Over the course of this week, we will uncover twenty titles you need to seek out at your local DVD store. Here is Part 2.

The list is laid out something like this. The title, year it was made, genre, synopsis and finally my rating. I hope to do more of these lists as I uncover some of the treasures hidden at the local videostore.

15. Legionnaire (1998) (Action – Drama)

Jean-Claude Van Damme stars as Alain Lefevre, a boxer who decides to defy a mobster and not take a fall in a huge boxing match. To avoid being killed by the mob, Alain escapes to join the French Foreign Legion stationed in Africa. Alain quickly realizes that the struggle to stay alive as a “legionnaire” might be more harrowing than avoiding the mob.

Alain learns a lot about himself and the power of redemption and friendship. “Legionnaire” ranks in the top 5 best Van Damme films among that top 5 are films like “Bloodsport” and “Timecop”.

The reason this film is so much better than a lot of the films Van Damme has done is that it is presented as an epic. The film showcases glorious cinematography, epic war battles and a great performance from Van Damme, which showcases an internal human struggle. Forget the crap films Van Damme has made  like “Knockoff”, “Universal Soldier: The Return” and “Maximum Risk” and embrace this entry in the Van Damme action journey. This movie is way better than it deserves to be! A true must for Van Damme fans and fans of epic adventure. (4 out of 5)

14. Live Wire (1992) (Action – Drama)

Danny O’Neill (Pierce Brosnan) is a bomb disposal expert assigned to a case where terrorists have developed an “invisible” biological liquid explosive. Their targets include a group of US Senators and one of them happens to be sleeping with Danny’s wife.

“Live Wire” is the 2nd Brosnan film on this list and another welcomed discovery. The film is directed and photographed like a “Lethal Weapon” film and has the adrenaline and intensity of that style. The explosive is so original I decided not to reveal what it is in this review.

You really have to see the film to understand how unique it is. It’s something I have never seen before or since. Another similarity between “Lethal Weapon” and this film is the way Brosnan plays Danny.

He plays him a lot like the way Mel Gibson portrayed Martin Riggs, burnt out and as explosive as the materials he uses.

Brosnan accomplishing this draws us into a deeper connection to the character. There is a lot of charisma in Brosnan and from his acting in this film it’s not surprising he was James Bond. (3.5 of 5)

13. Mr. Frost (1990) (Horror – Suspense)

What if Satan walked among us? A man named Frost (Jeff Goldblum) is imprisoned for murder after he is arrested while burying his victims in a garden. However, even while under strict psychiatric care, it becomes obvious that Mr. Frost is not all that he seems. There is more behind this mysterious man than meets the eye. “Mr. Frost” is so blatantly eerie that it sweeps you in with a stranglehold. Goldblum is charismatic and plays one of the spookiest characters you will ever see. Think Goldblum playing a charismatic and younger “Hannibal Lecter”. For the whole film you aren’t sure what makes the man tick and that is what makes it so addicting to watch. Goldblum is brilliant in this mind-bender. (3.5 of 5)

12. No Way Back (1996) (Action – Drama)

When F.B.I. Agent Zack Grant’s (Russell Crowe) partner is killed in an operation goes sour, he will do anything to find the man or men responsible. The action gets intense when airline stewardess Mary (Helen Slater) gets mixed up in Zack’s crusade.

These problems snowball as Mafioso and Yakuza complications present themselves. “No Way Back” is a solid and adrenaline packed action film that debuted just a year before Crowe became famous to the world in “LA Confidential”.

Crowe brings such grit and demeanor to the burnt out hero that we cheer for him all the way through. The film’s ending doesn’t do the rest justice but the reason to see this film is purely for fans of Russell Crowe. (3.5 of 5)

11. Raising Cain (1992) (Suspense)

Jenny Nix (Lolita Davidovich), wife of eminent child psychologist Carter Nix (John Lithgow), begins to neglect her daughter after an adulterous affair with an old flame (Steven Bauer).

While Jenny becomes enthralled in the affair her husband becomes deeply concerned for the well being of their daughter. Some rather distressing kidnapping grip the neighborhood in which the Nix’s live.

Could these kidnapping be linked to Carter Nix’s past. Lithgow is utterly brilliant, as he has to play not 2 characters but 4.

His performance even dives deeper into depth as Carter Nix begins to go insane.

Director Brian DePalma seems to give Lithgow a lot of leeway, as some of the mental shuffles seem almost ad-libbed. Those scenes are brilliant to watch as you see the magnificence of Lithgow.

The real sad note of the film is that it is way to short and the script seems to bolt along. The script could have used a little more detail.

The film is a great suspense ride and with the perfect performance by Lithgow which make it a great renter. (3 of 5)

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There’s a light, when my baby’s in my arms.
There’s a light, when the window shades are drawn.
Hesitate when I feel I may do harm to her.
Wash it off cause this feeling we can share.
And I know she’s reached my heart in thin air.

-”In Thin Air”, Pearl Jam

I really can’t be bothered anymore. My malaise has reached the dizzying heights of towering indifference- once again, I have not read a single fact of the cases assigned nor digested a measly morsel of legal doctrine.  And yet, somehow, I have unabashedly answered the professor’s question without much effort and enjoyed the fruits of my non-existent labour. For the rest of the period, I sneak out to have a glance at the card catalog and make a short bibliography for my paper. I go back and take my seat, comfortable in the knowledge that my services won’t be required for the rest of the day; I finish class reading up on Schumpeter vs. Hayek- evolutionary economics versus the Austrian School- debate as proposed by Dr. Ulrich Witt. 

