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I tre volti della paura

Note: this synopsis is for the orginal Italian release with the segments in this certain order.Boris Karloff introduces three horror tales of the macabre and the supernatural known as the 'Three Faces of Fear'.THE TELEPHONERosy (Michele Mercier) is an attractive, high-priced Parisian call-girl who returns to her spacious, basement apartment after an evening out when she immediately gets beset by a series of strange phone calls. The caller soon identified himself as Frank, her ex-pimp who has recently escaped from prison. Rosy is terrified for it was her testimony that landed the man in jail. Looking for solace, Rosy phones her lesbian lover Mary (Lynda Alfonsi). The two women have been estranged for some time, but Rosy is certain that she is the only one who can help her. Mary agrees to come over that night. Seconds later, Frank calls again, promising that no matter who she calls for protection, he will have his revenge. Unknown to Rosy, Mary is the caller impersonating Frank. Marry arrives at Rosy's apartment soon after, and does her best to calm Rosy's nerves. She gives the panic-struck woman a tranquillizer and puts her to bed.Later that night as Rosy sleeps, Mary gets up out of bed, and pens a note of confession: she was the one making the strange phone calls when she learned of Franks escape from prison. Knowing that Rosy would call on her for help, she explains that she felt it was her way of coming back into her life after their breakup. While she is busy writing, she fails to notice an intruder in the apartment. This time it is Frank, for real. He creeps up behind Mary and strangles her to death with one of Rosys nylon stockings. The sound of the struggle awaken Rosy and she gasps in fright. The murderous pimp realizes that he just killed the wrong woman, and slowly makes his way to Rosy's bed. However, earlier that night, Rosy had placed a butcher knife under her pillow at Mary's suggestion. Rosy seizes the knife and stabs Frank with it as he's beginning to strangle her. Rosy drops the knife and breaks down in hysteria, surrounded by the two corpses of her former lovers.THE WURDALAKIn 19th Century Russia, Vladimir D'Urfe is a young nobleman on a long trip. During the course of his journey, he finds a beheaded corpse with a knife plunged into its heart. He withdraws the blade and takes it as a souvenir.Later that night, Vladimir stops at a small rural cottage to ask for shelter. He notices several daggers hanging up on one of the walls, and a vacant space that happens to fit the one he has discovered. Vladimir is surprised by the entrance of Giorgio (Glauco Onorato), who explains that the knife belongs to his father, who has not been seen for five days. Giorgio offers a room to the young count, and subsequently introduces him to the rest of the family: his wife (Rika Dialina), their young son Ivan, Giorgio's younger brother Pietro (Massimo Righi), and sister Sdenka (Susy Anderson). It subsequently transpires that they are eagerly anticipating the arrival of their father, Gorcha, as well as the reason for his absence: he has gone to do battle with the outlaw and dreaded wurdalak Ali Beg. Vladimir is confused by the term, and Sdenka explains that a wurdalak is a walking cadaver who feeds on the blood of the living, preferably close friends and family members. Giorgio and Pietro are certain that the corpse Vladimir had discovered is that of Ali Beg, but also realize that there is a strong possibility that their father has been infected by the blood curse too. They warn the count to leave, but he decides to stay and await the old mans return.At the stroke of midnight, Gorcha (Boris Karloff) returns to the cottage. His sour demeanor and unkempt appearance bode the worse, and the two brothers are torn: they realize that it is their duty to kill Gorcha before he feeds on the family, but their love for him makes it difficult to reach a decision. Later that night, both Ivan and Pietro are attacked by Gorcha who drains them of blood, and then flees the cottage. Giorgio stakes and beheads Pietro to prevent him from reviving as a wurdalak. But he is prevented from doing so to Ivan when his wife threatens to commit suicide. Reluntantly, he agrees to bury the child without taking the necessary precautions.That same night, the child rises from his grave and begs to be invited into the cottage. The mother runs to her son's aid, stabbing Giorgio when he attempts to stop her, only to be greeted at the front door by Gorcha. The old man bits and infects his daughter-in-law, who then does the same for her husband. Vladimir and Sdenka flee from the cottage and go on the run and hide out in the ruins of an abandoned cathedral as dawn breaks. Vladimir is optimistic that a long and happy life lies with them. But Sdenka is reluctant to relinquish her family ties. She believes that she is meant to stay with the family.Sdenka's fears about her family are confirmed when that evening, Gorcha and her siblings show up at the abandoned Abby. As Vladimir sleeps, Sdenka is lured into their loving arms where they bite to death. Awakened by her screams, Vladimir rushes to her aid, but the family has already taken her home, forcing the lover to follow suite. The young nobleman finds her, lying motionless on her bed. Sdenka awakens, and a distinct change is visible on her face. No longer caring, Vladimir embraces her, and she bites and infects him too.THE DROP OF WATERIn Victorian London, England, Nurse Helen Chester (Jacqueline Pierreux) is called to a large house to prepare the corpse of an elderly medium for her burial. As she dressed the body, she notices an elaborate diamond ring on its finger. Tempted by greed, Nurse Chester steals it. As she does, a glass tips over, and drops of water begin to splash on the floor. She is also assailed by a fly, no doubt attracted by the odor of the body. Unsettled but pleased by her acquisition, she finishes the job and returns home to her small East End flat.After returning home, Nurse Chester is assailed by strange events. The buzzing fly returns and continues to pester her. Then the lights in her apartment go out, and the sounds of the dripping water continues with maddening regularity. She sees the old womans corpse lying on her bed, and coming towards her. The terrified woman begs for forgiveness, but she ultimately strangles herself, imaging that the medium's hands are gripping her throat.The next morning, the concierge (Harriet White Medin) discovers Nurse Chester's body and calls the police. The investigator on the scene (Gustavo de Nardo) quickly concludes that its a simple case and that Nurse Chester "died of fright". The pathologist arrives on the scene to examine the body before it's taken away and he notes that the only sign of violence is a small bruise on her left finger, mostly likely caused when someone pried a ring from her finger. As the doctor makes this observation, the concierge appears distressed, as she has apparently took the ring from the dead Nurse Chester, and is further distracted by the sound of a fly swooping about in the air....Boris Karloff makes a final appearance as Gorcha riding on his horse as he concludes the three tales of fear and tells the viewers to be careful while walking home at night for ghosts and vampires have no fear. The image pulls back to actually reveal him sitting on a prop fake horse with a camera crew and various crewmen moving branches around to simulate the scene of riding through the forest from the Wurdalak segment.

cult, horror, gothic, murder, atmospheric

train

imdb

This terrifying film plenty of vampires,weird deeds and murders is formed by three stories proceeded in some memorably horrific set-pieces: 1) The telephone by author Snyder : A prostitute(Michele Mercier) terrorized in her flat by phone calls from a broken-out inmate(Milo Quesada) receives visit her lover(Lidia Alfonsi). 3)The drop of water by Chekhov: In the early 1900s, a nurse(Jacqueline Pierreux, mother of actor Jean Pierre Leaud, 400 blows) steals a ring from a medium dead and she seeks avenge, then a ghastly specter arises, exacting cruel revenge for past robbery.Bava's second great hit(the first was Black Sunday or Mask of the demon) surprisingly realized with startling visual content and well scripted by Marcello Fondato and Albert Bevilacqua. In any case, this anthology is a classic of its kind."Drop of Water" (based on a story by Checkov) is a chilling tale of a nurse (Jacqueline Pierreux) who gets her just desserts after stealing a diamond ring from the hideous-looking corpse of a psychic. The most personal story of Mario Bava in this anthology.Boris Kalfoff gives his best performance in a horror film since playing the creature in Frankenstein(1931) and Bride of Frankenstein(1933). The best film Bava ever made is Black Sabbath.After a colourful and campy introduction by the great Boris Karloff, we move straight into The Telephone. The Wurdulak, featuring a ghastly Boris Karloff in one of his best roles, and A Drop of Water, with Jacqueline Pierreux in the role of a greedy nurse, are both the epitome of Mario Bava's Gothic style in colour.What makes Black Sabbath so vibrant and captivating is the use of colour in lighting. "Tre volti della paura " is a movie made up of three sketches,linked by Boris Karloff's comments -he plays the lead in the second segment - and all dealing with death following a logical progression:fear of death in the first sketch,some kind of "night of the living dead"cum vampires in the second one and terror around a dead woman in the third.Mario Bava did not need any special effects that mar so many horror films today:his baroque settings (Michele Mercier's flat in the first sketch,the countess's Gothic mansion in the third,and the lunar landscapes in the middle one),his knowing lighting effects,his color research,his incredibly effective use of the depth of field (visually stunning in the final segment)are as impressive today as they were forty years ago and were a strong influence on other Italian directors such as Dario Argento.Worth the price of admission.. the second is the best , very atmospheric and contains a powerful scary performance from Boris Karloff who plays the lead vampire for the only time in his career and this role is one of his best.The last story is short but creepy and features the most scary corpse you'll ever see in a film.This is easily director Mario Bava's best film.only a silly last scene with Karloff dents it a little.. As an anthology of supernatural horror tales, each directed by Mario Bava and introduced by Boris Karloff, 'Black Sabbath' is a film with a lot of promise. Excellent horror anthology film from Mario Bava with three stories as well as linking segments with Boris Karloff. Boris Karloff hosts these three tales of terror, and stars in the middle one, 'The Wurdalak', which is the closest in style to Bava's horror classic 'Black Sunday' or Roger Corman's Poe movies of the same period. Even when I wasn't at least a little scared I couldn't take my eyes off of everything so wonderful in the technical sense- the variety and careful choosing of lights, the lens choice or its zoom in, the methodical dolly to a doorknob or a corpse's face.Ultimately, Black Sabbath should appeal to any serious fan of classic horror fare, and even if it isn't very great it's a fine example of what can be done when a director cares about craft and atmosphere along with story. However, even in spite of this, there are a number of subtle surface similarities that we can glean from the presentation, including Bava's great use of confinement (again, reminiscent of The Girl Who Knew Too Much, especially in the first and third stories, The Telephone and The Drop of Water), and the subtle way in which he manages to make his characters morally responsible for their own potential downfall.Although the desire amongst fans of Bava's work to choose one story over another will always be there, it is impossible for me to pick a favourite; with the three stories essentially coming together to form a pure master class in horror cinema and a true testament to Bava's genius, not only as a one of the greatest genre filmmakers of the late twentieth century, but as one of the greatest Italian filmmakers of his generation. The opening and closing scenes - with lead star of the second segment, Boris Karloff acting as the guide to the film - is again filled with a bold visual imagination and the director's typically tongue-in-cheek sense of humour, including the fairly radical final shot, in which Bava breaks the fourth wall and deconstructs the film in a way that is audacious, to say the least. "Black Sabbath" is, as far as I can tell, the only horror anthology film Mario Bava made.The movie features three stories, as they generally do, introduced by none other than Boris Karloff, who also acts in the second part.The first story, "The Telephone", is about a beautiful woman receiving threatening calls that always start sexual and then turn threatening. Seeing it again in the original Italian version on DVD was something of a disappointment, though it was fun seeing the film in it's original form."The Telephone," always the weakest of the three tales, is more interesting now with the elimination of the silly supernatural aspect tacked on by AIP, and the more obvious lesbian relationship between the two women."The Wurdelak" has some very chilling and atmospheric sections(love the shots of the vampires looking through the window at the end!), but the acting is more laughably wooden here than in the other two tales - Karloff excepted even dubbed in Italian - and Susy Anderson's eye make-up is awfully heavy for the character of a peasant girl."The Drop of Water" remains the best of the tales - the only one that is truly scary from start to finish. BLACK SABBATH is a fantasy horror omnibus that shows three different faces of horror.A trio of atmospheric horror tales about: A woman, who is terrorized in her apartment by phone calls from a man from her past; a count in the early 1800s who stumbles upon a family in the countryside trying to destroy a particularly vicious line of vampires in order to save his love and a nurse who makes a wrong decision while preparing the corpse of an elderly medium who died during a seance.A different atmosphere, eerie sounds and changes of rhythm adorn all three stories.A object, around which swirl thematic and human factors, is at the center of the first story. Typical with anthology films, the stories also vary in quality, which may have led to them being shuffled around and even altered with the American version (which also omitted Karloff's introduction), but this is a review for the original Italian version, which begins with the giallo 'The Telephone'.Rosy (Michele Mercier) is a high-class call-girl in Paris, who gets home one night to be plagued with threatening phone calls by a man claiming to be watching everything she does. Black Sabbath or I tre volti della paura are both compelling versions of Mario Bava's three tale feature film with Boris Karloff as host. THREE FACES OF FEAR (aka BLACK SABBATH) is one of the great anthology horror films of all time starring Boris Karloff as the host connecting three stories. The third and final tale (also the best) is set in the early 1900s, where a nurse (Jacqueline Pierroux) steals a ring from a corpse and gets one of those famous stormy night revenges.The Italian title for this film translates to THREE FACES OF FEAR, and it pretty much describes the whole thing: Three different stories with different themes. And that's exactly what the penultimate shot, what the dead woman's look, what many weird psychedelic visual effects suggest, Mario Bava had fun making this film, and the film is fun, and I'll never believe that there's not a fun side behind the appeal of horror movies."The Three Faces of Fear" is not perfect but it's got style, atmosphere and a sense of self- derision that I'm sure inspired Tarantino, more than the three-part structure. Hosted by Boris Karloff, three tales of supernatural horror and terror are presented.The good Stories: The Drop of Water-Called to a remote house, a caregiver asked to prep a body for an upcoming ceremony incurs the supernatural wrath of the owner's spirit when she steals the dead woman's prized ring for herself. Released in 1963 - This fairly taut and intense little trilogy of terror, from the famed Italian director of horror & suspense, Mario Bava, was actually surprisingly better than I thought it would be.I would never say that Black Sabbath was in any way great, but, its 3 simple and straight-forward stories of a somewhat frightening nature, were very effective and certainly kept this viewer interested, and, yes, sometimes perched on the very edge of my seat.Black Sabbath's brief, opening sequence featured veteran, American actor, Boris Karloff (76 at the time), who, in his usual sinister fashion, delivered a very tongue-in-cheek introduction to the horrors that lay in store for the viewer within this film's next 90 minutes.I think that for anyone to get any real enjoyment out of Black Sabbath's brand of horror they must keep in mind that this picture was clearly a product of the early 1960s. If one were to unfairly compare it to horror movies of today then they would only find themselves picking this picture to pieces and being left greatly disappointed in the long run.The 3 stories presented in Black Sabbath are - "The Telephone" - A modern-day tale where a young, Parisian call-girl is repeatedly harassed by phone calls from a man who makes serious threats to kill her."The Wurdulak" - A 19th Century tale of vampirism, where a family, living on a lonely farm, are menaced by an evil presence which threatens to destroy them all."The Drop of Water" - Set in Victorian London, this is the best tale of the trilogy. Trio of macabre terror tales from Italian Horror Master Mario Bava, with the great Boris Karloff opening and closing the anthology. Recently getting the wonderful chance to chair IMDb's Indian Cinema board's Film Club,I began to think about what would be the most suitable choice as an intro to fellow IMDb'ers to the world of the Giallo.Not wanting to go for a gialli that was too gory,I suddenly remembered hearing a year or so ago about a story in Mario Bava's anthology film Black Sabbath that is credited as being the first ever,colour Giallo.Searching round on online,I was happy to discover,that despite the Italian Uncut version sadly not being on the site,the US cut, (which along with adding an Eng dub and a new score,also changed the order of the stories to: 3,1 and 2,features some additional,extended intros directed by co-writer Salvatore Billlitteri,and also cut out a good amount of the lesbian subtext scenes,and the huge "twist" featured in the Italian cut of "The Telephone")had luckily been fully uploaded,which would hopefully act as a good entrance to the atmospheric world of Mario Bava.The plots: Part 1:The Drop of Water- Settaling in for a relaxing night in,nurse Helen Chester receives an urgent phone come,requesting her to go to a house right away,to prepare a body to be picked up by the undertaker's later that night.Arriving to the house frustrated due to her night now being completely ruined,Chester is met by the concierge of the house,who starts warning her about dealing with the body,due to the –now deceased being a powerful medium.Ignoring the concierge's superstition's nonsense,Helen beings getting the body ready for the undertaker.As she starts to do the "finishing touches" on the corpse,Helen notices that the "medium" is wearing a strange looking ring.Finding herself weirdly transfixed by the object,Chester quietly steals the ring,knowing that with the owner of the ring now being dead,there is absolutely no one who can take it back from her.Part 2:The Telephone-Returning to her apartment after a night out,a call girl called Rosy begins to get set for bed.Suddenly,Rosy's telephone starts to ring.Hearing no sound at all coming from the caller,Rosy starts to think that it must just be a wrong number,until she is given the shock of her life,when a voice comes on the phone claiming to be her dead pimp/boyfriend Frank,who tells Rosy that she can never getaway,and goes into detail about what she is wearing at that minute.Desperate for help,Rosy franticly calls her friend/lover Mary over.Arriving to the apartment,Mary quickly calms Rosy's nerves down by telling her that "Frank's voice" will not get anywhere past that phone tonight.Part 3:The Wurdalk-Riding on his horse to get back home,Vampire slayer Count Vladimir Durfe suddenly spots the laying corpse of a beheaded Vampire.Getting close to the body,Durfe discovers that a Bowie knife which was used to kill it has been left stabbed into its heart.Taking the knife and the body to show others what he has found.Vladimir continues his journey,until he stops at a small rural cottage to rest for the night. Entering the cottage,Durfe is met by one of the owners of the building called Giorgio.Showing the knife,Vladimir gets completely caught by surprise,when Giorgio shows him that the knife belongs to his Vampire killing father,who has been " missing" for the last 5 days…View on the film:Whilst the screenplay by Mario Bava,Alberto Bevilacqua,F.G. Snyder and Marcello Fondato does make each of the three stories its own entity,thematic themes are cleverly used to build an underlying connection,with objects such as a ring,a red telephone, (a cheeky reference to the popular Telefoni Bianchi movies of the 30's) and a Bowie knife (a reference to a weapon used to kill Dracula in Brian Stoker's novel) being shown as materialistic objects,which leads to the characters getting involved in deadly events that they (mainly) could easily have avoided.Along with the physical theme,director Mario Bava also brilliantly uses an audio thematic theme in each of the stories,from Chester being unable to stop the sound of a dripping tap,to Rosy hearing a bodiless voice on the phone and the residents of the cottage being kept up by the howls from a dog,who like the tap and the voice is out in the wilderness,haunting the closed in environment that the stories take place in.Despite the section having large sections torn from its bone,The Telephone is still able to be a terrific,tense mini- Giallo,thanks to the performance of the ravishing, Michele Mercier,who uses the near one-woman show to slowly build an atmospheric sense of paranoia,as Rosy finds the voice worryingly getting deep into her head,despite her brightly lit, high-class apartment having the appearance of keeping any darkness at bay from entering the building.For the great look of The Drop of Water,Bava showers the story with dripping colours to create a claustrophobic feeling to the plot,which suggest that Nurse Helen Chester's (played by the charming,late Jacqueline Pierreux) own growing fears may get to her before the "dead medium" makes a less than welcomed comeback.Sending the film out on a creepy,intently atmospheric mood,Bava impressively uses the setting of The Wurdalak to create a strong,almost Horror-Western feel,as Vladimir and the other residents of the cottage find themselves trapped by Vamp who wants to make sure that things stay in the family.Along with the eye- catching,heavy breathing performance by the stunning Suzy Anderson,Boris Karloff gives an amazing performance as the horrifying "lost father" Gorca.Along with unexpectedly making the appearance and behaviour of Gorca be possibly the only faithful take on Brian Stoker's original,final description of Dracula,Karloff makes sure that Gorca does not stand in any dark shadow,by showing that Gorca will use all of his family ties to quench his thirst,which leads to this being a gripping,constantly atmospheric and chilling Sabbath that you will never forget attending.. Black Sabbath (1963) - The Good, the Bad and the Cinematic BeautySynopsis: A trio of Italian cinema giallo/horror shorts: "Il Telefono" - the story of a woman driven to madness by disturbing phone calls, "I Wurdelak" - a period piece of a family driven to destruction by a vampire-like being, "La Goccia d' Acqua" - translated as a "A Drop of Water", it centers around a nurse who steals a ring from a corpse who comes back for revenge.The Good: A beautifully crafted set of films that each show unique qualities, yet somehow feel cohesive. Best segment of the film, it looks stylish and eerie, just like The Drop of water, a ghost story also set in 19th century, about the woman who steals the ring of the dead medium, with the huge price.. I Tre Volti della Paura, or Black Sabbath as it was retitled by AIP for English speaking audiences, is hosted by the one & only Boris Karloff who introduces three ghastly tales...First up is 'The Drop of Water' where a nurse named Helen Corey (Jacqueline Pierreux) receives a phone call late one stormy night from a maid (Milly Monti) whose mistress has died...Then it's 'The Telephone' where a young attractive woman named Rosy (Michele Mercier) starts to receive frightening phone calls from her ex-boyfriend, problem is he's been dead for months...Finally it's 'The Wurdalak' which is about a man named Vladimir (Mark Damon) who encounters a dead body & seeks assistance in a nearby house but will eventually wish he hadn't...This Italian, French & American co-production was co-written & directed by Mario Bava & I Tre Volti della Paura is a good solid horror film although I didn't think it was the absolute masterpiece many seem to think it is.

tt1733125

Dungeons & Dragons: The Book of Vile Darkness

Two thousand years ago, Nhagruul the Foul, a sorcerer who reveled in corrupting the innocent and the spread of despair, neared the end of his mortal days and was dismayed. Consumed by hatred for the living, Nhagruul sold his soul to the demon Lords of the abyss so that his malign spirit would survive. In an excruciating ritual, Nhagrulls skin was flayed into pages, his bones hammered into a cover, and his diseased blood became the ink to pen a book most vile. Creatures vile and depraved rose from every pit and unclean barrow to partake in the fever of destruction. The kingdoms of Karkoth were consumed by this plague of evil until an order of holy warriors arose from the ashes. The Knights of the New Sun swore an oath to resurrect hope in the land. The purity of their hearts was so great that Pelor, the God of Light, gave the Knights powerful amulets with which to channel his power. Transcendent with divine might, the Knights of the New Sun pierced the shadow that had darkened the land for twelve hundred years and cast it asunder. But not all were awed by their glory. The disciples of Nhagruul disassembled the book and bribed three greedy souls to hide the pieces until they could be retrieved. The ink was discovered and destroyed but, despite years of searching, the cover and pages were never found. Peace ruled the land for centuries and the Knights got lost in the light of their own glory. As memory of the awful events faded so did the power of servants of Pelor. They unwittingly abandoned themselves in the incorrect belief that the Book of Vile Darkness could never again be made whole.Now, the remaining pieces have been discovered, and an ancient evil is attempting to bring them together and restore the relic and the evil it brought. But at the same time a potential new paladin has been named to the Knights of the New Sun to attempt to renew their power to fight this evil. But, to do so, he may need to go against all that he has held dear, risking more that just his own soul in his quest to destroy the evil that surrounds him at every turn.

violence

train

imdb

and for what it is, it is pretty good.Don't expect Oscar winning performances, but most of the acting is acceptable and some is actually pretty good; the fellow playing the Vermin Lord does a very good job of quietly understated evil.The effects and creatures are comparable to D&D:WOTDG (the second movie), but it moves faster and there is more action, and more variety in spell use with better imagery, and better fight scenes.Gladly lacking the first D&D movie's lame humor and misplaced modern sensibilities about egalitarianism, and the slow-paced and stilted wordiness and failed melodrama of the second, this one is a bit more stark and grim than the others, with more actual fighting.It is also more in line with actual D&D material, 3.5e I believe though the version I am more familiar with was new 30 years ago. Alright, given the reviews and the ratings on IMDb for "Dungeons & Dragons: The Book of Vile Darkness" then I was fearing the worst of this movie, especially because the prior two movies were not all that great. (Should be noted that I found the second movie "Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God" better than the first movie.) Despite the critique, bad reviews and overall poor ratings, I decided to give it a go because I am a big Dungeons & Dragons fan (been playing it for some 26 years or so), and if bad came to worse I could always turn it off and find something else to watch.And having seen it now, I honestly do not understand the critique, the bad reviews and the general moaning there has been about this movie, because in my opinion, "Dungeons & Dragons: The Book of Vile Darkness" picks up the prior two movies, slaps them around and then shows what D&D should be like.In this third movie we follow a party of less than lawful-good characters here in a party out seeking the three parts of the Book of Vile Darkness. Sure, there was the devoted of Pelor (the good guy in the movie) thrown into the midst of a vermin lord, goliath, assassin and a sorceress - all of whom are less than your average lawful-good hero. So as a D&D player it was such a blast to have a group of anti-heroes starring as the main characters for a change.This movie is a blast to anyone well traversed in the D&D universe, because there are some really great aspects to the world; such as you have your iconic D&D items - a vorpal sword (although it is beyond me why it wasn't put to use), a bag of holding, and of course the holy symbol of Pelor. Personally I was well in favor of the vermin lord, because it was nailed right on the money as it is described in the actual Book of Vile Darkness (D&D 3.5 accessory as published by Wizards of the Coast).The effects in the movie were actually quite alright and worked out well enough. And for fans of the D&D world (and those who own the Book of Vile Darkness 3.5 accessory) there are some really nice touches in terms of spells being used in the movie; spells that were taken right out of the rulebook.Storywise, well the movie was pretty straight forward, fairly much like participating at a D&D gaming session, so it was alright. The story was somewhat predictable though, but still it was adequate entertainment.Sure, "Dungeons & Dragons: The Book of Vile Darkness" might not have had the same kind of budget and famous Hollywood actors to use as baiting in people, but the ones that they did hire for the roles did adequate jobs with their roles. I will say that these creatures all looked alright in my opinion and worked out well enough.If you are a fan of the Dungeons & Dragons game and were discouraged by the previous two movies which were, well, let's just say below average, then you definitely have to treat yourself to "Dungeons & Dragons: The Book of Vile Darkness" because it is actually quite good.I know this review is written with my pro-D&D goggles on, but I just don't see there is any leverage to the complaining and moaning that the movie has been getting. The plot is OK, love story is more realistic than in many many other movies, even the characters are believable. I usually find many annoyances in films, even the best ones, but whats very weird, nothing really annoyed me in this one.I have played D&D games, and many other RPGs, but I don't think thats of any relevance, this is a decent movie for all who like these sword & magic fantasy flicks.For a low budget movie, even the CG effects are very successful. And there's some more eye candy in the form of a Gothic hot chick ;D I had somewhat low expectations for this one, and I was very positively surprised, so 8/10 for this one, and thanks to other who have commented, wouldn't have watched it without you.If you are into this kind of movies, try it, you might be surprised too.... The tone was a much darker take than previous entries in the serious, and that turns out to be a vast improvement.I am puzzled by a lot of online reviews / summaries of this film, which describe the plot inaccurately, and even list characters and actors that are not in the movie. Keep in mind it's a low budget movie but its much better than the 2 previous ones.You can actually see people LOOT the corpses after battles and the spells used are truly recognizable if you have played DnD 3.5As i said don't expect anything special but for a fan of this genre that's into Dungeons and Dragons universe it will be an enjoyable movie.Acting is more than OK on a couple of Characters but pretty bad on the main guy.For the people unfamiliar with Dungeons and Dragons the rating should be like 2/10 so don't waste your time.. It is a shame that market constraints for this kind of film are so limited, I would love to see this at a longer running time, and explore these themes as novels are able to do, but given the constraints this production does create an intriguing moral predicament for this knight, and maintains an interesting atmosphere that adds much resonance to the story. I had very poor expectations going in, but was pleasantly surprised by a story that focus on characters that aren't your normal "do good" heroes.The acting is okay and the effects are on par with the effects you can see on new television shows. The script is better than many of the big budget movies of today, but it's not Lord of the rings. The story is somewhat predictable, but enjoyably.A few nods to the game can be found throughout the movie, but you could easily get the same enjoyment out of the plot without having ever played the game.If you like fantasy give it try.. Having followed the Book of Vile Darkness promotion a year past, I knew that the movie was in production for quite some time, along with its source material (the D&D 4th Edition Book of Vile Darkness for those wondering), and there are several references in the movie that will appear more than anything as name dropping or inside jokes - which can be a good thing, provided that you know what is being referred to. The inclusion of shadar-kai and a goliath instead of the typical elves and dwarfs is also a nice touch, and in line with this, it breaks with many typical fantasy tropes.As mentioned above, knowing the source material beforehand can be a boon in the case of this movie, especially since the Book of Vile Darkness in its previous edition was suited only for people aged 18+ because of its... well, "vile" contents, along with a focus on playing evil characters that is unheard of elsewhere in typical D&D, where the player characters are usually the heroes - and the main character in the movie faces some of the same moral quandaries that are mentioned directly in the D&D source material. There is also the fact that the main characters mention a red dragon at some point in the movie that is clearly not a dragon, but a Nhagruul Dragonspawn, and is thus again tied to the Book of Vile Darkness supplement for D&D 4th Edition. It is strange that this isn't mentioned at all in the movie, however.The acting isn't the best that one could want (maybe except for the Vermin Lord, who fits the bill perfectly) and some of the lines are somewhat illegible at times, but I would praise the story in that it both manages to feel somewhat "realistic" (in-universe at least) while staying interesting and entertaining.All in all, I would consider this movie a success, in that it was both entertaining and thought- provoking, the latter of which especially with the aforementioned moral quandaries in mind. I have read a number of reviews of this movie that seem to judge the film simply by its limited budget.Personally, I have watched this move over and over several times and I rate it the best of the three. That speech has resonated with me since I first saw the film, and you to may also find yourself reflecting of how many of the under-people you would like to liberate from the celestial grind wheel.If you're a fan of this genre (fantasy) you will very much enjoy this film which benefits greatly from being set in an evil-aligned adventuring party.Strongly recommended 'over a beer' viewing.. Each party member is a different race, the enemies are not well defined, and magic items mentioned are either not shown off (vorpal sword) or seemed to be added for one scene-- which starts to bog down the movie.The dialog is fairly bad, the assassin is less "the professional" and more standard socio-path. It looks like a child's Halloween attempt.The movie is better than the first, and about even with the second as they have different faults.. I'm giving it a pretty high rating because they kept this thing together and I was surprised as it's my favourite of the three Dungeon and Dragons films. It is a fantasy B-movie and it does have some flaws but as for as taking the biggest nerd game of all time and making into a fun and enjoyable file... It also helps if you fall in love with Eleanor Gecks 10 minutes into the film :pMy main point here is that I was expecting to see a very bad film but after I started watching this on my phone there was never really a dull moment. As one can expect from a less-than-a-mediocre direct to video low budget sequel filmed in Bulgaria, this one aims to cash in on the popularity of the Dungeons and Dragons title. I watched it expecting cheesy fantasy action with a dumb plot, bad acting, and blatant appeals to fans of the game like Wrath of the Dragon God did. It started with a Hollywood crapfest, filled with special effects, comic relief and known actors, but having no story, continued with something that felt more like a D&D plot, but was acted abysmally and finished with this, which has a good storyline, interesting characters and is truly entertaining. But hold your horses, not all is rosy.The first thing that you notice is that the plot is complex: characters are evolving constantly, there is no clear delimitation of good and evil and there are several chapters of the story that are each strong on their own. He totally acted and looked like a young William Sadler in this.Of course, there are some painfully bad scenes as well, however not that many. The spells were original and entertaining, the fights were few, but decent, and again, there was a story and characters that I could feel and root for. The budget was low, but if Grayson and his dad would have been played by better actors, I think this would have been a good movie, one that people would have been glad to see and recommend. The "knight" of the group, Grayson I could not truly get behind due to his immaturity throughout most of the quest (nothing personal against the actor himself, his character was just simply annoying). Overall, The Book of Vile Darkness has seemingly pleased most D&D fans with its effort to return to the essence of the D&D world and all its game-play and story-telling elements. Fans of fantasy and adventure movies may well enjoy watching this every now and then for a change of pace.. By far and away the best of the Dungeons & Dragons movies, and the only one that is halfway decent. That is saying a lot though, because the first Dungeons & Dragons gets my vote as the worst fantasy film ever made and among the worst movies in general; the second is a little better but is rather mediocre. Dungeons & Dragons: The Book of Vile Darkness isn't great but compared to the previous movies it's certainly watchable. There are definitely far cheaper-looking movies than Dungeons & Dragons: The Book of Vile Darkness, the costumes are decent enough and the scenery is great. The music is dynamic enough and at least has a pace to it, the characters have a likability generally(they're not too bland and none of them are anywhere near as irritating as the one played by Marlon Wayans in the first), and the dialogue while ropey at times is still an improvement over the script-writing of the previous two movies, being thought-out and cohesive and there is little misplaced humour or tedious melodrama. What Dungeons and Dragons: The Book of Vile Darkness also has over its predecessors is that it is more loyal in spirit to what makes Dungeons & Dragons as an overall franchise work so well with the odd referencing, which the first two movies did not. Overall, the definitive Dungeons & Dragons is yet to be made and this movie doesn't really do the franchise justice, but it is not a bad movie at all and a significant improvement over the second and especially the first. The plot and formula is very loyal to the D & D world, and it was cute to see some stereotypical elements being thrown in :) The lead actor makes for a perfect Paladin, and the rest of the characters portrayed their D & D roles quite faultlessly.The ending could have been better and could actually have been engineered for a sequel.. The acting is surprisingly decent, given the budget, but it's still pretty terrible. well, as stated, I think they simply used the campaign notes instead of writing an actual script.This movie has a lot of "so bad it's good" value to it, especially if you're a gamer. I liked this movie a lot more then I thought I would. I've been a D&D enthusiast for many years so I might be somewhat biased but trust me, like you, I think I have an idea of what makes a bad movie. This movie has a great story, a surprisingly dark tone, and a solid cast. Using CGI to off set the terrible plot, bad acting, and poor non-CGI effects this movie is not very good. Pretty Good, especially compared to the Previous Movies. Still, the movie was good, if not great. The first Dungeons and Dragons movie was completely embarrassing. The second was a decent movie, although the characters seemed a bit generic. Although a bit lacking in monsters, in other respects, it actually felt like a DnD game.The ending seemed anti-climactic. Unlike the previous two D&D movies, this one has several things going for it:non-standard plot: goodie-good knight going bad it's not something you're likely to see everyday. Unlike the complete muppetness of the first two movies, this one actually makes good use of basic D&D quest structure, roles in an evil party (also something you won't commonly see in D&D sessions) and interesting uses for D&D items (kill someone, stick his body in a bag of holding and throw it away ... He changes between scenes following the needs of the story and not a real play of character.the ending is terrible!!! Dungeons & Dragons 3 – Book of Vile DarknessD&D has grown adult, and the third movie is finally mature and courageous enough to dare using protagonists who are antiheroes at best, or hellbent villains at their worst. To give an example to readers:The wizard of the group, actually a wizard by base class and vermin lord by prestige class, is really inspired by a class which the supposedly evil Book of Vile Darkness allows roleplayers to create. Seemingly it is based on the outdated 3,5 or 4th edition of the game-books.The Shadakai Witch then, just to mention one special aspect, is able of healing magic, as is shown in the movie. It makes this movie outstanding among roleplayers, as 'good-guy charades' are considered a more proper, but actually only more stupid, moralist & hypocrite way to make use of Dungeons & Dragons. This movie had action, violence, evil, a good-looking main character and actual plot that follows true DnD lore with a minor artifact of power.My only gripe with the movie... the main character goes from like a level 4 warrior to a level 30 paladin and obliterates all the bad guys in the last 2 minutes of the movie. I was expecting a conclusion made like the introduction was, telling us how Grayson destroyed or hid the book parts again, but apparently the future of the book is irrelevant for the movie called The Book of Vile Darkness.. Great Movie BUT Terrible ENDING !. I Don't like the HERO actually he look so dumb.Haven't watch "Dungeons & Dragons: The Book of Vile Darkness" first two movies. I have seen lots of good movies BUT terrible endings?

tt0113862

Mr. Holland's Opus

Glenn Holland, not a morning person by anyone's standards, is woken up by his wife Iris early one bright September morning in 1964. Glenn has taken a job as a music teacher at the newly renamed John F. Kennedy High School. He intends his job to be a sabbatical from being a touring musician, during which he hopes to have more "free time" to compose. However, he soon finds that his job as a teacher is more time-consuming than he first thought.As he arrives at the school for the first time, he meets Vice Principal Wolters, who comments on his Corvair, the model of car the Ralph Nader wrote a book about. Inside the building, he meets Principal Helen Jacobs. Having got off to an awkward start with both of them, he goes to the music room and meets his students for the first time. The students are dull, apathetic, and mostly terrible musicians. At lunchtime, he meets the football coach, Bill Meister, and strikes up a friendship with him. At the end of his stressful first day, Glenn and Iris talk about their future. If everything goes according to plan, between his paychecks and what she made with her photography, he should be able to quit in four years and go back to his music, including composing.Glenn notices one dedicated but inept clarinet player, Gertrude Lang, and starts working with her individually. He continues attempting to teach the class about music and continues working on his music at home as time passes. Grading papers gradually replaces working on his own music during his home time, much to his chagrin. After several months, Glenn grows exasperated when it seems that none of his students have learned anything from his classes. Gertrude, despite diligent practice, does not improve her clarinet-playing. Glenn's exasperation is further compounded when the Principal Jacobs chastises him for not focusing properly on his students. She has noticed that he is even happier to leave at the end of each day than most of the students. Later, Glenn expounds his frustration to Iris, who then informs him that she's pregnant. Glenn is dumbstruck, and his muteness upsets Iris. To comfort her, he tells her a story about how he discovered John Coltrane (his favorite musician) records as a teenager, the point being he could get used to this turn of affairs.After some soul-searching, Glenn decides to try some unconventional methods of teaching music appreciation, including the use of 'Rock and Roll' to interest students, demonstrating to them the similarities between Bach's "Minuet in G" and rock-and-roll in the form of the Toys' "Lovers Concerto". For the first time, the students are interested in the class, and Glenn appears much happier as he relates this to Iris as they assemble a crib. Their apartment is getting more and more crowded, and Glenn suggests that they get a house. Iris is overjoyed, even though it means using their savings and Glenn sacrificing his summer vacation, which he intended to use to work on his composing, in order to make extra money teaching Driver's Ed. Glenn does right by his family but he knows he can forget about getting out of the teaching gig for the foreseeable future.Continuing his new, unorthodox teaching methods, he finally gets Gertrude, who was on the verge of giving up, to have a breakthrough and become a more skilled clarinet player. She rediscovers her joy of playing, and the now-competent band go on to play at the 1965 graduation. Summer vacation begins, and Glenn follows through on his plan to teach Driver's Ed, having a series of near-death experiences at the hands of new drivers. Glenn and Iris move into their new house. Soon, we see the Driver's Ed car once again, except this time it is Glenn himself driving like a maniac, breaking every traffic law - so that he could get to the hospital to see his newborn son, Coltrane ("Cole") Holland.Glenn's unorthodox teaching methods do not go unnoticed by Principal Jacobs, or Vice-Principal Wolters. They, along with the conservative School Board and the parents of the community, are hostile to rock-and-roll. Glenn is able to convince the principal that he believes strongly that teaching the students about all music, including rock-and-roll, will help them appreciate it all the more. The principal and vice principal also hand him a new assignment, to get a marching band together for the football team. Glenn is at a loss with this concept, until his Bill Meister agrees to help, in exchange for Glenn putting one of his football players, Louis Russ, in the band to allow him to earn an extra curricular activity credit, which he needs in order to stay eligible for the sports teams. Louis knows absolutely nothing about music, but takes up drums. He has trouble keeping time and always finds himself out of place with the rest of the band.Later, Glenn and Bill are chatting while playing chess. Bill, a bachelor, wants to know about Glenn's stories of debauchery as a traveling musician, but Glenn doesn't want to talk about the past, as he is a different person in a different time. Glenn instead tells Bill he is pessimistic about Louis Russ. Bill encourages him to keep trying. Much as he worked with Gertrude earlier, Glenn starts working one-on-one with Louis, helping to get a feel for the tempo of music. After some hard work, Louis gets it, and later, he marches with the band in the local parade, much to the delight of his family.Immediately behind the Kennedy band in the parade is a fire engine, and its deafeningly loud horn catches everyone by surprise. Iris looks into Cole's stroller to check on him, but the noise hasn't awakened Cole - the boy is deaf. The revelation drives a wedge between Glenn and his son, as it seems that his son cannot understand what he does. A more somber Glenn teaches his students about Beethoven, the deaf composer.Time passes, and we see a montage of events from the late '60s, as Glenn picks away as his composition a little at a time and watches Iris work with Cole. We stop again in the early '70s, with Glenn still directing his high school band. Cole is old enough to enter school. Because of her mounting frustration with her inability to communicate with Cole, she insists on sending him to a special school for the deaf, whatever the cost. The three of them visit the school. Glenn winces at the cost, but they enroll Cole and set about to learn sign language themselves, though Iris puts more effort into it than Glenn.Apathetic students still go through Glenn's classes, and one of them, named Stadler, is stoned. Glenn is chewing him out when Glenn receives bad news. He tells Stadler to meet him on Saturday. On that day, they appear at a funeral. Louis Russ has come home from Vietnam after being killed in action. Coach Meister is there, and he and Glenn mourn. At the end of that academic year, Bill reveals that he finally has a steady girl-friend, and Principal Jacobs retires from the high school, praising Glenn for what he has done.We see another montage of events, this time in the 1970s. Glenn continues teaching Driver's Ed in the summer. We see the class of 1980 being welcomed back, suggesting that it is now September 1979. Glenn and Bill Meister team up to help the Drama Department, when it is rumored that funding may be pulled. Glenn and Bill tell Wolters, now the principal, have an idea to be certain the school will make money rather than lose it; it will be a musical revue of Gershwin classics. During auditions for the musical revue, Glenn becomes entranced and interested in a talented young singer named Rowena Morgan. At home, the teenage Cole comes home and tells Glenn about the science fair, which Glenn missed. Iris is fluent at sign language now, but Glenn is still only fair. Iris reproaches him for spending so much time with the school projects and the students while neglecting his own son. Glenn is frustrated, realizing that his own musical composing has been on the back burner for 15 years now.Rowena visits Glenn at a diner, where he has gotten into the habit of going to get out of the house and have someplace quiet to work. Unknown to Iris, Glenn writes a small piece that he titles "Rowena's Theme," and takes an interest when Rowena states that she wants to leave town and go to New York to sing professionally. Glenn's life at home is still strained. Iris agrees to come to the school play on Saturday, because she had a meeting with Cole's teachers on opening night (Friday).The school revue arrives at last, and is a big hit, playing to a packed house. In the audience we see Coach Meister wearing a ring (he married the woman we saw earlier), and Sarah, the drama teacher, shows Principal Wolters something on a new invention, a handheld calculator (presumably, showing him how much gate money made it into the school coffers, as Wolters looks impressed). After the revue, Rowena comes to see Glenn in the auditorium, and she tells him she intends to pursue her dream of singing by going to New York the very next night, after the second and last performance of the revue. Glenn is taken aback. Rowena hints that she'd like Glenn to come with her. Glenn goes home and looks at his photo album, looking at pictures of his family and pictures of his old life as a traveling musician, now half a lifetime in the past. He is tempted to leave everything behind and go with Rowena to restore his old life as a musician. However, he realizes he is no longer the same person as he was then. He visits Rowena at the bus stop and sees her off, giving her the names of someone in New York who will help her find lodging. Glenn watches her depart, and goes home, content in his love for Iris.The timeline then shifts to late 1980, when John Lennon is killed. Glenn goes home and finds Cole working on Glenn's old Corvair. When Cole asks what is wrong, Glenn tries to explain, but then gives up, feeling that his son wouldn't understand John Lennon or his music. This infuriates Cole who (through Iris), explains that he does care about Glenn and knows about John Lennon, but that Glenn does not seem to be at all interested in communicating with him. Cole berates his father for putting so much effort in to teaching his students and very little towards him, calling him an asshole in sign language as he stalks off. Glenn then makes an effort, and even provides a concert at the high school, which also features lights and other items to enhance the show for deaf members of the school where Cole attends. Glenn, having become somewhat more proficient in sign language, even does an interpretation of Lennon's song 'Beautiful Boy,' dedicated to Cole. Later, Glenn discovers Cole listening to records by sitting on the speakers and feeling the vibrations through his body, and they can start healing the rift between them, even as Glenn's composition continues to gather dust.Time passes. It's now 1995. Glenn goes to see Principal Wolters, who announces that Art, Music and Drama have been cut from the school curriculum, and Glenn would be out of a job shortly. Glenn, who has become a cynical old man, tells Wolters that to cut the fine arts would lead to a generation of students who would be proficient at reading and writing and math (maybe) but would have nothing to read or write about. Wolters offers to write Glenn a reference, but Glenn, who is now 60 years old, fully recognizes the futility of the gesture. His working days are over and he knows it. Then he looks up at the picture on the wall of the long-departed former Principal Jacobs. He says Jacobs would have fought the budget cuts, and he will too. Glenn pleads to the school board to reconsider, but they refuse.At home, Iris reads a letter from the now-grown Cole. He has become a teacher himself, and was considering an offer from a university for the deaf in Washington, D.C. He also has taken Glenn's old car, the Corvair that we saw at the beginning and that Cole was working on in his teens, and jokingly writes that he will never give it back. Despondent, Glenn walks through the school on his last day, and he talks to Coach Bill, whose job as football coach is safe, though he can't be far from retirement himself. Glenn figures that he will bring in some money teaching piano lessons on the side, but he's unprepared to be forced into early retirement.On Glenn's final day at the school, Cole shows up driving the Corvair. School's out for him, too. Glenn is surprised when Iris and Cole lead him to the school auditorium, where they have organized a surprise going-away celebration for him. He sees many of his former students in the audience, including Stadler, the pothead from years before. Arriving next is Gertrude Lang, the clarinetist who Glenn helped in the 60s, who has since become the state's governor. Gertrude thanks Glenn for his dedication, and Glenn is very moved. He is moved to tears when she gives him a baton and asks him to conduct his own composition, which she had got hold of. The curtains open and a band, filled with more of Glenn's former students, is assembled and ready to play. Governor Lang picks up her clarinet and takes her place among them, and they play, for the first time, the musical Opus that Glenn had been picking away at for three decades.

inspiring, romantic, stupid, feel-good

train

imdb

tt0249380

Baise-moi

Baise-moi tells the story of Nadine and Manu who go on a violent spree against a society in which they feel marginalized. Nadine is a part-time sex worker, and Manu a slacker who does anything—including occasional porn film acting—to get by in her small town in southern France. One day, Manu and her friend, a drug addict, are accosted in the park by three men, who take them to a garage and gang-rape them. While her friend struggles, screams, and fights against the rapists, Manu lies still with a detached look, which troubles the man raping her, who soon gives up. When her friend asks Manu how she could act so detached, she replies that she "can't prevent anyone from penetrating her pussy", so she didn't leave anything precious in there. Manu then returns to her brother's house, and does not tell him what has happened, but noticing bruises on her neck, he realizes. He gets out a gun and asks Manu who was responsible, but when she refuses to tell him, he calls her a "slut" and implies that she actually enjoyed being raped. In response, picking up the discarded pistol, Manu shoots him in the head. Meanwhile, Nadine returns home and has an argument with her roommate, whom she strangles and kills, before leaving with their rent money. Nadine suffers another emotional setback when she meets her best friend, a drug dealer, in another town, but he is shot and killed while out obtaining drugs with a prescription she forged for him. Later that night, having missed the last train, Nadine meets Manu at the railway station. Manu says she has a car, if Nadine will drive for her. They soon realize that they share common feelings of anger, and embark on a violent and sexually charged road trip together. In need of money, the girls hold up a shop and also kill a woman at a cash machine. In a stolen car, they are pulled over for a random check by police, whom they kill. Another woman, who was also being checked and saw the murders, flees with them. The women stay over at their new friend's house, whose brother provides the address and details of an architect with whom he has had trouble. The women trick their way into the architect's house and kill him. Finally, after this spree of murder and sexual activity, the two women enter a swingers' club. One of the patrons makes a racist comment to Manu. The women kill most of the patrons there, and use a gun to anally penetrate the racist man, finally shooting him. The pair discuss what they have done, and agree that it has all been pointless because nothing has changed in them. During their spree, the duo's crimes are reported by the press, and become a point of fascination for the entire country, with some people actually supporting them, and others afraid of them. When Manu enters a roadside tire shop to get some coffee, she is shot by the shop owner, who is then shot by Nadine outside. Nadine takes Manu's body to a forest and burns it, before driving to a beach. With tears in her eyes, Nadine puts the gun to her head, intending to commit suicide, but gets arrested by the police before she can do so.

gothic, cruelty, violence, cult, revenge, sadist

train

wikipedia

Maybe it's because I live in Holland and have a very open mind to sex, drugs and well, maybe not to murder but I was not that shocked.Of course the rape scene was a bit hard and did not leave much to your imagination, but the rest.... I think more of it as an experimental piece of work, seek your own reasons for what they are doing, enjoy this wild ride and if you persist in having a monumentuous storyline, oscar performances and so on, and you are not specifically entertained by x rated sex, lots of blood and the socalled 'holes' in this story then....Just don't watch this movie!!!!The backside of the DVD or VHS gives plenty of clues that this is a controversial movie and when you have an open mind and like these kind of movies, i recommend it.We give it a 7.0. Unlike some films, this one doesn't in any way glorify violence though, it merely shows the sad inevitability of it as far as its two main characters are concerned.Both Nadine (Karen Lancaume aka Karen Bach) and Manu (Raffaella Anderson) routinely endure violation both in word and deed on an almost daily basis as sex workers, prostitute and part-time porno performer respectively. The resemblance to "Thelma and Louise" however, ends with that; the sex is unusually graphic (and in copious supply) as is the violence (a lot of stomping to death, and a lot of blood and other organic matter splattering after bullet impact).On an intellectual level, one could make the case that the film's very essence is the relationship of sex and violence (as manifested by the only sex these women know: one is a small-time prostitute, and the other has earned money from time to time by performing in pornographic films. It is important to note, however, that the victims of their rampage are not only creepy men interested in creepy sex, (of which there are several)but innocent passersby, a woman at an ATM, for example, as well.I myself do not really understand why the repeated "porn-movie" shots were all that necessary, (except to depict the physical contact as cruel, unpassionate and debased) and the unrelenting gore did get rather tedious after the first few violent spasms.It is a coarse and crude movie, but in fairness, it is dealing with coarse and crude people and equally unpleasant circumstances. Films that show the real horror of rape may discourage it more than ones that show women 'getting over it.' One of the victims of rape in Baise-Moi actually 'lets' her assailants get on with it, commenting to her friend afterwards that at least they didn't wind up dead. Amidst all the controversy about the porno-style sex scenes, random acts of violence, liberal depictions of drug use and so on it seems the central question has been lost - is Baise-moi actually any good? Nevertheless, the opening is well-played out and directed with surprising flair (especially considering that this is the debut movie for both its directors).However, when the plot kicks in proper and the two women end up on the run together the film's interest begins to drop fast. It's only real use is as a shock tactic, but even this is wasted on anyone who's seen a porn film - the violence side of it is no worse than is seen in any number of straight-to-video action/thriller flicks.Ultimately, all there is to recommend Baise-moi is a couple of impressive acting performances, a few amusing lines of dialogue and a thought-provoking 20 minutes at the start. Not cartoonish, like Natural Born Killers, but raw violence; uncaring, unmerciful, and brutal.The sex is real, but it is like nothing you see in porn films. Circumstances do not allow that to happen, and the ending is rather abrupt and somewhat lacking.Men joke about PMS, but if it is anything like the rage depicted by the women who made this film, you better watch out. There was so much sex and violence that I got the strong impression that the film was trying very, very hard to be offensive, as if it was aiming at superlatives in ugliness, rather than in telling a convincing tale about two women caught in a spiral of crime.Baise-moi had been described as "Thelma & Louise with actual sex" to me. There are two women traveling through the country because they've committed crimes and know that their lives are finished now, that the police are going to catch them, and they decide that now that everything's over anyway, there is no way to hold back.Baise-moi had been described as a feminist film where women, who had suffered from male dominance in the past, exact revenge upon the men that they encounter.This is something that I had never interpreted into this film, simply because none of these women had ever been innocent, and because they do not just kill irresponsible, violent men, but also men that they seduce themselves, men that show the sense of wanting to do protected sex. I got the feeling that sex and violence were only there in order to create a superlative in ugliness, rather than in conveying a story, or making a point.Baise-moi left me with no impression, hadn't set me thinking, because it was so far removed from any real world. That it's title translates into 'F*** Me' in English was hardly promising - but I tried to keep an open mind throughout.Within minutes - I was left baffled by a plot that barely makes sense, acting that makes daytime tv soap operas look like Oscar material, and some of the worst directing I've ever seen.The violence within the film is highly graphic, but nothing particularly terrible. The leads in this film are not exactly likeable at the start of the picture, let alone when they go on a killing spree murdering anyone and everyone that gets in their way.The rape sequence is very graphic - and certainly more realistic than your average Hollywood attempts. Not even 'Ms 45' killed everyone she could - only men who she had an understandable fear of following her ordeal.Certainly not a film for the faint of heart, I thought I could stomach almost anything - but watching them murder yet another person unjustly whilst having sex with yet another person who they later murder - it all became a bit too much. It's not like people watching this film have not seen the act of sex before.When a movie goer goes to see a film, specifically one calling itself an art film, they expect to see fresh, thought-provoking material. "Baise-Moi" is one of the most shocking movies ever made.The film is truly ugly in its depiction of sex,brutality and rape.The story is simple:a rape victim and a hooker join together to trek Paris leaving trail of bloody corpses behind them.The two leads(real porn stars Raffaella Anderson and Karen Lancaume)have graphic sex and they also do a lot of drugs and kill plenty of people in many gory and bizarre ways.The film is extremely violent-the rape scene at the beginning is very ugly and uncompromising.Many viewers sitting with me in the cinema left the theatre offended.This is strong stuff and definitely not for everybody,but it still has some kind of a social impact,so I wouldn't go so far to call it mindless exploitation.It is raw and convincing when when it shows women being abused by men or when it shows women working in the sex trade.Highly recommended.10 out of 10.. The movie contains a graphic rape sequence, a few more explicit sex scenes and "tons" of gore and violence, without being able to deliver a message. Graphic depiction of violence and sex in movies absolutely don't offend me (on the contrary, if well done and essential to the plot, I surely like it), but I wasn't very impressed by this one. Stanley Kubrick talked for years about wanting to make a porn film for mainstream audiences, but I doubt even he could have got this past the censors.The plot(which has been likened to Thelma and Louise) concerns two french girls who go on a sex and murder spree after falling foul of a couple of degenerates. Baise Moi is the story of two women, Manu and Nadine (played by porn stars) who hit the road to take out their aggression on unsuspecting men (and sometimes women), in what could be described as Thelma and Louise with hardcore sex scenes. Okay, this could be an appealing combination for many audiences but what really strikes you about Baise Moi is its utter ineptitude and ugliness.Directed by two women; Virginie Despentes and Coralie Trinh Thi (based on ex-prostitute Despente's novel), the film does evoke a substantial feel of female rage and bitterness towards men, although having the two leads kill innocents does leave a nasty taste in the mouth and detracts from the film's message. I'm sure Freud would have had a field day with it, but he probably would have had better things to do.Porn stars Raffaela Anderson and Karen Bach act to the best of their ability, pulling off (excuse the pun) some of the more emotional scenes satisfactorily, but you just can't help thinking that they are just playing at being 'proper' actresses. There is a close-up penetration shot during the opening rape scene (cut from UK prints), several blow jobs, a gun being inserted in a man's arse and fired and hardcore sex aplenty, but most shocking of all is the fact that a film so poorly made has been merited as such a classic in some quarters. Why this would require explicit sexual scenes was beyond me, but since such things have been done before in a way that was not a total catastrophe (thinking mostly of Irréversible) i decided to give it a chance.I found this movie to be utter garbage. I read an article in the NY Times concerning ways in which film makers are pushing the envelope when it comes to sex in mainstream movies. Take excessive violence, add a some hardcore porn scenes and French alternative rock music and what you´ve got is a hip and provoking movie, a shocking and disturbing portrait of generation X... The film is shot with a hand-held camera and the amateur illumination and the shady set decoration convey you every time that feeling to be in a real porn movie. Maybe, if you don't like movies, TV, and entertainment having so much sexual objectification of women, so much violence, don't watch them.And if you're a director, don't make them.Otherwise, some day someone will ask for an open mind when what happened in this "movie" happen in real life.Heck, some people seem to like it so much.. Of course, criminal acts like murder are not a good example for youth, but wake up, this is not a silly movie about youth, revenge against society or girl power, it's just a violently superb road-movie about two hopeless young women already dead when they meet each others. Baise-Moi is like a bad violent road porn movie. This movie looks like a horrible combination of 'Deliverance', 'Thelma and Louise', and 'Clockwork Orange' - with just the worst parts taken from those films.Finally, just because the film was made by women doesn't make it any better. Real front runner of the New French Extremity wave of early 2000s.If you are a teen or in early 20s, and you like to watch a film which mixes violence, sex and Thelma and Louise type of one-time-shots-in-life films, this is a film for you.I strongly recommend this film.. If real sex were to be shown, it should have been about the intimacy between the two people instead of the prostitution, rape and sodomy.Baise-moi is about a lot of things, revolt, sexual violence, lust, rebellion, attack on the rich, the scums, the sleaze, the pervs, the life of slackers, drug addicts and low lives. I'm really not sure what the directors were attempting to do with the film, either making another Thelma & Louise, but on crack, or showing that pornography is actually a violence towards women, as, both the directors and the lead actresses have experienced, in the porn industry, women are often used as objects of extreme sex, violence and humiliation.Either way, the film really doesn't merit the title of a film that changed the way people thought, it was simply trying to say something about pornography and the violence that comes with it, mixed into an indie film, that was so violent and sexually explicit that it was banned in several countries and changed several censorship titles in France.If you want a better story about nihilism, a lot violence and killings, with a clear message about why they are depicted, watch Natural Born Killers, instead.. there is still some blood in the movie but what made this film censored are the explicit love/rape scenes. That doesn't really mean it's any good though, or enlightening much on the human condition or, you know, giving a good story.If there is any story it's all knock-off, like Thelma and Louise re-written by Frank Miller on a lesser day and filmed by a kid who's just got a digital camera and has watched far too many no-budget exploitation movies. It's simply about two women (both also porn stars, which helps to explain why they go for such explicit sex scenes without question), Madine and Manu, who meet one day when one forced the other by gun point to drive her to the ocean, then the two decide to join together to do... If nothing else, it's not I Spit on Your Grave, which most of us can be thankful for.It's also shot with some kind of ugly near-yellow tint giving everything a sickened jaundiced look, and acted by porn actresses who barely know two modes to act: Manu is giddy in the most sadistic way or just not giving a damn about what happens to her (rape early on) or how many people she kills (which is a lot, nearing Natural Born Killer numbers by the end I take it), while Nadine is more withdrawn, quiet, an occasional smirk but with less of a real drive to be on this pointless trip except as something to do or be. I don't know for you, but when I hear Porn movie, all sort of pictures come to my mind, blow job, close up, anal sex, 3some, gang bang, facial etc....any action starting from soft penis ending in soft penis and of course the cheesiest dialogues ever.So in "Baise Moi" (I don't know who translated it in US by "Rape Me" but this is wrong), there is penetration sex, rare close ups, but there is not the show off of all the above action, so I would have to disagree with the people mentioning that it's only Porn.I think some people got offended by seeing penis, it's funny how a naked woman showering or actually even faking a sex scene is art and how a naked man with a hard on is Porn, some people need to get real a bit Another crippling fact for that movie is the translation, I have not managed to get a dubbed copy so I just watched a subtitled copy of it, and god was the translation poor and approximative. The movie tells the story of two young women who go on a sexual and violent rampage together, each one for her own reasons and maybe because they want to be cruel to people representing a society that has always been cruel to them. If you are about to watch a recent controversial French movie about topics like sexual violence, go for "Irréversible" instead.. There is violence, sex and generally quite a lot happening, but still the movie refuses to tell any story, teach any morals, elicit compassion, subscribe to any ideology, it doesn't even wish to entertain.What I want to comment on is the advertising line "banned in France". This is quitedefinitely the worst film I have ever seen.Incredibly violent and full of graphic pornography (some guys outthere are now probably asking what more could you want) that arethe cause of the controversy that surrounds Baise-Moi (literaltranslation Rape Me) will no doubt draw some people in.Controversy always draws a crowd, and that will help this film - it'sthe only thing that can.Playing like a porn movie with delusions of grandeur, or a badSpanish soap opera but in French there is nothing good you cansay of this film. I think this movie was only made to provoke and shock,because it is a bad piece off film making.I dont think anyone will see it as anything besides garbage.It has no story or atmosphere and we dont feel for any of the characters. If you want to see this movie for the sex scenes,then dont bother,because it is filmed badly.Go rent a porn movie instead,it might even have a better story.And if you are watching it because of the violence,I have to say that I have seen movies that are way sicker.The only reason to see this movie,is to see something new,you might call it a bad porn movie with a story.. Virginie Despentes film "Baise Moi" is not a good movie when it comes to filmmaking. And the two women lead talents were doing really nice jobs with their given characters.That being said, then the potentially great movie was really butchered by the explicit sex scenes. Mixing extreme violence with hardcore sex, Baise-moi is a taboo busting piece of French cinema that exists purely to shock. "Baise-moi" isn't the first film to combine un-simulated sex with elements of non-porn movies, actors and a "real" storyline. To mind come the infamous "Caligula", various exploitation pictures from the 70's and 80's, or Larry Clarks ill-fated "Ken Park", to name but a few.However, unlike the two movies mentioned above, who utilized explicit sex-scenes; "Baise-moi" comes across more as a porn-film that tries to disguise itself as a feminist's thriller.

tt0408790

Flightplan

Kyle Pratt (Jodie Foster) is a propulsion engineer based in Berlin, Germany. Her husband David (John Benjamin Hickey) died from falling off the roof of an avionic manufacturing building, and now Kyle and her six year-old daughter Julia (Marlene Lawston) are flying home to Long Island to bury him and stay with Kyle's parents. They fly aboard a passenger aircraft, an Elgin 474, which Kyle helped design. After falling asleep for a few hours, Kyle wakes to find that Julia is missing. After trying to remain calm at first, she begins to panic, and Captain Marcus Rich (Sean Bean) is forced to conduct a search. Kyle walks the aisles, questioning people, but none of her fellow passengers remember having seen her daughter. One of the flight attendants calls in to the airport they just departed from and, shockingly, the gate attendant says that they have no record of Julia boarding the flight. In addition, according to the passenger manifest, Julia's seat is registered empty. When Kyle checks for Julia's boarding pass, it is missing.Marcus refuses to allow the cargo hold to be searched because the searchers could be hurt if the plane shifted due to turbulence. Both Marcus and the other crew members suspect that Kyle has become unhinged by her husband's recent death, and has imagined bringing her daughter aboard. One flight attendant Stephanie (Kate Beahan) is exceptionally unsympathetic. Faced with the crew's increasing skepticism regarding her daughter's existence, Kyle becomes more and more desperate. Because of her increasingly erratic, panicked behavior, air marshal Gene Carson (Peter Sarsgaard) is ordered by Marcus to guard and handcuff her.Later on, Marcus receives a wire from the hospital in Berlin. It says that Julia was with her father when he fell off the roof, and she also died of internal injuries. Kyle furiously denies that, consistently claiming that she brought Julia aboard. The crew now believes she is delusional and she is brought back to her seat by Air Marshal Carson. A therapist (Greta Scacchi) on board tries to console her, causing Kyle for a moment to doubt her own sanity until she notices that a heart Julia had drawn earlier on the window next to her seat is real. Kyle is emboldened and convinces the therapist to let her use the bathroom. With her handcuffs now removed, she climbs into the upper compartment and sabotages the aircraft's electronics, deploying the oxygen masks and interrupting lighting. Some passengers brawl with the red herring Arab passengers on board. She uses the chaos to take an elevator to the lower freight deck. She desperately searches for Julia and finally opens her husband's casket to which she emotionally breaks down. Carson finds her and escorts her back.Kyle makes a final plea to Carson that she needs to search the plane upon landing. Carson considers for a moment, then "goes to speak to the captain," against flight attendant Stephanie's command (they are landing), leaving the audience to momentarily believe he is sympathetic. Instead, he sneaks back into the freight deck to remove two small explosives and a detonator concealed in David's casket. He then climbs down to a part of the avionics section, revealing Julia is sleeping (presumably drugged) with her coat and backpack that no one could find. He attaches the explosives to the side of the platform and arms them. At this point, it is revealed that Carson, Stephanie, and the coroner in Berlin (Christian Berkel) are the antagonists and part of a conspiracy. Carson tells the captain that Kyle is a hijacker and is threatening to blow up the aircraft with explosives hidden in the un-X-rayed casket unless the airline transfers $50,000,000 into a bank account. It is revealed that the conspirators killed Kyle's husband and abducted Julia in order to frame Kyle. Carson tells an unnerved Stephanie that he intends to blow up the aircraft's avionics section, killing the unconscious Julia, and leave Kyle dead with the detonator in her hand.After making an emergency landing at Goose Bay Airport in Goose Bay, Labrador, the passengers exit the aircraft as the tarmac is surrounded by U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents (though the airport is properly Royal Canadian Mounted Police jurisdiction). As the captain is leaving, Kyle runs to speak to him with Carson in tow. The captain demands she give up her charade, revealing Carson's deception. Quickly playing the role of hijacker, Kyle demands that Carson stay on board and the crew disembark.As soon as the plane's door closes, Kyle knocks Carson unconscious with a fire extinguisher, handcuffs him to a rail, and takes the detonator from his pocket. Stephanie comes out of hiding and Kyle screams "she's in avionics isn't she?" Carson quickly regains consciousness and fires at Kyle with a concealed gun, sending her running. He chases after Kyle shooting, until she locks herself in the cockpit. He reveals his conspiracy to talk her out. She opens a hatch door to the upper level and throws out a binder to fool him. Carson hears the upstairs thud and leaves. Kyle exits and encounters a guilt-ridden Stephanie slapping her palm with a large flashlight. Kyle talks her down and punches her out. Stephanie panics and flees the plane, abandoning Carson who looks on.Kyle during this time searches avionics and finally finds the unconscious Julia. Carson soon follows, and while searching, tells her how he gagged and dumped her daughter into the food bin. He disparages the people aboard who would never care enough to notice. Carson points his gun to where Julia lay before, but they're not there. He turns around and sees Kyle carrying Julia, escaping through a small door with the detonator in hand. Carson shoots at her as she closes the door. She detonates the explosives, killing Carson. The compartment she and Julia hid in was non-combustible, which keeps them safe. Kyle, carrying Julia, exits via a cargo door. Everyone watches in shock and amazement as Kyle carries her daughter out onto the tarmac.Later in the passenger waiting section of the airport, Marcus apologizes to a seated Kyle holding Julia in her arms. Stephanie is led away by FBI agents and more agents approach Kyle, asking her to identify the morgue director in Berlin who has been detained. She carries Julia still unconscious through the crowd of passengers, silently redeeming herself. One of the Arab passengers (Michael Irby) helps pick up her bag, a symbolic act of respect and forgiveness. Before loading her daughter into a van to take them away, Julia wakes up and sleepily asks "Are we there yet?" as they drive away. In this movie appears Christian Berkel who will later play the role of Fritz Shimon Haber in Haber.

mystery, suspenseful, action, murder, flashback

train

imdb

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***This must be close to the plot synopsis:Man: "You know we're always saying we could use 50 million dollars?Woman: "Yes" Man: "Well I have a cunning plan." Woman: "What's that then?" Man: "First of all we need to find an aeronautics engineer working in a foreign country, with a child, and an encyclopedic knowledge of the layout of a particular long-haul plane." Woman: "Why's that?" Man: "Well then, you see, we murder her spouse, in such a way as it looks like an accident." Woman: "What for?" Man (exasperated): "Well then of course, we bribe the mortuary assistant at the hospital into letting us place explosives inside the casket." Woman: "But why?" Man: "I'm coming to that. In Flightplan she goes one further – a mother who loses her daughter during a transatlantic flight and whom no-one (including, most of the time, the audience) believes.Aircraft engineer Kyle Pratt (Jodie Foster) is devastated by the sudden death of her husband. Ably assisted by Sean Bean as the Captain, wanting to give her every benefit of doubt but increasingly forced to accept the evidence of his own eyes, and Air Marshall Peter Sarsgaard who plays an interesting yet inscrutable character, we are mesmerised by Kyle Pratt and our own difficulty in knowing whether to believe her. Well, imagine being on a plane with your child when you awaken from a brief nap only to discover that your offspring is missing.To compound matters further, imagine that no one remembers seeing your child on board and all passenger lists and appropriate documentation lead to a conclusion that your child never set foot in the flying tube 30,000 feet above the Atlantic.That is the premise behind the new Jodie Foster (Nell) film Flightplan that delivers just enough thrills and spills to squeeze out a three star rating from his critic.Reprising the claustrophobic atmosphere of her last starring vehicle, Panic Room, Foster stars as Kyle, as recent widower that decides to take her 6-year-old daughter back to America from Berlin to escape the memories surrounding her husbands tragic suicide.However, after catching a little shuteye at the back of the plane, Kyle awakens to discover that her daughter is missing and that no one recalls ever seeing young Julia on board.Is she crazy? The game, as we say, is afoot and Kyle, under the very watchful eye of Air Marshall Carson (Peter Sarsgaard) runs up and down the AIR E-474 jumbo jet in a frantic attempt to try and convince others that her daughter is on board and that conspirators are attempting to conceal her whereabouts for reasons unknown.This is the second thriller set aboard a jetliner in just two months – the other being Red Eye – and Flightplan does just as good a job of instilling fear and tension aboard a vessel where mobility, options and hiding places are limited between the nose and tail of the aircraft. Peter Sarsgaard continues to put in one good performance after another and everyone from Sean Bean (who finally, FINALLY makes it to the end credits of a film without being killed!) to Erika Christensen (Traffic) are provided just enough screen time to advance the story without having anyone go over the top in an attempt to steal the spotlight.That's the good. The bad includes a bad guy who has what I call the Bond-villain syndrome whereas he feels he has to talk out loud revealing more than anyone in the same situation would for the purposes of ensuring us dumb audiences know the who's how's and what's behind the plot, and an ending that is kinda bumpy landing after such a long flight.However, director Robert Schwentke does a good job of rising above most of the screenplay's shortfalls and delivers a Hitchcockian caper that is well worth the price of admission even if you will hardly remember most of the plot points by the time you see it on the DVD shelves early next year.www.gregsreviews.com. It appears there's an agenda to mark "Flightplan" comments as not useful.Director Robert Schwentke working with Peter Dowling and Billy Ray's screen play, hasn't added much to the film in order to make it a thriller to be reckoned with, but, in general, the film is not a total waste, as seems to be the perception among contributors.In a way, "Flightplan" plays with the viewer's perception as to who is behind the disappearance of Julia, the six year old girl traveling with her mother, Kyle, to New York. When I first saw the looks of this film, I was very intrigued and thought it was going to be a "The Forgotten 2"....i was very wrong.What starts off is with Jodie Foster playing a mourning mother after the death of her husband. Her and her daughter catch a flight to go stay with Foster's grandparents, however, after Jodie's character falls asleep, the daughter is gone....and to make matters worst, she is told that she never existed...Sounds like a good premise eh? Jodie's performance throughout is good, not Oscar worthy but it is one of the highlights of the film (as well as the ever-cool Sean Bean.) Unfortunately I can't go into great depth of anything else of the story because of spoilers, but I will say that the ending plot is horrible, totally impossible and so therefore ruins the impact of the film and its good beginning.There are also a lot of other things that annoy me about the film, to cut a long list short here are some examples: - a brilliant, new state of the art plane...and there's hardly anyone on board.Foster's character, although confused and frustrated does get annoying after a bit, and seeing as w're meant to identify and sympathise with her, is not a good thing.The overall twist / ending plot is ridiculous, as I stated before.My vote is 6/10....go see the film for the enjoyment of Jodie Foster and some thrills. Hitchcock fans will be delighted to know that German director Robert Schwentke has made a movie with a story just about as good as some of Hitchcock's - one that keeps them on the edge of their seats, and seems to keep the guessing game going until the end.Jodie Foster (Panic Room) plays Kyle Pratt, an airplane designer whose husband apparently fell off their roof and died recently. The entire crew and all the passengers seem to think so, particularly one man named Carson (Peter Sarsgaard, The Skeleton Key), who proceeds to ask all the hard questions that she doesn't want to hear.Even though 99% of the movie takes place on board an airplane, the film never ceases to entertain. It also reminds us of how annoying airplane flights can be, with hyperactive kids acting up right in front of you, or snobby passengers who say things like, "It's not like she lost her Palm Pilot." By the middle of the film, most of the passengers are just as patronizing, as they clap when Kyle is escorted back to her seat after causing a stir.It has its share of unique cinematography, with obscure camera angles (like a sideways shot beneath an airplane landing), but other seemingly pointless slow-motion shots that don't add much to the scene. The movie's plot is very simply Hitchcockian -- a woman, Jodie Foster, loses her little girl aboard an international flight several thousands of feet in the air, and nobody on board remembers seeing the little girl at all, much less her disappearance. I haven't read every comment, so I don't know if others have mentioned these plot holes (in addition to the many many I have read), but: (a) how does Jodie Foster know what damage the explosion is going to do to the plane - it could have destroyed the whole thing, including her and her daughter; (b) how come no-one apparently noticed that the co-conspirator air hostess remained on board the plane at the end - surely there would have been a head count? I have not seen that many Jodie Foster films, but being that she is a fairly well known actress and Flightplan's premise seemed as good as any's I gave it a shot when invited to an opening showing with two friends.What followed was a mixture between humor, failed tension, and borderline entertainment.Flightplan derives its plot from a Hitchcock standpoint: A woman (Foster) boards a plane with her daughter, falls asleep and discovers that the little girl is missing. In a frenzy to locate her missing child she frightens both crew and passengers alike in a search that may be only in her mind.Trouble is Flightplan never builds much excitement, leaving the audience caught between wondering the truth behind the film's mystery and not really caring but hoping things get interesting before everything is over.Jodie Foster plays a good anxious, worried mother and I had the urge to just reach up, slap her and say "Cut that out!" A well done acting role on her part that sparks empathy and emotional responses from those watching, bravo. A few predictable plot twists manage to change things up just enough to have it stand out much better than some suspense thrillers (The Interpreter with Nicole Kidman springs to mind.).Overall, Flightplan stands as an easily forgettable and average entry in the Jodie Foster film history.5/10. Jodie Foster is terrific as usual playing recently-widowed aircraft engineer and mother of a solemn little girl who is faced with terror and dread while on a flight from Germany to New York: her daughter vanishes and no one on-board will admit to ever having seen her. Ironically, the opening (with Foster making burial arrangements in regards to her husband, and later feeling watched from her apartment window) are spookily dream-like, but the director becomes much more sober once the action moves to the plane, and yet his film could really use more of that surreal, what's-going-on ambiance he initially captured so succinctly. This was the point I felt it struggled but I always knew it was going to come and by showing its hand late in the game and playing to its strengths for the majority of the time I felt it just about pulled it off.Foster isn't that great here in terms of range but she does sell the wide-eyed panic she has to deliver and her performance helps the film build tension within the cabin while also sharing her doubts about herself with the audience. And the film plays with racial profiling as if it were some ridiculous plot device, instead of a serious issue.Since we never get a chance to care for the little girl (or, indeed, feel sorry for her for having such a nut for a mother), we couldn't care less what becomes of her, or for her mother's frantic search for her.The solution to the mystery must've roused complaints from Homeland Security and the U.S. Marshalls (not to mention the flight attendants union). The editing tries to create some sense of claustrophobia/paranoia but it fails at that and ends up making the film feel like some trashy B-movie thriller that does anything but thrill. I don't want to trash this movie, or Jodie Foster for that matter, but this film was way below expectations as a "thriller". Jodie Foster usually makes good choices for roles, but the whole "panic room, flight plan" type movies she needs to shy away from. I didn't believe a moment of it from the start, worse the film spins out in such away that it gives you time to think about how things don't fit together.To top it all off Jody Foster's character and performance are completely unlikable from the start. From beginning to end, it's an implausibility.In terms of acting, Jodie Foster has become annoying (in a Panic Room way) and the only actor worth his salt is Sean Bean. STAR RATING: ***** The Works **** Just Misses the Mark *** That Little Bit In Between ** Lagging Behind * The Pits Following on from the earlier-released Red Eye, Jodie Foster takes the lead role after a long break since her last film The Altar Boys (last one I can remember anyway, which I don't even think was released over here?) in 2005's second 'in-flight' thriller movie Flight Plan, a movie with an intriguing premise that is actually a lot less intriguing if you think about it.She plays a woman who has recently lost her husband. As the senselessness and the nightmarishness of the situation take her over, she begins to suspect something is not right and sets off on a desperate quest to discover what happened to her missing child.As I said above, this film is sort of competing with Wes Craven's Red Eye as 2005's best 'in-flight' thriller movie. Flightplan is a deceptive thriller, not because of the plot itself, but what the filmmakers do with it, conveniently genre switching midway through a film, with the latter half looking, albeit, like your standard good-guy/bad-guy battle on an airplane, promising big effects and interesting moments despite the cliché, but actually becomes so abrupt that you're wishing that, close to the end when you're led to believe that all is resolved among the characters, that it would continue and bring you into yet another series of events. And for that, Flightplan becomes instantly mediocre.Jodi Foster, in her usual threatened mom roles of recent, plays a grieving widow who is joined by her six-year-old daughter as they fly her husband's body to Long Island, their new residence. In the post-9/11 days of airline paranoia, you can believe that this crazy lady in a desperate search for her kid, creating much calamity on the plane, would probably be more quickly restrained than she had been.But, what might be a tasty psychological thriller, soon turns into standard action fare as we learn that Foster and her daughter are indeed targets of some crafty thieves who intend to use her as their "crazy woman on board" scapegoat in order to carry out their plans to get some money. It's like the script was written with Crayola on index notes to scatter in a recycle bin and salvage randomly to pick paper thin plot points and airtight thin character development to hand over to the group of highly intelligent chimpanzees to bang out the D-grade direct-to-video TV script on Final Draft computer.It astounds me that Jodie Foster, Peter Sarsgaard and (he was awesome as a bad guy in Patriot Games) Sean Bean waste their talent on this POS. Flightplan, however, pretend to be a serious thriller-drama movie that proceed to sink itself into morbid Hollywood fantasyland towards the end.That the hideous quality of this film show the crew -- including the hack committee-paid screenwriters, greedy credit-coveting producers and coke-dealer-for-hire director -- care far more about showing the pretentiously splendid visuals than send the draft back in for further revision to eliminate the ridiculous plot elements and up the dose of plausibility or it goes out to be thrown into the pile of bad scripts in the blue recycle bin.One of the worst films I've ever seen for such ludicrously unbelievable plot concepts that demand I leave my brain at the door. Dowling and Billy Ray and directed by Robert Schwentke staring Jodie Foster and Peter Sarsgaard (Garden State) attempts to answer the movie's tagline using a little girl and an unbelievably large airplane.Kyle Pratt played by Foster is escorting her daughter Julia played by Marlene Lawston and her husband's coffin to New York from Berlin after he dies in an accident. This is probably not what a director wants to hear about his movie, but 2005's Flight Plan is a nice, non-descript action flick that provides a compliment of suspense that exactly equals what you're hoping for in a non-threatening action movie.Putting the always lovely--and often sympathetic--Jodie Foster on a jetliner over the Atlantic, with a missing child and a plane-load of irritated passengers wanting her to sit down and shut up, is a pretty solid way to blow 100 minutes. But I believe my favorite movie I have seen this year is Flightplan, which I just saw tonight.Jodie Foster plays a woman whose husband has just died. No one saw the daughter board with Jodie Foster.And so it begins.You think that Jodie Foster really had a daughter, and then the movie leads you to believe that she was just imagining the daughter, and that she is on the verge of nervous breakdown pending the onsetting grief from the death of her husband.The remainder of the motion picture is dedicated to her search for the daughter, small glimmers of hope that she is not crazy (that her daughter might be real), the quenching of those glimmers, and her mental and emotional battle throughout the flight to maintain her sanity.Then, more begins to unfold on that airplane which transcends her search for a daughter (who may have never existed to begin with).Topnotch casting, expert cinematography, engaging scriptwriting, and intense musical scoring all combine to bring you one of the most impacting movies you have seen in a long, long time, a taut thriller which will leave you reverberating with its resounding echoes long after the final credits have rolled.Very emotionally satisfying - it will draw you closer to those whom you love, and remind you of what is really important.. Serious spoilers, don't read if you haven't seen the movie.Overall, the setup was a good time, and for the first half of the film I was entertained and vaguely hoping Jodie Foster would wind up frothing at the mouth in a straitjacket before the end. Never Really Takes Off. Jodie Foster plays Kyle Pratt, a mother with a young daughter bringing her husband's body back to the States on a gigantic super-plane. Jodie Foster is always great on screen, the trailer was effective and engaging, the supporting actors looked strong and Red Eye was a really good film so I was hoping to see another good thriller in the sky. Flightplan follows a plane engineer (Jodie Foster) as her daughter goes missing on a flight.

tt0021079

Little Caesar

Small-time Italian-American criminals Caesar Enrico "Rico" Bandello (Edward G. Robinson) and his friend Joe Massara (Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.) move from New York to Chicago to seek their fortunes. Rico joins the gang of Sam Vettori (Stanley Fields), while Joe wants to be a dancer. Olga (Glenda Farrell) becomes his dance partner and girlfriend at the local taxi dance club.Joe tries to drift away from the gang and its activities including running several speakeasys and illegal gambling casinos, but Rico (whom the gang now refers to by his nickname 'Little Caesar') makes him participate in the robbery of the nightclub where he works. Despite orders from underworld overlord "Big Boy" (Sidney Blackmer) to all his men to avoid bloodshed, Rico guns down crusading police crime commissioner Alvin McClure during the robbery, with Joe as an aghast witness.Rico accuses Sam of becoming soft and seizes control of his organization. Rival boss "Little Arnie" Storch (Maurice Black) tries to have Rico killed, but Rico is only grazed by a bullet during a drive-by shooting. Rico and his gunmen pay Little Arnie a visit, after which Arnie hastily departs for Detroit. The Big Boy eventually gives Rico control of all of Chicago's Northside.Some months later, Rico becomes concerned that Joe knows too much about him. He warns Joe that he must forget about Olga, and join him in a life of crime. Rico threatens to kill both Joe and Olga unless he accedes, but Joe refuses to give in. Olga calls Police Sergeant Flaherty and tells him Joe is ready to talk, just before Rico and his henchman Otero (George E. Stone) come calling. Rico finds, to his surprise, that he is unable to take his friend's life. When Otero tries to do the job himself, Rico wrestles the gun away from him, though not before Joe is wounded. Hearing the shot, Flaherty and another cop give chase and kill Otero. With the information provided by Joe, Flaherty proceeds to crush Rico's organization.Desperate and alone, Rico retreats to the gutter from which he sprang. A few weeks later, while hiding in a flophouse, he becomes enraged when he learns that Flaherty has called him a coward in the newspaper. He foolishly telephones the cop to announce he is coming for him. The call is traced to the phone booth where Rico is. He runs from the police and hides behind a large billboard. Refusing to surrender, Flaherty personally shoots at the billboard with a tommy gun. Ironically, the billboard shows an advertisement featuring dancers Joe and Olga. The police walk around the billboard to find Rico dying on the ground who with his last breath mutters, "Mother of mercy... is this the end of Rico?"

