Taipei, TAIWAN
Joined April 16th 2010
Recent PostsOn Hiatus will return soon!November 20th 2010 16:28
Hello Orble, I'm on hiatus for the moment dealing morning sickness and other writing commitments that require my immediate attention. Will be back soon for reviews on more great movies and tv shows. See y'all soon. Deni
 DVD Vault: Babies (2010)September 28th 2010 11:35
 Award winning filmmaker Thomas Balmès takes us on an extraordinary journey to the past where life began pretty much the same for us all. We can all learn about our own humble beginnings long forgotten through the lives of four babies from around the world and their incredible adventure of self-discovery. The children are: Ponijao, who lives with her family in near Opuwo, Namibia; Bayarjargal, who resides with his family in Mongolia, near Bayanchandmani; Mari, who lives with her family in Tokyo, Japan; and Hattie, who resides with her family in the United States, in San Francisco. 
Ponijao from Namibia
We see each child from the moment they are born right until they manage to take their first step and what an incredible journey that is in just a little over a year. It's fascinating that while all babies are from very different backgrounds they all start off the same and yet at some point their environment will effectively take over, shaping them into intriguing individuals as dictated by their unique culture. 
Hattie from San Francisco
The movie is beautifully filmed, with incredible establishing shots that emphasize the vast differences in each environment, rich in color, all wide angles at eye level with each tot and there is no narrative or rather the narrative is determined by what ever is going through the child's mind which is anyone's guess. Sure the parents are there in the background and you get a strong sense of their presence all around but this movie is told through the eyes of the babies. 
Mari from Japan
While each new bundle of joy is fun to watch, I couldn't help but be more intrigued by the lives of Ponijao and Bayar from Namibia and Mongolia respectively. It's obvious why. Both Hattie and Mari are from environments no different than my own, both are bombarded with an unending supply of plastic toys and sophisticated baby accessories and adornments and with what I can only assume is Baby Yoga classes, so watching Ponijao and Bayar grow up practically unpampered, playing with a dirty bottle and teething on dried animal bones and rocks, free to crawl and roam outside and wallow in dirt, drinking water from what looks like a muddy stream or crawling half naked on a farm almost trampled by cows and goats in mud and God knows what else was pretty eye-opening. 
Bayar from Mongolia
You get a strong sense of just how resilient babies are. In the states I hear women complain about strangers touching their babies on the cheek but then you see little Bayar, quite naked sitting on a rusty tin drum surrounded by a bunch of cows and barely missed being kicked in the face and you pretty much conclude that we Westerners are just a wee bit soft. But at the end of the day none of that matters because each baby is content and happy no matter how rich or how poor. The movie is brilliantly simple and is probably the perfect movie for those who have not had the opportunity to interact with babies and yet hold a somewhat mild curiosity for kids, especially at the early stages in their life. It's great documentary which celebrates humanity at its best.
Pesky little sister and blueberries!September 25th 2010 02:41
It must be cool to have a younger brother or sister, I wouldn't know since I'm the youngest sister and there's no one below me but I know that there must have been times when I've tried the patience of my oldest siblings to the point of madness and I'm equally sure that there were times when I've gotten my "just" desserts for being annoying.
Woman cut in half to save her lifeSeptember 25th 2010 02:22
This is an incredible story of the wonders of medical science. This woman was literally cut in half and put back together in order to be cured of a rare form of cancer in her pelvic area
WTF! This has got to be the most dangerous job, ever!September 15th 2010 15:06
"This video shows the people who work on transmission lines in broadcasting. This video shows what it's like to climb to the top of a 1768 ft. tower to begin your work day
Review: The American (2010)September 15th 2010 07:16
 The American is beautifully shot, very quiet, atmospheric, a very European movie with little to no music, only the subtle sounds of the action that's taking place - some have said it's boring and not much is happening. I found it highly charged and quite often very tense, so much so at times, that it was maddening for me but not in a bad way - I kept expecting something and the silence of the film only helps bolster the tension
Bollywood's greatest fight scene!September 13th 2010 14:45
I'm speechless! Words just don't describe the skill that went into this fight scene. I've never seen anything like it before... ever! And all I can say is that I had to watch it a few time just to make sure that I wasn't imagining what I saw...and I wasn't
Ping Pong Victory Dance...learn it, live it!!September 10th 2010 08:55
Okay at first I thought this guy was being obnoxious although highly entertaining with his victory dance...but then you kind of understand the reason for his exuberance. This point was a huge accomplishment - and he more than deserved his moment in the spotlight
A bulldog after a hard day's work!September 8th 2010 12:35
Okay, my favorite dogs are bulldogs and when I saw this video of a bulldog literally sitting down on the couch watching TV as if he just got home from a hard day's work, it melted my heart. How adorably odd is this pooch? I just hope that this fellow wasn't forced to do this for the sake of the video. It does seem to be set up that way, which would be unfortunate...but still cute
What happens when a cruise ship hits rough waters!September 8th 2010 09:12
The following is footage from an Internal CCTV camera on Pacific cruise ship hitting rough waters. What's interesting is that the camera moves with the ship and everything seems so stable, except for everything that flies across the camera screen
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Comment by Deni
on DVD Vault: Babies (2010)
Abstract Magick
Cinema Herald
No, I'm still here. My husband and I are actually expecting a little bundle of joy of our own and I've been floored with "morning sickness"
Let me tell you that "morning sickness" is worse than the scariest horror movie you've seen. It's not fun. I feel like a cross between Linda Blair in The Exorcist or John Hurt in Alien.
Hopefully things will return t normal in a few weeks, I'm struggling to get, at least, one review up in the next few days.
Cheers and thanks for asking and more importantly, pity me!
Deni