin Nemec with a not quite authentic British accent) who travels from England to the United States to visit his pen pal Mira (a refreshing performance from Yelena Danova) who is from Sarajevo but staying with a host family. The trouble is, she will be deported soon and the unsuspecting Trevor has been asked to visit for the purpose of marrying Mira to help her stay in the United States. The only kink in the set up is that Trevor really doesn't want to get married, even though he admits to his buddy Ian (the likable Steve Valentine, a true Brit with the dead on accent to back it up) that he's attracted to Mira, he's not in love with her. He does feel guilty, though. Ian tells him, "Lust and guilt won't last three years". Trevor ponders this moral question -- should he marry someone he loves as a friend but not as a life partner? And if he doesn't, will she be in mortal danger when she returns to her country?

Dear Jenny had a sense of mystery while Love Trevor had me intrigued. I HAD to know who this Jenny girl was and what happened to her and Marcel and I HAD to know which choice Trevor would make. Each story was very compelling and also had a hint of sadness as they mirrored broken relationships, loss, the frustration of indecision and the agony of guilt. In the end, both Melody and Trevor DO make their final choices and must live with the consequences.

The ending left me pondering my own choices in life. If you like introspection and quiet, thoughtful dramas, Foreign Correspondents will be perfect for you. Don't miss Wil Wheaton (Stand by Me, Star Trek TNG) as Jonas, a member of Melody's Neighborhood Watch group who develops a crush on her. He has a line that just makes one groan and grimace but at the same time it hits a nerve. You'll know which one I mean when you hear it.

Overall I enjoyed Foreign Correspondents -- especially the performances of Yelena Danova and Steve Valentine. My biggest complaint is Corin Nemec's hair, which never seems to look good no matter what movie or TV show he's in. His fake Brit accent was a bit distracting because I was so familiar with him as an American, but as the story unfolded I soon accepted him as a Brit. For a first film, this is an excellent piece of work and quite moving.

Buffy has already been slaying vampires for some time as "Welcome to the Hellmouth" begins and, after adults perceive her actions as part of a violent attitude, she moves to Sunnydale to start her life over. Despite Buffy's determination to retire from slaying, the new watcher Giles convinces her of Sunnydale's proxmity to the Hellmouth and the importance of fighting the Master. After the story background has been introduced and Willow, Xander and Buffy become friends, "The Harvest" illustrates the newfound importance of their fighting team against the forces of evil. Also, the story introduces Buffy's mother, Joyce, and her first meeting with the mysterious Angel.

Don't miss the interview with creator Joss Whedon just before the episodes air (I recommend watching them after you see both shows). This is a wonderful introduction to establish Buffy's reasons for slaying and the foundation of the soon-to-be Scooby gang!

"The Harvest" picks up right where Part One left off, with Buffy about to get the bite from Luke, the Master's right hand vamp. The title refers to a rather special night where the Master selects a vessel who will go out and feed upon the Sunnydale night life with all that power being transferred to the big bad guy trapped down below. The mystery of Angel is played out a bit more, but the most important thing is that this is merely round one in what would prove to be a season long battle between the Slayer and the Master.

Joss Whedon did not like the campy twist his script was given in the theatrical version of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," and this two-part pilot episode for the television series reaffirms the correctness of his original twist on the girl who beats up the monsters that attack her in the dark alleyway. For those of you who love this television series from the start or are going back to find out how all the merriment began, this is definitely your starting point. It provides a solid foundation for the series and holds up extremely well, better than most pilot episodes do several years down the road.

The events in `Passion' and the emotional backlash they cause, make the story of the teacher and schoolboy lovers in `I Only Have Eyes for You' far more poignant than they would have been as a stand alone episode. The Buffy/Angel story mirrors the teacher/schoolboy love affair, and the role reversal with Buffy taking the role of the boy and Angel as the female teacher is an interesting twist. The whole episode is beautifully acted right through to the end when Buffy realises she can forgive and move on, and the revulsion Angelus feels over the emotions for Buffy the possession stirred within him.

These are two wonderful episodes, superbly written and beautifully acted.

Of the six other episodes featuring Angelus, Whedon picked the perfect two to bridge the beginning and end of this epic: "Passion," with the brutal death of Jenny Calendar offers a pair of emotional scenes, first when Giles discovers Jenny's body in his bed and when an agonized Buffy angrily confronts Giles about his reckless attack on Angelus. "I Only Have Eyes for You" finds Buffy and Angel caught up in the lives (and deaths) of another pair of star crossed lovers, and offers a painful reminder of the feelings they had for each other before things went so horribly wrong.

Because these two episodes make sense only in the context of the return and departure of Angelus, there is little reason to have this particular tape without the rest of the set. This collection perfectly captures the whole Angel/Angelus story arc. Furthermore, "Becoming, Part 2" is one of the 10 best television episodes I have ever seen in my entire life (and I watch a LOT of television).