violence

train

imdb

Rico Bandello, a petty crook nicknamed LITTLE CAESAR, plots his rise to become crime boss of the Big City.Edward G. Robinson, with his frightening eyes and large ugly mouth, makes this human scum fascinating to watch - a cheap little monster in expensive suits, a moral nonentity with a big gun.Douglas Fairbanks Jr does a fine job with what little the script gives him as Rico's longtime buddy; the bland nature of his performance contrasts nicely to Robinson's florid acting style. Special mention should be made of William Collier Jr who gives a touching portrayal as the mob's getaway driver who loses his nerve and attempts to go straight.Movie mavens will recognize an unbilled Lucille La Verne as the old crone who intimidates Rico near the end of the picture.With LITTLE CAESAR and PUBLIC ENEMY (1931) Warner Brothers established themselves as the Studio that could produce topnotch, gritty crime dramas. If you know a little bit about his life story, you got your basic gangster plot for practically all films that followed, like Tony Camonte in SCARFACE.This film was the first of "the big three", together with PUBLIC ENEMY (1931) and SCARFACE: SHAME OF THE NATION (1932) and provided the blueprint for the modern gangster crime flic. Robinson as Enrico Bandello in LITTLE CAESAR; James Cagney as Tom Powers in THE PUBLIC ENEMY; and Paul Muni as Tony Carmonte in SCARFACE.The interesting thing about these three sound classics is that the central anti-heroes are not the same (except in their willing use of violence). Toward the end of the film there is an amazing shot of just his face, staring into the camera -- no words, no other characters, just Robinson as Rico, and you get a chance to see truly great acting! LITTLE CAESAR (First National Pictures, 1930, released early January 1931), directed by Mervyn LeRoy, from the novel by W.R. Burnett, is not a movie dealing with the history of the pizza franchise, but a pioneer gangster melodrama of an underworld thug who rises to the leadership of a powerful gang. As one of the few movies released during the early sound era to still hold interest today, the true success of LITTLE CAESAR is the casting of Robinson in the title role, referred to on many occasions as Rico, or his full name of Cesar Enrico Bandello. They are a problem that sooner or later, we, the public, must solve." Unlike its rival, THE PUBLIC ENEMY, Rico is ambitious and power hungry from the start, and kills those who betray or stand in his way while Cagney's Tom Powers character is a cold-blooded killer who does away with some of his victims for the fun of it.Aside from Robinson's memorable performance and his occasional repeated catch phrase, "You can dish it out, but you can't take it," LITTLE CAESAR is full of classic scenes: Rico's introduction to "the boys" through the use of high range camera angles; the New Year's Eve robbery of a Bronze Peacock Night Club where Rico's best pal, Joe Massara (Douglas Fairbank Jr.) works as a dancer, and selected as a lookout for the gang by standing by the cigarette counter at the stroke of midnight; Rico's termination of a cowardly Tony Passa (William Collier Jr.) in front of the church steps after wanting to break from the gang and to seek help from his parish priest, Father McNeil; Rico's near machine-gun assassination attempt by a rival gang ordered by leader Little Arnie Lorch (Maurice Black) after purchasing a bundle of newspapers headlining his honorary banquet event; Rico's confrontation with Joe for betraying him for the sake of a woman, Olga Stassoff (Glenda Farrell), only to find he is unable to gun them both; Rico's reaching bottom by sleeping in a flop house, appearing dirty, teary eyed and in need of a shave; Rico eluding his capture by Flaherty; and the most famous closing line in movie history, "Mother of Mercy, is this the end of Rico?" While portions of LITTLE CAESAR may appear primitive to contemporary viewers with its early use of sound technology, such as echos from spoken dialogue between the two main characters (Robinson and Fairbanks) in a diner, and others either in office or police station; or Vitaphone orchestration (by Erno Rapee) commonly heard in early talkies; or the lack of the sight of blood following the shooting of intended victims. Robinson, which began playing on commercial television during the late night or mid-afternoon hours for several decades, continues to find a new audience whenever broadcast on Turner Classic Movies (sometimes as a double bill with THE PUBLIC ENEMY), where it was selected at one point in time as part of its weekly showcase, "The Essentials." Also distributed on video cassette and later DVD, LITTLE CAESAR is one vintage crime story that has stood the test of time. However of the three gangster films I mentioned, my personal favorite would have to be THE PUBLIC ENEMY, as it's acting isn't quite as "over-the-top" and features a little more action and excitement.FYI--For an interesting error, watch Robinson's arm when he is shot towards the end of the film. Both are sadly diminished by time with their formulaic conventions, weak supporting cast, and creaky early-sound production.When "Little Caesar" wants to project menace, we see Rico warn people "my gun's gonna speak its piece," only he doesn't really do much with it. But in the end, what you get here is a thin story featuring a character who defies gravity and convention without doing very much of anything interesting.Maybe I should be more grateful to "Little Caesar" for paving the way to other, better gangster films of the 1930s. The "Forward" that now appears on the beginning of the film was added for the 1954 re-release of Little Caesar and The public enemy (1931) as a combination package.The character Diamond Pete Montana was modeled on Jim Colosimo, who was murdered by Al Capone; and "The Big Boy" was based on corrupt politician William 'Big Bill' Thompson, Mayor of Chicago. Robinson plays the OTHER iconic gangster in that OTHER iconic gangster film from 1931, "Little Caesar." But Mervyn LeRoy's film, though released before "The Public Enemy" by about four months, feels like a less remarkable rip off. Most critics seem to think that the film wouldn't be anything without Robinson's performance--that's true, though I don't think it's all that much even with it.Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. plays Rico's best friend, providing the film with a much-discussed homosexual undertone. Making waves in the crime world by his brutal actions in getting the job done Rico is given the honor to rip off the Bronze Peacock nightclub on New Years Eve run by Vellori's biggest mob rival Little Arnie Lorch, Maurice Black. Along with James Cagney's role in "The Public Enemy", Robinson's portrayal here helped to exemplify the kinds of characters that for some time defined the genre.The story is not without interest in itself, as it follows the rise and decline of various gangsters and their followers. Robinson plays Caesar Enrico "Rico" Bandello a small time hoodlum that becomes an underworld crime boss. Name any gangster movie from the later years and you are bound to find something that was inspired by it, for in its short running time of a mere seventy four minutes, Little Caesar established several clichés that would stick with the genre for decades.After all, everyone is familiar with the 1970s version of Scarface which sees a penniless hoodlum rise from the gutter to become a major underworld crime figure due to ruthless ambition and sheer arrogance, but Little Caesar (and to an extent the original version of Scarface) did it first. Little Caesar (1931)In many ways, this is where it started, and it gets judged against the better Warner gangster films that followed (including some truly amazing movies with Cagney or Muni). Robinson's presence as Little Caesar himself, making his buddy, played by Douglas Fairbanks Jr., look like the amateur he sort of was. When Rico orders Joe to leave his mistress Olga Strassoff (Glenda Farrell), she takes a serious decision.Nobody can deny the historical importance of "Little Caesar", the movie shot in the American Great Depression that started the genre of movies of gangsters. Douglas Fairbanks Jr. will have probably written his performance off in this out of embarrassment by 1933, and ditto for Glenda Farrell who did much better work later on.The film's strengths are its visual style, at times very inventive, and Robinson's performance, culminating in his dying words stolen no doubt at gunpoint from Nero 'Is this the end of Rico?'A famous picture and worth seeing, but Cagney and Harlow in the Public Enemy is probably your best bet of the two.. Little Caesar is probably the critically least highly regarded of the trio of films,--Scarface and The Public Enemy being the other two--that kicked off the gangster cycle of the early thirties. Despite the obvious drawbacks of being an early talking film with a mostly silent background for the soundtrack (except for the bullets) and some snappy dialog ('30s style), LITTLE CAESAR holds the attention like a magnet because of EDWARD G. And snarl he does with most of his terse dialog, "yeah!"Most of it is played in the sort of acting style common to films of this period, but it still fascinates and demands attention with a plot line outlining the rise and fall of a ruthless and arrogant gangster who looks somewhat like Al Capone. Robinson vividly gets across his character with a snarl in his voice that seems a little melodramatic after awhile (almost a parody of a gangster) but suits the style of this lurid underworld melodrama directed with style by Mervyn LeRoy.DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS, JR. Although a bit dated, it still holds up 75 years after its initial release.Rico (Robinson) and his pal Joe Massara (Douglas Fairbanks Jr.) are a couple of small time hoods. For any student of early sound films (are there any left?) Little Caesar is the original recipe for mob gangster movies of the modern era. This had a major and direct influence on classics like the godfather, the Scarface remake and Some like it Hot.Edward g Robinson delivers the kind of performance only a handful of actors ever could.There are some scenes in here shot by the great master LeRoy that capture a time like few other movies ever have.. As he sets his sights on the top boss job held by Pete Montana, Rico knows the heat is closing in - fast.Though not the first gangster picture to hit the big screen, Little Caesar is undeniably one of the genres landmark pictures. The gangster genre by and large up to this point in 1931 consisted of mob characters behind bars, the sight of Rico about town amongst the noisy hustle and bustle surely would have depression jaded cinema goers, director Mervyn LeRoy exploits this by utilising opened the eyes and ears of the paying public.I wasn't around back then so have no on the spot frame of reference, but the professional critics point to many allegories that reside within Little Caesar's structure. Robinson's portrayal, big bulging eyes and snappy slang phrases (this themselves must have really hit a chord with the viewersback in the day), Robinson gives the performance that so many have imitated over the years, where he probably defined the archetype in the process.It does look a little dated now, but of course that is only natural, but this is a powerful film that rises above merely being a hoodlum based piece. From the opening scene with Edward G Robinson and Douglas Fairbanks Jr in the diner, before either gets involved in crime, this film grabs you and will keep you interested till the end.They knew how to make a picture in 1931 (but have obviously forgotten in 2007). Take a great performance like Robinson's and run with it, keep the story going, and get to the point in something under 90 minutes.Having endured in theaters for over 50 years through numerous reissues, until VHS videos made reissues obsolete, LITTLE CAESAR will continue on DVD, on cable, anywhere classic movies are shown. Congratulations!'Little Caesar', a superior gangster film that defined the career of Edward G Robinson. The movie that started Warner's gangster-cycle has dated a lot since it came out over seventy years ago.The acting is perhaps a bit too hammy for modern tastes,but the performance of Edward G.Robinson still retains its power.Some of director LeRoy's storytelling devices may seem as cliche after being used in countless movies dealing with organized crime,but in the early thirties there had never been anything like it. Robinson as Rico, a tough-minded man who is determined to make something of himself, and so he, along with his friend Joe Massara(played by Douglas Fairbanks Jr.) goes to the big city, where they join a gang, and Rico quickly rises to the top, taking it over, and calling himself Little Caesar. Robinson) moves from the country to the big city in the east and joins Sam Vettori's gang with his friend Joe Massara (Douglas Fairbanks)...I have to say this was a fun, enjoyable film, and it clearly inspired many other gangster films of its era. If anything the film was a little too quick, we do not get to establish how some events happen, like Rico and Joe just going to he big city, easily meet a gangster and then overthrow himself in the first 30 minutes. But Little Caesar does everything it wants to put across in its short running time very well and I expect that it was made as a part of a double feature.Whilst Robinson was very good in his role, it was the role that made his career, the rest of the acting is typical of the early 30s, over-the-top with the delivery, very melodramatic and speaking in that 1930s hard boiled way. this film charts the meteoric rise of a low level gangster to a crime boss in the underworld,and his downfall.Edward G.Robisnson Plays said Gangster.Robinson certainly is a distinctive actor,especially his voice.it certainly seems appropriate for that of a gangster.this is really the first gangster genre film from that era i have seen, and i like it a lot.the dialogue of the era is,and more specifically of the genre is certainly interesting,and somewhat amusing,by today's standards.it's hard to believe people actually talked that way and even spoke some of those words.anyway,i like the film,and would recommend it.8/10. It was those very things that made him the premier gangster of the 30's.....and as his career matured he tempered his performances.The story revolves around Rico and his compatriots as they move up in the world......some are left behind either by choice (as with Fairbanks) or they simply are "rubbed out" as Little Caesar climbs the crime corporate ladder. Even four years after 'The Jazz Singer (1927),' Hollywood was still adapting to the "talkies." Mervyn LeRoy's 'Little Caesar (1931)' – along with 'The Public Enemy (1931)' and 'Scarface (1932)' – was one of the pivotal films in the development of the gangster genre {popular in the 1930s, and later a considerable influence on film noir}, but it also suffers the pitfalls of many early sound films. Fittingly, Rico meets his end under a billboard featuring Joey Massara and Olga Strassoff - the title - "Tipsy Topsy Turvy" - just what Rico's world had become.As one of the earliest gangster films, "Little Caesar" set a tone for the genre and led to other successful movies, most notably James Cagney's "Public Enemy". Finally, it doesn't seem fitting that a man with Rico's sense of self importance and grandeur would allow himself to descend into the squalor of a ghetto flophouse; surely he had enough money to maintain some dignity in exile if necessary.All of this aside, "Little Caesar" merits viewing for it's impact on early film making and the creation of the criminal/gangster genre. Warner Brothers released a slew of gangster movies in the early 1930s, films like "The Public Enemy", "Little Caesar", "Scarface" and "White Heat" laying down the template for virtually every gangster picture that followed.Born in an age of urban poverty, overcrowding, and disease, these flicks immediately proved popular with audiences. The releases of "The Public Enemy" and "Little Caesar" gave rise to the gangster movie, which has proved, over the years to be one of the more powerful, successful types of film to be produced.These films also gave us two new "MovieStars". But it is the gangster film for which they will forever be linked."Little Caesar" is the story of a Chicago hood who is not afraid to seize control from his criminal boss, and fight against the law to get his way, and rise to the top of the mob. Robinson plays Cesare Enrico 'Rico' Bandello, aka, Little Caesar and the film documents his rise to the top of the Chicago underworld and his subsequent crash to a skid row boarding house. E.G. Robinson is bad a.s.s. The first "talkie" gangster movie to capture the public's imagination, Mervyn LeRoy's Little Caesar started a cycle of crime-related movies that Warner Bros. And, probably has seen the scene where Robinson says, "Is this the end of Rico?" But I had always avoided the film because I am no fan of gangster movies (or for that matter Hollywood's other obsession of the 1930s -- the lives of rich people). Robinson) and his friend Joe Massara (Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.) are small-time criminals who are seeking their fortunes in Chicago, and while Rico, also nicknamed Little Caesar, joins Sam Vettori (Stanley Fields) and his gang Joe is more interested in becoming a professional dancer, and he gains a partner and girlfriend with Olga Stassoff (Glenda Farrell). Robinson plays Caesar Enrico Bandello - otherwise known as "Rico" - a small time thug who lusts for the power that befits the crime kingpins of the city.

tt1615065

Savages

The movie begins with a video being shot of men with their hands tied behind their backs. An enforcer, who we learn later is Lado (Benicio Del Toro) wears a skull Lucha libre mask and runs a chainsaw.Next, there is a shot of an attractive young blonde woman named 'O' (short for Ophelia, played by Blake Lively) as she narrates in a voice-over. The love of her life is two men: Ben (Aaron Johnson) and Chon (Taylor Kitsch). To her, Ben is like warm wood, the idealistic Buddhist; Chon is steel, the baddhist. O is in a polyamorous relationship with both men, and the three live together in Laguna Beach, California in a luxurious cliff-side house for which Ben paid with cash. Ben and Chon are high school buddies. Ben went to Berkeley and majored in business and botany. Chon was a Navy Seal with tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. One day, lounging on the beach, Ben asks Chon where you can get the best weed. Chon replies Afghanistan, and during a tour there, smuggles out hashish/marijuana seeds from which Ben grows in a greenhouse, using his scientific knowledge, cannabis with a THC yield of 33%, "the best in the world." They met O when they hired her to help with managing the greenhouse. Ben is the businessman who runs the production and distribution and handles 99% of the business, while Chon handles the 1% (enforcement). Ben's philosophy is to provide what people want, but Chon is the realist in seeing the money made from marijuana. Ben does a lot of humanitarian work, and sells to marijuana clubs and dispensaries, for medical usage, but most of the money is made from selling on the street, where it goes for about $6,000 a pound.After making love to O, Chon sees on his computer an e-mail. The e-mail has a video of Lado kicking around the decapitated heads and reads: "These guys were stupid. Be smarter We need to talk." O and Chon greet Ben returning from a volunteerism trip to Africa. Chon and Ben discuss the business. Ben wants to give up the business to the Mexican cartel as he wants to go into philanthropic ventures such as making $10 solar panels, and he admits he's afraid of the cartel. But Chon argues that selling would show weakness, and once they do this, the cartel would usurp their whole lives.We see Lado and his 'gardening crew' carry out a hit. Lado accosts a middleman (Shea Whigham) in his home. The middleman pleads forgiveness and promises an even better deal than paying up. He calls El Azul (Joaquin Cosio) (Spanish for The Blue), a cartel head honcho, to connect him with Lado, but Lado shoots the middleman and has a teenage cartel-member-in-training, Esteban, shoot the middleman's wife, while El Azul is on the phone, enraging him. The gardening crew smuggles the bodies out of the house in trash bins. We learn that El Azul is a former inside man with the Baja cartel, the cartel Lado works for. The head of the Baja cartel, Elena Sanchez (Salma Hayek), had a falling-out with El Azul, and now El Azul is encroaching on the Baja cartel's territory, threatening to take over her position.Meanwhile, Ben and Chon meet with Dennis (John Travolta), a corrupt DEA agent on Ben and Chon's payroll. Dennis tells them about the Baja cartel: they want Ben and Chon's market to fill a market they don't have. Dennis urges them to take the deal instead of decapitation; he reminds them that times are changing and they need to adapt. Dennis is sympathetic to them because his wife has cancer and Ben provides him with cannabis to ease the effects of her chemotherapy.Ben and Chon go to a hotel room and meet with Alex (Demian Bichir), the representative for Elena. The meeting is secretly video-recorded by Lado, with the video feed shown to Elena in her Tijuana compound.Alex lays out the deal: a contract of three years of working together, during which the cartel will learn Ben's horticulture methods while providing vast distribution networks and the operation in a safe haven on an Indian reservation that the cartel owns. (The Indian reservations are considered out of U.S. jurisdiction.) During the meeting, Chon badmouths the cartel's products by saying "I think, basically, you want us to eat your shit and call it caviar." Ben and Chon step out into balcony to discuss. We see that a formidable security apparatus, a team of Chon's ex-Navy Seal friends, who have sniper wares trained on the hotel room, backing them. Chon had planned to take out Alex and his men, but Ben talks him out of it. Ben and Chon reach a decision. They will turn over their business to the Cartel, but not join them. The cartel is not happy. (Apparently, no one says 'no' to the Baja cartel.)Fearing the consequences of their decision, Ben meets with his money guy, Spin (Emile Hirsch), an ex-Goldman Sachs banker who launders and invests the marijuana company's money. Ben wants to set up funds to disappear for three years in Indonesia. Ben, Chon, and O have dinner and discuss the plan for their new lives. Unbeknownst to them, they are being watched in the restaurant by Lado's crew. The three celebrate by getting high in their beach house and having a threesome. Lado sits in the car, spying on them. He calls Elena to update her on the situation. Elena says she needs Ben and Chon to join her for their expertise. Hearing about their living situation, she found their weakness: O.The next day, the three prepare to leave for Indonesia. O wants to do a last minute shopping trip and Chon assigns someone from the security team for her. O is driving to South Coast Plaza (an upscale mall in Orange County), but one of Lado's men intercepts the bodyguard and kills him. They tail O. In one scene, O is shopping next to a girl who is talking on a cellphone, answering her mom's questions about college life. Her mom turns out to be Elena.Returning home but not finding O, Ben and Chon hear a chime indicating a Skype call, and to their horror, see a live web feed of the kidnapped O. Elena, her voice masked, reprimands the boys for not complying with the deal. To redress the insult of the cartel's product during the meeting, Elena has Chon put a gun into his mouth, indicating she will tell Lado to cut off two of O's fingers otherwise. She almost gets Chon to pull the trigger but stops him at the last minute, telling him this will clean up his mouth.Elena tells Ben and Chon to deliver 300 pounds of their marijuana in five hours to show compliance. They get the product and race to Chula Vista. They arrive just in time despite being almost pulled over (and Chon almost having to kill the highway patrolman). Lado and his men take their car. Ben and Chon drive back in Lado's truck, which contains the suitcase of money (they paid in full, Ben and Chon note) and a cell phone. Elena calls, her voice unmasked, and tells them that she will hold O hostage for one year to make sure they comply with all of her demands. Chon argues with Ben that they have to fight to get O back -- the cartel members are savages who will kill them anyway. But Ben just wants peace and O back.Ben and Chon meet again with Dennis, who tells them about the conflict between Elena and El Azul. Chon strong-arms Dennis into getting data on Elena and the Baja cartel from the DEA. He is able to get 60 days of financial transactions, encoded onto two credit cards. Dennis also tells them that two of Elena's sons and her daughter (Magdalena), are dead. Back in their company HQ, Ben and Chon have Spin and his experts look into the financial data on the computer. From it, they trace Elena's financial routes. They figure out that one of her real-estate holdings, a trailer house, is a drop off point for the cartel's business. Ben decides on a plan to pay to get O back. He and Elena negotiate to a $13 million ransom. They decide to hijack the drop to get the cash for O's ransom, and make it look like El Azul hit the cartel.The hijacking gets underway. Wearing masks, Chon and his team of ex-Navy Seals blow up the front car in a convoy with IEDs. When the men from the trailer retaliate, an ex-Navy Seal member takes them out with RPG rockets. Chon forces the men out of the car carrying the cash by putting a grenade in the gas tank. He takes the briefcase from a man scrambling out of the car. Ben is horrified by the killings. One of the cartel members is about to shoot Ben, but Chon shoots the member in the back, spraying blood on Ben's mask. They take the money and get away. Alex and Lado arrive to assess the damage, which is 3 million dollars gone and seven men dead. Lado urges Alex not to inform Elena of the loss because he wants to recover the money and rectify the situation himself and because he fears Elena.Ben and Chon get a message to have Ben meet with Alex and Lado. Alex and Lado interrogate Ben to find out their whereabouts during the hijacking but Ben plays it cool. He insinuates that it could be Lado's men. After Ben leaves, Alex decides Ben and Chon don't have the balls for the attack. He suspects El Azul but Lado isn't so sure.We see O at the shack where they are holding her. She is being watched over by Esteban. Her living conditions are bad: one of her legs is chained to a chair, she has a bucket for bathroom and sleeps on a spring bed in a cage. She pleads into the surveillance camera and gets to talk to Elena, and begs her for some concessions. Elena asks O how long she has been using. Since 8th grade, O says, not that her mother cared. Later we see Lado feeding O a steak, and later, giving O a drug fix, and her getting high. O is also given access to a laptop to send a fabricated email to her mother so she won't file a missing persons report on O. Afterwards, Lado tells Esteban, don't look at me like that (because we see later in the movie Lado shows O a cellphone video of him raping her while she was high).Elena's daughter, Magdalena (Sandra Echevarria) is seen having sex when she is interrupted by a phone call. Her mother is on the line, informing her that she is coming to California to visit. Elena gets on a private plane to the Indian reservation in order to avoid U.S. customs. Lado will follow her later, bringing O with him. Before boarding the plane, Lado tells Esteban that he's proven too sensitive to handle the work and proceeds to shoot and kill him.Upon arrival inCalifornia, Lado brings O to Elena. Elena immediately informs Lado that she knows about the hijacking, and chastises him for not telling her. She threatens Lado, telling him to recover the money and he informs her that he didn't tell her because he was trying to get proof that Ben and Chon were behind the hijacking.Ben has Spin fabricate documents and hack into Alex's bank accounts to frame Alex as the mole to El Azul. Ben confronts Lado with Alex's dossier in an effort to take the heat off of him and Chon. To save himself, Lado visits El Azul and makes a deal to work with him.At a posh spa, Elena and O have dinner during which we learn that Elena inherited the business after her husband was killed. Her twin sons and brothers are also killed, leaving two children who resent her and do not want her in their lives (her daughter and a third son). Elena tells O she likes her, but won't hesitate to kill Ben and Chon. When O remarks that only she can 'get Ben and Chon together,' Elena scoffs, telling O that her love story has a serious problem: Ben and Chon must love each other more than O because otherwise, they wouldn't share her.Later, Lado brings Ben and Chon to see Alex being whipped. The torture is video-fed to Elena who forces O to watch once he 'confesses.' Under the threat of his family being harmed, Alex confesses to working with El Azul. He begs Elena for forgiveness, citing the names of her husband and children. Lado douses Alex with gasoline and anoints Ben to be the executioner. To go through with the falsehood, Ben ignites Alex on fire. O watches in horror.The next morning, Ben and Chon walk along the beach where they discuss the night's events. Chon tries to justify what Ben did by referring to the Dalai Lama, but Ben brushes it off. Instead, he tells Chon that during Alex's plea to Elena, Alex swore on Magda's life; meaning that Elena's daughter is alive, and that Dennis knew this and hid it from him and Chon. They make a plan that will work even faster than accumulating the money for ransom: kidnap Elena's daughter and trade her for O.Lado pays Dennis a visit at his home. It turns out Lado also has Dennis on the payroll. Lado questions Dennis on the culprits behind the hijacking and Dennis assures him it was Azul. Lado informs Dennis that it can't be Azul because he's working with him now instead of Elena. Under threat, Dennis reveals that the hijackers are Ben and Chon, but that they are going to give the $3 million to Elena and not Lado. To head off Elena, Dennis tells Lado to kidnap Magda and sell her to Ben and Chon. Dennis is incredulous to learn that Elena is on U.S. soil.Dennis meets with Ben and Chon, who chew him out for giving them away to Lado. The boys offer Dennis the $3 million they stole in exchange for Magdalena's address. They kill her bodyguard, who is sitting outside her dorm in his car, then move inside, tying up her boyfriend and kidnapping her. Wearing masks as a show, they Skype with Elena and show a shivering Magda, tied up and stuffed in an ice box. Elena meekly agrees to their demands. At the end of the talk, O informs Elena that she knew her boys would come for her. Elena slaps O, then screams at everyone to get out. She drops to the ground, rips off her wig, and breaks down.Lado and his boys take O into another room, where she is chained to a chair. Lado makes everyone else leave the room, then he shows her the video he took when he raped her while she was drugged. She spits in his face, but he enjoys it, wiping himself off on her hair.Elena's SUV and Ben and Chon's SUV meet in an open field with their hostages. On the mountain ridges, each group has their sniper team in position. Elena steps into the open with O and releases her. O runs to Ben. Ben and Chon release Magda to Elena, who is told by her daughter that she will never speak to her again. Before Elena returns to her car, she asks Chon who the rat is. Chon smiles and nods toward Lado, who blows back a kiss. Elena turns around to shoot Lado, but Lado draws his gun and shoots her first. O, who was handed a gun by Ben, makes her way to Elena and wants to kill her, but relents when she sees Elena is already dying. Elena begs O to help Magda escape. O glares at Magda briefly before hustling her to safety.A massive shootout is underway. Each group's sniper team shoots at each other, taking out some members of each team. Chon kills Elena's bodyguards and Ben and Chon converge on Lado, hiding behind the SUV. Ben shoots Lado three times in the back, but Lado turns around to shoot Ben in the throat. Lado sprawls on the ground, severely wounded. O shoots Lado dead for revenge, and erases his phone. O rushes to Ben, seeing his wound is lethal. As O cradles Ben, Chon pulls out a syringe and injects Ben, O, and then himself with drug overdoses. They die in a triple suicide. "That's the perfect ending," O narrates while looking into the sky as she dies.But wait... Rewind, as O mentions that this was just how she imagined it.What really happened, as O narrates, "was more of a fuck-up than a shootout." After Elena steps out into the open and releases O, Lado retreats to the car and drives away. A helicopter and DEA agents led by Dennis swoop in to arrest Elena. The DEA agents disarm the sniper teams and arrest everyone (including Ben, Chon, and O).O narrates as we see a montage: Dennis is grandstanding on TV about Elena's arrest and the progress on the war on drugs (Indian grounds are still U.S. grounds he says); Elena goes to prison for 30 years, while Ben and Chon, who have enough information to put Dennis away, are released after a few weeks in a holding cell after Dennis said that they were confidential informants. Lado and El Azul form a new cartel to take over the vacuum left by Elena.After their release, O says that she, Ben, and Chon all vanished. Montages are shown of them living new lives in Indonesia, Africa, and other parts of the world. A few scenes show that they continue to remain in touch and get together, but most of the scenes strongly imply that for the most part, they've all gone their separate ways-- as O narrates, perhaps it's true that three people can't all be equally in love. She says that one day, perhaps they'll return to their pot business in Laguna, but for now, they live simple, even primitive lives, like 'beautiful savages.'

revenge, neo noir, murder, violence, flashback

train

imdb

It's telling that the best scene in the entire film was between Del Toro and Travolta, with none of the three lead actors anywhere to be found, and hinted at the promise this movie squandered. Going in I wasn't expecting it to be an Oscar winner, if you were expecting this movie to be about a Mexican cartel and not have violence in it then you know zero about Mexican cartels and that is an understatement.Funny thing was i was expecting this movie not to portray Mexican cartels in their real light, but after watching the movie, yup they are as ruthless as the movie portrays and glad Hollywood portrayed them like that instead of sugar coating the threat they pose to the world.If you are looking for a violent action movie based on an American drug ring vs a Mexican cartel well you probably have one of the better movies when it comes to that. This actually stands for "We own you now and you know you like it." Ben and Chon don't really feel like being De-decapitated so they decide to make a go of living in a jungle somewhere until Elena (Hayeck) the ruthless lady leader of the cartel has O kidnapped.So are you over the fact that our two heroes share a girl yet? I found Chon to be my favorite of the three because he seemed to be the only one who just wanted to actually get things done and blow up some stuff while everyone else talked and talked some more.Villains make films though and despite the awkwardness and UN-likability of some of the lead roles the bad guys were sinister, relentless and kind of funny at times. They also share a one-of-a-kind love with Ophelia (Jennifer Lawrence was originally cast as O but she pulled out ,Blake Lively was subsequently selected , Director Stone instructed her to take firearm training for her role ; despite not being experienced at the gun range, she hit center mass in her first three shots) . When the merciless head of the BC, Elena (Michelle Rodriguez and Zoë Saldaña were considered for the role as Elena, but Salma Hayek got the role instead) and her enforcer, Lado (Benicio Del Toro) , underestimate the unbreakable bond of the three friends, Ben and Chon - with the reluctant assistance of a dirty DEA agent - wage a seemingly unwinnable war against the cartel. And so begins a series of increasingly vicious ploys and maneuvers in a high stakes, savage battle of wills.This thrilling film contains noisy action , lots of violence , sexual scenes , plot twists and unpleasant characters . Acceptable protagonist trio , Taylor Kitsch as Chon , a violent and tough ex-Navy SEAl , a gorgeous Blake Lively and the best acting is given by Aaron Taylor-Johnson as a sensitive young who turns into violent one to save his girl . I'd rather not get into the lack of any kind of convincing emoting from Blake Lively here--- (She's supposed to be afraid for her life here--and somehow its like she's barely miffed---its as if instead of her life that's being threatened its her wi-fi connection.) having read the book this was based on--the character O in the story was a lot more resourceful and a lot more crazy then Blake Lively ever suggests in the two hours of running time---would that they had cast literally anybody else in her part,just off the top of my head would Lauren Ambrose from six feet under have been considered too old??? God again if this was made like 10-15 years ago--imagine what a younger Juliette Lewis or a younger Illeana Douglas could've done with this.That's really all i actually wanted to say cause everything else was fine enough--i was kind of expecting it to be more over the top if anything given that its Oliver St one's first crime film in a little while but its definitely over the top enough to satisfy anyone looking for an over the top crime movie. On the other hand if you want to see a good thriller that will keep you entertained and are comfortable with the topic area, drug dealing and violence, then by all means see this movie and do not be put off by the any bad reviews.As for the ending, it was changed from the book and I think for the better. Two marijuana growers from SoCal, Chon (Taylor Kitsch) a former Navy seal and Ben (Aaron Johnson) a SoCal Buddhist hippie, get a deal from a Mexican drug cartel run by Elena (Salma Hayek) that they agree to but decide to escape the country and disappear. The guys decide that they will take things into their own hands and savage violence ensues.The Good: The story is interesting and solid, at least from a reading it stand point, although it's a tough sale for me, living in Southern California, that with our liberal medical marijuana laws, that anyone smart, growing to sell at collectives would actually get involved in this crap. His character that is suppose to be an ex-Seal comes off as a adolescent teenage thug, who couldn't find his way out of a paper bag.In the end I think Oliver Stone has been to wrapped up in his lovefests with Cuban and South American Dictators, and maybe smoking too much marijuana to actually put out a decent, smart movie. Watching this one kind of made me feel sad for Mr.Stone, and miss the days when he put out good movies like "Natural Born Killers." (1994) I truly was hoping for a great movie when I saw the previews for this one but I was definitely disappointed. Nobody else does either.So for really bad writing, directing, not having any kind of coherent style, and not quite fulfilling its action and "savagery" that it promised, the best I can give this one is a 5 out of 10, and that may truly be kind and is out of respect to Salma Hayek who shouldered this movie pretty much on her own, although Del Toro had a few tiny moments.Like my review? Even if Kitsch, Johnson, and Lively aren't sympathetic leads the film still has memorable performances from Salma Hayek, Benicio del Toro and John Travolta. Salma Hayek was good as the conflicted ruthless widow-cum-cartel-queen-and-loving-mother role, but the woman had a lot of hats to wear in that one character as if the director couldn't decide if she was a heroine or a villain in his very disconnected film. Lastly, I'd like to say, I wish Taylor Kitsch would be given permission to act, because from what I've seen of him in his other films, he's more than eye-candy, and without good direction, it seems like he is being limited in range, not to mention being written into a character that has little credibility. Now, I don't know what other people's idea of the Mexican Cartel is, but the civility demonstrated here is not nearly as brutal or frightening as I'd expect it to be, especially in a film called Savages.Of course, the worst criminal here is the story. This film stars Aaron Johnson (Kick-ass, The Illusionist), Taylor Kitsch (Battleship, John Carter), Blake Lively (The Town, Green Lantern), Benicio Del Toro (Snatch, The Usual Suspects), John Travolta (Pulp Fiction, Face/Off), and Salma Hayek (Frida, Desperado).Best friends Ben (Aaron Johnson) and Chon (Taylor Kitsch) work together and sell the best pot there is. Once they turn down the order, the cartel kidnaps O and forces Ben and Chon to work for them, but they have a plan to try and get her back.I honestly really liked this movie because it was not what I was expecting going in to it. The "heroes" aren't good; they are just less evil than the villains; and their destiny is only guided by the whims from the screenplay, as we can see during that double ending which looks like a bad joke.However, I think the weakest element from Savages is Blake Lively's poor performance. And I surprisingly liked Taylor Kitsch's performance; I had previously never swallowed this actor, but his work in Savages is solid, and he also has a good chemistry with Aaron Johnson.Going back to negative elements from Savages, the screenplay presents some problems of logic and structure (this film is based on a novel, so the reason of those problems could be because of an excessively condensed and superficial adaptation). The movie I'm talking about is Savages, which stars Taylor Kitsch as Chon, Aaron Johnson as Ben, and Blake Lively as O, who are three lovers involved in an odd romantic situation. I don't want to go through the story line but I must warn you as an avid moviegoer, this film sucks and it is totally waste of time...If it had been in the hands of Tarantino or Guy Ritchie, things might have been a little bit different ,unfortunately it is nothing but a bag full of clichés, wooden characters,a silly and a predictable plot. I'd not heard of this movie before I watched it and had no clue about director, actors, plot, etc.That said, as soon as I started to see the ensemble cast as they appeared on screen I knew not to expect too much and was pleasantly surprised!Everything made sense to me, I felt engaged and felt that the characters (ok, the baddies) were interesting to want to find out what was going to happen...Benicio Del Toro stole the show, no question but I didn't feel that anyone was especially bad although I wasn't a fan of the voice over either!If you want to be entertained and don't mind a bit of stupidity and woodenness then I say give it a go! the movie grabs you with amazing actors including Taylor Kitsch (Who is the next best thing in acting), Aaron Johnson (who puts on a spectacular performance), John Travolta and Benicio Del Toro (These two men put on great supporting roles), then gives you a ride that you never want to end. Chon and Ben refused the deal and the leader of the cartel Elena (Salma Hayek) sends her right-arm in America, Lado (Benicio Del Toro), to abduct Ophelia to press the American drug dealers. Oliver Stone manages to accomplish again with Savages what he did for the 2008 financial crisis in Wall Street 2: trivialize an extremely real tragedy that had a profound effect on millions of innocent peoples' lives with an insulting bit of self indulgence.It's the Mexican drug war this time, but it's essentially the same story. Salma Hayek does a great job as the villain even though at points her lines get very cheesy, "I wouldn't have a problem cutting both their throats." Though the plot seems alarming, it sticks well and turns the movie into a satisfying, gritty drug dealing film. Taylor Kitsch rinses some of the stink of John Carter and Battleship from his soiled reputation and Aaron Johnson is far from the awkward teen we saw in Kick-Ass. John Travolta makes a limited but memorable appearance as a corrupt DEA agent and his scenes with Chon and Ben are the movie's bursts of comedic relief. The "good guys" split screen time surprisingly equally with the other side of the conflict featuring the cartel head Elena (Salma Hayek) and her chief enforcer Lado (Benicio Del Toro). Travolta is great fun to watch as he lies and schemes his way out of every corner his character is put in.Oliver Stone directs the film with a hyperactive style that seems both reminiscent of his work in the 90's, while simultaneously mocking it. This movie is by far one of the best films i'we seen in a long time.Oliver Stone did a remarkable job directing this.The story is smart,tens and often intelligently funny.Benicio did an awesome job as the bad guy and i cannot think anyone more suited for the role of a Mexican cartel enforcer.Salma is beautiful in a way she knows best.As a women leading one of the most brutal drug cartels in the world.She is relentless. The two good friends who share everything are well played by Taylor Kitsch and Aaron Johnson who are both kind of uglied up for the roles.The violence is very graphic but it's contained to certain scenes and you know when it's coming and can choose to close your eyes. A Mexican drug cartel run by Salma Hayek makes them an offer they shouldn't refuse and the chaos ensues as O is kidnapped and the boys will do whatever it takes to get her back.Brutal violent setpieces, inspired plotting and a surprisingly original love story that makes the love triangle feel believable in the sense that if you dig a little deeper the guys love each other and O's character is just the binding material that holds them together. The boys' marijuana is well known as the best in the market, it's so well known for being that good that a Mexican drug cartel, ran by Elena Sanchez (Hayek) and her right hand man Lado (Del Toro), wants in on their business. So the two turn to a corrupt DEA agent (Travolta) they've done business with in the past, for assistance in getting her back.The movie is extremely violent and Del Toro makes a great monstrous villain once again, stealing the show. There are enjoyments to be had in Stone's film, mostly from Salma Hayek, Benicio Del Toro and John Travolta's different takes on the human foibles of adult corruption. Youngsters Taylor Kitsch, Aaron Johnson and Blake Lively (who provides the useless narration) are excellent as the leading trio and Salma Hayek and John Travolta add a bit of colour in their smaller but pivotal roles. 'Savages' Synopsis: Pot growers Ben and Chon face off against the Mexican drug cartel who kidnapped their shared girlfriend.'Savages' works big time because the Screenplay is so well-written, despite its paper-thin plot. two pot-growers/dealers, Chon (taylor kitsch), a former SEAL, now volatile and aggressive, and Ben (aaron Johnson), a business-minded botanist without a violent bone in his body, share the same girlfriend, the lovely and flighty o (blake lively). Aaron Johnson plays Ben, a soft and peace-loving entrepreneur who owns a pot-growing business, selling some of best marijuana in the world, with his best friend Chon (played by Taylor Kitsch), a former NAVY seal veteran with a less merciful and more ruthless character who is often involved in violent confrontations against drug lords, unlike Ben prefers to live a life without violence and brutality. Ben and Chon must come with the money to save her from the vicious drug cartel, with the help of a corrupt DEA agent Denis (played by John Travolta).This movie doesn't quite hike up the peak of Oliver Stone's previous films, but its still entertaining as it needs to be; despite some of its flaws. The story is basically about three friends (Taylor Kitsch, Blake Lively and Aaron Johnson) who end up getting in way over their head when they are approached by the Mexican drug cartel.What I liked about the movie is that it's unrelenting in its violence, with brutal scenes of torture and intense, gruesome deaths. Twenty years ago an Oliver Stone film would be an event but the director has become wayward of late.This marks a return to form but it revisits his screenplay of Scarface too much in places aided with his kinetic camera work and filming style used in Natural Born Killers but here it hinders the flow.Ben (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) is peace loving hippy Buddhist and his best buddy Chon (Taylor Kitsch) a former soldier have developed the best type of marijuana which have made them successful in southern California.Both also share the same woman Ophelia (Blake Lively) and life is going swimmingly until the Mexican Baja Cartel demands that they join forces with them and later kidnap Ophelia.The cartel is ruthlessly led by Elena (Salma Hayek) her brutal enforcer Lado (Benicio Del Toro) wants Elena but also realises he needs to make his own moves.Ben and Chon realise they need to take on the cartel and free Ophelia and they can only do this with the help of the slippery and crooked DEA agent (John Travolta) a man who has worked out all the angles.The film is hampered by the constant narration by Lively as well as her performance which is less than lively. Hayek, Travolta (with his natural balding hairline) Bichir and Del Toro make the most of their thin characterisations, people who are rooted to their families despite being savages.Stone makes up for the rest with his filming style with an operatic approach to violence but why were we presented with an alternate version of the climax?. Aside from the basic information about Ben and Chon's previous lives, the plot decides to spend time telling us who in Salma Hayek's family died; something that we don't care about.Although this movie was slatted as an action film, the action is few and far between. Savages won't trouble the Academy in February but this is Stone fairly close to the top of his game.Ben (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Chon (Taylor Kitsch) contrast each other in almost every way emotionally and in their approach to life but they are best friends, business partners and share their lives, their home and their girl, O (Blake Lively). Then the Mexican Baja Cartel, headed by Elena (Salma Hayek) and her bulldog, Lado (Benicio Del Toro) decide they want a slice of the pie and kidnap O as gentle persuasion.Savages doesn't have anything new or profound to say about drug smuggling or the multitudinous crimes tied up in the drag trade and there's no great political slant or revelation, which is disappointing after such bold statements from Stone in the likes of JFK and Nixon. The movie Savages centers around two best friends Ben ( Aaron Johnson : Albert Nobbs)and Chon (sounds like John (taylor Kitsch)) with different personalities. The film is really violent and difficult to watch at times, but if you like these kinds of thrillers then you will enjoy this movie.

tt0089606

Mitt liv som hund

The action takes place in the years 1958-1959 in Sweden. Troubled 12 year-old Ingemar (Anton Glanzelius) gets into all sorts of trouble, which bothers his mother (Anki Lidén); Ingemar does not know that his mother is in fact terminally ill. When he and his older brother become too much for her, they are split up and sent to live with relatives. Ingemar ends up with his maternal uncle Gunnar (Tomas von Brömssen) and his wife Ulla (Kicki Rundgren) in a small rural town in Småland. Gunnar and Ingemar bond over Povel Ramel's recording of "Far, jag kan inte få upp min kokosnöt". In the town he encounters a variety of characters. Saga (Melinda Kinnaman), an assertive tomboy his own age, likes him, and shows it by beating him in a boxing match. Among the more eccentric residents is Fransson (Magnus Rask), a man who continually fixes the roof of his house, and Mr. Arvidsson (Didrik Gustavsson), an old man living downstairs who gets Ingemar to read to him from a lingerie catalog. Later, Ingemar is reunited with his family, but his mother soon takes a turn for the worse and is hospitalized. He and his brother go to stay with their uncle Sandberg (Leif Ericson) in the city, but his wife thinks the boy is mentally disturbed. After his mother passes away, he is sent back to Småland. Mr. Arvidsson has died in the interim; Gunnar and Ulla now share the house with a large Greek family. Gunnar welcomes him and consoles him as best he can, but the house is so crowded, he has Ingemar live with Mrs. Arvidsson in another house. Meanwhile, Ingemar becomes the object of contention between Saga and another girl. When they start fighting over him, he grabs onto Saga's leg and starts barking like a dog. She becomes upset by his strange behavior and gets him into the boxing ring. During the bout, out of spite, she tells him that his beloved dog (which he had thought was in a kennel) was actually euthanized. This, along with his mother's death, is too much for him and he locks himself inside Gunnar's one-room "summer house" in the backyard. While secluded here, Ingemar reflects on the death of his mother, the loss of his dog and a changing world. Ingemar uses the experiences of others and of his own personal loss to reconcile a life which is sometimes tough. Throughout the film, Ingemar tells himself over and over that it could have been worse, reciting several examples, such as a man who took a shortcut onto the field during a track meet and was killed by a javelin and the story of the dog Laika several times, the first creature sent into orbit by the Russians (without any way to get her back down). The film ends with the radio broadcast of a famous heavyweight championship boxing match, between Swede Ingemar Johansson and American Floyd Patterson. When Johansson wins, the whole town erupts with joy, but the now-reconciled Ingemar and Saga are fast asleep together on a couch.

cult, prank

train

wikipedia

This is an emotionally powerful (and sad) film about a boy coming to terms with the fact that his mother, who he loves dearly, is dying. Everyone tries to hide what is really going on, as if "what you don't know won't hurt you", but the boy is hurting badly.There are no car chases, shoot-outs, or space aliens in this film. This film is about real life, about growing up, and about children's sexuality. In 1950s Sweden a 12 year old boy Ingemar (Anton Glanzelius) is sent to live with relatives. With his relatives he grows up and learns how to deal with life, love, feelings of abandonment, sex etc etc.Sounds pretty obvious but it isn't. This film is beautifully directed by Lasse Hallstrom and perfectly captures what it's like to be a young boy growing up. That it takes place in 1950s Sweden makes no difference--all young boys go through the feelings and emotions shown in this movie. Children on the cusp of puberty who engage in a completely unrepressed journey of sexual discovery without tilting the film into x-rating.This is a true story based on the life of a real child whose mother was a famous Swedish writer, who had a terrible temper and also died of a disease of the lungs. Unlike most American films which say too much, are too loud and spoon feed all thinking into the audience with the assumption that we are dumb, insensitive and unable to connect the dots, this drama delights with it's simplicity, allowing the drama to come to us in an unhurried telling. The film follows the life of Ingemar in his 12th year as he has to cope with the slow death of his mother. When his mother can no longer care for him and his older brother, Ingemar is sent off to his Uncle who lives in a small town in which it seems that all the residents work at the glass factory, and he soon becomes part of the town's fabric. This is a film about childhood and like most childhoods the film includes several scenes about children's growing awareness and curiosity about sex and their bodies and presents it in a real and sensitive way. This odd little film relates the story of Ingemar, a boy who learns about life, death, loss, and practically everything else. The boy is a charming little fellow, and all the odd people he meets are also charming in their own ways.Because his mother is dying and his father is off in some other part of the world, he and his brother are split up. He distances himself from the pain in his life by comparing his predicaments to things he has heard about in the great, strange world beyond the little town where he lives.This is an amusing, quaint film that shows us that life goes on no matter how difficult and hurtful it seems. "MY LIFE AS A DOG" is certainly my best film. About each occurrences in this movie, however, I cannot describe which scene is the most impressive, the sad, or comical, because I think there is no exactly deliberate scene but just a boy's thought and life with his mother, brother, pet dog, other relative, friends, and other villagers.The very basic natural humanity is vividly presented through those people. "Mit liv sum hund" directed by talented director Lasse Hallström is one of the reasons why I like Scandinavian movies so much. They always have this "real" feeling without ever overdoing things like in Hollywood movies often is the case.The story is very simple and mainly because of that it all feels very real and heartwarming. I think that is the main reason why this movie is great to watch for adults as well as children. I wonder what she looks like now as an adult?For kids that young, I thought there was a little too much emphasis on sex, but mostly it's just natural curiosity of what the other sex looks like, and the intentions are innocent.Overall, it is a charming film with almost all (one exception: his older brother) likable people.. Beautifully filmed with characters who are so real that at times, you feel like you're intruding. I own the film and have seen it a dozen times.First - only watch the version with subtitles. I just came across this coming of age movie about a boy's childhood in 1950s Sweden. I expected to change the channel but soon got caught up in the wonderful simplicity of the tale, made especially memorable by the lead performance of the boy Anton whose expressive face mirrors all of his impish thoughts.As charming as a film of this sort can be, despite the episodic nature of the telling. Makes you examine your own childhood feelings of loneliness or rejection--and the explorations that all of us are subject to.By all means, a film worth watching. A mischievous young boy with a Puckish smile, unusual table manners, and a sympathetic kinship to Laika the Soviet astro-dog is sent by his ailing mother to live with relatives in the country, where he discovers a town full of people even more eccentric than himself. Director Lasse Hallstrom's popular Swedish import offers a refreshing look at the mysteries and heartbreak of adolescence, with all the charm but none of the cloying sentiment of other, similar coming-of-age films. The rich humor is drawn around an affectionate portrait of small town life, closely observed; the pain comes from the realization that young Ingmar's bedridden mother has already passed away. It's a memorable look at love and mortality, as seen from the innocent eyes of a boy passing through that awkward age when he begins thinking like an adult while still unable to stop acting like a child.. Lasse Hallstrom has gone on to direct some touching, funny American films (Once Around, What's Eating Gilbert Grape), but My Life As A Dog is the best of the lot. "Mitt Liv Som Hund" or simply "My Life as a Dog" is a warming and poetic chronicle of the life of a young boy who learns about what growing up is like when faced to live with another parents after his mother's illness prevents her from taking care of him and his older brother. The boy, Ingemar (the gifted Anton Glanzelius), narrates his distant happy memories while living with his mother and then later his future discoveries and events that changed his life. While telling his stories he keeps comparing his life to the Laika's life, the little dog who was sent to space by the Soviet in 1957, year the movie's story starts. Laika in the space, Ingemar on the ground with his eccentric uncles, new friends and far away from the very few people he knew: his sick mother and his brother, sent to another home. I'd say I went into My Life as a Dog with mixed expectations.What I found was probably the most intelligent coming-of-age films I've seen. There is an element of fantasy but nothing off-putting or tedious like so many French films (Amelie and A Very Long Engagement being two films I especially dislike).The film is set in the late 50's and apart from the coming of age theme, it deals with boxing - Ingemar something or other beat Floyd Pattersen! -; dogs - apparently the Russians sent a dog in space without enough food and young Ingemar's dog is cruelly taken away from one at a particularly vulnerable time; and a budding sexual awakening guaranteed to rile up prudish Americans even if its innocent and unerotic. I think some of the emotional resonance of the film comes from how truthful and warm My Life as a Dog is, there's even something very Truffautesque about it.My Life as a Dog has an evocative script, a compelling story and characters that feel real, you immediately connect with Ingemar and do so right up to the last second.Lasse Hallstrom directs beautifully, the film looks gorgeous in photography and production values, the score is haunting and Anton Glanzelius's lead performance is astonishing combining charm and wit with innocence and spirit.Overall, a truly wonderful movie. This movie, intensely comical, but also sweet, sad and touching.It shows the life of a young boy (apparently 12 years old) who is discovering life for the first time. It centres on the innocence of childhood and the way in which life works.It has been said that this film errs on the side of child pornography because a young girl exposes herself (just the torso) to the boy. They are not full of moral wowsers who can't see the art for the breasts...It helps if you watch the movie for a second time, as everything is better and you notice the great subtitles placed in this wonderful movie.. I don't think that I have ever laughed as hard during a movie as when I watched "My Life as a Dog." In addition, such pathos is rarely captured on film. I am hard pressed to think of another movie that risks the range of emotions embraced by this film. The beauty of this film is an innocence that allows us to revisit our childhood many times. I enjoy a great deal of Swedish director Lasse Hallstrom's films for their moving, bittersweet tone. Still, that does not give peace to his terrified soul.With a smashing (and barking) performance by gifted Swede toddler, Anton Glandzelius, "My Life as a Dog" is a beautiful film. While not a very deep film, 'My Life As A Dog' is a wonderful evocation of time and place, as well as a movingly constructed vision of innocence and childhood. 'My life as a dog' is such a delightful movie to watch and it will suit everybody.I first knew Lasse Hallstrom through 'What's Eating Gilbert Grape'. Now after I saw 'My life as a dog', I find that Hallstrom is really great in making films about life. Both films are about daily dramas on ordinary people's lives but 'My life as a dog is more fun to watch than the great but depressing 'What's eating Gilbert Grape''My life as a dog' focuses very well on the joy and sadness of a growing boy, Ingemar. Although the words come out from a boy's mouth, they actually teach all of us something.Hallstrom intelligently bring small details to make this movie 'alive', rich and inspiringly funny. After I had seen "The Cider House Rules" and "Chocolat", I took some interest in Swedish-born director Lasse Hallstrom, and so I decided to check out one of his movies from his native country. This story of abandoned boy Ingemar hits the perfect balance between sentimental and gritty, with one scene that was probably there for a little comic relief (you'll know what I mean if you see the movie). I love this movie and the Swedish films are good!!! I really like the actors and Lasse Hallström is a really good director, ok the movie is a little bit slow sometimes but you get a really good feeling when you see it. This movie follows the boy during the first year or two of his life with them and you get to see his first love, him playing on a soccer team, etc. Maybe I'm just a sucker for these kinds of films, but I love this movie! If you liked "Stand By Me" or the TV series, "The Wonder Years" I think you'll like "My Life as a Dog" too. They really brought the movie (and their characters) alive.....showing pre-teens as they grow and experience life altering changes.. You like the film as you watch it, but you never get the feeling that it is anything more than the story of one particular boy, whose life isn't that exceptional after all. this is the story of a boy who hits puberty when his mum is dying, and having to move in with relatives in a small country town while all the time thinking about Lakia. P.S. I Love You. When a little boy falls through a cottage skylight window while his parents are making love during vacation his father has a heart attack and must go back into The Navy for his Health & Rehabilitation...While The Mother, The Two Sons & Family Dog are living in a Sanatorium from The Two Sons being officially declared Bastards from The Parents Naval ReMarriage, The Mother falls into Poor Health and must go into Convalescence...By this point The Main Character has replaced The Family's Love with The Family Dog's Love...Sent away for Summer Vacation during his Mother's Convalescence, The Main Character once again falls through the same cottage skylight window while watching his relatives have sex...Finally recognizing his stupidity The Main Character falls in LOVE with a Young Lesbian Girl who knows his secret...Masturbation!. This was the first thing come to my mind after watching this movie. A very awesome Swedish film was made about thirty-two years ago and clearly illustrates the psychological world of a seven-year-old child who, at the same time as a child, has a large inside with a lot of exterior experiences, such as displacement, separation from his beloved dog and The next two boys in the family and, of course, maternal love and hatred. Young boy Ingemar (Anton Glanzelius) is living with his older brother and his seriously ill mother. Town tomboy Saga (Melinda Kinnaman) is a better athlete than every other boys and she grows to like Ingemar.The puppy love is adorable. This is a delightful and sad movie about a young boy who is left to fend for himself in many ways after his mother dies. Ingemar gets back to the small town after his mother's death and is met at the train station by his loving uncle. Even if the story is told through the experiences of a 12 yr old boy, anybody can relate no matter what age, because we all feel that hunger to be loved.. When the opening scene showed Ingemar on the beach amusing his mother with some childish antics, I was primed for a happy coming-of-age story. He has some odd behaviors, like approaching his milk glass with trepidation as if were one of life's great challenges to drink from it.When Ingemar becomes too much for his mother to handle he is sent to a small village down south to live with his uncle's family. Initially, it appears that young Ingemar (Anton Glanzelius) is merely a mischievous troublemaker, but inwardly, he harbors all the self doubt and insecurity of any young boy his age, compounded by a terminally ill mother and a brother with whom he has very little connection. Their coming of age story is portrayed sweetly with innocence, and though the film explores sexual themes with it's eccentric characters, it does so maturely with a young person's sense of wonder and amazement.. At the end of the movie one finds out who was the dog whose life is being told. It isn't Laika sent in space at the onset of the movie, but the little boy who identifies with his dog who was put to sleep while he was away at his uncle's place. "My Life as a Dog" is a simple story about a 12 year old, mischievous boy, who is trying to find his way. He has a brother that he does not really get along with, a mother who is getting progressively sicker, and a dog who gives him the love that he is not able to get from either his mother or brother.To help his mother recover, he is sent packing, off to live for the summer with an uncle, where he finds a place to fit in, and friends and neighbors who are just as "strange" and mischievous.The film is a memory, neither romanticized or critical of either the boy or his family and friends. It simply tells the tale of a boy on the verge of puberty and the confusing feelings that he experiences.I didn't like the repetitive nature of the narration that occurs throughout the film, but I found myself drawn into the story and the characters.Lasse Hallstrom does a marvelous job of getting genuine, honest performances from all of his actors, who are all excellent.8 out of 10. A young 11-year-old boy discovers life, death and girls. Ingemar (Anton Glanzelius) leads a simple but complex life where his mother dies young and he is consequently sent to live with his uncle. Anton Glanzelius gives a wonderful performance as 11-year-old Ingemar, as do the rest of the cast. She is well played by Melinda Kinnaman.This film makes reference to Laika's story a cup of times. Just because of one scene of child nudity in a film they already think it's pedophilia. There could have been a deeper, lost metaphor between the loss of his dog and his thoughts of his dying mother, but if so, it was either lost in translation or wound up on the cutting room floor.If you want an excellent film that tackles looming death or losing a loved one rent "Autumn Spring" or Hallstrom's better venture, "The Shipping News". Ingemar and his brother and mother live in a shanty house slum, and his uncle's country place is only a little nicer, even if the scenery is much more wholesome. Then there is the actor's very appearance, which has an odd, almost maniacal twinkle in his mien, akin to a young Jack Nicholson's.All in all, My Life As A Dog is a good non-Hollywood Hollywood film, albeit a deeper one, without forced emotions. A great coming of age movie. Throughout the movie, Ingemar, the little boy in the movie, compares the tragic circumstances in his own life to that of other peoples (and a dog), who have much more tragic circumstances, so not to be so sad about his own. For me, it was like seeing parts of my own life reflected on frames of film.

tt0078908

The Brood

At the Somafree Institute, Dr. Hal Raglan humiliates his patient Mike by saying: "you're just a weak person. You must have got that from your mother. It probably would have been better for you if you had been born a girl!" On the dimly lit stage, Raglan demands a demonstration of anger, and Mike reveals angry red blotches covering his torso. The audience gasps. Raglan announces that this is psychoplasmcis; the physical manifestation of mental rage by the appearance of the welts on one's body.Meanwhile, Frank Carveth collects his nine-year-old daughter Candy from a 'Private Guest Room'. Candy wears a red coat with fur trim and hood. Bathing her, Frank finds bruises and scratches on her back. He drives to the Somafree Institute to confront Raglan and demands to see his wife Nola, whom has been committed there. Raglan refuses. Frank accuses Nola of abusing their daughter and says he will stop Candy's next visit. Raglan threatens legal action if Frank withholds a vital part of Nola's treatment. Frank then goes to his lawyer, Al Resnikoff, who tells him that Nola has a stronger legal position despite the fact that she is committed to a mental hospital. Frank says that he will do what he has to. He takes Candy to her maternal grandmother, Juliana, who seems highly strung out.Back at the institute, Raglan goes into Nola's room (play-acting as Candy) and he asks her why she hurt her daughter Candice. Raglan/Candice says: "Mummies don't hurt their own children". Nola sobs that they do. She tells Raglan that her own mother was "fucked up and bad". Raglan encourages her anger by telling her: "Go all the way through it, right to the end."That evening at Juliana's house, she investigates a noise in the kitchen. Food, juice, glasses and dishes are thrown all over the floor. She is bludgeoned by what appears to be a small child wearing a red hooded raincoat with fur trim. As Candy watches from behind a door, small claw-like hands leaves bloodstains on the banisters. The next morning at his workplace, Frank is informed of Juliana's murder. Police psychologist Dr. Birkin tells Frank so encourage Candy to remember what happened, a breakdown is possible if she doesn't remember. "These things tend to express themselves in one way or another" says Dr. Birkin.At the institute, Raglan speaks to Nola as her father. She quickly gets very angry saying: "You shouldn't have walked way when she hit me." Red welts appear on Nola's forehead as she speaks.At the local airport, Frank and Candy meet Barton Kelly, Nola's estranged father, who has come for his ex-wife's funeral. On Resnikoff's advice, Frank visits Jan Hartog, an ex-Somafree patient taking legal action against Dr. Raglan. Uncovering a row of tumors on his neck, Hartog says bitterly: "Raglan encourages my body to revolt against me. And it did. I have a small revolution on my hands and I'm not putting it down very successfully."Back at the institute, a drunk Barton Kelly arrives and is furious when Raglan will not allow him to see Nola. Meanwhile, Frank arrives at Candy's school where her teacher, Ruth Mayer, sits with her. Candy invites Ruth to dinner at her house. That evening, Ruth arrives and has dinner with Frank and Candy. A little later, Barton calls Frank from Juliana's house, saying he needs Frank's help to see Nola. Frank leaves Ruth babysitting Candy, who picks up a book to read which is titled 'The Shape Of Rage'. Raglan's book on Psychoplasmics.At Juliana's house, Barton is alone when the same small figure wearing the hooded red raincoat emerges from under his bed and batters him to a very gory death with a pair of paperweights. Frank arrives a few minutes later and finds the body. The strange-looking "child" jumps on him like some aggressive animal, clawing at him until it suddenly falls off his back to the floor and seemingly dies. Frank picks up the phone to call the police. Back at Frank's house, Ruth Mayer answers a phone call from Nola calling from the institute, who then goes in a berserk rage when Ruth answers the phone and suspects that she is having an affair with her husband.At the police station, Frank gives his statement and then meets the pathologist who performed the autopsy on the mysterious 'child creature' that attacked him where the doctor tells him that the creature died simply because: "it ran out of gas". Or more likely "its batteries expired". The pathologist points out that the creature has strange eyes, no sexual organs, and no navel. "This creature has never really been born... at least not the way human beings are born" says the pathologist.Raglan (as Ruth Mayer) speaks to Nola, Raglan/Ruth says that Frank will divorce Nola and marry her. The jealous Nola screams to leave Frank alone. When Frank gets home from the police station, Ruth leaves in a hurry. He finds Candy cowering in a corner of her bedroom after a nightmare. He tells her that the 'thing' is dead.The next morning, Raglan reads about Barton Kelly's murder. Taking a gun from his desk, he instructs his assistant, Chris, to get all the patients out of the institute. Meanwhile, Frank visits the hospital where Mike is now a fellow patient of Hartog's and is told that Nola is in fact the only patient at Somafree. Mike becomes angry about being dumped by his "daddy", his face becomes one giant red sore.Frank takes Candy to school. In Ruth Mayer's art class, two 'children creatures' in pastel coats with hoods pick up wooden hammers and beat Ruth mercilessly to a gory death. Alerted by a boy's cries for help, Frank enters the classroom to find Ruth dead, and Candy gone.At the institute, Raglan wakes Nola. She relates a dream that Candy was coming back to her, and says she doesn't feel threatened by Ruth Mayer any more. At the same time, Candy is being led along a snowy highway by the two creatures.That evening, Mike turns up on Frank's doorstep raving about: "the disturbed kids in the work shed. The ones your wife's taking care of." Frank drives to the Somafree Institute where outside Raglan pulls a gun on him, saying they'll kill him if he tries to take Candy away from them. In a long monologue, Raglan tells Frank that the child creatures that have been doing all the killing are Nola's children. "Nola is not their surrogate mother, she's their real mother." They are the Brood; the parthenogenesis 'children' of Nola's rage. Over the past year-and-a-half Nola's psychoplasmics have manifested into these children which carry out her bidding whenever she's in an angry mood. Raglan tells Frank that Candy is locked up in the attic where the Brood are being kept, and that if he wants Candy back, Frank must go to Nola to convince her that he wants Candy back to live with him. If he can do that, the Brood will be neutral so Raglan can go into the attic and take Candy, if not... the Brood will attack as long as Nola is in a rage.While Raglan waits outside the attic door where the Brood are being kept, Frank goes to Nola's room. He finds Nola rocking back and forth, wearing a white robe bathed in light. Nola wakes from her trance-like state and seems happy that he has come to see her. Frank says that he wants to be back with her. (Note: throughout the entire movie, Nola is only shown from the chest up which is apparently to hide something). At this point, Nola throws back her white robe, revealing an umbilical cord and external sac on her abdomen. The years of the welts that have appeared on her chest have merged together to create this womb outside her body as an incubator for the Brood that she produces. Frank recoils in horror and disgust.In the attic, Raglan quietly enters where all the sleeping Brood lie in their bunk beds. He finds Candy in one and picks her up to carry her out. Just then, the Brood stirs, sensing Nola's mounting anger.In Nola's room, she tears open the sac, removing a bloody 'infant' which she licks clean, as an animal might after having given birth. Frank's true feelings towards all this become apparent to Nola and her rage erupts.In the attic, the Brood finally become active, leaping on Raglan, who manages to shoot a few of them, but he gets overwhelmed and beaten to death by the Brood. In Nola's room, she angrily tells Frank that she would see Candy die then let him take her away. Upstairs, the Brood then turn their attention to the petrified Candy who runs and locks herself in the closet room in the attic, but they break through the door to grab at her. Frank attacks Nola and strangles her to death with his bare hands to save Candy when he hears the noises coming from the attic. When Nola stops breathing, all is suddenly silent.Frank goes upstairs to the attic to find all the Brood dead outside the room where Candy locked herself in, realizing that the Brood died without their mother's connection. Raglan is also dead nearby having been beaten to death and lying next to a few of the Brood he managed to kill before being overwhelmed. Candy is quivering in a corner of the room and Frank enters picks her up and tells her that he is taking her home. As Frank drives home with Candy, she seems to have withdrawn into a state of shock and cannot speak. Frank doesn't notice two raised lumps on her left arm... signs of her inner rage. The welts suggests that eventually like mother, like daughter...

cult, psychedelic, murder, violence

train

imdb

tt0795493

Cassandra's Dream

Brothers Terry (Colin Farrell) and Ian (Ewan McGregor), who live in South London, were raised by a weak father Brian (John Benfield) who runs a restaurant, and a strong mother Dorothy (Clare Higgins) who taught her sons to look up to their uncle Howard (Tom Wilkinson), a successful plastic surgeon and businessman. The brothers buy a sailboat at an oddly low price, despite its near pristine condition. They name it Cassandra's Dream, after a greyhound that won Terry the money to buy the boat. Knowing nothing of Greek mythology, they are unaware of the ominous antecedents of this name—the ancient prophetess Cassandra, whose prophecies of doom went unheeded by those around her. While driving home from a day's sailing in a borrowed car, Ian crosses paths with beautiful actress Angela Stark (Hayley Atwell), with whom he becomes infatuated. Terry has a gambling addiction that sinks him deeper in debt. Ian wishes to invest in hotels in California to finance a new life with Angela. To overcome their financial issues, they ask Howard for help. He agrees to help them, but asks for a favor in return: they must murder someone for him. Howard faces imprisonment for unspecified crimes and his future is threatened by Martin Burns (Phil Davis), a former business partner who plans to testify against him. Howard asks his nephews to get rid of Burns, and in return he will reward them financially. After initial reluctance, the brothers agree. They make two zip guns, untraceable and easily destroyed. Lying in wait in Burns' home, their plan is foiled when Burns arrives with a woman. Their resolve shaken, they leave and agree to commit the murder the next day. The next day, they succeed in carrying out the murder and later destroy the guns. Ian is content to move on as if nothing happened, but Terry is consumed by guilt and begins abusing alcohol and other drugs. His behavior frightens his fiancée (Sally Hawkins), who tells Ian about the situation and that Terry believes he has killed someone. After Terry confides that he wants to turn himself in to the police, Ian goes to Howard for advice. They agree there is no alternative but to get rid of Terry. Ian plans to poison Terry during an outing on the boat. Ian can't bring himself to kill his own brother, and attacks him in a fit of rage. In the chaos, Terry knocks Ian down the steps into the cabin, killing him. The boat is later discovered adrift by the police, and the audience learns that Terry snapped and drowned himself after killing his brother. The last shot is of Cassandra's Dream, still in beautiful condition despite the tragedies it set in motion.

tragedy, dramatic, murder

train

wikipedia

tt0093389

The Last Emperor

Arrival. A train pulls into a station in North China. It's 1950. Soldiers are everywhere. The train is a prisoner transport and all who depart from it are war criminals.The prisoners are hustled into the station building to wait. After a short while, four prisoners suddenly get up, congregate across the room, and worshipfully prostrate themselves before a well dressed, bespectacled man (John Lone). The venerated man looks around uncomfortably. Guards lead the four worshipers away. The man retreats to a bathroom and locks the door behind him. After filling a sink with hot water he slits his wrists and plunges them into the water.A short time later the prison governor (Ruocheng Ying) goes to the bathroom door. Finding it locked the governor pounds on the door, repeatedly shouting, "Open the door!" Inside the bathroom, the venerated man, prisoner, war criminal, watches his blood cloud the water in the sink. The man's name is Pu Yi. He is the last emperor of China.The Emperor of China, 1908. The sound of the governor's pounding and shouting transports Pu Yi's thoughts to a time, 42 years earlier, when mounted soldiers similarly demanded entry to his family's estate. By command of the Empress Dowager Cixi, three year-old Pu Yi (Richard Vuu) has been ordered to the Forbidden City, the seat of power and abode of Chinese emperors. As the boy sobs, Pu Yi's mother (Dong Liang) hands him over to his nurse, Ar Mo (Jade Go), saying, "My son is your son."When the procession arrives in the Forbidden City, Pu Yi and his father (Basil Pao) are given audience before the dying Empress Dowager. Her last official act is to proclaim the boy to be the successor of the previous emperor, who has died that very day. "Little Pu Yi. I have decided that you will be the new Lord of Ten Thousand Years. You will be the Son of Heaven." With those words, the Empress Dowager dies. Pu Yi turns to his father and asks if they are going home. Without reply, his father prostrates himself before his son.Shortly, Pu Yi is seated on the imperial throne in the Hall of Supreme Harmony. He is being invested. As the imperial seal is imprinted on the proclamation, Pu Yi bolts out of the hall and into the huge courtyard beyond. Thousands of government officials and household servants are arrayed in ranks in the courtyard and in the square beyond. To rhythmic chants and commands, they all kowtow to the new emperor in a seemingly endless series of prostrations. When they are done and silence finally arrives, the sound of a cricket reaches Pu Yi's ears. The High Tutor (Victor Wong), makes the cricket a gift: "Ah. See? He is kowtowing to Your Majesty. Now he can be the emperor's cricket."Later, the boy emperor is attended by court eunuchs. They bathe him and entertain him while the imperial physician (Zhendong Dong) checks his stool. Ar Mo arrives and Pu Yi flies into her arms exclaiming, "I want to go home!" That night Pu Yi and Ar Mo are in bed together. She sings him a lullaby.Failed Suicide. The remembrance of Ar Mo's lullaby is interrupted by the prison governor. He is slapping Pu Yi's face. "Where am I?" the adult Pu Yi asks from where he lies on the bathroom floor. "In the People's Republic of China," the governor curtly replies. Pu Yi's suicide attempt has failed.The prisoners are trucked to the Bureau of Public Security Detention Center in Fushun. They are given supplies and the rules of conduct. As Pu Yi sits on the plank bed in his cell later that day, his brother, Pu Chieh (Guang Fan), arrives.Brothers, 1914. The sight of his brother launches Pu Yi into another recollection. In it, eight year-old Pu Yi (Tsou Tijger) is paid a visit by his family. Though he has not seen them since his coronation, Pu Yi doesn't seem very interested and must be prompted by the High Tutor. As seven year-old Pu Chieh (Henry Kyi) kowtows to his brother, Pu Yi callously steps over him and, calling for Ar Mo to accompany him, approaches his mother's curtained sedan chair. Perfunctorily, he inquires of her health and, when the curtains part, admits that he does not remember her face. Their father ignores Pu Chieh's shout of "Papa!" and abruptly departs. Pu Chieh is being left in the Forbidden City to serve as companion to his brother.Pu Chieh tells his imperial brother that if he comes home Pu Yi can play with his three sisters and two friends but Pu Yi says that he never leaves the palace. Then the emperor shows his brother a game that he does play. It's follow the leader as, at a run, the two boys lead the imperial entourage in circles. Pu Yi next takes his brother to a lake where, while Pu Chieh dawdles, Pu Yi casually stokes Ar Mo's breast and then suckles it in plain view and to no apparent surprise or disapproval. Later, the two boys have a trifling dispute that leads to a revelation. The dispute is over whether Pu Chieh is wearing a color of yellow that is reserved for the emperor. When Pu Chieh tells his brother that he's not the emperor anymore, that there's a new emperor, Pu Yi tries to disprove his claim by commanding a eunuch called Big Foot (Liangbin Zhang) to drink a bowl of green ink. After considerable pause and with much apprehension Big Foot drinks the ink, but Pu Chieh doesn't accept that as proof and persists. He leads his brother to the top of a newly constructed wall built to divide the northern residential section from the rest of the Forbidden City. Pu Chieh points to a man riding in a car below claiming, "He's the president of the republic."Pu Yi is shaken. When he descends to street level, he asks the High Tutor if he is still emperor. The High Tutor replies, "You will always be the emperor inside the Forbidden City, but not outside. Outside", Pu Yi is informed, "China is now a republic, with a president."Seeking solace, Pu Yi searches for Ar Mo but she is gone. He is told that she has been sent away to promote a more healthful environment.Prison Orientation. Pu Yi and Pu Chieh, prisoners number 981 and 920 respectively, together with hundreds of other war criminals are assembled in the prison yard. The prison governor briefs them. They are expected to face the truth by writing autobiographies in which they confess their crimes.In his office following the orientation, the prison governor unwraps a parcel to reveal a book titled Twilight in the Forbidden City, written by Reginald F. Johnston. He turns to a section near the middle of the book and begins reading.Education, 1919. Reginald Johnston (Peter O'Toole) enters into the emperor's service as tutor during the turmoil of the 1919 May Fourth student movement. Years of deferential laxity have left fifteen year-old Pu Yi (Tao Wu) ignorant, naive, and more than a little arrogant. Johnston immediately sees that to have influence he must be the emperor's friend, not his vassal. For his part, Pu Yi uses Johnston as his only source for genuine information about conditions outside the Forbidden City. Johnston gives Pu Yi a bicycle upon which the emperor attempts an escape. When that fails, Pu Yi tries a rooftop escape and fails again. When Johnston determines that the lad needs spectacles, he must threaten to publicize the pathetic facts of the emperor's captivity to coerce the Lord Chamberlain into allowing the emperor to wear them.Marriage, 1922. The government decides that Pu Yi is to be married. He is shown a series of pictures of teenaged princesses from which he presumably can reject - it is only the government that will select the empress. Pu Yi, however, chooses to have a secondary consort, and in the matter of a second wife, he can do the choosing. He chooses twelve year-old Wen Hsiu (Jun Wu).After the wedding ceremony, he is seated on a bed with Wan Jung (Joan Chen), the empress that has been selected for him. He removes the kai t'ou that covers her face to discover that despite being so old - she's two years his senior - she's gorgeous. As Wan Jung covers Pu Yi's face with kisses, attendants begin removing the royal wedding clothes but Pu Yi stops them. Wan Jung asks whether he would prefer them to be a modern couple. When he doesn't respond, she takes his silence for assent. They shake hands, say goodnight, and Pu Yi leaves.Testimony. The prison governor has apparently stopped reading. Pu Yi is taken from his cell to a wainscoted room where he is to confess his crimes. He is told to first write his name. Since he has been given only chalk and the floor is slate, he writes his name on the floor. His interrogator (Ric Young) establishes the ground rules and then begins by asking Pu Yi why he thinks he's there. From Pu Yi's response and his autobiography one might think him an innocent bystander to China's recent history. The interrogator figuratively throws both Pu Yi's response and his autobiography back into his face. He demands serious confession. A scribe (Hongchang Yang) is ready to take Pu Yi's testimony. The prison governor has entered and sits at the rear of the interrogation room.Trivial Confession, 1923. Pu Yi begins his confession. He recalls sitting on a golden armchair espousing reforms. He cuts off his queue, the woven ponytail that signifies Manchu domination, the cutting of which was, until recently, treasonous. He then replaces the Lord Chamberlain and proposes an audit of the imperial storerooms. That night the eunuchs burn the storerooms to prevent discovery of their thefts. The next day, Pu Yi expels the eunuchs with the help of republican troops.Inadequate. Pu Yi finishes his trivial "confession" staring at his name on the floor. The prison governor asks about the Japanese. They all passionately want to know about the Japanese. How and when did Pu Yi's friendship with the Japanese begin?Expulsion from the Forbidden City, 1924. Pu Yi continues his testimony. The imperial family is playing tennis in a courtyard. Shots are heard in the distance. Suddenly, the courtyard is filled with troops of the warlord Feng Yuxiang. One of Feng's captains (Xu Tongrui) gives the imperials one hour to leave the Forbidden City. They are to go into guarded exile at Pu Yi's ancestral estate. Johnston suggests that he could arrange asylum in the British Embassy.As Pu Yi leaves what for him has been a gold encrusted prison for the first time in sixteen years, he's quiet and strangely apprehensive. The imperial family departs my motorcar as the five-color republican flag is raised over the Forbidden City.Explanations. The interrogator points out that they didn't go to the British Embassy, but to the Japanese Embassy. Pu Yi explains that the Japanese were prepared to help, that they have an emperor nearly his age, and that, since he is Manchurian, many Chinese consider him to be an alien. He presents these facts to explain why the imperial family went to live in the Japanese Concession in Tientsin. He further explains that he was not in the pay of the Japanese, that he had to pay his own way in Tientsin by selling family treasure, and that he dreamed of going to the West.The Playboy, 1927. Pu Yi relates the casual good times in Tientsin. It was a cosmopolitan city with a large international community. At a dance party, a tuxedo-clad Pu Yi briefly sings Am I Blue? flanked by a jazz band that bizarrely wears blackface. He finishes the song and rejoins the dancers. The grown up Wen Hsiu (Vivian Wu), his secondary consort, dances with an American while Masahiko Amakasu (Ryuichi Sakamoto), Pu Yi's Japanese patron and co-conspirator, looks on.While they dance, Pu Yi and Wan Jung discuss where they want to live. She favors Monaco but he prefers San Francisco. She asks if they're really going this time.The American dancing with Wen Hsiu sees the imperial couple and asks who they are. Wen Hsiu identifies them as Henry and Elizabeth - Pu Yi and Wan Jung have taken Western names.As they drive to their residence in the Japanese legation after the party, Wen Hsiu announces that she wants a divorce. Henry chides her saying that no one can divorce him. Shortly after they arrive at the residence Wen Hsiu leaves never to return.Later that night Eastern Jewel (Maggie Han) arrives. In her bedroom, she and Elizabeth engage in small talk and then Eastern Jewel produces an opium pipe. As she prepares the pipe, she casually explains that she works as a spy for the Japanese Special Service Bureau. Elizabeth naively confides in Eastern Jewel. She shares her worries about Henry and his relationship with the Japanese. Henry has sent his brother, Pu Chieh, to a military academy in Tokyo, and Amakasu speaks incessantly to Henry about Manchuria. Elizabeth doesn't trust Amakasu and she doesn't trust the Japanese.Henry appears and greets Eastern Jewel as "cousin." He is still upset by Wen Hsiu's departure. Eastern Jewel stokes the fires of Henry's discontent by informing him of the recent desecration of the tombs of their Manchu ancestors by Kuomintang troops. Henry is left speechless.Questions. The interrogator grills Pu Yi about whether he collaborated with the Japanese in their transformation of Manchuria into the puppet state, Manchukuo. He points out that Pu Yi arrived in Manchuria within a month of the Japanese conquest. When Pu Yi insists that he was kidnapped, the prison governor intercedes. The governor asks if Pu Yi remembers Mr. Johnston.Farewell, 1931. Pu Yi tries evasion by relating the day that Johnston left China to return to England. After their farewells, Henry Pu Yi watches from the car as Johnston walks to the gangplank of the waiting ship. A small Chinese orchestra plays Auld Lang Syne on traditional Chinese instruments.Contradictions. The prison governor dismisses Pu Yi's evasion. He counters Pu Yi's claim of kidnap by reading aloud contradictory quotations from Johnston's book. Pu Yi calls Johnston a liar and points out that his old tutor had left China years before the putative kidnapping. At a nod from the interrogator, the scribe goes to the back of the interrogation room and opens the door to admit Pu Yi's former valet, who is also a prisoner. The interrogator resumes by pointing out that, in his autobiography, the valet had written that he packed Pu Yi's luggage the day before his master's "kidnapping." Holding up the two conflicting accounts the interrogator exclaims, "These two stories don't fit, do they?" When the valet tries to make excuses, the interrogator angrily throws the books at them.Opportunity, 1932. Pu Yi privately recalls the true events surrounding his "kidnapping." Though it is obvious to Elizabeth that the Japanese are using him, Henry asserts his hereditary right to rule Manchuria. He must find a way to use the Japanese. "There can be no Manchukuo without me," he asserts. Even when faced by protest from his faithful old High Tutor, Henry proves that he's still an arrogant spoiled brat by bringing up every petty complaint that he has been harboring against the Chinese. "China has turned its back on me," he rages. He plans to take his opportunity to rule, no matter the circumstances or the consequences. Pu Yi is in the hot embrace of megalomania.Time and Truth. The prison governor leaves Pu Yi and his former valet looking at a 1934 copy of Time Magazine that displays a military portrait of Pu Yi on its cover with the words "Emperor Pu Yi" below.The Emperor of Manchukuo, 1934. The sight of his picture on the cover of the magazine carries Pu Yi back to Manchuria. The Japanese have decided that, having served as Head of State for the past two years, Henry Pu Yi is now to be emperor of Manchukuo.Henry arrives at his outdoor coronation wearing the traditional robes of the Qing Dynasty. With Japanese officials looking on, he bows to the four points of the compass. Then, as the imperial seal is pressed to the instrument of coronation, Eastern Jewel congratulates Elizabeth. "You're an empress again," she brightly exclaims. She then enthusiastically confides to Elizabeth that she wants to bomb Shanghai. "I hate China," she tells the newly restored empress. "I hate you," Elizabeth replies sullenly. From the sidelines, Amakasu snaps photos.At the coronation ball that evening, Amakasu supervises the filming of the festivities. Elizabeth and Eastern Jewel arrive stoned on opium. The Japanese Army High Command is also present. General Ishikari (Hideo Takamatsu) congratulates Henry on behalf of the Japanese Emperor. During this ceremony Elizabeth hides out on the second floor balcony. Amakasu turns his camera from the military pomp to film Elizabeth. He stares at her with stony eyes, then follows her with the camera as she descends to the main floor.While the orchestra plays a Strauss waltz, Elizabeth does not join the dancers. Instead, she sits at the end of the hall and eats daffodils from a flower arrangement. She stares vacantly as she stuffs the poisonous flowers into her mouth. Nearby, Henry's brother, Pu Chieh, introduces his Japanese wife, Princess Hiro Saga, to various dignitaries. Pu Chieh is wearing a full-dress Japanese uniform. His wife is pregnant.When Henry is told of his wife's eccentric activities, he leaves a meeting with the High Command and confronts her. Elizabeth tells her puffed up husband that he's blind to the reality of his situation: that Amakasu is the most powerful man in Manchukuo, to which Pu Yi scoffs. When she asks why he doesn't make love to her anymore, Henry says that it is because she has become an opium addict. She tries to tell him how easily opium can be obtained in Manchukuo but Henry doesn't want to hear it. She then asks to have a child. "You must have an heir." Henry changes the subject by bringing up their invitation to Tokyo. He tells her that he's decided to go alone. When she says that she would never go to Japan, Henry angrily tells her to go to her room. As she leaves, she sarcastically raises a toast to the new emperor. "Ten thousand years to His Majesty the Emperor!" Henry abruptly stands in the face of her affront, but as the toast is picked up by the assembled guests a smile crosses his face.Elizabeth saunters out of the ballroom as the toasting continues. She's followed by Eastern Jewel. Back in Elizabeth's bedroom, Eastern Jewel passes the opium pipe to her. Then, as Elizabeth stares dejectedly, Eastern Jewel rolls down Elizabeth's stockings and proceeds to nibble on her toes. Elizabeth again tells Eastern Jewel that she hates her. Unsaid is that she hates all Chinese who collaborate with the Japanese. Unsaid is that she hates herself for putting up with the sham existence that her life has become.Servitude. Back in the prison, the governor spies on Pu Yi as the former emperor bullies his cellmates. They had served him in the Forbidden City and they continue to serve him in prison. The governor orders Pu Yi to be moved to a different cell, one that will humble Pu Yi.In the new cell that he is to share with five other convicts, Pu Yi is sternly told what chores he is expected to do. He will be disallowed any privileged position here. Pu Yi turns to the door and summons a guard. "I've never been separated from my family," he says. "You'd better get used to it," the guard replies. When he turns back to look at his cellmates, he recognizes them. They were all government officials in Manchukuo.Welcome Home, 1935. The sight of his cellmates carries Pu Yi back to Manchuria once again. He is returning from Tokyo. Dressed in military uniform, he reviews his troops when he is introduced to Colonel Yoshioka (Fumihiko Ikeda). Behind the colonel stands Mr. Amakasu. The colonel has disarmed the imperial guards. He informs Henry that there have been many changes made while he was away.Henry pushes the colonel aside and enters his palace. He asks for his Prime Minister and is informed that the Prime Minister has resigned and has moved to a monastery far away. When Henry asks who it is that is telling him, the man identifies himself as Chang Chinghui (Shu Chen), Minister of Defense.Flanked by the flags of Japan and Manchukuo, Emperor Henry Pu Yi leads a meeting of his council. To his right sit his Japanese advisers, facing the flag of Japan. To his left sit his cabinet, facing the flag of Manchukuo. Before him awaiting his signature lies an edict that would appoint Chang Chinghui as the new Prime Minister. He refuses to sign and instead launches into an idealistic speech about mutual respect, equality, and independence. Upon mention of the name "Manchuria," Amakasu on the Japanese side so violently stands up that his chair jumps back. As Henry attempts to continue, the rest of the Japanese side stand up. They turn and stiffly march out of the council chamber. Then, as the Emperor of Manchukuo once again tries to continue, Chang Chinghui abruptly stands up followed by the rest of the Manchukuo side. They turn their backs on their emperor and fall in line behind the Japanese, marching briskly out of the room. Henry's government has been undermined by the Japanese while he was visiting Tokyo. Henry is left addressing an empty council chamber. As his voice trails off and he slowly sits down, the emotion drains from Henry's face as a new, old realization strikes him. He is back in a new Forbidden City of his own making.At the state dinner following the disastrous council meeting, Elizabeth informs her husband that she's pregnant and that the father is Manchurian. Just then, Colonel Yoshioka and Mr. Amakasu enter. Yoshioka carries the edict that Henry refused to sign in the council chamber. Henry once again refuses to sign it. Amakasu insists that Manchukuo must, by rights, pay the cost of its occupation, that Japan's beneficent protection is not extended out of a sense of charity. Henry evades the issue by walking across the room to stand behind his wife's chair. He announces that he is to have an heir. Amakasu looks at him impassively. He tells Henry that the Japanese are aware of the situation. He writes on a scrap of paper and replies, "This is the name of the father." With the paper in hand, Yoshioka faces Elizabeth across the table. He tosses the paper on the table in front of her while loudly proclaiming, "His name is Chang. He is your driver." As Amakasu scolds the defeated emperor, Henry signs the instrument that appoints Chang Chinghui as Prime Minister. Elizabeth stands as Amakasu picks up the document. Turning to face her, Amakasu triumphantly proclaims that "The Japanese are the only divine race on Earth." She turns away and begins to leave as he continues. "We will take China, Hong Kong, Indochina, Siam, Malaya, Singapore, and India!" Amakasu pursues Elizabeth across the room shouting, "Asia belongs to us!"The scene changes to a close up of Chang (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa) as he waxes the emperor's car. He stops when he feels a gun put to the back of his head. The gun fires.Regrets. In the prison yard, the governor lectures Pu Yi on the technique of silently urinating into a bucket so as not to wake his cellmates. Pu Yi turns to look at his former valet, silently beseeching him for support. The man responds by angrily leaving the yard exclaiming, "You still think I'm a servant, don't you?"When he's back in his cell, Pu Yi denies that anything has changed. "You are all pretending." His cell leader tells him to shut up, that they are working for a new China. As the cell leader summons a guard, Pu Yi is struck by the man's sincerity. He sits on the side of his bed repeatedly muttering, "I let it happen."The Puppet, 1935. Elizabeth gives birth but the doctor (Jiechen Dong) murders the baby by fatal injection. Meanwhile, in an office emblazoned with heroic murals, Amakasu supervises as Henry signs an edict making Japanese the official language in schools. After the signing, the doctor enters and tells Henry that the baby was born dead. Regarding Elizabeth, he prescribes a clinic stay "somewhere warm." Eastern Jewel enters and informs Henry that Elizabeth has already left.Henry runs to catch the departing Elizabeth but, in a reprise of attempted escapes from the Forbidden City, soldiers close the gates upon his approach. From a second floor balcony, Amakasu and Eastern Jewel watch the pathetic Henry walk back to the palace. They hold hands, fingers entwined.Consequences. The prisoners are in the prison auditorium. A newsreel showing diving Japanese fighter bombers is being aired. It begins with the words "With Manchukuo now firmly in their grasp, the Japanese soon controlled most of North China." The newsreel continues to chronicle the Sino-Japanese war commencing in 1937 and the atrocities committed by Japanese forces. When Pu Yi sees his image in the newsreel, he rises from his seat and remains standing, staring agog as the film goes on to show the piled bodies of the victims of Japanese biological experiments conducted in Manchukuo followed by scenes of opium processing and consumption.Capture, 1945. The sound of Japanese Emperor Hirohito's surrender broadcast in the newsreel takes Pu Yi back in time once again. Eastern Jewel sits beside a radio. She listens to Hirohito's surrender broadcast as in a trance, but she lurches at the crack of a gunshot. Amakasu has shot himself in the left temple. Head down, Amakasu's blood spreads across his desk.The Manchukuo palace is being evacuated when Elizabeth returns from exile. She has gone quite mad. She spits in the faces of the Japanese soldiers. When she reaches Henry she pauses and stares at her husband as though she can't quite figure out who he is. She twitches uncontrollably and then shuffles on aided by her nurse.Henry is being hustled along by Colonel Yoshioka who wants to beat his way out of Manchuria ahead of Russian soldiers, but Henry delays. He turns and follows Elizabeth. He watches as she spits on Amakasu's corpse. Then, with eyes glistening, he follows her as she ambles to her bedroom. She pauses at the bedroom door allowing him to approach and then, without looking directly at him, she shivers and goes through the door. Inside, she turns and vacantly gazes at Henry as she closes the door. Henry is left standing outside the door, shattered. At the end of the hallway, Yoshioka is adamant. "Now!" he shouts.As the hanger doors are opening, the twin-engine escape plane is warming up. Colonel Yoshioka, Henry, and Henry's principal ministers are aboard. Yoshioka hears distant shooting and looks out through the windscreen to see Russian paratroopers floating down to earth. They have been captured.Responsibility. The prison governor leaves his office and enters the compound. The prisoners are scattered throughout the compound playing ping-pong, except for Pu Yi. Pu Yi is tending his flower garden. As he works the soil, the governor stops and faces him. The governor castigates Pu Yi for admitting to crimes that he couldn't possibly have known about, the biological experiments, for example. When asked why he signed every accusation hurled against him, Pu Yi breaks his silence and matter-of-factly replies, "I was responsible for everything." "You are responsible for what you do!" the governor honestly counters. He continues. "All your life you thought you were better than everyone else. Now you think you are the worst of all!" Referring to his suicide attempt in the railroad station, using words fraught with past implications, Pu Yi says, "You saved my life to make me a puppet in your own play." He puts down a watering can, turns, and intently addresses the governor. "You saved me because I am useful to you." Stunned that Pu Yi has come so far without fully appreciating the worth of an ordinary life, the governor asks, "Is that so terrible, to be useful?"Reformed, 1959. The prisoners are arrayed as a chorus, singing. They finish the song and sit down. A motion picture cameraman is filming. The prison governor is on the stage at a microphone. Pu Yi's name is called. As he walks toward the stage, Pu Yi hears a prison official read the proclamation that releases him from prison. He is handed the proclamation and, as the governor shakes his hand, he hears the governor say, "You see? I will end up living in prison longer than you." They smile warmly to each other as their handclasp lingers.Freedom, 1967. Pu Yi leaves the Beijing Botanical Gardens where he works as a gardener. He has been free these past seven years for the first time in his life. He smiles a lot. On his bicycle ride home he stops at an open air market. His brother, Pu Chieh, is there. Up the street a large group of young people approach as a parade. They carry banners and pictures of Chairman Mao. A twelve piece accordion band leads the way. The young people are chanting and waving little red books. They are Red Guard. In their midst, a group of dunce hatted, revisionist lackeys are being herded along. Among them is Pu Yi's former prison governor! Pu Yi goes up to him. He tells the nearest Red Guard that there must be a mistake, that this is a good man. The guardsman tells Pu Yi to fuck off. "But what has he done?" Pu Yi asks. "He's been accused," the young man replies. The guardsman turns to face the governor. "Confess your crime," he commands. "I have nothing to confess," the former prison governor replies. Pu Yi's former keeper is then repeatedly forced to kowtow.Pu Yi tries to talk to the Red Guard but they frog march him to the side of the street and push him to the ground. As Pu Yi lies on the asphalt, the lackeys are hustled ahead. Their former place on the street is now occupied by a flag waver and a troop of schoolgirls. The schoolgirls march around in a choreographed display while singing a stirring patriotic song.Pu Yi leaves the street and visits the Forbidden City. It is near closing time. Shadows stretch across the courtyard in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony. He enters the building in which he held court so very long ago. Magically, he is alone. He looks up at his former throne, then steps over the decorative rope that demarcates the line beyond which the public is not to go. "Stop!" a small boy cries. "You are not allowed in there!" the boy shouts as he runs toward Pu Yi. When the boy asks who he is, Pu Yi replies, "I was the emperor of China." When asked to prove it, Pu Yi climbs the steps to the throne and recovers a cricket cage. He hands it to the boy. The boy descends the steps and pops the top off the cricket cage. He then turns back as though to ask Pu Yi what it is, but Pu Yi is not there. He has disappeared. The boy runs back up the stairs, looks around, and then stares at the cricket cage he holds. An elderly cricket crawls out and onto the boy's shirt.Heritage, today. A tour guide playing a synthesized version of Yankee Doodle Dandy leads a horde of American tourists into the throne room. She explains that this is the room where emperors of China were crowned. "The last emperor to be crowned here was Aisin Gioro Pu Yi," she announces. "He was three years old. He died in 1967."Ed. Notes: The film makers slightly altered the time line of Pu Yi's early life. Re, The Emperor of China, 1908: Pu Yi was only two years of age when he was invested. Re, Brothers, 1914: The wall, from which Pu Chieh points to the president of China and which is clearly under construction, was actually constructed in 1912, thus, Pu Yi would have been only six years of age and his brother would have been five. Re, Education, 1919: Pu Yi would have been only thirteen years of age and his brother would have been twelve. Wan Jung was nicknamed Elizabeth at the American missionary school in Tientsin which she attended as a girl. Pu Yi was jocularly nicknamed Henry, after Henry VIII and as suggested by Pu Yi's relationship to Elizabeth, by Reginald Johnston. Pu Yi's Manchu clan name was Aisin Gioro (Gold Clan) but he would not have been called Aisin Gioro Pu Yi as clan names are not used in that manner. Pu Yi's name is also often spelled "Puyi". Pu Chieh's name is also often spelled "Pujie". After leaving Pu Yi's service in 1924, Reginald Johnston became commissioner of the British Weihaiwei lease located at the end of the strategic Shandong Peninsula until that prefecture was returned to China in the autumn of 1930. Eastern Jewel (Dongzhen) was the courtesy name for Yu Aixinjueluo (or Xianyu) of the Manchu Aisin Gioro. She was a Qing princess and a distant relative of Pu Yi. She was raised in Japan where she was called Yoshiko Kawashima. (Sources: Numerous Wikipedia articles from both English and Chinese sites and the Encyclopedia Britannica.)