I was physically present but mentally absent, as always for civil procedure. What a ridiculously tiresome and cumbersome subject- a tedious manual that relegates the otherwise lofty study of law into a technical seminar. I do not understand why the professor tries to make it into an intellectual exercise of supposed trick questions and clever inquiries- let’s get over it and have lunch. Ennui is the fuel by which yearning is set on flame. 

I have a quick bite as my appetites are currently subdued. I go to the social science library- another institution desecrated by mildew and neglect- and get my book. I go home and take a nap. I watch the Pearl Jam DVD. 

Classes have ended. How I wish it was April already. Far away and gone. There can be no utility without reason. 

I want my utility. 

“Lately I’ve been
Living in my head
The rest of me is dead
Im dying for truth.

Pleased to meet you say your prayers
There is no way back from here
Pleased to meet you say your prayers
There is no way back from here
But I don’t care
No way back from here “

-”No Way Back”, Foo Fighters

Tres videos, una misma pelicula, una misma banda y un mismo album

Estos los hice cuando comencé a hacer AMV, creo que los hice luego del video sobre la pelicula de Slug

Las canciones son In Your Honor, No Way Back,DOA, Best of You y Hell, todas de Foo Fighters y todas del album In Your Honor. espero gusten estos primeros videos que hice.

IN YOUR HONOR – FOO FIGHTERS

DBZ, LA PRIMERA PELICULA DE COOLER.

Tuve una vaga idea mirando esta pelicula por enesima vez, y como estaba con la fiebre de hacer videos, ahí está… tampoco es que fue un arduo trabajo de edición pero me gustó como me quedó.

Best Of You – Pikoro – Cooler

Uno de los primeros trabajos con los que me sentí orgulloso, tampoco fue un video muy pensado, sí tenía una ligera idea de lo que quería, y eso era mostrar la participación de Pikoro en las peliculas de Cooler…

Como muchos de mis primeros videos busque sincronizar escenas de lucha con la música y creo que lo logré en muchas escenas, hay otras cuantas que a veces me parece ser el único que ve la sincronización, como cuando Doozu (creo que es su nombre) cae y luego se levanta para dar pie a la entrada de los demás instrumentos en la canción, o cuando Pikoro transfiere la técnica de la que es “victima” al su “victimario”, otra parte que gustó como quedó es la persecución de Saltza y posteriormente la intervención de Cooler… como aún me quedaba canción y nada de escenas decidí incluir parte de su participación en la segunda pelicula, de esta parte, a mi parecer, todo encajó como quería, incluso hubieron muchas cosas que no planee, tanto en esta parte como en la anterior que parecen encajar como anillo al dedo, lo que más me gusta es la escena en la que Pikoro se quita la capa, eso fue un accidente, bendito ese accidente.

No way back – Cooler II

Me gustó el comienzo con fuerza que tiene

La escena de la pelea en el agua la quise colocar aunque en realidad fue como un relleno porque sinceramente no sabía que colocar, esto porque en una de esas pruebas de escenas, la parte en la que Cooler y Gokú salen y entonces el primero se transforma me encantó como cuadró cuando en la canción cantan, No way back from there y entonces Cooler aumenta el Ki, luego “Something don’t seem right…” Cooler se transforma y Gokú solo se protege…

Luego está la pelea volando, esto me había quedado espectacular pero luego no tanto como en un principio y eso que cuando lo conseguí la primera vez, nuevamente fue por error… me refiero para ser más exacto a la escena en la que Gokú luego de ser mandado al agua sube mostrando su Ki blanco y luego hace el kaioken, se acerca a Cooler y a este lo presentan con un giro de la cámara a su alrededor, me parece bien por el silencio que viene allí y el momento en el que la cámara se detiene para enfocar su rostro. En realidad, En si la corta escena de la pelea usando el kaioken me gustó mucho, aunque no fue tan espectacular como en un principio me había quedado, una vez más, creo que soy el único que ve la sincronización ahí…

Ahora… los créditos… emmm…. Pues no lo sé, salieron y ya

DOA – Foo Fighters

Comencé este video con mucho cuidado, como todo esta escena me cayó por error, luego la descuadré y luego la conseguí nuevamente, me refiero a cuando se da la transición entre el solo de guitarra al fondo junto con la voz de Grohl y entran los demás instrumentos sincronizado con el golpe de Cooler al estomago de Gokú, fíjense.

Luego, creo que automáticamente cuadro cuando la canción dice “Never say forever cause nothing last” junto con lo que se supone dice Gokú, y me pareció que quedó por el momento de la escena o de la pelea, ya que es casi como si le estuviera diciendo a Cooler “no te confies”

Sobretodo en la primera parte del video logré, a mi parecer, muchas escenas que cabian perfectas con lo que dice la canción, solo es cuestión de escuchar e intepretar.

Hell

De los videos que he hecho es uno de mis favoritos, me parece que la canción quedó espectacular, me esmeré en lograr escenas que encajaran con las diferentes transiciones de la canción, en realidad, segun yo, porque a criterio de mis amigos este es un video más cuando a mi me gustó tanto, la música parece dictar los diferentes cambios de escenas, porque el que vió la pelicula sabe que edité bastante no fue simplemente que coloqué el video con música de fondo y ya, espero que a alguien le guste tanto este video como me gustó a mí.