murder

train

imdb

tt0120899

My Life So Far

The film tells the story of how the Pettigrew family, living in their family estate Kiloran House in Scotland, deal with changes brought by the end of World War I, told through the point of view of one of the Pettigrew children, Fraser (Robert Norman). The family is headed by the maternal grandmother MacIntosh (Rosemary Harris), affectionately known as "Gamma", whose decisions are to be obeyed without question. Gamma's son Morris (Malcolm McDowell) left home to build a career for himself and succeed as a well-to-do businessman; while her younger daughter Moira (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) followed the traditional route - she fell in love with Edward Pettigrew (Colin Firth), gave up a promising chance at becoming an opera singer, settled down at her family estate and raised a large family. Edward is a typical country gentry of his time - owns a minor business (turning sphagnum moss into medical dressings), a pious man and defender of traditional values (gives a speech at every Sunday service), loves and listens only to Beethoven and has a passion for inventions and mechanical improvements all over the estate. All of which are laughed at by Morris, who lives in London but comes back to visit often, as he is competing with Edward to inherit the estate after Gamma passes away; the two can barely conceal their loathing for each other. Edward does not appreciate and resists waves of new changes in the world, but the harder he tries, the more things fall apart. Morris and his beautiful and charming French fiancee Heloise (Irène Jacob) introduce jazz to the children ("the sound of the devil speaking" according to Edward). An emergency landing brings the eldest daughter Elspeth's (Kelly Macdonald) first suitor - French show pilot Gabriel Chenoux (Tchéky Karyo). Fraser discovers grandfather MacIntosh's book collection in the attic, and as an act of rebellion against Edward, sets out to read them all. Without guidance, he misunderstands the definition of "prostitution", and believing it to be a business term, suggests to all guests at Morris and Heloise's engagement party that Moira, Heloise and Gamma should go into prostitution to enhance the moss business. Worst of all, Edward finds himself drawn to Heloise, and makes a pass at her prior to the wedding. While passing out food during a curling game held in her husband's honor, Gamma falls through the ice into the lake. Although she is pulled up immediately, she dies of pneumonia soon after. Gamma's will leaves the estate to Edward, leading to the ultimate altercation between Edward and Morris at her wake. Edward boasts that Morris has lost more than the estate to him, causing Moira to finally confront him and tell him that she has been aware of his affair with Heloise all along. It takes months before Edward's efforts finally win back Moira, and the family settles back into its old routine. On a Sunday morning, all Pettigrews are heading to church, except Fraser. Edward finds him relaxing in a chaise longue in the library, a cognac glass filled with milk in one hand and a lit cigar in the other, swaying his head and body to a gramophone recording of Louis Armstrong's "On the Sunny Side of the Street" (a secret gift from Heloise). Instead of being thrown into a fit of rage, he smiles and closes the door, leaving Fraser to enjoy himself.

flashback, autobiographical, home movie

train

wikipedia

tt1232776

Fish Tank

We open with Mia (Katie Jarvis), a 15 year old youngster, hunched over and trying to get her breath back in an empty apartment. She stands, looking exhausted. She is in an empty room over looking the Essex council estate where she lives. She calls Keeley and gets through to voice mail. She leaves a message. Admitting to being angry, she apologizes for something she said. She orders her friend to ring her back.She leaves the abandoned block and begins throwing small stones at a high window. An angry male appears and tells Mia to leave because Keeley isn't here. Mia shouts abuse at the man. She walks away towards a small grass patch in the middle of the estate where a group of teenage females are dancing seductively, much to the amusement of four teenage boys standing and gawking nearby. We see Keeley, Mia's friend dancing among the group. She pulls daggers at Mia, along with all the other girls. Mia sits and watches, smirking at the desperateness of the whole situation. The boys trying to get the girls to notice them and the girls taking it in turns to dance, obviously thriving off the boys attention. One of the girls becomes tired with Mia's sarcastic glares and shouts over to her. Mia instantly reacts with violence and storms over and headbutts the girl. The girl stumbles away with a bloody nose. Mia and the rest of the group hurl abuse at each other until Mia walks away, exclaiming "If you want more then you know where I am."Wandering out of the estate, Mia comes across a deprived looking horse chained to a caravan in the middle of a fenced off concrete block. She looks around for any signs of life and enters the area. She notices the chains on the animal and picks up a big rock. She begins hitting the chain hard, hoping to free the horse. A young man (Harry Treadaway) appears out of the caravan and shouts. He's holding a baseball bat and Mia flees. She returns home, a small apartment block back in the estate, and kneels down to stroke her dog, until her mother, Joanne (Kierston Wareing) sneaks up behind her and pushes her to the floor, violently. The police have been looking for you. She barks. "You broke that girls nose, didn't you?" Mia shouts that she didn't start it but her mum doesn't believe her. They have a brief scrap as Mia tries to get past towards the stairs. "I don't know what's wrong with you." Her mum says as Mia runs towards her room. "You're what's wrong with me." Mia shouts back before slamming her door shut. She lies on her bed for a while and we see an old picture of Mia and Keeley before their argument.Mia sneaks downstairs to avoid any confrontation with her mum. She escapes successfully. We see her pay an older looking boy to buy her a bottle of cider. She takes the cider to the abandoned apartment block where we saw her first. She plugs her music device into some speakers and begins hip-hop dancing. We cut from the sunset over the estate to Mia's dancing for a while. It becomes clear that dancing is something that Mia enjoys as well being an escape from her deprived life.A time lapse of a few hours occurs and we see Mia leaning over the balcony of the empty apartment with her cider. She takes long swigs and watches 3 young boys play football nearby. She then notices the boy who ran after her with a baseball bat after trying to free the horse. He is with several other boys and they are walking a dog. She leaves and returns home. Back at her home, Mia walks past her younger sister, Tyler (Rebecca Griffiths), and retrieves a hammer from a drawer. Tyler tells Mia that she will be in trouble because she was supposed to stay in. Mia leaves again anyway. We see Mia enter the site with the horse and caravan. She sneaks up and strokes the horse for a brief moment. She is calm around the horse which is a huge contrast to how she acts around other people. She then pulls the hammer out of her bag, ready to hit the chain again. However, a dog begins barking and runs for Mia. It's chained to the caravan so can't reach her but still scares her enough for her to turn and make a run for it. Only the boys are back and are behind her. They torment her and begin touching her. One of the boys rips her bag away from her. She retaliates but this only spurs the boys on. Two of the boys get a hold of Mia and it's disturbing to see where this is heading. The boy who previously ran after Mia with the baseball bat is stood watching, holding the barking dog. When it becomes apparent what his friends plan to do to Mia, he lets the dog go and it runs for the boys. This is Mia's chance to get away and she runs, leaving her bag with her music and speakers behind her.The next morning, Mia is in her kitchen. She starts dancing slowly to a song playing on a music channel on the small television on the work surface. She is interrupted by a noise coming from the kitchen door. A middle aged man (Michael Fassbender) stands, topless and smirking. She freezes and he tells her to carry on because he was enjoying it. She is embarrassed as she is only in her skimpy pajamas. He proceeds into the kitchen and begins making cups of tea. He introduces himself as a friend of her mother's. His name is Connor. They begin sarcastic banter about Mia's dancing. Mia watches him as he pours hot water and milk. He leaves the kitchen with two mugs and heads back up the stairs as Mia admires the curves of his back. She pulls his wallet out of his coat which is hung on the banister. She finds a wage slip from Wickes and also a five pound note which she quickly pockets before putting the wallet back and sitting innocently on the sofa as Connor comes back down the stairs. He puts his coat on as Tyler playfully guards the front door. She demands £2 and then she'll move and he can leave. He tickles her and demands a discount. She laughs and shouts "Fine, a pound!". He gives her a coin and she walks away. "I like you", Tyler says, "Ill kill you last". She makes a gun motion with her hand. In a playful mood, Tyler jumps on Mia. Mia stands and shouts at her sister. Tyler looks sad and lonely. Mia watches Connor through a window. He gets into his car and leaves.We hear Mia's mother play a love song on the radio in the kitchen. Dressed only in a small vest top and white underwear, Joanne is barely out of adolescence herself and is clearly happy about the previous evening's events as she dances and sings around the kitchen. Tyler and Mia watch her. She tells her daughters that she'll be having her friends round later and they need to either get out or stay in their rooms and its a no kids allowed event. Joanne clearly cares more about her friends, drinking and parties than her own daughters. Mia heads upstairs and Tyler shouts abuse at her mother as Joanne grabs her by her hair to get her out of the kitchen. Mia offers to give Tyler the child line number.We cut to Mia heading back to the caravan site with the intention of getting her bag back. She encounters the young man who ultimately saved her by letting the angry dog go. His name is Billy. He gives her her bag back and Mia asks if he let the dog go on purpose. He lies and says that the dog is strong. We are back at Mia's apartment and she sits in Tyler's room with her sister and her sister's friend as her mother's party is kicking off downstairs. The two young friends drink out of a can and smoke as Mia sits on the window sill. They watch a reality show on a small television. Mia spots Connor walking into their apartment block. She immediately heads downstairs and opens the door to him. He says that he doesn't recognize her with clothes on and she swears at him, feigning anger but you can see that she is pleased to see him. She watches as he heads towards her mother and the two seductively dance together. Joanne storms up to Mia and nips her hard on the arm and tells her to go to her room. Instead, Mia heads into the kitchen and steals a bottle of vodka. She then heads into her mother's room upstairs and plays around with her makeup, whilst taking huge gulps of the alcohol.It's night time and Mia has passed out on her mum's bed. Connor is there, along with Joanne. She tells him to give Mia a prod to wake her up but instead, he picks her up and takes her to her bedroom. He begins taking her shoes off, along with her trousers. We don't know if this is purely fatherly instinct or something else. He tucks her in and leaves.The next morning, Mia walks downstairs in just her underwear and vest top. She drinks from the tap and her mother tells her to get some clothes on as Connor is sat at the kitchen table. Mia says that she is wearing clothes and her mother snarls that she's half naked. Tyler sits on the surface next to the sink. "Shall we get a move on?" Mia's mum says to Connor. Tyler demands to know where they are going but Joanne tries to shrug her off by saying that they are just going for a drive. Tyler says that she still wants to go with them. Connor thinks it would be nice for the girls to go too and we hear Mia's mum groan in despair at the thought of her daughters imposing on her alone time with her new lover boy. Connor tells Tyler to go and get dressed. "What about you?" He says to Mia. Joanne interrupts and says that Mia has better things to do. "Actually, I'd love to come". Mia snarls sarcastically towards her mother. She heads upstairs to get dressed.The four of them are in Connor's car and he plays music on his stereo which the girls dislike at first but then warm to and they all dance in their seats. Connor drives them to a stream where he has obviously been before as he says that he wants to show them something. He begins to take his shoes off and roll his jeans up. He makes his way into the water and Tyler and Mia's mum say that he must be mad. Mia takes her own shoes off and goes into the water after Connor as he says that he needs some help. "Trust bloody Mia". Says Joanne from the water bank.Connor instructs Mia to enter the water and walk slowly towards him. He keeps his eyes on the water in between them and places his hands underneath the surface. Mia does as she's told and walks slowly towards him. After a few tentative steps, Connor pulls a fish up from the water. All three girls gasp. Tyler is extremely excited. Connor takes the fish to the water bank and Mia follows. We see the fish dying on the grass. It becomes clear that Mia has cut her foot in the water. Connor takes his sock off and wraps it around the cut. Mia notices a tattoo on Connor's arm that says Kelly inside a heart. She asks him about it and he dismisses it as an ex girlfriend. The four head back to the car and Connor invites Mia to jump on his back to save her from walking back with no shoes on, seeing as her feet are all wet and cut. She jumps up and rests her head on his shoulder.We cut to Mia in a washroom of a pub. She washes her hands and fixes her hair. Through an open window, she hears Connor outside on the phone to somebody. "Alright, Ill pop over later". He says, sounding annoyed. She looks suspicious. We see Mia stood against Connor's car with a glass of coke in the car park of the pub. Joanne sits in the drivers seat with the door open and Tyler is on a swing nearby. Connor makes his way back to the girls, after having been on the phone and he looks irritated. Joanne asks if he's okay and he says that he is but he'll have to leave soon. Joanne says that he shouldn't have to Put up with s**t from his mum. Mia eyes him suspiciously. Connor says that he'll take the girls home and Joanne begs him to stay for another drink. She gets him to cave in by offering to pay for this round. She leaves for the pub. Connor gets into the driver's seat and plays with the stereo. He plays Get Up Offa That Thing by James Brown and says to Mia Lets see you move to this then. He gets out of the car and begins dancing, quite badly. Mia laughs at him. Tyler sings on the swing. Mia shyly begins dancing. Connor claps and urges her on. Mia starts getting into it and shows off her moves. Joanne appears with a tray of drinks and laughs at them both. Connor takes it lightheartedly and laughs too but Mia is immediately defensive as she is embarrassed to be caught having a good time with Connor. Joanne tells Mia to behave as Connor has been kind to her today. Mia dismisses this and says that she doesn't have to like Connor. He looks hurt and says that she doesn't mean it. Mia begins shouting that Connor doesn't know them after two days. She storms away and we hear Connor say But you haven't got any shoes on. It's clear that he cares about her. Back in Joanne's apartment, presumably the next morning, we find Mia sound asleep in bed.There is a soft knocking on the door downstairs. We hear Joanne greet somebody and she shouts for Mia. Joanne pops her head around Mia's door when she gets no response. There is somebody downstairs who wants to talk to you. Joanne says. Mia turns over in bed, ignoring her. Joanne picks up a dirty piece of clothing from the floor and throws it at Mia's head. She threatens to bring the guest upstairs if Mia doesn't come down. "Keep your hair on, I'm coming". Mia shouts. Joanne shakes her head in disgust at her daughter and slams her door shut. Mia looks down at the cut on her foot. It looks swollen and bloody. Mia makes her way downstairs after having gotten dressed. A woman introduces herself as Carrie. She seems nice but Mia obviously knows what this is about and doesn't warm to her. Carrie wants to have a chat with Mia. Mia asks if she can get a drink first and makes her way into the kitchen. They've got you in that special school. We hear Joanne say. We also hear Joanne softly say to Carrie, When she was born, she wouldn't stop crying for days. I swear she came out looking for trouble. Mia turns the tap on to make it sound as though she is getting herself a drink. She sees her dog eating the fish that Connor caught the day before. Carrie asks Joanne about Tyler and Joanne says that it wont be long until Tyler is just like Mia. "This place shes going to, what's it like?". Joanne asks Carrie. Mia looks panicked and quietly opens the front door and makes a run for it. We hear Joanne call after her. Mia makes it into the town centre and spots a flyer in the window of an internet cafe. Female Dancers Wanted Top Club Seeks Fresh Young Talent!Mia is in the internet cafe, looking up dance videos on the internet. She turns the computer off, packs up her headphones and takes the flyer from the window. That is when she bumps into Keeley and the rest of her new friends including the girl that Mia headbutted. "Is there a bad smell in here or what?". Says one of the girls when she spots Mia. Mia threatens to headbutt the girl again if she doesn't move out of the doorway. The girls back off although they still shout abuse at Mia as she leaves. Keeley keeps quiet. Mia is walking past the back area of a big department store. She spots somebody she knows and walks towards it. Connor is stood outside, smoking and in a security guards uniform. "How did you know I worked here?". he asks. "You said". Mia quickly responds. Although she knew because she found a wage slip in his wallet. "Thought you hated me". Connor says sarcastically. Mia responds with a funny comment and Connor laughs. He can't stay mad at her. He asks her how her foot is and she says its okay. He doesn't believe her and looks. He sees the swelling and blood and fetches a first aid kit from inside. He orders her to take her shoe off. She says that she can do it when she spots the kit but he says that he can do it better. He kneels in front of her and bandages her foot. "Do you ever wash your feet?". He asks playfully. She smiles. She puts her shoe back on and notices a group of young girls having fun and laughing nearby. Connor asks what she is up to and Mia looks lonely. She lies and says that she has stuff planned. She shows Connor the flyer from the internet cafe and Connor immediately begins urging her to go for it. "You're great". He says to her and it's clear that she isn't used to being complimented. "Don't tell mum". She says. Connor observes that the flyer says that all candidates must send in a video and he offers to let her borrow his camera. He agrees to give it to her on one condition she must smile in the video. She looks bashful and agrees. He says that hes coming over later and Mia looks happy. Connor goes back to work. Mia is back in the abandoned apartment, dancing with her headphones in. There are beer cans in the corner of the room. She practices some moves for her candidate video. She heads back home and Joanne is cooking on the hob. She tells Mia that just because she ran away, she can't get away with it and that Mia will be leaving for this special school in two weeks.Mia notices men's shoes in the living room and immediately heads upstairs to find Connor. He is changing his clothes in Joanne's room and Mia makes him jump. She asks for the camera and Connor hands it over. She begins playing with it and records him getting changed. He splashes on some aftershave and asks Mia what she thinks by leaning towards her and letting her smell him. She closes her eyes and inhales. "Fox p*ss". She jokes. He playfully grabs her and throws her across his lap. He begins spanking her and telling her that she's in for a good hiding. She swears at him and gets away. Connor smirks and says that she got away lightly this time. Joanne appears and says that tea is ready. Connor explains that he was just giving his camera to Mia. Joanne says that she'll probably break it. She'll get a good hiding if she does. Connor says. He winks and walks away with Joanne. We see Mia in the empty room in which she does her dancing. She is talking into the camera and is filming her candidate video. She recites her name and telephone number and begins dancing. Its night time and Mia is in bed watching her video on Connor's camera. She then watches the video she made of him getting changed. She pauses the video when she hears noises coming from her mum's bedroom. She walks onto the landing and hears moaning and creaking. Through a gap in Joanne's door, Mia watches Connor and her mother make love. Mia storms away and slams her bedroom door so they know that she is awake. She slams it a second time just to make sure.The next morning, Mia packs her bag in her bedroom and heads out to the post office for a stamp to post her video. She sees Billy in the post office.. She posts her video and follows him out onto the street. "Are you following me?". He jokes. They walk together and Mia asks how the horse is. He explains that it isn't what it looks like. He knows that Mia thinks that the boys starve the horse. He says that the horse is old. Mia asks where he is going because she wants to come. They head to a car scrap yard as Billy plans to steal car parts. He tells Mia to keep a look out whilst he works on a car. Mia says that she doesn't like it and she offers to get them both some money for some drink if they can leave. We cut to them both running through a car park, laughing and looking slightly tipsy. They chase each other around cars. They are inside a department store, Mia leading the way. She looks down every aisle and then finds who she is looking for. She runs and jumps on Connors back. She gets down and asks for some money. Connor asks if she is drunk. Mia walks up to Billy and tells Connor to observe how skinny he is. We need food. She begs. Connor caves and hands Mia a five pound note. Mia jumps on Billy's back and they leave the store. It's early evening and we see Mia with Billy in the empty apartment drinking beer from a can. They look at each other and we see him almost go in for a kiss but Mia looks away. Mia returns home at night and asks her mother for some tea. "What do you think this is, a cafe?". Joanne asks. Mia looks in the fridge and fetches a yoghurt. She joins Joanne and Connor on the sofa. Tyler is asleep on the floor.Connor's eyes never leave Mia as she takes her jacket off and peels the lid off her yoghurt and licks it. He asks her if shes going out with that boy. She asks why and Connor responds by saying that he looks far too old. Mia says that hes only nineteen. Joanne tells Connor that Mia has never had a boyfriend and Mia angrily lies and says that shes just had sex with him upstairs. Connor doesn't look happy. Joanne asks Connor if he wants to go to bed and he agrees. He picks an asleep Tyler off the floor and takes her upstairs. Joanne hands Mia a letter all about her new school. Mia tears it up and throws it out of the window. Connor appears behind her and says That place might teach you some manners. Mia claims that it's got nothing to do with him and Connor nastily says that Mia needs sorting out. "You're nothing to me, so why should I listen?". Mia hisses at him. He looks hurt, retrieves Tyler's pillow from the floor and heads upstairs. Mia slumps on the sofa and falls asleep. Mia wakes the next morning and watches her mother retrieve Connors work shirts from the washing line outside. She looks happy. Mia gets a voice mail on her phone and it's somebody from the dance auditions. They offer her a personal audition the following week. We see her back in the empty apartment, with her headphones in, dancing. She seems calm. Mia is on her bed, in her pajamas, drinking out of a can. She hears the door open downstairs and she heads onto the landing where she sees Connor leading a drunk Joanne up the stairs. Mia retreats back to her room and watches as Connor puts Joanne into bed. She hears Connor head back downstairs. She follows him and finds him watching television. He looks up and says that shes up late. He asks if they are friends because she has been acting funny with him. She sits on the chair next to the sofa and drinks from a vodka bottle. "This family loves their booze". Connor comments. They talk about Mia's dance audition. She says that shes picked which song she is going to dance to. Its the one that Connor put on in the car on the day that they caught the fish. He looks really pleased and says that its his favorite song. He suggests that she dances for him now. She looks shy and says no. He says that if she's planning on auditioning in front of strangers then she should be able to dance in front of him. She gets up and puts a CD in. It's the song that she picked. She begins her routine. Connor watches intensely. Mia stops and sits next to Connor. He gestures for her to get closer and he puts his arm around her. He compliments her dancing and says "If it was up to me, you'd get the job". She cuddles him and he plays with her hair. She slowly looks up and he goes in for a kiss. He pushes her down onto the sofa and gets on top of her. He takes her pajama bottoms off and they have sex on the sofa. Afterwards, Connor sits up and looks shocked. "We need to keep this between you and me". He says. They are both out of breath and Mia looks uncomfortable. They hear a noise coming from the stairs but don't see anything. Connor says that they will talk the next day and then he heads off to bed. Mia hastily puts her pajama bottoms back on.Mia wakes up in bed the next morning to the sound of her front door slamming and her mother crying. She goes onto the landing and sees Tyler leaning up against the banister. Connor is gone is all she says. We see Joanne on her bed, crying. Mia runs down the stairs and out of the door. She runs all the way to the estate car park and just misses Connor as he drives away. She shouts after him but to no avail.The same afternoon, Mia heads into her mother's room where Joanne is lying on her bed with red, swollen eyes. Mia goes through Joanne's handbag to find her phone so that she can call Connor. "Did you know that I nearly had you aborted?". Joanne quietly asks. Mia doesn't respond. "I made an appointment and everything". Downstairs, Mia saves Connor's number into her mobile under Tyler's watchful eye. Mia makes her way out and Tyler follows. I know what you did, I'm telling mum. She says. Mia says that she doesn't care and walks away. Mia tries Connor's mobile several times only to be greeted by voice mail. She rings a directory and asks for Connor's workplace. A woman answers and says that Connor isn't working and wont be for a while. She hangs up. Mia makes her way to Tilbury, where she knows Connor lives. She walks there and asks a local how to get to Connor's road. It's a posh area and a woman walking past eyes Mia suspiciously. She spots Connor's car in a driveway and knocks on the door. Connor answers. "Jesus Christ!". he hisses quietly, as he ushers her away from his door. They walk hastily down the street together and he asks her if she thinks this is a good idea. He says he was going to call her but Mia calls him out on that one because he doesn't even have her number. "You know why I left". Connor says. You're fifteen. He adds. Mia says that it doesn't matter if you like someone. He drives Mia to the train station and asks her about the audition. He still spurs her on and says that she'll be great. He pulls up outside the station and hands her some money to get home. They have a quick kiss and he says that they'll talk later. Mia's train pulls up. Shes clearly deep in thought. We cut to Mia walking to Connor's front door once again. She didn't get on the train. Nobody answers the door and Connor's car is nowhere to be seen.Mia slowly walks around the back of the house and jumps over the garden gate, making sure that nobody can see her. She tries the back door which is also locked. She opens a small window which leads to the kitchen and climbs through. She looks through the fridge, takes a can of beer and begins drinking. In the living room, she spots the camera that she borrowed. She sits and plays back the most recent video. It's of a young girl, around Tyler's age, stood in a garden in a pink dress. Her mother kneels beside her and the voice behind the camera is Connor's. Sing for daddy. We hear him say. The mother urges her on, kindly. Mia leans forward as the girl begins singing and it all becomes clear. Connor is married and he has a young daughter. The young girl sings Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis. "I don't care what they say, I'm in love with you". are just some of the lyrics which Mia relates to. Mia throws the camera across the room and stands. She breathes heavily as she notices all of the evidence that Connor is a father. Girls' toys in the corner of the room, small pink clothing thrown over the arm of the sofa. Not to mention to way he automatically connected with Tyler and seemed so friendly and fatherly towards her. She squats and urinates on the living room floor. We see Mia in Connors bathroom washing her face she looks up as she hears a car pull up. She runs downstairs and climbs back through the kitchen window, just as we hear the front door open. She climbs over the back fence and makes her way back to Connor's street. She sits on a wooden fence a couple of houses down from Connor's place and watches a young girl whiz up and down the street on her scooter. Mia recognizes the girl as the girl from the video. Connors daughter. In the distance, Mia sees Connor telling the young girl to stay off the road. He calls her Keira. He heads back into the house.Mia calls Keira's name as she goes past on her scooter. Keira stops and Mia says that her mother said that they can both go and get some ice cream. "Let's see who can go faster". Mia says as they both head down the street. Mia leads Keira off the road and onto a field. We hear Keira's mother shouting her name but Mia insists that her mother is just playing a game. They walk over the field and Mia becomes increasingly agitated. Keira begins to understand that they aren't getting any ice cream. Keira complains and Mia pushes her onwards. They walk through some woods and Keira exclaims that Mia is beginning to scare her. They come to a fence with a small hole and Mia picks Keira up and throws her over. Before Mia can get over herself, Keira runs. Mia calls after her but Keira keeps running. Mia gets over the fence and runs after her but Keira had a huge head start. We hear loud, running water as they come to the water's edge. Keira is running dangerously close to the water. Mia runs after her. She finally catches up with Keira on the edge of the choppy water. Mia takes hold of Keira's shoulders and shouts at her for running away. Keira begins screaming and kicking at Mia's legs. In a fit of rage, Mia picks Keira up and throws her into the water. Keira is entirely submerged. After a few seconds, she comes back to the surface, gasping for breath. It doesn't take long for Mia to pull her back onto the bank but it was a close call. Keira stands shaking as Mia hugs her, clearly feeling sorry for her actions. She leads Keira away. It's night time. Mia and Keira walk hand in hand down Connor's street. Before they can reach the house, Mia lets go of Keira's hand. "Off you go then". She says. Keira runs home. We see Mia walking back home, across the motorway. A car, driving far too quickly, storms to a halt next to her. It's Connor. Mia runs, knowing that he'll be furious. He catches up and slaps her around the face. Nothing is said as he walks back to his car. Mia sits on the ground in the dark.Mia is back home and on her bed the next morning. She puts on a necklace, some bracelets and a pair of large hoop earrings. She walks to her audition. She sits in the audition room, watching another girl take her turn. The girl is dressed only in a skimpy black leotard and dances slowly and seductively to a slow hip hop song. It becomes clear that the audition is for strippers. Its Mia's turn and she stands on the stage looking nervous. The two adults running the audition ask for Mia to redo her hair so that its down and not up. She does. "Much better", they say. Her music beings playing. She stands for a while, probably thinking about how much the song reminds her of Connor and then walks off the stage. She walks out of the venue, leaving her CD and her memories of Connor behind. She goes back to the caravan site and notices that the horse is no longer there. Billy is there, working on a car. They chat for a while and Mia asks about the horse. She was sick, we had to shoot her. He says, looking remorseful. Mia looks sad, sits on the floor and cries. We see a bullet hole through the window of the place where the horse slept. Billy says that he's getting the car ready for the road because he's going to Cardiff. He knows some people there. Back home, Mia packs a hold all with clothes and essentials. Tyler watches. She asks about the referral unit that Mia was meant to be going to. You can have my place Mia says. The girls head downstairs and Joanne is in the living room, slowly dancing to a song on the radio. Its clear that she has been crying. It isn't made clear if Joanne is crying because Connor has gone or if Tyler told her of Mia and Connors antics on the sofa or because she knows that Mia plans to leave. It's probably all three. A song plays on the radio and the girls dance together for a while. Joanne tells Mia to go but not in a hateful way. She speaks as though she knows Mia will have a better life away from the estate.Mia walks down the stairs of the apartment block with Tyler in tow, helping to carry her things. Tyler asks where she is going and Mia announces that she is going to Wales. Mia heads towards Billy, who has got his car working. Mia introduces Tyler to him. Tyler swears at Mia and then begins to cry. They hug. "I hate you" Tyler says, sobbing. "I hate you too" Mia says. Mia kisses the top of Tyler's head and gets into the car. The car slowly makes its way down the street and Mia looks back to see Tyler running after the car. "Don't forget to write, say hi to the Welsh for me!". she shouts. Mia faces forward ready for her new life in Wales. We see a silver heart shaped balloon fly across the estate.

suspenseful, depressing, realism

train

imdb

The poet Rumi said, "A rose's rarest essence lives in the thorn." The thorn is in full evidence in Andrea Arnold's compellingly honest second feature Fish Tank, the story of a fifteen year-old girl's struggle for self respect after having "grown up absurd" in the London projects. Fish Tank, a film that is overflowing with life, works on many levels – as a look into squalid economic and social conditions in small town Britain, as a warning to those who act impulsively and without self-control, and as a coming-of-age story that allows us to experience a genuine sense of character growth. Winner of the Jury Prize at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, the film features an astounding performance from first-time actress Katie Jarvis, a 17-year-old who was discovered by the director while having an argument with her boyfriend on an Essex train station platform.Set in a bleak housing project in a working class London suburb, fifteen-year-old Mia is an angry, isolated but vulnerable teen who lives with her boozy mom (Koerston Wareing) and little sister Tyler (an adorable Rebecca Griffiths). She goes from head-butting a rival on the playground to struggling to free a half-starved horse tied up in a junkyard while cozying up to the horse's owner Billy (Harry Treadway), a gentle 19-year-old who seems genuinely interested.Dreaming of becoming a dancer, Mia breaks into an abandoned apartment and practices her hip-hop dance routines alone to borrowed CDs of pop music including California Dreaming, the only time when she can feel good about herself. Mia's first taste of something resembling kindness happens when her mother brings home a sexy, shirtless Irish lover named Connor (Michael Fassbender) who works as a security guard Fassbender's performance oscillates between the charming and the shady and we do not know who is real and who is pretend and where it will lead. Although Connor's interest in Mia appears innocent, from the time Mia cuts her foot on a family fishing trip and Connor gives her a piggy back ride to the car, tension gradually builds until it explodes in a seduction that is not only inappropriate but has serious consequences.Fish Tank is a strong and unpredictable film because Mia is a strong (though flawed) character who refuses to allow her miserable circumstances to control her life. Friendless and unloved Mia (Jarvis) dreams of becoming a dancer and when her mum's new boyfriend arrives on the scene, everything changes for the teenager.Fish tank is an exceptional artistic creation, based on the purity of Andrea Arnold's script and appreciative direction whilst a debuting Katie Jarvis excels as the troubled isolated teenager, and what a feature this is.British cinema is some of the most dramatic and flinching cinema in the world. Everything is as it should be because everything has been so carefully planned, in particular the character development which will have many shedding a tear or two.Katie Jarvis' cold and unappreciative style is spot on for the protagonist and as the film goes through hard fights with families and spending time isolated in a deserted flat, we see the emotional desire of Mia. The ambition of becoming a dancer is exceptionally well produced, owing to the fact that the background is effectively established. Seeing her younger sister drinking beer with her mother in the next room will have mouths dropping.Thanks to this straight forward no messing attitude the plot can move forward and tell the audience of what real life entails and the cultural state we are living in at the moment.Some British films go out of their way to preach, such as This is England and Brassed off and whilst that isn't a bad quality, the enriching style of this film makes it flow and add extra drama continuously.The scene setting shots are exquisite, as if made from a Skins episode without the teen angst. Her life appears to change for the better when her mother gets a new boyfriend who is friendly, good fun and is not put off by the sudden aggression that is the signature of life in the family home.Writer/director Arnold quite impressed me with Wasp a few years ago and she stayed in my memory thanks partly to her shabby treatment at the Oscars (where, as the winner of her category, she had to receive the award in the aisle and do her speech from there – no stage for her), however Fish Tank she stays in my mind on the basis of her film-making ability. Fish Tank ends up as a very engaging and gritty drama thanks to Arnold's direction and Jarvis' very strong performance, it mostly avoids cliché and predictable plotting and the cold grey atmosphere of the whole film makes for a distinctive product. Andrea Arnold's "Fish Tank" was a big hit in Britain and at Cannes and now tries its hand at America, who will probably nickname it "White Precious." Anchored by a star-making performance from Kate Jarvis, Arnold's film is more grit and zero melodrama, a step-up from the weepy style of "Precious." Jarvis plays Mia, a teenager living in the ghetto where kids expect to follow in the option-less footsteps of their parents. Mia has a dream of becoming a dancer and she finds encouragement from mom's new boyfriend, Connor (Michael Fassbender), a hunky security guard who seems like a nice guy but is, at times, "too friendly." It's familiar other-side-of-the tracks territory but it doesn't spend time wallowing in misfortune. She tries to live her life among various problems that include bad parenting, terrible sibling hood and even worse relationship with other kids of her same age.Fish Tank is movie that is well shot with some decent acting and great screenplay. But nothing seems to have as much impact as the unhealthy chemistry that forms between Mia and her mother's new boyfriend Connor (breakthrough performance by the man everyone loves to hate Michael Fassbender)."Fish Tank" made by up-and-comer Andrea Arnold is probably my favourite Cannes movie in an unbelievably strong competition of 2009. Thankfully also Arnold manages to escape any cop-outs during the movie, although several options chosen do pose slight questions about their reality and adequateness to the general plot.Adding to that absolutely spot on acting by Fassbender and Jarvis, which actually allows the viewer to feel the growing sexual tension, but simultaneously grasps the awkwardness of this relationship, the movie is bound to be an instant classic. We also have an attractive and kind man come into the picture who, through his natural goodness, offers an outlet for her yearnings for understanding, fun, and intimacy.The story starts off slowly as we get to know 15-year old Mia, her family and the wider (and very limited) world around her. English screenwriter and director Andrea Arnold's second feature film is a throbbing and turbulent contemporary drama from one of Britain's less appealing suburbs, which tells the story about 15-year-old Mia, a vital and somewhat bewildered girl living on a council estate in Essex, England with her mother and little sister Tyler, which she argues more than talks to. Mia's rebellious personality has made her more or less friendless and the only thing that gives her confidence is her passion for dancing, but the day her mother introduces her daughters to her new boyfriend Connor life opens new doors for Mia.Andrea Arnold returns after her uncompromising debut "Red Road" (2006) and shows her talent for social realistic storytelling. Andrea Arnold's film has similarities to the films of Ken Loach and her story about an alienated teenage girl who discovers her sexuality whilst looking for foothold in a cynical world is reminiscent of films such as Lynne Ramsay's "Ratcatcher" (1999), Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne's "Rosetta" (1999), Catherine Hardwike's "Thirteen" (2003) and Cate Shortland's "Somersault" (2004)."Fish Tank" is social realism in its purest form and a powerful coming-of-age tale about a fierce and stubborn girl who persistently keeps her dream of becoming a professional dancer alive despite the fact that her reality makes her dream look like an illusion. "Fish Tank" is a gritty depiction of society that explores strong themes, but in-between all this gravity Andrea Arnold turns the camera towards nature's gracefulness and gives the viewer a little breathing space from the concentrated realism that makes the few rays of hope seem like utopia. In the lead role Katie Jarvis is extraordinary - discovered by writer/director Andrea Arnold while quarreling with her boyfriend on a station platform - without any previous acting experience, she makes many Oscar winners look like dilettantes. She is not a particularly great dancer but it seems to be her only escape.The story begins to unfold as Mia develops a bond with her mom's latest conquest, the attractive, easy-going, sexy Connor, excellently portrayed by Michael Fassbender (Hunger, Inglourious Basterds). In "Fish Tank," Kative Jarvis delivers an astonishing performance as Mia, a restless, vaguely angry 15-year-old living in an English housing project. Her mother brings home a 30-something boyfriend (Michael Fassbender, also excellent), who intrigues Mia in a complicated way -- handsome and sexually appealing, he's also the closest thing to a father figure she and her younger sister have apparently had for a very long time. She sets excellent scenes, creates interesting characters (even though we've seen them many times before), draws fantastic performances from a predominantly young cast, and creates realistic tension and drama, but in Fish Tank the resolution is weak and in the last act I thought the story got a bit lost as if she didn't know where to go with it or changed her mind several times in a bid to find originality. The movie is shot in totally unusual way and the whole presentation of the characters is through the Lead girl Mia played by Katie Jarvis… Its terrific the way she carries off the role, she was totally natural and not even for a second you feel like you are watching a movie, her reaction to situations were cruel yet real… she is not a trained actress and got this movie by chance & that's completely shows in the movie. Everything changes for 15-year-old Mia when her mum brings home a new boyfriend.How much can be said about the effect of a female writer-director on a film? It feels more about the flow of real life.The filmmaker makes that seem like an easy task.I don't know if there is such a thing as organic film making but this is it, no artificial flavors of preservatives.The slight bit of story focus on a 15 year girl, named Mia living in a harsh area who has a dream of being a hip hop dancer.Michael Fassbender is in the movie playing the boyfriend of Mia's mother. Mia (Katie Jarvis) is a volatile fifteen-year-old hip hop dancer living with her white trash mother Joanne (Kierston Wareing) and brash younger sister Tyler. "Fish Tank" is about a rebellious 15 year old girl, Mia, (portrayed by Katie Jarvis) whose life changes when her unsympathetic mother brings a new boyfriend, Connor, home (portrayed by Michael Fassbender) to their East London 'stroke' Essex council flat. "Fish Tank" is a very good film, great to an extent, because of the way Andrea Arnold makes us interact with the characters and the content through the aesthetic style she has decided to go with. I don't have to be told what life is like for working-class Brits: Fish Tank shows the stark realities of that country's under classes and class differences in brilliant detail.-- In the end, this film is about the loss of female innocence in a world that continues to give women few choices, especially when they come out of poverty - be it in a developing nation, or an industrialized nation. Her mother may not have been able to break the chain of poverty and stultifying failure, but Mia will find a way, even if means escaping to Wales with a boy.-- Fish Tank's many universal themes (injustice, hypocrisy, the messiness of domestic life, loss, failure, love, ambition, intergenerational conflict and misunderstandings, challenging the status quo, fear, danger, boredom, confusion, family dysfunction, society's impacts on the lives of powerless women, youth, aging, and more) make it accessible to everyone. The closing scene where Mia (Katie Jarvis) is saying goodbye to her little sister was especially evocative of the last words in Betty Smith's "A Tree Grows In Brooklyn"; when Francie is about to leave and takes one last look over at the fire escape where 10-year-old Florry Wendy is reading a book, then whispers "Good-bye, Francie".The film is not for everyone but if you like naturalistic acting and a gritty (often dreary) story you would be well served to track down this film. "Fish Tank" is about Mia, a 15-year old girl who lives with her younger sister and their mother in low-income housing in Essex, near London, England.Mia, played by Katie Jarvis, who was 17 at the time the film was shot, is on the way to a worse life than she already has lived. Connor is ruggedly good looking, and he's actually nice to the girls, something they're not used to.Connor's presence in Mia's life changes her in many ways, some of them good.Katie Jarvis had no experience as an actor prior to her being chosen by director Andrea Arnold ("Red Road") -- in fact, Arnold "discovered" Jarvis when she saw her loudly arguing with her boyfriend at a train station. Fish Tank brings to mind other movies with a girl right in the heart and pit of a slum- Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire was another from this year- or those with men, like 8 Mile, where we see a character just trying to get by, and maybe find some way to come into the world from an isolated self. And yet another movie might come to mind watching it- the also British but more 'middle class' story An Education about a teen girl also in a sudden close bond with a man just a little too old for her but friendly enough- that might cast a pall on what transpires over the course of the film.But the greatness in Fish Tank, a very bleak movie that could be called 'beat-box realism', is a film that doesn't give anyone any kind of easy out. Perhaps that's why we see Mia early on in the film- when, frankly, it doesn't look like anything else is really going on (the only truly frustrating section of the movie if not all bad)- try and free a horse tied to a trailer by a bunch of white trash. But the movie isn't about that since, frankly, that would be the American version (can you say 'Flashdance 2009'?) It's about this setting and state of mind, and the effect it has on a disillusioned fifteen year old girl with no real prospects outside of her dancing, and a dangerous, mutual attraction to her mother's boyfriend, Connor.Seeing this play out is rough and raw, like the DP was put on loan from the Wrestler specifically for this feature. Many details and the acting performances of the main cast were raw and as realistic as they can get.The boredom of the children versus the menial lifestyle share by the parents and the children reflect nicely on the concept of a 'fish tank'.However, I cant help but be turned off by several moments in the film which I felt that they were too clichéd though they tried hard to be not-- a critical weak point of the movie. I found myself observing this relationship and although she seems to like him, I couldn't help think "here we go again." Mia has had a tough upbringing and this complication and confusion is not healthy for a fragile 15 year old.The problem I have with Fish Tank and Andrea Arnold's direction is the last couple of scenes, which contribute to what turns out to be a completely unnecessary ending. This is a good but by no means great film that highlights British Youth culture through the eyes of Mia.It has a good enough story and some nice moments but it cannot be ignored that the mass amounts of swearing and sex references and in one case sex scenes are not needed and get in the way of this film being truly great.All the cast give good performances and this film will probably live on forever as a text discussed at A2 media level but will never be remembered in years to come as being a great example of independent cinema or film making because it appeals to too much of a niche market.. Fish Tank follows in this traditional.Mia (Katie Jarvis) is a 15-year-old girl who lives on an sink estate in Essex. But her is made even more complex when her mum starts seeing Connor (Michael Fassbender), a seemingly nice man who supports Mia dream but there is more then meets the eye with their relationship.Andrea Arnold shows that she has a nack for making this type of film. I first thought that if this was a film about how dancing would save her, she would either need to get good quickly or it would be a serious fail.The male lead, Connor (Fassbender) appears early on as another of Mia's mothers' 'pulls' from the local pub or club. She begins the film as she ends it.Mia is a fifteen year old girl who lives in public housing with her very young mother and little sister. Any film shot in locations with names like Hamlet Towers, Barking, and Mucking Flats can't be all bad, even if it's an inexpensive, small-scale slice of working-class life seen from the point of view of a maladjusted fifteen-year-old girl.Kate Jarvis is Mia. She lives at home with her flamboyantly sexy Mom and her foul-mouthed little sister. Fish Tank is an English film that follows the life of Mia, played by Katie Jarvis, a troubled 15-year-old in a lower-middle class town in England.

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The New World

Over a shot of trees reflected in water, a girl, Pocahontas, invokes a spirit to sing the the story of our land. We see her, reaching up to the sky.After a title sequence, over which nature sounds are heard, we see a shot of Native Americans swimming underwater, Pocahontas and her brother, as others on the shore point to something. Three ships come into view, and a title tells us this is Virginia, 1607.Aboard the one of the ships we see Captain Newport giving instructions, as others look out at the new world. In the brig is Captain Smith, who catches fresh water on his face.Native Americans, including Pocahontas rush to the shore to wonder at this sight.A landing party from the ships comes ashore.Captain Smith, about to be hanged on shore, is pardoned by Captain Newport, to the dismay of Wingall.As Captain Smith explores the land alone, Captain Newport decides to stay where they are. He warns the settlers not to disturb or anger the Natives, because they may need to trade with them. He says once they are settled, they will go north to find a route to the other sea.The Natives encounter the settlers for the first time, sniffing them. The settlers show some trepidation. Pocahontas and her brother watch from a distance.In voice over, Smith says they are kind and timid. Newport, worried about a native attack, orders them English to sleep aboard their ships, and instructs them to start building a fort in the morning. Slackers, he says, will be whipped.He warns them that they are not there to pillage, but to start a new colony.As they build a fort, the Natives watch them in puzzlement, and try to communicate with them.Pocahontas and her brother dance in the fields, and, when she is alone, Smith sees her for the first time.Some of the settlers steal food from their supplies, and more is ruined by the bad weather. A man is sentenced to have his ears cut off.A Native who picks up an axe from the fort is shot and killed by a settler. Smith makes a show of putting the settler's head underwater in front of the Natives as punishment.Newport warns them that they have lost the favour of the Naturals. He also says that had they not sighted land the day they did, he would have turned back. Many of the settlers are sick, others are about to mutiny. Their supplies are low.He has spoken to Natives who say there is a city up river. He proposes to send an envoy to this city to trade. He himself will return to England, and Radcliffe will be in charge.As it is a hazardous mission, Smith, the only professional soldier in the outfit, is picked to lead it.A group of settlers, with some Natives set out up the river. In voiceover, Smith talks of making a new start, where the blessing of the earth are bestowed on all, a true commonwealth with no landlords or high rents.When they land, a Native escapes. A smaller group of three settlers and a Native continue up river.In full armour, Smith loses the Native in the high grass. He becomes disorientated in the swamp. He is shot at with two arrows. Finding it hard to fight back from a Native attack, he is captiured. The Natives examine his belongings, a compass he tries to explain what it is for. Tying his hands and blindfolding him, they take him to their village.There, in a longhouse, he meets their chief. A Native hands the chief a hand presumably belonging to one of Smith's party. The Natives and Smith talk he tells them he's from the East. The chief tells him he must go. Smith insists they cannot leave until spring. He tries to trade, showing them gunpowder.Smith, believing he is about to be killed, lies there as Pocahontas throws herself on him. The chief's brother tells him to kill him. But he says he can teach Pocahontas about the world.Smith takes part in some kind of ceremony, and is carried out of the longhouse. The chief's brother says that if they do no leave, they must drive them into the sea.As the Natives gather corn and practise their archery, Smith wanders their village. He teaches Pocahontas English. There is a growing tenderness between them.Smith talks in voiceover about how Pocahontas is the king's favourite daughter. They are seen talking, and Smith practises fighting with a group of Native males. He begins to get accepted into the group.He talks about how they are gentle, faithful and lacking in guile and trickery, no sense of possession.Smith and Pocahontas play together. One evening in the village, Pocahontas's father asks her to promise him she will remain loyal to her people, and warns her that Smith is not of of them.At the shore, Pocahontas gives Smith a feather, he touches her face and kisses her.In voiceover, he asks if we shall deny love when it visits us, and the Natives are seen putting out their fishing nets. He says there is only this, all else is unreal.Pocahontas asks mother, where do you live? In the sky? The clouds? The sea? Show me your face. Give me a sign. We rise, we rise.Smith shows Pocahontas his drawings of English towns. He dances around a fire with the other Natives.Smith and Pocahontas share a few moments together before he is led back to the English fort, where the Natives give him food, on the understanding from the King that they will leave come spring. He is told there is no sea beyond the mountains, just a land that has no end.Smith finds the fort a stark, grey place. Many of the settlers are sick, others have died. Others constantly argue over trivial things. Buildings are left unfinished. Smith and Wingall Argue. He is told his has been found guilty in a trial. Other settlers join the argument.Wingall is shot. Smith is put in charge of the colony. He finds their crops have failed. He orders everyone to dig a well. Some of the settlers pointlessly dig for gold.Settlers gather around a fire, boiling their belts for sustenance. Another settler reports that one has died and his hands have been eaten.Smiths wishes to go back up the river, to live with Pocahontas in the wild.As winter arrives things get worse for the settlers. They are only saved when Pocahontas, against her father's wishes, brings them some fresh food. Smith and Pocahontas talk. She asks him why he hasn't come to her. He tells her not to trust him. He says she doesn't know who he is.She, in voiceover, wonders who he is.Going up river to trade with a Native, Smith spends time with Pocahontas. He asks if she wants him to go back to be with her again.Pocahontas is chided by her father for giving the settlers seeds. He realises the English do no intend to leave. She visits the fort at night. She tells Smith to make peace with the Natives. She asks him to come away with her. Here, at the fort, he is cynical about the idea. He warns her that people will find out that she came.The Natives attack the fort. The settlers fight back. During the battle, Pocahontas's brother is killed. The Natives enter the fort. For telling the settlers of the impending attack, Pocahontas is sent to live with another tribe.The settlers plan take Pocahontas from her exile, in exchange for a copper kettle, knowing they will not be attacked while she is at the fort. Smith disagrees with this plan, and is replaced as the president of the colony, and is tortured and made to work chopping wood for his disobedience.Pocahontas arrives at the settlement, and Captain Newport returns to the colony with more settlers, forcing the Natives to sue to peace.Pocahontas visits Smith while he is chopping timber, and again they spend time together in the forest.Captain Newport asks Smith if he wants to bring charges against Argall, and Smith indicates that he does not. Newport tells Smith that the King has requested Smith lead an expedition to find a passage to the Indies via the North.An English newcomer, Mary, begins to look after Pocahontas, who, we are told, has given up her name. Mary washes Pocahontas, and dresses her in English clothes and shows her how to walk in shoes. In voiceover, Pocahontas says she will find joy in all she sees.Talking to the settlers, Captain Newport tells them that Eden lies about them, and that they have shed the bondage of the old world, and should set a fresh example for humanity. He says their youth is their strength, and their inexperience their wisdom. He says they should prepare a land where man can rise to his true stature.Smith leaves instructions with his friend, Ben, that Pocahontas should be told he has drowned two months after he leaves.Pocahontas cries when he leaves. She is shown learning to read and write. Mary tells her she should forget about Smith, as he told her a pack of lies. Ben tells her he has died. She covers her face in ash, and wanders the settlement, as if she is lost and alone.The settlers burn a Native village, forcing its inhabitants to leave. Pocahontas is seen lying in the mud between two buildings. She gives water to a man in stocks.John Rolfe, a newcomer, is shown watching her. In voiceover, he talks about how when he first saw her, she was regarded as finished, broken, and that she barely noticed the others around her. He asks to spend the afternoon with her.Mary says that Pocahontas's nature can turn trouble into good, that when a branch breaks off a tree, the tree keeps reaching towards the light.Rolfe teaches Pocahontas about the months of the year, she asks him what a day is, what an hour is. She asks him why the Earth has colours.Pocahontas is baptised with the name Rebecca. She begins to work in the fields for John Rolfe. She asks him if he is kind, they embrace. Over scenes of her attempting to catch crickets, Rolfe is heard saying that she weaves things together. He asks her to marry him. She asks where they would live, he says either in Virginia or England. She hesitates, and cries, he asks why, and she tells him she supposes she must be happy.They are married by Captain Newport.She gives birth to a child, a boy, named Thomas.Time passes.John Rolfe announces that back in England, the King has requested a royal audience in Pocahontas/Rebecca's honour.Smith is shown on the desolate coast of Greenland.Outside the fort, Pocahontas/Rebecca, overhears two women talking about Smith's travels, and she realises that he is still alive.Pocahontas/Rebecca tells Rolfe that she is married to Smith. Rolfe tells her she does not know the meaning of the word.Leaving for England, Pocahontas/Rebecca speaks to her uncle on the ship, he has been sent by her father to see the God the English speak so much about, and to place a notch in sticks for every Englishman he sees.Arriving in England, people bow before Pocahontas/Rebecca. She and the other Natives have never seen a place like this before.At her audience with the King, Rolfe watches as she is presented. Pocahontas/Rebecca and the King inspect animals from the new world, including a raccoon in a cage.In the manicured grounds of an English house, Pocahontas's uncle is seen wandering in the cold, looking at the carefully sculpted gardens.Smith arrives at Rolfe's estate. Rolfe appears ready to let Pocahontas/Rebecca reunite with Smith. She tells Rolfe that he is the man she thought he was.A dishevelled Smith arrives at the Rolfe's house. Pocahontas/Rebecca meets with him. Initially she does not speak as he talks about her. She realises that she has moved on and he has not.Pocahontas/Rebecca asks Smith if he found his indies. He says he may have sailed past them.He tells her what they knew in the forest was the only truth. Pocahontas/Rebecca bows to him as they part.Pocahontas/Rebecca takes Rolfe's arm, and asks him if they can go home. He tells her they will, as soon as possible. She calls him my husband and they kiss.Pocahontas/Rebecca is shown watching Rolfe and Thomas play. In their garden, Pocahontas/Rebeccas play a game of hide and seek. In voiceover, we hear her say mother, now I know where you live.Over scenes of her playing in the garden and ill in bed, in voiceover, Rolfe is heard writing a letter to Thomas, telling her that Pocahontas/Rebecca fell ill at Gravesend, on their outward passage back to Virginia. He says that she gently reminded him that all must die, and it is enough that their child shall live.We see Pocahontas/Rebecca running through the garden, and turning cartwheels.Rolfe and Thomas are seen returning on the ship. There are shots of lakes, streams and trees in America. A leaf is shown falling from a tree.End credits.

boring, murder, cult, violence, atmospheric, haunting, romantic, sentimental

train

imdb

tt0036868

The Best Years of Our Lives

After World War II, Fred Derry (Dana Andrews), Homer Parrish (Harold Russell), and Al Stephenson (Fredric March) meet while flying home to Boone City (a fictional city patterned after Cincinnati, Ohio). Fred was a decorated Army Air Forces captain and bombardier in Europe. Homer lost both hands from burns suffered when his aircraft carrier was sunk, and now uses mechanical hook prostheses. Al served as an infantry platoon sergeant in the Pacific. All three have trouble adjusting to civilian life. Al has a comfortable home and a loving family: wife Milly (Myrna Loy), adult daughter Peggy (Teresa Wright, who was only thirteen years Loy's junior), and college freshman son Rob (Michael Hall, who is absent after the first one-third of the film). He returns to his old job as a bank loan officer. The bank president views his military experience as valuable in dealing with other returning servicemen. When Al approves a loan (without collateral) to a young Navy veteran, however, the president advises him against making a habit of it. Later, at a banquet held in his honor, a slightly inebriated Al expounds his belief that the bank (and America) must stand with the vets who risked everything to defend the country and give them every chance to rebuild their lives. Before the war, Fred had been an unskilled drugstore soda jerk. He wants something better, but the tight postwar job market forces him to return to his old job. Fred had met Marie (Virginia Mayo) while in flight training and married her shortly afterward, before shipping out less than a month later. She became a nightclub waitress while Fred was overseas. Marie makes it clear she does not enjoy being married to a lowly soda jerk. Homer was a football quarterback and became engaged to his next door neighbor, Wilma (Cathy O'Donnell), before joining the Navy. Both Homer and his parents now have trouble dealing with his disability. He does not want to burden Wilma with his handicap so he eventually pushes her away, although she still wants to marry him. Peggy meets Fred while bringing her father home from a bar where the three men meet once again. They are attracted to each other. Peggy dislikes Marie, and informs her parents she intends to end Fred and Marie's marriage, but they tell her that their own marriage overcame similar problems. Concerned, Al demands that Fred stop seeing his daughter. Fred agrees, but the friendship between the two men is strained. At the drugstore, an obnoxious customer, who claims that the war was fought against the wrong enemies, gets into a fight with Homer. Fred intervenes and knocks the man into a glass counter, costing him his job. Later, Fred encourages Homer to put his misgivings behind him and marry Wilma, offering to be his best man. One evening, Wilma visits Homer and tells him that her parents want her to leave Boone City for an extended period to try to forget him. Homer bluntly demonstrates to her how hard life with him would be. When Wilma is undaunted, Homer reconsiders. On arriving home, Fred discovers his wife with another veteran (Steve Cochran). After complaining to Fred that she has "given up the best years of my life," Marie tells him that she is getting a divorce. Fred decides to leave town, and gives his father his medals and citations. His father is unable to persuade Fred to stay. After Fred leaves, his father reads the citation for his Distinguished Flying Cross as composed by General Doolittle. At the airport, Fred books space on the first outbound aircraft, without regard for the destination. While waiting, he wanders into a vast aircraft boneyard. Inside the nose of a B-17, he relives the intense memories of combat. The boss of a work crew rouses him from his flashback. When the man says the aluminum from the aircraft is being salvaged to build housing, Fred persuades the boss to hire him. At the bride's home, people have gathered for the wedding of Homer and Wilma. Fred, now-divorced, is Homer's best man. While the vows are exchanged Fred and Peggy glance across at one another. At the conclusion everyone gathers around the newlyweds. Still gazing over at Peggy, Fred walks across the room, takes her in his arms and kisses her. He asks if she knows how things will be for them, that it will be a hard at first, that it could take years before they can get a life established. All the while Peggy smiles fondly at Fred, and then kisses him back.

romantic, historical, storytelling

train

wikipedia

tt0116571

House Arrest

The film is told through the perspective of Grover and TJ through the literary device known as a frame story. The two are shown in silhouette form watching the original film, House Arrest, in a style nearly identical to that of Mystery Science Theater 3000. Grover interrupts the film to fast-forward to his scenes, but TJ protest prompts Grover to share his backstory. showing the Beindorfs, Janet (Jamie Lee Curtis), Ned (Kevin Pollak), Gregory whose nicknamed "Grover" (Kyle Howard), and Stacy (Amy Sakasitz), a supposedly happy family living a typical family life in the suburbs of Defiance, Ohio. It is revealed that Janet and Ned are not happy and in fact separating although they tell their children it is not a divorce. Grover and Stacy first try to recreate their parents' honeymoon in the basement of their house but this fails to bring any happiness into their relationship. The children then leave the basement telling their parents they must get another surprise for them upstairs. They go up, close the door, and nail it shut. They vow to keep it shut until their parents work out their problems. The next day, Grover tells his best friend Matt Finley (Mooky Arizona) what he has done and T.J. Krupp (Russel Harper), the wealthy local bully, overhears the conversation. Matt goes over to the Beindorfs' house to look at the children's work and is impressed. T.J. shows up to have a look and actually installs a newer, more secure door to keep the parents trapped. He and Matt then leave to collect their parents and bring them to the Beindorfs' house to lock them up as well. Matt's father Vic (Wallace Shawn) never keeps a wife for more than two years and T.J.'s father Donald (Christopher McDonald) does not treat his wife Gwenna (Sheila McCarthy) well. Matt also brings his bulldog Cosmo and his two younger brothers, Teddy and Jimmy (who come armed with sleeping bags) and T.J. brings Spot, his pet boa constrictor. When Grover asks what is going on in response to his friends setting up camp at his house, T.J. replies with "Our parents could be down there for months!" Janet and Ned almost talk Grover into letting them all out but T.J.'s father, Donald (who's an attorney), threatens him with legal action. Grover finds out that his dream girl, Brooke Figler (Jennifer Love Hewitt), is also having parental problems: her mother Cindy (Jennifer Tilly) acts like a teenager, going so far as to trying to hang out with Brooke's friends. Grover invites her to lock up Cindy with the rest of the parents. The children lock up all of their parents and begin to help them solve their problems. They try to find a way out of the basement while getting along and seeing what each of their problems are. The children also work out their differences with each other above. They eventually give in and give up to the police and their parents are set free. It is revealed at the end that Grover's parents reconciled and took a second honeymoon to Hawaii. Matt's parents' wedding lasted past the two-year mark and they are expecting another child. T.J.'s parents got divorced though his mom later went back to law school and they opened up a law firm together. Brooke's mother started dating other men instead of intruding on Brooke's dates. Also, Grover and Brooke became boyfriend and girlfriend and she passionately kisses him in front of their classmates at school for a very long time, causing a slightly awkward moment for the bystanders. However, he concluded if their parents ever try to get divorced again he might think of locking them in the attic. In the final scene of the film, Matt Finley, Donald Krupp, Ned, Janet and Stacy join Grover and TJ to re-watch the film in the cinema. As the film fades to black, TJ reminds Grover that he still doesn't do well in crowds.

romantic, home movie

train

wikipedia

tt0104779

Bitter Moon

Nigel Dobson (Hugh Grant) and his wife Fiona (Kristn Scott Thomas) are a perfectly respectable British couple with nuances of gentlemanly life. They are on a cruise during their honeymoon heading for India. They meet an extremely sensual young woman of French origin called Mimi (Emmanuelle Seigner), extremeley flamboyant and Paris-cosmopolitan, and by means of her they come to meet American wanna-be author Oscar (Peter Coyote), a disabled man in a wheelchair. Oscar starts telling their love story to Nigel and Fiona. The latter finds it gruesome and unsettling, and doesn't want to know how it ends, but Nigel will become completely obsessed with the love-hate story of Mimi and Oscar.Oscar finds in Mimi, a student dancer, a willing partner for his almost hardcore sexual games, ever pushing their boundaries together. She is completely enraptured by him, and bows to his every whim. However, without any furthr reason that his caprice, he gets bored out of his wits about her. He is rude and wicked to her, and tells her that he'd rather she left him for good. Mimi packs her things, and is about to leave him forever. She has opened the door to the condo where they have been living together, but re-enters the flat again. She wants to stay no matter what.Life will be hell for Mimi from that moment on. He becomes really abusive towards her, and she puts up with everything. Their sexual antics become sadistic, full of anger and twisted mentality. I agree with some other reviewers into saying that Mimi becames a mere shadow of her former self. She has stayed with him, but life becomes a nightmare. She mus quit all her life and interests in order to pursue her obsesive love for him.She has to do things she doesn't really want to because if not, Oscar will sent her packing for good, and she knows this time there won't be a second chance. Finally, she becomes pregnant, and that's a door for her to lead a normal couple life with Oscar. They agree to leave France together and keep the child. However, Oscar's behaviour is selfish and rotten once more. He pretends to follow-suit her, but when they are both on the plane to Martinique, he leaves the plane with some dumb excuse. Mimi is completely distraught, and the audience will come to know what she did afterwards. She had an abbortion performed by some doctor who butchered her, and had to surpass a terrible infection on her own. The surgery and its consequences have left her uncapable of getting pregnant again, and that comes to a shock to her as well.Meanwhile, Oscar returns to his happy life: he goes to parties, gets drunk, and has sexual relations with all sorts of women. He doesn't seem to write much. Once, he is so drunk that he suffers a car accident which will leave him crippled for life. Mimi returns to Paris because, after all, her traumatic experiences have not made her to forget him. She won't forgive him, but the audience will come to know how much she loves him in spite of it all. She has become frustrated, angry, and wants revenge for everything Oscar has made he go through despite her love. She takes care of him, but in a twisted and cruel way. She doesn't allow him to talk to any of her former lovers, or go out of home without her. One of the prevert things she did is to hold a long conversation leavin Oscar in the full-of-water bath. While she's talking gayly, the water gets colder and colder, so Oscar has to leave the bathroom crawling like a worm. Mimi sees this with a half-smile onto her lips, and keeps on chatting as though without a care in the world. On another occassion, she gives him a present: a gun with a single bullet so that he can commit suicide.Coming back to the crouse, Fiona gets utterly fed-up of Nigel. She is afraid that he wants to have sex with Mimi, because she's constantly flirting with and giving hints to him. She tells him that she can do anything better than him, so she starts flirting with Dado (Luca Vellani) during Oscar's story sessions.Nigel looks for Fiona, and to his surprise, she finds her in bed after having made love with Mimi. Oscar had watched them while having sex. Both women are sleeping in a hug, and he shoots Mimi. Fiona is woken up because to the noise, and Nigel and Fiona leave the cabin together, deeply traumatized because of everything they have witnessed.

comedy, cruelty, murder, sadist, flashback, revenge, storytelling

train

imdb

Some of it might be hard to stomach but that is the nature of truly great filmmaking.A beautifully crafted movie, almost lyrical at times, Bitter moon is set in contemporary Paris but is told in a series of long complex flashbacks superbly narrated by Oscar (a terrific Peter Coyote) to Nigel (Hugh Grant as the usual British prat), both passengers on a cruise ship to India. The lack of attention to her performance in this movie is no doubt due to the notoriety in the puritanical American press of her husband.As a whole, Bitter Moon may not be Polanski's best film but some periods of the movie represent his very best work. With echoes of his earlier film 'Knife in the Water', Bitter Moon is a story of lust, revenge, betrayal, dependency and most of all; love, wrapped tightly around a coil of taboos and sexual perversions. it's a masterpiece.everything blends perfectly in this film: 1990's paris, the colours of the film (etalonage), the excellent vangelis's music score, the evolution of a love story, the roles played by the 2 couples...emmanuelle seigner is great playing the role of a nymph and a sorcerer, peter coyote is magnificent playing the part of a regular guy who gets insane, hugh grant becomes a perfect boring middle-class british bourgeois and kristin scott thomas her discreet wife looking for action.one of the best amour-fou stories, along with louis malle's "damage". Why it didn't get greater exposure at the time or since baffles me, particularly as two of the principle characters have since become "famous" , Hugh Grant and Kristan Scott Thomas.Most men will empathise with the morality or lack of in this confused relationship between an older man obsessed with his sexual object in the form of the stunning French actress, and her adoration for him. It is a story narrated and told by Oscar, played by Peter Coyote, who is wheelchair-bound, to Nigel, played by Hugh Grant, a man he meets on the cruise. The film also touches strongly the theme of hipocrisie (probably wrong spelled, this word.) once more in the character of Hugh Grant who, despite showing all the time disgut and repugnace for the story he is being told, is always secretly desiring and wanting something equivalent to happen to him (this hipocratic attitude may be the result of growing up in a world and a society where this kind of sexual liberties and practices are repressed and in here once more we are taken to atrong moral issues which take us to rethink the whole thing...).Apart from this questions this film makes me also think about the relationships between men and women... This film proves once more Roman Polansky as one of the greatest directors of our times, since he shows he is totally in control of every detail of direction (I enjoyed the increase of the speed together with the increase of intensity of the relationship among the couple). While in the trip, the American cripple and frustrated writer Oscar (Peter Coyote) gets close to Nigel, and invites him to listen to his unconventional love and hate story with his French wife Mimi (Emmanuelle Seigner). Meanwhile, Nigel feels a great attraction for the sexy and gorgeous Mimi, in a story with tragic consequences.'Bitter Moon' has been released in Brazil on DVD this week, and yesterday I watched it for the fifth or sixth time, since it is one of my favorites movies ever. I really believe that 'Bitter Moon', Peter Coyote and Emmanuelle Seigner have been not nominated to the Oscar because of the problems of Roman Polanski with the American Justice. Obsessive sex gives way, at least between the two lovers of Bitter Moon, to a hatred as savage as cold-blooded murder or all-out war.These extremities of love and hate work themselves out in a game of power and manipulation, and it remains the only vehicle by which these two can merge with one another so as to lose both their independence and the rest of their inhibitions and illusions. Director Polanski brilliantly brings us this unforgettable, jet-black and haunting story of love and desire, and the threat of pushing them to obsessive limits- you can almost hear the bells of doom ring as the setting of the ship shifts to beautiful Paris and Coyote's voice-over...Definitely controversial and unsettling, but it's one of those occasions that you just can't resist (like Grant's character does) following characters that aren't necessarily instantly likable. Oscar has basically ruined her life (watch and you will see how in gruesome detail), depriving her of any future normal relationship due to his extremes For this reason, she becomes just as cruel (if not more so) than him – in a perverse effort to become like the man she loves. But "Bitter Moon", touching upon similar topics, simply kicks those four off to non-existence being superior on all levels: the story, the drama, the punch line, the actors' play, the camera-work and the decorations (maybe on a par with "Eyes Wide Shut" in this department), the music (the choice of melodies for the different sets just hits the mark - it is as good as the choice of the music for Rockstar's "Vice City", if you know what I mean), etc. All shaped and formed in the city of love,Paris.You're flung to and from Paris on to a cruise on open dark waters.The shift and the graphic story send your sealegs a drift.Hugh Grant ,in his shy studdering act of a prude sexually frustrated Englishman drawn into temptation by the french vamp,is adorable compared to the other characters in the film.Curiosity killed the cat!This movie is at times very erotic and then it slides down to real perversity's.It captures you and doesn't leave you unmarked.. Last tango in Paris is excessive, Cronenberg is excessive, even some other Polanski movies are excessive and thought-provoking and -yes!- exciting; but this one has no storyline, no character development, no excitement and terrible acting: you can surely find better ways to waste your time.. A shabby film which opens with a curious situation, the carrot, which keeps you watching though a seemingly endless succession of flashbacks narrated with horribly sophomoric prose, "Bitter Moon" proves many things...such as Seigner can't dance and Polanski still hasn't mastered the art of keeping his characters in character. If we are excited, we are to be excited at the film-making skills of a certain Roman Polanski and how he unfolds this narrative, and not at what these people go through in order to become the people we see on screen.In the broader sense of things, Bitter Moon is a really straight forward tale of two people meeting one other; getting to know one another and advancing things further and further to the point that they become sick of the sight of one other. It feels as if Polanksi, through the characters of Nigel (Grant) and Fiona (Scott Thomas) whom have been happily married for so long, is trying to say that you should be thankful for what you've got and going bigger and better because your impulses demand you do, isn't always necessary.Power play seems to be a primary ingredient in Bitter Moon; in what is an interesting concoction of romance, tragedy, noir and some scenes of both sheer horror and terror. Over time, Nigel will become more and more intrigued by what it is Oscar has to say about a certain carefree dancer on the boat named Mimi (Seigner), who is linked to Oscar in more ways than is first apparent.But it isn't just this acquaintance as a relationship that Bitter Moon touches on, it breaks away from its primary strand of two people going through a love-fuelled grinder of friendship and fondness by providing us with enough material revolving around Nigel and Fiona's marriage which is threatened by the presence of Oscar and Mimi. But rather than demonise these interests, fetishes or notions; Bitter Moon gets across a state of wrong-doing, a sense that the repercussions of these activities when used despairingly can bring about ill-fated results, confusion and can form cracks within the relationship.If the audience are placed within the body of Nigel as this relatively clean-cut and seemingly perfectly innocent individual, then it is for the purpose of hearing Oscar's story unfold. It seems it would turn out to be a movie with a somber, downbeat tone, but not under Polanski's direction; he manages to inject lots of sarcasm and black humour into the film, especially in the character of Oskar (a magnificent performance by Peter Coyote). For all those who think that this dark psychological drama from Roman Polanski is just kinky sex and full of S&M, it isn't - and simply isn't a film for you, or at least for what you want.There are a few reviews around where such people wanted those elements and when they didn't like the baggage and the 130 minutes running time, they gave it one star. With Peter Coyote's American writer, following and referring to other 'Americans in Paris' F Scott Fitzgerald and such, becoming the film's narrator and lead character, it really is the rose-tinted view of Parisian life and women that's fuelled popular culture and literature for decades.In this case, it's Polanski's actual wife (Emmanuelle Seigner) who plays the young and nubile dancer, Mimi, that takes on the older Oscar (Coyote). The seduction and (non-graphic) sex scenes are actually very sensual and erotic, enticing us into a world of bliss, allowing Polanski to share with us his own fantasies (perhaps) as well as putting this relationship on a high plateau, from which it ultimately disintegrates - this being the thrust of the movie.To give credence and body to all this, a now wheelchair-bound Oscar confides in reserved posh Brit Hugh Grant, in a sort of bitter wife-swap scenario, that's both warped and distasteful. What a sensitive work by roman Polanski.I must say this is a movie for all couples engaged in a strong relationship and somehow neglects the fact called dying love.All through the movie we realized that actually there is nothing wrong with the lovely french women and the paradise lover man living on allowances in Paris but it is that they have reached heights of their relationship in no time and after that there nothing to do except to live with it in the process of degradation or move on.We see some of the most stunning performances by all actors in the movie and Hugh grant playing the sophisticated mask of modern times also does well!!!!. This film shows exactly what don't like in Hollywood ;the real nature of sexual relationships ,that's the reason why a superb film like this never will won an Oscar.It shows the extreme passion that everybody can feel about somebody ;your life could be like one of the characters of the film , you only has to meet somebody really special , and ,If you think you never would do the things the characters of this film made ,you will instantly change your opinion , why?, because when you are absolutely in love with somebody , you would anything for that person that make you feel so good...That is the human nature. The central premise of the film is interesting, with crippled, burnt-out American Peter Coyote relating the damaging relationship he had with Mimi (Emmanuelle Seigner) to stuck up Brit Nigel (Bumbling old Hugh Grant). Weather the money just ran out, or the cast and crew got bored is unknown (that's what it looks like), it makes Bitter Moon an average little thriller from the man who was once king of the psychological thriller, you might want to spend some time with the film, but you won't leave with anything new. Roman Polanksi's Bitter Moon is fascinating to watch but difficult to digest, leading one to wonder what exactly the great director is getting at with this twisted, tragic love story. Cinematically, this is one of Polanski's very best films with subtle, powerful direction, astonishingly believable performances by all four actors and a story that is less about sex than it is about what love can be and often becomes.. This film deals with the topic of love at first sight, which then later deals with sexual exploration and eventually into perversion and degradation.The film is told in flashback narrative by Oscar Benton(Peter Coyote), an American living in Paris, who falls in love with a French woman called Mimi(Emmanuelle Seigner). Oscars tells this strange story of bondage, sadomasochism and voyeurism to Nigel Dobson(Hugh Grant) who is on a Cruise holiday with his wife Fiona(Kristen Scott Thomas).Nigel is gradually drawn into sexual intrigue by Oscar and he wants to secretly make love with Mimi at any given opportunity. There's something wholesome that is ripped apart in the story here, and it's at its core a tale of passionate love and desire that becomes like a mind-game.Polanski's flashback narrative works well, and despite some corny bits early on in Oscar's (Peter Cotoye) tale of Mimi (Emmanuele Signer), this is contrasted with scenes that sizzle with great sexuality, the likes of which only so-much seen in 90s cinema. And then you have Oscar (Peter Coyote), a disabled gargoyle of man who proceeds to tell Nigel (Grant) the story of his doomed romance with Mimi (Emmanuelle Seigner). The characters that inhabit 'Bitter Moon' certainly are in the grip of it, in one way or another.There is the central pair to our drama Oscar and Mimi (played respectively by Peter Coyote and Emmanuelle Seigner), a pair of wandering souls who find love with each other. Nigel is at first revulsed by the tale but then totally hooked, especially with the promise of having for his own Mimi at the end of the tale, all with the total acceptance of Oscar.Bitter Moon is at times a sumptuous tale, revealing the beautiful lives of Oscar and Mimi, but it pulls you back with a start as what looks like a simple love story gets turned on its head and the cracks start to form.The film works best when flashbacks are showing. Hugh Grant plays the awkward, typical English guy and we see the story unfold through his eyes.If you get a friend to watch it with you for the first time, they'll probably be a little disappointed with the slow pace at the beginning, but it gets better - MUCH better.Some say this is Polanski's worst film! OK, this woman is sexy; why not?She's young,skinny,pretty,and a good dancer.That's about the size of it.This self-indulgent,transparently Polanski-couple duo,are a farce compared to "Lolita",or something a lot better written.Yes,BETTER WRITTEN.I suspected,at once,"Hey,this guy always wanted to write,but the movie is soft-core porno.It's MELODRAMA,like "Lifetime Channel for women",only it's lifetime channel for MEN.The only people this would appeal to,are men.Women would get bored,as I did,and say,"there are no real people in this movie,but the English couple.If that.There are nothing but vaginas,penises,and that's about it.And,other sexual openings.There are no real relationships,or real people,just sex."This movie was not popular,because it is a ludicrous melodrama imagined by an older man,of what the ideal nymphette,totally sexual,and nothing else,would be,in Paris,with plenty of money.It's a man's sexual melodrama,,escapist porno written by Polanski to amuse his jaded senses.That's it!!Only good part,the Indian with the little girl,who says,"children are the best therapy."Only smart thing in the whole movie.It was the only HUMAN thing.Everything else was complete fantasy,by a hack middle-aged writer,longing for the "ultimate young,girl,sex goddess who adored him."The problem is,this man is so threatened by women his own age,he avoids them,and goes for a young,almost girl,innocent,who looks up to him,cause she knows no one else.They have nothing else in common,but sex.They love each other?Not according to his behavior in the rest of the movie,how it all came out.Neither one of them LOVED each other;how did they prove it,finally?They proved the opposite.The English couple probably loved each other,even if they did not have a fantastic,wild,sexual oydessy.Got news for you,that lasts maybe a year,or 6 months,and then total-sex gets stale.Even with Marilyn Monroe!!Ask her ex-husbands.Yes,no wonder the critics disliked this,and audiences stayed away in droves.It's not even REAL in any way,it's playboy bunnies Ahoy!!And,the narration is out of some rabid porno-novel,which gets very tired.Fast.Sorry,if I want to get off,I know what to see,or read,or listen to,that will do it better than this;I was hoping for a real,well written,meaningful movie,in some way,and I just got the Playboy video-melodrama of the month.Not much more.I'm very disappointed in Polanski.Shoulda known better,he married Sharon Tate,eh?? Pretty soon Oscar (Peter Coyote) starts telling Nigel (Hugh Grant) stories about his wife's and his' sexual relationship... Of course I can understand that in order to attract an audience the story had to be softened, otherwise some people risk being totally horrified and walking sick out of the theater (and no, I am not referring to the detailed sexual perversions, but to the ordeal the man puts his woman through when he wants to create living hell for her).Furthermore, that semi-happy ending with the 2 characters hugging each other ruined everything and has nothing to do with the original plot.Just so we're clear, I don't think this is a bad movie, on the contrary, it brings a whole new perspective on how thin the line between love, obsession and hatred really is. While 'Bitter Moon' shows great promise for the first part of the film, it eventually runs out of steam.The story involves a polite English couple, Nigel & Fiona, on board a cruise ship, who encounter the crippled Oscar & his beautiful wife, Mimi. Roman Polanski's Bitter Moon is an outrageous, mesmerising 1992 film starring Hugh Grant, Kristin Scott Thomas, Emmanuelle Seigner (Mrs Polanski) and Peter Coyote. Polanski shows again how complex and complicated are human beings.Wonderfully performance of the whole cast, especially Peter Coyote and Emmanuelle Seigner, who play a couple, which deep love turned into crazy obsession.

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The Forbidden Kingdom

South Boston teenager Jason Tripitikas is a fan of martial arts films and awakens from a dream of a battle between the Monkey King and celestial soldiers in the clouds. He visits a pawn shop in Chinatown to buy Wuxia DVDs and discovers a golden staff. On his way home, Tripitikas is harassed by some hooligans, whose leader Lupo attempts to use him to help them rob the shop-owner Hop, who is shot by Lupo. Hop tells Tripitikas to deliver the staff to its rightful owner and Tripitikas flees with the staff. He is cornered on the rooftop before being pulled off the roof by the staff. When Tripitikas regains consciousness, he finds himself in a village in ancient China that is under attack by armored soldiers. The soldiers see his staff and attempt to seize it. He is saved by the inebriated traveling scholar Lu Yan, a supposed "immortal," who remains alert and agile even when drunk. Lu tells him the story of the rivalry between the King and the Jade Warlord. The Warlord tricked the King into setting aside his magic staff, Ruyi Jingu Bang, and transformed the immortal into a stone statue, but the King cast his staff far away before the transformation. Lu ends the tale with a prophecy about a "Seeker" who will find the staff and free the King. Just then, they are attacked by the Warlord's men again, but manage to escape with the help of Golden Sparrow, a young woman. She reveals that her family was murdered by the Warlord, against whom she has sworn revenge. Meanwhile, the Warlord, upon learning about the staff, sends the witch Ni-Chang to help him retrieve it in exchange for the elixir of immortality. Tripitikas, Lu and Sparrow meet a strange man dressed in white who takes the staff away from them. Lu fights with the man (later revealed to be the Silent Monk) for the staff until the latter realizes that Tripitikas is the Seeker, and joins them in their quest to free the King. As the four travel to Five Elements Mountain, Lu and the Monk teach Tripitikas kung fu along the way. After crossing a desert, they encounter Ni-Chang and her henchmen and a battle ensues, in which Lu is mortally wounded. Tripitikas’s team takes refuge in a monastery, where they learn that Lu is actually not an immortal as he failed the test, and only the Warlord’s elixir can save his life. In desperation, Tripitikas goes to the Warlord's palace alone to exchange the staff for the elixir. The Warlord asks Tripitikas to duel Ni-Chang to death, since the former can give the elixir to only one of them. Tripitikas is overpowered until his teammates and monks from the monastery arrive to join the battle. Tripitikas manages to grab the elixir and tosses it to Lu, who drinks it and recovers. The Monk passes the staff to Tripitikas, who uses it to smash the King's statue. The King is freed and the Monk is revealed to be actually one of the King's clones. Lu kills Ni-Chang. After another long battle between the King and the Warlord, the latter is eventually stabbed by Tripitikas and falls into a lava pit to his death. However, Sparrow succumbs to her wounds. The Jade Emperor, having returned from his meditation, praises Tripitikas for fulfilling the prophecy and allows him for one wish, which he asks to return home. Tripitikas finds himself back in the present. He overpowers Lupo and drives the other hooligans away. Hop survives from the wound and claims that he is immortal (hinting that he is actually Lu). Before the film ends, Jason is delighted to meet a woman who resembles Sparrow. Tripitikas continues honing his kung fu skills while Lu narrates the King’s search for truth.

fantasy, murder, violence, flashback, philosophical, revenge

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That day has come in "The Forbidden Kingdom," which stars two of the latest and greatest stars of the martial arts movie genre - Jackie Chan and Jet Li.Combined, both men's careers span over 30 years and over 100 movies, in their native China and here in the United States; that's a lot of kung-pow kicking and punching. They both decided to make their American crossovers around the same time during the 1990s - Chan's first hit in the U.S. was "Rumble in the Bronx" (1995) and became a mega-star due to the "Rush Hour" movies, while Li made his American debut as the lead villain in "Lethal Weapon 4" (1998), received his first English-speaking starring role in "Romeo Must Die" (2000), and earned critical respectability with "Unleashed" in 2005.Now, we're at "The Forbidden Kingdom." I like both stars. My friends and I, like many other martial arts movie fans, have eagerly awaited this cinematic pairing for some time.Starting in the present - 2008 - an American teenager named Jason (Michael Angarano) who has an obsession with gong-fu movies is magically transported back in time to ancient China by the long-lost staff of the fabled Monkey King (Li, in one of two roles in the film), where he learns he has been chosen to return it to him. 500 years earlier, the mischievous martial arts master Monkey King had been imprisoned in stone by the Jade Warlord (Collin Chou).On his journey, Jason comes across the drunken beggar Lu Yan (Chan, in one of two roles in the film), who teaches him gong-fu so that he will be able to take on the Jade Army. There is one particularly funny sequence where Lu Yan and The Silent Monk fight over how to train Jason to defend himself - with Lu Yan's unorthodox methods and the Monk's more traditional approach."The Forbidden Kingdom" is one fast-paced and entertaining martial arts flick that keeps you watching just because of the know-it-all/seen-it-all before charisma of the star talent. With nods aplenty toward the martial arts movies of yesteryear (chiefly old-school Shaw Brothers movies, as well as plenty of helpings of Taoist philosophy and the Jeet Kune Do teachings of Bruce Lee), "The Forbidden Kingdom" is perhaps what Quentin Tarantino has fantasized about so much during countless cinema grind-house outings as an impressionable teenager and later as an adult realized on the screen in his "Kill Bill" films.But Tarantino is nowhere in sight. It's pretty impressive that although it's fairly obvious that wires are being used in the fight scenes, it doesn't really take away from the action like it often tends to in American features, but actually enhances their intensity here.I got a lot of enjoyment from watching "The Forbidden Kingdom" and watching the magnificent grace of Jackie Chan and Jet Li. Despite occasional script deficiencies, I found this picture working from the opening credits, which was a sure sign that what was about to come would surely satisfy the martial arts movie fan inside of me. The boy strangely gets ported back inside the story where he meets the characters whose roles are played by Jet Li and Jackie Chan and they set out in a quest to return a staff owned by the stone monkey who was prophesied to end the tyranny of the Jade warlord, an evil general who is the villain in the movie.The action scenes were really good, superb even. The Forbidden Kingdom starts in a way that is similar to The Karate Kid, with Jason (Michael Angarano), the boy new to his local high school who loves kung fu movies, but is helpless to defend himself against the neighborhood bullies. In the end Jason must prove himself as he faces both fantastical and real life foes.Once in China Jason acquires several companions; Lu Yan (Jackie Chan) a wine drinking kung fu master, Golden Sparrow (Yifei Liu) a vengeance driven young women and later a monk (Jet Li) who protect him and later train him in the art of kung fu. It's not that this combination is bad, just that their pairing is framed within a feeble, pointlessly enthusiastic action film.Forbidden Kingdom follows the story of Jason (Michael Angarano), a die-hard kungfu fan and his concussion-induced journey back in time to a mythical China. But I think this also skirts the issue of trying to give equal screen time and top billing to the two biggest martial arts stars of our age.As repugnant as the writing and editing may be, Forbidden Kingdom makes up for this in a good dose of fight scenes. I'd like to see something more original, or maybe something that draws more heavily on Chinese cinema, since the movie already borrows so liberally from those films.Forbidden Kingdom has all of the good components of a classic action film, but together, these elements work against each other in a big way. "The Forbidden Kingdom" is another example of his talents, geniality and flair for comedy in addition to the obvious martial arts skills he's shown us all these years.To make long story very short, this is tale an American teen who finds an ornate bo-staff at a friend's shop in Chinatown and the kid's mission winds up to deliver this age-old weapon to its rightful owner across the world in China and in a different time period. We have young people, old people, amateur fighters and pros, pretty girls with pretty moms, exotic locales and a lot of seriousness mixed with goofiness and Chinese mythology.This is a not a film for "hard core" martial-arts fans, nor is it an "intelligent" film but if you're looking for a fun two hours of total escapism without the story being too stupid to enjoy, this fits the bill. It's one of those fun movies that my family and I like to call "DVD Purchase-worthy," not in the sense of skipping the theater and just waiting for it to come on DVD to watch, but rather an awesome movie we watch in the theater that we'd want to see again and again.Jackie Chan's continued natural ability for humor and Jet Li's soft-spoken attitude, compliment each other well, like Ying-Yang, culminating in their first on-screen appearance together, that does not disappoint! In The Forbidden Kingdom, for the first time you are going to see the fantastic Jet Li and Jacky Chan together.The plot is interesting and fun to watch. The plot, dialog and characters were poorly written, although there were a couple of funny moments here and there.Overall, if you enjoy mindless 3-in-1(action+fantasy+comedy) movies, are a huge Jet Li or Jackie Chan movie who watches any of their movies no matter how bad they are, and/or have no clue regarding the basics of Chinese fairy tales, literature and films, by no means indulge yourself. Too much violence for the young ones, yet basically follows the plot line of the never ending story with better CG and bigger star power.When it comes to kung fu I am usually easy going, but this flick has so much wire-work that it is hard to take any of it seriously.I assume that the writer / director of this movie played too many video games before the start of production.The worst part of this film is the "White American Kid from Chicago" who travels deep into a world of magic and swordplay, quickly revealing an extremely predictable ending.. There's the hot Asian girl that has absolutely no chemistry with our male lead- and his martial arts ability is a big fat zero and any fight scenes with him in it are just miserable to watch.It would have been a good movie if they could have just edited out the stupid worthless white kid and made an interesting story instead of this trash. I died a little when I saw that Jet Li had forced himself to be the monkey king.The acting is TERRIBLE--From the thugs from the beginning of the movie, to every poignant statement each 'warrior' tries to make, there isn't moment where something doesn't come out wrong.Hoping to be saved by the fight scenes, which were choreographed by the same person who did the matrix, I was thrown into disappointment again as all it showed was a bunch of CG, slow-motion, Hollywood fights.The story itself has about as much development as Balls of Fury. For this, think Dead or Alive mixed with the Karate Kid. Only worse.Legendary martial arts stars Jackie Chan and Jet Li come together on screen for the first time ever in director Rob Minkoff's time-travelling take on the Monkey King fable that finds an American teen transported back to ancient China after wandering into a pawn shop and discovering the king's fighting stick. Jackie Chan and Jet Li, as always, delivered an action packed performance of ballet-like battles that have become popular due to movies like "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon." Unfortunately, this made the fights lack the essence of suspense. After fleeing from the thieves and falling off a building, he awakens into ancient China, where he finds himself on an unforgettable journey to free the Monkey King (Jet Li).This is a classic-style martial arts/fantasy movie that I've found to be very entertaining, and, even though the martial arts element is pretty cliché, the story is fresh and captivating - from Jason learning Kung-Fu to the appearances of the mystical characters such as the Jade Warlord, White-Hair Witch and the Silent Monk.There is an endless supply of martial-arts action, courtesy of some very notable Chinese martial arts star such as Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Collin Chou, and it gives the film continued excitement and non-stop fun for its save-the-Monkey King quest. The beautiful Yifei Liu and Bingbing Li make great leading actresses and they provided great on-screen chemistry and drama.Overall, it is a neat, fun and adventurous film - recommended for any martial arts-genre movie fans.Grade B+. It was due to martial art movie stars such as Bruce lee, Jackie Chan (who also worked with Bruce Lee) and Jet Li, which captured the western world's imagination. This film is about the story an American boy Jason (Michael Angarano), a lover of kung fu movies which he gets from a shop owned by Old Hop (Jackie Chan). Now finally we have a movie which headlines two of these famed martial art stars: Jackie Chan and Jet Li. This is the first time they have appeared on screen together, news of which was received in great excitement and their performances do not disappoint. It's the most fun I've seen him have in a movie, I wish that aspect of the character was in the film more.I could watch a whole Monkey King film in fact.Jackie Chan was also played a very friendly and warm character and he was fun to watch.The kid was OK, but I dislike his face.The action and visuals were great as well.. I think most martial art film fanatics will be slightly disappointed by this film, but many will enjoy this movie for what it is – entertainment with a couple of excellent choreographed martial art scenes.Let us hope that Jet Li and Jackie Chan get together again and get to be the main characters.. To see Jet Li and Jackie Chan in the same film for the first time is history in the making and their interactions are fun to watch as well as the fights with a great mix of martial arts and mysticism, beautiful backdrops with a dash of Drunken Master and The Golden Child to good effect. Beautifully directed, beautiful scenery, great fight (or spar) between Jackie Chan and Jet Lee (one of the most wanted scene in all decade), awesome battle between the good and evil, and awesome story, plus a very good humor along the way.All of the actors and actresses in The Forbidden Kingdom were well chosen, and the result is this movie. Something along those lines so they can finally be able to understand what it means to be a good action/kung fu flick.Please allow me to add that Jason Tripitikas is the poor man's Shia Labeouf, if there ever could be such a thing, and it was a brutal, absolutely brutal, watching him on the screen.I don't really want to get into everything that was wrong with it in a plausible sense, because the idiotic fans of this picture will most likely hide behind the "it's a fantasy" wall.Jackie Chan and Jet Li both take an unbelievably hard fall from there original greatness and I wonder how on earth they could take a movie like this, the obvious answer of course is......MONEY!!!! Forbidden Kingdom is an entertaining, spectacularly choreographed, and beautifully shot martial arts fantasy combining two of the genres greatest talents - Jackie Chan and Jet Li. A young, somewhat dejected, American teen, who happens to be a Kung Fu movie buff, is charged with an important duty. I'm not into martial arts films, just they never did make sense to me, so I wasn't really sure if I wanted to see The Forbidden Kingdom, but it did have things that I love: Jet Li and Jackie Chan, two huge stars and why didn't anyone think before to put them together?! The Silent Monk tries to get the stick, but realizes he could help and teach Jason the arts of kung fu.The Forbidden Kingdom has some awesome action moments, some good clean humor, and has a great cast that looked like they just had a blast together. See where other films lay the campy-ness on thick, TFK makes sure it doesn't go too far, and of course it has that Chinese, Hong Kong trademarked action fight scenes that are fun to watch.Although this isn't the Jet Li, Jackie Chan movie we were expecting, TFK is sure to please and surprise most movie-goer's.8 out of 10. The first ever Jet Li and Jackie Chan collaboration is a successful one and is a great way to put these martial arts legends together.The story is simple, using the idea of the classic Monkey King to tell it. Not to mention the scenery is also good, that also takes on a character itself.The story begins with Jason(Michael Angarano, who is best known from Lords Of Dogtown and Sky High) is a kung fu film nut, one day finds a staff, and it pulls him into another dimension, where he teams up with two awesome kung fu fighters(Jackie Chan and Jet Li) in hopes to return the staff to the imprisoned warrior named The Monkey King(Jet Li). It is a rare film in which you will see the coming together of the great martial artists, Jet Li and Jackie Chan.>> CONS The movie offers NO Thrill or Suspense or Depth of plot and characters.The supposedly lead character of Michael Angarano is very weak and unimpressive. He is a wimpy character who does not know Kungfu even though he is supposed to be fan of martial arts.The story-line is predictable.Acting is poor & dialogues are ordinary.The coming together of Jet Li and Jackie Chan is a complete waste!It is just a "time pass", ordinary and boring picture. 'The Forbidden Kingdom' is an excellent martial arts fantasy that entertains from start to finish.Based on ancient Chinese literature, folklore, and religion, the story and script for this movie are well-constructed. Flowing seamlessly from scene to scene, they keep it easy to follow, giving the audience plenty of time to sit back and enjoy a feast of action sprinkled with a good dose of light-hearted humour.Alongside more well-known actors like Jackie Chan, Jet Li, and Collin Chou, a host of perhaps lesser-known (to Hollywood audiences if not Asian), yet none-the-less talented cast members (including Michael Angarano, Li Bing Bing and Liu Yifei) gives rise to a delightful array of authentic, colourful, and highly-varied characters.The action in this movie is a joy to watch. A cowardly, kung fu-obsessed teenager is transported to a mystical kingdom in China, where he is destined to return a powerful staff to it's owner, the immortal Monkey King, who was turned to stone 500 years earlier by the evil Jade Warlord.If you're not particularly a fan of the kung fu genre, couldn't give a monkey's (pun intended) whether the script craps on a few Chinese legends from a great height, and don't care too much that Chan and Li seem to have sold out to the almighty dollar (again), then this big-budget Hollywood martial arts epic for the masses will probably do fine for a Saturday night, along with a takeaway and a few brews.If, however, like me, you've been patiently waiting for the on-screen pairing of the legendary Jackie Chan and Jet Li for the best part of twenty years, then this plot-hole ridden, formulaic and clichéd effort (did I really just see the American kid learn kung fu within a week?) will definitely prove to be something of a disappointment.Although Li and Chan do get to show off their impressive fighting skills (even going one-on-one against each other in order to keep fans happy), seeing Hong Kong's greatest kung fu stars of the last three decades playing second fiddle to an obnoxious wimp from New York is really tough to stomach. I think that a large portion of The Forbidden Kingdom's audiences are like me, only watching it to catch the eventual combat between kung fu screen legends, Jackie Chan and Jet Li. And those interested in that get well rewarded for their patience.The rest of the film doesn't quite hold up as well. Alright I'm kidding about the last one but if you recognize the significance of the other movie fights then you should be heading to the theater right now to watch "The Forbidden Kingdom" starring Jackie Chan and Jet Li. It is not often that two superstars of the martial arts take each other on in the same movie.

tt0118689

Bean

Mr. Bean (Rowan Atkinson) is a well-meaning, but hopelessly clumsy and destructive guard at the Royal National Gallery in London. Attempts by the gallery's board of directors to fire Bean are thwarted by the chairman who, for unspecified reasons, is very fond of him. Desperate to rid themselves of the turmoil Bean unintentionally causes, the board members send him to the United States to represent them at the unveiling of the portrait Whistler's Mother, which has been purchased for $50 million by the Grierson Art Gallery in Los Angeles. Bean's visit has been arranged by the gallery's curator, David Langley (Peter MacNicol) who is being very impressed by the National Gallery's fabricated praise of "Dr. Bean", decides to board him in his house. On his flight to Los Angeles, Bean attempts to amuse a child with air sickness by blowing up his M&Ms bag and popping it to wake up the man in front of him, but without success. After the child throws up into an air sickness bag, Bean takes the bag from him and repeats the bag popping over the man's face, only to splatter him with vomit. He hides from the man upon his arrival to Los Angeles, where he is detained at the airport due to pretending to have a gun. His arrival at David's house is initially met with subtle hostility from David's wife Alison (Pamela Reed), son Kevin (Andrew Lawrence), and daughter Jennifer (Tricia Vessey). Alison refuses David's request to allow Bean to live with them for two months, and David promises Alison that he will talk to Bean and take him to a hotel after their meeting at the gallery. Bean's unorthodox arrival at the gallery worries many of David's colleagues, particularly his boss, George Grierson (Harris Yulin), who subtly warns David that he will be responsible for Bean's actions at the unveiling of the painting, but David promises that he can handle Bean, convinced that he is merely a little eccentric. When David takes Bean back to his house, Alison departs for her mother's home, unwilling to live with Bean. With his family gone, David decides to take Bean on a tour of the Los Angeles art galleries. However, Bean decides that he and David should go to Pacific Park instead, but lands in police detainment for the second time after accidentally tampering with the controls of a motion simulator ride, making it go dangerously fast after deeming that his first ride earlier was too slow. This prompts Lieutenant Brutus (Richard Gant), who dealt with Bean at the airport, to make David accountable for Bean, threatening to arrest Bean if he ever steps out of line again. Following a miserable dinner with Grierson which David had forgotten about, where Bean accidentally blows up the microwave after attempting to cook their Thanksgiving turkey in it, David finally realises that Bean is not a doctor and knows nothing about art. He is obliged to continue with the deception, however, as he has already staked his professional career on Bean's supposed reputation as a noted art scholar. The next day, Whistler's Mother arrives at the Grierson Art Gallery, and Bean is given a few minutes alone to study it, in an effort to keep him out of trouble. While dusting the frame, Bean accidentally sneezes on the painting and wipes it with a handkerchief, not knowing that it is covered in blue ink from a broken pen, and therefore the painting is stained. Terrified, Bean takes it to the caretaker's cupboard to get some agent by which to remove the ink. He uses lacquer thinner, which also dissolves the painted face from the painting. Much to his horror, Bean attempts to patch it up with an extremely unconvincing cartoon face. Upon seeing it, David is also horrified and hides the painting behind its metal security shutters. Fearing that David will lose his job and possibly face criminal proceedings for his vandalism, he and Bean head off to a bar to drown their sorrows. During the night, Bean hatches his plan to restore Whistler's Mother. He gathers a few items from David's house and makes his way to the Grierson Art Gallery. He distracts the only security guard on duty by putting laxative in his coffee, followed by switching the men's bathroom keys with some other set. He removes the destroyed painting from its frame and replaces it with a poster version of itself, glossing it with an egg and varnish mix to make it appear authentic. At the unveiling of Whistler's Mother the next day, David is overjoyed to see the painting is restored, but expects Bean, who has totally forgotten to come up with a speech, to make a fool of himself on national television when he takes the podium at the press conference. However, Bean's brief but effective off-the-cuff speech regarding the work is both very simple and very deep, cementing the public's perception of him as a scholarly virtuoso. Despite initial doubts, the officials and hierarchy appear to take his words to heart and enjoy the speech. After the unveiling, Brutus finds David and informs him that Jennifer has been involved in a motorcycle accident because she rebelled against David for not getting rid of Bean, and is in intensive care. Bean and David are given a police escort to the hospital to see Jennifer, but Brutus stops on his way to deal with an armed robber, who shoots Brutus in his stomach before being arrested. Due to a mix-up at the hospital, Bean is mistaken for a medical doctor and pushed into an operating theatre containing Brutus, who is shot in the stomach and barely alive. While the other doctors and nurses are distracted, Bean unconventionally retrieves the bullet and eventually rescues Brutus, earning the admiration of his colleagues. Bean is again mistaken for a doctor and this time, David takes him to see Jennifer, who is unconscious. Bean, unsure what to do, attempt to use a defibrillator to bring Jennifer back to life, but accidentally shocks himself and is sent flying across the room and lands on Jennifer in her bed and waking her up in the process. Still not recognising Bean, David and Alison tell him that they will offer him anything. Bean reveals himself and then asks if he can stay with them for another week before returning to London. Though baffled, the Langleys gladly accept. After another week in Los Angeles with the Langleys, for which he gives the family gifts, and explores the city, a bald man shows him his middle finger, bean thinks it is a sign of good luck. So he shows this to everybody. In his flat, Bean, getting ready to bed for the night, turns off the light and looks at the original vandalised Whistler's Mother, which now has pride-of-place on his wall, and shows it to his Teddy before closing his eyes and going to sleep.

cult, comedy, entertaining

train

imdb

For those of you who loved watching Mr Bean, this movie doesn't fail to disappoint you. I saw this last night and laughed my head off, in fact, I think I was laughing more than when I was seeing Johnny English(also starring Atkinson).For those who really love the TV series, a few of the gags have been redone, including the vomit bag joke, the turkey head and the fast ride (the latter is so damn funny).So if you love Rowan Atkinson or love Mr Bean, go see this film!. Rowan Atkinson's acting is beyond excellent, and all of the other characters are good as well.The only thing I can find to nitpick about this movie is that there is not a very strong plot. This movie also has a great plot involving Mr. Bean going to L.A. to "baby-sit" Whistler's Mother, a well-known painting who has finally returned to America at last for 2 months after his bosses fire him for not doing his job at the Royal National Gallery. I would have to say, if you love Rowan Atkinson and Mr. Bean and have never seen this movie before, I'd say WATCH IT! The young American executive David Langley (Peter MacNicol) assumes that the clumsy Bean is a great authority in Arts, and invites him to stay at his home. "Bean" is the average but warm-hearted, large screen adventure of Rowan Atkinson's bumbling but strangely likable character.With a smörgåsbord of talent behind this film, there are a few genuine laughs but, sadly, they're few and far between. It's a case of comedy by numbers and the film never seems to shift gear.The always amusing Peter MacNicol is excellent as the suffering David Langley and provides the perfect foil to Atkinson's Bean.An average comedy movie, it's worth a viewing if there's nothing else on the television.. "Bean: The Ultimate Disaster Movie"), but unfortunately, this didn't turn out to be nearly as good as the classic TV series, and has disappointed many fans, including me.Mr. Bean works as a caretaker for England's Royal National Gallery, and is one lousy employee (as one would probably assume), constantly sleeping on the job! Towards the end, I've found the film gets a bit tiring.Overall, I would say "Bean" was not a bad first attempt to bring the world-renowned walking disaster to the silver screen, but hardly a good one, either, they certainly didn't completely pull it off. A film that sounds like it could go down in the records for possibly the worst movie ever but Rowan Atkinson really nails the role of Mr Bean in this amazing film that will make your sides hurt. Usually films with slapstick humor fail but the slapstick humor in The Bean Movie makes up for a very funny film and balances it perfectly.. This is one of the greatest comedies of all time.Rowan Atkinson is brilliant and the fact he didn't get at least an Oscar nod is a travesty of unforgivable proportions.How someone can not watch the scene with the 2 way mirror or the bathroom scene and not find that funny is beyond me.. Unfortunately for them, the heads of the gallery are more interested in using this as an opportunity to rid themselves of their most inept and detested employee Mr Bean (Rowan Atkinson) passing him off as an expert and sending him across the pond to the care of Dr Langley (Peter MacNicol.) Intently interested in Bean and what he's got to say, the poor man and his family have no idea what they have just let themselves in for as disaster and calamity ensue before the big day of the unveiling.Mr Bean the series certainly enjoyed a huge following over here but I'm surprised it sustained a big enough following to warrant such a big budget production as this. If you've watched the Mr Bean show, you know Rowan Atkinson has talent. On the other hand, the film does look great, so is the soundtrack, the physical comedy is laugh-out-loud-funny, Peter MacNicol is good in his conventional role and Rowan Atkinson is brilliant as Mr Bean. With this here big screen debut for Mr Bean the timing was right, American audiences got something new to have a look at and Britain got an extended TV episode before the joke wore thin. Bean is a genius but are they far from the truth.Bean doesn't know anything about art.In LA Bean stays at David Langley's (Peter MacNimol) house.David's family doesn't like at all a weird man sleeping in their house.Where ever Bean goes is a disaster.So the painting really isn't in safe when mr. I just don't see how anyone was able to take a character as funny as Mr. Bean, nor an actor as funny as Rowan Atkinson, and make such a terrible, terrible movie. A good Mr. Bean movie would have been a Jacques Tati-like flick, with little dialogue and faith in the character's visual humor. An extended episode of the UK TV series created by Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson, with added sentimentality for American audiences.Some excellent episodes, but ultimately -like Jim Carrey or Adam Sandler- your appreciation of this film depends on whether you love the rubber-faced antics of Rowan Atkinson's creation or hate them. When Rowan Atkinson was the focus of a scene, the movie is great. Silly comedy has British art gallery guard Bean coming to Los Angelos as an art expert, although he knows so little about art that he thinks Leonardo Da Vinci is a basketball player. Atkinson's first attempt to bring his TV character to the big screen is rather disappointing due to a lame script that relies on sophomoric situations for forced laughs. The main charm of the Mr. Bean TV series was that the action of each episode took place within a ten-minute time-frame, reducing the risk of making the character's deeds too extravagant or unrealistic. Shame, because the first half of the movie may not be a comedy classic, but it is nonetheless very funny.The premise of the whole thing is Mr. Bean (Rowan Atkinson) has mysteriously managed to get a job at the National Gallery in London. As long as he is around, L.A. is no longer a safe place to go.Like many other comedies featuring stupid people, Bean: The Movie has no hidden message or subtext for the audience to detect; its sole purpose is to entertain, and as long as it stays within the main storyline it succeeds. What Bean does in that context may appear excessively surreal to some, but thanks to Atkinson, who believes in the character and treats him like a normal person, making the performance transcend pantomime, the gags are consistently funny and, in their own way, believable. As for the supporting cast, MacNicol does a decent job (although his character's belief that Bean might actually be able to do good things becomes less convincing as the story proceeds), while the only real "big name", Burt Reynolds, is given a cameo that can have been great on paper, but sadly doesn't allow him to do much on screen.So, genius or rubbish? I'd say somewhere in between: watching Bean won't affect the viewer's life in any significant way, but the film is fun enough to justify a look on a boring afternoon.. Portraying the title character (Rowan Atkinson) getting called to Los Angeles for the unveiling of "Whistler's Mother" and wreaking havoc, the movie is basically an excuse for a series of gags. ** 1/2Starring: Rowan Atkinson, Peter MacNicol, and Pamela Reed.Mr. Bean, the famous UK character, has his own movie. A masterclass in comedic acting; it says something when almost the entire movie is made up of those laugh-out-loud scenes you'd recall to your friends later-and every one was thanks to Atkinson's bumbling (yet oddly brilliant) Bean. I have to say that the movie was classic, though the plot is too adventurous, Mr.Bean was force to be a scholar for the upcoming painting "Whistler's Mother" , as usual, some disaster will defintely happen if Bean was around. Try to see "The Party" with Peter Sellers, along with "Bean," you'll see from where the inspiration for the painting "Whistler's Mother"(Peter Sellers scene in the bathroom after he succeeds finally to pee...) I love Rowan Atkinson, he is a great comic actor. Anyway, "Bean" it's another very good comedy, and, along with Rowan Atkinson's very special comic performance, there are a few other great acting testimonies by Peter MacNicol, Pamela Reed, Harris Yulin, Burt Reynolds. Directed by Mel Smith, the comedy was awarded twice in the year of the release: it won Bogey Awards and the Golden Screen, in Germany.The plot is introduced by Mr. Bean being fired from the London Gallery, where he worked as a caretaker, and sent to Los Angeles to work for a smaller art gallery. I love the 'Mr Bean' TV series and the 'Ultimate Disaster' movie is just as entertaining. My main concern was the transition to the big screen and whether Bean would be as effective as a long movie, but it definitely does work and the transition is seamless.Rowan Atkinson is a comedy genius and never fails to amuse, no matter how many times you've seen or watched Bean for. If there's one thing I preferred about the TV series over the movie, it would be that Bean hardly ever talks and relies a lot more on facial expressions and gestures. The board of the Royal National Gallery in London wants to fire caretaker Mr. Bean (Rowan Atkinson) but the chairman defends him. Rowan Atkinson allegedly dislikes this movie because it failed to capture the spirit of the "Mr. Bean" TV-series. Bean is a good movie with a decent storyline and a very good comedic cast.It certainly isn't the comedy gold that the television series is but it's still very enjoyable and you will laugh out loud a lot.My biggest problem was that Mr Bean spoke too much in this movie, he's suppose to be a silent character who myth say a few words every now and again,but in this he actually has full lines and even a while speech at one stage.Rowan Atkinson did do his best as Mr Bean and delivered plenty of solid laughs and I really liked Peter MacNicol as well as the voice of reason.The movie is very different to the television series and fans will definitely be disappointed,but if you really enjoy watching Rowan Atkinson play Mr Bean in any aspect then you should definitely check out Bean. In my eyes it doesn't translate well to the screen but this is certainly worth a watch.The plot of this movie is that Mr Bean (of ALL people!) is asked to present a speech on Whistler's portrait of his mother in America. We all know that doing a film based on a TV series isn't always such a great idea too, but here "Bean" absolutely pulls it off. Watching all the fantastic deleted scenes devastates me that they didn't include them in."Bean" is one hilarious sequence after another, with actually a surprisingly great plot and some nice character development on the Langley family. Rowan Atkinson also puts on another faultless performance as the character, and whilst the film isn't exactly perfect, it's still an absolutely hilarious and entertaining farce that flies by. I couldn't believe when I saw the review that this movie was rated at a mere 5.9!!!!!.....I am a BIG fan of the Mr. Bean TV series and if you have seen it, you will know that Rowan Atkinson pulls off a splendid performance in each and every episode.As it is said for Tom and Jerry, it can be rightly said for Mr. Bean that action speaks louder than words.....Each and every Bean episode is filled with hilarity and Atkinson manages to do all that just be speaking a handful of words which is not the case with many modern day comedy shows where a lot of dialogs are needed.My suggestion is that if you are looking for a really nice movie with a lot of laughs and no complicated dialogs, RENT THIS ONE!!!!....It will be much more fun if you see if with someone who likes to laugh!!.....Mr. Bean ROCKS!!!...... I'm a big fan of Rowan Atkinson and he does a great job in this movie. So if you're a fan of Rowan Atkinson and you are looking to sit down and watch a funny movie this movie is definitely for you.. Bean the movie is a great movie, simply because of the presence of Rowan Atkinson in his secondary familiar character other than Blackadder.I enjoyed the movie because I am a huge fan of anything Bean, and own every live DVD based on him. Bean is a typically odd product of British humour and Rowan Atkinson shows with the character of Bean that he is a great actor- he can go from the sophisticated Blackadder material to the sillier and stranger Bean without batting an eyelid.Those who are familiar with the series will recognise a couple of jokes in the film- without giving anything away- turkeys.Still, the jokes are still funny and are tweaked to keep them fresh.Bean will keep kids and adults alike amused with the pure insanity of it all. If you're looking for the kind of movie, that you can just sit at home, and not have to think for two hour, but rather continually laugh...than this is the right movie to rent.Bean, originally a t.v. series in the U.K., is a delightful, clean and completely enjoyable film that you can watch with the whole family, and everyone will laugh.It's really too complicated to explain Bean. Peter MacNicol and Rowan Atkinson both acted well together and separately had their own comedic attributes that made this film what it is. I've always loved a good comedy and got what I wanted when I saw this movie. I love this goddamn comical movie because Bean was more insecure, he caused more trouble at the Langleys' house, and when he had to present the Whistler's Mother painting in the Los Angeles Art Museum, he wasn't really secure and he had the same, funny voice as his normal character, Mr. Bean in the television series. To illustrate what I've just written, just remember the scene where Peter MacNicol shows himself much more worried about being fired, his wife leaving him or his daughter become a prostitute, rather than about art (which he tells us he dedicated his life to), upon knowing Atkinson had ruined the original "Whistler's Mother".Bottom-line: a must for everyone who enjoys watching fine non-politically correct humor associated to a super clown-like nonsense performance.. You can't get much better than Rowan Atkinson in a comedy movie. Rowan Atkinson does a good performance as Bean and he is even better on the big screen, rather than on the small screen. A definite must for all Bean fans - and a great rental if you like slap-stick comedy.. The movie Bean, is mainly a compilation of the best skits from the short shows on BBC set into a crazy plot.Rowan Atkinson does an excellent job with his character and is probably one of the best physical comedians I've seen.I suggest that you see both the short episodes from the BBC and the movie.. Bean's gift for mime is superb; he is great at movement comedy...He's a British Pee Wee Herman, in a way, and the film has some very funny sight gag moments...the only downside is Alison Langley, the annoying wife of Mr. Langley; she's constantly threatening to leave him/lock him out for little apparent reason. After a long season of Mr Bean, you get to know his character and personality so well that when you watch the movie, you get a sense that you have been cheated out of the real Mr Bean. Most of the antics and comic acts in the movie does not ring true for the Mr Bean that most of us from watching TV know. Bean, the movie takes one of the most renowned British comedians, Rowan Atkinson, in one of his most famous roles, which is subjected to the most imaginative and hilarious situations on T.V, yet is recycled into a mesh of previously used props, and pressed into a (yawn) boring plot. The film tries to have an underlying serious story to it while poking fun at Rowan Atkinson's character. I love Mr. Bean, his amusing antics and the stupid things he gets up to.I have just seen this movie for the 2nd time and I have to say that it is rather good overall.Though this film is English made it has a classic American feel to the whole thing, maybe this is the reason it was 'so' popular and successful during 1997.I just 'hope' that the development teams make a sequel and really soon!8/10. Atkinson's BBC show, "Mr. Bean" on which the film was based, was humorous, but it was sketch comedy which rarely translates into a good film. Bean: A good Family Movie but needs improvement in many cases.. Rowan Atkinson delivers the goods as usual, but I can't stop thinking about MacNicol's performance: it was as brilliant a characterization of a "straight man" as I've ever seen. This U.S. film adaptation of the popular British TV series has Rowan Atkinson reprising his TV role as the hapless and inept Mr. Bean. The plot has to do with some American art collectors purchasing a famous painting and the curators sending their guard (Atkinson) along for the ride passing him off as an "art expert." Mr. Bean never has any idea exactly what's going on most of the time and spends most of the film predictably but hilariously embarrassing himself and others (though naturally never realizing it). Atkinson is a great actor, and he carries the film to be a fine comedy, but I still think the TV-shows of Mr.Bean was much better!

tt1716772

The Inbetweeners Movie

Four teenage misfits - Will, Simon, Jay and Neil - have finished their A-levels and are about to leave Rudge Park Comprehensive, much to the relief of Mr. Gilbert, their sarcastic, cynical sixth form tutor. Within their final week of school, however, Jay's grandfather dies, Simon is dumped by his girlfriend Carli and Will discovers that his divorced father has unexpectedly married his much younger mistress. Depressed, the boys decide to go on holiday together and Neil books them on a trip to Malia, Crete.Their accommodation in Malia is awful, but the boys meet four girls - Alison, Lucy, Lisa and Jane - in an empty bar during their first night out. Their initial meeting goes less than smoothly- Will chats to Alison and pokes fun at her cliched "Greek waiter boyfriend", Simon bores Lucy to death talking about Carli, Neil has a non-conversation with Lisa, and Jay "gets stuck" with the bubbly, if somewhat overweight Jane. The girls go on their way after Neil pulls two older women, but arrange to meet the boys the next day. Outside the bar, Simon sees Carli across the street. He talks awkwardly with her before being run over by a quadbike ridden by James, an obnoxious club rep and Carli's new squeeze. Carli reveals she is going to a boat party later in the week, and Simon pledges to meet her there.The next morning, Will and Simon awaken to find Neil being given oral sex by a middle-aged woman and Jay sleeping face-down in an ants' nest outside. After sobering up, they go to meet the girls by their hotel pool. While there, Jay has his shorts pulled down by a local child and throws him into the pool in retaliation, only to find that the boy cannot swim. At the same time, Will gets into an argument with a family whose poolside sun-loungers were 'requisitioned' by the boys, tactlessly pointing out that their wheelchair-bound daughter 'doesn't even need a sun-lounger'. Having publicly humiliated themselves, the boys are quickly thrown out of the hotel.Outside, Jay argues with Simon over his continuing obsession with Carli and they fight in the street. Will and Neil separate the pair and drag them off in different directions. Desperate to buy a ticket for the boat party, Simon attempts to sell his clothes to James, but never gets paid for them. Meanwhile, Jay angrily tears up two tickets he secretly bought for them as a surprise. He and Neil then go to a nightclub hoping to meet more girls, only to witness a male stripper performing autofellatio on stage. The duo subsequently run into James and his friends, who ridicule and threaten them until they leave.Later that evening, the four boys meet back at the bar and bury the hatchet. Before long, the girls turn up and suggest that they all go skinny dipping at the local beach. Jane attempts to kiss Jay, but he is embarrassed by her size so she leaves him behind. Will has better luck with Alison until he stumbles across her Greek boyfriend having sex with another woman; Alison then runs off in tears. Lucy and Simon appear to be growing closer until he sees Carli on the beach and leaves Lucy alone in the sea.Eventually, the boys are able to obtain tickets for the boat party. On board, Carli kisses Simon passionately in order to make James jealous, and Simon realises he is being used. Jay apologises to Jane, and she takes him into the toilets to perform oral sex on him. After finishing, they encounter James, who mocks Jane's weight and tries to extort money from Jay in order to snort cocaine. Jay complies, but gives him a 20 note that had been concealed in his anus as a bribe for 'corrupt foreign cops', resulting in James unknowingly walking around with faeces on his nose for the rest of the day. After a conversation about 'ethics', Neil and Lisa decide to be together and celebrate by dry-humping each other.Meanwhile, Alison hunts out Will and asks to be his girlfriend. He eagerly accepts as Simon finally realises that Lucy, who gave him her ticket so that he could attend the party, is more worthy of his attention than Carli. Simon then attempts to jump off the boat and swim to her on the beach as a grand romantic gesture, but nearly drowns in the process and has to be airlifted to shore. As several paramedics load him into an ambulance, Lucy rushes over to him in concern and the two reconcile.After the boat party is over, the other boys and girls visit Simon in hospital, and once he recovers they all spend the rest of their holiday together as couples. Eventually, the four boys head home to the UK, looking forward to the next stage of their lives. As they meet their families at the airport, their girlfriends exit the same terminal and introduce themselves to the boys' parents as the film ends. In a final scene during the credits, Mr. Gilbert is seen riding a quad-bike through the streets of Malia in his underwear.

bleak, comedy, humor, entertaining

train

imdb

This is the first review of ever been compelled to write - it's a direct result of having read some reviews in the media slating this film for not 'moving on the characters' etc...As a huge fan of the TV series I was very nervous about how this film would go prior to it's release I told people 'I hope it's not the usual feature film formula - they go away, have fun, fall out, and reconcile for the final party' - I must say, and it won't spoil the film for anyone when I do, that's exactly what happens....but done with such brilliance no one will mind.As has been stated by other reviewers the film is no more than an extended episode of the TV show - but when you 4 such perfect characters that is exactly how it should be. The film, like the series, is so close to the truth regarding being 17/18 and the rubbish you get up to that you can't help but be dragged into the world of Neil, Jay, Simon and Will.A wonderful ending to a wonderful series - the world is a sadder place without this comedy and, more importantly, these four characters.. It is meant to be the holiday of a life time, but in classic inbetweeners style not everything goes to plan.The film is meant to be a fair well to the guys after three very successful TV series and the lads go out in style. The holiday shows the boys at the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, but in the end having the time of their lives.These characters have made me laugh for the past couple of years on television and I was sad to hear that the third series would be the last. Few social taboos are left undisturbed, and when you couple this with the notion that filmmakers can get away with a lot more on the big screen (a saying that rings especially true for The Inbetweeners), it is recommended that fence-sitters have a long think about how they feel about the series, lest they return home with the unexplained compulsion to take a boiling hot bath and scrub until a little skin comes off.If I had to make a couple of minor criticisms, I would say that a handful of party clichés are overdone (see: front-on shots of friends walking in slow- motion through a club with big grins on their faces) and that some realism is lost when Simon appears too gullible to be believed (you'll know it when you see it). I really wanted to like this as i loved the TV series but i thought it was a bit lacking~Don't get me wrong there are funny moments but i think watching 2 TV episodes back to back would be funnier than this~Some of the jokes didn't really work especially at the start and some were either old or obvious or seen before in the TV series~ I just felt that maybe the whole inbetweeners franchise has had its day~While the TV show will probably be shown over and over on Gold i suspect the film will float off into the ether ~ shame~. It was a great way to release the inbetweeners to the real world, i laughed through out and left me wanting more the ending was perfect and the movie did not drag on like many TV to Movies do(Borat,Bruno). It's a silly, contains a formulaic plot, and stereotypical characters, but what really makes the four boys work, is there childish banter, and sexual optimism that reminds us all of what it was like to be eighteen again.The last time we saw them on the small-screen, they were finishing up a bonding trip into the woods as each one of them were on a knife edge deciding what they would do for the rest of their lives; university, or the meat-counter at ASDA with a potential promotion up to the check-out in the works? Neil (Blake Harrison) on the other hand acts as welcome relief, always guaranteeing to make a laugh out of any innocuous comment he makes, which is especially helpful during the scenes involving the continued romance between Simon (Joe Thomas) and Carly (Emily Head) as it is one of those aspects they should have left to die gracefully with the television series as it seemingly drags on and on with little in the way of a rewarding conclusion. While I accept that the series might have provided a silly entertainment to a fan base of sorts,this effort lacks so much in so many departments that I wouldn't even consider it a film.For anyone unfamiliar with the series,the characters and their respective actors offer absolutely nothing of any value,and neither does the "plot".It just paints a very grim picture of British youth and deteriorating British culture,forcing the audience to watch the British humour being reduced to a mixture of awkwardness,scatology and frustrated bing-drinking twats desperate to indulge in mindless sex in any shape or form.A truly horrible thing to watch and waste your time on.. It helps, of course, if you are a guy.We haven't seen the original TV series to know what the humour is like, but judging from this movie, we can tell you that this is one teen comedy that will leave you in stitches. If you love the inbetweeners TV series, YOU WILL LOVE THE MOVIE.It will have you laughing through out - and you will come out of the cinema thinking you want to watch it again.I am not easily impressed by comedy movies, but if you like the jokes from the series there are a lot more coming your way! Everything seems forced in the movie, no natural flow of acting, its a tad witty and maybe one or two laughs but it left me wanting my money back to be honest as i waited for the DVD to be released.TV series shouldn't venture into Hollywood, its like a film made for TV, thats the only place for it.Nice try but i think in future leave the acting and film making to the professionals.. Surely even people that found these bits funny the first time round in the series will now be bored with them repeating themselves.The Film also feels like it backs away from expanding on what worked best in the show. The movie is a definite farewell, right from the start you feel like the characters are swimming out to sea and not leaving anything for the return.The film is moderately funny, sometimes the old comedy magic from the first series sparks but can't quite ignite.Expect nob gags and vagina references aplenty.It is worth watching just to get closure on the franchise and to know that the characters are off living their lives at college etc. Anyone who is a fan of the TV show or has 1 funny bone in their body should be laughing out loud at this movie.I have watched this movie more then 20 times and it just keeps me laughing every time.With a tiny budget of £3,000,000 your not going to get any special effects or computer AI, rather you will get the funniest hour and a half of pure British comedy even to be shown on a screen.Compare that to the whopping $80,000,000 for the hangover 2 and you will see exactly how good a movie on a small budget can be so good.The box office takings of the show is proof in the pudding bad movies don't make 10 times there budget in its opening weekend NO OTHER MOVIE HAS DONE THAT. The Inbetweeners Movie is a terrific movie, a heartwarming storyline and a brilliant goodbye to Will,Simon,Jay and Neil,although I still think the show is better,although the kind of emotional stuff you see in this movie is something you would never see in the series.The fours boys are finished there school days and the celebrate they all go off on holiday to Malia,but the four are all depressed over there relationship status,Will is a virgin and all he wants is a proper relationship,Simon was dumped by his girlfriend Carli and is in deep depression and things get worse when it turns out she is gone on holidays to the same place with her new boyfriend,Jay has been single for a while but doesn't care much about what he gets and Neil is getting up to a lot of stuff with different women around the town when his girlfriend back home also breaks up with him.. I have loved the TV show The Inbetweeners ever since is was aired on E4 a few years ago and i was really looking forward to seeing these four awkward young lads on the big screen but i have to say i was really disappointed with this film.This is the story of Will , Jay , Simon and Neil who decide that now they have left school they should do the ultimate lads holiday to Malia and unsurprisingly things don't go to plan .This kind of movie has been done before. Being a really big inbetweeners fan, I had to see this as soon as possible to experience all the dialogue first hand, and not read little quotes here and there on social networks sites from people who had already seen it.It definitely takes a while to adjust to watching the lads on the big screen, as usually I watch the show on my own or with a few mates.What worked so well with the TV show has not been tampered with much at all (which I was thankful for), only the addition of a "exotic" location, and a movie esq tracking shot into Jays bedroom stick out.The one liners are there, nudity, everything you would expect. While this bloats the cast with additions no one cared for, it balances the film and distributes screen time equally among the ever eager Pussy Patrol.Where the ailing television series failed to give us a fitting send off for the most notable group of British fictional characters since Harry Potter and friends, 'The Inbetweeners Movie' has enough emotion and sense of conclusion to redeem that.. A successful sitcom series in the UK, The Inbetweeners movie is like the final hurrah for its television episodes, which follows the growing pains, life and times of a group of four secondary school friends and their families, with American Pie styled sexual shenanigans and Brit humour. Even if you may not be familiar with the source material, the movie version is quite stand alone, taking place just after their graduation, and like all graduations, it's not complete without that holiday trip with your pals, and in this case, a vacation filled with booze and sex and doing just about anything that nobody will say no to.So say hello to the "Pussay Patrol" in Will McKenzie (Simon Bird), the main narrator of the film whose nerdy looks betray that one heck of a witty brain filled with wisecracks for any situation, Simon Cooper (Joe Thomas) who is enduring the recent breakup with girlfriend Carli (Emily Head), the "stiffler" equivalent though geekier version in Jay Cartwright (James Buckley) whose the chronic masturbator and crudest member of the lot, often bragging about his various sexual prowess to the rest (every group will not be complete without a braggart), and Neil Sutherland (Blake Harrison), a slow, loyal follower whose dad is often jibed by others for being gay.The film, directed by Ben Palmer, doesn't take too long nor too deliberate in its introduction of key characters, allowing you to get to know these friends as we move along the narrative, and it isn't hard since each has their particular primary trait that caricatures them. And the deep dive into the thin plot involves the four of them going on a holiday to Malia, Greece, where they're expected to hang out and hang loose on a budget, with expectations of booze and getting laid constantly at the back of their minds.In terms of quality of comedic moments, this film is somewhat like American Pie in its premise, and developed like the light version of The Hangover film, with the group encountering episodic instances with various people, from the pub promoter right down to the strapping jock of a holiday planner for Carli, who was also there in Malia with her friends, and provided opportunity for Simon to continue his post-breakup infatuation with an ex who is now more into her Greek guide. My favourite film of all time at the moment, i did think the TV show was good but not long enough but this was a huge step up and every little bit of this film was hilarious, the cinema viewers were all in stitches, a perfect film for you and your friend and non stop laughing, there can't be just 1 Inbetweeners film, has to be another one and this time they should knock it up to 2 to 2 and half hours because this experience was far more enjoyable and funny than the hangover! They spend a lot more time away from each other than they do in the series, and this is not good, as the funniest lines are always between each other.All in all, 'The Inbetweeners Movie' is definitely not bad. This is by far the funniest film I've ever seen, I watched all the series and loved them and was a bit unsure the movie would be has good as them but I wasn't disappointed, in fact I think this movie has jumped straight into one of the best movies I've ever watched, I've never laughed so much I was in tears in some parts. Not going to right a massive review just want anyone who hasn't seen it to please please get it and watch it you'll love it, am not normally a comedy person preferring horror movies but this is great, characters are played so well and make you wish you had friends like them.I pray they carry on making more movies, PLEASE!!Off to learn the dance now........... Well, i know 1 thing i can Definitely say, HILARIOUS!!The movie is by far the best film of the year in many different ways. The only thing I did like about the inbetweeners were the characters: Will is the David Mitchell-esque nerd whose overriding sense of logic conflicts with social norms, Simon is the 'one with relationships', Neil is the stupid, funny one (a la Zach Galifinakis in everything) and Jay is the dick who thinks he's a ladies man and gets the group into the situations to begin with. If you want to watch a movie where you won't be challenged too much and just want to have a good laugh at some British humour then The Inbetweeners foray onto the big screen could be right up your street.Fans of the TV series will know what to expect and if you loved the TV show then you will like this. After three series and several years dominating Channel four's comedy line-up, it's only fair we say far-well with a whole feature-length adventure to the land of Sun, Booze, Birds ans well you get the idea.The plot concerns Will, Simon, Jay and Neil as the kiss school goodbeye and in celebration of their newly found independence take a holiday to sunny old Greece.The film in true Inbetweener's style is touching yet ludicrously offensive, vulgar, smutty and with Potty-mouth rating that'll break the parent group's backs! To be honest although I said you could see your own traits in the characters Neil is the one who is slightly foreign to me.There isn't too much of a plot behind the film it's just a series of comedy sketches as we follow the guys on their holiday. There were also no developments to this setup.The movie starts off in a similar way and did little to get my hopes up but unlike the show there were some very interesting plot and character developments which you would not see in the show and there were also some very funny (albeit crude and awkward) moments.In terms of comedy there is nothing new to be seen and very few surprises. I was still finding myself getting angry with Simon for his obsession with Carli but i guess that was the intention so it did its job and got me engaged with the story as did the actions of Will and Jay. This is what made this movie surprisingly good for me.It is a solid comedy for a group of lads to go and see especially if, like me, you have just returned from your own group holiday and can relate to some of the insane moments that occur.. Of course it does have it's fair share of sex jokes, and the audiences hoping for the crude humour that makes The Inbetweener's the show it is will certainly not leave the cinema disappointed.The one thing that differs this film from prior attempts at transporting British TV to the big screen is heart. With that being said, the film has it's own good, great and hilarious moments but much like the TV show it is padded out occasionally, and therefore may fall flat at some points for the audience.My overall disappointment however is that this may very well be the end of the Inbetweeners, and whilst we've been graced with a brilliant movie to conclude the foursomes awesome antics... this movie will keep you feeling awesome throughout the hour and a half of excellent footage from the characters themselves ,James Buckley , Simon Bird , Blake Harrison and Joe Thomas might go and see it again !!!!go and see it with a friend like i did !!!!!you will have a excellent time watching this film trust me !!!!!!10/10.

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Taste of Fear

** CONTAINS SPOILERSIn England, OFFICIALS drag a lake, soon locating the body of a YOUNG GIRL, apparently a suicideIn Nice, France, handsome, sexy chauffeur, BOB, dutifully arrives at the airport to pick up PENNY APPLEBY, late teens or 20s. Confined to a wheelchair since a long-ago horse riding accident, Penny has come to stay with her FATHER and stepmother, JANE, whom she has never met.Her stepmother greets her warmly, but tells Penny that her Father is away on business. They dine elegantly at the lavish estate, and then retire. That night, Penny hears strange noises. She maneuvers her wheelchair outside to the summer house, where candlelight flickers. Penny goes inside, only to find her Father's CORPSE, sitting upright in a chair! Horrified, Penny races out of the summer house in her wheelchair, ending up in the pool, rescued by Bob.She wakes up to find DR. GERRARD tending to her. Although she insists what she saw was real, a trip to the summer house fails to reveal a body. Penny broods about it, and then finds herself confused when stepmother Jane calls her to the phone to talk with her Father, who, apparently, is just fine.But Penny finds an apparently sympathetic ear in the attractive chauffeur Bob. When Penny runs into her Father's CORPSE yet again, this time sitting upright in his study, Penny wonders if she's going mad. Penny begins to suspect her stepmother Jane and Dr. Gerrard. She's convinced they're having an affair and that they've killed her father, hiding his body somewhere in the house.With chauffeur Bob now an ally, Penny and Bob decide the body must be hidden somewhere in the house. Late at night, they locate a meat freezer, but when Bob pries it open, they do not find her Father's body. Only later, staring at the swimming pool, does Penny realize that the body might be kept down in the icy water. Bob dives into it, swimming through the weed-infested water, and indeed he sees the old man's dead eyes staring at him from his watery grave.Now, Penny and Bob decide to drive to the authorities, as Jane has left for the evening. Bob places Penny in the backseat of the limo and they start out. On a deserted road, they see Jane. Bob gets out of the car to talk to her, but the car begins to roll with Penny helpless in the backseat. Panicked, Penny leans across the seat to stop the car, and then sees her Father's CORPSE slumped down in the front seat. She screams before the car plunges into the waterBob and Jane, secretly lovers, have watched the whole accident. It was all a plot to make it appear as though Penny and her Father died in the same car accident, thus getting the estate for themselves.Jane gets a visit from her Father's SOLICITOR. When she inquires about the chain of inheritance, since both the Father and Penny were killed, the Solicitor is surprised. He says there was only ONE body in the car - the Father. Further, he tells Jane that Penny committed suicide three weeks ago!!A shocked Jane is confused. Before the Solicitor leaves, he points out the young girl at the edge of the cliff outside the house who's sitting in a wheelchair!Jane goes up to the wheelchair, and indeed it's Penny, still alive. But Penny reveals that she is not Penny at all. She is Penny's best friend, EMILY FRENCHEM. She's also not paralyzed, rising out of the wheelchair. Penny is the girl who committed suicide in France, the one whose body they dragged out at the beginning of the movie. Emily knew something was wrong at the estate because Penny's Father had called his daughter about it. That's why Emily came investigating, and now she knows the truth-Penny's Stepmother Jane and the Chauffeur murdered Penny's Father. Emily had aligned herself with Dr. Gerrard to trick Jane and Bob into revealing their guilt. She was able to leap from the car before it plunged into the water.Emily walks off to call the police, Jane sits wearily in the wheelchair. In the meantime, Bob, having found out Penny's alive, rushes into the house, searching for Penny. He sees the wheelchair, kicks it off the cliff, but, of course, it's Jane who falls to her death. Police arrest Bob. Dr. Gerrard comforts Emily, who has vindicated her friend, the tragic Penny

murder

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imdb

Taste Of Fear (AKA:Scream Of Fear) is produced out of that bastion of British horror, Hammer Films, it's directed by Seth Holt (The Nanny), written by Jimmy Sangster (X:The Unknown/The Curse Of Frankenstein) and stars Susan Strasberg, Ronald Lewis, Ann Todd & that cornerstone of Hammer Horror, Christopher Lee.Shot in moody black & white by Holt and cinematographer Douglas Slocombe, and eerily scored by Clifton Parker, the story sees a young paralysed woman return to her family home in France to visit her father who she hasn't seen for years; and to finally meet her new step-mother. All parties ensure that the story is built up right and that the pay off provides maximum impact.Christopher Lee once said that this was one of the best Hammer Horror film's he was ever involved with, that's a fine selling point to be sure. I had this movie so idealized in my mind from childhood, that I was afraid when I finally found it on video (after 4 solid years of searching!), that it wouldn't be as good as I remembered, but it holds up surprisingly well, thanks to director Holt's atmospheric direction and the crisp performances. What I recalled as the movie's biggest fright (the swimming pool) isn't all that scary, but the twist-ending surprise (no spoilers here!) still caught me off guard, and the last couple of minutes of the movie are genuinely suspenseful and more than cap the film's slow, steady buildup. The friendly chauffeur Bob decides to help the girl get to the bottom of the mystery, but everything is turned upside down when it becomes obvious that nobody in the film is what they appear.Initially, the film plays out like it's going to be quite predictable; and indeed, my prediction for what is going to happen actually does happen...but director Seth Holt doesn't show his hand too early, and there is a major twist at the end that I certainly didn't see coming. Crippled Susan Strasberg goes to France to visit her father (who she hasn't seen in 9 years) and her new stepmother (Ann Todd). Handsome chauffeur Ronald Lewis tries to help her find out.The plot is old and some of the twists have become predictable since 1961, but this is still a very good suspense film. Ufortunately, or- fortunately my father allowed me to watch this movie in 1983,when I was 11 years old...maybe too young for a movie like that..but this film has rested marked in my mind forever..and maybe is the reason today, why I'm so interested in old black and white movies..today,I own more than 20 copies of the movie.Ever since,I haven't found any other movie so suspenseful..This movie will always stay in my mind, impressing me so much until the day I die!Whoever has written the storyboard of this movie,was more than smart!!Every camera setting is made extremely smart!. Though it's listed here at IMDb as "Taste of Fear," the version I saw was titled "Scream of Fear." Either way, it's a generic title for what is actually a rather stylish little mystery thriller.Susan Strasberg plays a wheelchair-bound accident victim who comes to stay with her father and his new wife at their French country manor. She begins to suspect the worst of her step-mother and her doctor friend (played by Christopher Lee), believing that they have killed her father and are trying to drive her insane, thus rendering her incompetent and ensuring that his estate will pass to the step-mother. Paralyzed young woman in a wheelchair comes to stay with her wealthy, estranged father and stepmother in France; upon her arrival however, Dad is mysteriously missing ("away on business", his wife says), but the girl thinks she sees his corpse late one night in the guest house. Back in 1973 I had a Bell and Howell 16mm projector and used to hire films to show to family and others.This film was one of them and I can remember it scaring people back then.Yesterday I watched it again through a modern projector, as BBC 2 had shown it recently, and thought it was just as good now as back in 1973.It benefits from being shot in black and white, the acting is very good from all the cast, and there are some scary moments, the swimming pool being an obvious one.It is really good to see an old fashioned horror film with no over-the-top effects, just a genuinely chilling story, well worth waiting for it to be shown again as not sure if available on DVD or video.. The quiet and picturesque yet eerie opening makes the viewer feel appropriately spooked.Credits, Fade in: Susan Strasberg, a young lady, probably in her 20s, is seen in a wheelchair, having arrived at a airport and being taken to her father's house. And, the subject of her paralysis and the accident is brought up by doctor and friend of her father Christopher Lee.I'm sure other reviewers have gone into more detail (but as a rule I don't read them so as to not influence what I write,) but to say any more of the plot would be robbing the first-time viewer from going into the movie fresh. This is quite a challenging enunciation, as Hammer were responsible for an incredibly long list of genre classics, varying from old-fashioned monster films to thought-provoking Sci-Fi movies and psychological thrillers. "Taste of Fear" is an atmosphere-driven and convoluted black & white chiller, but the direction of Sangster's script is slightly too predictable and it waits only until the climax before surprising the viewer with a couple of truly awesome and unexpected twists. According to her exaggeratedly friendly stepmother and the housing staff, her father is away on a business trip, but Penny soon begins to spot his lifeless body at several places on the estate. "Scream of Fear" (or "Taste of Fear") released in 1961, a mystery/horror film that centers around a young woman named Penny (Susan Strasberg) confined to a wheelchair after a horse riding accident. Supporting cast members Ann Todd and Ronald Lewis are both good and Christopher Lee is also on hand as a creepy and sinister doctor. Penny Appleby (Susan Strasberg) returns to France, ten years after her mother's death, only to find out from Robert the chauffeur (Ronald Lewis- MR. A paralyzed young woman (Susan Strasberg) goes to live with her father and stepmother (Ann Todd) after the death of her mother and best friend. The stepmother and her doctor friend (Christopher Lee) has the woman thinking she's losing her mind but the butler (Ronald Lewis) believes something more sinister might be going on. "Scream of Fear" from 1961 is a Hammer film, and quite well done, starring Susan Strasberg, Ann Todd, and Christopher Lee.Strasberg is Penny, a young woman who suffered an accident that left her in a wheelchair. A crippled young woman (Susan Strasberg) comes home to her stepmother and begins to see the dead corpse of her father everywhere she turns. She gets help from the chauffeur (Ronald Lewis) and together they investigate and begin to suspect Penny's stepmother may have murdered her father and is now trying to drive Penny insane in order to claim the inheritance.Effective thriller from Hammer, with a great script by Jimmy Sangster and some solid direction from Seth Holt. Seth Holt directed this psychological suspense mystery that stars Susan Strasberg as Penny Appleby, a wheelchair-bound young woman whose divorced mother has recently died, and has been invited by her father and stepmother Jane(played by Ann Todd) to stay with them. She befriends the family chauffeur Bob(played by Ronald Lewis) and things are fine, but her father is absent, apparently on business, but Penny sees his corpse repeatedly on the estate, and becomes convinced that someone is trying to drive her insane... The Fine Acting, Writing, and Crisp, Moody Black and White Cinematography all put together with Competent Direction and the Triple-Zinger of an Ending are enough to make this an Undiscovered Gem.For some Side-Lights, there is a Beautiful Young Susan Strasberg, who worked for Decades in mostly Television and Christopher Lee sporting a French Accent in a Straight Role and some Fine Location Work combined with the Claustrophobic Sets that just Add more Zest to this Low-Budget Winner.. Anyone who loves Hitchcock and is looking for another good story should check out Taste of Fear, a Hammer production released in 1961 about a girl in a wheelchair who keeps seeing the body of her missing father around his house. People, including a doctor played by Christopher Lee, suggest the girl is losing her mind, but the girl and a friend soon become convinced the father was killed and the girl is being deceived so her stepmother inherits everything.With its murder plot mystery, pushing victims to madness and especially the disappearance and reappearance of dead bodies, the film Taste of Fear most closely resembles is Diabolique (1955) and there is some similarity as well to Vertigo (1958). Having firmly made their mark with their lavish Gothic productions, Hammer studios ventured into slightly different territory with Taste of Fear, a black and white psychological horror, written by Jimmy Sangster (Dracula '58), directed by Seth Holt (The Nanny), and starring the lovely Susan Strasberg and creepy Christopher Lee.Given the wealth of talent involved, it doesn't come as a surprise to find that, despite an extremely convoluted script full of improbable twists and turns, Taste of Fear is a highly accomplished effort; tautly constructed, directed with style, and boasting superb performances, it achieves a genuinely eerie atmosphere and delivers several macabre moments that, even today, have the power to send chills up the spine.However, what does come as a bit of a surprise—and a disappointment, if truth be told—is just how derivative the film is of Henri-Georges Clouzot's Les Diaboliques: from the lovers' plot to drive someone insane, to its physically and mentally fragile heroine, to the hiding of a corpse in a murky swimming pool, the similarities are impossible to ignore (Hell, Taste of Fear even takes place in France!), and as a result, the film fails to qualify as a bona fide Hammer classic.. I consider this to be very poor treatment of a movie that serves as a great example of the sort of thriller we used to be able to produce in this country.A brief summary of the story is that wheel-chair bound Penny Appleby travels to France to re-unite with her father who she has not seen for some nine years and to meet her new step-mother. Her father is not there when she arrives however and she begins to get suspicious that all is not as it seems...This can arguably be ranked among the best of the Hammer Horror series (though of course there are some other worthy contenders) with more emphasis on the cinematography, the script, the chilling atmosphere and great acting than things like painfully obvious plastic bats on strings that mar other efforts. Instead it is left to Susan Strasberg, Ann Todd and Ronald Lewis to carry the film and they play their parts to perfection."Scream of Fear" not available on DVD anywhere as far as I know except Japan, but this is well worth looking up for anybody who enjoys a good thriller or horror.. This film was made by Hammer Studio veterans and it was directed by Seth Holt who does a very good job of creating an eerie atmosphere right up until the very end. Scream Of Fear is directed by Seth Holt, written by Jimmy Sangster and stars Susan Strasberg, Ronald Lewis, Christopher Lee and Ann Todd. The French Riviera in 1961 is the setting for this interesting horror/thriller.Venturing into very similar territory to The Innocents with a plot which is a mix of the supernatural and the human mind.Wheelchair bound Penny Appelby(Susan Strasberg)all elegance and chic,hiding from inquisitive eyes behind dark sunglasses,is met at the airport by her fathers chauffeur Bob(Ronald Lewis).She has been asked to come and stay with her father(Fred Johnson)who she hasn't seen for ten years,and his second wife Jane(Ann Todd).She's informed by Bob that her father has been called away for a few days on business.He also hints that he has not been well which raises Penny's suspicions.At first all seems pleasant enough at the family villa but soon Penny becomes caught up in a nightmare which could be what it seems to be or could just be mind playing tricks on her.She keeps having visions of her father and in them he is dead.Bob is the only one who believes her and together they begin to investigate and along the way fall in love with each other.However Penny soon discovers that appearances can be deceptive and that is where Scream Of Fear really gets interesting.Christoper Lee is a strong presence as Dr Pierre Gerrard a friend of Jane's,who suggests that Penny paralysis may be a product of her mind and not due to her accident.With memorable performances from the leads and a strong sense of atmosphere,Scream Of Fear is a horror which relies on shocks and fears to be at it's most effective and not blood and gore.. When Penny(Susan Strasberg)gets to the home of her father(her parents separated with Penny living with her mom in Italy)she's told by her step-mother Jane(Ann Todd)that he's away on business. Jump forward two weeks later as a wheelchair bound young lady named Penny Appleby (Susan Strasberg) touches down in France, she is met at the airport by Robert (Ronald Lewis) her father's chauffeur & is driven to his house. Penny becomes suspicious when investigating a light in their summerhouse she sees what she thinks is her father's dead body but then disappears shortly after, is Penny losing her mind or is something more sinister going on...Also known as Scream of Fear this British production was directed by Seth Holt & is a different sort of Hammer film than one might associate with the studio but is still one of their best films, period. Some of the sets don't overly convince that your in France all the time & Christopher Lee's French accent isn't great but the film has a nice atmosphere & manages to build up a fair amount of tension & intrigue. The acting is very good by a decent cast & despite his French accent Christopher Lee is somewhat underused.Taste of Fear is a great film & it's as simple & straight forward as that really, definitely worth a watch & highly recommend if you like your horror psychological.. Honors go to Ann Todd as the stepmother, Susan Strasberg as the shy heroine, Christopher Lee as a frequently visiting doctor and Ronald Lewis as the live-in chauffeur. Young Penny Appleby (Strasberg), confined to a wheelchair, arrives on the Riviera to stay with her father and his wife, Jane (Todd). **MAJOR SPOILERS** Water has a lot to do with the film "Scream or Twist, the two different titles of the movie, of Fear" in connecting the dots to this stunningly effective thriller. Obviously feeling guilty in not having any contact with Penny her father wants to make it up with her now knowing that he according to his physician the creepy-looking Dr.Gerrard, Christopher Lee, doesn't have that much time left.As soon as Penny arrives at the Appleby Villa she's met by both her step-mother Jane, Ann Todd, and the family butler and chauffeur Robert, Robert Lewis, who both are a bit uneasy at her arriving there. Ably directed by Seth Holt, with a clever and compelling script by Jimmy Sangster, a genuinely spooky atmosphere (the scenes with the father's dead body are pretty creepy), handsome black and white cinematography by Douglas Slocombe, sturdy acting from a super cast, a properly shivery score by Clifton Parker, a gradual, yet steady pace, and one doozy of an unexpected surprise plot twist towards the very end, this tidy and absorbing thriller keeps the viewer guessing right to the stirring and startling conclusion. SCREAM OF FEAR will definitely keep you guessing, thanks to a great performance by Susan Strasberg, fine performances by Ann Todd and Ronald Lewis, expert direction by Seth Holt outstanding cinematograpy by Douglas Slocombe and a clever script by Jimmy Sangster. That should have set off alarm bells in Penny's head.END OF SPOILERS The twist, ironic ending is on the level of THE SIXTH SENSE.It's too bad the plot holes keep this picture from ever rising to the level of that movie.Nonetheless, for a great Strasberg performance and terrific atmosphere, I give SCREAM OF FEAR a "7".. (Available on a 78-minutes Sony DVD).SYNOPSIS: Paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair, beautiful young Penny Appleby visits her father's French Riviera villa for the first time since his second marriage; she meets her stepmother, Jane, Doctor Gerrard, her father's friend, and Bob, her father's chauffeur. Any veteran fan of either Film Noir or classic horror already knows: when Ann Todd is playing nice, nothing good can come of it! Christopher Lee has a nicely ambiguous role as the family doctor, and both Ronald Lewis as the chauffeur, and Ann Todd as the stepmother, also turn in good performances.. "Taste of Fear" is one of the better horror films Hammer has done.**SPOILERS**Arriving in Paris, Penny Appleby, (Susan Strasberg) goes to visit step-mother Jane, (Ann Todd) and is told that her father has gone missing. Writer Sangster and director Roth proved that they could take some elements of "Gaslight" and "Le Diaboliques" and come up with a tight little suspense thriller that manages some excellent twists and turns.I've watched a bunch of movies like this one, and was basically able to determine early on what was going to have to happen for the movie to have a "happy" ending where the good guys win (because that was still a requirement back then).But the actors were so good and the scenes so well staged and managed that it was still great fun to see the plot events unfold.

tt0087472

The Initiation

Kelly Fairchild is a university student who has suffered from a recurring nightmare in which a strange man is burning to death inside her childhood home. Adding to her stress, Kelly is also about to take part in her sorority's initiation ritual, which entails her and a group of pledges breaking into her wealthy father's multi-level department store after hours. Megan, the head of the sorority, comes up with the idea in hopes of getting Kelly into trouble, out of jealousy. Kelly, her friend Marcia, and roommate Alison are the three main pledges.At a sanitarium 300 miles away, several inmates break out of the building and murder a nurse. The following morning, Kelly's parents, Frances and Dwight, receive a phone call from the sanitarium notifying them of the incident. That afternoon, Kelly pitches an idea for her term paper to Peter , the graduate assistant in her psychology course. Kelly explains her dream to Peter, and tells how she had lost memory of her early childhood after falling out of a treehouse, leaving her with injuries that put her into a coma.At dinner, Frances forbids Kelly's meetings with Peter, who is attempting to analyse her nightmare. Meanwhile, while Dwight is outside starting his car, he is attacked by an unseen assailant, who impales him in the neck with a garden fork and decapitates him with a machete. Frances goes outside and sees Dwight's car driving down the road, assuming he left the house.The following night at the department store, the night porter is murdered while doing rounds. Shortly after, Kelly, Marcia, and Alison arrive there to steal the porter's uniform for their initiation pledge. The three split up, and Kelly heads to the lounge upstairs to get one of the spare uniforms. Meanwhile, Megan lets Chad, Ralph, and Andy into the department store to scare the girls. Chad and Ralph scare them by rolling a bowling ball down the hallway; the girls then attempt to leave the store, but find themselves locked inside. Meanwhile, Megan and Andy make out inside one of the shops, and begin playing hide and seek. Andy is murdered when the killer emerges from an elevator and slams a hatchet into his head. Shortly after, the killer shoots Megan through the chest with an arrow and her body collapses, breaking a vase. Kelly and Marcia hear the commotion, and run into Ralph and Chad who are hiding in a dressing room.At the university, Peter comes across newspaper clippings detailing the fire Kelly described in her dream; the articles reveal the burning man's identity as Jason Randall, a floor manager at the Fairchild department store, who was married to Frances; he believes Kelly's dream to be a memory of her biological father, Jason, being burned in an altercation with Frances' lover, Dwight, whom Kelly believes to be her real father. A recent article on the inmates' revolt at the sanitarium reveals Jason was a groundskeeper and an inmate there, and among those who escaped.Stuck inside the store, Kelly, Marcia, and Alison drink wine together with Ralph and Chad. Alison and Chad leave to use the bathroom, and Alison discovers the body of the night porter. Panicked, she runs into the men's bathroom to get Chad, and finds him in a bathroom stall with his throat slashed. Kelly goes into the bathroom to investigate, while a frantic Alison goes downstairs to the security desk. Inside the bathroom, Kelly sees her name written on the mirror in blood.Alison is viciously stabbed to death at the security desk, and the sounds of her screaming are broadcast over the store's intercom system. Meanwhile, Peter drives to the Fairchild house to tell Frances what he has discovered; Frances tells him that the police have just notified her that Dwight's mutilated body was found inside the trunk of his car, parked two blocks from his department store. At the store, Ralph is shot dead with a crossbow in front of Marcia, who flees to find Kelly. They hide in a freight elevator inside the building, which is infiltrated by the killer, who pulls Marcia into the elevator shaft as the doors close. Kelly escapes and flees into the store's boiler room, where she finds Marcia's corpse being dragged away by the killer and encounters the burned Jason Randall. He chases her to the roof, and she pushes him off, killing him.Peter and Frances arrive at the store and find Jason's body lying on the ground outside. Inside, Peter sees who he believes to be Kelly standing in the store foyer and embraces her; she then stabs him in the stomach. Kelly runs into the room, and is faced with a mirror image of herself it is her disturbed twin sister, Terry, who had been institutionalized as a child when Frances left their father and married Dwight, and whom Kelly has no memory of. Just as Terry is about to murder Kelly, she is shot to death by Frances. The film ends as Peter is taken away in an ambulance, while Kelly stares at her mother in disbelief.

cult, murder, violence, prank

train

imdb

The initiation involves the girls breaking into a shopping mall, but having a homicidal escaped murderer locked in with them wasn't part of the plan!The Initiation is a slasher flick that delivers the "goods" for horror fans. Plus, there's some plot twists, a few veteran actors, and a higher-than-average budget to boot!With a fairly solid cast, fiendishly good murder scenes, some tight suspense (especially in the climax), and a bit of style The Initiation is one of the stronger slasher films of its time. Everything comes to a head on the night Kelly steals the keys to her father's shopping mall for her sorority initiation. It's not the goriest movie of all time, but there are a few harrowing death sequences and it helps that you really do care about many of the characters.Zuniga makes for a likable heroine and veterans Clu Gulager and Vera Miles offer wonderful support as her secretive parents. Still, it's Joy Jones who steals the show as Heidi - a Velma-from-Scooby-Doo type who helps trace back the origins of Kelly's troubling dreams.The Initiation is one of the better late entries in the slasher cycle and deserves your time.. (**1/2 out of *****) This okay slasher thriller tries to offer more than the standard slice-and-dice affair by having as its main character a young college student (Daphne Zuniga, a year after her cameo in the wretched "The Dorm That Dripped Blood") who is traumatized by an event in her past that caused her to forget everything up through age ten. From the opening scene, we already have a pretty good idea of the surprise involving the girl's secretive parents (played by Clu Gulager -- excellent in "Return of the Living Dead," but just mediocre here -- and Vera Miles from "Psycho"), but there's another twist at the very end that, in spite of some clunky hints here and there, is impossible to see coming (it's hardly fair, but it still provides a bit of a jolt.) With all the background and character development out of the way in the first half hour or so, we finally get to the more-familiar second half, where a group of sorority babes (including Zuniga) and frat boys break into a department building at night as part of an initiation stunt and are subsequently killed off by a maniac who uses a variety of gardening tools and other sharp objects. People are shot with arrows, shot with guns, shot with spears, stabbed, axed, and decapitated until the surprise killer is finally revealed (and it's probably not who you think.) Gaping plot holes abound, but, all in all, this one isn't too bad (and, besides, you're not supposed to pay attention to that kinda stuff in these kindsa movies anyway.)HIGHLIGHT: The pretty, blonde sorority girl happens to be holding the public address intercom microphone when she is attacked at the security guard's booth, and her shrieks echo throughout the entire building.. When it comes to good horror ideas, nothing gets better than a bunch of sorority girls being killed at a mall after midnight.There are few things in this movie that are funny. "The Initiation" is the ultimate sorority house slasher film that stands better than many the more popular ( "The House on Sorority Row," "Girl's Nite Out," and "Killer Party") films of the same "genre." After a relatively dream-like, and confusing opening sequence, we are introduced to Kelly Fairchild (Daphne Zuniga) who is set to pledge the most prestigous Sorority at her college. Kelly has some more dreams, she starts seeing a college professor who specializes in memory regression, and finds out that for her pledge, she and the other pledges must break into her father's mall (the strangest looking mall I have ever seen) and steal the security officer's uniform, all within about the first half hour of the movie. It's almost like the fine folks at New World Pictures where recycling their own material this time.Folks who are fans of the cookie cutter "slasher" movies (like myself) will have fun playing the "find the cliché" game.Of course there is the required skin,but the gore is rather lacking for my taste.It's a bit tame as if not to be offensive or over the top.That's always a bad idea in my book. Allright so "The Initiation" isn't on the same level as "Carrie", "The Stepford Wives" or "Rosemary's Baby" but it is very good compared to other sorrority girl movies like "Blood Sisters." The Initiation is fun, fast paced, and has a great cast including Vera Miles (PSYCHO), Clu Gulager(A Nightmare on Elm Street 2) and Daphne Zuniga(Melrose Place) Not oscarworthy but deffinetly allright. ** out of ****The Initiation is another one of those sorority-type slasher films where a group of girls are offed one-by-one by a deranged killer. After that, the film bogs down quite a bit with repetitive hypnosis scenes, and at least one of the twists involving her dreams is entirely predictable, so for the first half, the film hasn't done much at all.But then, cut to the second half, once the girls break into the department store, and are knocked off one-by-one by the killer, and the film suddenly turns from sluggish to suspenseful. The huge mall works extremely well in the movie's favor, making for a fairly complex setting in which the killer could be hiding anywhere.There are even two scenes of gratuitous nudity, provided by none other than goregous soap star Hunter Tylo (credited here as Deborah Morehart), who happens to look even hotter now then she did 18 years ago! The rest of the performances are pretty standard, not even Vera Miles or Clu Gulager stand out.The big plot twist at the end is pretty ludicrous, but I happen to like absurd twists in slashers (to an extent and depending on the situation), and at least it ties in believably with the opening. Oh yeah,this one is similar to "Happy Birthday to Me"(I'm talking here especially about the ending),which I reviewed some months ago,but definitely not better.The acting is rather lame,the disco/party scene is cheesy and amusing(one of the guests is dressed in a giant penis costume-woah!),and the film is quite suspenseful at times.Only a little bit of gore,so gore-hounds will certainly be disappointed.However if you consider yourself a rabid slasher fan give this one a look!Love that axe in the head scene!. For there initiation, Kelly and her friends have to break into her father's (Clu Gulager) department store and steal the security guard's uniform. Seems the killer is linked to a reoccuaring nightmare Kelly's been having for years and is part of some deep dark secret her mother (Vera Miles) has been hiding from her.Amateurish first half features bad dialogue, tons of cliches and crude direction, but the second half is an intense, tight, scary, and suspenseful nightmare filled with twist & turns and gruesome murders & special effects. Kelly (Daphne Zuniga, who gets an "introducing..." credit despite having been in films - including THE DORM THAT DRIPPED BLOOD (1982) - prior to this) is pledging a college sorority and part of her initiation is to break into the upscale shopping mall owned by her father (Clu Gulager) and mother (Vera Miles). But also Kelly and a few friends are about to undertake a sorority pledge, involving sneaking into a shopping mall one night to steal the security guard's uniform where everything comes together. However, now she's also got to contend with the American apple pie institution of 'initiation ceremonies', and the one that her friends are putting forward involves sneaking into her father's mall.The plot of this film is all over the place, as we've got far too many ideas going on and they don't all bode well. This all results in a film with an overlong and frequently tedious first half with only one truly great and suspense-laden scene (set inside a mental asylum) and a very routine and déjà-vu second half with four girls and some frat-boys stalked by a well-armed killer in a mall. "The Initiation" supposedly introduces Daphne Zuniga (even though she already appeared briefly in a similar kind of movie called "The Dorm that Dripped Blood in 1982) as the cherubic Kelly Fairchild, wannabe Delta Ro Kai sorority member and only daughter of a prominent shopping mall owner. The murders are sort of gory, one in particular involves one of the girls being stabbed repeatedly at the night watchman's desk.The story of Kelly and her family makes the movie very watchable and adds a good twist to the end of it all. While trying to understand a frightening reoccurring nightmare, a pledge (Daphne Zuniga) is coaxed into breaking into her father (Clu Gulager)'s department store by her sorority sisters, where a deranged killer targets the girls and their boyfriends.This film's genesis seems pretty standard. Check out the one with the arrow, it was right on point:) "The Initiation" is very comparable to such films as "Slumber Party Massacre," "House on Sorority Row" and "Scream" As one who frequently watches horror movies, I do recommend this one!. The Initiation (1984) * 1/2 (out of 4)Kelly (Daphne Zuniga) is a college girl who keeps suffering from the same nightmare about her as a child witnessing a man burning. It did, however, mark the film debut of Hunter Tylo, a young and attractive model; Daphne Zuniga also plays a memorable role featured as the female lead with 1982's The Dorm That Dripped Blood securely stashed away in her horror repertoire. The young actors at the time Daphne Zuniga, the actress now known as Hunter Tylo give their all and are quite good in their roles while the male love interest James Read is your basic wooden mannequin as a lead and totally unbelievable in his role..the story has holes big enough to drive a semi through it but i myself just relish the cheesiness of the film and despite it's shortcomings it is enjoyable so i will give it some slack..and when i was young when this movie was made i remember hunter tylo on all my children and though she was hot as she is today and a couple of scenes that she was in shocked me but sometimes actors have to do things when they are not established enough said..get the popcorn going and enjoy. Another teen slasher served up for us here folks.it's pretty ordinary fare for this genre and has no real stand out moments to separate it from others.The only slightly interesting feature is the casting of Daphne Zuniga and Hunter Tylo long before they were household names in the daytime soap world.Zuniga can live this down probably but Hunter's embarrassment from this film is acute,since her role included a full-frontal nude shower scene(in front of a clothed Zuniga),something she probably would prefer her fans to forget.. Vera Miles was featured in two Alfred Hitchcock movies:"Psycho" and mainly "The wrong man" in which she was remarkable.So when you had been directed for two classics by a genius ,the only way to go was down as far as thrillers were concerned.Vera Miles had taken on the part of Lola in "Psycho II" with so so results.She continued in the horror vein with "The initiation "which is not bad:it's abysmal ;awful directing,laughable lines (bad jokes about sex as usual), mediocre acting (even Miles cannot do anything with her part of a mother with a racy past).The "intellectual" side about Freud and the dreams ,represented by a bland professor (he will probably get a Mickey Mouse doc degree) and his not-very-attractive assistant ,does not show any improvement on the forties shrink movies,the likes of Siodmak's "The dark mirror"(1946) or Hitchcock's himself ("Spellbound" ) (1945) Beginning as a female forerunner of "the skulls" ,"the initiation" becomes a poor man's "spellbound" to end up as a "Friday the thirteenth " in a department store .Of course there are plenty of teenagers and there's a killer at large. The only reason for me to watch this movie was because it stars the great Daphne Zuniga but I think that this is a jewel for those who love teen horror films.. Plus we also get to spend a considerable amount of time and care for the characters in here before they meet their demise.We are introduced to Kelly, a college student and new-found member of a female sorority, who is suffering from recurring dreams of herself much younger, attempting to brutally attack her father only for a mysterious man to walk in and eventually to be lit on fire. I watched a lot of slasher films but never had it been set in a large apartment or shopping mall and I thought they would make a really cool environment for a killer to stalk his or her victims. "The Initiation" has future "Melrose Place" star Daphne Zuniga as Kelly Fairchild, a young college student from a wealthy Dallas family who is partaking in pledge week for the initiation into her sorority. Unfortunately for Kelly, someone with murder on the mind is close behind them, and the killer may be linked to a bizarre recurring dream she's suffered from her entire life.Far less Gothic than "Hell Night" and considerably less graceful than "The House on Sorority Row", "The Initiation" stands as one of the weaker Greek-themed slashers. I also thought several of the characters were likable from Hunter Tylo's portrayal of Alison who was fun,entertaining and at times naughty to Vera Miles who plays Frances the mother of Kelly that harbors a dark secret to Marilyn Kagen who plays Marcia who was sweet and probably the most mature out of the girls and the way she tells her friends a story about her past even had me a little shocked which added a more serious tone to her character. The daughter of wealthy Dwight and Francis (Clu Gulager and Vera Miles), she is resented by at least one sorority sister who makes her initiation unbearable.At the same time Kelly has been dealing with a frightening set of dreams where she sees a burned man. Much like "Sleepaway Camp" and "Happy Birthday to Me" there is a lot of build up and suspense that may actually hold some audience members, until a crash landing in the end destroys all hope for the film in general.The film's main premise is on young Kelly(Daphne Zuniga, much before Melrose Place, or even "The Sure Thing" for that matter) who has been suffering a reoccurring dream all her life. Soon, murders begin to happen, and no one knows who is doing them, then on a night when Kelly and some friends are to do their 'initiation' into the college sorority they are attending, which is to frolic in a building owned by Kelly's father, a shopping mall of all places, someone else is watching them. Yes and No. Ridiculous slasher film starts out slow and boring, then gets a bit interesting when Kelly's past is revealed, and the dreams BEGIN to make sense, but right before the sense can be fully made, the crash boom bang ending occurs and the killer is revealed. the rest of the cast, including young soap star Hunter Tylo, do their best, but Daphne is the only real actor in this, and so, the film crashes and burns like it's stupid ending!If you want a good shock ending, watch "Clue."It was Daphne Zuniga in the shopping mall with the garden tools!3.5/10. Another 80s Slasher Gem. Granted, THE INITATION doesn't compare favorably to the best slasher films like HALLOWEEN or the original Friday THE 13TH, but even so it's a surprisingly successful horror film buoyed to some degree by a mystery element that, if ultimately unbelievable, still adds immeasurably to the usual formula of young people being killed by a crazy murderer.Daphne Zuniga stars as a sorority pledge whose usual college problems are magnified by a long history of recurring nightmares. Meanwhile an unknown stalker is hunting her family and friends, and everything comes to a head in a shopping mall after hours from which the killer is determined no one will escape.THE INITIATION is fairly well-written and directed, with a strong cast (including Clu Gulager and Vera Miles) and some highly effective murder sequences. The Plot = Kelly Fairchild (Daphne Zuniga) has nightmares involving a man attacking her parents (Vera Miles and Clu Gulager). Someone else is lurking in the mall and they're only interested in taking lives.The Initiation follows the traditional slasher formula well added stars (Miles and Gulager), young, talented unknowns (Zuniga, Hunter Tylo, James Read), new wave band (Refugee) performing at a party, shower scenes, bloody deaths, etc. What makes The Initiation a stand out slasher is the strong performances, Larry Stewart's direction, and Charles Pratt's script.The characters are well established and likable, the death scenes have so much impact because of this connection to the cast, the first half is rather quiet but kept me interested right up until the build up towards the end.Daphne Zuniga played the lead heroine really well, after her short lived stint in not so great slasher flick (The Dorm That Dripped Blood), she gets the main role in this movie and she truly shines, I enjoyed the romance subplot between her and her teacher Peter (James Read) who monitors her dreams along with his glamorous assistant Heidi (Joy Jones) just kept me interested all the way through. This 1984 horror film stars Daphne Zuniga, Vera Miles, James Read, Hunter Tylo and Clu Gulager. Later we see that a facially burnt man is attending to the grounds at an insane asylum about the same time as patients are released from the place and a nurse is brutally stabbed while attempting to crank her car.Kelly and two other college girls, Marcia(Marilyn Kagan)and Alison(Hunter Tylo, better known for starring on the soap opera THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL)are challenged, via pledge, by sorority sister Megan(Frances Peterson)to steal a security uniform from her "father" Dwight Fairchild's massive mall.

tt5700672

Busanhaeng

A truck approaches a toll booth as it's being sanitized, with several workers cleaning the area in hazmat suits. The truck driver passes through the toll booth and accuses them of slowing him down, but the workers assure him that nothing is wrong, and that the area is just being sanitized as there was a small leak at a nearby nuclear plant. As he passes the toll booth, he is distracted by his ringing phone and accidentally runs over a doe. After inspecting the scene, he gets back in his truck and drives off. However, the doe staggers to its feet despite the crash and turns to reveal that it is infected.Meanwhile, in Seoul, Seok-Woo is a busy fund manager who barely has time for his daughter Su-an, let alone his divorce. After a stressful day at work and accidentally buying Su-an the same birthday present he did last year, Su-an reveals that she wants to visit her mother in Busan. Seok-woo is initially reluctant due to work, but his mother convinces him otherwise by showing him a video of Su-an singing Aloha 'Oe at a school recital (she stops singing in the middle of the song), which he couldn't attend due to work. Out of guilt, Seok-woo books the next KTX train bound for Busan the next morning.Early in the morning, Seok-woo drives Su-an to the station, only to nearly crash into an oncoming horde of ambulances and police cars. As Seok-woo ponders what could be going on, Su-an reaches out the car window and catches an ember in her hand, prompting Seok-woo to notice the burning building in the distance. He remarks that there's something bad going on, but drives to the station regardless. They board the train, which is also occupied by the tough working-class husband Sang-hwa and his pregnant wife Seong-kyeong, a high school baseball team, rich but selfish CEO Yon-suk, and a pair of elderly sisters, In-gil and Jon-gil, and a homeless man who seems to be aware of the zombie situation.As the train prepares to leave, a spasming young woman boards the train with an enormous bite wound on her leg. Outside the train, station manager then signals the KTX to leave, only to notice a group of people on top of the stairs of the station, screaming at something unseen. Su-an watches through the window as the manager is quickly ambushed by a rabid human, which only she witnesses. Frightened, Su-an gets up to go to the bathroom. In the lower numbered cars, a train attendant comes across the infected woman, and she attempts to resuscitate her, only for the woman to complete her transformation. The zombie then latches onto the attendant's neck, who runs into the baseball team's car in a panic. The two then fall to the floor, now both zombies. The two proceed to attack most of the baseball team and creates a horde of zombies in the process -- only four students escape: baseball player Yong-guk, his crush Jin-hee, and two unnamed boys.The zombies race towards the upper compartments and infect everyone in their path, Su-an unwittingly walks towards the lower ones, looking for a bathroom. Seok-woo awakens and notices that Su-an is missing from her seat. He then receives a call from a coworker, who informs him that "violent riots" have erupted around Korea. Soon enough, a group of panicked passengers from the lower compartments rush through past his seat, screaming and running. Now realizing that Su-an may be in danger, Seok-woo runs in the opposite direction and sees Su-an standing right in front of an oncoming horde of zombies. He grabs her, and they are chased by the horde, but Seok-woo successfully reaches his compartment and attempts to barricade it, nearly locking Sang-hwa and Seong-kyeong out in the process. The survivors struggle to barricade the door, then realize that the zombies do not know how to open it, and merely charge at the sight of humans. Seong-kyung uses water and newspapers to cover the windows, which remedies the situation by causing the zombies to think they are not there.The conductor reassures the survivors over the intercom that the train will not go to Busan, but stop at Daegu station, as he has been informed that the military has been dispatched there. Yon-suk calls his company friends and asks about the situation at Daegu, which Seok-woo overhears and deduces from it that all arriving passengers at Daegu will be forcibly quarantined. He makes a private call to a coworker and convinces him to pick him and Su-an up separately so they won't be quarantined. The train then arrives at the abandoned Daegu station, and Seok-woo takes Su-an towards the east exit where they will be picked up, while the others go towards the main exit. The homeless man follows Seok-woo, having overheard his phone call. The three go down the hallway where they see a soldier in the distance. Relieved, Seok-woo tells Su-an to stay where she is, and he rushes towards the soldier for help, only to see that he is injured. The soldier begs them to help him before a horde of infected soldiers round the corner, trampling and consuming him.The rest of the survivors head out the main exit. Towards the bottom of the escalator, the survivors see a large group of uniformed men and realize the soldiers are all infected, and the deployment has failed. Several of the passengers are eaten and infected as they scramble back up the escalator and back into the station. Seok-woo, still inside the station concourse and facing zombies, tells Su-an to run. She does so and bumps into Seong-kyeong and Sang-hwa, who are rushing back to the train with the others. Seong-kyeong takes Su-an and runs to the platform, while Sang-hwa fights off the horde with Seok-woo, Yong-guk, and the two other baseball players. Once they manage to lock the exit door, they run to the train. Yong-guk's two friends are attacked and infected when they reach the platform. Meanwhile, Jin-hee, Yon-suk, and a few others have successfully boarded the train. Seong-kyeong and Su-an are also boarding when a glass bridge above the train shatters and sends zombies raining onto the platform. One of the zombies falls between In-gil and Jon-gil, separating them. In-gil is forcibly dragged aboard Jin-hee's compartment, and she watches Jong-gil, Seong-kyeong, and Su-an run in the opposite direction.Seong-kyeong, Su-an, Jong-gil, and the homeless man barricade themselves inside a bathroom in one of the lower infected compartments, while Yong-guk, Seok-woo, and Sang-hwa successfully get onto a safe compartment. Sang-hwa calls his wife and realizes she is trapped in the bathroom with a few others. Unwilling to leave them to die, the three of them begin fighting through the lower compartments to rescue them. In the process, they discover the zombies are blind in the dark and only react to sound. They use this to their advantage and manage to rescue them, and they all run together towards the first compartment, where Yon-suk, Jin-hee, In-gil, and the manager are. Yong-guk texts Jin-hee that they have rescued the survivors and are headed towards her compartment. When she happily tells the others, they react with hostility and decide to lock the door to their compartment to prevent the group from entering. With the door locked, Yong-guk attempts to break it open, while Seok-woo and Sung-hwa struggle to keep the zombies from entering on the other side. Realizing that there isn't enough time, Sung-hwa tells Seok-woo to take care of his wife and leave him behind to distract the zombies. Seok-woo tearfully apologizes and lets go of the door, dragging Su-an and Seong-kyeong towards the barricaded door. Before he is consumed, Sung-hwa manages to tell his wife the name he chose for their unborn son.The locked door is broken down and the survivors pile into the compartment safely (there is a second door inside the compartment, which they close), although Jong-gil is not fast enough and she is eaten. Realizing that Sung-hwa and Jong-gil could have survived as well if the group hadn't barricaded the door, Seok-woo angrily punches Yon-suk and demands to know why he did such a thing. Unwilling to answer, Yon-suk lies to the others and insists that Seok-woo and his allies are infected. Instilling fear inside the initial group that barricaded the door, they force Seok-woo and the group that just entered the compartment (now joined by Jin-hee) into the hallway between their compartment and the conductor's car. Once they are forced out, Yon-suk and the others use their neckties and shirts to tie down the knob and prevent them from coming back in. In-gil, still shocked and silent from seeing her sister die needlessly, notices Jong-gil's face in the crowd of zombies in the door window. She tells her infected sister that she lived a long and fulfilling life, and realizes that the compartment group's actions have led to her sister's death. Out of anger and defeat, In-gil opens the door, allowing the zombies to flood the safe compartment. The survivors inside the hallway can only watch as the group is eaten inside the compartment -- they see shadows of the passengers desperately clawing at the door they just barricaded in a cruel twist of events.The conductor receives a radio notification that Busan has succeeded in holding off the zombie infection. However, as they approach a station before Busan, the train is cut off by debris on the track. The conductor informs the remaining survivors on the train over the speaker that he will find another train on an unblocked track to drive to Busan and that they should follow him, but wishes them luck, as they will have to exit the train and survive crossing the zombie-filled tracks. He exits his cockpit, and finds an empty path, successfully discovering a cargo train. He starts it up and begins going down the track towards Busan, searching for survivors on the tracks.Seok-woo and the others exit the train, and unbeknownst to them, Yon-suk has survived the horde of zombies in the compartment (by hiding in the bathroom). He also hears the conductor's announcement and fights his way out of the compartment, but several zombies continue chasing him as he gets off. Meanwhile, Seok-woo's group is making their way to the cargo train. Suddenly, a burning freight car rushes towards them, and Jin-Hee and Yong-guk are separated from the group when the runaway freight rams into the cars of a nearby train, which falls and blocks their path. They go into one of the next train cars to cross over to the other side through the door, not noticing that Yon-suk, who is being chased by a zombie, is following them. Yon-suk enters the car and throws Jin-hee behind him, sacrificing her to the zombie. Yong-guk fights the zombie off and collapses to the ground, cradling the spasming Jin-hee in his arms. Yon-suk ignores them and manages to pry the door open and runs towards the cargo train. As Jin-hee chokes and begins to turn, Yong-guk begins to cry, asking why fate had to be like this. He apologizes to Jin-hee for not telling her how he felt about her, as she fully turns and consumes his face and throat. Yon-suk runs towards the cargo train, but twists his ankle on the tracks, and one of the zombies following him manages to bite his ankle. The conductor rushes off the car to help, but Yon-suk betrays him and throws him aside to the zombies like he did with Jin-hee. He ignores the conductor's screams for help as he boards the train alone.Meanwhile, the homeless man, Su-an, Seok-woo, and Seong-kyeong are on the other side of the wreckage, trapped under a train full of zombies. The windows of the train threaten to collapse at any moment. Seok-woo finds an opening under the train and begins to climb under it, but a part of the train collapses and seals the hole before the other three can make it through. The impact also shatters a window, and a small group of zombies tumble out and crawl towards the three. However, the homeless man sacrifices himself to the zombies at the last minute, allowing enough time for Seok-woo to pull the debris away, and for Seong-kyeong and Su-an to escape. They run towards the cargo train and get on the outdoor platform of it. Seok-woo approaches the cockpit but backs away when he sees Yon-suk in the conductor's seat, milky-eyed and infected. He initially shuts the door, but Yon-suk opens it in spite of being a zombie -- the infection has not reached his brain. Yon-suk approaches Seok-woo and begs him to take him home to Busan, speaking like a little boy and reciting his address and the name of his mother. Seok-woo tells him he is infected, and Yon-suk is momentarily shocked, and he weeps, but within seconds, he is fully turned.Seok-woo begins to struggle with the zombified Yon-suk and nearly falls off the ledge of the car. Su-an screams on the other side of the car platform, which attracts Yon-suk and he attempts to attack Seong-kyeong and Su-an. However, Seok-woo intervenes, and his hand is severely bitten. He manages to throw Yon-suk off the car but notices his injury. Aware that he will turn very soon, he seats Su-an and Seong-kyeong in the cockpit and tells them how to use the brakes once they get to Busan station. He then tries to leave the car, but Su-an begs him to stay and reveals that on the day of her recital, she did not finish singing Aloha 'Oe because she didn't see Seok-woo in the audience -- she had been saving the song for her father. The two have a tearful farewell, and Seok-woo holds Su-an's small hands in his for a moment, before throwing them aside and locking himself out of the cockpit. Su-an begins to scream and cry for him to come back.As the infection spreads, Seok-woo sobs as he walks towards the end of the train car, clutching his bloody hand. Su-an continues to cry for him inside the cockpit, as Seong-kyeong tries to hold her back. He slowly approaches the back of the train car, fighting the infection, and begins thinking of when Su-an was an infant. Recalling his happiest memories of cradling her and holding her small fingers and toes (as he did in the cockpit before), the infection takes hold, his eyes going white and veins going dark. However, in spite of being fully zombified, Seok-woo continues thinking of Su-an and he smiles happily towards the sky before falling off the car and onto the tracks (it is left ambiguous as to whether this was due to his body spasming, or him jumping off the car in an act of suicide to keep Su-an and Seong-kyeong safe).The train car finally arrives at the tunnel leading to Busan station. However, the track is blocked off with debris. The two exit the car and begin walking down the tunnel, not aware that they are being watched on the other side by the Busan military. One of the snipers reports their approach to his superior and is told to shoot them down, as they cannot tell in the dark whether they are infected or not. Just as the sniper is about to pull the trigger, Su-an begins to mournfully sing Aloha 'Oe to rally the exhausted Seong-kyeong to walk to the end of the tunnel. Hearing her song, the soldiers realize they are not infected and rush to their aid.

violence

train

imdb

It is more believable than those zombies can take over a city or a country within a day.The movie succeed where Fear The walking dead failed miserably, to explain how the pandemic starts and how it has been spread so fast.Most of the movie take place in a train, very claustrophobic place if you are chased by a herd of undead, but it worked for me, I felt the tension, the drama, the crazy survival instinct of ones and the resignation of the others.Walking dead made the zombie apocalypse almost cool, with guns and sex and love story, In train to busan nothing is cool, you do not have gun, your family and pretty much everyone you know are dead, there is no escape and nobody will come to save you ..I spent 2 marvelous hours watching a movie about zombies, I despite the fact I watched hundred movies about zombies, I have been surprised and scared.. This new Korean film "Train to Busan" is certainly earning a lot of positive word of mouth and box office success since its debut in the Midnight Screenings section of this year's Cannes Film Festival.The central character is Seok-woo, a man stressed out with problems about his investments business and his divorce. In total contrast to Sang-hwa, Yong- suk was a man only thought of himself alone, not caring that he actually put a lot of other characters directly into harm's way.Ahn So-hee (as Jin-hee) and Choi Woo-shik (as Young-guk) were in there to inject some teenage romantic angst into the film. I'm not a big fan of South Korea movies or TV shows but I love zombie movies so I try this one and I didn't disappointed as a zombie movie fan!Train to Busan is such a great ride, Well Written, A lovely cinematography, wonderful performances with the main cast, and especially unbelievable performance with the zombie actors to this film!This is the film that you will never forget this year because its all in one movie, FUN RIDE, ACTION RIDE, SUSPENSE RIDE AND DRAMA RIDE! I don't know how Korean gun control laws work, but I can assume it's strict enough that the story would make no sense if someone on the train just happen to have one for zombie killing (unlike an American movie in which the unborn child having a gun would be fine so long as it moved along the story). Top-notch Zombie movie includes hectic action , thrills , chills , gutsy scenes and loads of gore , regarding several passengers attempting to survive on the train from Seoul to Busan . It is a harrowing zombie horror-thriller that follows a group of terrified passengers fighting their way through a countrywide viral outbreak while trapped on a suspicion-filled, blood-drenched bullet train ride to Busan, a southern resort city that has managed to hold off the zombie hordes... This thrilling film results to one of the highest earning horror movies of the last years , full of eerie scenes with zombies and moving events . The main premise is the following : A divorced daddy spares time with his daughter , as he offers to take her on the train to see her mother in Busan , as the train departs, an abnormal virus spreads from a girl who is infected, and people start to transform to zombies. This movie is the sequel of his animated film Seoul Station, and both releasing in 2016, the movie gained a lot of attention from South Korea, and internationally, because he choose the genre that not a lot of South Korean director choose which is the zombie flick. If you had no idea this film was a horror, or that it featured zombies, it might be quite exciting but I imagine most people will go into this knowing exactly what to expect.Some kind of catastrophe has led to an outbreak in which dozens of writhing undead are roaming the streets of Seoul looking for their next victims. Its directed in expedient fashion but for a train film its seriously lacking any ambient sound effects such as the clickety-clack sound you would expect of a train on a track (or do South Korean trains run completely silently?).Fans of zombies will not be disappointed.Otherwise, it's more of what we've already seen many times over.My score: 6/10.. A non-stop locomotive ride that lets the fast-moving & instantly-infected zombies from Brad Pitt- starring World War Z go haywire inside a fast-moving train, this South Korean zombie apocalypse horror is a highly gripping, thoroughly entertaining & consistently engaging journey that moves at breakneck speed from start to finish and keeps ratcheting up the tension throughout its runtime.The story of Train to Busan finds an absentee father & his young daughter boarding a train from Seoul to Busan to meet her mother. While the movie makes use of CGI in the depiction of the reanimated corpses, the zombies look far more believable than the artificial mess they were in the film they are lifted from, not to mention that even the human characters exhibit an emotional core that was missing in that feature.The dramatic portions, however, are a tad too overblown as the director is unable to pull them off with same zeal with which he carries out the action-horror segments. The technical aspects are finely executed and the film as a whole really benefits from its energetic camera-work, tight editing, excellent choreography, first-rate production design & fitting score and although a few CGI shots don't look realistic enough, it serves its purpose well.Coming to the performances, the entire cast chips in with serviceable inputs and even though the characters they play lack an interesting persona & certain amount of depth, the actors somehow succeed in making the audience get on board with their characters' predicament. While everyone does an apt job in their given roles, there really was no need to add a despicable human character when you already have a train full of zombies so that felt a bit forced.On an overall scale, Train to Busan still makes up for an exciting, action-packed zombie horror and boasts numerous sequences of sustained terror. Train to Busan, Sang-ho Yeon's hugely successful South Korean zombie movie, may just be the most effortlessly enjoyable action movie to feature the brain-hungry undead in years. Movie: Train to Busan (A) (Why, CBFC India?)Rating: 5/5To be very honest, I had never watched a zombie film in my entire life. TRAIN TO BUSAN is an exceptional addition not just to the list of the best zombie apocalypse action thriller, but also to the list of best films of world cinema which portray human emotions in the most realistic and heart-touching way possible. At the same time Seok-woo tries to prove to his daughter what a good father he can still really be (by becoming a badass zombie fighter).The film has some great special effects, and awesome (brutal) zombie action scenes. In summary, Busanhaeng is the best zombie film I have seen in various years, and another sample of Korean talent improving North American formulas on the basis of creativity and emphasis on the humanity of the characters, regardless of the circumstances they go through. The train can not stop at stations because they are all over-run by the hordes, and the living passengers are continually being squeezed into tighter and tighter quarters by the increasing number of swarming undead that move like World War Z zombies-on-meth.Train to Busan is one of the best zombie action flicks I've seen in a long time. Sure the plot of the film is not original, because yet again we are shown the struggle and survival of people during zombie pandemic, but the way the story is approached and executed is beyond most of the average mainstream horror movies we get these days. There are some fresh ideas – such as what happens to the zombies when the train enters into a tunnel – and these ideas coupled with zombies that run like Olympic qualifiers and above average special effects lead to a heart pounding rollicking good time.One could not fully review Train to Busan without discussing the ending. "I'll take you to mom no matter what." Seok Woo (Yoo Gong)This workaholic father, Seok Woo, doesn't realize the ramifications of "no matter what." South Korean zombie thriller and box-office phenomenon Train to Busan speeds him and daughter, Soo-an (Soo-an Kim), from Seoul like the titular conveyance through cars and society in a way reminiscent of Snowpiercer. Director/writer Sang-ho Yeon navigates between the terror and the commentary with effective timing, never letting the flaming story erase the sociological implications, which sometimes are heavy handed.While cinematographer Lee Hyung-deok does first-rate work on the mise en scene (from macro shots of the train and stampeding zombies to action in narrow on-board bathrooms), and editor Yang Jin-mo keeps the story moving and understandable, Train is also about relationships. What I know is that for a critic who usually avoids zombie films unless they are humorous satires, I enjoyed Train to Busan as a multi-layered entertainment to appeal to just about anyone who likes to be thrilled by first-rate cinematography, a wild-ass story, and some heady thoughts along the way.. Once those rules are established, director Sang-Ho levels the playing field by turning tunnel drives into game cheats, washrooms into sanctuaries and luggage compartments into unlikely safe passages.Train to Busan may not reinvent the zombie sub-genre per se but director Yeon Sang-Ho has a clever use of technique for this film to work both as a grisly form of entertainment and as a potent social allegory as well. And I dare say that with this 2016 movie then director Sang-ho Yeon really solidly places South Korea on the zombie world map definitively.And although most of the entire movie takes place on a train from Seoul bound for Busan, then that is not really a hindrance to the enjoyment of the movie, because there is so much action and thrills to be had along the way that you forget that it only takes place on a train. So with that information, I immediately sought out the movie, and there is no regret here at all, because I was more than genuinely entertained and more than impressed with the final result of the movie.I can strongly recommend that you sit down to watch "Train to Busan" if you are a zombie aficionado like me. (If you want to skip zombie pseudo-history, please go directly to the fourth paragraph for the film) Train to Busan (2016) is the "best Zombie movie ever" like a few reviews mentioned, but I am not a particular zombie movie fan. Korean anthology of short films Doomsday Book (2012) had "A Brave New World" segment that dealt with Seoul zombies in a thoughtful, sensitive way, while Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror (2007) film (segment of Grindhouse) was the best zombie movie before Train to Busan (2016). A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014) and Jee-woon Kim's Coming Out (2001) are some example of the best Vampire tales every shown and they are from Iran and Korea.Train to Busan (2016) is a zombie film that is also a great action movie and a drama that holds its own weight. It is one of those films where you just watch and enjoy "the ride." Minimal character development, or rather economical development, but you end up liking all the main people, even caring about them. The protagonist isn't your typical hero, he's a character who is grossly selfish and unlikable at the start, but he subtlety develops into someone you begin to care about and admire.The film starts off as a good little zombie thriller. Once the film reaches the mid-way point though it stops being good and starts becoming great.Things get going fairly quickly so the characters develop through the action, making the film all the more gripping as it goes on. They decide to take the train from Seoul to Busan.At the same time a zombie-outbreak happens in South Korea.Cue lots of violence, running, blood and surprising moments, with a huge dose of feelings (but without falling into the cheesy).The movie keeps things simple: train, zombies, stations, and a bunch of people that will try to survive (some of them will do anything to do so). this film has done well to redeem itself and atone for shortcomings of zombie movies before.Without revealing too much, i would especially like to commend the screenwriters for such stellar work on scripting the characters and how interactive they were made. 'Train To Busan (2016)' is one of the best zombie movies of recent years, boasting a frenetic energy and the ability to create pulse-pounding tension thanks to an astute focus on fast-paced yet clear action sequences that feature several well-developed characters. I don't typically watch zombie movies and I'll admit to not seeing the beginning (it was playing in the background at a friend's place when I arrived) but we were all pretty much glued to the screen for the remaining 80% of this film and I even getting a little emotional at the end.. Train to Busan lacks a lot of the stupid found in most zombie movies while still providing drama, kind emotional moments and terror!The infected are done so well! The film is never slowing down and highly intriguing from the very first until the very last scene.What really makes this zombie movie stand out even compared to the better genre flicks is the depth and diversity of the intriguing characters that are perfectly portrayed by skilled actresses and actors. The story is simple and very straightforward as the film opens with Seok woo (Gong Yoo) a man with a workaholic lifestyle as a hedge fund manager and is always absent from his precocious young daughter Soo-an (Kim Soo-an), the two then take a train from their home in Seoul to Busan, at the bottom end of the country but as a suspicious passenger boards the train and what started out as a general commute turns into a train of horrors, as most of the passengers turn into a mass horde of ravenous flesh-eating crazies and the survivors have to survive the vicious attack and outrun the infected to survive.It may sound like a general zombie film with a very familiar premise but the good story and clever plot adds a lot of tension, a masquerade of zombies and high-octane action that refuses to take a break but when it does the film adds in a lot of drama and character depth to points where it's needed. Although the film isn't flawless not by a long way as the infected are strung together by heavy amounts of CG rubber no, it's not a sequel to World War Z, there is also an elderly man who tries to block Seok and some other survivors out of the rest of the train tries saying that they are infected he's more loud than good and there are zombies that don't die from falling out of a window.The third act is the most dramatic as it offers some heavily impacting heartfelt drama that is guaranteed to make even the most cynical person roll in flood of tears as the train reaches its final descent towards its destination there are some heartbreaking deaths with some of the more lovable characters that leads to an ending which could see a sequel being made that has already been announced. Aside from familiar premise with World War Z and 28 Days Later and the length of the story this is a brilliant, ingenious, and terrifying zombie film that adds a lot of tension with lovable in-depth characters giving brilliant performances, director Yeon Sang-ho's no nonsense story never ceases to deliver and it proves to be just as biting as Bong Joon-ho's dystopian sc-fi thriller Snowpiercer this original story is a breath of fresh air that is better than other Hollywood films of this sub-genre, so we can all breathe again. Surprisingly, the gore quotient is very low, but with such a rollicking pace, the lack of blood really isn't an issue.Perhaps a touch too long at almost two hours to be perfect, Train to Busan is nevertheless one of the better zombie films to come out in recent years. Train To Busan is simply one of the best films I've seen this year, and probably the best Zombie movie since 28 Days Later. Overall this is a very exciting and emotional ride, it's clever with it's pace and character development, the action scenes were brilliantly executed although I don't remember the protagonists killing a single zombie during the entirety of the movie, it also offers a good little twist on the zombie genre, it looks like it was there to serve the advancement of the plot but it's really clever and it worked well. I'm really happy with this thriller/action/horror zombie Korean flick Train to Busan, its really different from Hollywood zombie movie that we normally used to, with it new style of terrorizing the audience you can feel its thrill from beginning until the end. Train to Busan is an uber-entertaining action-packed, not-a-minute-of-rest Zombie Korean movie. No time to get bored, the zombies are like rats coming out of nowhere, with a healthy appetite for human flesh, and our heroes are bunch of normal good people stuck on the carriages of a train heading to the city of Busan.I thoroughly enjoyed this film, which has nothing to envy to any of Hollywood zombie movies. The movie, set in South Korea (dialogue is also Korean so native English speakers like myself will need subtitles), follows the passengers of a train headed to Busan which starts off just as the news starts getting a little weird. If you like or love the action movie,you should see Train to Busan !. While Train to Busan was a great film (even by South Korean Standards), it could have been so, so much more.

tt0365485

The Matador

Julian Noble (Pierce Brosnan) wakes up in bed next to a hooker. He looks in her bag and discovers some purple nail varnish; he paints his toe nails and then burns some documents. Julian walks to a park and sits on a bench in Denver, pretending to read a paper. He keeps staring at a Porsche across the road. A young boy asks him if the Porsche is his car. He says his mom thinks Julian is cute. Julian rudely replies "I don't know anything about that car and I'm only interested in your mother if she lost 20 pounds and 30 years!" The boy goes away and Julian sees a man getting into the Porsche; he quickly gets up and walks away quickly. When the car explodes, Julian doesn't even bother to look.Elsewhere in Denver, Danny Wright (Gregg Kinnear) wakes up at 5:45AM with lightening and thunder breaking continually overhead during a terrible storm. He gets up quietly without waking his wife. He goes downstairs and eats breakfast when his wife, Bean (Hope Davis), comes down, wakened by the storm. They talk about how they will miss each other and Danny replies he will be back in just two days. They embrace and then start to undress for a quickie before he leaves for the airport. Suddenly a tree falls through their roof and they leap to the side before the tree crashes through their kitchen.Danny runs into the Denver airport out of the pouring rain. He meets his business partner. They talk about their upcoming trip and how important it is to their business. They can't afford to miss the plane to Mexico. Coincidentally, Julian is on the same flight. The ticket agent asks him how he is and, after looking at her cleavage for a lingering moment and at her name tag, he replies "Couldn't be better. But more importantly how are you Genevive?"After they arrive in Mexico City, a man walks into a hotel carrying a large metallic briefcase. Julian gets out a taxi and walks into the hotel and after checking in, goes into the hotel bar. The man joins him and orders a beer. They talk casually for a minute. Julian asks the bartender whether there are any good and bloody bullfights on on Sunday. The bartender replies there is a good one with a matador from Madrid. The bartender then asks Julian whether he is in town for business or pleasure. Julian replies "My business is my pleasure". before the man walks away, leaving the briefcase behind, next to Julian.Julian takes the suitcase up to his room and opens it. It contains a sniper rifle and pictures of his target. Danny and his partner are leaving the same hotel on the way to their meeting with a prospective client. They are both worried about their presentation. Julian leaves the hotel after them and goes into the city. He goes to a flea market stand where he target shoots in a booth. Three cute teen age school girls watch him. He smiles at them and scores on the first shot. When he misses the second shot. He smiles at the girls and then laughs. The girls giggle at him.Julian's boss, Mr. Randy (Phillip Baker Hall), meets him and describes the job. He remarks that the girls might be too pubescent even for him! His boss says the schedule has been moved up, and the job has to be completed today. Julian is unhappy. As his boss walks off he shouts back to Julian, "Happy birthday". Julian appears to ahve forgotten it is his birthday.Julian follows his target in the gun's scope from a high vantage point. He shoots the woman and kills her. Elsewhere, Danny and his partner walk joyfully into a bar, exclaiming about how brilliant their first pitch to the client went.Julian returns to his hotel room and watches TV, bored and lonely. He puts on a large Mexican sombrero and then takes it off, annoyed. He calls a number of people and they all hang up on him. He gets really annoyed and decides to head for the brothel.When he returns to the hotel he goes straight to the bar where Danny is also drinking. He orders a margarita and Danny says he looks like he needs one. Julian says how they always taste better in Mexico "margaritas and cock". They begin talking and Julian commends Danny for getting back on his feet with his new business deal after being fired from his job suddenly and left struggling. Julian says something rude and Danny is offended. Julian apologizes and they continue to talk. Danny tentatively reveals that he lost his son in an accident, and Julian responds with a crude joke about a "fifteen-inch schlong," changing the subject. Danny is deeply offended and begins to leave before Julian apologizes. Danny relents and allows Julian to buy him a drink.The next morning Julian walks through the hotel lobby in his tight swim trunks and boots, drinking a can of beer, drawing stares. He kicks off his boots and jumps in the swimming pool. Underwater, he imagines sharks are in the water. At the entrance to the hotel Danny and his partner are upset. The clients now want to hear pitches from other companies. They agree that Danny will remain behind and attempt to secure the contract. Julian sees Danny and apologizes for his rudeness the night before. He tells Danny that he lost his wife while driving drunk. Gaining Danny's sympathy, he invites Danny to a bullfight. Danny is initially reluctant but agrees to join him.At the bullfight they both smoke cigars. Danny is amazed by the experience. Julian tells Danny that he doesn't have a proper address, that he lives wherever he works. Danny is really suprised and asks what Julian does. Julian says he'd rather not say. Julian then explains to Danny the honour of a bull dying in a bull fight and that the crowd respects the bull. Danny finally persuades Julian to say what he does. Julian asks him to not "loose his shit" when he tells him what job he does. Julian says "sometimes people need to be eliminated. Danny does not believe it and jokes about Julian being a hitman. Julian says "my handler calls me a facilitator, a facilitator of fatalities." Danny finds this hilarious and does not believe him.Danny humours Julian and says he wants a man in the crowd killed. Julian agrees and they leave the bull ring. They go outside the toilets and Julian explains the "got-to-pee" theory. He tells Danny about what to and what not to worry about. He shows Danny the escape routes and picked a lock of a door. Danny is amazed.Julian then empties lighter fluid into a bin full of paper. The man Danny joked about killing got up and went into the toilets. Julian threw a cigarette into the bin and it exploded. The guards immediately ran to put it out. Julian dragged Danny away, pulled out a knife and dragged him into the toilets. He goes to the cubicle the man is in. Danny is now scared and begs Julian not to kill him. Julian kicks open the door his knife ready with Danny whimpering. He apologizes to the man and pulls Danny out of the toilets laughing.The two walk down the street together to a little bar. Julian asks Danny a favour. He wants Danny's help with a job and offers to pay $50 000. Danny is revolted by the idea and says no. He changes the subject but Julian changes it back. Danny still says no so Julian walks off in a mood, Danny calls him back and Julian just says "consider me the best cocktail party story you ever met".That evening Danny heard news that the business deal is now going against him. He sits drinking. Julian comes knocking on the door drunk trying to apologize. The screen goes black and you hear a bottle smash. The screen changes to six months later.There are short clips of Julian having sex, drinking and killing people in Vienna, Moscow, Las Vegas, and Sydney. The screen slows down in Budapest where he is meeting Mr Randy. Julian wants to have a break as he feels "burnt out" but Mr Randy said he can't otherwise the agency will find a new young assassin. Julian says he is tired and doesn't want to do that job. Mr Randy remarks about a failure in Manila but pleads with him to do that job. Julian reluctantly agrees and goes off to do it.He is on a roof above a crowded square and has his sights set on his target. He is about the pull the trigger when he sees himself cowering. he tries again but collapses.The screen changes to Mr Randy. He is speaking to the messenger of his boss Mr Stick. The messenger says Mr Stick wants Julian dead. Mr Randy is surprised and sad. He says he's only made two mistakes. The messenger walks off.The screen changes again but this time to Denver where Danny and Bean are having sex. All looks well. That evening they are in bed talking about how they love each other and support each other. Tomorrow is the fourth anniversary of their son's death. In the middle of their conversation the doorbell rings. It is late at night so they both run downstairs. Danny look out the door and sees Julian standing there. He lets Julian in and hugs him. He greets Bean and says she's fantastic. Danny asks Julian what he is doing there.Julian replies he doesn't know but Danny and Bean offer him some whisky. They sit down and talk. Julian notices the bull fight ticket framed and on the wall. Julian is touched by this. Bean asks to see Julian's gun. He shows it to her and comments "My god you are a magnificent woman!". Julian comments on how good Danny looks and understands that Danny got the job he went to Mexico for. Julian proposes a toast to Bean, Danny and himself ("a toast to a dead man").The three move in to the kitchen and Julian explains how he messed up in Manila and how he was burnt out. He said he drank and had sex but nothing worked. He still felt terrible. He said he had to kill a Copper Wire Executive in a market. His plan was to bump into him and stab him. But as Julian got near to his target. The target turned into a child. He collapsed and woke up in a pile of donkey excrement.Julian then explained how his jobs from then were hot and cold. He explained his mistake in Budapest and said how his bosses now wanted to kill him. Danny is really amazed and asks can't he just apologize. Julian said it is impossible as he only just got out of Budapest alive because Mr Randy let him off.Bean then asked him how he got here. Julian tells her how their home is the only home he knows. That Danny is his only friend. Bean invites Julian to stay the night. Julian asks Danny whether he can dance with Bean. Danny obliges and Julian and Bean dance beautifully together. Bean then makes a comment about having a horrible hangover. Julian tells her a recipe to prevent this from "the only woman he'd ever loved" his mother. Danny then knows how Julian lied about his wife. There is a moment of tenseness between them. Julian asks whether they want him to leave but they say "No", so he stays.Julian wakes Danny up after they went to bed. He takes him into his rental car. Julian again says he needs Danny's help. He said he had been offered a reprieve from death but needed Danny's help to do it. He couldn't do the job on his own as he was burnt out. He needed Danny to help kill the target. At first Danny says no but after Julian says Danny owes him, he obliges.They flew to Arizona together to the race courses to kill the target. Julian gets Danny to open a door to set off the alarm so he could turn off the alarm in the future. He then asks Danny to bump into the target so Julian could have a clear shot. Julian is on the stairwell with a sniper rifle. Danny does his part but Julian is unable to take the shot he breaks down. Danny goes to find him and together they agree that Danny will talk Julian through firing. They are successful in killing the man.The screen then changes to the plane on the way home. Julian says thank you and Danny says it's ok. They talk about what happened the night where Julian was knocking on Danny's hotel room. There is a flashback and we discover what really happened. Danny let Julian in and they began talking. Danny asked Julian to kill his business opponents. Julian says no as he doesn't think Danny is that type of person and knows Danny will regret it. The flashback ends and they are back on the plane. Danny says " You became my friend that night Julian. You surprised me!" Julian replied "I surprised myself." Julian tells Danny that really he didn't do any assignment and that the person he killed was Mr Stick. Julian killed the guy that was trying to kill him.Bean and Danny, when he got back, went to the cemetery together and Julian after watching them for a while left leaving only a little piece of information showing that he was going to Greece!

psychedelic, comedy, murder, storytelling, flashback

train

imdb

Hope Davis has a small, but subtly effective supporting role as Kinnear's wife (what's with her name "Bean"?) who happens to get a little excited when she has a facilitator in her living room.The visuals and settings are perfect - including a bullfight, racetrack and Denver suburb. During a job in Mexico City he meets Danny (Greg Kinnear), a straight-faced Denver suburban business-man, who's in town to make his deal of-a-life-time, in a hotel bar. It is a wacky film with an unforgettable character, played to perfection by Pierce Brosnan.Julian Noble (Brosnan) is a facilitator (hit-man) who specializes in high-end corporate gigs (assassinating rich dudes). After coming to realization that he has no real friends, no permanent home and no planned future, he stumbles into a Mexican hotel bar one night and runs into Danny Wright (Kinnear).Danny is a down-on-his-luck family man who is on the verge of losing the big business deal that just might turn things around for him. However, when Julian thumbs through his little black book to find someone to call on his birthday, or when Danny and his wife (Davis) console each other in their bedroom one night, the film reaches an unexpected depth of emotion."The Matador" is stylish and energetic. And it contains a career-defining role for Brosnan as the lonely hit-man looking for normalcy, friendship and a means to do at least one good thing in his life. The three leads have the best chemistry the big screen has offered in recent years and it looks like they had a great time making this film together. There is nothing funnier than hearing a sleazy, broken-down version of James Bond exclaim after ogling some Catholic schoolgirls, "God I hate these Catholic countries; it's all blushy blushy, no suckie fuckie." So Brosnan has a terrifically dirty mouth in The Matador and this is juxtaposed with Greg Kinnear's goody-goody family man character in their newfound, unlikely friendship. THE MATADOR (2005) *** _ Pierce Brosnan, Greg Kinnear, Hope Davis, Philip Baker Hall, Dylan Baker. Metamovies about genres, and this type done for dramatic effect rather than comedy.I love it, at least when it is novel as is this, "Brick" and "Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang." This time the filmic reference is a comic backdrop for what most folks call character development, but in this case is more definition than development because nothing changes.Here's what we have: 1) the backdrop of the world as a movie. This is the first movie in a long, long time where we both looked at our watches to estimate how much time could be left, and we see a LOT of movies.Both of us think Brosnan is good and, based on some of his other recent works (i.e. After The Sunrise), thought it would be another "fun" movie with him in a relaxed role. After being hugely entertained by Mr. Brosnan's performance as a cad in "The Tailor of Panama" (which I rate 10/10 across the board: casting, acting, script, story, editing, pace, music, emotional impact, etc.), I enthusiastically anticipated this film. Absolutely terrible film dealing with a burned out assassin (Julian), played by a hard drinking, heavy smoking Pierce Brosnan and his chance meeting with a conventional business person Danny (Greg Kinnear) The two become friends as Julian tells Danny that he is burned out. Early in the film we see Pierce Brosnan's character about to leave a hotel room having obviously spent the night with a lovely lady. Why ??.We never see that girl again nor the toe nails and I don't really see the point.Also throughout the film Brosnan hints at his characters supposed homosexuality and perverse sexual tastes, but nowhere does this get progressed in the film, and I was left thinking "why" "what" "where", and "when".It is obvious that he is a hit-man/ assassin in decline but do you really expect that he would tell Kinnears character what his job was within 5 minutes of meeting him in a bar in Mexico.To make matters worse they then both go to a bullfight and Brosnann decides to show Kinnear a few tricks of the trade by pretending to stalk and nearly assassinate an unknown local while he was on the toilet. It was quirky and totally unpredictable, thanks to Pierce Brosnan's strange character, "Julian."However, when Julian knocked on the door late at the night in Denver, Colorado, at the house of his buddy "Danny Wright" (Greg Kinnear), the film began to turn sour, and went down the dumper in a hurry. In The Matador, Pierce Brosnan plays a weary, boozy contract killer who just wants to be friends with Walter Mitty-like Greg Kinnear. The two make an unexpected connection, and Danny sticks around to hear Julian's story, even after learning the "unsavory" truth about Julian's work.Matador approaches a subject not completely unheard of in cinema, the anti-hero assassin (films like 'Assassins' and 'Grosse Pointe Blank' come to mind). OK,So i did watch this movie, and although there were some good moments, it just seemed like a long , boring film based on a 5 minute idea someone came up with in the shower or something. Sure we have a little filthy Chinatown (like all Chinatowns all over the world) but that does not look Manila.The Restaurante sign, it was from the old movie about a fake healer, 20 years ago.I don't know why you think the audience is stupid.Also, I was a catholic high schooler too, I don't think high school kids would find old Pierce Brosnan attractive. Soon Julian meets Danny Wright (Greg Kinnear) in Mexico City, man who's got bad luck: his son died in accident, his job isn't going that well and he's not sure that he can keep his wife Bean (Hope Davis).I always liked movies like this; crime movie with big touch of humor. I also like Greg 'typical American face' Kinnear in the role of loser that is very lively made because there are plenty of people like Danny Wright.So I recommend you to watch quite possibly the best role of Brosnan ever. In fact, it's every other hit-man with crisis of conscience movie ever made with a splash of LOST IN TRANSLATION liven up with a much louder and larger version of Brosnan's much better character and much better performance in THE TAILOR OF PANAMA. Pierce Brosnan (Julian Noble) and Greg Kinnear (Danny Wright) meet at a bar in Mexico City. That's what the movie is about, Pierce Brosnan is a matador (hit man) that is on his way down, a lonely guy with no manners. The cinematography is great, the performances in general are good, but the surprise of the night is Pierce Brosnan, in his character (Julian Noble) that steals the show. Burnt-out professional hit-man Pierce Brosnan travels around the globe snuffing out his targets, but he may be feeling at the end of his rope; in Mexico City, Brosnan strikes up a friendship (his only one) with struggling American businessman Greg Kinnear and involves the mild-mannered man in his life. This genre appreciation is reflected in the final credit by writer/director Richard Shepard "For my dad, who loved movies." The script and the editing are pitch perfect, managing to give credibility to a slightly silly premise -- that an aging international hit man (Pierce Brosnan) with a Tony Soprano-like nervous breakdown hits it off with a suburban nebbish (Greg Kinnear) -- by making both sympathetic. From director Richard Shephard comes a razor sharp black drama/comedy featuring outstanding turns from Pierce Brosnan and Greg Kinnear as a burned out hit-man and a down on his luck salesman who, after a chance meeting in Mexico, become quick friends as it becomes apparent that they are much more important to each other than they could have ever guessed.Pierce, in a welcome turn away from his Bond-image, is both hilarious and moving as a flawed but ultimately redeemable character. It is obvious that he is a hit-man/ assassin in decline but do you really expect that he would tell Kinnears character what his job was within 5 minutes of meeting him in a bar in Mexico." There are more. Cut to 6 months later: Julian, in worse shape than ever and with a price on his head, has tracked Danny down and asks for his help.The Matador is a relatively simple movie that proves to be more about its characters than anything else. The real satisfying revelation that occurs at the end of the film is the flashback to what happens between Julian's drunken knocking at Danny's hotel door and the "6 months later." We find out what truly has made these two guys friends. With a role like this, Brosnan has shown he has a true gift for conveying depth to his character, as well as great comedic timing and eccentricities.The Matador is a very entertaining movie, and much better than I expected it to be. Julian (Pierce Brosnan) is a hit man experiencing burnout, and Danny (Greg Kinnear) is a straight arrow businessman. The story takes you from dark to light, from almost seduction to the bullfight arena, then to the marvelous sequence of the fantasy hit.Pierce Brosnan did his best acting in this role. Pierce Brosnan and Greg Kinnear--mediocre in most of their film appearances--give the best performances of their respective careers. In the first act, world-weary hit man Julian (Brosnan) and mild-mannered businessman Danny (Kinnear) meet in the bar of the hotel they are both staying at in Mexico City. Some parts were funny enough, but not enough to describe this movie as a comedy.The characters played by Brosnan and Kinnear are fairly well played out and developed, and the bond between them is strange to say the least. Some nice artistic touches from Shepard, such as intercutting scenes of a bullfight matador with Brosnan's character getting up to something.The soundtrack is a little cliché at times and there are one or two little twists towards the end, although if you had been paying attention throughout and have watched enough twisty movies they're not too hard to figure out before they happen. I do remember thinking "Wow, Hope Davis isn't as nearly as annoying as usual" and then saying to myself " You know, Greg Kinnear really was great as the original host on Talk Soup, but boy he sure can play a straight and narrow white guy pretty well too". The joke you've heard while sitting around bored on a car-trip, or while waiting in line for a movie ticket; or as the assassin Julian Noble (Pierce Brosnan) tells Danny Wright (Greg Kinnear), it's just "the best cocktail story you'll ever tell." But The Matador tells this joke and succeeds in extending its telling through a 100 minute running length. Unlike Sean Connery, however, Pierce Brosnan has capture a role that provides a much more dark comedic, wry humorous role of an aging assassin that makes for a much more human and intimate emotional dramatic movie with a balanced flavor of comedy - shaken not stirred. I also can understand the way their friendship developed and feel that in the given circumstances anyone could end up following the same sequence of events.I did not like this movie enough to watch it again alone but I would watch it with someone else so that they could experience both the interesting story line and two great actors working together to offer a quality product.. Danny on a Mexico City business trip encounters Julian Noble (Pierce Brosnan). The main character, a hit-man, is played by Pierce Brosnan, most famous for his roles in several James Bond movies. That seems to be the thinking behind this quirky little gem from rising star Richard Shepard, who has produced a blackly comic film that really makes the most of its unusual premise.Brosnan plays Julian Noble, a washed-up and burnt-out assassin whose lust for cheap booze and sex is only halted by the inconvenience of actually having to finish the job. Julian Noble is all internal - he's self-reflective and 'tired of it all.' But the film isn't just centered around Brosnan as an actor (though he did co-produce) or as a character. The film has few comical scenes (but not on purpose), and I only remembering laughing hard at one fifteen-second sequence where Brosnan's character, dirty and drunk off his ass, walks through an up-scale hotel lobby with a bear in his hand and a tight speedo (everyone looks horrified.) I felt like those people in the hotel lobby watching 'The Matador'. The best performance of the film is Kinnear's blood-lustful wife played by indie star Hope Davis (The Weather Man, American Splendor) and she barely has a part. Anyway, while in Mexico CITY on business, white bread Danny Wright (Greg Kinnear) strikes up small talk in the hotel bar with the smarmy Julian Noble (Pierce Brosnan), who looks like a "Saturday Night Fever" extra, and who alternately buddies up to and offends Danny, who was just being polite. Julian Noble (Pierce Brosnan) is a hit man who's very good at what he does, but is losing his taste for the business. With unfunny and really daft films like After the Sunset and this, The Matador, it seems that the actor was desperate to move away from the image of Bond but had to make sure he retained some sort of respectability through playing roles that demanded a crime themed character. Struggling businessman Danny Wight (Kinnear) and Brosnan's hit-man for hire Julian Noble sit and speak while throwing in banter to do with secret agents and spies and espionage. Billed as "The funniest thing Pierce Brosnan has ever done!" (Compared to what?) The Matador is a story about a lonely hit-man, who starts the lose his grip on the job, and forms a bond with salesman Danny (Greg Kinnear) whom he meets at a hotel in Spain. The movie involves an odd relationship between a screwball assassin (Pierce Brosnan) and ordinary businessman (Greg Kinnear). The result is an entertaining mix of comedy and drama about an unusual friendship that takes a couple of unexpected twists and turns.Julian Noble is a professional hit man, who believes he has the greatest job in the world and travels all over the planet to take out his targets. Despite having Pierce Brosnan in the leading role, who is always a good candidate for a fast-paced action movie, there are very little action scenes in this film, and it is more of a buddy comedy and relationship drama. Richard Shepard, whose previous work mostly consists of B-movies wrote a dynamic script that mostly focuses on the strange relationship of Julian and Danny, two wonderfully constructed characters with their flaws and good sides to them. Julian Noble is an obnoxious, but likable character, and without Pierce Brosnan this film certainly would have lost a lot of its freshness and charm. There is also Hope Davis as Danny's cute wife Bean and Philipp Baker Hall as Julian's handler, who appears in maybe two scenes for a total screen time of less than five minutes.Without Pierce Brosnan, "The Matador" would have been a typical independent film without any stars, but a strong script that is shown on a couple of film festivals and then is never heard of again. I love Pierce Brosnan, not because of being Jamed Bond, but his meticulous style and charisma he carries in almost any movies like Thomas Crown Affair or the Matador, sad thing is however bad the overall movie is. There are few movies where it is better you are left with thinking what happened at end but in this one, for god's sake , how come he forgets to add at least two scenes where Brosnan is actually helping Greg Kinnear to eliminate his rivals and both of them working out to o the final work. He meets Danny (Greg Kinnear) in Mexico and hopes that he can put him straight again.If you like your comedy Pulp-Fiction style, then this is the film for you.. Both Pierce Brosnan and Greg Kinnear are simply brilliant in their characters. The movie is funny and entertaining and Brosnan proves he's good at comedy. The film is very much a two-hander with Brosnan (Julian Noble) and Greg Kinnear (Danny Wright) in virtually every scene.Julian meets Danny a Denver consultant in a bar in Mexico City. It took me a little while, but I finally saw The Matador, starring Pierce Brosnan, Greg Kinnear, and Hope Davis. What I got was a compelling friendship, with some hysterical situations, a mold breaking performance, and a movie I'll remember for a long time.The Matador follows Julian Noble (Brosnan in a Golden Globe nominated performance), an eccentric globetrotting hit-man with fetishes for barely legal girls, cigarettes, and booze, and his friendship with a salesman, Danny Wright (Greg Kinnear). The Matador is one of those films that combines great acting with a good comedy story. Having watch this movie last night I was delighted by the performance of Pierce Brosnan. The movie itself was very entertaining and funny and both Greg Kinnear and Hope Davis are great in their roles. is just one of the many great lines uttered by conflicted hit-man Julian Noble (Brosnan, in one of his best performances ever). Greg Kinnear made Brosnan's Julian Noble come to life by playing Danny Wright, a dude who not only falls into Noble's life, but also makes you pity Noble because he seems like a really good guy, even though he is a hit-man. Brosnan is Julian Noble,a middle-aged hit-man who's one of the best at his job. The Matador is a witty, dark humored and suspenseful melodrama that rises way above mediocrity thanks to two very engaging and earnest performances from Pierce Brosnan, who has never ever been better than here, and the always reliable Greg Kinnear who has his best role here since playing Jack Nicholson's gay neighbor in As Good As It Gets. I love watching Brosnan in any movie, he's always good, but this was totally different.

tt0219653

Dracula 2000

1897 England: The schooner Demeter is nearing England. The crew is dead, and the captain is lashed to the wheel. Dracula has arrived.2000 London: Matthew Van Helsing [Christopher Plummer], an aging collector of antiques, and his protegee Simon Sheppard [Jonny Lee Miller] are discussing the purchase of a medieval crossbow that Matthew means to add to his personal collection in the Carfax Museum. Among the artifacts on public display, Carfax Museum also houses a heavily-protected vault, and no one knows what it contains. It must be pretty valuable, though, so another employee, Solina [Jennifer Esposito], has arranged to break into the vault and steal whatever is in there. While Matthew sits in his office at the end of the day, Solina and her companions (Marcus, Trick, Nightshade, Dax, Charlie, and J.T) break the computer codes and make their way to the main vault, passing numerous vampire skulls and crosses along the way, only to find...a coffin. No one would think to look for treasure in a coffin, they reason, so this must be it. In searching for a way to open it,Eddie and Dax are impaled by spikes causing an alarm to go off in in Matthew's office. "It's not possible!" Matthew whispers to himself, arms himself with a gun that shoots silver bullets, and goes down to the vault to find that the coffin is gone, the thieves having removed it through a hole they've blasted in the vault's wall. "God help us all!" Matthew exclaims. When Simon comes into work the next day, he finds Matthew preparing to travel. But Matthew won't reveal where he is going, so Simon follows him...all the way to New Orleans.New Orleans: Mary Heller [Justine Waddell] is awakened by a dream in which a vampire is attacking her. Mary has been having this dream for all her life and finds them troubling enough that she is receiving counseling from her family friend, Father David [Nathan Fillion]. She thinks the dreams have to do with something that happened to her mother before she died, and she thinks Fr David might know what it is. But Fr David isn't talking. On the other hand, Mary's roommate, Lucy Westerman [Colleen Fitzpatrick] thinks that all Mary needs is a real man in her bed. But it's Mardi Gras, and Mary vows not to let it bother her.Meanwhile, the thieves are transporting the coffin on a cargo plane. Still trying to open it, Nightshade cuts himself. His blood is sucked into the coffin and the lid opens to reveal a body, a bunch of leeches, and a crucifix set with a ruby. As Nightshade searches the coffin for more treasure, Dracula [Gerard Butler] awakens. One by one, the thieves are drained of their blood, and the plane ultimately crashes in a swamp near New Orleans, the pilot lashed to his seat. While newscaster Valerie Sharpe [Jeri Ryan] is covering the crash, Dracula emerges from the swamp and makes her his second vampiress (Solina being first).Matthew and Simon go to the townhall where the bodies from the plane crash have been taken. By now, they're all vampires. Matthew and Simon manage to destroy some of them, but Solina and Marcus escape. As Matthew and Simon drive away, Matthew finally fills Simon in on what's happening. Stoker's Dracula is real, he says, and Matthew Van Helsing is really Abraham Van Helsing, kept alive by injections of Dracula's blood, which he has been filtering through leeches. Van Helsing has been keeping Dracula's body ever since he bested him in 1897. Unlike other vampires, who can be destroyed by piercing their hearts or cutting off their heads, Dracula cannot die, and Van Helsing intends to remain alive until such time as he can learn the secret to Dracula's origin and find the way to end him. So far, all he has managed to learn is that Dracula hates God and is repulsed by all things Christian. He also reveals that he (Van Helsing) has fathered a daughter, Mary Heller, and that Dracula has come to New Orleans to find her. The two decide to go looking for Mary, Van Helsing to her house and Simon to the Virgin Megastore where she and Lucy both work.Dracula is apparently following the same plan. He comes to Virgin looking for Mary, but Lucy tells him that she isn't there. Lucy takes Dracula home to wait for Mary. Dracula seduces Lucy and turns her into vampiress #3. When Simon arrives at Virgin, Mary has returned. Simon tries to tell her about her father. As they leave the shop, Simon is attacked by Marcus. "Never ever fuck with an antiques dealer," Simon warns Marcus just before beheading him. Meanwhile, Van Helsing arrives at Mary's house, only to find Dracula waiting for him. "You can't have her!" Van Helsing exclaims, but Dracula refuses to listen. "You stole life from my blood and passed it to another," he hisses. "She's MY Mary now." With that, Dracula kills Van Helsing by tossing him into a mirror.Mary goes home to find her father dead and the three vampiresses and Dracula awaiting her. She escapes into Simon's arms. Looking for a sacred place to spend the night, they go to a church. While in the parish library, they research Dracula's background, learning only what they already know about his despise of all things Christian--holy water, the cross, the Bible. Only his dislike of silver remains unexplained. Suddenly, Dracula appears. Mary flees into the church cemetery while Simon attempts to divert Dracula with an open Bible. Dracula *is* diverted...right into the cemetery where he explains to Mary, "I have walked the earth for centuries in search of a soul not bitten but born. Everything I am is yours, and all that you are is mine."Dracula takes Mary to the church roof where he reveals to her the secret of his long existence. He is Judas Iscariot, the disciple who sold out Christ to the Romans for 30 pieces of silver (hence, Dracula's dislike of silver). In atonement, Judas hung himself, but the rope broke and God scourged him with eternal life as a vampire. In a soliloquy in front of a lighted crucifix, Dracula cries out to God, "Now I drink the blood of *your* children. You made the world in your image. Now I make it in mine."Meanwhile, Simon sees the three vampiresses feasting on Mardi Gras revelers. He stakes Valerie, but the remaining two capture him. Dracula takes Mary to Simon and tells her to feed from him. "I'd like his head," Mary says while unsheathing a sword. Just as she prepares to swing the sword, Lucy cries out, "She's faking!" In the melee that follows, Mary beheads Lucy instead of Simon, Simon beheads Solina, and Dracula winds up hanging by his neck from the lighted crucifix...just as the sun comes up. Dracula bursts into flames. Mary vows to take over her father's job of keeping Dracula's ashes, lest Dracula find a way to return to life. [Original Synopsis by bj_kuehl.]

comedy, suspenseful, gothic, murder, paranormal, cult, violence, plot twist, flashback, good versus evil, psychedelic, humor, revenge

train

imdb

Christopher Plummer has, previously, suffered from what I call "Michael Caine" syndrome; making any film that will write him a cheque, Johnny Lee Miller was amusing in "Trainspotting" and, let's not kid each other, there is no mystery as to why Jennifer Esposito and Jeri Ryan were cast. Seriously....Mary works in one of the stores which means we get prominent t-shirt coverage....not to mention the gawdy neon sign, the truck in the garage etc.....however, Dracula needs virgins, right?By far the most interesting part of this film was the story behind the creation of Dracula. Taking the myth back to the time of the crucifixion, with Judas Iscariot suffering some fairly serious guilt issues leading to his suicide and eventual "re-birth"....good angle: it helped to explain the vampires aversion to all things holy and dislike of silver (as in 30 pieces of...). The reason this movie is amazing, is because it takes the old Dracula tale that everyone knows and puts it into a modern time situation. The acting in this movie is wonderful, actors like Johnny Lee Miller, Gerald Gutler, Christopher Plummer, and Omar Epps did fantastic jobs on their roles. They are wrong of course - those close to me have taken sadistic pleasure in assuring me I look more like a cross between Woody Harrelson and Kelsey Grammar - not particularly good for my sex-symbol status, but useful if I ever wanted work as a stunt double on the set of Cheers.Anyway, it turns out I chose wisely - Dracula 2000 is a hoot. There was a very passionate vampire story going on, covered up by a high-tech monster movie (think Bram Stoker's Dracula coated with a layer of Underworld or League of Extraordinary Gentlemen).Considering the double tone of this film, I'm not surprised to see Christopher Plummer co-starring along some very fresh-faced young actors. Also conflicted is the wonderful Christopher Plummer, who is so present in the role of Van Helsing that he really sells the premise of the whole re-invention in the film's first few minutes.For levity, Dracula's new brood of followers have a lot of trendy, new-age comments to make on the pluses and minuses of their new, undead status. The story is very convoluted but it comes down to Dracula (Gerard Butler) is search of Van Helsing's (Christopher Plummer) daughter Mary (Justine Waddell) in modern day New Orleans. The cast is great and the performances by Gerard Butler, Justine Waddel, Jonny Lee Miller, Colleen Fitzpatrick (Vitamin C), Jennifer Esposito, and Cristopher Plummer are some of the best actors that I have seen!!! Anyone looking for books of the genre see the authors above and if you like TV vampire try Kindred: the embraced, great show that ended too quickly because the main actor died riding his motorcycle and he was a good actor.. This movie rehashes the worst of Bram Stoker's Dracula (Van Helsing), Anne Rice's Vampire Lestat (rock music and silly biblical references), and Blade (high-tech toys). With director Patrick Lussier at the helm—who certainly knows how to handle his special effects and action, and who has no qualms about dishing up plenty of gnarly violence—this had the potential to be a hugely enjoyable updating of the Dracula mythos, but the film rarely lives up to its promise.It all starts well enough, with a bunch of ruthless criminals breaking into Van Helsing's vault and stealing the silver coffin within, convinced that it contains something of immense value. Unfortunately, once the wheels are set in motion, matters quickly go downhill.Most of the blame can be placed on the lousy casting/weak performances: Butler makes for a dreadful Dracula, his goofy grin and rugged looks more suited to Jennifer Aniston rom-coms than horror films; Johnny Lee Miller is about as emotive as a fish; and Waddell is too ineffectual to believe that she could be related to Van Helsing and infected by the DNA of Dracula. I'm an atheist"—groan), a script that meanders aimlessly for much of the running time, and some of the most blatant 'product placement' I've ever had the misfortune to witness (even if it is slightly amusing that the company being advertised is Virgin).The inclusion of three really hot vampire brides (played by Jennifer Esposito, Colleen Fitzpatrick and Jeri Ryan) compensates slightly for the film's crappier elements, as do a few choice moments of gore and a satisfyingly spectacular demise for Dracula, but on the whole Dracula 2000 proves to be a frustratingly mediocre movie.. I watched this as a fan of Jonny Lee Miller's, but found myself coming away from it with a tremendous new liking for Scottish actor Gerard Butler (from Phantom of the Opera). Still not very good though, but I've seen greater disasters under the `Wes Craven Presents'-label…70 years after Bela Lugosi made him immortal, new blood is running through the veins of the horror icon Dracula (which is a pretty ironic statement to itself…). All of a sudden, this version comes up with a whole new historical background for Dracula…He's portrayed like a real ladies-man and director Lussier even suggests that his wrath against humanity goes all the way back to the Biblical beginning…I'm not quite sure what to think of this whole character-twist. Gerard Butler is pretty weak as the bloodsucking vampire and he hasn't exactly got the charisma and appearance to play him…Of course, he can't be blamed for that entirely as it's as good as impossible to follow into the footsteps of brilliant actors like Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee or Gary Oldman who gave image to Dracula before him. and you get a confusing mess of a film - Dracula 2000.I really cannot find any good things to say about this movie, as if it wasn't bad enough that it was made in the first place, they seem to have made Johnny Lee Miller effect an English accent ... Taking huge jumps in plot logic (both real logic and vampire movie logic), the film throws up a few average action scenes and not much else. Neither the direction nor the script do anything to justify the update of this story and in the end it doesn't even really stand out as a good teen horror.The cast flatters the film and most of them are badly used with the bigger names playing second fiddle to the lesser names (in my opinion). The big names of Epps, Thomas, Esposito and a few others all look sexy and appealing but the film uses them badly considering their star status (consider Epps' face being prominent on the poster to see what I mean – that's practically false advertising!).Overall this is a fairly standard modern horror – a bit of gore, no real scares, no real thrills, poor plotting, poor characters and only a handful of amusing kiss-off lines. Both Christopher Plummer as Van Helsing and Gerard Butler as Dracula are very good actors in their own right and it shows. However, as far as a good vampire movie, I think i'll stick to Bram Stoker's Dracula if I want to see a good Dracula.The man who played Dracula was not a convincing, romantic yet cruel character. It took a long time for the story to get around to what the movie was really about.That storyline, girl born with Dracula's blood running through her veins...that's a good storyline. Someone very well could have taken their anger over having wasted money on this horrendous film out on me!It has bad acting, a bad plot, horrible writing, it's very predictable, filled with plot holes and plot devices, and Dracula looks like Donny Osmond. Well, my friend thought so, anyway...Whatever happened to original horror movies, like the ones Wes Craven used to make? The cast in the film, including: Johnny Lee Miller, Justine Waddell, Gerard Butler, Colleen Fitzpatrick, Jennifer Esposito and Christopher Plummer were all great and made the film even more interesting. It was a good idea to set it mainly in New Orleans; it fitted well with the feel of the movie.Jonny Lee Miller rocked as the hero, quickly finding his feet in the battle against the undead.The guy playing Dracula was also excellent, scary but attractive at the same time. Finding it robbed, Matthew Van Helsing, (Christopher Plummer) tells his assistant Simon Sheppard, (Johnny Lee Miller) that he will track down the thieves, and sets out to New Orleans to track down his stolen coffin, carrying the body of Dracula, (Gerald Butler) the vampire lord. Or atleast I guess it is, as I am trying to put together all the things I liked about it - which strangely a lot of other reviewers didn't like.I liked Lee Miller a lot and loved the three vamp babes - I think Esposito and Ryan are gorgeous women.....The plot was not THAT bad, I liked the different aspect of Dracula's origins and the effects were very good imo.If you want an intellectual movie - don't watch it as you'll only want to complain at the end. Although i was looking forward to this movie i couldnt help but wonder if they would use CGI.which i think has been done to death in movies like Mummy Returns and American werewolf in Paris and worse look rubbish compared to films 20 years earlier.this then comes as a breath of fresh air as this is more Matrix than any of them.the story goes further back than usual.the cast are great Johnny Lee Miller being a loud mouthed cockney is a little poor.i maybe would of liked a more classical actor as Dracula.but there few and far between.Timothy Dalton years ago would of been terrific.as this one was more a lost boy than anything else.but the film is fun and not many recent horror movies can claim that.. If you are a fan of the Dracula/Vampire Genre then this is a film for you. If you are a fan of the Dracula/Vampire Genre then this is a film for you, otherwise it's not an outstanding horror, does take an interesting slant on the story which previously has not been done, the effects aren't great and the action lacked by comparison to most modern movies, the suspense wasn't too great either but an interesting idea.. This movie had the potential to be a good film, but the plot ends up getting fuzzy and transformed into a really awkward story. For a real vampire film, Go watch Bram Stoker's Dracula instead.. Also look out for seductive roommate Colleen Fitzpatrick (as Lucy), self-described sucker Jennifer Esposito (as Solina) and luscious TV newscaster Jeri Ryan (as Valerie Sharpe), The film has a twist on the "Dracula" story which you may find clever or stupid; my reaction was definitely the latter.**** Dracula 2000 (12/22/00) Patrick Lussier ~ Gerard Butler, Jonny Lee Miller, Justine Waddell, Christopher Plummer. Not As Bad As Other Reviews Make It Out To Be. A group of thieves break into a chamber expecting to find paintings, but instead they release the count (Gerard Butler) himself, who travels to New Orleans to find his nemesis' daughter, Mary Van Helsing.First of all, let us mention the bad elements: the film seems to be a non-stop advertisement for Virgin and Amstel Light, and is shot what is now known as MTV-style. It just has a bubbly feel, and while not a "dead teenager" movie, has the same sort of thing going on -- with a few effects from "The Matrix" thrown in.And while some of the plot seemed wrong (I do not know why we needed Dracula's three brides, a girl named Lucy and other throwbacks when we already established that the Bram Stoker book exists in this world), I generally liked certain aspects -- the way to keep Dracula imprisoned, and the concept of using leeches to filter vampire blood. I have seen Gerard Butler in the new adaptation of the Gaston Leroux novel, The Phantom of the Opera, and I thought that he was absolutely amazing and wonderful in that film, which wanted me to see this even more. Of course it has nothing to do with real Dracula or Stoker's Dracula, but the movie is unique with a story to match and I would recommend it to all vampire lovers and to all others who would just like to see a good movie.I also liked Gerard Butler's acting, he was the most persuasive Dracula ever - he had good looks, serenity, ferocity and he was as romantic as Dracula should be.... I hope there would be more Dracula films made like this because people will take to it more than the same old thing over and over again. I hope there would be more Dracula films made like this because people will take to it more than the same old thing over and over again. I am not a big fan of horror movies, and quite frankly I like a good retelling of a classic story that doesn't give me nightmares. I don't think that vampire films should be judged alongside other types of movies; it's just too hard to do a seriously good movie with vampires at its core, especially when recycling the Dracula character. Despite popular opinion, I think Coppola's Dracula is not the definitive Dracula film, but that's neither here nor there.I liked the allusions to other vampire stories. I thought it was pretty crazy to even think of making another Dracula movie -- but they told a pretty good story, which was somewhat daring and creative. I give this movie 8 stars because it restored my faith in horror, and was a surprisingly good effort at expanding the Dracula story (I love good surprises).. The movie was worth seeing twice, I personally thought Jonny Lee Miller and Jeri Ryan were fantastic in the film.. I thought this movie was clever by tying in Christianity with the myth of vampires/Dracula! This movie is similar to other Dracula movies and though it doesn't add anything new to the genre it does contribute an interesting ending.There are suspenseful moments with humour thrown in at good places and the gore was really minimal compared to some vampire movies I've seen.Overall, it was a descent movie, but the ending was really interesting and one that I really enjoyed. If you watch this movie with the attitude that it doesn't follow the true _Dracula_ plot, you won't like it. This was the very best vampire movie since, well, "Dracula" (1992). I really enjoyed Dracula 2000, mainly because of the cinematography and the rather unique turn on the Dracula legend that it presented.Without giving anything away, this movie has one of the more interesting explanations for the origin of Dracula that I have ever seen...it's simply not something I would have ever thought of myself, but does explain many of the classic weaknesses of Dracula.Gerald Butler makes a youngish but still impressive Count. Christopher Plummer's role of Van Helsing is the highlight of the film for me, as is the short sequence in which he originally "defeats" the Count.While the film wasn't quite as good as the original Nosferatu by Murnau, or Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula, it is a fine film and a worthy addition to the vampire canon.. These themes elevates the movie, like the novel itself, above the level of sheer disposable entertainment.Certainly the decision to set the film in the present day will jar some fans of the novel, who are looking for the Victorian setting we all associate with Dracula, but again, this decision works for the story, reminding us that for all our sophistication, we can't be sure that the old evil creatures of folklore won't sneak up on us out of a dark alley. this is one stylish take on the Dracula mythos.it certainly looks great.Gerard Butler is great as the tile character.this next sentence could be deemed a major spoiler***as far as i know this is the first movie about Dracula which puts a biblical slant on his origin.if you're Christian,especially Catholic,there's a lot in this movie that might offend you.in fact,the movie pretty much bashes(subtly,if that's possible)all things Catholic.for myself,i wasn't offended by it at all.i liked the new slant on an old idea.this is quite a dark movie,but it does have splashes of macabre humour throughout.the music was also great.all in all,it's lots of fun. But Dr. Van Helsing (Christopher Plummer) and his loyal assistant (Jonny Lee Miller) come to New Orleans to stop the terror.Directed by film editor:Patrick Lussier (White Noise 2, My Bloody Valentine "2009") made an ambitious Vampire film that has some clever ideas. I thought that Dracula 2000, was great, but I really love those cheesy movies:) I especially love Gerard Butler!!! What I really liked about the film was that it threw together a LOT of Dracula/vampire myths that we've seen in other movies and/or heard of from other places. The story of Dracula takes on a new twist here, which seems to be the most significant aspect of the movie. This time around the film gets set in the year 2000, and we get an interesting insight into the origin of Dracula. I have seen most of the dracula films over the years, and always enjoy the different takes on the same story. Some more interesting than others, I found this one well thought out for a 2000 update.Serpent and the Rainbow has been my favorite Wes Craven film to date, but this one gets high marks.Gerard Butler is a very compelling presence as Dracula. That is how good the movie Dracula 2000 was!!!!!. The way that this movie was done was one of the better renditions of Dracula I have yet seen. But after thinking about it I thought it was ok and the only problem I had was Dracula, maybe someone different would have made this film a little better.He was ok. Wes Craven takes this premise and updates the novel idea to the year 2000 where we find Abraham Van Helsing (Christopher Plummer), who has tangled with Count Dracula (Gerard Butler) in the past, working as an English antiques dealer in New Orleans.

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Whale Rider

The film's plot follows the story of Paikea Apirana ("Pai"). The leader should be the first-born grandson – a direct patrilineal descendant of Paikea, the Whale Rider – he who rode on top of a whale (Tohora) from Hawaiki. Pai is originally born a twin, but her twin brother, as well as her mother, dies in childbirth. However, Pai is female and technically cannot inherit the leadership. While her grandfather, Koro, later forms an affectionate bond with his granddaughter, carrying her to school every day on his bicycle, he also condemns her and blames her for conflicts happening within the tribe. At one point Paikea decides to live with her father because her grandfather is mistreating her. She finds that she cannot bear to leave the sea as the whale seems to be calling her back. Pai tells her father to turn the car back and returns home. After the death of his wife and overwhelming pressure from Koro, Pai's father refuses to assume traditional leadership; instead he moves to Germany to pursue a career as an artist. Pai herself is interested in the leadership, learning traditional songs and dances, but is given little encouragement by her grandfather. Pai feels that she can become the leader (although there's no precedent for a woman to do so), and is determined to succeed. Koro leads a cultural school for the village boys, hoping to find a new leader. He teaches the boys to use a taiaha (fighting stick). This is traditionally reserved for males. However, Nanny tells Pai that her second son, Pai's uncle, had won a taiaha tournament in his youth while he was still slim, so Pai secretly learns from him. She also secretly follows Koro's lessons. One of the students, Hemi, is also sympathetic towards her. Koro is enraged when he finds out, particularly when she wins her taiaha fight against Hemi. Koro's relationship with Pai erodes further when none of the boys succeed at the traditional task of recovering the rei puta (whale tooth) that he threw into the ocean – this mission would prove one of them worthy of becoming leader. With the loss of the rei puta, Koro in despair calls out the Ancient ones, the whales. In an attempt to help, Pai also calls out to them and they hear her call. One day Pai finds the rei puta while swimming, signifying that she is the rightful leader. Pai, in an attempt to bridge the rift that has formed, invites Koro to be her guest of honour at a concert of Māori chants that her school is putting on. Unknown to all, she had won an inter-school speech contest with a touching dedication to Koro and the traditions of the village. However, Koro was late, and as he was walking to the school, he notices that numerous southern right whales are beached near Pai's home. The entire village attempts to coax and drag them back into the water, but all efforts prove unsuccessful; even a tractor does not help. Koro sees it as a sign of his failure and despairs further. He admonishes Pai against touching the largest whale because "she has done enough damage" with her presumption. Also, the largest whale traditionally belongs to the legendary Paikea. When Koro walks away, Pai climbs onto the back of the largest whale at the location and coaxes it to re-enter the ocean. The whale leads the entire pod back into the sea; Pai submerges completely underwater, and the spectators wonder if she has drowned, but are relieved when she comes back above sea level. When she goes out to sea, Nanny shows Koro the whale tooth which Pai had previously recovered. When Pai is found and brought to the hospital, Koro declares her the leader and asks her forgiveness. The film ends with Pai's father, grandparents, and uncle coming together to celebrate her status as the new leader, as the finished waka is hauled into the sea for its maiden voyage. In voiceover, Pai declares, "My name is Paikea Apirana, and I come from a long line of chiefs stretching all the way back to the Whale Rider. I'm not a prophet, but I know that our people will keep going forward, all together, with all of our strength."

dramatic, boring

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wikipedia

Director Niki Caro has done wonders in bringing this story to the screen as it shows a different and much simple world than the rat race of our society and the horrible times we live in.The film presents a glimpse of the Maori society in New Zealand's North Island. Having visited New Zealand, but not being very familiar with the Maori culture, this film was a refreshing way to learn some aspects of it.The story presented here has a lot to do with pride and tradition, which is a running theme among different cultural groups the world over. Even though he loves the girl, he can't deviate in his narrow vision of the world he knows.Basically, it is a simple story very well told with a great performance by the child actress Keisha Castle-Hughes. Compare it with the latest releases from Hollywood, and it's no wonder to arrive at the conclusion that stories like Whale Rider have such an universal appeal that should be brought to the screen more often because of the positive way they show a society and its people at its best.. This is the story of a 12 year old Maori girl who knows that she is born to the destiny her grandfather believes died with her stillborn twin brother. Whale Rider is a story of the quest for the new leader of an indigenous Maori tribe living on an island off the coast of New Zealand. The 11-year-old first-time actor Keisha Castle-Hughes gives the most astonishing performance by a child that I have ever witnessed, and lifts the movie from being just plain good to a profoundly moving experience. The main character is a young girl named Pai (Keisha Castle-Hughes) who is the grand-daughter of the chief of a Maori tribe in New Zealand. The film is set in modern day and we see the girl Pai (Keisha Castle-Hughes) as a 12 year old who knows that her twin brother that died was suppose to be the future chief. The film is beautiful to look at and even though its not a big budget movie the story and images make this an unforgettable viewing experience. It's at this point the film literally becomes a simple story, as a young girl goes about trying to convince her awful grandfather that she is to lead the village. The actors who played the grand parents are exceptional particularly the stubborn grandfather who's demands Pai keep away from all male activities (The grandfather's insistence to teach a young group of boys in a special school how to be chiefs, and Pai's insistence to learn without her gradfather's knowledge provides most of the light humour in the film). This is one of the most moving, beautiful and powerful films I have seen in years.Screenplay author and director Niki Caro faithfully translated Witi Ihimaera's novel of the same name, a poignant and sometimes sad but ultimately uplifting story of New Zealand Maoris seeking, with the leadership of a difficult, stubborn and often harsh elder to sustain their peoples' values and customs.Australia and New Zealand are both encountering, in politics and in culture (and often the two are inextricably linked), their shared heritage of white oppression of native peoples. This is one of the most moving, beautiful and powerful films I have seen in years.Screenplay author and director Niki Caro faithfully translated Witi Ihimaera's novel of the same name, a poignant and sometimes sad but ultimately uplifting story of New Zealand Maoris seeking, with the leadership of a difficult, stubborn and often harsh elder to sustain their peoples' values and customs.Australia and New Zealand are both encountering, in politics and in culture (and often the two are inextricably linked), their shared heritage of white oppression of native peoples. The object was to bleach the blackness out of Australia and the horrors of this incarnation of cultural and anthropological genocide are on full display in that film."Whale Rider" takes a different and, in the end, perhaps a more powerful approach. The object was to bleach the blackness out of Australia and the horrors of this incarnation of cultural and anthropological genocide are on full display in that film."Whale Rider" takes a different and, in the end, perhaps a more powerful approach. Pai's close relationship with her grandmother, a woman living a life universally recognizable to Americans, provides warmth and support and do some of her other relationships.The story unfolds seamlessly with Maori music and rituals bridging the spoken dialogue (mostly in English, some in Maori with subtitles).Partly a straight tale, partly a gripping mystical fable, "Whale Rider" never becomes saccharine.The music and Maori songs complement but do not compete with the dialogue, a welcome change from many movies today. Pai's close relationship with her grandmother, a woman living a life universally recognizable to Americans, provides warmth and support and do some of her other relationships.The story unfolds seamlessly with Maori music and rituals bridging the spoken dialogue (mostly in English, some in Maori with subtitles).Partly a straight tale, partly a gripping mystical fable, "Whale Rider" never becomes saccharine.The music and Maori songs complement but do not compete with the dialogue, a welcome change from many movies today. It is this one work of his that the Maori community accepts as being most representative of their culture, and the novel that became the backbone for the screenplay for the film Whale Rider (co-written by Witi Ihimaera and director Niki Caro). He left word that someday another great whale rider would be born to lead the Maori people.The film begins with a scene in a hospital of a young woman giving birth to twins. In a summer of Hulks and Terminators, one might have to search the multiplex for Whale Rider – but believe me, the search is worth the effort.Whale Rider is a film about the coming of age of a 12 year old New Zealand girl and her struggle for acceptance of her father, grandfather and tribe which just happens to be looking for a new leader.The movie opens with the birth of Pai (played wonderfully by Keisha Castle-Hughes) and the resulting death of her mother and twin brother. But fear not, we soon learn that Pai has been found alive and is in hospital where she later regains her strength and takes command as the true leader of the tribe.Whale Rider is directed by Niki Caro, a fellow New Zealander that shoots the film like a veteran. Her emotional scene in which she recites a poem to her absent grandfather is probably the most heartfelt moment filmed this year.Whale Rider received standing ovations at the Toronto Film Festival and won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival, and it is no wonder. This film had the entire audience enraptured with the adventures and struggles of its 11 year old heroine Pai (very convincingly played by novice actress Keisha Castle-Hughes). Director and screenplay writer Niki Caro ably brings this family oriented tale to life and hits all the right notes and makes all the correct pay-offs in every plot strand (no matter how slight).The story is a battle of wills between the tradition bound village elder Koro (solidly played by Rawiri Paratene) and his own grand-daughter Pai. Koro is seeking a new chief among the first-born sons of his village to inspire their tribe in its present day struggles in 21st century New Zealand. A really fine film about a young girl challenging the patriarchal traditions handed down from generation to generation among her New Zealander people.Keisha Castle-Hughes gives an astonishingly mature performance as the young girl and won a Best Actress Academy Award nomination for her work, the youngest person ever to be nominated in the lead category. The film is sweet and heartwarming without being sticky or maudlin, and it's filled with local color about a culture I know very little about.Castle-Hughes' tour de force scene is a monologue to her father delivered during a school pageant. Also, his curmudgeonly manner makes him a man who cannot see through his gender blindness to even consider the possibility that his granddaughter, Pai, could be the leader his people are looking for.Keisha Castle-Hughes is outstanding as Paikea. He also deftly avoids the trap of so many films of this ilk of telling you the same thing over and over again.This is highly recommended viewing – a feel-good movie that is very painful in parts, an uplifting movie that can be a real head jam and a solid, worthwhile entertainment to while away an hour or two of our precious lives.My only criticism would be of the fashionably naturalistic audio mix that only really works on radio plays and only then if used sparingly. I think that the movie `Whale Rider' is a really great movie because it does not only introduces a whole new culture and a different way of living but also tells about the hopes, believes and loves of people in a very different way. The movie really makes you to believe that all the things are real.In addition, the main actor Pai, really acts great, very good for her age and experience. This film, based on a book by the first Maori author to have a work published in North America, is a fictional fable that shows one way in which such an essential change to the fundamental structure of their traditional culture might take place.This may not sound like the basis for an enjoyable film for a Western family audience, but the host of best film awards it has received does convey some sense of the extent to which it is a very exceptional movie. Keisha Castle-Hughes was 12 years old when this was filmed and it won her the youngest ever Best Actress nomination. Both films are equally astonishing in their own ways.Paikea (Keisha Castle-Hughes) is a girl who survives the deaths of both her mother and twin brother during childbirth. While the family grieves, Paikea's grandfather, Koro, suffers an additional loss, for Paikea's twin brother was the expected male heir to the family's noble line of prophets, who descended from a legendary "Whale Rider." The rest of the film deals with the complicated family dynamic between Paikea, Koro, and Paikea's father, Porourangi, who resents Koro's old-fashioned ways and flees to Germany to pursue a career as an artist. Paikea comes to realize the importance of her family's legacy, and struggles to achieve it while also striving for the affection and acceptance of her grandfather.The driving force behind "Whale Rider" is a brilliant performance by first-time actress Keisha Castle-Hughes as Paikea. If such scenes were left in, they would be too blatant; the subtlety makes the movie all the more appealing.Subtlety is also present in the foreshadowing, low-level commentary on the role of contemporary industrial society versus the preserving the ways of the ancient ones.Whale Rider isn't perfect. Whale Rider is no action movie; it is film about people struggling with their own pasts, their limitations, foibles, desires, and destinies. This cooperation between whale and human is an intriguing undercurrent that secretly animates the story, most effectively portrayed by the mystical and dreamy "destiny" music that is subtly reminiscent of whale songs, music that resonates in the heart of the granddaughter of the chief, and in the watchful awareness of the whales who can recognize in their two-legged soul-mates revitalizing power without the prejudice of human limitations.At the time of the movie, this group of Maori is in bad shape, looking and acting much like Native Americans vegetating on the reservation here in our own country. For the boy who would be chief."This New Zealand coming of age film about a young girl from the Whangara tribe struggling to find her place in this traditionally patriarch society, opens with tragedy. The story almost has a fairytale quality to it, but it does have a lot to say about sexism and keeping up with past customs in a modern world.At the time of its release, Whale Rider, was received with a lot of praise from audiences at the Sundance and Toronto film festivals and it also received an Academy Award nomination for Keisha Castle-Hughes' lead performance who at the time was the youngest actress to be nominated in that category. Rating: 7.5/10Today I had the pleasure of seeing the highly recommended New Zealand film, Whale Rider. Keisha Castle-Hughes did a great job as Pai. Rarely is a kid actor not annoying in a movie, she gave a memorable performance as Pai. She brings emotion to this film. This wonderful film from New Zealand about a young Maori girl's struggle to be recognized as the head of her tribe, a tradition handed down only to boys, is remarkably free of sentimentality. Far better are Rawiri Paratene as her harshly unforgiving grandfather and Vicky Haughton as the grandmother who encourages her dream.The film does not shy away from the harsh realities that Maori's face in their daily lives and even the mythical dimensions of the story, (the scenes with the whales), are treated realistically. It's based on a novel written by Witi Ihimaera, and tells the story of Pai, a 12 year old girl who tries to be accepted by her own family as the Whale Rider, the tribal leader in a small maori village. It is also a story about old traditions struggling their way through the very hectic 21st century.Paikea (Keisha Castle-Hughes) is born into a family that has been a family of leaders for centuries. "Whale Rider" is a Family, Drama movie in which we watch the story of a girl who wants to persuade her destiny despite the rejection of her grandfather. The direction which was made by Niki Caro was very interesting and gave us as her audience a different perspective of seeing some subjects and made us think more about them.Finally, I have to say that I didn't have high hopes about "Whale Rider" but it surprised me in a good way. Pai's brother died after he was born, leaving her as the only descendant, and her grandfather does not want to change the tradition.This is one of the few movies that I've seen focusing on the Maoris' traditions, and likely the only one focusing on their mythology (the title is based on the story that their ancestor arrived in New Zealand on the back of a whale). The film does a nice job in establishing a clear sense of what life is like in this small New Zealand village, seen from the perspective of a 12-year- old girl. Whale Rider is a journey through culture, tradition, folklore, love and family.Acting was of such a great standard, it's hard to believe that such a young little actress could take on such a demanding role and have you totally mesmerised by her character.This film doesn't seem to have reached a wide enough audience and feel if it had it would be among many more 'top lists'.. The girl in question is a certain Paikea, played magnificently by Keisha Castle-Hughes; she narrates to us her fable-like story, the fact her mother and baby brother died at once during his birth shortly after she was born; destined to grow up alone with her father in a small, isolated coastal village in rural New Zealand with much anger and doubt raging around her for reasons that become evident. Where the culture of those depicted within Whale Rider is most certainly of a stone wall nature and will not appear familiar to overseas audiences, Caro knows the tribal pastimes are merely there to compliment a story and is in actual fact more about the global thematics of girls Hughes' age not becoming disenchanted with life or those around them as things appear to be moving on ahead without care. The editing and film score were great, but there were a few moments where it seemed the actors didn't quite seem believable, reminding me that I was watching a movie, instead of witnessing a story. Keisha Castle-Hughes almost seems to KNOW the role she is playing, and the depth of her character is mystical.In the end, truth and fantasy conflict, and you really want to believe this film is true... In a small Maori village in New Zealand, a young girl aims to prove herself worthy of being a chief, despite her grandfathers beliefs in traditional tribal gender divisions.An engrossing and touching experience, this film is very powerful with excellent acting by an unknown young talent, Keisha Castle-Hughes, who achieves a marvellous performance. 'Whale Rider' is the story of a young girl trying to fit into the traditions of her people. Keisha Castle-Hughes is Pai, the young girl in question and 'Whale Rider' has great momentum in its climax as Pai puts her life on the line at the age of 13 in order to fulfill her destiny. The glimpses of Maori life are amazing, and you can't help rooting hard for Castle-Hughes as she tries to become the new Whale Rider. Whale Rider is not just a wonderful film about a young girl who attempts to overcome the prejudices against her in the male-dominated culture in which she lives, it is a metaphor for our time. you'll probably think that a movie about an up and down relationship between a girl and her grandfather will eventually give up to the clichés, but believe me this film will let you:1- See the powerful new actress Keisha Castle-Hughes. Whale Rider is the story of young girl named Pai, who is raised in the Whangara culture of her people. Keisha Castle-Hughes, the girl who plays Pai in the movie, is phenomonal. But New Zealand looks like a place that may make film-making great again. Beyond the great story, this movie is excellent because it is beautifully filmed and wonderfully acted - especially by Keisha Castle-Hughes, who's acting is as good as it gets. It is an indie film about a young Maori girl (a New Zealand tribe) that fights to fulfill a destiny her grandfather refuses to recognize.

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The Amazing Spider-Man

Scientist Richard Parker (Campbell Scott) is playing hide-and-seek with his young son Peter (Max Charles) when he discovers that his study has been broken into. After quickly gathering some hidden documents, Richard and his wife Mary (Embeth Davidtz) leave Peter with his Aunt May (Sally Field) and Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen), then mysteriously depart without telling Peter where they are going.Years later, the teenage Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) has become an alienated social outcast. He attends Midtown Science High School, where he pines over his crush Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone), while frequently getting bullied by the obnoxious Flash Thompson (Chris Zylka).At home, Peter finds a briefcase containing some of his father's old documents and learns that his father worked with fellow scientist Dr. Curtis Connors (Rhys Ifans) at a pharmaceutical company named Oscorp. Faking his way into the Oscorp building by pretending to be an intern, Peter sneaks into a laboratory where extremely strong "biocable" is being created from genetically-modified spiders. One of the spiders escapes from its container and bites Peter. On the subway ride home, Peter scuffles with a gang of thugs and discovers that he suddenly has increased agility and strength. Upon returning home, he finds the spider hiding in his jacket and stores it away.The next day, Peter goes to Dr. Connors's house and gives him Richard Parker's documents. Dr. Connors explains that he and Richard were researching cross-species genetics in order to find a way to re-grow lost limbs, Dr. Connors being motivated by the loss of his own right arm. Dr. Connors is frustrated because his superior, Dr. Rajit Ratha (Irrfan Khan), is pressuring him to devise a cure for Oscorp's CEO Norman Osborn, who is terminally ill.Back at school, Peter gets in trouble after accidentally breaking a basketball hoop during a game with Flash. Uncle Ben is forced to switch a work shift to meet with the principal about the situation. Afterward, Uncle Ben asks Peter to pick up Aunt May, but Peter instead practices his new-found powers and meets with Dr. Connors at Oscorp, who shows him how the limb-regeneration formula works on a laboratory mouse.When Peter returns home, Uncle Ben scolds him for having forgotten to pick up Aunt May, reminding him that Richard believed that people should always make their responsibilities their priority. A distraught Peter storms off. He goes to a store to buy milk, but falls two cents cents short and is refused service by the store clerk. Suddenly, a man robs the store and Peter doesn't do anything to stop him. Uncle Ben, who was searching for Peter, sees the thief running away and wrestles with him over a gun. The thief shoots Uncle Ben right in front of Peter and runs off.Shortly after the attack, Peter acquires a police sketch of the killer and uses his abilities to hunt criminals matching the killer's description. After attacking a man who fits the description, he is chased by a gang and falls inside an abandoned gym, and a luchador wrestling poster inspires him to create a mask.Later on, he adds a spandex suit for mobility and suddenly becomes a folk hero who the public refers to as 'Spider-Man.' The police, led by Gwen's father, Captain George Stacy (Denis Leary), soon start a man-hunt for the masked vigilante.Meanwhile, Dr. Ratha fires Dr. Connors for refusing to immediately start human trials of the limb-regeneration formula. He takes a sample of the drug and plans to test it at a Veterans Administration hospital under the guise of flu shots. Growing desperate, Dr. Connors injects himself with the formula, and passes out. Upon awakening, he finds his lost arm has fully regenerated. However, he then mutates into a large, reptilian monster and chases Dr. Ratha at the Williamsburg Bridge, throwing cars over the side as he rampages. Spider-Man saves each fallen car with the biocable web, which he deploys from wrist-mounted shooters of his own invention. With a great deal of difficulty, he also manages to save the life of a young boy trapped in a car that has fallen from the bridge and that Spider-Man is holding suspended in midair through the biocable webbing. Spider-Man then confronts the Lizard in the sewers, barely escaping alive.Unfortunately, Peter leaves behind a camera he used to expose the Lizard's intentions -- a camera inscribed with his name. The Lizard finds it and learns Spider-Man's real identity. He attacks Peter at school and plans to unleash the drug all over Manhattan to mutate all humans into lizards using a cloud-generating device at Oscorp Tower, unaware that Gwen is there making an antidote for the condition at Peter's request. The police mobilize to stop both him and Spider-Man, but are delayed when the Lizard infects officers with small doses of the chemical.Captain Stacy learns Spider-Man's real identity and allows him to go stop Connors while proceeding to the tower himself after Peter mentions that Gwen is there making the antidote. However, during the manhunt, Spider-Man was wounded by a police bullet and is having difficulty swinging from building to building to reach Oscorp Tower. The father of the young boy whose life Spider-Man saved works in construction, and hears about what's going on through the radio and TV while working an evening shift. He calls all of his construction worker friends who are also working, and they all maneuver large cranes into proper formation so that Spider-Man can use them to reach Oscorp Tower.After Captain Stacy retrieves the antidote from Gwen and arrives to save Spider-Man, who was being overpowered, both of them fight together to delay the Lizard while Spider-Man modifies the machine to disperse the antidote instead, restoring the humanity of Connors and the infected officers, and allowing him to save Peter from a fatal fall from the tower.Unfortunately, the Lizard mortally wounded Captain Stacy. Before he dies of his wounds, Stacy makes Peter promise to keep Gwen safe by staying away from her. Peter initially does so, staying out of sight at Captain Stacy's funeral, which offends Gwen. She confronts him at his house, and he doesn't talk about it, but Gwen is no fool; she realizes his reasons. Arriving late to class back in school, Peter is told by a teacher to "not make promises he can't keep." Peter leans forward and whispers to Gwen, "but those are the best kind." She smiles, and it is implied that the two resume their relationship. With his first challenge surmounted, Peter officially takes to the streets as a proper hero.In a post-credits scene, Dr. Connors is sitting in a prison cell speaking with a mysterious man (presumably Norman Osborn). The man inquires about Dr. Connors divulging information about Peter's father, but Dr. Connors tells the man to leave Peter alone, and the scene abruptly ends with a flash of lightning.

murder, violence, flashback, good versus evil, humor, action, romantic, revenge, entertaining

train

imdb

Heck, even the villain is initially a do-gooder like Norman Osborn and Dr. Octavius – again from the Rami movies.It also seems to pull inspiration from another super hero movie: Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins (2005) in that it's slightly darker, tells such a large origin story that just like Batman Begins, Spider-Man doesn't actually show up on screen for the first hour. This film is action-packed, has a great cast, and a rather fun villain in "The Lizard," but this film doesn't live up to the trilogy that gave Spider-Man a name for himself.Marc Webb's film explores the origins of Spider-Man and also unlike the trilogy, we learn more about Peter's past including what happened to his family. The Sam Raimi trilogy was a fun ride, and the idea of making another Spider-Man movie with a completely new cast seemed strange and unnecessary. Here are my quick thoughts, I had my reservations and kept my expectations in check going into this film and didn't know what to expect but thankfully Marc Webb managed to do a fantastic job despite the fact that he did hit a lot of the same elements from Sam Raimi's 2002 Spider-man, nonetheless this is a promising start to a new trilogy.Andrew Garfield hits it out of the park with his performance as Peter Parker and Emma Stone is Wonderful as Gwen Stacey their chemistry is obvious from the start. The inclusion of Dr. Curt Connors/The Lizard was long overdue and was played adequately by Rhys Ifans, Martin Sheen and Sally Field were great as Uncle Ben and Aunt May as was Dennis Leary's Captain Stacy.In short, a solid cast, great story and wonderful effects inject new blood into an already great blockbuster franchise.. Flash is one of my favourite Spider-man characters in the comics, and I'd like to say "thank you Marc Webb for avoiding the cliché of him just being a bully and actually making him a human being with depth." The film also does other things right besides avoiding clichés. It avoids most if not all clichés, it's fresh, it's interesting, it's got characters you love to see and actually feel for played by fantastic actors, it's a great Spider-man film and it's sad that a lot of fans seem to be hating it right now. I will keep this short but after seeing all the other reviews I am very surprised at the negativity and tbh I think it is the usual resistance to change in a lot of cases.As a spider-man film, and as a Marvel/DC fan of over 30 years, I loved it. I don't want to say that this was better than the 2002 Spider Man, I think they are both good in there own right, this film does things a little bit better than the first film, but both films where good in there way.Peter Parker(Andrew Garfield) a smart 19 year old, with a huge chip on his shoulder, who has a secret crush on Gwen Stacey(Emma Stone), lives with his Uncle Ben and Aunt May(Martin Sheen and Sally Field), still trying to figure out what happened to his parents, only to discover that his dad worked with Curt Conners(Rhys Ifans), while visiting his lab, is bitten by radioactive spider, and gains the powers of a spider. Okay there is so much more that I do not want to give away.Andrew Garfield was great as Peter Parker, I liked the way he does not try to be carbon copy of Tobey Mcguires Spider Man, but playing the part in his own way. As expected, this reboot goes back to the beginning when Peter Parker becomes Spider-Man only it is told in a rather different way to the 2002 movie. Perfect Blend of story/plot, good acting, & fight scenes w/Bad Guy. Man that's an excellent movie. I enjoyed the Avengers movie but the Amazing Spiderman's plot works much better to me and the story-line just seems to pulls you along effortlessly and keeps you intrigued and interested at the same time. If you have seen 500 Days of Summer, you know that Marc Webb is good at directing romantic scenes, he has used this skill to his advantage and he has done a great job of showing the romance between Gwen Stacy and Peter Parker... I'm not a huge fan of the Spiderman films and I had heard little or nothing in regards to this one from friends and colleagues alike.However the movie was I think better made than the previous versions of the character. Above all there was a good sprinkling of humour from the character punctuated with good timing throughout the movie.Andrew Garfield played the part very well and surprised me with his clear acting abilities,Denis Leary is as good as always.It felt like money well spent picking this one up!. All the characters are portrayed very well and are believable.The visual effects and the action scenes are good as usual, but nothing new.The musical score by James Horner is also great, although I prefer Danny Elfman's score in the original trilogy because they felt more memorable and left a lasting impression. While the 2002 film felt like it had been written by a committee who were neither familiar with the original material nor reading one another's work, this movie appears to have been written by people who repeatedly asked the question no one ever asked during the first series: "does this make sense?"For the most part, Amazing Spider-Man does make sense, with a fairly convincing origin story (except for a lack of explanation as to why what happened to Peter couldn't be used to create millions of Spider-Mans). The tradition of the series is a wise-cracking good guy, but while Spidey does get some witty lines, the movie is better represented by the way Peter removes his mask in one scene to calm a child; it's more about the Spider-Man with a deep compassion and a need to make the world better than the Spider-Man who likes to swing through the air and beat up mutant creatures. Two years later, a sequel was released to even more positive acclaim and the title of "one of the best superhero movies of all time." However, Raimi missed his mark with Spider-Man 3, which was a box office success, but received mixed reviews from critics. In this film he must deal with Dr. Connors' alter ego, the genetically mutated monster 'The Lizard' (which is the first time the classic Spider-Man villain has graced the silver screen), as well as the police, lead by Gwen's father Captain Stacy (Denis Leary).The movie does go over a lot of the same plot points as the original Sam Raimi hit but it delves a little more deeper in to them. Like a lot of people, I didn't like how they were starting the Spider- Man movies from the beginning again but when I heard that it would be more true to the comics, I really began to look forward to it and it really lived up to my expectations with its cast, script, action and directing. And I've even heard that some people didn't like the trilogy for how campy they were or how untrue to the comics they were.But I mean I thought Tobey Maguire was too weak and didn't really fit the character of Peter Parker/Spider-Man and he acted too much like a geek. Kirsten Dunst was a good choice for Mary Jane but as the movies went on she became annoying and selfish, especially in the third one and I didn't like how she acted so helpless.But I really think, like most people, that Andrew Garfield is amazing as Spider-Man/Peter Parker because he fits the character better and more importantly he's a better actor. The battle scenes and special effects are amazing with The Lizard and Spider-Man were really exciting and had me at the edge of my seat.Some of the thing that makes this movie better than the 2002 one, is that it has more to do with Peter's parents, who were never mentioned in the trilogy. Andrew Garfield makes a better peter parker/spider man in my opinion he looked the part, had the right personality and acted it out perfectly where as Tobey Maguire I thought was too geeky and shy with not much personality.unlike the original this movie stays completely true to the comic, his first love is Gwen Stacy played by the amazing Emma stone who is fantastic as always but in the original they had Mary Jane which is wrong because peter didn't meet Mary Jane until after, when peter starts turning into spider man he makes a web shooter out of cartridges but the original just had it coming out his wrists and the villain was the same in the comic being the lizard played by Rhys Ifans who did a fantastic job he played both personalities of good and bad superbly compared to the ridiculous green goblin who was just awful. all the CGI and effects in this movie are faultless and top notch, they took total advantage of all the technology we have in this day and age and the whole movie was so well made and looked stunning, the design of spider mans costume was great, the camera work on the swinging through the city shots were superb and the lizard was scarily life like the whole entire movie makes the original look lame and outdated completely.in conclusion only bother with the amazing spider man not the originals and look forward to the sequel in 2014.. I knew the special effects would be great, but I had my doubts whether Marc Webb would be able to add anything new and interesting to the Spiderman franchise, particularly since it has only been a few years since the Sam Raimi version was in theaters.Well he did, and he didn't.The casting of Andrew Garfield as Spiderman/Peter Parker was a great choice. K. Simmons in the previous version.Marc Webb has instead used Gwen Stacey as Peter's love interest in his adaptation, played very service-ably by Emma Stone, and to be honest the chemistry between Stone and Garfield is much better than that between Toby Maguire and Kirsten Dunst, who played Spiderman and MJW respectively in the Sam Raimi films.Denis Leary who is always good joins the cast as Gwenn's father – police Captain Stacey, and as is becoming a trend in super hero movies, big name actors are playing the parts of the hero's parents, or in this case uncle and aunt, with Sally Field and Martin Sheen taking on the roles of Aunt May and Uncle Ben. Both, as usual give very polished performances.The excellent Rhys Ifans plays the one armed Dr Curt Conners, who used to work with Peter's father at Oscorp until he disappeared, and since then has been struggling to complete their work on cross species genetics on his own; unable to discover the final equation that will allow it to go forward.Peter supplies Conners with the equation, and following pressure from his boss at Oscorp tests the formula on himself. There are holes in the script and story, but they are not that noticeable, and it can get a bit clichéd at times, but these things are to be expected in a big budget film such as this; however they can also be forgiven.All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed The Amazing Spiderman, and am looking forward to the next installment of Marc Webb's version, which at this stage will see Jamie Foxx playing the villain Electro and is due out in 2014.7.5 out of 10. Andrew Garfield is not just a good actor, he's far better Peter Parker/Spider-Man than I would've thought. Sure enough, the chemistry between Stone and Garfield is among the strongest of on screen couples in recent memory and it's no surprise that the couple continued their romance off the set.One has to feel bad for Dylan Baker who portrayed Dr Curt Connors in Spider-Man 2 and 3 but never got the chance to transform into the Lizard after the cancellation of a fourth entry in Raimi's series. I know some of the reviews of this movie so far have been hit and miss, but I personally thought this was an excellent film.I saw one of the pre-release screenings and went in without great expectation as I loved the first Tobey Maguire movie and didn't know what another re-boot could really bring to the character.Firstly the casting is spot on. Emma Stone was absolutely fantastic as Gwen Stacey Other reviews have asked if this supposed to be Spiderman movie or Twilight, and yes I agree that the film concentrated a lot of energy on the character development and the relationships.I do not see that as a bad thing. Great chemistry between the 2 actors, fantastic visual effects, memorable action scenes and a a new level of emotional depth, not seen in a Spider-Man movie. Andrew Garfield was terrific as Spider-Man, he not only looks like Peter Parker, but he embodies the character. For it was Raimi's 'Spider-Man' that first introduced me to Peter Parker and his world, and for that I will always be grateful to the film...but, there's simply no denying the fact that Marc Webb's 'The Amazing Spider-Man' has FAR surpassed the webhead's original cinematic incarnation!I think the best comparison one can offer for this film is Christopher Nolan's now-legendary Batman reboot, 'Batman Begins'. Much like how 'Begins' reinvented the Dark Knight for a new generation by focusing on a more grounded, character-driven arc for Bruce Wayne...'Amazing Spider- Man' does the same for Peter Parker. This is a Spider-Man one almost feels CAN exist in the real world...a Peter Parker who, while technically still a 'nerd', is no milksop and far from a goody-two- shoes.Andrew Garfield unquestionably deserves the bulk of the credit for the success of this film. "The Amazing Spider-Man" is not a bad movie, but is a fast-paced reinvention of the hero and therefore I was a little disappointed with the story.Peter Parker is no longer the outcast nerd that is bullied by everyone at high-school and needs to work to support his beloved Aunt May. He dates Gwen and immediately discloses his identity to her. That's exactly what 'The Amazing Spiderman' does, booting out previous franchise stalwarts Sam Raimi, Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst and James Franco for up-and-coming director Marc Webb (with only the indie feature '500 Days of Summer' under his belt) and similarly on-the-up stars Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone. Spidey gets shot multiple times I mean Where the hell was his Spider sense in such situations .Finally It would have been great if they had focused on how he built that Web shooting device of his and how his suit was supposed to be a excellent armor.I hated a lot of things like the Stupid Romance scenes that ate up most of the time that could be used for good action sequences !. But, for me, this film works primarily for one reason: Andrew Garfield's Winning Performance as Peter Parker / Spider-Man! The camera work was smooth and really made each scene stand out especially the ones that actually showed Spider-Man. The acting was good all round, I think Martin Sheen stole some of the scenes he was in and Rhys Ifans played the part of Dr Connors really well, although he probably was't seen enough as I would have liked. After seeing the movie, I can now confidently say, "Why?" Don't get me wrong, I think Andrew Garfield makes an excellent Spider-Man and I always like seeing Emma Stone act, but this movie doesn't really add anything new to the franchise. Yet another origin story, another introduction to Gwen, another uncle Ben death scene and another villian.Andrew Garfield is dull, he simply didn't cut it as Spiderman and I consider Emma Stone to be one of the most overrated actresses in Hollywood so the newly reborn franchise wasn't off to a great start in my eyes.So at over two hours at least they gave the movie a chance to shine, alas it doesn't though it's not the complete train wreck I expected.In this outing (And origin) Parker takes on The Lizard played by the always excellent Rhys Ifans who is simply too good for this movie.It has its moments but for $230 million it damn well should have had considerably more.The Good:Crane scene was greatLizard looked decentDennis Leary & Rhys IfansThe Bad:I really don't like Andrew GarfieldWeak soundtrackWas simply too soon after the last "Reboot"Things I Learnt From This Movie:Some Lizards can grow limbs back at will...........at will!?Along with super powers spider bites also provide personalities. the attributes that made us to emote our feelings towards peter parker are missing..The action lacked the energy and innovativeness that Raimi had introduced with the spider-man..there wasn't a moment where i wanted to root for spider-man..Coming to the romance the chemistry between the lead pair was good but i think it was over catered for a superhero film..it wasn't necessary..Rhys Ifans lizard isn't terrifying enough to make a super villain..Emmastone has a good presence and Andrew Garfield was impressive but his character was poorly written..so even he couldn't save the sinking ship.. The Amazing Spider-Man is one of the greatest superhero movies ever made, and is bring the story of Peter Parker to a whole new, and exciting level that will keep you deeply interested.One of the best things about this movie, which makes it such a successful superhero movie is how closely it follows the comics. But once Spider-Man does show up the pacing picks up with gusto and director Marc Webb shows great confidence with the action sequences and special effects (even more impressive considering his previous film was (500) Days of Summer).As a comic book fans I would have liked to have seen Curt Connors' family, adding to the dilemma of Peter Parker trying to stop the Lizard without harming him too much and made Connors more sympathetic.

tt1109624

Paddington

An explorer named Montgomery Clyde (Tim Downie) documents his trip to Darkest Peru. He comes across a rather intelligent species of bears. Although he tries to take one in, he decides to bond with them and learns that they can talk and have a great appetite for marmalade. Clyde says he's learned a lot from the bears, and he wonders if the bears have learned anything from him.Years later, a young bear (voice of Ben Whishaw) awakens to find that the marmalade fruits have been produced. He excitedly runs to his Aunt Lucy (voice of Imelda Staunton) and Uncle Pastuzo (voice of Michael Gambon), the same bears Clyde met. The bears gather the fruits and produce their own supply of marmalade for their sandwiches. That night, an earthquake strikes the forest, wrecking the bears home. Lucy and the little bear hide. When they wake up the next morning, they discover their home is destroyed and Pastuzo is nowhere to be found. All that's left behind is his hat.Lucy takes the little bear to a ship and places him on a lifeboat with a supply of marmalade. She is going to stay at a home for retired bears while she sends the little one to find a home of his own. The bear eats all the marmalade until he arrives at a train station in London. He tries to find a home from anybody passing by, but they all ignore him. He sits alone with some birds, sharing his marmalade sandwich, when the Brown family walks by. The mother Mary (Sally Hawkins) spots the bear and immediately takes a liking to him, while her husband Henry (Hugh Bonneville) is less than enthused. Their son Jonathan (Samuel Joslin) also likes the bear, while his sister Judy (Madeleine Harris) is not very interested. They treat him to a meal, and Mary decides to name him Paddington.The Browns take Paddington home where they live with a relative named Mrs. Bird (Julie Walters), only for the night until they turn him in to the authorities. Paddington goes to the bathroom and puts two toothbrushes in his ears, pulling out big chunks of earwax. Curious, he licks one chunk, only to be disgusted. He grabs a bottle of mouthwash and chugs it. The alcohol burns his throat and he dunks his head in the toilet and cools off with the water. Paddington gets his head stuck and overflows the toilet bowl. He pulls himself out and turns on the showerhead. This causes a flood that fills the bathroom with water. Henry opens the door and gets caught in the wave of water. Jonathan thinks its amazing.At the Natural History Museum, a monkey is delivered to the museum director Millicent (Nicole Kidman). She has sinister plans for the primate, when the man delivering the monkey tells her that he spotted sticky footprints of marmalade around the boat. Millicent's eyes perk up, because she knows what this means and what the man is talking about. She takes a knife and throws it at a picture on the wall of Montgomery Clyde and the bears, along with a collage of other articles and pictures involving this expedition.During his stay, Paddington learns a thing or two about the Browns - Henry is a real estate agent, Mary is an artist, Judy is seeing a boy named Tony and is learning Chinese to run off there, and Jonathan aspires to be an astronaut. Mary notices Paddington's hat. She says she knows someone who works at an antique shop and might know how to find out who owned that hat.Mary brings Paddington to the shop owned by Mr. Gruber (Jim Broadbent). As he looks at the hat, a pickpocketing thief (Matt King) comes in and swipes the wallet off another customer. On his way out, he drops it. Thinking it's the man's own wallet, Paddington grabs it and runs after him. The thief runs away, but Paddington continues to give chase. He even gets a police hat and rides with a skateboard and umbrella to catch up with the thief, as townspeople and school children watch. The wind blows the umbrella up high, allowing Paddington to land on the thief and causing him to spill many other wallets he's stolen. The police arrest the thief while Paddington is praised as a hero, even though he still doesn't realize he just caught a thief. When he gets back to the antique shop, the other customers praise him for recovering their stolen wallets. Mr. Gruber then tells Paddington that the hat belonged to a guild of explorers, which is one clue to finding out the identity of the explorer.Henry begrudgingly accompanies Paddington to the offices of the guild, where the secretary tells them that there are no records on any expeditions to Peru. Paddington then gets Henry to dress up as a maid while they sneak into the computer room to search the archives. They learn that there were a few records on Peru, but they were destroyed. Paddington then accidentally jams the message delivery system with marmalade, forcing him and Henry to run.Millicent continues her pursuit of Paddington. She even gets help from the Browns' grumpy neighbor Mr. Curry (Peter Capaldi), as he is smitten with Millicent.At home, the kids start to bond with Paddington. He gets Judy to be more open with him, and he starts teaching her how to speak bear. He helps Jonathan build things with his father's old toys. The kids also give Paddington a bath, after which he shakes off all the water and looks puffy and silly. The parents notice how much the kids enjoy Paddington, to the point where they are considering keeping him around longer.Paddington is left home alone while the Browns are out. Millicent finds the apartment and attempts to sneak in and grab him. Paddington spots her and, with her gas mask on, he mistakes her for an elephant and runs away. In the struggle, they accidentally cause a fire from the oven. Millicent escapes before anyone notices. When the Browns return, Henry is very upset with Paddington and decides Paddington needs to go.Paddington leaves a note for the Browns apologizing for the trouble he's caused as he decides to locate Montgomery Clyde on his own. The Browns find the note, and everyone is unhappy with Henry for driving Paddington away. Mary says that he was the best thing that ever happened to the family.The bear goes all around town looking for people with the name Montgomery Clyde, with no success. At his last stop, he hears a woman's voice saying Clyde was her father. Paddington enters the home, only to discover the voice belongs to Millicent. She kidnaps Paddington and throws him in her taxidermy van. Mr. Curry sees this and discovers her true intentions. She also rejects his romantic advances and leaves. Mr. Curry then calls the Browns and tells them that Paddington is in trouble.Millicent takes Paddington to the museum and reveals to him that she is indeed Clyde's daughter. Because he failed to bring back the bears from Peru, he was disgraced and kicked out of the guild. He opened a petting zoo, but Millicent now wants to finish what her father failed to do. She prepares to stuff Paddington as the Browns (and Mrs. Bird) make it to the museum. They enter through the sewers to get inside and they kill the power while Mrs. Bird distracts the security guard with a drinking game. Henry heroically climbs out the window and finds the room where Paddington is in and tries to help him get out. However, Millicent turns the power back on and notices the family's wet footprints and realizes she's being sabotaged. Paddington is forced to climb to the roof through the furnace, just as Millicent turns it on. He uses little vacuums to climb up until they start to run out of battery. He nearly falls to his doom until the Browns catch him and pull him up. Millicent makes it to the roof and faces the Browns. She holds up a tranquilizing gun at Paddington, when he spots many birds near him. He takes out a marmalade sandwich and throws it in the air so the birds can fly around Millicent and subdue her. Mrs. Bird then opens a door and pushes Millicent off the roof, although she manages to grab onto a flagpole. The family takes Paddington home.Paddington writes one more letter to Aunt Lucy telling him about the latest events. Millicent was removed from her position as museum director and was forced to do community service at her father's petting zoo. She is seen getting a pile of poo dumped on her by a cheeky monkey. The Browns are doing better than before now that they've officially adopted Paddington as part of their family. He tells Lucy that he finally has a home. Paddington then joins the Browns outside for a snowball fight.

comedy

train

imdb

One of the late and great films of the year, Paul King's irresistibly warm story creates a sense of nostalgia whilst boasting a quintessentially British feel and pitch-perfect humour that can be enjoyed by people of all ages.. It didn't matter to me that myself and my husband were watching it without the cover of escorting children, family movies are probably one of the most satisfying things out there to watch when done as well as this one was.Cute is an understatement to describe Paddington Bear: he is simply warm and cuddly and I fell for him wholeheartedly. Paddington feels real in this movie, as real as any of the actors.The ambiance of the film is whimsical, it mixes elements that are very modern but also capturing a bit of the old London where the original story is set. But then, as the film goes, I found out watching Paddington is one of the best decisions I've made recently, and that is not exaggerating, because as I watched that little talking bear roam around London, I found the inner child inside of me who's been lost for quite some time. Paddington truly is a surprising movie, and it surely is the best non-animated family film made in 2014. The raw materials, a heart-warming, but lightweight children's story are not the obvious stuff of a great film,the hybrid real life and cgi high risk. The film explains this noteworthy phenomenon: decades earlier, an explorer arrived in Peru, and, smitten with the bears otherworldly craftiness, taught them how to act as if they were civilized human beings.After tragedy strikes, Paddington's aunt decides that it would be best if her nephew went to find a home in London. But Paul King's Paddington, based on the beloved books by Michael Bond, really does have something for everyone and is, incidentally, an utterly lovely movie about families to boot. The young at heart -and even a few older, crankier people - will find much to enjoy in the film's cheerfully subversive script.Our journey begins in Darkest Peru, where a young bear (voiced with pitch-perfect charm by Whishaw) lives happily with his Aunt Lucy (Staunton) and Uncle Pastuzo (Gambon). With Henry insisting that Paddington can only stay while he looks for a more permanent home, the bear begins investigations in London - unaware that Millicent, an obsessive, possibly crazy taxidermist (Kidman), has very specific reasons for wanting him to visit her museum.Strictly speaking, there isn't anything all that new or original about Paddington. The narrative of the film is also little more than a patchwork of wacky incidents and hijinks: Paddington floods the bathroom while trying to come to terms with the "facilities"; Paddington apprehends a criminal through sheer good luck and his incredibly honest nature; Paddington and Henry infiltrate the top-secret Geographers' Guild to hunt down Mr. Clyde.And yet, King has crafted something quite charming and magical around the bare bones of his story. Her fantastically manic performance as Millicent reminds us why it's a damn shame that she hasn't been in a comedy for years - she's so cheerfully unhinged in the film that she steals pretty much every scene she's in.It doesn't matter whether you're a fan of Bond's books, someone who only knows Paddington as a cuddly soft toy, or a neophyte who has never heard of this walking, talking, marmalade-loving bear. Paddington is a big, warm bear hug of a film, one that will enchant children and tickle adults, even as it grabs just about everyone by the heart with its charm and humour.. It is obvious that a great deal of love and affection has been injected into the making of this film; the acting, graphics, editing, sets and storyline are all virtually flawless, and you must surely be a soul with no heart not to find some modicum of pleasure from this 90 minute magical movie experience.I have deducted one star, which may seem a tad mean after such a glowing review, but that is simply because my family and I wanted the film to go on longer. Just in case there is the remotest chance that nobody knows......Paddington is the tale of a bear from deepest darkest Peru who comes to London and takes up residence with the Brown Family. Based on the works of author Michael Bond, "Paddington" tells the story of a talking bear (Ben Whishaw) from "darkest" Peru who stows away on a cargo ship to start a new life for himself in London. Once there, he becomes involved with a family named Brown (Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Madeleine Harris, Samuel Joslin), who take him into their home on a temporary basis, and a villainous taxidermist (Nicole Kidman) intent on literally "stuffing" the bear for an exhibit in a natural history museum. Paddington plays like a modern British fairytale, and boy does this film brim with gorgeous colours, great actors and some truly great and charming CG-animation bringing the world's favourite Maramalade-eating bear to the big screen.Paddington is 'jolly-good-stuff' that is as British as British family films and comedy gets: full of down to earth yet relatable and sometimes self-mockery. One of the UK's most famous literary icons gets transformed into a believable and modern animal that feels like he's in a story custom-made as creative yet cinema-referential; it has great charm and feelings reminiscent to the Harry Potter films in its giddiness, like The Jungle Book in the opening sequence, and the benefits of gorgeous London-based scenery that drives the story complimented by the occasional homage to the Mission Impossible movies.Paddington: I expected a kid's movie that would be enjoyable and harmless; it's charm may just about make those rough-gutted moviegoers out there real sick. Although helping him find a proper home, the Browns start to attach to the newcomer but his negligent way of life and an evil hunter from a local history museum tend to interfere in their relationship, for better or worse.We're presented with the amusing and entertaining adventures of this strange bear which comes to a big city in search of a new life, but ends up in a lot of trouble, more or less due to his actions. The Brown family with the great Sally Hawkins as mother and a sympathetic stuffy Hugh Bonneville as a father is full of hilarious absurdity.The Movie is one you can really watch and enjoy with the whole family and there will be no doubt that everybody will love it.. This is an instant classic.The raw materials, a heart-warming, but lightweight children's story are not obvious stuff of great film, the hybrid real life and CGI high risk. Paddington is a surprisingly good Live-Action family comedy, the type that no-one seems to make anymore.It's like one of those 1980-1990 classic movies, which clearly targeted the younger ones, but - at the same time - they were interesting and well made and so everyone could enjoy it!The direction is very Anderson-ish and with pretty cute British vibes and the performances are great. Visually it is a delightful CGI representation of the eponymous bear (politely voiced by Ben Wishaw) and deploys some neat cinematic devices; script-wise it combines humour, word play, and sharp allusions to the plight of the immigrant; while acting- wise we have a slew of marvellous British performers including Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins and Julie Walters as the adults in Paddington's new family and Nicole Kidman who has other plans for our furry friend. The acting and voice overs were all excellent too, contributing to a thoroughly enjoyable film.Paddington is a great 90 minutes of entertainment packed full of laughs, action and adventure. I enjoyed the pacing of this movie because it takes the "fish out of water" story that we've all seen before whether it's "The Incredible Mr. Limpet", "101 Dalmatians", or even as recent film "The Boxtrolls" and adjusts the timing of the whole thing in such a way that it almost feels new. A bad gal in the person of Nicole Kidman comes after him with a plan as Paddington adapts to human and London life.This was overall a good family film with many wonderful and hilarious moments. From the cast, the script, the animation and everyone else involved with this project - this film (and the sequel to it) come together to create a flawless story for all ages.Both this and the sequel are closely related and both must have been made either at the same time or with each other in mind.Like Disney's 'Peter Pan', the story is mostly about the kids and the titular character... Those of us who grew up with the old BBC animation of the ADVENTURES OF PADDINGTON BEAR, voiced by the wonderfully fruity Michael Hordern, might find it difficult to stomach another version of Michael Bond's well-loved tales.Happily most of our skepticism was set aside: Paul King's new animated version is absolutely wonderful, with a witty script (by King and Hamish McColl), performances given with a light touch, inspired voice-overs and superb animation.The story follows the book: Paddington Bear (voiced by Ben Whishaw) lives a happy life in darkest Peru with his aunt and uncle (voiced by Imelda Staunton and Michael Gambon), until an earthquake turns their world upside down. There's an English quirkiness and whimsicalness that carries the whole movie and provides many of the best comedic moments.Great performances by an all-star cast: Sally Hawkins, Hugh Bonneville, Peter Capaldi (of The Thick of It fame - here he is in a rare non-swearing role...), Jim Broadbent and Julie Walters. I know this is pretty obvious but the CGI is pretty noticeable but yet I didn't really mind that because I really focused more on the films great storytelling that brought so much heart and feel good humor and characters that makes you wanting more until the end. PaddingtonThe upside to adopting an abandoned animal is they have more issues than you do.Mind you, the patriarch in this family-comedy isn't too keen on finding out what those issues are.Unable to remain in the jungle where he was raised, a rare talking-bear (Ben Whishaw) makes his way to a London train station in hopes of being adopted by a family.As it would happen, Henry (Hugh Bonneville), Mary (Sally Hawkins) and their children take in the well-mannered wild animal, despite Henry's objections.Christened Paddington, the accident-prone bruin attracts the attention of an obsessed taxidermist (Nicole Kidman) who wants to display his hide in the Natural History Museum.With playful direction, remarkable character design and Booneville's hilarious turn as the cantankerous dad, this live-action/animated adaption of the children's books is surprisingly entertaining.However, having a bear as a pet takes a lot of hard work and bear spray. Yet despite it's thread-bare plot and familiar genre tropes, Paddington not only offers excitement in some slapstick set- pieces that will surely please the kids, but King makes the film an interesting analogy of immigration, a hot topic in modern society.When Paddington (voiced with adorable naivety by Ben Whishaw) arrives at Paddington station, leaving his Aunt Lucy (Imelda Staunton) and Uncle Pastuzo (Michael Gambon) after an earthquake destroys his home, the image of the tiny bear, adorned with a sign around his neck asking any friendly Londoners to "please look after this bear, thank you", brings to mind the images of poverty-stricken immigrants arriving at Ellis Island in the 1900's as much as it does the child evacuees during World War II, Bond's original inspiration. He is taken in by inner city statistical analyst Henry Brown (Hugh Bonneville) and his wife, artist Mary (Sally Hawkins), and is soon causing chaos in their home.Evil taxidermist Millicent (Nicole Kidman) shows up about a third of the way in, intent on capturing and stuffing the rare talking bear, teaming up with grumpy (and randy) next-door neighbour Mr. Curry (Peter Capaldi) in what is the only contrived plot-thread of the movie. Thank you.' Even though Mr. Brown (Hugh Bonneville) desires to find another home for Paddington, the family comes to love the charming, Peruvian bear. Through a series of mishaps and misadventures, Paddington begins to search for the British explorer who discovered his family in Peru, but comes in contact with a museum taxidermist (Nicole Kidman) who has other plans for the rarest of bears.The premise of the story might sound ridiculous, but it is based on a children's book series and it works on the big screen. This was a really fun movie with some great performances from the likes of Hugh Bonneville (Mr. Brown), Ben Whishlaw (Paddington) and Julie Walters (Mrs. Bird) to name a few. The CGI is a little dated though.Pros: Light hearted and funny story, great acting, amazing voice acting by Ben Whishaw, Paddington as a character, a short runtime, and a great endingCons: Some slow pacing in the middle of the film and some outdated CGI If you and your family are looking for a happy and fun movie to enjoy, go watch Paddington. If you and your family are looking for a happy and fun movie to enjoy, go watch Paddington. Paddington 2 releases this year and I can't wait to revisit my favorite bear in London.FILM INFO: Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy Directed By: Paul King Written By: Paul King (Written By), Hannish McColl (Screen Story), Michael Bond (Original Author) Release: Jan 16, 2015 Runtime: 1h 35min Studio: StudioCanal. Based on Michael Bond's perennial children's books about the marmalade-loving, coat-wearing Peruvian bear who is taken in by a hospitable London family, Paul King directs a family comedy film funnier than most of 2014's comedies, despite being aimed at audiences far younger. It stars Skyfall's Q, Ben Whishaw, as the voice of the eponymous bear, along with supporting roles from Nicole Kidman (The Hours), Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey), Sally Hawkins (Blue Jasmine), Doctor Who himself Peter Capaldi, Harry Potter's Julie Walters and also Jim Broadbent (star of every British film ever).I had low expectations for Paddington. Like the adult-pleasing cameos from Peter Capaldi, Alice Lowe, Julie Walters, Matt Lucas and Jim Broadbent, Kidman delivers a performance the children will relish in a straightforward, obvious manner while the adults will laugh at the humour of the dialogue and visual gags that fly by just over their heads.Paddington is packed with plenty of subtle humour for those who pay attention: the frequent signs and posters on the periphery of the screen, the film references and genuinely funny nods to Indiana Jones and Mission Impossible etc. Author Michael Bond was inspired to write the Paddington stories when he saw kids leaving being evacuated during World War 2 and this film has a subtext of the immigrant experience.Aided with a touch of Wes Anderson stylishness, this is a sweet family film but lacks the warmth of the BBC television series from the 1970s that were narrated by Sir Michael Hordern.Paddington (voiced by Ben Whishaw) is a young bear from darkest Peru who speaks English and loves marmalade sandwiches thanks to a British geographer who met his family years earlier.When their home in Peru is destroyed, Paddington's aunt (Imelda Staunton) sends him to London with a note and a suitcase hoping to meet the explorer who came into contact his aunt and uncle so many years ago.Alone and lost at Paddington Station he is taken in by the kind hearted Mrs Brown (Sally Hawkins) although her husband (Hugh Bonneville) is reluctant but the children warm to him and they name the bear Paddington.Hot on the heels is an evil taxidermist Millicent (Nicole Kidman) who intends to capture and stuff the bear and display him at a museum.As Paddington goes about accidentally causing mayhem, locals do not react to the talking bear, he is viewed as another foreigner. Watching the movie made me feel nostalgic about my childhood when I used to read the Paddington Bear stories by Michael Bond. Paddington is so much larger than life and so much a clumsy and unlikely hero in the books that any film could easily be carried by the character of the bear and his adopted family and their gentle and warm stories. Paddington the movie is the big screen film all about well Paddington the bear whose quest to live in London is both heart warming and pretty funny, I do though find some parts of this not that great. Featuring a cast with the likes of Hugh Bonneville, Nicole Kidman and Julie Walters the film you would think and many do that this is a great old romp and one for the ages, for all ages yes very true but I did feel this a little basic, don't get me wrong it is perfectly OK and I would recommend it but I still expected more from a movie with such high praise.Basically Paddington is a bear going to seek a home in London because his auntie told him to; we then follow him as he becomes a stowaway on a long trip to stereotypically rainy London where he comes across a family of various personalities. Now don't get me wrong it is fun all the way through but still I feel this nowhere near as excellent as some proclaim, but take nothing away from it, this is still a satisfactory experience.Overall Paddington is a movie I would say go and watch, and if you have kids then even more so because not only you might enjoy it but the young one's will too. Paddington (2014) *** (out of 4) Extremely delightful film about a young bear who leaves the jungles of Peru and heads for London in hopes of finding a family to adopt him. 1-You don't have to be a kid for enjoying it 2-It's better to watch at home, that theatre 3-Images, shooting, of good quality 4-Nice story: Simple but fun 5-Not necessary to have read the books in advance 6-Acting from the kids is great, the best from the film: Madeleine Harris and Samuel Joslin 7-You will see a different Nicole Kidman.

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Victoria

Berlin, 04:00. After having her club time Victoria decides to leave. At the door a man, whom with his three friends are denied entry, asks her about the club. As she leaves the boys get kicked out again. Outside one of the boys introduced himself as Sonne and asks her to join them for a drink. She agrees to join him and Boxer, Blinker, and Fuss. Sonne takes her to buy beer. As they find the clerk sleeping, Sonne decides to walk out slowly with the beer. They then go to a roof where the boys usually hang out. After some chat Victoria leaves saying she has to open her workplace café later at 07:00. Sonne leaves to escort her. At the café she invites him for cocoa. Soon the boys come and pick him up. They leave Victoria, stealing a parked car. They quickly get back to her as Fuss is too drunk. Boxer insists they be four men so he demands Sonne to ask Victoria to join them.She agrees, and drives the car. They meet a gangster who protected Boxer in prison. Now the man demands something for it, asking them to rob a bank. Bocer refuses and promises the man his money. But he asks to hold Victoria. Sonne quickly steps in, telling him theyd do it. They practice the heist and then go for it. Victoria mans the wheel as they go in. She accidentally turned the engine off. Boxer has to hot-wire it again on exit, sending everybody in panic. But they regain control and leave the car near the club where they first met. They go back in there, not denied entry due to tipping much. There Victoria and Sonne find a romantic moment. But soon they all get kicked out for being erratic. The sky has already brighten up. Victoria asks the boys about Fuss, whom theyve all forgotten hes still sleeping in the car. They slowly walk away after seeing police has already found the car.They cant control their panic and soon get chased by the police. Blinker gets shot while Victoria, Sonne and Boxer hides behind a wall and return fire to the police. They retreat to another wall but Boxer gets shot in the leg. As the police advance Sonne and Victoria leave him into an apartment building. On the stairs Sonne threatens a man to give them shelter. The police surrounds the building. Victoria talks the mans wife to borrow their baby. She and Sonne take the baby and gets pass the police. They leave the baby at a store as Victoria promised the mother, then rides on a taxi. They go to Westin hotel where Sonne reveals that he was shot and is now wounded. He tells Victoria to take the money and disappear. Moments later he dies and Victoria controls herself and leaves the hotel.

tragedy

train

imdb

So...there comes Victoria, a movie by a experienced director, with (for the most part) unknown faces in the cast, a really small crew and shot in a single take in a night in Berlin. The tracking shot in the movie isn't only there for effect and a showcase of the cinematographers talent, but a essential part of the films main story, that unfolds around a Spanish girl named Victoria, that meets a bunch of "real Berlin guys", so they call themselves, in the middle of the night. You experience the story of Victoria in real time, you see live character development for instance.That, the down to earth acting and plot make the movie so incredibly immersive that it becomes something completely new and fresh, which is incredibly rare in recent years. The acting in this movie is fantastic, the dialogue is actually completely improvised, so that the actors, especially the fantastic Laia Costa and Frederick Lau, become these characters in those 140 minutes and it feels real. It feels like they are actual existing persons.The cinematography is brilliant, Sturla Brandth Grøvlen does a fantastic job in accompanying the main characters and even if there are some shaky parts, which was expected, its never annoying and the viewer becomes the camera. Either way: Watch this movie and support movies with original concepts, only like this we will continue to get better movies than the usual dog**** from Hollywood and co.Victoria is a truly exhilarating masterpiece and the first time I felt like watching a new kind of cinema in a long time. This is the first time ever I am writing a review on the IMDb, I just feel the need to do so because it seems like the movie does not get the attention it deserves, especially on a international level, but in Germany as well. Pretty soon you become sure, that you are a part of the group and witness the events first hand, thus it is one of the most intensive movie going experiences you can have, I am saying this, as somebody who has seen "Gone Girl", "Rush", "Birdman" all these great intense blockbusters, but this movie really takes it to the next level. The movie just drags you into the action, that some of it is hard to witness (even though there is no over the top violence or nudity scenes) It has been called the best German movie since "Run Lola Run" and as a matter of fact it is, even better, it does not even need any Nazi or DDR references, all it needs is a solid script with (especially in the getting-to-know-each-other-scenes between Sonne and Victoria) funny dialogue, a really great cast (most notably Frederick Lau and Laia Costa), a great subtle soundtrack and a very capable director who could pull this cinematic masterpiece of. Victoria would be a really boring movie if just one department failed to do an extraordinary job - the Norwegian DP, the actors, the sound department - every little detail makes or breaks this film. Other than of course the masterful camera work and direction, there's nothing absolutely spectacular to tell you to look out for-- It's just a solid movie experience that provides a full spectrum of good acting, mystery, action, emotionally driven scenes backed by a great soundtrack. What follows is a descent into a rather cheesy, Hollywood-style gangster underground that feels totally out of place within the humble, realistic Berlin that the directors have clearly attempted to capture in this single-take film.The problem with "Victoria" is that the film's makers don't seem to know what kind of film they are trying to make: is it a fly-on-the-wall docudrama showing us everyday events with wildly unforeseen circumstances? Even though we want to get pulled in to the events that are depicted, we are always aware that they just would not happen in the "gritty real life" Berlin that this film attempts to capture.Having said that, this crew has clearly got some great dramatic skills. Shot in real time, filmed in one continuous take & made all the more believable by excellent performances from its cast, Victoria has that foreboding ambiance that keeps giving off the vibe that something unfortunate is about to happen all the time and even though its single- take gimmick is attention grabbing, it's the story & characters that hold this film together.Victoria covers a couple of hours in the life of its titular character, a young Spanish woman in Berlin who, while leaving a club one early morning, meets four local guys who invite her to hang out with them for a while, to which she agrees. Although her adventurous night out with them ends on an amicable note, a last-minute favour asked by the guys alters her life forever.Co-written & directed by Sebastian Schipper, the story of Victoria could've been easily told without the filmmakers trying to be ambitious with the camera but that added inventiveness brings an admiration of its own. The first half establishes the background of the characters as they stroll through Berlin streets & roofs but the next half is one nail-bitingly tense thriller that ups the ante considerably.Its single take lasting 138 minutes might be the combined result of clever editing, seamless switching & careful masking but what impressed me most is the fact that despite it being an impressive technical feat, it never for once overshadows the unfolding drama which remains the centerpiece throughout its runtime. The actors are highly convincing in their given roles, which only gets better as the plot progresses, and it only helps in further uplifting the story.On an overall scale, Victoria ends on a far better note than where it appeared to be heading during the first act, keeps its main focus on the titular character from beginning to end, and manages to be an emotionally rewarding experience with or without the one-shot gimmick. I don't want to summarise the plot too much, if at all, because I think this is the sort of movie you should go into a bit clueless - BUT, what can you expect is an amazing, edge-of-your seat thriller, beautiful cinematography, and great acting.Here in the UK we miss out on ever hearing about most European movies like this one, smaller budget with unknown actors. It gives the feeling of being along for the ride, and personally kept my attention gripped for the entire movie.The titular character Victoria is a complicated girl, and you are given but tidbits of information as the story goes on, never quite a complete picture but a sense of her emotions, and her reasoning for the pertinent decisions she makes throughout the story. But "Victoria" is missing more than just plot and action: it's missing heart and soul and really ANYTHING appealing for the audience.It's virtually an hour into this film before the "plot" even begins, and the only suspense towards the end was "when will this film be over so I can go home?" Like "Blair Witch," the ending was both inconclusive and unsatisfying.The much-ballyhooed "single-shot production" is also a failed experiment, in my opinion. But instead, it just seemed like really uninspired - nee - bad - visual work.SO getting the whole movie in one shot is "amazing," but if it didn't make a good movie, what's the point, other than proving you could do it?I realize I'm up against a tidal wave of reviewers who think "Victoria" is amazing in a good way, and not just amazingly awful. Unlike most movies, there's no fictional filter keeping you distant: an exaggerated make-up, unrealistically clean surfaces in film sets, fake rains, ugly digital insets, cameras precisely zooming and panning from impossible points of view, declaimed lines following one another like a metronome, robotic characters who don't stammer and don't drop their cigarette. With this film, I admire and respect the effort and style they were going for, and it honestly feels like the film has been done in one shot with the superb editing, timing, and great acting. It felt as if the director wanted that specific style so the film could "stand out" to other competitors, as if to fool the audience and critics they were watching something different and artistic but really it's a distraction from the weak story-line and characters. It is not a movie about a Spanish girl living in Berlin, about being estranged in modern modern city life, it is not about Berlin, not about making choices, it is not about life, death, conscience, it is about nothing, nothing other than; the fact that is was shot in one take.It gets five stars in major newspapers, for, as is the case with most films these days; it blows a screen of action and tension, the smoke being a decoy for substance.I remember this space movie with Sandra Bullock, Gravity; that was also supposedly a brilliant movie, since it was made with special techniques. You only prove yourself wrong, is what you do, and as we say in Holland; you throw in you own windows.I guess the process was exhilarating, which is a good reason to make anything of course.But if you want to watch a movie that is not about itself, and will be dear to you for years to come, because you love the characters, their struggle, their mannerisms, their pain and courage, then don't bother with this.If you want some kind of thriller, then go for it.. This film is a great experiment and has a kind of forward energy but without a sense of a world that it takes place in (suggestion: most modern audiences want energy, action and nods towards humanity but have no time for character development or a genuine sense of empathy?). And I loved the gimmick of having high school level English the common language of the main characters, who would otherwise be unable to communicate with each other.The drawback of this hyper-realistic, one-shot filming technique is that everything has to happen in real time--including the getting-to-know-you first hour, which is essential to make the improbable things that Victoria does in the second hour believable. Victoria the kind of pretty nice movie from Europe and i think this movie are challenge for US Writers and Directors because in U.S. movie like this was filmed long time ago. Perhaps a good idea makes an actor better, and through that, a quality performance.'Victoria' tells the story of a young woman who befriends a group of men after a night of partying in Berlin, only to get very close with one of them and then eventually join them in a wild escapade that will likely change the course of her life — all of this over the course of two hours and twenty minutes, all shot in one take. The film is also backed by a simple, minimalist score that helps pass the time during certain sequences, but also adds to the level the film is at.Decent story, decent script, fun concept, but great character interaction kept 'Victoria' afloat. The 138 minute moving play, shot in a single take, is truly an intimate experience.Victoria, a Spanish girl who has recently moved to Berlin, meets some young men on their way out of a club at 4am. The plot would work fine as a traditional film, but when you add the proximity of the camera and single take aspect, the experience of the characters and the viewer is contiguous.Through 22 set changes, including moving vehicles, chase scenes, dance clubs, intimate moments, piano playing and dialogue, cinematographer Sturla Brandth Grøvlen steadies his camera and places us in the middle of the action. There's not return possible, no happy ending possible at least in this movie.The first part of the movie is really pleasant, even though we can feel it won't last...Superficial common behaviours played by the actors, which are all really excellent, camera work, soundtrack, everything is just well mastered.In the next half, we enter the dark side of the story, and nothing isn't pleasant anymore.I won't spoil anything, but it's really a sad movie.We can be sorry that it happens like that because the "victims of their stupidity" are not bad people, but again, it's too late.What was done was done, and obviously with all the negative consequences that are related to what was done.In fact, it's a clever movie, we could take a lesson out of it, if we "think" with our heart and not only with our brain.For me, my preferred part was in the coffee-shop, with the Liszt's Mephisto Waltz...That explain everything, or not... She also backed out of the night a few times so in the end got caught up with the circumstances.The bond they guys have is great along with it being shot continuously as if you were there on a night out on the town.The nightclub scene towards the end was euphoric with the music substituted and captures their raw emotion of what has just happened.Do yourself a favor and watch this film.. The fact that he's filming nearly 140 minutes straight is remarkable in itself, but that he's also accomplishing to make the camera seem like an own acting person, who is part of these events, feels with the characters and sometimes is even "scared", too, is absolutely magnificent and helps by dragging the audience into the movie. Further I want to consider that Berlin looks gorgeous in the early morning hours.That leads me to my second point, that the film feels so incredible realistic caused by its great acting - especially Laia Costa and Frederick Lau have got a splendid chemistry - and its way of telling an heist-story. The camera always stays at Laia Costa's character, Victoria, so the viewer is forced setting up a closer emotional relationship to her, what clearly pays off in the third act, when there's a terrific emotional outburst by Laia Costa, who well- deserved won "Best Actress" at the German Film Awards.There's also a great climactic structure in the movie and you won't believe what crazy things can happen in only 2 1/2 hours. Every character gives another essence to the movie, without that this flick wouldn't have worked so well.After leaving the cinema I still was very excited and that's always a very good sign for me because it shows how the film has infected me. With a bit of distance I have to admit that "Victoria" might be my favorite film of 2015 and also being one of my Top 10-movies of all time.Thank you, Sebastian Schipper, for bringing your idea to life.. "Victoria" directed by hotshot German director Sebastian Schipper was first viewed in Berlin back in february (2015) at which time I was not in the mood to watch a German film about small time hoods in the worst part of town Neukölln and gave it the ankle early but i had more patience and time on my hands in Miskolc seven months later so I watched the whole picture from beginning to end and was most pleasantly surprised this time around because it was not just the gimmick of shooting it in one continuous take that was important but rather the pace of the film the intrigue of the story and the excellent acting especially by the fresh young Spanish actress Laia Costa and the main German actor Frederick Lau who become accidental lovers in a story that has much more to it than at first meets the eye and finally grips your heartstrings at the end when this at first light hearted comedy turns into a suspenseful bank robbery followed by a desperate chase during which our German hero gets hit by a police bullet but is only wounded and escapes to a hotel room where he expires most tragically in the arms of the naïve Spanish girl who was just along for the ride but got in much deeper than she expected to which is exactly what happened to me in the audience when I realized that this is much more than a gimmick film and got so swept up in the drama that I soon forgot that this was all a single take with no editing cuts just as this review is one single sentence not stopping for punctuation breaks because who needs them anyway if the story is good enough to make breaks superfluous -- right?Alex, Berlin. Almost reminds me of the film Spring Breakers, just a group of young people so in the moment that the mundane turns in to the obscure, but the long uncut tracking shot and the wonderful natural non- acting feel to the actors gives this movie far more credit.At first the two hour and eighteen minute run time seem like overkill but it only helps to bring you into the notion that Victoria had a long night, because she really, really did.Check it out.. The casts are great, the character development was believable - even though if i were Victoria, i would never done such things - however, the second half of the movie made on the edge until the end.Gave it 9/10.. This is by far the best German movie I have seen in the last 10 years.Even though Berlin night-life is not really my thing, it's easy to be captured by the story-telling and the amazing performances by all actors.The idea of acting is to make it feel real and authentic to the viewer, and this is exactly what this movie does in an incredibly breathtaking way.Most German films I have watched in my life seem to have dialogue that has a staged and and forced notion to it. Entirely a one-shot film, at least how it seems, starts off from a club where Victoria (Laia Costa), young Spanish woman who works in a cafeteria nearby, is dancing and having a good time.

tt0046521

I vitelloni

As summer draws to a close, a violent downpour interrupts a beach-side beauty pageant in a provincial town on the Adriatic coast. Sandra Rubini (Leonora Ruffo), elected "Miss Siren of 1953", suddenly grows upset and faints: rumours fly that she’s expecting a baby by inveterate skirt chaser Fausto Moretti (Franco Fabrizi). Under pressure from Francesco (Jean Brochard), his respectable father, Fausto agrees to a shotgun wedding. After the sparsely attended middle-class ceremony, the newlyweds leave town on their honeymoon. Unemployed and living off their parents, Fausto's twenty-something friends kill time shuffling from empty cafés to seedy pool halls to aimless walks across desolate windswept beaches. During the interim, they perform immature pranks. Taunting honest road workers from the safety of a luxury car they never earned, they're given a sound thrashing when it runs out of gas. Moraldo Rubini (Franco Interlenghi), Sandra's brother and the youngest of the five vitelloni, uncomfortably observes Fausto's womanizing as he ponders his own existence, dreaming of ways to escape to the big city. Riccardo (Riccardo Fellini), the baritone, nourishes unrealistic ambitions to sing and act. Alberto (Alberto Sordi), the daydreamer, is supported by his mother and self-reliant sister, Olga (Claude Farell). Vulnerable and effeminate, he's unhappy that Olga is secretly dating a married man. Leopoldo (Leopoldo Trieste), the aspiring dramatist, writes a play that he discusses with Sergio Natali (Achille Majeroni), an eccentric stage actor he hopes will perform in it. Back from his honeymoon and settled in with Sandra, Fausto is forced to accept a job as a stockroom assistant in a religious-articles shop owned by Michele Curti (Carlo Romano), a friend of his father-in-law's. Incorrigible, he pursues other women even in his wife's presence. At the annual masquerade ball, Fausto is bedazzled by the mature beauty of Giulia Curti (Lída Baarová), his employer’s wife. Alberto, in drag and half-drunk, executes a surrealistic dance across the ballroom floor with a goofy carnival head made of papier-mâché. Returning home at dawn, Alberto is devastated to find his sister running off for good with her married lover. Fausto’s naive attempt to seduce Giulia results in his being humiliated and then fired by her husband. In revenge, he steals the statue of an angel in gold paint from his former employer, enlisting the loyal Moraldo to help him sell it to a monk. Suspicious, the monk turns down the offer. Fausto ends up giving the statue to a simple-minded peasant (Silvio Bagolini) who sets the angel on a mound outside his hovel, admiring it from afar. One evening after a variety show, Leopoldo agrees to accompany old Sergio for a walk along the seashore to discuss the merits of his play but when the actor propositions him, he takes to his heels in horror. Learning of Fausto’s one-night stand with an actress, Sandra runs away from home, taking the baby with her. Riccardo, Alberto, Leopoldo, and Moraldo all join in Fausto’s desperate search to retrieve his wife and child. When they find her at the home of Fausto’s father, Francesco pulls off his belt in a rage and finally whips his son. Later Fausto and Sandra walk home happily, with optimism about their life together. Resolved to abandon the provincial monotony of his dead-end town, Moraldo boards the train for anyplace else (Rome), imagining his vitelloni friends sleeping their lives away.

romantic

train

wikipedia

Needless to say, the intelligentsia of the period didn't warm to this film, even as the film-going public in Europe loved it, recognizing themselves and their friends and their own hometowns in it.Just as Shakespeare shows us the brilliant results of striving within the non-negotiable limits of the nine-line sonnet or the blank verse of his plays, Fellini achieves genius in this film, stylistically, from the fruitful tension between the dictates of Neo-Realist imperatives (which no young Italian director of the Fifties could ignore if he wanted a career), and the dictates of his own vision. I was impressed then, and recently saw it again and was touched anew by these characters.Then I noted that Martin Scorsese, in his documentary about Italian film on Turner Movies Classics ("My Voyage to Italy") names this film as a huge inspiration for his film "Mean Streets" -- and I felt totally exonerated that I had always placed this film up there with La Strada, 8 1/2, La Dolce Vita, and Amarcord.Scorsese sets the record straight about how these characters are successfully fleshed out -- including Moraldo, the Fellini autobiographical character. I Vitelloni, directed by Fellini in 1953 was his first international success.Although it is largely autobiographical in nature there is no obvious mention of Rimini,an Italian coastal town where Fellini was born.There are things to be learned from this film such as erratic behavior of a generation which grew up after second world war.This was the one of the rare post war films which spoke of conflicts within family.It is true that Italian master has drawn an honest portrait of aimless youngsters who were not fit for anything but what might be intriguing to an average viewer is to ascertain as to why Fellini decided not to throw some light about why his protagonists were like that ? In a small seaside town in Italy, Moraldo Rubini (Franco Interlenghi), Alberto (Alberto Sordi), Fausto Moretti (Franco Fabrizi), Leopoldo Vannucci (Leopoldo Trieste) and Riccardo (Riccardo Fellini) form a group of idle friends that spend their time together doing nothing but drinking, flirting and going to parties. However, the irresponsible Fausto remains unfaithful to Sandra, cheating her with many women and almost leading his family to a tragedy."I Vitelloni" is an Italian melodrama with the signature of Federico Fellini: excellent production, great music score, outstanding interpretations, wonderful cinematography. The same goes about this film:it's the story of five young men living in a small town(most likely Fellini's birthplace Rimini) in post-second-world-war Italy. There is even a storyteller and what struck me from the first scene was the resemblance with Scorsese using the same story-telling technique in Goodfellas or Casino,in order to make the story more actual,credible and more accessible to the viewer,to better get in the mood(no wonder that Scorsese adored this film and probably even used it as a source of inspiration).In a warm,typically Italian,partly poetic,partly ironic tone the five are introduced in such a way that the viewer gradually gets the feeling of having known these characters since childhood. Fellini is obviously self-centered,individualistic,coming to terms with his own strong and uneven ego,so this film is,as some might expect,autobiographical,all the five men being more or less an alter-ego or at least inspired by persons closely connected to him,his childhood&youth,Rimini-every time Fellini fictionalizes his own self,he creates a masterpiece,a Dorian Grey-sort of self-indulgent myth that gets it's value from being this way.While other filmmakers,even accomplished ones would just be hilarious repeating the same sort of characters under different names and plots,Fellini keeps us wanting more and more of his personality,every piece of this intricate puzzle-whether it's this film,La Dolce Vita,81/2,Amacord or several others-providing the intellectual excitement of having discovered more,of having taken a fabulous mental journey,without having revealed(or not even wanting to completely reveal)all of Fellini.. There are humorous moments too and,from a comical viewpoint,Sordi's performance is the best-especially in the extravagant,delirious carnival scene when he dances dressed as a woman to the timeless melody "Titine"(which made film history due to Chaplin's unique performance in Modern Times,Sordi's gestures to the same tune also revealing his immense comical talent,maybe it's Fellini's tribute to another master of cinema,note that while Chaplin sings gibberish,but he suggests a possible storyline with his mimic,the same tune is here strictly instrumental,accompanied by Sordi's mainly visual,almost silent comic style of humor),and,after wards experiences a burlesque hangover including a trumpet,an over-sized head and a seemingly endless monologue.Or,again Sordi in the scene when he's mocking men working at a road for no particular/infantile reasons.Another interesting,yet somewhat tragicomic scenes shows a strict,patriarchal father beating up his son,though his son is an adult,married and with children-showing how traditional family life was regarded in the past,not only in Catholic Italy,at an extent that might seem surrealistic today. While Amarcord (1973) was a more straight-forward depiction of Fellini's childhood memories, I Vitelloni seems to be based on people he has observed, possibly while growing up, who, like him, sought to break out of small-town life. Amarcord was a sweet homage to his hometown, but I Vitelloni shows what this kind of life can do to a generation born to parents of sacrifice.The Vitelloni (translated as 'the Boys') consist of Moraldo (Franco Interlenghi), a quiet, observant young man; Fausto (Franco Fabrizi), a handsome playboy; Alberto (Alberto Sordi), a daydreamer unhappy at his sister's affair with a married man; and Leopoldo (Leopoldo Trieste), the writer who harbours dreams of writing critically-adored plays. It's a clever juxtaposition of the generations, and although society will always produce a 'generation X', sometimes a good slap in the face is what is needed.Although Fellini remains somewhat reserved throughout the majority of the film, choosing a still, controlled camera, he breaks out of the neo- Realism approach about half-way through for a scene in which carnival comes to town, with the sound of a lonesome drunken trumpet player running in a circle bellowing in an abandoned dance hall, as the catatonic Alberto staggers outside. "I Vitelloni" is an early, somehow autobiographical Fellini movie that tells the story of five young men hanging around in a provincial town and trying to make ends meet. I VITELLONI being for many people the first look at the young talent appeared to be the opening door, a dawn for the career of, though controversial, one of the greatest directors.But that is history and modern viewers usually ask an important question: will I like the film even if I am not a Fellini buff? I Vitelloni is a classic Fellini drama: there are a few good laughs, but melancholia is a constant and the ending is not exactly a happy one.I Vitelloni follows five friends – Moraldo (Franco Interlenghi), Alberto (Alberto Sordi), Fausto (Franco Fabrizi), Leopoldo (Leopoldo Trieste) and Riccardo (Riccardo Fellini) – who are in their thirties but haven't done anything with their lives and don't even have jobs, so they spend their days and nights fooling around and wasting time. When Fausto is forced to marry Sandra (Leonora Ruffo), because he impregnated her, the others – and especially Alberto – start questioning their existence and their future, while going on with their everyday lives: Leopoldo tries to write a good play, Alberto gets drunk and depressed, Fausto cheats on his wife and Moraldo, the quiet one, observes and narrates the story for the audience."Vitelloni" is a term that was used among young people living in Pescara – the city where Ennio Flaiano, one of the screenwriters, was born – to indicate other young people who spent their days doing nothing, mostly because it was very difficult to find a job in the post-WWII period (which is when the movie is set, too). The film was shown first in tandem with Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets, then with George Lucas' 'American Graffiti', and lastly with Barry Levinson's 'Diner', in what was a fitting tribute not only to the influence that 'I Vitelloni' has had but also to its ability to meet even the highest of comparative standards.The story of this film is simple enough – the audience follows a group of five young men, all of whom are friends, through the off-season in their hometown, a small seaside city in Italy. Federico Fellini's story of "I Vitelloni" is about five friends trapped in their small Italian town; they go out drinking and pick up women, while avoiding work and responsibility. The five are Franco Fabrizi (as Fausto), Riccardo Fellini (as Riccardo), Franco Interlenghi (as Moraldo), Alberto Sordi (as Alberto), and Leopoldo Trieste (as Leopoldo).This film certainly does not represent Fellini's best work; it's very difficult to become interested in the lives of the five wastrels - their stories are, indeed, dull! it would be better named The Middle-aged and Slack!This film is a hilarious look at the lives of a bunch of "young" and completely useless men who still live at home with their mothers avoiding jobs, commitment, or real life.If you enjoyed Slackers, Clerks, Go, and the like, you may well enjoy this film as it fits in well with this genre.The Vitelloni (I don't know what this means but I suspect it means "COMPLETE SLACKERS") wander around town talking about their plans to write the great novel, get married, get a job, etc etc etc but instead tend to end up wearing silly hats and falling over drunk.And it's set in a pretty Italian town, so what more could you want?. I Vitelloni (1956) *** (out of 4) Federico Fellini film about a group of young men who are in no hurry to grow up and leave their small, lifeless town. Two American classics were directly influenced by it: Barry Levinson's "Diner" and George Lucas' "American Graffiti." Scores of other films, like Linklater's "Dazed and Confused," share elements or pay homage.The plot of I Vitelloni is more or less just a series of episodes from the young men's lives, set against the slender story of a more independent figure who gently and somewhat unknowingly pursues a psychological break from the group of guys whose loafing, dreaming, and vague rebelliousness have defined his youth. A character study of five young men at crucial turning points in their lives in a small town in Italy.For Fellini, vitelloni were "the unemployed of the middle class, mother's pets. Like in the films that later took inspiration from this (director Martin Scorsese lists it as a main influence on his masterpiece Mean Streets), Fellini shows his characters for being brutally human, and for that he adds some fine comedic moments in with the drama. This review isn't about finding a deep message to this movie or comparing Bellini's work.The story seems simple enough,a group of guys trying to enjoy life but not paying their dues.If that sounds good to you this film will be entertaining.An hard working person that works regularly may find a few flaws with the characters that rub them the wrong way.In life there are some persons if given a job and picked up each morning to go to it would after awhile stop answering the door when the driver shows up.This movie brings together a group of guys that are basically like that to the extent that they make fun of persons that do work.The most amusing thing about them may be that despite lack of employment they dress well and party to the max.When it's carnival time all the people take part but of course when the streets are almost deserted the young guys are still staggering about.It's almost like these young characters make every night new years eve.Most of them have their dreams about being a success,as usual.Fausto may be the exception,he has a one track mind and seems to believe he could seduce a painting.To enjoy this movie it's probably best to put aside your feelings about these kind of persons in life and take a middle of the road stand while viewing it.My personal feelings got in the way while viewing this movie making a seven the highest score I could give it.. They are different - cynical skirt chaser Fausto who is forced to marry a girl pregnant with his baby; the intellectual and ambitious Leopoldo who dreams of becoming a famous writer; the irresponsible "big child" Alberto (Alberto Sordy, the famous comic, absolutely wonderful in his early role), and Moraldo, the only one of the group who in the final scene will leave the town of his childhood to start a new life.I loved I Vitelloni. Moraldo, who becomes Fausto's brother-in-law, acts as the conscience of these aimless men; he is the only one that has the courage to leave the small town.Fellini collaborated in this film with Tulio Pinelli, a genius in his own right, and Ennio Flaiano, to create a story that was relevant as it depicted the times their country was living. 'I Vitelloni' is one of the key works in the career of legendary Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini; establishing his early style and attention to character detail, whilst simultaneously inspiring the scope and tone of his later films, Nights Of Cabiria and Amarcord. (Leprohon,who was,as a movie critic as great as Faguet was a literary one,mentioned the melodrama as a feature of the Neorealisms,both the French and the Italian.)I find it pleasing that Fellini displayed his meditation on youth in an epic form.This sketch of the provincial life and of the youth,so compact and of so elegant a drawing,remains open;nothing spectacular happens.No "conclusions" are pushed.But,on the other hand,it is presumable that some of the pals' lives will take an ordinary route.The provincial young men's lives are mirrored.There are several wonderful vignettes,I remember the stumpy Sordi,in drink after a carnival,faltering,stumbling near his friend,then arriving home where his beautiful sister (Claude Farell) is leaving,and Sordi comforting his mother,and I remember Sordi's voice,its modulation.This movie is of such a huge importance because it is Fellini's reflection upon the youth;he was 33 years old when he made "I Vitelloni".I remember two young men dancing mambo in the street,in front of a café.I remember the playwright Leopoldo descending on the seashore with the vicious,vile and lustful histrionic that could try to launch his career.I remember Fausto talking with his patron while they have a liqueur,and the older man trying to explain him about the stuff a couple is made of.Fellini treats this melodrama's content with bonhomie,detachment,comic.This film has not a moral,as it does not teach lessons.He believed in the concreteness,and did not have a "thesis" to hide "behind" what he narrated.His meditation on the youth takes this concrete form.In the group of young men,it emphasizes the diversity and not the uniformity.Fellini was a sensitive,but not an effusive man;this is visible in "I Vitelloni".As usually,his actors are excellent:Franco Fabrizi, Sordi, Interlenghi, Eleonora Ruffo,Lida Baarowa.The movie features several beautiful women,and their charm is powerfully seized by the camera.We may say that,after "I Vitelloni", Fellini will never be Neorealist again."Il Bidone" is a comedy,in its first half,and a Shakespeareian drama,of an unmatched intensity,in its second half."I Vitelloni" is one of the Fellini shows that feature handsome young male leads.Other such movies are "Il Bidone" (that features Franco Fabrizi),"La Dolce ...", "8 1/2", "Giulietta ..." and "Toby ...",then Intervista (1987) .Interlenghi belongs to a type of peninsular male suave beauty,other exponents being a Mastroianni and a Giancarlo Giannini ,who may look like a chef or like a cheeky bureaucrat but is none the less a goodly man.In Fellini two things are obvious:his fascination with women,with actresses,a theme that deserves a copious,special treatment;and his lack of any sensual ardor,lack that has,as a positive side,the decency and sobriety,with respect to the explicit sexuality,of his movies.As in "Il Bidone",in "I Vitelloni" the party is the source of a certain dizziness and dereliction,with people deserted of any substance,which makes the innocent,sincere joy of the undisguised, undefended,pure and naive characters all the more heart-breaking,as they look helpless,exposed and lost.Watch "Sandra" at the carnival;see,also,Mrs. Giulietta Masina in "Il Bidone".As Dostoievsky,as Kusturica,Fellini has an immediate and vital need of such pure,good characters that give the world a meaning;they are not conventions,but immediate expressions of Fellini's need of purity and goodness.There is the tendency to believe that behind Fellini's stories there is a meaning,other than what is shown and obvious;this is true,but not if we seek a "thesis" about life.Fellini's movies mean what they "seem" to mean,and are what they seem to be.So,as a young man,Fellini was not ashamed of resorting to melodrama,and his melodrama must be taken as such,not as a "screen" that hides another thing."I Vitelloni" is stylized,but in the story's service,and one can feel Fellini's will of realism,his will of giving a precise description of the provincial life and of the youth.Significantly,the camera never leaves the province town throughout the movie.Nino Rota's score underlines the melodrama.Fellini's narrative characteristic is one that breaks any frame,as it transcends any:ambiguous,at the same time impassible and warm,gentle and dispassionate,delicate and detached and comic;and I think this ambiguity is paired with the cinema's possibilities,that Fellini explored as no other did.The cinema proved apt to serve Fellini's unique qualities as no other art form would have.And by Fellini,cinema itself is firmly established in its individuality.Fellini's biography was always a theme worthy of Fellini."I Vitelloni" is one in a string of explicit autobiographical movies that take as substance Fellini's own life;he made films about himself in the primary sense,and this is a sign of great distinction."I Vitelloni" has a sequel.It is,34 years later,another masterpiece,Intervista (1987).. Fausto is the one whose character's arc is closed and the others will probably find a meaning to their lives, and if Moraldo still doesn't know how to fill the three dots, the best he can do is leaving the town, and find his way.Now, it's impossible not to look at the film without nostalgic eyes, at a beautiful tribute to a lost era where even unemployed and lonely people could enjoy simple pleasures like drinking, dancing, going to the beach and hanging out with friends, a time with more innocence and without the Internet.

tt3832914

War Room

Ms. Clara (Karen Abercrombie) is standing by a grave. The scene cuts to army soldiers standing in a war room. Clara explains a war room is where an army gathers before a war to plan their strategy. This is what her husband did for a living until a heart attack took his life too soon.We meet the Jordan family. Tony (T.C. Stallings), the father, is very emotionally cold. He comes home and yells at his wife, Elizabeth (Priscilla C. Shirer). Tony is angry because he just found out that she transferred $5,000 from their savings account and knew it is for her poverty-stricken sister. He tells her to put it back, and its his decision to handle their money and she wont be giving her sister any money. Tony tells their young daughter, Danielle (Alenna Pitts), that she is too old for a double dutch team. Liz nods disapprovingly. She tells Danielle she has to drop her off at the community center early the next day to meet with a client and Tony is leaving for a business trip.We see that Tony is the top salesman at a pharmaceutical company. He makes a lot of money and is well respected. On his way out of a meeting, he meets an attractive lady who hands him her phone number. He takes it and smiles.Liz works as a real estate agent. We see her in a meeting room with her co-workers, and they tell her not to back down to Tony and to give her sister the money anyway. Then one lady makes a joke and says "My grandmother used to say, submitting to your husband is just ducking so God can hit your husband."Liz goes to meet Ms. Clara. She gets the details of her beautiful home. She sees a picture on the wall of Clara and her husband. She says they only had one son and were married for only 14 years before he died. Then Clara asks to meet Liz the next day for coffee. Liz agrees.The next morning Clara asks Liz about her church and her prayer life. Liz says she goes to church sometimes and that shed consider her prayer life lukewarm. Clara brings Liz room temperature coffee, and when she expresses her disgust, Clara tells her thats how God feels about His people being lukewarm. "He wants us either hot or cold" says Ms. Clara. Meanwhile, Tony calls the woman from earlier and say hell be in town and asks her out to dinner.Clara asks Liz if shell meet with her one hour a week, and shell train her about how to pray for her husband so Liz wont step on the same land mines that Clara did. Liz agrees. Clara tells her that God calls us to pray, not to change people and that her battle isnt with Tony, but its with the devil who has taken control of her house and her marriage. She shows her a closet, which Clara calls her "war room", where she goes to pray. She has scriptures and notes posted on the walls of the room about what to pray for what situation and what she needs to pray for. Outside of the closet, she has a wall of remembrance, where she posts answered prayers.At home, Liz overhears her daughter Danielle tell her friend that she wishes she could live at her house because anytime her parents are together, all they do is fight. Liz goes to her closet and cleans it out and makes her war room. She isnt sure what to do at first. (In a hilarious scene, Liz is shown taking chairs and bean bags in and out deciding what to do.) Then she decides just to sit and eat chips until Danielle finds her. Danielle makes a joke about how stinky the closet is because of her mother's feet.Liz gets a text from a friend that Tony is at dinner with another woman, and it doesnt look like business. Liz begins to cry. Then she sits down in her war room and genuinely prays. She finds scriptures to help her trust God and resist the devil. She prays to God to take her hurt and intervene in the situation with Tony, to please help him and stop whatever is happening and save her marriage.Meanwhile, Tony is at dinner with the woman. She doesnt care that hes married and invites him back to her apartment to spend the night. Tony agrees and asks for the check. Meanwhile, Liz is still praying that God stops the situation. At the same time, Tony suddenly gets very sick and runs to the bathroom.Tony comes home early and finds Liz making dinner. She says Danielle is going to a friends house. He asks if she can eat with her. She smiles and agrees, never mentioning the affair. He sees her cell phone and the messages from the friend telling her about him with the other woman, so he knows that she knows where he was. Liz treats him with dignity and respect, never questioning him because shes trusting it to God. She says God is his judge, not her. In another funny scene, he switches their plates of food because of how nice and calm she is. He asks her what she wants. She says "Right now? Right now... Id like a big ice cream sundae. Hot fudge just everywhere and lots of whipped cream. One cherry right on top. OH and a foot rub". Tony says "Liz, I am NOT touching your feet."Liz continues to meet with Clara. They go for ice cream and are robbed at knife point. Clara stands up to the man and tells him to drop the knife in the name of Jesus. For some odd reason, the would-be-mugger gets freaked out and runs. The police are shocked at how calm Clara is but she says she trusts God to protect her.Tony is discovered to be padding his numbers at work to earn more bonuses and loses his job. When he tells Liz that he was just fired, hes already very defensive. Shes very calm and says that its okay, and theyll make it through this. He gets even more upset at her, and she says she trusts Jesus and that she loves him but first and foremost, she belongs to the Lord, and no matter what Tony does, he wont steal her joy because that comes from God.Tony wants to go to the gym to work out this stress he's feeling and while hes looking for his gym bag, discovers his wifes war room. He reads the prayers and the letters she has. He takes Danielle to her double dutch practice and gets involved. He jumps with her and teaches her new tricks. Her and her friends love him. Tony goes home and falls on his face and begs God to forgive him. Then he goes to Liz and begs her forgiveness and says he will be better. He says he didnt cheat on her, but he almost did; he came so close, and hes so sorry for all hes done and how he has treated her. She forgives him. Then he asks the same from his daughter.Tony tells Liz hes struggling with one more thing. He opens a box full of pills he stole from the pharmaceutical company. He says he knows he has to return them but if he does, he may spend time in jail. She tells him to trust God. Tony takes the pills back to the company. One boss, Tom, is ready to call the cops immediately, but another boss (played by writer and director Alex Kendrick), tells him to give him two days to think about what he wants to do.Liz tells Tony to spend the next two days involved with the jump rope team and to let God have his worries. He does. The day before he finds out his fate, his boss comes to his house. He tells him that he cant give him his job back but that he believes he is sincere because not many men would risk returning the pills. He also tells him he needs to pay back the company $19,000 in bonuses because of his lies. He says they already agreed to do so.Liz and Tony break down saying this is grace and mercy from God on them.The next day the family goes to the Double Dutch competition. On the way, they see Tom, the boss who wanted him in prison, with a flat tire. He cant change it, and Tony stops. He gets out of the car and approaches Tom with a tire iron. Tom is visibly scared until Tony goes to the ground to change the tire. He stands up with dirty hands to shake Toms hand, and Tom relaxes and gives him a firm, respectful hand shake. Tom sees that Tony was sincere in his reasoning to get right with God, his family, and his former company. He gets back in the car, and his daughter asks why he did that for such a mean man, and he says "Its mercy, Danielle. I treated him the way I want to be treated."At the double dutch competition, Tony competes with his daughters team. They are amazing. Danielle's team wins second place. However, Tony tells Danielle that it wasnt about winning, it was about him being involved and being there for his daughter.They go home as a family. Liz shows Claras house to a retired preacher who says he can tell someone has been praying in that closet; thats how strong she prayed. They buy the house.Liz still meets with Clara and thanks her. She says that Clara was her answered prayer and helped save her family. Clara says that Liz is her answered prayer, too. She tells her that she never got to reconcile with her husband. That she never prayed for him because she was so stubborn, bitter and prideful. She didnt learn her lesson until after he died from a sudden heart attack. She asked God to send her a woman to pass the knowledge on to before it was too late and that God sent her Liz. She asks Liz to please find a woman to do the same for.Liz and Tony are at home, and he asks her how it went with her sister. She said it went fine, and she appreciated the $500 and knows they cant do more right now. He tells her he got a job as head of the community center, its half the pay, but theyll make it if theyre wise. She says shes so wise the ladies skipped dessert. He says good, he has something for her.She sits on the couch, and he brings a bucket of water to her. He tells her to put her feet in and relax then brings her her ice cream sundae just the way she described earlier.Liz tells him please, dont touch her stinky feet. He says shes his wife, and he has this covered. Then he pulls out a surgical mask, and they laugh. She starts to cry and says her husband brought her her favorite dessert and is rubbing her feet, there MUST be a God in heaven.

christian film

train

imdb

The production, story and acting are all as good, if not better than, any other movie you'd expect to see in the theaters. Without giving away any real details, the movie follows a family that seems to be falling apart and realizes they need a higher power than they can find in themselves to stay together. Obviously, people who refuse to believe in God and feel no need for faith aren't going to like this move, they don't want to be preached to. If the movie didn't mean to portray that, then it is misleading because it doesn't contain clear caveats that this message is not generalizable to abusive marriages, where the lives of family members, particularly children, should be prioritized and safety sought. The War Room Is The Best Christian Family Movie Ever. The main characters of this movie had faced difficulties and sorrow in their life and fortunately their true faith in God and Jesus had made their life so significant.This is a must see PG Family movie for every sad individual in the world whose life has been miserable.. War Room is a movie about prayer in people's lives. Christian and/or faith based films have had the stigma of being poorly made (TV drama story, unfocused camera, bad acting, pushy message, etc) but War Room actually does all these things right. Without giving away any spoilers I will say that whether you are a Christian or not, if you love prayer, or just want to know/learn more about it please give this movie a chance and go check it out. I highly recommend this movie for everyone but especially those who are looking to grow up in Christ and are ready to receive the full benefits that come from a powerful prayer life. Husbands and wives, mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, families, church groups, get out together to see this movie then go home to make your own War Rooms. Well, it depends how one looks at it: God's Not Dead has multiple story lines so there's more places to look at as far as offensive and THIS IS NOT HOW *THINGS IN THIS UNIVERSE WORK*, but War Room has level of concentrated bat-***t insanity going on. I mean things like how working at a Pharmaceutical company would function if, say, someone *steals* from the company (and while the movie doesn't really acknowledge characters race, which may or may not be seen as a 'ok, well, fine, whatever' aspect of the story for the most part, a black man stealing tens of thousands from his company, whether he was "honest" enough to fess up to it is besides the point, he's going to jail, end of story), or about what happens when a mugger with a knife comes across an old woman (hint, usually what happens in this movie in *real life* doesn't happen, like, ever), or how adult parents join in on... children's jump-rope competitions(?) The point is, War Room is another in a blatant series of films over the past few years that is out to further brainwash the already converted (and God help you if you find this to be powerful stuff in a positive way), and make those who aren't perplexed out of their minds. This is a movie creating its own reality to fit its own agenda - propaganda's textbook definition I know, but it gets worse than that here by the message that women don't have agency over their own lives, or, ideally, shouldn't. It's ironic that a movie that features black characters fairly prominently and (with the exception of the stunningly throw-back stereotype of the Magical Mystical Negro trope with Miss Clara, yes, even in a movie with a mostly black cast I think it counts) doesn't call attention to the race of its characters should set back the *feminist* movements of this country several decades.This is simply a monumentally terrible script by the Kendrick brothers - think the inverse of everything the Coen brothers are good at - both philosophically and in its execution of both character development (there are no clear arcs or dimensions, the husband is a jerk from minute one until the script says it's time for him to look around a couple of his families rooms and realize the error of his ways and get the devil out or some such nonsense) and "plot" whatever that might be. So even if by some miracle, no pun intended, I managed to agree with what the movie was selling me on its moral points about how to submit to your man and that prayer, not actual, *existential* acts that make changes in your and other peoples lives, will solve all the problems of the world (and don't get me wrong, if you want to pray for yourself, fine, have at it, but at the risk of doing nothing else it's a foolish message deep down), I would still find the movie to be atrocious on the grounds of it not being entertaining in the ways that it intends (though I was entertained at times in the ways it decidedly did *not* intend), and how sloppy and idiotic it thinks human beings are.So like God's Not Dead it is a dangerous movie at least for those susceptible enough for its message - I hate to find the news story one day where some poor woman is found dead because she didn't do anything to really force change in an abusive relationship - and for others it's all the same a ludicrous piece of would-be filmmaking made for the budget that a typical Lifetime movie would have (and has acting either on or *below* those standards) that someone wasn't so much released but escaped on to screens through a major distributor like Sony and got to #1 at the box office during one of the worst weekends of the year (Labor Day). Would love to see more movies like this that make people think about life and eternity.. If you have seen and liked "Fireproof" or "Facing the Giants" from the Kendrick brothers, then you're going to love, love, love this movie.While a movie about prayer may seem like a boring concept (I almost didn't see it because of its theme), trust me, believers everywhere are going to be so blessed, touched, and inspired by this movie. You won't regret it.I honestly believe that this might be the Kendrick brothers best movie yet -- and that says a lot since their previous films have been simply terrific and inspiring.Thank you Kendrick brothers for making this beautiful and powerful film!9.5 out of 10 (my wife rates it a 10 out of 10)!. At 57 years of age, I have seen quite a few movies, some good, some bad, but none quite like War Room. I know that I learned from her as well just watching this movie.If people actually took this movie to heart, it could change their lives, the lives of their families, and even extend to their community. Not one of those "feel good" movies just because it's faith based, but one that inspires and encourages the viewer to step out in faith and actually live in the world according to God and not man. My dad and I said tonight after the movie that it would be cool if Christian families designed house plans that included a "war room" in the center of the home. I have seen quite a few Christian movies and independently of their quality they all have been blessings in my life but I was particularly moved by this one since it does not have an all to subtle message which I love and whole hardheartedly believe we need more forward messages like that.. How when you're in the struggle you start ignoring how your actions are affecting others in you life.It had just enough humor to allow people to laugh at themselves.Reminded me of what my prayer life use to be and how I need to get alone, get quiet and meet with Jesus.I recommend this movie to believers and non-believers. The messages in this movie were very strong and the prayer at the end was so impactful that I wanted to rush home so that I could do some praying of my own. Christian values and beliefs are the basis for all the Kendrick brothers movies, each specializing in one major aspect of life. While we have promoted and seen all of their movies, War Room is one of the most profound, heart wrenching, impactive depiction of the dire need for prayer. 'WAR ROOM': Two and a Half Stars (Out of Five)Another Christian drama flick, from the 'Kendrick Brothers'; the team that's also responsible for such previous 'worship-themed' films as 'FIREPROOF' and 'COURAGEOUS'. By doing so, Elizabeth also finds the courage to fix her troubled marriage; and save her struggling family.The movie is filled with some cheesy dialogue, and bad acting (at times); but it also has a few good performances, and some inspiring moments (especially for those of faith). The low-budget shows, and it does feel (a lot) like a TV movie; but the film is still better than other Christian-themed flicks (that I've seen, in the past few years). Otherwise, this is a life-changing film about the most powerful force in the universe (prayer) and the Loving God who unleashes that Power...enjoy!. This movie inspired me to make a war room for our family. It isn't until the wife meets an elderly woman, Miss Clara, that things start to take a turn for the better.The Kendrick brothers have truly outdone themselves, as they do with each preceding film. This movie displays a spiritual authenticity lacking in many Christian films, and is made even more powerful by the spiritual dynamite of Claire, the wise old woman who mentors a woman whose marriage is on the verge of destruction. The movie demonstrates in very clear ways the power of prayer that many Christians have experienced on a regular basis. The movie builds people up, gives them hope, and reminds them of God's ways, and the wonderful victory that is found only in Christ Jesus. This film is a wakeup call to Christians to get back on their knees and start petitioning the Lord to do a great work in their families, marriages, lives and our country. After seeing this film our entire family was convicted that we need to pray more and how prayer is a powerful tool that is, sadly, underused! I truly believe that God has raised them up, "For such a time as this!." Go see this movie and be renewed in your faith and convicted that what is needed to bring this country, and all the people in it, back to the Lord! While I agree with the premise of this movie: that we need to pray more, I disagree with the unbiblical manner in which "War Room" teaches and promotes prayer—a means to get something from God (to fix our lives) rather than what Christ told us prayer is for—a means to know the will of God and submit our will to His...for His glory and pleasure and not ours.I'm disappointed and saddened that this latest film from the Kendrick Brothers succumbed to the seeker-friendly, happy-clappy, false Christianity. I don't normally write reviews but figured I'd go ahead for this one, being that this is a limited release low budget film.The movie is about the power of prayer - It showed these themes very well.I felt that this movie was very uplifting and encouraging, but it felt heavy emotionally and some of it was hard for me to watch. The Kendrick Brothers (makers of this film) note that War Room is about prayer. This movie is about the power of prayer, in every aspect of our lives, particularly those areas of our lives which need help the most.It is rare to have the lights come on after a movie has ended and see tears streaming down people's faces. I know there are a lot of critics out there who may say horrible things about this movie, but if you are a practicing Christian and consider reading the Word of God and Prayer for others a worthwhile pursuit, then this movie is the right one for you! I will not spoil the movie for you, but really listen to what the old wise woman, Ms Clara, had to say because it is So very tried and true in my own life as well.As for those who call themselves Christians and continue to criticize, mock and make fun of the movie, I can only point out Psalm 1:1 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.. War Room is a pretty good Christian movie, which is extremely hard to find! 7/10 for war room, pretty good Christian film, probably the only one I know of.. Finally, the Church can watch a movie that speaks faith and shows the hand of God in the lives of His people. But this movie sends out a message that you must have a good relationship with HIM(GOD) talking to HIM(GOD) in prayer and by reading the Bible . This movie has allowed me to see the importance of prayer and know that God is here and is showing up in the entertainment arena for all who are searching for Him and his Word!!. I would see the movie anyway just on Kendrick's name - but Christian PR (as horrible as it is) persists.My prayer is the films will bring people to Christ. While yes, this movie does have tokens of comfortable American Christianity, the heart core message of submitting to God to win the spiritual war against the ancient enemy is still powerful. And yes, some parts of the plot are predictable and some parts are way too happy while war is not pretty, the movie still gets the point across.The only thing I want to point out about the ending of this movie is that we can't "pray" away prophecy. While many Christian films sacrifice great writing and acting for the sake of having spiritually authentic and invested employees, War Room make no such sacrifice while still utilizing authentic and dedicated writing & casting. Sometimes we are stuck in bad situations, and God allows us to remain there, perhaps to teach us trust and dependence on Him. The best part of the movie is the relationship between the young wife and the elderly woman, although she was over the top at times, especially at the end. War Room was a fantastic movie with great acting, an inspiring story line, and a message that must heard. It was nice to see a movie that I did not have to feel like I was a critic on, and could just watch and enjoy, not to mention get something out of.Take it to heart and see God change your life! This is a very uplifting film about a wife who learns how to use prayer and faith from an older prayed up woman to put her family back together. The story line and the plot of this film are simple but the message is powerful, and I'm not saying that just because I'm a Christian. This film also illustrates how Christians are to lift up and encourage others and teach them how to have faith in GOD no matter what kind of situation that person might be going through. Please start ignoring the critic reviews and start looking at the Audience Score, which is based on a large number of people and not ten or so sick, liberal-biased fools.This movie is inspirational and truly worth watching time and again. I recommend every Bible-believing Christian see this movie; truly inspirational and an eye-opener on how to pray with fire.Thumbs up, Kendrick boys. So here it is: "War Room" is about a struggling family as they seem desperate with their lives as a woman name Elizabeth meets an old woman name Miss Clara as she encourages her to fight in prayer as she asks God for help to save her family from falling apart. I would not put this movie on a "Do Not Watch" list or you will miss the experience of what it means to have great faith and how to take back what is rightfully yours, through prayer. There is nothing wrong with filming a movie from a Christian perspective, so War Room deserves no criticism for emphasizing such things as prayer and forgiveness. I'm not a religious person, and I was not in the mood for what I thought was going to be a movie that just preaches to me, but I went and in the end, I have to admit it was a fanatic film.War Room is all about having faith in Jesus, and it was woven together beautifully. You could not help but to be touched.No matter how you personally feel about God or religion, I dare you not to watch this movie and not want to be a better person like the family in War Room who became better people with the help of prayer.. Great movie for Christians wanting something uplifting and wholesome to watch.. Some of the negative critics may ask why but when you're a Christian and you know God is speaking to you through film or the bible or prayer it can be extremely touching. For those who aren't saved and couldn't find the good in this movie, I'm praying in my new war room for you.. The movie has a great message on using prayer in tough times. This lovely, strongly Christian oriented film will delight those who welcome religious movies and uplifting messages.

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Hotel Chevalier

In a hotel lobby, the concierge answers a phone call from a guest's room. A man (Jason Schwartzman) lies on a hotel bed in a yellow bathrobe, watching the black-and-white American war film Stalag 17 and reading the newspaper. After ordering room service from the concierge in broken French, he receives a call from a woman whose voice he recognizes. She tells him she is on her way from the airport and asks for his room number. Despite objecting that he did not tell her she could come, the man consents nevertheless. He then hurriedly attempts to tidy the room – pausing to play the opening bars of the song "Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)?" by Peter Sarstedt on his stereo system – and runs a bath. The man is again lying on the bed, now in a gray suit. Hearing a knock, he starts the song playing again before opening the door to a woman (Natalie Portman). After staring at him for several seconds, the woman breaks the silence by asking what music is playing. Receiving no response, she steps into the room and presents the man with a bouquet of flowers. When she moves to kiss him on the mouth, he turns his head away and they embrace instead. He closes the door and asks how she found him; she replies that it "wasn't actually that hard". She moves around the room browsing through his possessions, brushes her teeth with his toothbrush and declines to take the bath he had run for her. Stepping back into the bedroom, the woman turns to face the man and confronts him, asking slowly "what the fuck is going on?" He motions to her to join him on the bed and at her prompting, he reveals in the ensuing conversation that he has been living in the hotel room for "more than a month", and that he had left to escape their relationship. They lie back on the bed looking at one another before being interrupted by the arrival of room service. Once alone again, the two kiss and the man begins to undress the woman. They have an uncomfortable exchange about not having slept with other people and when he notices bruises on her arm after undressing her further, the woman chooses not to comment on them. Lying on top of him, she tells the man that she does not want to lose his friendship, that she loves him and never meant to hurt him. He responds coldly that he "will never be [her] friend", but holds her when she embraces him. "Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)?" starts again and the man offers to show the woman his view of Paris. The woman is perched against an armoire, the man approaches and covers her naked body with the yellow bathrobe, and the two move towards the window. After they step out on the balcony, the man draws a toothpick from his pocket and hands it to her with an upwards nod, which she reciprocates. After looking out for another few seconds she clasps his neck lightly and they step back inside.

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like a quick little short story, as Anderson puts it, the emotional subtleties make it work so well. Hotel Chevalier is the kind of thing Wes Anderson could've written in his sleep- or for that matter written in his sleep while on the plane from the US to France to shoot in two days and edit on his computer. But in such a quick burst of minor creativity he has created a stark, amusing and tragic little situation that makes clearer (if not totally clear) the disconnect between Jack (Schwartzmann's character from Darjeeling Limited) and the 'ex-girlfriend' (Portman, with her V for Vendetta cut coming back in and her attitude like that of a pure b***ch). She decides against going into a bath Jack's specially prepared- as in Darjeeling we see the obsessive-control side to the Whitman family via the IPOD machine playing the song- and instead they go into a very 'French' kind of torturous love scene. She does, by the way, but tastefully in the Anderson sense- we're not getting the wacky nudity of the girl from Life Aquatic who never has a shirt on, or the lesbian girlfriend of Paltrow in that one shot in Tenenbaums. By the end, it doesn't make any grand statement about love or love in a hotel room or Paris, but in a self-contained way Anderson's created a mini-masterwork of emotional frustration in the midst of crazy lust. And, by a stroke of something of a quasi-in-joke, like one of the 'brilliant' short stories that the character Jack writes that are 'fictional' though never really at the same time.. Not only is it the perfect prequel to (the wonderful) "The Darjeeling Limited", but it is a self-contained simple and moving story.This whole "New Wave" feeling is a departure from Wes Anderson's usually theatrical and highly-stylized film making. Don't get me wrong, Rushmore is one of my favorite films and the Royal Tannenbaums is fantastic, but I am really digging this new naturalistic style Anderson is applying to his new films and cannot wait to see what he does next.Shwartzman is a wonderful actor who never ceases to entertain. Really a beautiful short piece of enticement, with tone and sight and sound and dialogue all letting you know that there's a story here, while only hinting at the many things that story might be. And it captures a particular feel that lets you in on the situation kind of like a good short story in a book does.The way the whole thing looks, and the way the action comes across, are pure Wes Anderson at his best. Viva Short Film.And Thank You Especially, Miss Portman, for getting behind in your work. This is a wonderful short film to introduce us to one of the main characters in Wes Anderson's film The Darjeeling Limited. Personally I found this to be a nice little gift from Anderson as we wait for the release of The Darjeeling Limited. I don't really understand the question about it appearing in theatres as part of the main film but I think it does a nice job revealing the characters a bit. I know that many fans of Wes Anderson tend to be very thrown by each new film he creates and they tend to have a favorite that they won't stray from. Designed as a semi-independent prelude to "The Darjeeling Limited", "Hotel Chevalier" proves that ten minutes of Wes Anderson's wizardry are worth more than many another big-budget director's feature-length film. Where "The Darjeeling Limited" bubbles over with substance abuse, poisonous snakes, restroom romps, brotherly affection and fatal accidents, "Hotel Chevalier" is a quiet and slightly eerie two-character mini drama set in a lavish Merchant-Ivory style suite. We watch as he half enjoys, half endures a surprise visit by his control-freak girlfriend (Natalie Portman). It seems some of Natalie Portman's best work is done in shorts set in Paris. In the version i've seen, Hotel Chevalier has been merely the prologue of The Darjeeling Limited. Although weird, the short movie (or intro, in my case) has been more potent than the movie.Jason Schwartzman and Natalie Portman deliver a fine performance. But you'll have to see The Darjeeling Limited to see how this love story ends.. One of the things i've always liked about Wes Anderson is how well he can subtly imply certain characteristics or histories in a dry sort of humor. This film accomplishes that in a more pronounced scale than a longer film might have.Jason Schwartzman is great, perhaps the stronger of the two performances, although Natalie Portman is not to be dismissed here.Without giving anything away, the film accomplishes its goal of setting a mood and not forcing itself to tell the entire history - something too many other directors might have tried in a 13 minute time span and thus sacrificed most if not all of the actual feeling behind the couple's reunion.I rate this a ten out of ten - a great short, and even though i'm a big fan of Wes Anderson's, i'm glad he didn't over-stylize it. At the end of The Darjeeling Limited, Jack has written the end of a short story and it is essentially the majority of the short film Hotel Chevalier. Francis reads it and comments that it is hard to judge without knowing the rest of it and indeed this may have been a reference to the fact that you need to watch this short film in immediate combination with the film. Others have asked why this part of the story was broken up from the film when it is clearly part of the story but my feelings on that are to simply shrug and ask when Wes Anderson ever did anything that was straightforward? So a separate short film it is and to appreciate it you do need to know "the rest of it".Looking back on it from more of a knowledgeable position in regards the character is to introduce a level of understanding and emotional interest that is lacking the first time you watch it. So in terms of content, while it is "better" watched with the film, it still doesn't deserve to be a separate entity.I suppose the one thing in its defence would be that, as an upmarket trailer, it will really work for Anderson's fans. The restrained and yet brooding emotion of his two characters are well painted in the dialogue but, more importantly, Schwartzman and Portman nail it – the former in particular showing as much pain as desire in his actions and language. The colours and the shots all make the film look great and Anderson makes great use of the limited space within the hotel and for fans it will be a matter of lapping this up. But for me I have the same reservations as I have had with one or two of his features in the way that the style and manner may interest me but there is nothing of substance to really engage with or feel for.Hotel Chevalier is a strange beast then; it can be viewed in several ways but it is not that great in any of them. As a part of the Darjeeling Limited feature it is a solid couple of scenes but not more or less remarkable than the rest of the film. As a stand alone film it offers style and typically Anderson manner but very little in the way of real meat. Regardless it does have good stuff in the style, the performances, the simmering emotion and the overall delivery but it badly needed to either be part of the film or expanded and strengthened to be able to stand alone as a short film that "connects" to the feature rather than being "connected" to it (if you appreciate the difference).. This short film "prologue" for The Darjeeling Limited certainly works as an alternative to ordinary previews for giddy fans anticipating the movie that is to follow (heck its like it's own dorkier, elitist version of the whole Grindhouse shenanigans), but other then that gimmick itself, offers little else. The performances, pacing, and plot all verge on annoyingly artsy in that laughable, self-conscious, almost mocking sort of way, rendering this strange, superficial little piece simply "the movie where you see Natalie Portman's butt".. This film is about the relationship between two characters in a hotel room.As a standalone film, I am not sure "Hotel Chevalier" works. Or Natalie Portman's character is trying to shut Jason Schwartzman off? After watching the short film I am very confused about everything.The hotel room is very nice, the sets are well decorated, and the scenes are thoughtfully composed. However, these are not enough to make a film watchable.I am sure it will make more sense after watching The Darjeeling Limited. But of course, the immortal Natalie Portman can do anything and she plays this part in such a way that you think about it for a long while afterward.The Darjeeling Limited was a decent movie (and I emphasize decent) but The Hotel Chevalier was absolutely great. Jack (Jason Schwartzman) hasn't been in the United States in a long time, and has been living in hotels, trying to get over his girlfriend, or get with her, or do something in his post-break up period of life."Hotel Chevalier" is a short film (to be shown before the movie). It tells the story of Jack and his girlfriend (Natalie Portman). Natalie Portman, like always, is spectacular alongside Jason Schwartzman.. I suppose if Anderson's intention was to create hype then fine, he did his job, I will watch The Darjeeling Limited just out of curiosity to see whether he will redeem himself.The background music is far too loud and distracting. Modern filmmakers seem to scorn the smaller canvas of the short film, which is a shame because beautiful things can be drawn in small, vivid detail. Some films simply don't warrant a feature, as The Darjeeling Limited exemplifies.Hotel Chevalier is a prelude to that film, and it largely works because Anderson lays bare feelings that remain inscrutable, allows to blossom a sense of history and time past between the two lovers. In their small, intimate moments in a hotel room, I get the sense of a time that extends back and forward, that these people loved, were hurt or excited, elsewhere, in some other time, and this snapshot is all that remains.This is memory, a sense of place and time. Jack Whitman (Jason Schwartzman) is alone in a comfortable European hotel room. They make love and afterward, they go out on the balcony.Director Wes Anderson makes this short as a prologue to 'The Darjeeling Limited'. I love Wes Anderson but Darjeeling is not one of my favorites. This short definitely has the Wes Anderson touch. There are also those who think that you have to "get" Anderson, or you are some ignorant rube.This short film did not make me want to check out Wes Anderson's new film. That ought to give me enough Swartnman and Anderson to determine whether I "get it," or am just a rube.I do, however, like the idea of shorts as a prelude instead of trailers. This short film is a prologue to Anderson's "The Darjeeling Limited" and shares its flaws. Wes Anderson released this short film in 2007 as a prelude to his full-length film THE DARJEELING LIMITED, which depicted three brothers trying to reknit frayed ties on a train journey through India. In this short, Jack (Jason Schwartzman), one of the brothers, has been hiding away in a Paris hotel room for months. He is suddenly visited by a former lover (Nathalie Portman), with whom he appears to have had a troubled relationship, and whom he has not seen in a long time. The rekindling of their passion is played out almost in real time in front of the camera.The short is in fact important as back story for the longer film, as Jack's relationship with this girl is alluded to, and objects from the hotel (such as a bathrobe) appear among his luggage in India. However, both the short and THE DARJEELING LIMITED suffer from the same flaw, namely that Wes Anderson had enormous eye for visual detail, but his attempt to depict a human drama comes off as cold and unmoving. However, the acting that Anderson brings out of Schwartzman and Portman is hammy and unconvincing.With that visual richness but lame human drama, I cannot really recommend this short to a general audience, but it may be worthwhile for Anderson fans who have come to like his aesthetic from another film of his.. I think most of Wes Anderson's films are products you either love or you hate. To say that his films lack conventional plots is an understatement--and the same can be said about "Hotel Chevalier". This short features what seems like an out of context snippet--not enough to tell a story and not one where you know much about the characters. As for me, I have enjoyed some of Anderson's quirky films quite a bit (such as "Moonrise Kingdom" and "The Royal Tannenbaums") and hate thoroughly hated others (such as "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou" and the film that this short precedes on the DVD--"The Darjeeling Limited". And, like the full length film, "The Darjeeling Limited", "Hotel Chevalier" lacks context and is tough to love. To me, it was just a snippet of a film involving two one-dimensional characters who meet in a hotel room to screw and not much more.. I saw The Darjeeling Limited on the big screen (during the 49 Muestra International de Cine back in 2007) and certainly I saw this short film, now that I added to my collection the DVD of the film I saw Hotel Chevalier for the second time. In The Darjeeling Limited the great Bill Murray has a very little appearance, is a great very first scene of the film with Murray but there's nothing that will connect Murray's character with our three main characters that are played by Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman (just that he tried to take the train that our main characters took). Natalie Portman appears less than Murray in Wes Anderson's latest film to date (his next project, Fantastic Mr. Fox, is going to be released on 6 November 2009 in the US), actually she only appears in one sequence for some seconds, she has no dialog, during the whole film, during the time in India she is not present, but only physically. Jason Schwartzman is great as Jack Whitman but well I guess those complements would be better in my comment for the feature film. Here is all quite strange once Portman's character arrives to the hotel Chevalier, "what the f*** is going on?" she asks, and the song "Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)" (completely unknown by me until I saw this short film, now I carry the soundtrack of The Darjeeling Limited in my iPod) stops just before the first kiss after at least more than a month happens. if you've gone to the theatre to see Darjeeling Limited lately, it is preceded by this short film prologue to the feature presentation. Though shot before The Darjeeling Limited, apparently the idea behind it is to create a better understanding of Natalie Portman's character's relationship to Jason Schwartzman's character. In fact, as short films go, this one does not make it high on my list of favorites, just to be polite.It does have its moments and it successfully stands alone. In fact, for Anderson enthusiasts, this short film is most interesting because it shows his approach to style as it would be confined to a single hotel room. The Darjeeling Limited itself doesn't need this, and this short is more curious than it is revelation-creating. Wes Anderson has made some movies, some of which actually have characters and pacing, but is somehow reverted to wannabe status. Writing like this comes when you don't know who your characters are, but you know what you want them to do. This short film here is actually closely connected to Wes Anderson's movie "Hotel Chevalier", so it is no surprise that he is also listed as writer and director for this one. The song is perfect (Peter Sarstedt - Where Do You Go To My Lovely) and fits the atmosphere 100%, the sets, camera shots and colors look so unique that you immediately know it is Wes Anderson and the two characters are very interesting to follow in their interactions. Since most people are only familiar with a limited number of Anderson's films, I will start by pointing out that this is not the quirky whimsical reverie that one sees in his better-known works. Speaking of which, the fact that this is the only document which contains a much closer inspection of Natalie Portman's natural beauty makes this in and of itself a mouthwatering treasure of a film. I give this film an 8 (not a 10) only because it doesn't actually show all of Natalie at her peak, but what it does show is more than worth the 12+ minutes of your earthly time. Not a real big Anderson fan, but you can count me in on any piece of film that shows off any part of Natalie Portman's impressive ASSETS! If there is one thing we can agree on it is that there is no real conceivable way to fit this into The Darjeeling Limited. This is of course nonsense in that particular situation; she has a boyfriend (or ex?), her own life worlds away from Jack, and he is simply trying to force the same relationship that he lost in this short film. Hotel Chevalier explores this sorrow in more detail but including it would take away from the two other brothers' stories, which together make up the family dynamic which is so crucial to the film.

tt1059969

Spud

The film takes place in South Africa around the time of Nelson Mandela's release from jail (1990). It chronicles 14-year-old John Milton's (Troye Sivan) first year at an elite boarding school for boys. When John arrives for the first time at the school, he gets nicknamed "Spud" by the other boys because he was yet to experience puberty. All eight boys in his dormitory get nicknames. They are also called the "Crazy Eight". Spud finds it difficult to make friends and fit in. He befriends Mr Edly, a teacher nicknamed "The Guv", after he is the only one in the English class to pass an exam. The Guv frequently lends English literature books to Spud and invites him to lunch regularly. But Spud soon realises that Edly has marital problems, and is an alcoholic. While back at home for the holidays, Spud falls in love with Debbie, the daughter of one of his mother's friends, whom he nicknames "The Mermaid." When Spud returns to the school, he sees a flyer for the school play Oliver Twist. Spud decides to audition so he can fit in. He ends up landing the lead role of Oliver. During practice, Spud meets Amanda, a girl from the nearby school St. Catherine's, and immediately falls for her. But he soon realises that she has a boyfriend already, and he cannot form a relationship with her without cheating on Debbie, whom he still loves. He seeks the advice of his roommate Gecko, who tells Spud to pretend he loves another girl named Christine, in order make Amanda jealous. Spud and Gecko begin to build a strong friendship and they occasionally visit a rock at the top of the hill near the school. In the fourth term, Gecko is diagnosed with cerebral malaria that he got during his holiday to Mozambique. A few days later he passes away. Spud mourns the death of Gecko and the whole school attends his funeral service in the school's chapel. In the end, Spud performs in the school's play and gets a standing ovation. After the performance, he is dragged away from the post-performance celebration by Amanda, and they go to a nearby field. There, she tells him to kiss her. Spud, however, stops at the last moment and rejects her, deciding to stay true to Debbie. He offers to give Debbie a tour of the school, and kisses her in the middle of the quadrangle, which his dorm-mates witness from their window. After he returns, he is praised by the group, and finally fits in. The film ends with Spud, on the final day of the year, sitting on the same rock he and Gecko used to frequent overlooking the school, and remarking that "God gives us choices. But sometimes, God gives us no choice. He deals us the cards, and we play them."

entertaining

train

wikipedia

tt0035140

Now, Voyager

Drab Charlotte Vale (Bette Davis) is an unattractive, overweight, repressed spinster whose life is brutally dominated by her tyrannical mother (Gladys Cooper), an aristocratic Boston dowager whose verbal and emotional abuse of her daughter has contributed to the woman's complete lack of self-confidence. It is revealed that Mrs. Vale had already brought up three sons, and Charlotte was an unwanted child born to her late in life. Fearing that Charlotte is on the verge of a nervous breakdown, her sister-in-law Lisa (Ilka Chase) introduces her to psychiatrist Dr. Jaquith (Claude Rains), who recommends that she spend time in his sanitarium. Away from her mother's control Charlotte blossoms, and at Lisa's urging the transformed woman opts to take a lengthy cruise instead of going home immediately. On the ship she meets Jeremiah Duvaux Durrance (Paul Henreid), a married man who is traveling with his friends Deb (Lee Patrick) and Frank McIntyre (James Rennie). It is from them that Charlotte learns of how Jerry's devotion to his young daughter Christine ("Tina") keeps him from divorcing his wife, a manipulative, jealous woman who does not love Tina and keeps Jerry from engaging in his chosen career of architecture, despite the fulfillment he gets from it. Charlotte and Jerry become friendly, and in Rio de Janeiro the two are stranded on Sugarloaf Mountain when their car crashes. They miss the ship and spend five days together before Charlotte flies to Buenos Aires to rejoin the cruise. Although they have fallen in love, they decide it would be best not to see each other again. When she arrives home, Charlotte's family is stunned by the dramatic changes in her appearance and demeanor. Her mother is determined to once again destroy her daughter, but Charlotte is resolved to remain independent. The memory of Jerry's love and devotion help to give her the strength she needs to remain resolute. Charlotte becomes engaged to wealthy, well-connected widower Elliot Livingston (John Loder), but after a chance meeting with Jerry, she breaks off the engagement, about which she quarrels with her mother. During the argument, Charlotte says she didn't ask to be born, that her mother never wanted her, that it's "been a calamity on both sides." Mrs. Vale is so shocked that her once-weak daughter has found the courage to actually talk back to her, she has a heart attack and dies. Guilty and distraught, Charlotte returns to the sanitarium. When she arrives at the sanitarium, she is immediately diverted from her own problems when she meets Jerry's lonely, unhappy 12-year-old daughter Tina (Janis Wilson) who has been sent to Dr. Jaquith. Tina greatly reminds Charlotte of herself; both were unwanted and unloved by their mothers. Shaken from her depression, Charlotte becomes overly interested in Tina's welfare and, with Dr. Jaquith's permission, she takes her under her wing. When the girl improves, Charlotte takes her home to Boston. Jerry and Dr. Jaquith visit the Vale home, where Jerry is delighted to see the changes in his daughter. While he initially pities Charlotte, believing her to be settling in her life, he's taken aback by her contempt for his initial condescension. Dr. Jaquith has allowed Charlotte to keep Tina there with the understanding that her relationship with Jerry will remain platonic. She tells Jerry that she sees Tina as his gift to her and her way of being close to him. When Jerry asks her if she's happy, Charlotte finds much to value in her life, even if she doesn't have everything she wants: "Oh, Jerry, don't let's ask for the moon. We have the stars," a line ranked #46 in the American Film Institute's list of the top 100 movie quotes in American cinema.

romantic, psychological, flashback

train

wikipedia

"Now Voyager"'s quality could stand comparison with any great film out there.Plot: Charlotte Vale (Bette Davis), the psychologically abused child of a sadistic iceberg of a wealthy, Boston Brahmin mother (Gladys Cooper), thanks to the intervention of a compassionate sister-in-law (Ilka Chase) is packed off to a posh asylum, where Dr. Jaquith (Claude Rains) restores her to well being.Charlotte loses weight, loses her glasses, and receives tutoring in how to dress and carry herself. As time goes on, they make some heart-wrenching decisions about how to handle their adulterous love; along the way, Charlotte forms an important bond with Tina, Jerry's daughter, whose mother does not love her.The screen is full of women's bodies, women's voices, women's choices, and women's lives. With Paul Henreid & Claude Rains, Gladys Cooper & a spot-on supporting cast, "Voyager..." is, hands down, best love story I believe I've ever seen.Of course, taste in romances has everything to do with what a viewer finds great. "Voyager..." has a gritty plot that reveals the kind of love between unrequited lovers that's worth sacrificing oneself for.Davis' wardrobe is as fabulous in this movie as it is in "Deception," (also co-starring Claude Rains & Paul Henreid). Though "Deception" is also a love story, Claude Rains coming seriously close to stealing the show from Davis.In "Voyager..." the characters are much more egalitarian. A little bit of cinema history.Last week I bought "Now Voyager" on DVD and was completely blown away!Perhaps it's because I know the story so well, but I was able to appreciate the movie on several different levels such as cinematography, direction and editing.Bette Davis was always the prime reason for watching but I never realized what a fine naturalistic actor Claude Raines was. The results are a remarkable transformation of a woman who believed she was an 'ugly duckling' into Miss Bette Davis as a sizzling hot beauty like she never was before or after in any other film.How Miss Davis didn't view herself as a beauty or use her beauty to create her success as an actress is what "Now, Voyager," proves is most remarkable about her 66 year long acting career. In Boston, the fat spinster Charlotte Vale (Bette Davis) is a repressed woman without self-esteem and completely dominated by her wealthy mother Mrs. Henry Vale (Gladys Cooper). She brings the girl to her house in Boston and one day, Jerry visits Tina and Charlotte with Dr. Jaquith."Now, Voyager" is a melodrama with the story of a repressed spinster that become self-confident after a medical treatment and finds love with a married man in a travel to South America. In the 1942 screen adaptation of the 1941 bestseller by Olive Higgins-Prouty, Bette Davis and Paul Henreid provide excellent, subtle performances as Charlotte Vale (self-described Spinster Aunt) and J.D. However, I did enjoy the ugly duckling-turned-beauty story that featured Davis tolerating her nasty mother and then using her experiences to help another young lady who was suffering from a similar inferiority complex.Gladys Cooper was outstanding as the irritating, brutal mother. Bette Davis plays Charlotte Vale, an unmarried and very unhappy plain-Jane who lives with, and is under the emotional control of, her wealthy, domineering, matriarchal mother (Gladys Cooper). That it is, but I think the reason for its continuing popularity and that it's almost always listed in Bette Davis's top five by any of her fans is that it shows her growth as a human being over the course of the film.It's not that they ugly Davis up in makeup when we first meet her as spinster Charlotte Vale. She even meets Henreid's daughter whose own mother has turned her into a creature like Davis used to be.My favorite part of Now Voyager has always been Bette's scenes with young Janis Wilson. However Max Steiner's musical score, one of his best, took home Now Voyager's only Oscar.Other people to note in the cast are John Loder as a man entranced by Bette's blossoming who offers to marry her and Mary Wickes who plays a most practical nurse for Gladys Cooper. It is a film that transgresses the decades since it was made and speaks to women of all ages.My favourate quote of Paul Heinreid (he looks like his idea of fun would be to find a nice damp grave and sit in it) is turned around and he actually portrays a sympathetic character.Claude Rains is a sexy (yes thats right I do find the guy sexy) psychiatrist who puts her back together again.the plot is great the dialogue excellant and my favourite last line is the message on my mobile (slightly changed to fit the letters allowed).It is a film for all to watch when stressed or depressed, it also works great with chocolates wine and tissues.Watch this and enjoy.. Paul Henreid is superb as the love interest and the rest of the supporting cast are brilliant, particularly Rains, Cooper and Wickes.I have not seen many Bette Davis films, but she produces a compelling performance here.I agree with many other reviewers that this film could not be made today because the art has gone out of acting. Now, Voyager tells the story of a young woman – a classic ugly duckling – trapped by a domineering mother – come out of her shell and finds happiness. I was introduced to this wonderful classic by my Mother; along with other great Bette Davis films; such as, "Jezebel" and "Dark Victory". This may be the best soap opera love film from Hollywood in it's golden age - it certainly is among them, and it certainly is Bette Davis' best soap opera role: Charlotte Vale. It is my favorite Bette Davis film, as it exemplifies her classic '40s persona; initially fragile but ready to bloom, she, is, ultimately, a survivor who, facing her destiny, embraces it with courage and confidence.It's hard to believe that Davis, Warner's biggest female star, had to fight for the role of Charlotte Vale, but Olive Higgins Prouty's best-selling novel was such a strong potential star vehicle that a wide array of actresses, from Irene Dunne to Ginger Rogers, campaigned for the part. Two supporting characters deserve special attention; Janis Wilson, as Henreid's love-starved daughter, succeeds as a younger variation of Davis; and young Mary Wickes, great fun as a plain-speaking, wise nurse, unafraid of the Dowager mother.This is a film to cherish, from director Irving Rapper's masterful use of voice-over 'thoughts' of Vale, to Max Steiner's famous, wildly romantic score.While "Now, Voyager" is, unabashedly, a 'Chick Flick', don't be surprised, female viewers, if the guy in your life becomes as big a fan of the film as you...Davis is the kind of heroine EVERYONE can cheer for!. I've seen it countless times over the past 35+ years, and with increasing frequency, of course, since since the advent of VCRs, Turner Classic Movies, and DVDs. On two occasions I even got to see it in a theater on the big screen (the way movies were originally meant to be seen - remember?)I just want to say that this film features not only one of Bette Davis's 'cornerstone' performances, but also her most magically beautiful moments on film - anyone who doesn't think Davis was beautiful hasn't seen her here, particularly in the scene in which her tyrannical mother threatens to cut off financial support. This is my favorite Bette Davis film because of the vulnerability and subsequent strength of the character Charlotte Vale. The joys and sadness in their lives find an echo in us all, I'm sure.I always admire Claude Rains no matter what role he is in, and here as the thoughtful Dr. Jaquith he brings his suave charm into play.Bette Davis gives a fine portrayal of Charlotte, the suppressed and overwrought daughter who in time conquers her demons and breaks free, and Paul Henreid is splendid in his gentle romantic role. Now, Voyager There is no doubt this is a wonderful movie, if only for Bette Davis and her transformations as Charlotte so vivid in that classic Hollywood way. This expert film can even to hold the guys to the end, through the layers of soap and tripe to the climactic Give and Take annihilation of reason and the triumph of corn.Mentally repressed woman Bette Davis under mother Gladys Cooper's bony thumb first with the help of psychiatrist Claude Rains and then with married lover Paul Henreid eventually asserts her independence and blossoms as a person, and of course as a Woman which is more important. Bette Davis,Paul Henreid and Claude Rains (plus their supporting cast,make this a film that despite it's age,is a timeless tale. Her character's journey and arc are amazing in itself, and from the four Davis films I have seen, she is at her "nicest" here definitely, so in that way it's good to see how she can play a true hero, and she does it in her usual style yet makes it all that much more different. Along with DECEPTION by Irving Rapper, NOW VOYAGER, the title of which is derived from Walt Whitman's poem "Leaves of grass," is clearly one of Bette Davis' most crucial films from the time of her contract with Warner Brothers Studio. However, "a highly narcotic, swoon inducing romance in the Bette Davis canon," as New York Times labeled the movie, brings out something widely known by the television generations: a daughter on the verge of nervous breakdown, desperate to find her independence, struggling to escape her monstrous, forbidding mother in order to, at last, seek and find a home of her own, a man of her own and a child of her own. The much appraised scene of the two (Bette and Paul) lighting a cigarette echoes the never ending power of illusion within the same spirits but different methods of Hollywood.Among the supporting cast, a mention must be made of Gladys Cooper who portrays the villainous manipulative mother - someone who could equally display a powerful insight under Hitchcock's guidance. In addition, Davis gives probably the best performance of her long career here, understanding the character and really liking her, playing in the moment in every scene, and making the transformation from "frumpy librarian" (as a friend once described the pre-breakdown Charlotte) to glowing swan entirely believable. The classic romance with Bette Davis as repressed spinster Charlotte Vale who is awakened momentarily by her meeting with the enigmatic Jerry (played with attractive understatement by Paul Henreid), but gives up her happiness to put his daughter Tina first.Claude Rains also plays a key role as the sympathetic sanatorium doctor, as does Gladys Cooper as Charlotte's overbearing mother. Both Davis and Gladys Cooper as her domineering mother were nominated for Academy Awards.Co-writer credit goes to Casey Robinson, an uncredited writer on Casablanca, which also starred Paul Henreid, Bette's star-crossed lover, and Claude Raines, the doctor who helps bring her out of her shell. The gorgeous manners of Boston's upper crust are beautifully portrayed as Davis and Henreid dance a dazzling pas de deaux that ends in one of classic cinemas greatest closing lines, "don't let's ask for the moon, we have the stars."Everything that made you love movies in the first place is here in spades. It's one of the most romantic movies I've ever seen (shipboard romance, TWO goodbyes at airports, everybody looks so handsome or glamorous), and has three classic sequences--Davis telling a man she can't marry him by saying, "Let's not dwell on it."; Paul Henreid lighting two cigarettes in his mouth (romantic, but they both smoke WAY too much!); and Davis' line, "Let's not wish for the moon, when we have the stars". And the well acted characters made the story so very real.A young woman(Davis)suffers a nervous breakdown due to her domineering mother(Gladys Cooper). Davis plays Miss Charlotte Vale, a dowdy, repressed spinster who is cruelly dominated by her regal pain of a mother (excellently portrayed by Gladys Cooper). As Charlotte, the film's unlikely heroine, Davis runs the gamut from A-Z: truly a showcase for the most "actressy" of all movie stars, Ms Vale's inward journey from a sad, pathetically withdrawn ugly duckling to a self-confidently independent swan is a screen classic. And Gladys Cooper fills an important role as the mother who made Charlotte what she is at the start of the film."Now, Voyager" is worth watching both for the thoughtful character study and for the good acting that makes it work.. The supporting cast around her is strong as well, and features Gladys Cooper (her mother), Paul Henreid (her lover), Claude Rains (her wise doctor). She plays a frumpy, dowdy spinster (they basically put some glasses on her and mess up her hair a little) who blossoms into a strong beauty and ends the film swooning into Paul Henreid's arms as she delivers the famous line, "Let's not ask for the moon, we already have the stars." It's actually a ridiculous movie, but who the hell cares! She has tremendous chemistry with Claude Rains, and the funniest moment in the film comes when he, as her doctor, talking to her about her time in a mental institution, says, "I thought you came here to have a breakdown," (or something to that effect), and she replies, "I did, but I changed my mind." Gladys Cooper plays Davis's stifling, overbearing battle-axe of a mother, a role Cooper cornered the market on. For several reasons, not the least its luminous B/W cinematography, wonderful sets and Irving Rapper's sensitive direction, the film furthered the careers of its three stars, Paul Henreid, Davis and Claude Rains. team is finely tuned.********* Now, Voyager (10/22/42) Irving Rapper ~ Bette Davis, Paul Henreid, Gladys Cooper, Claude Rains. Although not one could ever possibly outshone Madame Davis, whose performance was priceless (the accent, the affection and even the subtle gestures), the supporting cast still worth mentioning, Paul Henreid emanated his manhood charm in the maximum degree as Davis' wrong-place-wrong-time inamorato; Paul's CASABLANCA (1942) co-star Claude Rains here was in his not-so-common good-man role as the doctor of the mental sanitarium, it was rather wacky to see him do decent deeds on scree; Gladys Cooper's starchy deadpan performance also stands out during the mother/daughter squabble scenes (both her and Ms. Davis were nominated for Oscars, well-deserving!). Bette Davis plays a homely, insecure woman in this film who struggles to overcome the influence of her domineering mother. Her Romantic Interlude with Paul Henreid is Remembered and is Consequential to the Story to be Sure, but it Could be Said that the Movie Works so Well and Reaches its Emotional Level because of Charlotte's Natural Love and Mothering of the Twelve Year Old Tina (a warm and heart wrenching performance and character).It is that Sacrifice and Attention Given the Damaged Tina, that Makes Charlotte so Endearing and the Third Act is so Essential to the Plot and Cannot Help but be the Lynchpin to All of the Romantic Ruminations that Came Before. Now, Voyager (1942)*** 1/2 (out of 4) Bette Davis plays an ugly duckling who suffers a nervous breakdown due to the overbearing torment from her mother (Gladys Cooper). Never viewed this film which has great veteran actors from our past and Betty Davis, ( Charlotte Vale) is an ugly spinster who lives with her mother who drives her simply crazy and by a chance of luck she meets up with Dr. Jaquith, (Claude Rains) who feels he can do her a great deal of good and straighten out her life and to dissolve the problems with her mother's domination over her. As a woman who suffered the domination of an abusive mother, I love seeing Charlotte Vale (Bette Davis) learning to be her own person, transforming herself into a butterfly. Bette Davis was superb as the repressed Charlotte Vale living with an overbearing mother, (Gladys Cooper at her nasty best) slowly being driven toward a nervous breakdown. It seems like over the past 20 years, every time I have seen a documentary on the golden age of Hollywood, they play the last scene from this movie where Paul Henreid lights two cigarettes at once and hands one to Bette Davis.I have always wanted to see the movie and recently I watched it. Bette Davis is superb in the role of Charlotte Vale, a woman under the thumb of an overbearing mother. Equally impressive are Claude Rains, as her doctor, Dr. Jaquith and Paul Henreid, as Jerry Durrance, a man who befriends her on an ocean voyage.The movie takes you along on her journey from an insecure spinster to that of a woman who has everything.If you are a fan of film, this is an essential.. Charlott Vale, a dowdy spinster (Bette Davis) is transformed into a classic beauty, falls in love with a married architect (Paul Henreid), and ends up in an arrangement of doubtful morality where she looks after his daughter Tina Durrance (Janis Wilson) full-time at her house while he goes back to his wife. Love remains unfulfilled, but at least Charlotte has found her métier in life.But to criticize this timeless classic, based on Olive Higgins Prouty's best-selling novel, is to overlook the panoply of memorable moments it contains, from Davis's first appearance coming down the staircase in a shapeless dress and glasses, to her showing her ivory carvings - for the first time - to Dr. Jaquith (Claude Rains), her arguments with her bitchy mother (Gladys Cooper), and her tenderness when dealing with equally insecure teenager Tina. "Now, Voyager" stars Bette Davis, Paul Henreid, and Claude Rains, in a dramatic picture that produced well deserved Oscar Nominations for both Bette Davis (leading role) and Gladys Cooper (supporting role). A truly wonderful film, including Max Steiner's musical notes, showing that everyone is absolutely beautiful in one way or another.As the picture opens, Bette Davis (Charlotte Vale) is under severe strain from her mother (played by Gladys Cooper), who controls everything she does, from what she reads, to what she wears. We have the stars." (Quote ranked #46 of all time by the AFI's 100 Years…100 Movie Quotes)I'll let you watch the film to see what happens with Charlotte and Jerry.

tt0249115

Rivals

Divorcée Hazel Show and her teenage daughter Laurie, move to the small, Amish country town of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. One night, Laurie attends the senior prom with yearbook editor, Samantha "Sam" Gardner to take photographs and videotape footage for the school yearbook. There, they meet the beautiful and popular Michelle Lambert whom Laurie is enchanted by. Michelle and her boyfriend Butch Yunkin are thereupon elected Prom King & Queen where the two are awarded a spotlight dance. Afterwards, Butch approaches Laurie claiming Michelle has granted him the liberty of dancing with any girl of his choice--and he chose Laurie. Laurie's reluctant to do so at first, but upon Michelle's reassurance, she uneasily dances with Butch.From that point on, Michelle and Laurie become the best of friends. Later on, Michelle gives Laurie a makeover and shows her off at the Bowl-O-Rama, a local bowling alley. Michelle identifies Laurie's appearance to Butch who casually perceives Laurie's more pulchritudinous than Michelle, which enrages her. Michelle, then accuses Butch of possessing a sexual intent in Laurie, though Laurie tries to convince the disillusioned Michelle her assumption is false.At the community pool, Michelle notices Butch flirting with Laurie and attempts to invoke jealousy in him by making out with a boy named Craig Haber. Butch appears to be irked somewhat, but brushes it off and follows Laurie into the girl's dressing room. Michelle apprehends them and suggests to Laurie she should start a relationship with Butch now that he and she are no longer an item anymore. Laurie approaches Michelle at her home to persuade her into reuniting with Butch, but Michelle emphasizes she has no interest in him anymore, and would rather hang with Craig. She fully asserts to Laurie there's no hard feelings if Laurie does, in fact, decide to date Butch.That evening, Butch phones Laurie feeling suicidal over his breakup with Michelle. Laurie invites him over to her home where she convinces Butch he and Michelle are just going through a hardship and will soon reconcile. The confiding talk brings Laurie and Butch closer to each other. Sam invites Laurie to a party. At the party, Butch expresses in pursuing a relationship with Laurie. Laurie's initially hesitant at first in fear Butch remains in a relationship with Michelle though he promises he isn't. The two share their first kiss which is seen by Michelle's friends who immediately call Michelle to notify her. An irate Michelle suffers a mental breakdown, she flies into a psychopathic rage, ransacking her bedroom before she leaves several messages onto Laurie's answering machine claiming she knows where she is and what she is doing. Meanwhile, Butch leads Laurie into a nearby barn where he attempts to have sexual intercourse with her, though Laurie feels they are going too fast. Butch assumes she just needs some encouragement and forcefully rapes Laurie. Michelle finds them, where she informs Laurie that Butch also raped her the first time they had a sexual encounter together. A panicked Laurie races to her car, crying hysterically. Michelle creates a scene in front of the party goers announcing she is pregnant with Butch's child. The next morning, Laurie informs her mother of the rape, but would rather forget about it instead of pressing charges believing this would infuriate Butch and Michelle who resume their relationship.Michelle begins to suffer from the delusion Laurie is purposefully trying to steal Butch away from her and begins to repeatedly call the Show residence insulting both Hazel and Laurie. Pretty soon, Michelle's terror escalates, she watches the Show home, turns the entire school against Laurie, stalks Laurie in public establishments, and eventually befriends Sam. Sam warns Laurie that Michelle could possibly try to kill her, and to lock her doors and shut her blinds. One evening, Laurie is cornered by Butch and Michelle while walking through a parking lot. When she tries to escape, she is encircled by Sam and Michelle's friends who restrain her while Michelle violently assaults her with such brutality and rage, Michelle's friends, especially Sam are frightened of her. The gang leaves when moments later, the incapacitated Laurie is found near dead, by her date Andrew. After the beating, Michelle's friends, lose all respect for her and refuse to assist Michelle in her harassment campaign. Michelle turns to her only friend Tabitha Buck, revealing to her she experienced a miscarriage on Laurie's part, and the two conspire to murder Laurie before her mother can send her to live with her father.When Laurie is supposed to leave for the airport, Hazel receives an emergency call for work and leaves. Butch drops Michelle and Tabitha off where they gain access to the house and Tabitha chases Laurie up the staircase. Laurie turns around where she runs into Michelle. Michelle and Tabitha bound her with rope before slitting Laurie's throat with a butcher knife. Hazel arrives at work where she is informed she was never called in and realizes she was bamboozled. She races home where she discovers her dying daughter who tells her Michelle killed her before she perishes. Hazel reports the murder to the police, but her accusation isn't enough to charge the murderers. Hazel makes an announcement at Laurie's former high school where she informs anyone who can testify on her behalf that Michelle was the sole murderer of her daughter needs to step forward. Sam reports to Officer Mary Randolph who is the primary investigator of Laurie's case and Michelle, Tabitha, and Butch are subsequently arrested. Michelle is charged with first degree murder and sentenced to life without parole. Tabitha is charged with second degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. Butch originally testified against Michelle, but was eventually sentenced ten to twenty years for perjury and convicted of third degree murder. Before the death of Laurie Show there were no anti-stalking laws in Pennsylvania. Hazel Show set out to create such a law--she was successful.

murder

train

imdb

tt2937898

A Most Violent Year

In 1981 New York, Abel Morales (Oscar Isaac) is the owner of an up-and-coming company which has suffered the hijacking of several trucks, each carrying heating-oil worth thousands of dollars. One driver, Julian (Elyes Gabel), is severely beaten when his oil truck is hijacked by two unknown assailants. Abel's wife, Anna Morales (Jessica Chastain), beseeches Abel to fight violence with violence, but Abel refuses. Morales and his company are under investigation by Assistant District Attorney Lawrence (David Oyelowo), who seems determined to expose price fixing, tax evasion, and various other illegalities committed by Morales and his competitors in the heating oil business. As a way to secure financial independence for himself and trump his competitors, Abel, with the help of his attorney, Andrew Walsh (Albert Brooks), brokers a deal with a group of Jewish Chassidim, led by Josef Mendellsohn (Jerry Adler), to purchase a fuel oil terminal on the East River. This will allow Morales' company to directly import fuel oil from barges and to store far more oil in the summertime when fuel oil prices are lower. He places a large down payment of 40% on the property with the agreement that he will close in 30 days—if he fails to do so, the Chassidim will sell the terminal to one of Morales' competitors and keep the down payment. After moving into a new home, Morales prevents what appears to be an attempted burglary, but the next day one of his daughters finds a loaded handgun dropped in the bushes by the perpetrator. Suspecting this intimidation is coming from his competitors, he begins to confront them one by one; each one denies any intimidation and theft to drive him out of business. The head of the Teamsters encourages Morales to arm his drivers with handguns and fake permits that he can secure for him. Morales refuses, believing that such a move could bring down even more heat on his operation from the authorities and potentially ruin his legitimate business connections with a bank financing his business. Returning to work after weeks of rehabilitation, Julian is again accosted by criminals, this time on the Queensboro Bridge in broad daylight. Carrying a firearm without Abel's knowledge or permission, he engages in a shootout with the hijackers, which results in the police arriving and chasing Julian and the other assailants, who all escape. This incident once again shifts Morales and his company into the spotlight of not only ADA Lawrence, but also the bank, which informs him that due to the impending criminal indictments and this unfortunate public incident, it can no longer finance his purchase of the terminal. Desperate, and needing $1.5 million to close on the property, he approaches his competition, Saul Leftkowitz and his granddaughter, who agree to give him a $500,000 loan for 20% interest and equity in the company for the term of the agreement. He manages to scrounge up another $200,000 by taking out a mortgage loan against an apartment building that he and his younger brother own together. With time winding down quickly, he intercepts a radio call for help from one of his drivers, who states his truck is being hijacked. Being nearby, he pursues the stolen truck. Eventually catching up to and attacking one of the hijackers, Morales demands to know who the mastermind is. The hijacker denies he was hired by anyone but reveals that he sold his last stolen shipment in Far Rockaway. Morales confronts one of his competitors, who has facilities in Far Rockaway, threatening to alert the federal authorities as the stolen fuel is marked. The competitor agrees to pay Morales more than $200,000 for stolen fuel oil. As Morales is getting closer to his $1.5 million goal, he visits mafia-affiliated Peter Forente (Alessandro Nivola) to ask for another $600,000. Forente agrees to give Morales the loan, but on very unfavorable terms. Dismayed by having to leverage his company to such a high degree in order to secure the loan, Morales begins to inform his wife, only to learn she has been "skimming" from the company for years and has been hiding the money, which is sufficient to cover the amount of money that Forente had agreed to lend, in a secret account. Having the money he now needs, Morales and Walsh pay off his creditors and secure the terminal. As Abel, Anna, and Walsh are looking over the property, they are approached by an angry Julian carrying a gun, who blames Morales for his problems, believing that he should also be entitled to some of Morales' good fortune. Despondent by his being a wanted man, Julian commits suicide in front of Abel, Anna, and Walsh. As the police show up with ADA Lawrence to investigate the suicide, Morales expresses that the broader investigations into his firm are hurting his business, and that they should find a conclusion at some point. Lawrence agrees in general terms and suggests that this new fuel oil terminal will propel Morales' business and give him "political influence." Lawrence then suggests that Morales might be able to help him with his higher aspirations. Morales claims that he has always done "the most right thing".

violence

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The murders themselves are not the story, but we hear about them anytime one of the characters turns on a radio.Now this set-up may sound like a glorified TV movie, but A Most Violent Year is so much more. Coincidentally, Isaac is slated to appear in the new Star Wars picture, which hits theatres next fall.Jessica Chastain is also excellent as Morales' wife – a decent-hearted lady who wishes her husband were a little more daring in his business dealings. It's a bit of a modern-day film noir, cast in dimly-lit interiors, with characters who speak in hushed tones about important matters, occasionally bursting into the sunny yet unpredictable and unnerving outside world.The only thing I didn't like about A Most Violent Year is its title. While Hustle sets the scene with humor and style, Violent is happy to understate lawlessness and concentrate on the dialogue, which has undercurrents of corruption in each syllable.Oscar Isaac plays immigrant, oil delivery company owner, Abel Morales, with an Al-Pacino veneer that goes low key, not Godfather or Scarface operatic. But Morales deals with it in a civilized, diplomatic way that of course makes him and his employees vulnerable to the rude, irrational hoodlums.Director J.C. Chandor knows minimalist dialogue, apparent in his All is Lost, where Robert Redford gives out with one line but an Oscar worthy performance anyway. Having seen it a few days ago, the more I think of "A Most Violent Year", the more I like it.This is not a spoiler, but a friendly tip: don't expect a lot of what the title implies, because the movie does not focus on violence.While there are tense and violent moments, the movie's strenght lies in the performances and the interactions between characters.Oscar Isaac plays Abel, a businessman who is trying to make a clean living while being more and more pressured by an unknown threat. Abel is a man who tries to have a firm moral compass, believing in the good of people and resisting the temptation to give into complete and total corruption, despite being heavily influenced to do so by his wife Anna (Jessica Chastain).On top of the company losing money with every hijacking, a District Attorney named Lawrence (David Oyelowo) is in the process of investigating Standard Oil's fraudulent activity, such as price fixing and tax evasion. The idea that large-scale business operations and closed-door corruption exist in unison is by no means a new idea, but Chandor magnifies the idea through an intriguing lens, giving us a character that is trying to function on this dirty playing field and learning this idea the hard way.Abel, at times, acts like Job, if we're going to toy a bit with the name of Abel, presuming it has biblical relevance here. Abel's morality is tested on various occasions, and like Job, in some respects, he tries to stay true to what he believes, but once he recognizes he's in a business that demands risk and self-interest, it's difficult for him to stay on this particular path of righteousness.It only helps that Abel's struggle is humanized and brought to life by a character actor as powerful and talented as Oscar Isaac. Isaac's portrayal of a man grappling with all he can bear is powerful stuff, and it's these ordinary little, true-to-life inclusions that make him explode on screen.He's so good that it makes me wish Chastain was given more of a character here instead of the instigating wife. The main reason we all watch films and television, is to be entertained, and unfortunately with A Most Violent Year, it feels like we have been left wanting.You never really get to appreciate 1980s New York, a couple of panoramic skylines don't really cut it. A Most Violent Year is a strong, character-driven drama that's lifted infinitely by terrific lead performances by Oscar Isaacs and Jessica Chastain, inflating what could have been a tiresome, trite look at one man versus the world in an unkind city.Abel Morales (Isaac) runs Standard Oil, and he has his eyes on some prime waterfront real estate. In fact, the only direct evidence of organized crime in the movie centers around Abel's competition - men who would do anything to maintain and/or increase their share of the lucrative oil business in the city.Both Isaacs (Inside Llewyn Davis) and Chastain (Interstellar) deliver powerful performances that manage to be both relatable and fascinating. He never seemed like a leading man type, but after seeing him in Inside Llewyn Davis and this, I'm having a change of opinion.David Oyelowo is another one I need to watch out for, although it's not hard, as he's been appearing in a lot of films, and gives a great performance no matter how small his supporting role isThe lovely Jessica Chastain is in the movie as well, being very brilliant and very sexy. I only wish she had more time on screen cause she's lovely to watch in all aspects.The film also stars Albert Brooks in a role I feel he got because of his outstanding performance in Drive.It's a very quiet movie with a lot of the drama coming from things not said but suggested. It would be interesting to hear why they didn't grant it an nomination because it is truly a magnificent picture.Oscar Issac stars as Abel Morales, a business man who owns a oil company, who has finally reaches the big time. Chandor's, A Most Violent Year, is the second of two films released in the past week, the first being Ex Machina, that include Star Wars -bound Oscar Isaac, who is slowly becoming one of my favourite actors. The film is set during the latter stages of 1981 New York, a time in which, statistically, crime rates reached an all time high, particularly those consisting of a rather violent ilk, and tells the story of Abel Morales, who attempts to expand his business by purchasing a new, and valuable, piece of land. Within my review for Ex Machina, I stated Isaac's performance was, "top notch," and the same can be said for his performance in this film, with his portrayal of a character, who, although the title suggests otherwise, attempts to stay within the boundaries of the law despite all of the ongoing threats to him and his business, being simply brilliant.Adding to this brilliance, is Jessica Chastain, who plays the role of Anna Morales superbly, and who, in contrast to her husband, is no stranger to violence thanks to her father's gangster background. These strong performances help keep the film going, particularly when it is at its' weakest, with the rather shallow plot taking a while to kick in, and just slightly stretching its' two-hour run-time.Overall, A Most Violent Year, is J. A Most Violent Year stands out thanks to some fantastic performances from a talented cast, some beautiful grayish camera work from Bradford Young (Selma and Ain't Them Bodies Saints), a great production design which recreates New York City in the early 80's in a very realistic way, and of course a strong and gritty screenplay written by Chandor. The film focuses on Abel Morales (Oscar Isaac) an immigrant and uprising owner of a private oil company who is trying to close a deal on an important property which would boost his business. In addition to Isaac, Chastain and Oyelow, other actors deserve recognition for their work here: Albert Brooks is Abel's consigliore, in a style reminiscent of his Drive character; Alessandro Nivola is the most frightening type of gangster – the quiet, powerful kind; Catalina Sandino Moreno (Maria Full of Grace) is outstanding in her only scene; Elyes Gabel captures the frustrated driver looking for hope; Peter Gerety is spot on as the Teamsters lead; and Jerry Adler is a most unusual Jewish business man.The camera work of cinematographer Bradford Young (Selma) helps make the style and story work. The plot sees someone making moves within the oil business and trying to keep his own moral sensibility while all the time surrounded by corruption and violence from others in the business; the title refers to the year the film is set – which happened to be the most violent year in the history of New York crime.Like many, this did mislead me somewhat, and perhaps this is why I did have some big reservations about the film. Morales has to sustain pressure on all fronts to attain the success he so eagerly desires.The themes and even the visual style of "A Most Violent Year" are reminiscent of many crime films of the 70's and early 80's, in particular "The Godfather Part II": not only for the lighting (shadows over the characters' eyes) and color palette (dark yellow and brown), but also due to Oscar Isaac's Abel Morales, whose overall conduct and mannerisms recall a young Michael Corleone.This film isn't another generic crime thriller with lots of explosions and shootouts; it builds on suspense, at a steady pace, as it tries to push its main character over the edge. Morales gets himself deeper and deeper in trouble, as he refuses to answer violence with violence.Truth to be told, the trailer and the title cheat quite a bit: If you're looking for a very violent gangster movie, with plenty of bloody and explicit scenes, this is not your film. Oscar Isaac perfectly carries the dramatic weight of the film, displaying wide credibility and aplomb, and I was also left impressed by Jessica Chastain's performance as his character's wife. Even though A Most Violent Year doesn't fulfill with what the title promises, it offers us something more interesting: a mature and satisfactory story which deserves to be appreciated despite some dull moments and occasional dramatic stumbles (like a certain scene near the ending which feels a bit exaggerated and unnecessary). With his debut in 2011 with the brilliant dramatization of the early beginnings of the GFC in the Oscar nominated Margin Call, his follow up with the brave and well liked All is Lost and now with the critically acclaimed and somewhat forgotten about third feature A Most Violent Year, filmmaker J.C. Chandor is very quickly becoming one of the industry's brightest young talents and a model of consistency.Quite possibly the least gangster gangster film ever made, A Most Violent Year sees Chandor enhance his directional abilities to all new levels and where Margin Call saw him master the art of the script and his actors and All is Lost the art of storytelling almost entirely through visuals, A Most Violent Year sees a combination of highly impressive elements combine to create one of the year's most fully formed and competent films.A Most Violent Year is one of the those films that's so finely constructed, you'd be hard pressed to find a single weak component, right down to the way in which violence doesn't drive the film as the title may suggest, merely plays out in its background as a master puppeteer, as heard frequently in the radio chatter our characters listen to. Isaac's interplay with all involved here is incredible and with Jessica Chastain's feisty turn as Abel's not easy to read wife Anna, A Most Violent Year will keep those viewers that are willing to enjoy the slowly rising tensions on offer, glued to their seats with anticipation.There are some very slight narrative missteps that stop A Most Violent Year from becoming a near perfect example of both a morality tale, a tale of ambition and a dramatic thriller of the highest calibre but as it stands Chandor's film is one of the year's most impressive all round productions that plays out against the backdrop of an intriguing, violence infested, true to life time in the history of New York City, where men and women like Abel and Anna battled daily for their survival both metaphorically and figuratively.4 and a half unhelpful dogs out of 5. Oscar Isaac, who was quite likable in Inside Llewyn Davis and even stronger here, does a fine job as Abel Morales, head of a New York City heating oil company; Jessica Chastain, always good, plays his wife. Though it has been proved several times throughout our history that nice guys finish last, Abel Morales (Oscar Isaac) is determined to be a good man and a successful business executive. If we are ever bored with the film itself (which is a seldom concern), we aren't with Chandor, who gives every shot a great deal of grimy beauty and venomous snap.Matching Chandor's rising talents are Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac, college classmates whose careers seem to be hitting their peaks at the exact same time; Chastain announced her presence to the world in 2011 with an impressive six movie run (including "The Tree of Life" and "The Help"), and Isaac, coming out of nowhere, made himself an actor for the ages as the titular character in 2013's "Inside Llewyn Davis". Oscar Isaac plays Abel Morales, the owner of a heating oil delivery company who quite ambitious but also cautious in the way he does business. Chandor produces his finest effort yet with "A Most Violent Year" featuring two powerhouse performances from Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain.Chandor gets his hands on some of the most talented and undervalued people in the film business for A24's newest venture. How this picture wasn't recognized by the Academy is beyond me.This is a story of a wealthy and ambitious businessmen struggles to extend his business while in a mean time trying to save it in the first place and all of this taking place in year 1981, which was one of most violent years in New York city's history. Oscar Isaacs certainly comes on like a young Pacino in the role of Abel Morales, an immigrant striver who's married the boss's daughter (Jessica Chastain, in vintage Armani) and taken over the family business—only it's fuel oil, not olive oil, and the setting is the grubby Greenpoint waterfront (a few miles upstream from Terry Malloy's "North River"), not Little Italy. This solid, involving film is a genre all to itself—part old-school working-class epic, like "They Drive by Night" (1940; the one where Bogart and George Raft are truckers); there's a fabulous car/truck/subway chase reminiscent of "The French Connection" and some nice edgy scenes between Abel, who takes pride in taking "the path that's most right," and his wife, Anna, who wants to call in her Family (with a capital F) to take care of the inventory shrinkage that's bleeding their business dry. (Seems like w/d J.E. Chandor was trying for a less dysfunctional version of the spats between Christian Bale and Jennifer Lawrence in "American Hustle.") A subplot involving Abel's protégé, a Latino driver who panics when things get rough, seems a little stagy and contrived, and the film loses some momentum in the final scenes, but all in all "A Most Violent Year" is well worth watching. -The story was really compelling and well written.-The pace, being one of the only things I can complain about, did have a pretty slow start, but got better.-The acting was just below Oscar good, with Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain doing a great job! I also loved having a lead I did not feel bad rooting for.-The music, which paid respects to older crime dramas, was really good and held up the compelling characters, scenes, and writing well.-The film doesn't have a lot of action in it, and I really should not call it a crime flick, but I'm not exactly sure what to call it. Oscar Isaac, looking more like a young Al Pacino than ever before, plays Abel Morales, a heating oil magnate in 1981 New York. Based on that time period, the film, A Most Violent Year, centres on the lives of Abel (Isaac) and Anna Morales (Chastain) as they try to expand their business and capitalise on opportunities. I should say, in correction partly, the lead character Abel Morales (Oscar Isaac), who in the course of a couple of weeks sees everything he has starting to crumble: a new business venture he's been working for years to get (a major piece of waterfront property), indictments pending (good old investigator with his own political side played by David Owoyelo), and problems with his oil-truck drivers being hijacked and beaten. This is violent in the way that Lumet's Prince of the City or one of his gritty New York city thrillers were: it's mostly people talking, trying to be calm, trying to rationalize, and yet there's always the sense that something sinister is at work, of a paranoia with the criminal elements at play.What makes it so engrossing for me is the consequences, the stakes for this character of Abel. This is a crime drama set in the New York winter of 1981; that was the most violent year recorded in the city's history and gives the film its title. Oscar Isaac plays Abel Morales an Hispanic immigrant who has worked his way up to be a major player in the fuel oil business. Like these, "A Most Violent Year" depends, not on action, extreme violence or sex but on a good story, a brilliant script, intelligent direction and a host of superb performances.Oscar Isaac, (getting better with every film), is Abel Morales, owner of his own oil company and in the throes of a deal that will greatly expand his empire, who finds he is also the subject of a number of hi-jackings of this trucks, possibly organized by his competitors. "If they offer tea or coffee, ask for tea because we have to look like the best." Chastain does her usual good work but her character is so changeable from one scene to the next, that it is hard to figure out whether her relationship with Abel is a business deal or whether there is actually some affection involved.While the film builds an undercurrent of tension that keeps us paying attention, something seems to be missing. In A Most Violent Year we meet immigrant businessman, Abel Morales (Oscar Isaac).

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Stella

Stella (Bette Midler) is a feisty, single, good time gal working in a bar when she meets and falls for the suave charms of the young Dr Steve Dallas (Stephen Collins). Although from opposite ends of the social spectrum they start an affair resulting in Stella becoming pregnant. After he proposes half heartedly she rejects him and embarks upon raising their child Jenny as a single mother, but is always helped and encouraged by her stalwart friend, a local good natured barfly, Ed Munn (John Goodman). Stella is fiercely independent and proud and is determined to do well by this child and take on whatever jobs she must to raise her daughter properly. When Jenny is 4 years old her father suddenly re appears on the scene and is determined to get to know his daughter. At first reluctant to allow this, Stella is persuaded to allow contact and a happy bond develops between the father and daughter. As Jenny (Trini Alvarado) grows up she becomes torn between her father's rich and well connected background and her loyalty and love for her mother who is poor and crass and vulgar but devoted to her daughter. She also despises the perceived relationship she sees developing between Stella and Ed Munn who is now a broken alcoholic. Jenny eventually meets and falls for a boy from her father's 'world' and Stella realizes that now the disparities in her own and and Jenny's father's backgrounds might jeopardize her daughters future happiness. So she makes a heart rending decision played out in the last 10 minutes of the film to ensure that this is not going to happen.

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Criminally Underrated. I think it was Ebert who gave Stella four out of four stars but, other than his, I have never read a positive review of this sadly misunderstood drama about class divisions, love, and sacrifice (three themes most great romantic stories or films have in common).Here the major theme is class division. Stella is a story from depression era America. That said, it was translated to the screen then in such a memorable fashion that this remake (if you ask a Stanwyck fan or two) was not exactly appreciated. Fans of the original never gave it a chance. Furthermore, this version of Stella was made in the 1990s, not exactly a time of great financial trouble in America (as the depression was).Now is the time to remove the rosy-coloured glasses, in the midst of a new era of recession and poverty in America, and see that this powerful story still rings true, is as timely and relevant as ever, in its updated format.Yes, class divide is the major theme here. Stella is among the working poor, single, with big dreams but little hope of realizing those dreams. She works in a bar, doesn't have much money, lives in a crummy apartment. You get the drift. In the morning, she doesn't really want to get out of bed. On her wall, pictures of movie stars she idolizes.A man sees her dance at the bar. He's wealthy, educated, from one of those upper class families that has nothing in common with Stella's. His major concern is what ivy league college to attend, her's is how to pay the rent, how to be 'happy.' They have an affair. They like each other. Stella ends up pregnant. Stella tells the guy the news. His response? "How about an abortion?" She replies, "I just wanted a room full of balloons." He supplies the balloons, and the proposal, but she sees his heart is not in it, and has too much pride to accept. She sends him packing.Her daughter is eventually torn between the two lifestyles--the love she has for her mom and the advantages and happiness and love held out to her by her wealthy father. Stella, alone and unloved, and not wanting her daughter to become as unhappy as her someday, makes the ultimate sacrifice. She gives up the only love and happiness she has ever known to ensure the happiness of her daughter, and perhaps live vicariously, and with hope, knowing that at least her daughter found something to live for.Now, for the movie. Everything is right about it. Beautiful score, artful cinematography, great set design (contrast between the two lifestyles; the messy apt. and the decorated mansions), wonderful and heartfelt performances by the whole cast, with Bette Midler, in particular, Oscar-worthy.This is a film which is much more significant and well-made than you've been led to believe.. The Divine Miss M's Talent Shows in "Stella". First off, I would just like to say what a big fan of Bette Midler's I am. Stella is a very good movie with a wonderful cast (Bette Midler, John Goodman, Trini Alvarado, Stephen Collins, Marsha Mason) This is one of my favorite films of all time. It deals with a mother raising a child on her own, she goes through a lot of things that are out of her way to bring up her daughter Jenny played wonderfully by Trini Alvarado. This movie is very good and I suggest that you pick up a copy to watch it. Roger Ebert gave is 3 1/2 stars! And it deserved 4! WONDERFUL! GOOD MOVIE!. I think this movie is wonderful. Bette Midler truly makes you feel the pain you may go through when making the right choices for your children. This is one of my favorite tear jerker movies. My mother and I always watch it together at least once a year!. This is the weepy that Beaches never was. This is the weepy that Beaches never was. As much as I wanted to love Beaches, it always seemed too hurried for me to "feel" for it (its soundtrack is one of my favorite albums though). Stella, on the other hand, moves at a slower (and occasionally too slow) pace and though it's somewhat manipulative in its tears-inducing tale about a self-sacrificial mother, it works because Bette and the rest of the cast turn in great performances. The Unconditional Love of A Mom.... After the success of "Beaches", Bette Midler once again wanted to rejuvenate the "woman's picture" genre (some Susan Hayward, Bette Davis, Lana Turner, Joan Crawford, & Barbara Stanwyck films come to mind) with a remake of the Stanwyck film "Stella Dallas". I love this movie, but it does have some flaws, including a TV movie feel. The movie starts off in 1969, & ends in the present, which was 1990. What made sense in the 1937 Stanwyck film doesn't hold up at all in 1990. There is no need for a low-income, single mom to give up her daughter for a "better life" with her affluent doctor father in 1990. Add to that the daughter is almost college age! An unlikable/senseless aspect of Midler's Stella is her stubbornness to not accept financial assistance from her daughter's father. This decision is just plain stupid. He wasn't a jerk, he actually wanted to help her & accept his responsibilities. Even marry her, although all they ever had in common, from the get-go, was sex. How many woman in this situation find themselves with a man this willing to help out??? Midler also adopted an unusual accent for this role which comes & goes. It can be annoying at times. John Goodman has a supporting role that makes me cringe every time he's on screen. All this aside, the birthday party scene & the ending is so heart wrenching, it tears you up. Watch this drama, it's enjoyable despite some imperfections.. Pointless remake of "Stella Dallas". An unmarried woman named Stella (Bette Midler) gets pregnant by a wealthy man (Stephen Collins). He offers to marry her out of a sense of obligation but she turns him down flat and decides to raise the kid on her own. Things go OK until the child named Jenny (Trini Alvarado) becomes a teenager and things gradually (and predictably) become worse.I've seen both the silent version and sound version of "Stella Dallas". Neither one affected me much (and I cry easily) but they were well-made if dated. Trying to remake this in 1990 was just a stupid idea. I guess Midler had enough power after the incomprehensible success of "Beaches" to get this made. This (predictably) bombed. The story is laughable and dated by today's standards. Even though Midler and Alvarado give good performances this film really drags and I was bored silly by the end. Stephen Collins and Marsha Mason (both good actors) don't help in supporting roles. Flimsy and dull. Really--who thought this would work? See the 1937 Stanwyck version instead. Unusually better than the original. The original with Barbara Stanwyk is saved only by Stanwyk's performance. The story and the other performances are too sickeningly sweet and the film itself is too dated to be really enjoyed today. Bette Midler's version is much more interesting. She is Stella Claire, an independent, free-spirited single woman who gets pregnant and refuses help from her boyfriend (Stephen Collins) or her friend (John Goodman in an underrated performance). She raises her daughter Jenny played so sweetly by Trini Alvarado and then comes to the conclusion that Jenny's father can do better for her and ultimately makes a life-altering decision. Through out the film, there are plenty of laughs, tears and memorable moments mostly between Midler and Alvarado. Marsha Mason co-stars as Jenny's would-be stepmother, who though wealthy turns out to be a very good influence on her. If you like Midler, Goodman or just good films with plenty of emotion you'll enjoy Bette Midler's version of STELLA.. Remake of "Stella Dallas"...how it came to made in 1990 is anybody's guess. 1937's "Stella Dallas" with Barbara Stanwyck hasn't exactly aged well--how anyone thought a semi-updated version of the story would work now is a real puzzler. Perhaps they thought jaunty, cheerfully brash Bette Midler could make something out of it, but this hoary script defeats her. Plot about a female bartender having a baby out of wedlock, and years later giving the young girl over to the child's wealthy father so she'll have a shot at a better life, can't escape tatty, old-fashioned trappings and sentiment. Midler works best with a movie director who can control her excesses, but that fails to happen here with John Erman, who's too lax. Stephen Collins is stolid as the man who changes Stella's life, but Trini Alvarado is well-cast as the daughter. This is what used to be referred to as a "woman's picture", a wallow, but it doesn't pass muster today while remaining too faithful to its 1930s origins. The Divine Miss M bites the dust.. I can sympathise with Bette Midler's desire to extend her range, especially following her personal triumph in "Beaches". Throughout "Stella" she bears evidence of a thinking, intelligent actress, and she has my profound admiration for that. But good intentions do not make for a good movie, nor indeed for a good performance. As the redoubtable Stella Dallas - so memorably played by Barbara Stanwyck in 1937 - Midler gives an hysterically over detailed performance. Straining pathetically for heart throbs, she makes herself look more than a little ridiculous - and for a woman who started her career singing in a gay bath house, that's saying something.But whilst I can't see the film as more than the standard mother-love soap opera, its good to see an actress daring to hang herself in public. Her performance doesn't really work, but the effort in itself is fascinating, and at times she comes so close to making us believe in the film.With a stronger director and a better script this might have been something special. But Midler has had to carry it alone, and that's simply no way to treat the Divine one.. Over the Top, Bette. "Stella", starring Bette Midler in the title role, is an unabashed tearjerker. Set in upstate New York, Stella Claire works nights as a bar maid, pouring and dancing in a workingman's saloon. One night, in comes a slumming medical intern, Stephen Dallas, who woos Stella, and in the course of their affair impregnates her. She spurns both his offers of marriage and abortion, sends him packing to a lucrative medical career, and raises her daughter herself in near-poverty. Flash-forward 16 years and the daughter has grown into a gorgeous, loving, young lady. Dr. Dallas is not out of the picture, still maintaining a tenuous, but caring relationship with his daughter and…..I'm rambling, and worse yet, making the movie sound somewhat interesting. The acting and screenwriting are so over-the-top you'll let out a groan in almost every scene. The chief offender is Bette Midler, but close behind is John Goodman as her alcoholic buddy. Each scene seems more contrived than the preceding right up to the finale, which is truly a hoot. Taken as a dramatic piece, this film rates no more than grade D, but as camp, it scores an unintended B+.. Ill-conceived remake. I have to confess that I have never seen the 1937 movie "Stella Dallas", which this movie is a remake of. However, after seeing this remake, I'm willing to accept the reports that the original movie is a lot better than this remake. There are a lot of things in this remake that while I can believe would work in a 1937 environment, seem very outdated seen today, or even back in 1990 when the movie was first released, such as the no longer shocking subject of single motherhood. But the dated story elements are just one problem with this movie. Though the movie runs 109 minutes, there are big sections of the movie where things seem very rushed and incomplete; I could not get a real feeling of the bond between mother and daughter, mother and her best male friend (played by John Goodman), or any other relationship. The movie feels like a cinematic Cliff's Note telling of what might have worked in a miniseries. The movie is well acted, I guess, but great performances never manage to hide story and character flaws in a screenplay.. Heartbreaking drama!!!. Very touching and heartbreaking drama about relationships of mother and daughter and if you are parent you will know what I mean after watching. One of my favorite actress Bette Midler is really diverse actress. She is very brilliantly in a comedy and terrific in a drama. I saw all her films and "Stella" I like most. It's very vital story about us and our relation to our parents. This film make you wonder about this. I was in tears after watching "Stella". It's true. That's very emotional and prettily film with the right thoughts that very important to us all today. People are need of such movies and I sad what in theaters you can't to see similar stories now, because in the majority, the modern films are very lifeless and unfeeling, in my opinion. It's regrettable.. A word for the genuine original. The "Stanwyck version" is not, as other reviewers seems to believe, the "orginal" and to my mind the performance in the genuinely original (1925) version by Belle Bennett is quite the best. The problems with Midler's performance have been well rehearsed but there are serious problems too with Stanwyck's performance. The 1937 version tracks the original almost exactly (the only real difference obviously being sound)losing some significant detail but without really improving it in any way. Stanwyck is miscast. Her "vulgarity" comes and goes in a totally illogical manner and when she suddenly converts herself for no obvious reason into some sort of clown towards the end of the film, it doesn't really make any sense. Bennett's performance builds the character much more consistently and convincingly. The daughter too is far less saccharine and far more believable than in the 1937 version. The original is also far more frank in confronting the class issue which is somewhat air-brushed in the 1937 version. Arguably Midler returns to something closer to the original but I do not think her performance as good as Bennett's.. the best drama that I have ever seen - Spoilers. This movie always makes me cry in the end when Bette Middler sees her daughter`s wedding from the distance because the only thing she wants is to see the face of her little girl to know if she`s happy...God, I think I`m gonna cry again ! The best part of the movie obviously is when Stella( againts her will and with a broken heart ) dissapoints Jenny( Trini Alvarado - EXCELLENT !!!) with a terrible fight(broken glasses included) with the only intention that her daughter comes back to New York with his father who could give her a better life.

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The Men Who Stare at Goats

The movie opens with Brigadier General Dean Hopgood (Stephen Lang) staring intently at his wall from behind his desk. He tells his secretary that he will be going into the next room and charges into his wall, hoping to phase through it. He hits the wall hard and says shit.More of this is true than you would believe.Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor) is a reporter at a local newspaper in Ann Arbor Michigan. He opens the film with a narration about how his story doesnt begin where he thought it would. He wanted it to start when he married his college sweetheart, Helen (Rebecca Mader), but he acknowledges that his story started when he interviewed a local man who he heard on talk radio claiming to be part of a secret government initiative. He meets with Gus Lacey (Stephen Root) and Lacey tells him about the psychic spy initiative and tells Bob that he killed his hamster with his mind. Lacey shows Bob a video of his hamster, staring intently at a wheel and then keeling over. Bob is wowed, despite thinking that Lacey is crazy, but then the hamster gets up. Bob asks why it isnt dead and Lacey replies that his mother didnt want him to show the hamster dying so he put in a video if it acting strangely. Lacey mentions that everyone in his unit had different methods and that the strongest Psi-warrior was a man named Lynn Cassady.Bob writes a small piece on Lacey and forgets about him. A year later in 2003, one of Bob and Helens fat coworkers has a heart attack and dies, which serves as a catalyst for Helen leaving Bob. Helen tells Bob that life is too short to spend not looking for true happiness and leaves to be with Bobs one armed editor, Dave. Bob grows increasingly aimless, and decides that he will go to Iraq in order to get the perfect scoop.Bob goes out to the Middle East, but he cant get into Iraq. He lounges around hotels and calls Helen to tell her about his tour in Iraq. When he realizes that shes still with Dave and not missing him, Bob hangs up and goes to get drunk in the hotel lobby. He starts doodling in a notebook and notices a man sitting at the table next to him works for a company trying to make a sales pitch to the newly appointed Iraqi government and decides to talk to him. The man (George Clooney) introduces himself as Skip, but when the power goes out and he lights up a candle, Bob sees the mans nametag says Lynn Cassady.Bob asks Lynn if he knows Lacey, and Lynn runs away. As Lynn runs away, the power in the building fluctuates and Bob pursues him until they arrive at the kitchen. Lynn is on edge and asks Bob who sent him, but Bob tells him that hes just a reporter from Michigan looking for a story. Lynn brings Bob up to his room and tells him about the New Earth Army.The New Earth Army was founded by Bill Django (Jeff Bridges). A Vietnam Vet, he was shot during a mission and had a vision of his attacker which told him that Love would be the winner of wars. Perplexed, Bill offered to research a different way to wage war, and the United States government founded his research. Bill returned years later, after experimenting with numerous drugs. He created a manual which established the New Earth Army as a branch of psychic warfare, supported by Brigadier General Hopgood. Hopgood had read that the Russians believed that the US was researching psychic warfare, so he suggested that the US actually start researching it to prevent the Russians from developing a way to beat them first. Lynn, who made the computers in Area 51 crash and go haywire, was transferred over to the New Earth Army unit to harness his psychic abilities and become a Jedi.Bob is fascinated by the story and convinces Lynn to take him with him into Iraq. Lynn tells Bob that he is retired and doesnt want to have to deal with Bob, but notices Bobs doodling of an All Seeing Eye from the dollar bill and changes his mind. Lynn takes an injection of steroids for what he says is Crohns disease and Bob goes to sleep.The next day, the duo head out into Iraq by car. They drive all day until its lost. Lynn tries to cook some hamburgers with a strange solar cooker made by the New Earth Army. Hours later, the meat is ruined and Lynn is pissed. The pair go to sleep in the car. The next morning, Bob wakes up alone in the car and flips out, thinking Lynn abandoned him to die in the dessert. However, Lynn was just on the cars roof saluting the Sun. Lynn starts driving them toward Baghdad, but as he practices his cloud bursting, crashes the car into a large stone on the side of the road.Bob and Lynn wait for rescue and Bob learns more about the New Earth Army. The unit was not officially recognized as a branch of the military but was dedicated to invisibility, psychic remote viewing and Bill helped Lynn reach his full potential and trained his unit to be the best that they can be. Lynn went from an uptight awkward soldier to a great remote viewer; able to locate whoever he needed to, using his mind. Bob is starting to think that Lynn is insane, and his suspicions are seemingly confirmed when Lynn hurts him with an object in several different ways. After a while, a truck pulls up and picks the pair up.The men on the truck pick up the two and immediately go through their bags. Bob asks Lynn if theyve just been picked up by terrorists and Lynn confirms it as a gun is cocked in their face. They are kept in a holding cell and Bob freaks out after Lynn tries to tell him more about the New Earth Army. Lynn explains that Bob was destined to be with him in this cell because of the drawing Bob had in his notebook of the All Seeing Eye. Lynn shows Bob his All Seeing Eye Tattoo on his chest, which calms Bob down a bit. Lynn tells him that they have been kidnapped by lower level gangsters and that they cannot allow themselves to get traded off to real terrorists.The next morning, at the swap, Lynn refuses to move, and the standoff gets tense. The terrorists are ready to shoot when Bob screams I Am a Reporter! in Arabic. They immediately begin shooting at him, but Lynn tackles the shooter and takes him out. A third hostage runs away into the dessert and Lynn takes the terrorists gun and truck and drives away with Bob. They try to pick up the third hostage, Mahmood, but end up running him over. They are surrounded by White Jeeps, owned by a private defense contractor named Todd Nixon (Robert Patrick). He takes the three into the city, exposing his plans to bring franchises to Baghdad and westernize the region. As hes bragging, a firefight breaks out between his contractors and their rivals (both claiming to have been fired on by Iraqis). The trio escapes and heads to Mahmoods house.At Mahmoods house, he finds that his wife is missing and no one knows where she is. Hes depressed and Lynn apologizes to him for how Nixon acted in the car, saying that not all Americans are like that. That night, Bob watches Lynn inject his last bottle of medication and Lynn pretends he doesnt notice. Mahmood lends his car to Bob and Lynn and the pair continues their journey. They drive to a crossroads and Bob ridicules the fact that Lynn doesnt know where to drive. He takes a right and their car does a backflips when a hidden mine explodes.The pair survive and Bob is carried from the wreck by Lynn. Bob is upset that hes still chasing Lynn through the jungle and asks about Bobs mission. Bob tells him that he was reactivated by Bill. He got a message through astral projection to come to Iraq and find him. Bob realizes that Bob is truly insane and starts yelling at him. Lynn tells him that its something he needs to do because it was his fault the New Age Army was destroyed.Lynn had excelled in remote viewing and was able to locate people at will. This pissed off Larry Hooper (Kevin Spacey), a psychic who wanted to be number one. Lynn continuously defeated Hooper in testing, so Hooper sought to use psychedelics to even the playing field. He tricked a green lieutenant into taking LSD and the lieutenant went insane from Hoopers experiments. Naked, the lieutenant went into the training yard and started firing at soldiers. Bill approaches him and asks him to surrender the gun, but the lieutenant just shoots himself in the head instead. Bill is brought before a military oversight committee and Hooper buries him by accusing him of miss using funds to hire prostitutes and buy drugs (the hooker thing is a lie!). Bill is dishonorably discharged and says goodbye to Lynn. Soon after, General Holtz (Glenn Morshower) takes over the New Earth Army and Hooper tells him that there are offensive applications to thier psychic abilities. Holtz orders Lynn to psychokinetically stop the heart of a goat. Lynn stares at the goat and it dies after a few minutes of intense staring. Lynn finished the remainder of his tour and leaves, but not before Hooper gives him the Death Tap. Ever since he used his power for evil, Lynn has been cursed.Lynn and Bob go to sleep and when they wake up, Bob sees a goat. He follows it to water and Lynn and Bob drink it as a helicopter appears overhead. The two pass out and come to in a hospital beds. Lynn sees a man looking at them and follows him. They pass through a chamber full of goats and another full of prisoners forced to listen to Barney while being forced to watch strobe lights. They then find an older Bill, burnt out from booze and drugs, working for Hooper at Psi Securities, a psychology/psychic firm which focuses on overseas subliminal messaging. He offers Lynn a job, but Lynn is broken by seeing Bill in such bad shape.Bob walks around and finds Lynn in bed. Lynn tells him hes dying. Bob tries to explain that the death palm is nonsense, but Lynn tells him its his cancer that is killing him. Bob is saddened for his friend and Lynn gives him an old eagle feather Bill had given him to honor his psychic abilities. Bob finds Bill, but Bill shrugs it off. He and Bob find common ground and Bob convinces him to help Lynn get out of his rut. They go into the pantry to get ice cream. Bill then teaches Bob about how to embrace the Jedi lifestyle.Hooper pays Lynn a visit. He wakes him up on purpose, offers him a job and tells Lynn that he knows his abilities are a sham and that Lynn had gotten the location from a former New Earth Army soldier who had hinted that there was work to do. Hooper maliciously taunts Lynn, and Lynn goes back to sleep.The next morning, Lynn goes to join Bob and Bill in the mess tent for breakfast. Bob tells him not to eat the eggs since they laced them with LCD. The entire army is high and hallucinating. Unfortunately, Bill also spiked the water, so Bob, Lynn and Bill are also high. They run to the goat and prisoner storage barns and Bob convinces Lynn to get redemption by freeing the goats. They heard the goats and prisoners out of the camp without a hitch due to the drug induced chaos around them, until they are blocked by Hooper. Hooper points a gun at them, but then puts the gun in his own mouth (mirroring his test subjects suicide). However, before he can shoot himself, he succumbs to the munchies and goes to get food instead. The prisoners and goats leave.Bob sees Lynn and Bill get into a helicopter. He follows them and asks to come, but Lynn tells him that his job is to go and tell the world of their story. Lynn and Bill take off and vanish. Bob tells us that the official word is that they crashed in the desert (because thats what happens when you fly a helicopter while you're tripping on Acid). He wrote the story, but the public didnt even consider it. They just made a joke about the part where prisoners were tortured with Barney. Disappointed, he realized that life happens when you dont try to go against the current (something Lynn had told him personally). He becomes editor of his paper and stares at his wall. He focuses on it intently, smiles, then charges as he phases through the wall like a real Jedi.

comedy, boring, historical fiction, flashback, absurd, humor, satire

train

imdb

He offers insight into his mind and opinions on the things he says and of himself and Lyn as the story progresses.The Men Who Stare at Goats is a very hilarious movie, with many quotable lines and excellent acting by the entire cast. I highly recommend it to any Ewen McGregor, George Clooney, Kevin Spacey or Jeff Bridges fan, for fans of those men will not be disappointed with the acting and mannerisms of the characters those actors portrayed.The Men Who Stare at Goats is a very fun movie to see in theaters and everyone in my audience were cracking up laughing many, many times. Overall, however, I felt that some bits needed to be trimmed down - the constant Jedi references were funny the first time but quickly wear thin.The plot also needed a little bit of work: it started off with a promising storyline, and good editing I might add, but seemed to lose its way towards the end. Very funny, but not outrageous like silly, lame, typical Hollywood movies.It stands right next to M.A.S.H.,and so.Interestingly, it is a serious comedy, sometimes I felt watching a Kevin Smith movie, sometimes Coens' movie, however, it is far different, and better than them.George Clooney is one of the most versatile actor in these years. If you have not been convinced up until now, just watch this film.Kevin Spacey, and Jeff Bridges acts and support very well, but the great surprise is Ewan McGregor, who seemed to be lost in last years. Still, he starts with a quite annoying character, but he turns to be the height of the film.Without mentioning anything about the story, it is really a sarcastic, strong, and very-close-to-the-truth viewpoint about humans, USA, and the army...Directing is OK, cameras too, the music is proper for the story.This is a real ACTOR movie, and worth to watch it. And/or buy it later...Really credible, especially in the grotesque scenes, and although it has a narrative style, splitting the film, it is quite enjoyable.And I was so grateful (and still I am) to bring back the JEDI, showing they are EXISTING, they are AMONG US, and yes, Ewan McGregor can be a JEDI again, without George Lucas...Just watch it, and feel the POWER!. The film was more about how these drifters and lost souls managed to find something that they found worthy of pursuing and really devoted themselves to it, and I think this message is more admirable than any side-criticism of the USA.The film plays out mainly as a buddy movie with Geogre Clooney, who is doing his usual comic act very well, and Ewan McGregor as they head around Iraq not really knowing what they are looking for and getting into loads of hilarious antics along the way. This sorts out another common criticism that the film is extremely unrealistic, but there are some key scenes saying that Clooney might not be telling the whole truth that I feel have been overlooked.It isn't going to be Oscar-fare or the greatest thing you'll ever see but with a good cast and a lot of laughs there isn't really going to be a much better way of spending a lazy Saturday afternoon with some popcorn and a buddy or two.. And when Bridges, Clooney and Spacey are all on screen, The Men Who Stare At Goats feels most alive — like a military version of Anchorman, with a more subtle sense of stupidity — while Heslov's bright, heightened colour palette adds the sense of an almost magical, distant summer. Just as Superman came flying down to save the maiden tied to the train tracks, we find ourselves waiting for Cassady to swoop down and tie up all those tantalising loose ends.Though Heslov and writer Peter Straughan try their best, however, there just isn't a satisfactory end to this movie to be found, and the one they've come up with — as enjoyable as it is — is not only underwhelming, it feels like an obvious redeployment of everything we've seen, with a little sprinkling of sentiment that, though tongue-in-cheek, doesn't feel right. For the most part, though, The Men Who Stare At Goats, like Inglourious Basterds before it, marks a return to the long-lost idea that there ought to be some fun in movies, and it's a testament to George Clooney's willingness to experiment that, at a time when he really ought to be prepping for his next Oscar, he's up for a laugh and happy to share the fantastic time he's having. The film follows a reporter, Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor), who stumbles onto the story of a lifetime when quite by chance he meets a self confessed Special Forces Operator, Lyn Cassady (George Clooney)in a Kuwait hotel. As they embark on a new mission, Lyn reveals his twenty-year involvement in a Top Secret, black ops military unit and shares details of their activities, each more bizarre than the last (including staring at goats).This is a wonderfully funny film, with quirky characters that develop as the story unfolds, characters that will have you laughing out loud and as the credits begin to roll as you get up from your seat at the end of the film you will leave the cinema still talking about the story on your way home. Whatever way you look at it, this is one heck of a funny movie.Based on the outrageously true story by Jon Ronson, filmmaker Grant Heslov in his feature film debut brings to life this story about Bob Wilton (McGregor), a young reporter who goes to Iraq during the Gulf War to try and find a story worth telling. I am giving the movie four stars because it was hard for me to give it one, or even non, while it has a really good group of actors who really know what they are doing, and able to give their best, no matter how bad or empty the script is.I was really disappointed. Despite the presence of great actors like Ewan McGregor and Kevin Spacey, this is not a good film by any means. It was directed by his business partner Grant Heslov who wrote the script for another Clooney project, "Good Night and Good Luck".The film is based upon a book by the British journalist Jon Ronson which tells the bizarre but apparently true story of a secret unit within the US Army called the First Earth Battalion which attempted to find military applications for "New Age" philosophies. Lyn left the unit in a fit of remorse after killing a goat by staring at it, believing that it is wrong to use one's psychic abilities to cause death, even the death of an animal.Despite the presence of Gorgeous George and several other big names (Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey) and some reasonably good acting, this is not a very good film. I was slightly disappointed by the title...there was only one man who stared at one goat...very misleading...The only semi funny part of the movie was George dancing...I still didn't laugh...well I guess the fact that they called Ewan McGregor Jedi throughout the movie was slightly funny as well...however if you're thinking about seeing this movie I suggest not watching it in the theater because you don't want to pay to see half a movie (you might want to leave half way through...I know I did)I have to leave ten lines of text...but the movie was so bad I have nothing more to say about it...bananas. From the opening credits when we are told ''You wouldn't believe how much of this is true', the quasi-farcical approach works sometimes and falls flat at other time.George Clooney begins the film at his deadpan best, but the story is so convoluted, that even he doesn't know what to do with it after that. The idea of conducting a war through the use of questionable psychic abilities could have been anywhere from laugh-out-loud funny to well-played dark comedy, and indeed, it seems that the movie tries for the entire range of comic effect, but it doesn't succeed in any. "More of this is true than you would believe," reads the message and movie goers enter a world where the U.S. Army has trained psychics to be used to help with Army matters.Intrigued yet?Throw in a great cast of actors and scene after scene of quirky fun and it's almost impossible not be hooked on this "could some of this actually be true" story, and you might find yourself laughing a bit as well."The Men Who Stare At Goats," directed by Grant Heslov, stars Ewan McGregor (Star Wars Episodes 1-3, Big Fish) as Bob Wilton, a journalist who goes to Iraq to cover the war after his wife leaves him for his editor. Also playing a large role in Cassidy's past is Larry Hooper, played by Kevin Spacey (American Beauty, The Usual Suspects), who is also a psychic for the Army and becomes a bit of a rival to Cassidy.The actors and the quirkiness of the story is what makes this film a must see for fans of the dark comedy genre. I mean how could a movie starring George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges and Kevin Spacey be bad?Well, it was. A movie about superheroes that have no powers but think they do, with a few weird and unexplained phenomena to keep the viewer watching, just like making the least amount of effort to make the film interesting and believable. ...we shoulda' left as soon as we thought about leaving.It ran us $22.50 for two folks to see this "movie", and for the first time, I'd really like to find someone to write to so we can get our money back.I understand the "plot", and I understand that they're trying to make fun of the psychic research that the military did, but this movie is confused enough that it couldn't actually find "comedy".As the tag says at the beginning, more of this movie is real than you think. Two hours of your life that would've been better spent watching paint dry.The fact that George Clooney, Kevin Spacey, Ewan McGregor, and Jeff Bridges signed on for this ridiculous borefest, makes me rethink my opinion of each of these actors. Yes this movie was truly a mind boggling experience and by that I mean a complete waste of time, not only did it not have a plot but it had nothing else that would even remotely be depicted as interesting.Essentially this movie was about a man who made a "PsyOps" unit who's purpose was to use their powers to end war without confrontation, however this unit had no powers, it was just a bunch of people doped up on drugs and after watching this movie I wish I were as well, at least that way there might be a possibility of seeing a hallucination that resembles a shred of an honest to god plot line.Final thoughts, if you can skip this movie entirely, if not bring your cellphone or any kind of entertainment feature you will thank me for it!. If you knew nothing at all about this movie- didn't know it was about psychic spies (aka "The First Earth Battalion") who trained to use peaceful means against their enemies, or that it starred three of the finest American actors working (Clooney, Bridges, Spacey) and a Scottsman (McGregor), or that it was a comedy "mostly based on truth believe it or not"- wouldn't the title just jut out at you? I was laughing through most of it in some part because of the performances (Clooney as an ex "Jedi" who was one of the best and brightest of the First Earth Battalion is about as deadpan as we've ever seen him, and Bridges comes off like The Dude from the Big Lebowski with more spiritual discipline as a leader), how all of the major players worked off one another and made themselves truthful and honest even when saying or doing ridiculous things like yoga in a desert or gaining energy through the power of dance.But the other thing that makes the movie so brilliant is its style. George Clooney is great at playing cool characters but his role in this film requires him to be a buffoon which he is neither funny or enjoyable to watch- It actually makes him look like a crap actor. Add a director with a solid reputation - he's George Clooney's producing partner and co-wrote the excellent Good Night, and Good Luck - and a stellar cast (Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges and Kevin Spacey, plus terrific support from established character actors like Stephen Root, Robert Patrick and Glenn Morshower), and you've got all the right ingredients for a smart piece of entertainment.Based on Welsh journalist Jon Ronson's non-fiction book (a story "more true than you would believe", according to the movie's opening caption), the film focuses primarily on the misadventures of Ronson's on-screen alter ego, the American Bob Wilton (McGregor, doing his finest accent work since Big Fish), a reporter who has gone off to a war-ridden Iraq to prove to his ex-wife that he is, in fact, a real man. The story is confirmed when Wilton meets the disgraced Lyn Cassady (Clooney), who was once the most promising element of said unit: the New Earth army, a covert division born from the idea of a Vietnam veteran, Bill Django (Bridges), who believed it would be easier to win wars by resorting to the power of the mind, hence the recruitment of soldiers who were supposedly able to accomplish such feats as walking through solid walls and stopping a heart simply by staring at the subject (the hilarious titular scene). The satire, while never specifically aimed at one element of the US government (although Ronald Reagan is mentioned at one point, to good effect), follows the example of Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove in that it never paves the way for outright silliness, barring the final 20 minutes which appear to have been conceived as a mere means to end the film (this is most obvious in the final shot which, funny as it may be, leaves a bit of a sour aftertaste).The movie also works admirably as a straightforward comedy, thanks to instantly quotable lines (see Django's trial), clever cinematic winks (the New Earth Army men are called "Jedi warriors") and spot-on performances: McGregor, saddled with the seemingly ungrateful task of playing the "regular" guy, is a perfect vessel for the audience, enabling us to marvel at the sight of Clooney's terrific combination of smart and dumb, Bridges (sort of) resurrecting "The Dude" Lebowski via his hippie approach to warfare and Spacey adding a brilliant comedic shade to his traditional villainous persona. I did however read multiple reviews that the confusing and hard to follow story was supported by a noble cast including Ewan McGregor, George Clooney, Jeff Bridges and Kevin Spacey. Either way, I'm afraid they overdid the Jedi references, which were funny at most the first two or three times.These flaws notwithstanding, the movie is interesting because it really makes you want to jump on Wikipedia and check out what is known about the actual US Army Psy-Ops project (which I'm going to do after writing this review, I know I've heard that the staring at goats actually happened). You would think with George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges and Kevin Spacey some of it would have been funny. When I viewed this title I thought to have such a line up of actors such as George Clooney, Jeff Bridges and Kevin Spacey the movie had to be extremely good.In my view the only funny parts of the film involved two events both including Clooney' character. I have to say I was extremely disappointed, if this is the type of title we can expect from Messrs Clooney, Bridges and Spacey I don't think I'll bother to watch any more from them.The plot was poor, even though allegedly based on a true event, the acting was poor and to have such a very good line up of actors, I can only think this was for reasons of very clever publicity.There was one funny thing attached to this movie though and that was the reviews given by the national newspapers and media in the UK, some had the audacity to give it four or five stars and to even call it 'Uprorious fun'. The Men Who Stare at Goats is a great movie with a really well developed and extremely unique and unusual storyline and a fantastic cast that all play characters that are different to what you would usually see them in.The best performance has to be George Clooney's, I'm seen him in several comedies but thus is the first time that I genuinely found him to be the funniest character in the movie,Ewan McGregor,Jeff Bridges and Kevin Spacey also deliver great performances. Fans of both war and comedy movies should definitely check out the Men Who Stare at Goats.A journalist may have found the story of a lifetime when he meets a man who was part of the US Army who claims he has been professionally trained to gain super powers.. There is no big story, no special effects, no melodrama and the cast is performing above the average.With Clooney there are always some political references and his left winged attitude is something that can push away conservatives for watching his film, and that is +1 for Clooney.As for Spacey, he has already shown that his best performances are in the movies where he is playing an antagonist.As for McGregor, he is somewhat constant as he is not capable for stellar performance but he always delivers acting that is slightly above the average.Finally, Jeff Bridges has proved to be a fantastic actor, a true chameleon. Acting is great; George Clooney steals the show throughout with a perfectly nuanced and humorous performance, while Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges, and Kevin Spacey all do the best they can.

tt0044079

Strangers on a Train

Amateur tennis star Guy Haines (Farley Granger) wants to divorce his vulgar and promiscuous wife Miriam (Laura Elliott), so he can marry the elegant Anne Morton (Ruth Roman), the daughter of a senator, and hopefully have a career in politics. On a train, Haines accidentally meets Bruno Anthony (Robert Walker), who recognizes Guy from the sports pages and knows about his situation from the gossip pages. Bruno tells Guy about his idea for the perfect murder scheme: the two should "swap murders". Bruno will kill Miriam, and, in exchange, Guy will kill Bruno's hated father. Each murderer will kill a perfect stranger, having no identifiable motive, so neither will be suspected. Guy does not take Bruno's suggestion seriously; he humors Bruno by pretending to find it amusing, but Bruno interprets Guy's response as agreement to the scheme. Guy lets Bruno light a cigarette with his (Guy's) monogrammed cigarette lighter; instead of returning it, Bruno puts it in his own pocket. Guy meets with Miriam, who is pregnant by someone else. She tells him that she is no longer willing to agree to a divorce. She threatens to follow Guy to Washington, D.C. and cause a scandal. Guy calls Anne with the bad news and, speaking figuratively, tells her he would like to "break [Miriam's] neck"...that he could "strangle her." Meanwhile, Bruno follows Miriam and her two beaux to an amusement park, stalks her through various rides, and strangles her to death on the "Magic Isle". Later, Bruno tells Guy that Miriam is dead and that Guy must honor his part of the deal and kill Bruno's father. Bruno sends Guy his house key, a map to his father's room, and a pistol. Senator Morton, Anne's father, (Leo G. Carroll) informs Guy that his wife has been murdered. The police question Guy; his alibi, that he was on a train with another passenger at the time of the murder, fails because the police examine the train schedule and determine that he could have left the train in time to commit the murder, and then completed his trip on another train. The police do not arrest Guy, but assign a police escort to ensure he does not flee while they continue to investigate. To pressure Guy into fulfilling his obligation, Bruno introduces himself to Anne. Soon after, Bruno appears at a party at Senator Morton's house. To amuse another guest (Norma Varden), Bruno demonstrates how to strangle someone by playfully putting his hands around her neck. His gaze falls upon Anne's sister Barbara (Patricia Hitchcock), who physically resembles Miriam. Her resemblance to Miriam triggers a flashback. Staring at Barbara, he begins actually strangling the guest, and then blacks out. Barbara tells Anne: "His hands were on her throat, but he was strangling me." Her suspicions aroused, Anne confronts Guy, who tells her the truth about Bruno's crazy scheme. Guy pretends to agree to Bruno's original plan. He creeps into Bruno's father's room hoping to warn him of his son's murderous intentions, but the father is away, and Bruno is waiting for Guy there. Guy tries, unsuccessfully, to persuade Bruno to seek psychiatric help. Bruno responds by threatening to punish Guy for betraying him. He menacingly reminds Guy that he, Bruno, is "a very clever fellow". Anne visits Bruno's house and attempts to explain to his befuddled mother (Marion Lorne) that her son is responsible for a murder, but the demented woman does not believe her. Bruno tells Anne that he has Guy's cigarette lighter and intends to incriminate Guy by planting it at the amusement park. Anne and Guy devise a plan for Guy to finish his tennis match quickly, evade his police escort, and reach the amusement park first and prevent Bruno from planting the lighter. Guy eventually wins the long match at Forest Hills, then, eluding the police, heads for the amusement park. Bruno is also delayed when he accidentally drops Guy's lighter down a storm drain and has to recover it. Guy arrives at the amusement park. Bruno stays out of sight until sunset when he can plant the lighter on the "Magic Isle". A worker recognizes him from the night of the murder and informs the police. Guy catches up to Bruno, and they fight on the park's carousel. Thinking Guy is trying to escape, a police officer shoots at him, but his shot misses and kills the carousel operator instead. The dead man falls onto the carousel's control panel and the carousel spins wildly out of control and crashes. Bruno is mortally injured. The worker who recognized Bruno tells the police chief that Guy is innocent. Guy tells the police that Bruno was attempting to plant Guy's lighter at the murder scene. Bruno lies to the police, but, as he dies, his fingers open to reveal Guy's lighter in his hand. === U.S. version === In the American version of the movie, a final scene shows Guy reunited with Anne on a train home. A minister, who is also a tennis fan, recognizes Guy and attempts to strike up a conversation, but Guy, hardened by his traumatic experience, turns away coldly and leaves with Anne, without replying to the eager fan.

insanity, comedy, suspenseful, psychedelic, murder

train

wikipedia

One day, on the way to see his wife, he meets the mentally unstable Bruno Anthony aboard a train and soon gets drawn into a murder plot that he can neither stop nor stall; and one that could ultimately cost him his life.The conversation aboard the train between Bruno and Guy is one of the cinema's most intriguing and thought provoking of all time. This is a truly brilliant example of film-making, every shot is drenched in suspense, every cut is masterful, every detail important, every second exciting, it never lets go till the very end, and what an ending that is, a delicious bit of humor that is perfectly in tone with the rest of this delightful masterpiece.Some have criticized Farley Granger's performance as Guy Haines, but it really is quite perfect; he delivered all his lines well and makes us feel honestly sympathetic towards him. It isn't a complicated story, two strangers meet on a train, and one comes up with a crazy plot: "You do my murder, I do yours." One takes it as a joke and shrugs it off, but the other takes himself seriously and goes on to commit the murder he offered to, getting the 'good guy' into huge trouble. You can see the inspiration for future action movies here - the climactic ending with the out-of-control merry-go-round and the two villains dueling each other reminded me of the big action sequence at the end of Jan de Bont's "Speed." Of course, "Strangers" is over forty years older than "Speed" and contains no modern special effects, but the visceral thrill is there - Hitchcock was a true genius.The not-so-subtle gay side of Bruno (Robert Walker in an amazing performance) has taken form in many other psycho-stalker-figures in future movies. Consider him a male version of Jennifer Jason Leigh in "Single White Female." He knows about Guy before he even meets him on the train - we almost get the feeling their contact isn't incidental - and is soon entirely obsessed with him.Hitchcock loved the Oedipial elements in his movies (also see "Psycho" for more blatant undertones) and there's a lot of that here. His effeminate ways and obvious homosexuality must have just slipped by the censors in 1951, when gays were not "allowed" to be portrayed on the screen - yet Hitchcock gets the message through effectively when we see Bruno in the lounge on the telephone wearing a very non-masculine robe, flirting with Guy and responding to his mother.The deep layers of this movie make it a fast-paced thriller than you can return to again and again - unfortunately it's being remade as a big-budget Hollywood production, but after seeing the original I honestly can't imagine anything surpassing the sheer white-knuckle thrills of this movie.. Strangers on a Train boasts a neat central idea (the 'swapping' of murders), several classic Hitchcockian moments, and a fine performance from Robert Walker as psychotic socialite Bruno; but despite these admirable qualities the film fails to qualify as a complete success thanks to a severely flawed final act that makes one wonder what the hell Hitch was thinking.Farley Granger's tennis-pro Guy Haines being coerced into discussing murder by charismatic lunatic Bruno—all well and good. Top-notch Hitch film dealing with a girl in love with young America's idol , a Tennis star named Guy Haines who becomes involved with a good-looking stranger , Bruno Anthony, in search of sensation that's how it all began..! A psychotic socialite (Robert Walker as unforgettable psycho) confronts a pro tennis star (Farley Granger) with a theory on how two complete strangers can get away with murder...a theory that he plans to implement . Hitchock married Alma Reville , usually screenwriter ,and had one daughter, Patricia Hitchcock, who appeared in several of his movies: Stage fright (1950), and Psicosis (1960) and Strangers on the train where she plays splendidly the distrusted sister .Frequent collaborator the director of photography Robert Burks creates a stunning cinematography . Suspenseful and atmospheric original music by the classic Dimitri Tiomkin.Hitchcock often used the ¨false guilty¨ or "wrong man" or "mistaken identity" theme in his movies Sabotage (1942), I confess (1953), Wrong man (1956), North by Northwest (1959), Frenesí (1972) and of course Stranger on a train . Usually, it is the other way around, but in this case, the movie is a major improvement over the original book.I had seen this wonderful movie at least a dozen times, before I managed to find a copy of the book it was taken from....the book has the same title and was written by Patricia Highsmith.I scoured the used bookstores for years, before I finally found a copy, and because the movie was SO good, I could not wait to begin reading the story in its original version.I was never so disappointed!Not because the book is unreadable...but because Hitchcock made such vast improvements over the book that the book simply does not come close to measuring up to the movie version.That said, let me now comment on Robert Walker's amazing performance as Bruno Antony.This was Robert Walker's last completed performance...he died while shooting his final film, "My Son John," in August, 1951.This role as Bruno was the performance of his career!Perfect in every way.The movie has been around now for nearly half a century. Strangers on a Train, one of Hitchcock's first and more underrated hits, is a perfect example of these traits - an entertaining and suspenseful story, even when viewed over 50 years later, yes, but so carefully and intelligently constructed it stands today as a masterpiece in film technique. Sadly enough, there are certain moments in the story which are screechingly out of place enough to jar our focus away from the superb cinematography and editing - Bruno being able to reach down to the bottom of a sewer grate is simply unbelievable, and the figure of a stereotypical old man crawling under a wildly out of control carousel provides unintentional comedic relief in what is meant to be the film's most tense and engaging scene. The antagonistic figure of Bruno (essayed to perverse perfection by Robert Walker, sadly in his last film role, but easily stealing the film from his admittably very talented fellow cast members) is without a doubt what makes Strangers on a Train so memorable, as the character is a marvel to behold. Superb support is given by Ruth Roman, who manages to overcome the clichée and be a more innovative and complex romantic interest figure, Kasey Rogers giving a stunning performance as Guy's horrifyingly manipulative and hedonistic first wife, and Patricia Hitchcock, proving that she is far more talented than being simply "the director's daughter" would imply. "Lets swap Murders- your wife, my father"- seemingly innocent conversation between two strangers - Bruno Anthony and Guy Haines when they meet over lunch on a train journey. Robert Walker's performance as Bruno Anthony is marvelous and makes the movie worth watching - but that is the only thing positive about this mess of movie.Some details are just plain forced - such as anything to do with the ornate cigarette lighter that the tennis star originally has with him (even though he "doesn't smoke much".) This lighter plays a pivotal role throughout the movie.Much of the dialog is bad, particulary the various police detectives and the police chief - and most people have English accents (it takes place in America).The announcer at the tennis game is so bad he is funny, as is the exaggerated way the crowd watches the game - although I appreciate the effect.Finally, although I could forgive some of the silliness, the final scene at the amusement park was so ludicrous as to make this movie an unintentional laugher.Nice thing about the DVD is it has both the US version and UK version. The Guy in Hitchcock's movie doesn't resemble the conflicted, messed up character shown in Highsmith's novel and is a complete disappointment.Bruno, too, lacks the obsessive, disgusting nature shown in the novel. Leave it to Alfred Hitchcock to perceive this potential (just as he'd done earlier with Joseph Cotton in "Shadow of a Doubt").So when it came to casting Bruno Anthony in "Strangers on a Train," Hitch shrewdly pegged Walker for the part. Once again, Strangers On A Train is symptomatic of Hitchcock's cinema, along with movies like Vertigo or North By Northwest: it has an interesting potential but ultimately it doesn't live up to the expectation.To begin with, the premise is a bit far-fetched. Yet, there were a lot of possibilities, and one would have liked, for example, to get to know Bruno's character more, who is ultimately quite superficial despite being central to the plot.Moreover, while in other Hitchcock movies the form compensates for the content, here even the direction, editing or soundtrack struggle to make up for the lack of a solid script. The characters are so implausibly rendered that they sap much of the drama and suspense from the movie.Some Hitchcockian flourishes: his cameo, with double-bass in tow, at the train station; a murderer's shadow envelopes that of his victim, then a scream rings out; bizarre vantage to observe a strangulation, reflected in the convexity of eyeglass lenses; mounting tension with quick cuts between scenes of a tennis match and scrabbling for a cigarette lighter down a storm drain; the two 'strangers' wrestle in the climatic scene while the unrelenting hoofbeats of merry-go-round horses bear down on them.I am baffled that nearly a quarter of those rating this movie gave it a '10'. The film might not be among Hitchcock's most famous and recognized thrillers but it contains all of the director legend's trademarks; excellent directing far ahead of its time and a story filled with mystery, intensity and suspense.Strangers on a Train tells about a chance encounter on a train which entangles two vastly different character's and their destinies' together. Story wise the Strangers on a Train is quite typical Hitchcock film as the director has always been master in creating suspense out of ordinary characters who find them in most unordinary situations. The film's original score was annoying; but I liked the song "The Band Played On".Despite an implausible plot that gradually descends into silliness, "Strangers On A Train" is worth at least a one-time viewing, mostly because it's such a well-known classic, but also for the fine performances and that great B&W cinematography.. "Strangers On A Train" is the best of all Alfred Hitchcock's output.This movie is a major improvement over the book from which it was taken.Usually, it is the other way around, but in this case, the movie is a major improvement over the original book.I had seen this wonderful movie at least a dozen times, before I managed to find a copy of the book it was taken from....the book has the same title and was written by Patricia Highsmith.I scoured the used bookstores for years, before I finally found a copy, and because the movie was SO good, I could not wait to begin reading the story in its original version.I was never so disappointed!Not because the book is unreadable...but because Hitchcock made such vast improvements over the book that the book simply does not come close to measuring up to the movie version.That said, let me now comment on Robert Walker's amazing performance as Bruno Antony.This was Robert Walker's last completed performance...he died while shooting his final film, "My Son John," in August, 1951.This role as Bruno was the performance of his career!Perfect in every way.The movie has been around now for nearly half a century. In Alfred Hitchcock's "Strangers on a train" (1951), Robert Walker gave a remarkable and disturbing performance as Bruno, a spoiled playboy - psychopath who came up with a brilliant idea of committing a perfect murder - find a stranger who hates someone strong enough to wish them dead and swap murders with him - he kills yours, you kill his. While on a train, Bruno introduces himself to a handsome rising tennis star, Guy (Farley Granger) who is going through a rather nasty public divorce with his unfaithful wife Miriam in order to marry the woman he loves, Anne Morton. a plan which Guy does not know, he plans to go through with.The film is well acted/written/directed/produced and more, the film is so well written that you can even ignore the scenes that don't really add up (I don't know why a cop would shoot into a merry go round with more public domain on it) but apart from those scenes, it is really a very well executed and great movie.The film as just missed out on a place on the top 100, but is 103rd on the list, and even though I would think it should be higher then that, I am glad it is recognized as one of the best films in cinematic history.Overall, I recommend this to people who are fans of Alfred Hitchcock films or people who like movies and the cinematic experience. My best recommendation for those of you who just might decide to see it for the first time: It is an engrossing character study, (Robert Walker as Bruno Anthony) but falls somewhat short on many other levels, especially when compared to a number of other Hitchcock works. Strangers on a Train is one of those compelling films, even though Hitchcock clashed with the script writer several times and was underwhelmed by Farley Granger's lead performance, it is still a gripping movie. Tennis player Guy Haines (Granger) gets caught in the wrong place when he meets Bruno Anthony (Walker) on a train who tells him about a double cross murder idea and how they should team up to murder those who cause them unhappiness.The master of suspense has caught fire in a net with this sensational picture that creates a dynamic of intrigue through murder, deception and blackmail.Brimming with The Birds tempo vibe, Strangers on a train gets off to an interesting start as we see a car pull up and we follow two pairs of feet walking towards the train station, after which there is a glorious point of view shot as we see the train moving along the track, and then the real fun begins.Farley Granger is trapped in conversation with an over enthusiastic Robert Walker who berates him with stories and ideas about his life. The man diving under the carousel to stop it was beautifully caught by the director and once more this fits the scripting perfectly and epitomizes the film as a genre, a thrilling sequence to a tense and spectacular thriller and crime.Farley Granger's professional is well perceived but the plaudits should go to Robert Walker whose psychotic murder minded man is deliciously mysterious and almost scarily intelligent and yet the pairing is deliciously necessary for the script.Hitchcock delivers once more and this is definitely worth viewing again and again. Overshadowed by the rest of his 50s movies, "Strangers on a Train" is one of Alfred Hitchcock's best films, and definitely a landmark not only in his career, but also in history of film.During a small trip on a train from Washington to New York, Bruno Anthony (Roger Walker) meets tennis professional Guy Haines (Farley Granger) and soon a friendly bond is set between them. Handsome tennis pro Farley Granger (as Guy Haines) meets psychotic Robert Walker (as Bruno Anthony) on a train, and suggests the two men, being strangers, could get away with exchanging murders. "Strangers on a Train" must be grouped with director Alfred Hitchcock's very best films. An altogether average Hitchcock movie (which, admittedly, makes it better than almost any thriller made nowadays), notable for two reasons.First, there's Robert Walker's subtle, brilliant performance as Bruno Anthony. This film has all the black humour and great dialogue you've come to expect from Hitchcock, along with great acting, especially from Robert Walker as the sociopathic Bruno (we learn from his mother that he once plotted to blow up the White House). Many scenes emphasize the differences and similarities between the two protagonists, which are quite interesting in themselves, besides being important as plot elements.Walker is outstanding as the ominous Bruno - his is one of the most memorable performances in any Hitchcock film. Tennis star Guy Haines hates his wife Miriam he wants to divorce.She's reluctant to give it to him.He has another dame in his life.Her name is Anne Morton.In a train he meets this stranger called Bruno Anthony.He wants to get rid of his father.He has an idea for a perfect murder.Crisscross.That means Bruno would kill Guy's wife while Guy would do the same to his father.Guy thinks he's only joking, but he's not.Soon Miriam's dead and Guy is the prime suspect.Strangers on a Train (1951) is another masterpiece from one of my favorite directors, Alfred Hitchcock.It's based on Patricia Highsmith's novel and Raymond Chandler was writing the screenplay.The casting is perfect, as usual in Hitch movies.Farley Granger plays Guy.Miriam is played by Kasey Rogers, who had to play her part practically blind because of those thick glasses.Robert Walker, who sadly died that same year, plays Bruno.Jonathan Hale is his father while Marion Lorne (in her film debut) plays his mother.Ruth Roman plays the role of Anne Morton.Leo G.Carroll is Sen.Morton.Alfred's daughter Patricia Hitchcock is delightful in the role of Barbara Morton.The cameo made by the director occurs 10 minutes into the film.He's the man getting onto train carrying a double bass.This is a film of many thrilling scenes.The scenes from the amusement park are such.Who could do something like this today? It all begins when tennis star Guy Haines (Farley Granger) and Bruno Anthony (Robert Walker) meet on a train. Guy Haines (Farley Granger) is a famous tennis player who occasionally meets Bruno Anthony (Robert Walker) during a travel by train. While traveling on a train from Washington, D.C. to Long Island, tennis star Guy Haines (Farley Granger) meets Bruno Antony(Robert Walker). Strangers on a Train is one of Hitchcock's best films..

tt1479962

Red Dead Redemption

The game begins with John Marston stepping off of a ferry in Blackwater. He is guided to the train station by two federal agents. He boards the train to Armadillo and meets up with his escort to Fort Mercer. He explains on the way there that he needs to capture or kill Bill Williamson, a former member of the gang he was in. He also explains that if he did not comply, his wife and son would be punished and he would be killed. John arrives at the Fort and is greeted by Bill with hostility. John tries to reason with him but is then shot in the waist and left for dead.Hours later, Bonnie MacFarlane finds John and takes him back to her ranch. John then wakes up at The MacFarlane Ranch, he is greeted by Bonnie. She tells him that the doctor spent fifteen dollars fixing him up (this being alot of money in 1911). He chooses to repay her by helping around on the ranch. Eventually. you come in contact with Marshall Leigh Johnson in Armadillo. He assures you that Bill will be brought to justice, as long as John agrees to help him around Armadillo. Soon after working with the Marshal, John rescues Nigel West Dickens from death. After he recovers, West Dickens says he will help you assault Fort Mercer if he can help him seel his "ailments". You also work for Irish, who gets you a gatling gun for the assault, and Seth, who will proide the distraction. Soon after you complete all of these tasks, you can go to Fort Mercer to start the mission.John, Marshall Johnson and West Dickens storm the fort, only to discover that Bill left for Mexico the night before. This means John must travel to Mexico, to find Javier Escuaslla, another former gang member who may know the whereabouts of Bill.You cross the border with Irish on a raft, but you are greeted with gunfire and must fight back. Once you get into Mexico, you can work for the following people: Landon Ricketts, you get a new gun and a deadeye skill from him (I suggest you visit him first), and DeSanta, a part of the Mexican army. DeSanta has you work with him many times with the promise of finding Bill and Javier. But to your surprise, you are betrayed by DeSanta and must work for the rebels, which is led by Abraham Reyes. He promises that Javier and Bill will be found. Javier is found first, and he tells you that Bill is hiding with Colonol Allende, the leader of the armed forces. John and Abraham storm Allendes villa, and chase after them. Abraham will kill Allende to gain power, and John will kill Bill(ha ha). Allende betrays Bill and pushes him out of the carriage they were in. Allende holds Bill at sword point, John kills Bill, and Abraham kills Allende. With Bill out of the picture, John returns to West Elizabeth to find the former leader of his gang, Dutch Van der Linde.Edgar Ross, the man who had you set out on your quest tells you that your family is safe in an undisclosed location. apparently, Dutch has been a public menace to society lately, and the federal agents are taking every chance to stop him. After many attempts to stop Dutch, he is finally cornered at Cochinay, a mountainous village where the local indian tribe is occupied. John chases Dutch through a cave that leads up to a dead end cliff. Dutch tells John that their kind is gone, and that Dutch is tired of running, and gives up by throwing himself off the cliff. With Dutch dead, John can go home.John is greeted with smiles from his wife Abigail, and his son, Jack. After the West Elizabeth missions, the rest are very easy, mostly herding cattle, hunting with your son, breaking horses, regular ranch type things. One day Uncle is inspecting the fields when he sees men with guns on horses approaching the house. John tells Jack and Abigail. A battle ensues with the U.S. army and federal marshalls. Halfway through, uncle is shot and killed. John tells Jack and Abigail to get on a horse and ride away. There is only one horse left, so John cannot go with them. Jack and Abigail flee from the back door of the barn. John turns around to the front of the barn. He opens the door a crack and sees U.S. army and marshals surroundin the outside of the barn. Remembering what Dutch says, John stops running. He opens up the barn door and confronts the men. It is possible to take out a few soldiers. The men open fire on John, firing repeatedly until John falls, to the ground. He wheezes and coughs, but then falls backwards, dead. Edgar Ross holsters his pistol, showing that it was Ross's plan to extirminate the gang once and for all, by using John and then turning on him.Jack riding away, hears the gunshots and rides back to the ranch. Abigail and Jack discover Johns body, and begin to cry. Shortly after, John is shown buried on a hill nearby the ranch.3 years later...Jack is seen standing at his fathers grave once more. This time, he had to bury his mother. Jack turns around and gets on his horse.(I just want to make this note because I STRONGLY suggest that you do this stranger mission. It can be found in Blackwater under the name of "Remember my Family?". It is the revenge mission for Jack)Jack goes to a marshall and asks where Edgar Ross could be. He tells him he retired to Lake Don Julio 2 years ago with his wife. Jack travels down ther and meets Ross's wife and brother. They tell him he is hunting ducks on the other side of the river. Jack confronts him and they duel. Jack kills Ross, and then looks at the gun he used to kill him with. This is a shallow victory however. John so desperately wanted a better life for Jack, not the one that John grew up with. By killing Ross, Jack was only beginning his forthcoming life as an outlaw.

good versus evil, violence, revenge, cruelty, murder

train

imdb

tt0056059

Hatari!

Hatari!The film opens before the credits with the members of the Momella Game Ltd. parked on the African plains scanning the landscape for rhino. Sean Mercer (John Wayne) spots one and moves out with his men to capture it. During the chase which ensues, Little Wolf, the Indian (Bruce Cabot), is gored in the leg and the rhino escapes. Kurt (Hardy Krüger), who was driving the herding jeep, blames himself for the mishap, despite what Sean says, as he feels he was herding too close. Pockets (Red Buttons), driver of the catching car, tells Sean a tourniquet isn't doing any good to stop the bleeding, and so they head into town to take the Indian to the hospital while Kurt dives back to the compound to bring Brandy (Michèle Girardon), who technically owns Momella Game Ltd., to town to meet them.The credits play while Sean and the others are driving back.Kurt arrives at the compound in the evening and tells Brandy what happened while she dresses; they depart and join the others at the hospital where they all anxiously await news of the Indians fate. When a young Frenchman with a chip on his shoulder named Charles Maurey (Gérard Blain) comes up to them and asks Sean for the Indian's job, as he was afraid if he waited someone else would get it, the party reacts with indignation and Kurt knocks him down in anger. Sean separates them, and just then Doctor Sanderson (Eduard Franz) enters to tell them about the Indian. He sadly relates to them that the Indian needs a transfusion, but his blood type AB negative is very difficult to match, and the plasma is not doing the job. The Frenchman announces that his blood type is the same as the Indian's, but he will only give it if Kurt asks him. Kurt does, and Sean tells the Frenchman to come out to the compound afterwards, and they'll see about that job. The doctor asks them all to leave the hospital as they're only in the way.The party relocates to a bar where some time and several drinks later the doctor calls to inform them the Indian will be all right and should soon be on his feet again. Deeply relieved, they start back to the compound after a celebration, the men very tipsy. Saying goodnight to the others, Sean enters his darkened room and starts to undress but stops in surprise when a woman's voice tells him he is not alone. Turning on the lights he finds a woman, named Dallas (Elsa Martinelli), in his bed, who tells him no one was there when she arrived, so when it got late, she picked a room out and went to bed. Pockets comes in and mistakes Dallas for Sean in his stupor; they're then joined by Kurt. Sean, Pockets and Kurt begin to confusedly argue about what she is doing there, when they are interrupted by the mysterious guest herself who requests to get some sleep and says they can all talk it over tomorrow, whereupon they leave.Next morning, the men and Brady discover from her belongings that the woman they saw last night is a photographer. She was sent by the Swiss zoo that contracted to take the animals Sean and the others catch that season. They piece together that it was the Indian who had corresponded with her, not knowing by her initials that she was a woman. In the middle of their talk about her, Dallas herself appears. Sean tells her shell have to leave , as theyre behind schedule already and can't be bothered with a greenhorn, but Dallas shows them a letter from the zoo stating that they will only take the animals provided pictures of the catching come along with it. Disgusted, Sean agrees to let her stay, and that morning Dallas gets her first taste of what animal catching is like.They head out after giraffe, and Dallas insists on riding in the back of the catching car where she can "move around." Sean tells her she will all right, and during the bumpy chase over rugged terrain, Dallas, continually falling and yelling, makes a fool of herself, and is eventually told by Luis (Valentin de Vargas) to stay where she is on the floor of the truck.They capture the giraffe, and when they return to the compound, Dallas makes a very pretty apology to all of them and tells them to forget the letter she showed them. She says she would like very much to stay, but only if they'll let her; if they want her to go, she'll go. Pockets and all the others except Sean can't tell her to leave after that.While Dallas is getting cleaned up in a hot tub, a cheetah enters and frightens her so she screams. Pockets rushes in and, heroically getting a chair between her and the cat, tells her not to move as he thinks he can save her. Just then Sean and Kurt enter the room to see what Dallas was screaming about and see Pockets and the cheetah, whose name is Sonia, the domesticated house pet. Sean asks Pockets "What's with this Clyde Beatty routine?" Kurt stokes Sonia and shoos her out and Pockets abashedly explains how it looked like too good a situation to pass up, when an angry Dallas hits him with a wet cloth and orders them both out.Later that same evening, Dallas is sharing the patio with Sonia when Sean comes and tells her that the others voted to let her stay. She is glad, but asks if Sean had voted against her, which he answers in the affirmative by saying he still thinks she'll be a damned nuisance, and leaves. Pockets strolls up and takes a chair next to Dallas. They strike up a friendship, and Pockets sees right away that Dallas has fallen for Sean in a big way. She loves it there, and wishes she could become part of Sean's life, but learns from Pockets about a woman Sean almost married once. She realizes Sean has been once burned and is twice shy of getting involved again, but receives encouragement from Pockets who tells her it isn't hopeless, but that she will have to start something, because he won't.Next morning Sean and the others hear over the radio from the doctor that the Indian will be with them again in three or four days. When Sean asks about the Frenchman, the doctor tells them he already left with fifteen pounds he borrowed from the Indian, who borrowed it from Doctor Sanderson. Kurt is disgusted by what he sees as the mans taking money from the Indian for saving his life, and in the midst of the discussion, Pockets announces the arrival of the French blood bank himself. He says he needed the money to get his rifle, as he would need it if he is going to work for them, and Sean takes him out to shoot against Kurt in target practice to get an idea of how good he is. The Frenchman, whom Sean dubs Chips, proves himself very handy with the gun, and is told he's hired. Before accepting, Chips asks Sean to hold his gun, and then knocks Kurt down. He asks Kurt if he still wants him, to which Kurt laughingly replies "You've got the job. But you've got a strange way of asking for it."Out on the trail of game again, some of Sean's party stops off at a native village for water. Soon, the entire party is after zebra, which they manage to catch in a running chase with no mishaps, Dallas getting her photos all the while.Back at the compound again, Brandy and Chips are hosing down one of their captured hyenas under the thoughtful gaze of Kurt. Sean comes out onto the porch and discovers from Kurt a growing rivalry over Brandy between the Frenchman and Kurt, whom has stopped thinking about Brandy as a little girl, as Sean does.The Indian returns that night. While talking to Sean, he asks him to leave rhino alone as he is beginning to think they've got a jinx on them; Sean says they'll wait till they've filled the other orders, and then see about rhino.The catching goes on, and while the party is out after buffalo, they pull into a native village where a female elephant has run rampage and been shot by the game ranger. An elephant calf shows up from the brush, and Dallas, unwilling to let it be shot too, insists on taking it with them, much to Sean's annoyance. Feeding the calf wild goats milk proves very difficult, and chaos ensues when the whole party tries milking the goats, but Dallas, who has a way with the elephant, proves successful eventually.That night, Dallas, acting on Pockets's advice, makes her first attempt at romance with Sean by simply asking him how he likes to kiss. She succeeds in getting the first kiss, but when Pockets accidentally interrupts, Sean leaves to see about setting a trap for a leopard. Pockets, impressed, asks Dallas if he may come to her when he has a problem.Next morning, after the leopard is caught in a cage, the party heads out after buffalo, which they succeed in catching after a dangerous chase.While crossing a river on the way back, the herding jeep stalls in the water and Kurt takes a tow line and starts for the bank to tie to the back of the truck. When a crocodile comes up behind him, Chips shoots the animal and saves his life, to which Kurt, back at the compound, thanks him by saying, "I don't like crocodiles, especially when Im in the water with them." After this, their rivalry over Brandy, though still hot, is on a friendly footing.A comic interlude occurs one morning as Kurt and the native boys try shooing some escaped ostriches back into their pens.Dallas, much to Sean's annoyance, acquires another baby elephant which she looks after with the help of a native boy she hired, and she assures Sean the baby elephants won't be any trouble for him.That evening, Dallas finds Pockets mooning over Brandy who is dancing to music played by Kurt and Chips; grabbing Pockets for a dance, Dallas gets him over to Brandy and starts them dancing together, much to Pockets's joy.One day a native tribe comes to sing to Dallas and initiate her into the tribe on account of her baby elephants. Dallas, not realizing what she's getting into, gets carried along to their village under the supervision of Sean and the others where she is dyed and dubbed "Mama Timbo", mother of elephants. To be a good sport, she dances with them as she is supposed to.That evening, Sean takes some wine to Dallas in her room, who is in curlers, covered with cold-cream, and annoyed over the whole day's proceedings, especially at being caught by Sean at a disadvantage. She quickly begins to melt, however, when she perceives that Sean, in spite of himself, is becoming attached to her. But in the middle of a passionate kiss, Pockets once again interrupts by bringing Dallas her dinner on a tray, then tripping over Sonia who was lying in the way, falls headlong on Sean, dumping the dinner all over him.The next animal to be caught is wildebeest. During the chase, the herding jeep blows a tire and flips over with its riders. Kurt is thrown clear and gets a dislocated shoulder which Sean "fixes" for him. Chips injures his leg and is knocked out. Both of them, though rather the worse for wear, are not seriously injured.Throughout the incident, Brandy, though concerned, does not behave as if she were in love with either Kurt or Chips, which puzzles Sean who thought she was. The episode makes Pockets think, however.Back at the compound, due to being shorthanded, Sean makes Pockets, who is scared to death of animals, help with unloading the wildebeest. In order to be as far away from it as he can, he climbs up onto a fence, but then falls off.Brandy, who witnesses it, rushes over to him in a panic that he has hurt himself, and has Sean and the Indian pick him up to carry him to bed. Pockets, playing the role of invalid for all he's worth, is pleased with the way things are going until Sean and the Indian, by mutual consent and once out of sight of Brandy, drop him to the ground and walk off.That evening, a bandaged Kurt and Chips are wondering what has happened to all the ice in the house, and Sean tells them to look in Brandys room. There, they see Pockets in bed, icepacks on his head, being fondly caressed by Brandy who tells him she was so worried when he fell off that fence."He fell off a fence!" Chips says in disbelief to Kurt."You nearly took a leg off," Kurt replies wearily, "I got a dislocated shoulder...""And he gets the ice," they sadly conclude, and go to have a nice, warm drink together.In the morning, when Dallas goes out to see to the elephants, she is shocked to find yet a third outside the pen. In the midst of worrying what to tell Sean, Sean himself walks up and is driven almost past endurance when he sees three baby elephants.Pockets too comes up, in disbelief, and Sean, exasperated, cries to him, "Were running an elephant nursery! Mother," he grumbles to Dallas, and she whispers to Pockets, "That means he can stay!"Later, Kurt comes into the living room where Sean and the Indian are and asks if they know what Pockets is building in the workshop. He won't let anyone in, and says Sean promised him he could work alone. The Indian tells Kurt he's working on some "Rube Goldberg device for catching monkeys," but when Kurt begins reading over a list of materials Pockets has been buying, including black powder and war surplus rockets, Sean thinks he had better have a talk with Pockets.On their way over to the workshop, Sean and Kurt are alarmed by Pockets and the native boys running in panic from the hut yelling "Hatari!" Just then, a rocket bursts through the roof of the hut to soar through the air with a trail of smoke behind it.Kurt grabs a hose, thinking the place is on fire, but Pockets convinces him the fire is out. Sean insists on knowing whether Pockets launched the rocket, or if it went off by itself, to which Pockets, stammering, only falls back on Seans promise to leave him alone.Sean eventually leaves it at that, telling Pockets disgustedly to get the roof fixed.That night, Pockets, very pleased with himself, tells everyone that in a few days the invention will be ready. He intends to trap five hundred monkeys in one tree under a net for the others to catch, but he suggests that they get together some homemade armor to keep the monkeys from sinking their teeth into them.Sean and the others, not willing to take the chance that Pocketss invention won't work, begin getting together their armor, looking a very odd assortment indeed.Pockets, with the help of a native tribe, bribing them with Seans cigarettes, gets the monkeys into a chosen tree and ties two dogs there to keep the monkeys in the tree until morning. He informs Sean and the others that night that tomorrow is the big day.The morning of the great monkey catching comes and the entire party goes out to the tree. Pockets, very nervous about the success of all his planning, has everyone get behind trees as he lights his rocket.He himself hides behind a tree with his hands over his eyes, too worried to watch. The rocket, the fishnet attached, soars over the tree, dropping the net over the monkeys, just as Pockets said it would.Everyone, especially Pockets, is shocked the invention actually worked, and soon Sean and the others, except Pockets, are under the net catching monkeys.That evening back at the compound, an inebriated Pockets, sobbing because he didn't see the launching, forces Sean to tell him over and over again about the rocket and how it worked.Next morning, Dallas takes the baby elephants to the watering hole for a bath; Sean follows her with a rifle to see nothing happens to her. On their way back, they are nearly charged by a female elephant warning them to stay away from her calf. Sean fires in the air and scares the elephant away, and he and Dallas return to the compound.That evening, the Indian remarks he sees only one order left to fill: rhino. Sean, in spite of the Indian's objection, decides to head out for them in the morning, which they do.A long, dangerous chase of a big, aggressive rhino ensues the next morning, but the rhino, after escaping from Sean and his men once, is at length brought down and the animal catching for that season is finished.That evening, the whole party is going into down to celebrate, except for Dallas, who Pockets finds crying in her room. She confides to Pockets that she is giving up about Sean, she doesn't think he can ever get over that girl who burned his fingers once. Pockets leaves and tells the others she isn't going, giving as an excuse that she has a lot of work to do, and when Sean tries to persuade her to come, she drives him out of her room with tears and sobs."Now what the hell did I say?" Sean mutters to himself, completely mystified.Next morning, Sean is shocked when he comes to breakfast and his friends tell him that Dallas has left early, leaving a note saying goodbye. Sean declares that he did not want her to go and was intending to ask her to stay. The others, glad to hear it, join with Sean in organizing a search party to find Dallas in town before she departs on the plane.Luis suggests for one of the baby elephants to track her down like a bloodhound, but they have difficulty in getting it into the truck until Pockets, using an outfit of Dallas's which she left behind, lures it into the truck and the chase is on.Sean, Pockets, and Luis drive one jeep with Timbo, the baby elephant, in the back, and Kurt, Brandy, and Chips drive another; the Indian stays behind at the compound to phone ahead to the airport and tell them not to let Dallas on the plane as she robbed the bank of England.The search for Dallas goes on throughout town, through shopping markets and crowded streets, Timbo's two brothers following on foot, looking for Dallas as well.Dallas, catching sight of Sean and the others following her, tries to run away, but Timbo and the other two baby elephants keep after her until Dallas is cornered in the lobby of a hotel where she sinks to a chair crying as Sean and the others come up and the scene fades out.That night at the compound, we see Dallas turning out the light and getting into Sean's bed. Sean, leaving his friends in the midst of some celebration, comes into the room and he and Dallas repeat the lines they said when Sean first met Dallas in his room, in his bed.A bleary-eyed Pockets, just like before, comes into the room to talk, and Sean pushes him out, informing him that he and Dallas were married that afternoon.Just then, all three baby elephants enter the room and try to climb into bed with Dallas, breaking it and ending the scene, and the movie.

cult, violence, romantic

train

imdb

may be the most enjoyable of the Howard Hawks/John Wayne collaborations (their other pairings produced the classics RED RIVER and RIO BRAVO, and the RIO BRAVO 'remakes' EL DORADO and RIO LOBO), and is exceptional in several ways; at 157 minutes (2 hours, 37 minutes), it may be one of the longest 'buddy' films ever made; nearly all of the animal 'chase and capture' sequences involved the actual cast members (professional handlers serving as stunt doubles were only rarely used); and the filming began with virtually no script (which was written based on the 'on location' footage in Africa, after the cast returned to California). At 65, director Hawks was still in top form, and the risks he took paid off...HATARI!, despite it's length, is never boring!The story focuses on a season with a team of professional hunter/trappers, capturing animals for zoos and circuses. With a breathtaking opening scene of a rhino chase, costing them the use of veteran driver, 'Indian' (legendary actor Bruce Cabot), the 'family' dynamic is quickly established, with rugged Sean Mercer (Wayne) both boss and father-figure to the group. As he and the rest of the 'family' (Red Buttons, Hardy Krüger, Valentin de Vargas, and Michèle Girardon) meet 'Indian's' replacement, 'Chips' (Gérard Blain), Mercer has an even bigger headache to deal with; beautiful photographer Anna Maria 'Dallas' D'Allesandro (Elsa Martinelli) has arrived, to shoot a magazine spread. A 'traditional' Hawks leading lady, 'Dallas' is feisty, sultry, and attracted to Mercer, and the older man, uncomfortable with the ease by which she fits into the group, as well as his own stirrings, tries to make it clear that romance has no place on his agenda (in much the same manner as he did with Angie Dickinson in RIO BRAVO...and with the same results).While some elements of the story are dated and politically incorrect (shooting a baby African elephant, even as a 'mercy killing', would be a major offense, today, as it is an endangered species), the combination of spectacular 'hunt' sequences, and the warmth and easy camaraderie of the cast in the subplots make HATARI! a rich, rewarding experience.A major plus for the film is a very atypical Henry Mancini score, combining tense, African-influenced themes for the chases, and the very funny 'Elephant Walk' to punctuate 'Dallas's' relationship with her adopted pachyderm 'children'. The baby elephant scenes are film highlights, as is the rocket capture of a tree filled with monkeys, and both rhino chases (which clearly shows Wayne in some real danger!)From the opening rhino sequence to the closing 'Honeymoon' scene, HATARI! John Wayne and a great ensemble cast are fun to watch as they have adventures in Africa capturing wild game for zoos around the world. This is how animals get into the zoos, they just don't walk in there and say "sign me up!"I like everything about this movie; it is a diversification for Wayne, who was already maybe the most diverse actor in Hollywood history. It has love, comedy, drama, and animals!Plus all the actors in the movie were given great character depth. As it follows the travails of a group (Hardy Kruger , Red Buttoms, Michelle Girandon , Gerard Blain , Elsa Martinelli, Bruce Cabot among others) of safari hunters led , of course, by John Wayne , undergoing adventures , risks , and amusing situations . As we are watching several African animals , without use of stock-shots, but they are actual Hyenas, Gnus, Elephants, Crocodiles, monkeys ,Buffalos and spectacular Rhino hunts . The humor in the movie is largely supplied by an adorable Red Buttons, playing a former New York cabbie who currently acts as manic truck driver for John Wayne on his daily quest to capture animals. One of the things that I really like about this movie is that the supporting cast carry so many scenes without John Wayne overwhelming them. Hatari is a fun movie to watch at any age and Red Buttons is hilarious as pockets. The "homophobia" charge directed against the film has to do with a single line, when Dallas asks Pockets why Wayne's character "doesn't like women," and Pockets says she suffers under a "misapprehension." I'm sorry, this is "homophobic?" I watched this movie several times over the past 40 odd years and I never noticed this until I read it on IMDb? There's no evidence to suggest this, reports that the actors themselves were involved in the capture of the animals are counterfactual evidence against this charge (what you see is largely what actually happened), and it is known that the baby elephants died four decades later of natural causes in zoos.Now onto the film itself: The acting is largely insufficient (as plagued most Hawks films of the '60s). Wayne of course ignores him and ultimately they capture a rhino.Although enjoyable, this film reminds me of a Disney real-life adventure. As I've written before in other reviews, the great success of King Solomon's Mines and The African Queen led to a demand by at least the American movie going public for a little more realism in films involving Africa. Hatari is one of several films to follow in the wake of the two I previously mentioned and it's one of the best.John Wayne, Red Buttons, Bruce Cabot, Valentin De Vargas, and Hardy Krueger are a group of animal trappers working for Michele Girardon. Red Buttons devises a Rube Goldberg scheme to capture wild monkeys that should not be missed.But I think some of the best scenes are simply those showing the trappers going about their dangerous job of obtaining wild jungle animals for the zoo. No more sound stage Africa for the public.I've often wondered if John Wayne was talked into this film by William Holden who at that time was the owner of the Safari Club in Kenya. The cast is good, specially Red Buttons in the traditional Walter Brennan role as the comic relief and the best friend of John Wayne, who plays the tough guy who wants distance from women after being left by one, nothing new in his and Hawks' careers, and seems to be having a lot of fun. Director Howard Hawks re-teams with John Wayne, who heads a cast that also includes Hardy Kruger, Red Buttons, and Bruce Cabot, who play animal wranglers in Africa who capture wild animals(like Elephants, Lions, and the elusive Rhinos) for various zoos who are willing to pay for their exclusive services, in order to display these magnificent creatures in captivity. These men, when they aren't hunting, are fighting, drinking, and gambling, as well as pursuing women, which now includes a Swiss photographer who has just arrived to take pictures of the men, and their hunting, when she isn't taking care of baby elephants...Bloated film that was likely more fun to make than it is to watch, since animal lovers like myself will be less than enthralled by the capture of wild animals who should instead be protected in their environment! The film gathers its several characters from different parts of the world: Sean Mercer (John Wayne), Pockets (Red Buttons), Anna Maria 'Dallas' D'Allesandro (Elsa Martinelli), Kurt Müller (Hardy Krüger), Brandy De la Court (Michele Girardon), Charles 'Chips' Maurey (Gerard Blain), Luis Francisco Garcia Lopez (Valentin De Vargas) are, respectively, from USA, USA, Italy, Germany, France, France and Mexico.SUMMARY: The picture opens with Shawn Mercer and his crew sitting in a hole as Shawn scans the countryside looking for a Rhino that standing in the mild of a herd of Wilder beast. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS MOVIE for capturing a certain sentiment of a bygone era ...the 60s...he he he..it's so quintessentially and humorously American (John Wayne, et al) --- the stereotyped American/Euro folks in the backdrop of the African wilderness with the animals and the locals...great scenery with lots of animals too...SEE IT..!!! This movie has it all:1.) adventure;2.) wild animals;3.) beautiful settings;4.) beautiful ladies;5.) a great story;6.) a great cast lead by John Wayne;7.) a great director, Howard Hawks;8.) a great musical score by Henry Mancini that 'accidentally/incidentally' spawned the #1 worldwide hit-song..."Baby Elephant Walk;"9.) a lot of comedy;10.) and, a lot of enjoyment by whomever sees this movie! It should also mean "Great Fun!" "Hatari" (1962) is unique to John Wayne's incredible resume of films in that it takes place in Africa, what was then Tanganyika (currently Tanzania).The Duke and Howard Hawks made several terrific films together, regardless of the often-terrible dialogue Hawks used in his Wayne films and the flat-out unconvincing, unrealistic manner in which it was sometimes delivered: larger than life, but seldom believable. It's the last remnants of old Hollywood movie-making at its finest.The co-stars are great: always amiable Red Buttons & beautifully thin babe Elsa Martinelli as well as Hardy Kruger, girl next door-type beauty Michèle Girardon, Gérard Blain, the suave Valentin de Vargas & old Duke pal Bruce Cabot.And you can't forget Henry Mancini's atmospheric score, including the subsequent hit, "Baby Elephant Walk"; and Russell Harlan's Academy Award-winning cinematography, shot on location in one of the most beautiful places on earth.You will love "Hatari"!. not just that this movie is spectacular, with the best scenery and wildlife shots, great acting, funny, full of action and the little elephant song :). Typical John Wayne "tough guy with a heart" character who leads others on some kind of adventure..does he in every movie he is in? The excitement you feel at the view of John Wayne running after the zebras and specially the rhinos, and the pleasure you get from the whole group at work and at leisure (days and nights of slender and beautiful Elsa Martinelli, funny fellow Red Buttons or the non-tense rivalry, basically "a cause d´une femme", between french Blain and german Kruger), well, this is more than you´re used to see in a movie. This obeys the conventions of the time whereby an ageing male star has the right to romance a glamorous young woman despite being old enough to be her grandfather.There is little story in this film,just innumerable ways to capture wild animals.No doubt the fact that the film was directed by Howard Hawks and started John Wayne made it a hit with uncritical viewers.. Something for everyone: adventure, comedy, romance, nature and baby elephants...and let's not forget, John Wayne. Hatari is one of my favorite John Wayne movies, it never gets bogged down in any message but fun and romance, Red buttons is at his funny best as pockets the loved starved truck driver, Hardy Krüger, Gérard Blain and Bruce Cabot are the tough guy girl chasing drivers, Elsa Martinelli plays the cool beautiful zoo photographer who falls for the big Irish lug Wayne. Good mix of romance, with one major romantic entanglement (John Wayne and Elsa Martinelli), will they or won't they and one minor romance (Red Buttons and Michele Girardon), how did that happen?And last but not least, great fun with the baby elephants and the capture of the monkeys, scientifically??!!! And of all of Jophn Wayne's many screen appearances this is one of my top three favorites, along with "The Quiet Man" and "The Hellfighters." As good as John Wanye was in westerns and war movies both, it is his adventure/comedy films that are some of his finest work. Also, a familiar face from many of John Wayne's later movies is Bruce Cabot( who came to fame in the first version of King Kong in 1933.) This film has got everything: adventure, a beautiful setting in what is now Tanzania, strong cast, that actually did all of the animal capture scenes themselves, and the incredible sound score of Henry Mancini. Wayne heads a good ensemble cast in this enjoyable if overlong adventure yarn about the exploits of a group of people in Africa which catches animals and sells to zoos. With the cast doing up close and personal stunts with African animals, including in the capture sequences, there was more actual danger in this film than most! In Hatari!, John Wayne leads a group of professional animal capture experts, filling orders for zoos worldwide. thanks to howard hawks (who had a knack for realism) john wayne seems very much the animal catcher...in fact all of the crew seem to be on a documentary film due to their supreme realistic approach to their characters...its hard to realize sometimes that this is a movie and not a documentary type film...it is one of the few movies that allow wayne to come up with "egg on his face"...which makes for great humor....it is definitely a classic....and in my opinion...john wayne's best...(with the rooster cogburn films...a close second place)....hatari! It has most of what you want from a movie: John Wayne, action, adventure, romance, great music, comedy. Besides John Wayne at his manly best (playing a character with more depth than usual), Red Buttons consistently steals almost every scene he is in, and his monkey-rocket sequences are simply hilarious. The action scenes are very good and Howard Hawks who produced and directed the film claimed that the stars did all the wild animal captures without stunt doubles. john wayne the hero again, great filming, and red buttons is funny,comical and credible as pockets. Lets state first of all its not the Dukes best film or Howard Hawks best film but its a great way of spending a couple of hours on a cold winters day.There are no bad guys in this film just a bunch of characters who hunt down animals for the zoo.The animal hunting scenes are good and well shot making good use of the african landscape.Henry Mancini's music is a delight with the elephants a standout moment.The inter action of the hunters is good with wisecracking remarks the best of which come near the film beginning.Red Buttons is a good comic foil to Waynes tough guy, but even Waynes tough guy image is gentlymade fun of.A film for the family I first saw it in Hartlepool at the ABC cinema often referred to asthe forum great memories.Watch and enjoy 7/10. Meanwhile, plans to capture certain animals lead to all sorts of plans and adventures.Pretty much John Wayne on safari, with a romantic twist or two, and it works pretty well. Fortunately, however, the romance isn't overwrought and is kept to the minimum.Probably the best thing about the movie is that it is set in colonial Africa and has as its main characters people who hunt animals (for capture). John Wayne set against an azure African sky, with the gentle thrum of Henry Mancini's score for accompaniment in search of wild animals to capture in the veldt. "Dallas" (Elsa Martinelli), to tag along."Rhino, elephants, buffalo, and a greenhorn," huffs Sean.As other reviewers here rightly note, "Hatari!" is another in the Hawks mold featuring a group of adventure-ready characters coming together to handle adversity. The film doesn't seem to, and throws everything up in the air at the end with a merry chase involving a suddenly despondent Dallas that will please the ten-year-olds who like shots of elephants running through a hotel lobby.But since I am a Wayne fan, and enjoy beautiful scenery and entrancing music, I'm not much for complaining. John Wayne plays his usual rollicking tough-but-big-hearted role to the nth degree is this rather over-long but engaging film.I have no idea how animals are obtained for a zoo but I can believe that the activities presented here are a reasonable representation of how it may have been done. What is best about the movie are the excellent on location filming of animal captures, and chases. I had no idea at the time who John Wayne was, let alone any of the supporting players in the movie, but I did like wild animals. The fact that it worked makes it worth the price of admission alone.In between the animal chases, director Howard Hawks sprinkles his movie with comic interludes like the goat milking scene, the ostrich roundup, and the kissing demonstration that the pretty photographer Dallas (Elsa Martinelli) plants on Wayne. Hawks did us a great service by showing how it was done in the old days.The two love story subplots don't get in the way of the action, but you won't watch Hatari! Much of the film revolves John Wayne's team, chasing wildlife in jeeps and trucks across the African plains, roping and capturing animals for zoos & circuses. While, I find this movie kinda upsetting, Hatari does have some good scenes with animals that I love. Even, if you never heard of the movie, Hatari, you probably heard of that famous whimsical tune from by Henry Mancini "Baby Elephant Walk" that came from this film. Hawks plays much of the picture for laughs (the milking goat scene with Red Buttons had me howling), but he gives us a great sense of adventure and danger in the spectacular sequences where they chase down rhinos and giraffes and other animals and attempt to capture them. The characters are richly written by the great Leigh Brackett and the inevitable romance that ensues between Elsa Martinelli and John Wayne is nicely written and, at times, very funny.All in all, this is a classic Hawks' film. I know this is a John Wayne (Sean Mercer) movie, but I simply love Elsa Martinelli (Dallas) in this movie, she is my favorite. Not a classic scene but seeing Elsa's legs getting in the truck is something else to watch.The scenery and the animals are awesome as well, and it is interesting seeing a woman get the best of John Wayne (every guy in the movie goes gaga for Elsa (including Red Buttons who does end up with Michele Girardon (Brandy), not a bad consolation price (but not Elsa)). Hawks assembled a cast of international knowns and unknowns, moved the whole production to an African Arcadia, and filmed a story of adventurers who run down wild animals and capture them alive for sale to zoos. This one's set in east Africa where Wayne and his team of men go around hunting and capturing wild animals to sell to zoos around the world.

tt0105690

Under Siege

The film begins with the American battleship USS Missouri (BB-63) arriving at Pearl Harbor, where President George H. W. Bush makes a speech announcing that after the Missouri's long time service, the ship will be decommissioned in California, making the trip her final voyage. Casey Ryback (Steven Seagal), a Chief Petty Officer assigned as cook, is preparing meals in celebration of the birthday of Captain Adams (Patrick O'Neal), against the orders of his adversarial Executive Officer, Commander Krill (Gary Busey), who is having food and entertainment brought from Hawaii by helicopter after they have set out to sea. Krill provokes a brawl in the galley with Ryback who assaults Krill. Unable to imprison him in the brig without clearance from the captain or attracting attention, Krill detains Ryback in a freezer and places a Marine, Private Nash (Tom Wood), on guard to prevent Ryback from leaving. A CH-46 helicopter lands on the ship's deck with a musical band, along with Playboy Playmate "Miss July '89" Jordan Tate (Erika Eleniak) and a group of caterers who are all really a band of mercenaries led by ex-CIA operative Bill Strannix (Tommy Lee Jones). Shortly after the party begins, Strannix, posing as the band leader (Bad Billy and the Bail Jumpers), pulls out a gun and kills Commander Green (the highest ranking officer in the room). Then, all the caterers and band members pull out weapons to seize control of the ship with the help of Commander Krill (who is revealed to be a turncoat). Several of the officers are killed during the takeover, including Captain Adams, who is shot point blank by Krill. The rest of the ship's company are imprisoned below decks in the forecastle, except for several stragglers in secured areas.Strannix intends to steal the ship's arsenal of nuclear Tomahawk cruise missiles and plans to sell the nuclear weapons on the black market by unloading them onto a submarine Strannix stole from North Korea while on his final CIA mission, which he then kept for himself when the CIA tried to assassinate him to use for private arms trading. Strannix and his men take over the ship's weapon systems for defense, shooting down an F/A-18 Hornet sent to investigate, and plan on covering their escape by launching a missile strike into Honolulu that will obliterate tracking systems in Pearl Harbor.Ryback has become suspicious upon hearing gunfire and tells Private Nash to contact the ship's bridge. An annoyed Krill realizes they forgot about Ryback in the freezer and learns the kitchen is an unsecured area on the ship. Krill lies to Private Nash that the noises were not gunshots, but party poppers before Strannix offhandedly sends mercenaries Cates and Ziggs to eliminate Ryback and Nash. Nash is killed, but Ryback escapes and kills Cates by throwing a knife at him and strangles Ziggs, then plants a bomb in the microwave to go off later. He proceeds to cause havoc amongst the perpetrators and begins killing off the terrorists with the limited help of Jordan Tate, who was only hired as a cover for the festivities. Ryback also gets in contact with Admiral Bates (Andy Romano) at the Pentagon by using a satellite phone, whereupon the Navy then makes a plan to send a SEAL team to retake the ship. Krill discovers that Ryback is really a Chief Petty Officer and former Navy SEAL with extensive special-weapons and counter-terrorism training. He was relegated to his current posting for striking his superior officer who had been responsible for his men being killed in a botched commando mission during the United States invasion of Panama. As a result, he had lost his security clearance and was only able to serve as a yeoman or a cook. To keep the missile-theft plan in place, Krill decides to activate the fire sprinklers in the forecastle, leaving the crew members to drown and the terrorists to set up an ambush when Ryback arrives, presumably by himself to save them. However, Ryback locates a group of sailors in hiding and along with them engages a successful counter-strike, turning off the sprinklers dousing the crew and eliminating a considerable number of Strannix's forces. As Strannix's men regroup, Ryback shuts down the Missouri's weapon systems, in order to allow the incoming Navy SEAL team to land.As the battle for the ship continues, the submarine crew shoots down both the CH-46 helicopter carrying the Navy SEAL team with shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles. The Pentagon responds by ordering an air strike that will sink the Missouri and all aboard. Strannix regains control of the ship's weapon systems and the Tomahawks are loaded onto the North Korean submarine, departing with Krill on board. With the aid of Jordan and his fellow sailors, Ryback uses the battleship's guns, which were not yet decommissioned, to sink the submarine with Krill still inside, killing him and every one on board.Strannix, standing on the deck, suffers a major concussion from being in the proximity of the Missouri's guns as they are fired. He orders the remaining mercenaries out of the control room as he launches two nuclear-tipped Tomahawks towards Honolulu. As the sailors recapture the ship, killing the last group of Strannix's men, Ryback finds his way into the control room where he is caught off-guard and captured by Strannix. Strannix and Ryback realize they know each other from their past covert experiences, but Ryback is disgusted by Strannix's excuses for his behavior. Ryback states that both of them are disillusioned and were essentially "used" by their government, but Strannix says Ryback still believes in his country, whereas he does not. Ryback and Strannix then engage in a knife fight wherein Ryback kills Strannix by poking his eye out, stabbing him in the head with his knife, and finally smashing him through a computer monitor. Ryback then takes the launch codes needed to self-destruct the Tomahawk missiles. One of the two missiles is destroyed by an F/A-18 Hornet, but the other continues on its course. The codes are dialed in and the Tomahawk missile is deactivated, blowing apart before it would have destroyed Honolulu. The Pentagon celebrates wildly, then calls off the air assault on the Missouri.At the end, the remaining crew members are freed from their forecastle prison as the ship sails towards San Francisco harbor. Ryback is checked by a Navy doctor, kisses Jordan and the crew looks on and cheers. The film ends with a funeral ceremony for Captain Adams being held on the decks of the Missouri, showing the Captain's casket with flag draped over it and Ryback saluting in his service dress blue uniform with his full rank and military decorations.

comedy, violence, cult, humor, action, suspenseful

train

imdb

Seagal uses his skills to cause problems for the terrorists as he sets out to stop them, aided by Miss July 89 Jordan The played by the sexy and melon chested Erika Eleniak who is certainly there for her looks ahead of acting ability, she is however a cut above Seagal in the acting department.The action in this is great, Seagals usual Aikido master class is on display as well as some good gun fights, and impressive stunts. Seagal has always had a bit of paunch but he looks a lot fitter than his recent films where he lumbers about, in his earlier films he actually seems in some sort of shape and actually looks tough.Overall this is an entertaining film, Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey are in scene stealing form as the bad guys and Seagal is at the top of his game. Several reviewers here wrote that it is Steven Seagal's "best movie," and I wouldn't argue with that.."Under Siege" probably was more popular than the normal Segal action flick because of several aspects: 1 - the interesting story featuring the "lowly cook" (as Seagal described himself in this film) beating a bunch of terrorists taking over a U.S. Navy vessel; 2 - the over-the-top villains portrayed by fun-to-watch actors Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey, and 3 - the fabulous looks and body of Erika Eleniak, who pops out of a cake topless in a sight that every guy who saw this film remembers.Jones was just about hitting his acting career peak as he demonstrated the following year with his Oscar-winning performance in "The Fugitive." Busey was the opposite, nearing the end of his run after a starring role as singer "Buddy Holly" made him famous. Luckily for him, but unluckily for the terrorists, Ryback also happens to be a trained Navy SEAL, working as a cook to serve out his time, and he doesn't like his cooking being interrupted by anyone.In the wake of Die Hard we were treated (and still are treated) to lots of reruns of the "one man against terrorists" scenario and this film was one of the better ones, also providing Steven Seagal with arguably his best film to date. The action is still enjoyable though and, while it isn't a classic in the realms of Die Hard, it is still an enjoyable action film in an overdone genre.In terms of acting, nobody could accuse Seagal of being "good" but at least here he was at the "height" of his powers in a vehicle that suited him but also had a budget and style to work as a mainstream product. Jones and Busey can do crazy bad guys better than many people and they do it well here – especially Jones, who appears to be enjoying himself immensely.Overall this is an enjoyable action film as long as you know what you are getting into – it is not great but it is certainly one of the more enjoyable Seagal films and does manage to be a good entry in the genre and it was no surprise to me that Seagal came back for me in a less successful but equally as silly and enjoyable sequel.. Almost everything in this movie is to be expected, as Seagal plays his usual tough but lovable good guy who gets pushed just a bit too far and goes into full-on expert martial arts killer to enact revenge. Busey is a former ship's commander who's willing to drown his crew simply to taunt Seagal, whereas Jones' character used to send body parts to his ex-bosses at the CIA before turning up here.The plot of this movie is that the two aforementioned crazies, with an entire crew of inside tech guys and hired muscle, have overtaken the aircraft carrier USS Missouri, with plans to extort various things from the big guys in Washington with the ship's small but capable arsenal of weapons at their disposal. The sequel to this one was quite a letdown but still fun on its own, but in my opinion the original is Seagal's best and a great choice for those looking for some good old fashioned action heroics. Her Tomahawk missiles rocketed deep into the heart of Baghdad.)As luck would have it, Chief Ryback (Steven Seagal) happens to be on board working as 'head cook.' Ryback is seen by all as a 'sorry-looking sailor' but his true identity as an ex-SEAL expert in martial arts, explosives, weapons, and tactics, is the Captain's best kept secret... There's supposed to be a 'surprise' birthday party for the Captain (Patrick O'Neal) but he is shot before he can even show up to the fiesta...The terrorists, a group of professional killers, under the guise of entertainers and musicians, get access to the U.S. battleship by a helicopter cleared to land on the vessel's last voyage by a heavy turncoat officer...Tommy Lee Jones is fabulous as the lunatic Hippie, a former CIA undercover operative, who is for a railing system to offload the missiles onto a submarine they will rendez-vous with...Gary Busey is (Krill) the commander graciously ready to give a 'surprise' to his captain... Erika is hired to jump out topless of the cake and dance...If you like to see your favorite celebrity shooting an evil bad guy in the back, don't miss Andrew Davis' 'Under Siege,' a good entertaining movie, well directed, and very exciting.... Steven Seagal might not be Arnold Schwarzenneger or Bruce Willis, but Under Siege quickly became one of 1992's most successful films, earning Seagal a fine reputation as a good action star. Andrew Davis directed the film about a US Battleship that has been taken over by Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey and it's up to Steven Seagal, whom acts as a chef cook, but is really an Ex-Navy Seal to save the day with the help of the ever sexy Erika Eleniak playing Miss July 1989. Casey takes on nuclear arms smugglers and undergoes a violent confrontation some corrupt terrorists ( two exaggerated villains as Tommy Lee Jones, Gary Busey) and their criminal hoodlums.The picture packs unstopped action, thrills,fighting , shootouts, suspense and is quite entertaining.Violent and not particularly literary but worthy entry in action genre and realized in ¨Die hard¨ style. Wooden Seagal plays the violent Casey Ryback, he cleans up the battleship by means of punch, kicks, bounds and leaps, martial arts abound with fights certainly slick.The Aikido expert Seagal saves the day in this exciting movie which also co-produced .In the film appears many secondary roles played by prestigious players as Patrick O'Neal,Colm Meany, Damian Chapa, Raymond Cruz , Bernie Casey, Nick Mancuso and several others.Elaborately produced action film with two-fisted Seagal is just another action film full of struggles ,thrills, noise and lots of violence. Now, in conclusion, to all you Steven Seagal fans who haven't seen this great at sea action movie, I highly recommend it.. When this movie came out, I thought that it was Seagal's best simply because of the supporting roles of Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey. OK, This is the greatest Seagal movie of all time, I mean come on he is a great action star, he plays the part right down to the tee. Watch Ryback Die Hard it up and take out the bad guys one by one, leading to the inevitable final fight with Strannix for the fate of the world...or something like that.Awesome actioner with a wonderful cast. i haven't seen all of Steven Seagal's films,but i am in the process of doing so,mostly in order.some i have seen before,and am re watching for the first time in years.certainly this film ranks as his best to date,that i have seen.the hand to hand combat scenes are very well done here.Seagal's acting is actually pretty good,better than in previous movies,plus he has some great lines.and there are some great supporting players in this one.Gary Busey,Nick Mancuso,Tommy Lee Jones,and Colm Meaney are all stellar.and of course Erika Eleniak is also in the movie,which could be a good or bad thing,depending on your view.anyway,this film is action packed,though not completely original.you could call it Die Hard on A Ship.if you're a Seagal fan,you won't want to miss this one.for me,Under Siege is a 9/10. Steven Seagal (Hard to Kill) stars as Casey Ryback, a cook on a US battleship who gets trapped in a storage compartment when terrorists come aboard and take over. Now only Ryback is undetected and can save the lives of his colleagues.In one of his earlier roles, Seagal performs acceptably in a typical action thriller, which reminded me somewhat of Die Hard.With one major setting, and a central character that is sneaking around unnoticed under the enemy's nose, it's John McClane on a boat, though John had more swagger and more personality.Though its filled with clichés, predictability and unrealistic action sequences, Under Siege still keeps viewers hooked on the edge of their seats as new deadly situations arise with a great villain in Stranix, played with great enthusiasm and sophistication by Tommy Lee Jones (The Fugitive).It's a tense film and the whole concept of the take over is great and tense, but is still Die Hard all over in my personal opinion. without the money and the wife The tense action sequences and general idea of the film, plus Tommy Lee Jones equals an entertaining action film which is consistent throughout.Average support is given by Gary Busey and Erika Eleniak, though not very convincing.The action sequences are directed well to create excellent tension and with a cool sophisticated hero in Seagal, the film justifies the genre well.Though as with many action thrillers, there is many close calls which doesn't generate realism but if you like Die Hard then you will either feel cheated by this similar ideology, or will love it.The ending was atrocious with predictability all over from the start and did take the edge off the film a bit for me, but in conclusion, is still an entertaining fast paced worth watching thriller.. Plus, Strannix's constant Looney Tunes references were totally out of place and distracting.Well all know Steven Seagal is good with the martial arts, so it's kind of odd that he simply shoots most of the bad guys in this movie. With Die Hard setting the standard by which I feel all action films should be measured, Steven Segal's Under Siege comes pretty close.Often described (perhaps unfairly) as ‘Die Hard on a boat' this film may not be Shakespeare but does contain plenty of non-stop action, laughs and comical bad guys.Special mention goes to Gary Busey as the traitorous second in command but especially to the always watchable Tommy Lee Jones who manages to steal pretty much every scene he is in with his character of the former CIA agent turned nutball.Segal's sometimes wooden acting ability thankfully is sufficiently offset by the quality and intensity of the action going on throughout the film, annoyances however include the obligatory eye candy in the form of Erika Eleniak, she was quite clearly in her element coming out of a giant birthday cake (probably the most memorable scene in the film for many!!) but that is about all.All in all a good watch if you are looking for a nice no-brain-required action film.. A sharply-crafted and well-executed thriller that's about Casey Ryback (Steven Seagal), a former Navy SEAL, who's spending his last days in the Navy as a cook on the Missouri when a small, absolutely lethal band of terrorists unexpectedly overtake the ship, the crew, and murder the skipper.The thugs are led by Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey, both of whom colorfully portray Strannix, a disgruntled (and laugh out-loud) CIA operative and Krill, an embittered high-ranking officer who isn't too fond of Ryback. Gary Chang composes a nice musical score here, that's fun to listen to and it never gets too loud."Under Siege" is my favorite Seagal movie although Jones and Busey sort of steal the show here. bad GUYS, cause Seagal is the lone wolf who has to take care of business when one of the four remaining U.S Navy battleships, the 'USS Missouri', is hijacked by a former CIA-agent and his men.I've seen almost all of Steven Seagal's movies, and I think that this is the definite best of them. But "Under Siege" has it all--a good plot, great action scenes, and Tommy Lee Jones, and Jones' plays a cool character (which he usually does...) even as the main bad guy.I think "Under Siege" is a very fine action-movie, and--like said--Seagals best movie. And when I even mention that Seagals acting performance isn't bad in this film (which isn't always the fact in the other movies of his), then you know it's well worth watching.. Steven Seagal plays business as usual (one look, even less than Jean-Claude Van Damme), Tommy Lee Jones overplays so much that you would not believe that Under Siege was made just one year before The Fugitive. Gary Busey - though rather good in Point Break - does not act much better, and the Girl may be the best character - which, for an action movie, tells the whole story about acting. This movie is probably Steven Seagal's best, and is filled with excitement and plenty of action. Steven Seagal may not be as popular compared to the likes of Van Damme, Arnold Schwarzenegger or Bruce Willis, but he has been part of some successful action movies, and Under Siege is certainly one of them. Andrew Davis directed this action-hit that stars Steven Seagal as Casey Ryback, a soldier who is also an accomplished cook, and is the personal chef of Captain Adams(played by Patrick O'Neal) of the battleship Missouri, which is due for decommissioning, but not before a team of mercenaries(led by Tommy Lee Jones) takes over, with the help of traitorous Commander Krill(played by Gary Busey). On a couple of occasions in the "Austin Powers" flicks, Dr. Evil's resentful, critical son, chides him as to why he doesn't simply whack Powers right now, instead of going through some elaborate machinations (such as suspending him above a shark tank) from which he'll inevitably escape before his delayed death can occur.This is, of course, a take-off on the many times James Bond's nemeses off everybody in sight except him, and where even if he had only, say, a packet of dental floss, he'd use it to escape in the nick of time.Here the delightfully awful bad guys, Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey, chewing every possible piece of scenery in their path, shoot point-blank many key personnel, including the vessel's captain, but for some reason wish solely to confine Steven in or around the meat locker in the galley, with only a somewhat nerdy enlisted man on-guard. (Steven Seagal) Mr. Seagal stays always very cool under all circumstances and because he likes to destruct things, he is always fun to watch.Now he has to take on almost almost 30 men who have captured the ship, he is a ex-seal and a explosive expert, he is trained for these conditions.The movie has a great mix of action and humour...especially with Ryback's comments on everything...I give it a 8 out of 10 rating.. Just like what most people are saying, this is steven seagal's best movie but it is not just him, tommy lee jones, gary busey also give stand out performances and andrew davis' directing is great as well, lots of props to him as he notches another tab as being one of the most talented, overlooked directors out there. Our hero is a soft spoken 'cook' Casey Ryback, played by Steven Seagal in his most memorable and capable performance.Complete with great thrills and even greater kills – Under Siege is a highly enjoyable and underrated movie which deserves its place among the top actioners of the nineties.Remember, it's not a job, it's an adventure.. And the knife-fight at the end between Seagal and Jones is just brilliant.All in all: One of the best action movies ever made.. Seagal is at his action best,this time as a cook on the a battleship that has been hyjacked by an elite team of terrorists,led by(a perfect acting Tommy Lee Jones).But what the terrorists don't know is that Seagal is an ex-SEAL.And he's cooking up a storm that will blow them off their feet.. This is probably Steven Seagal's best action film. Seagal gives a decent performance(Though I think he was better in OUT FOR JUSTICE) and I really liked Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey. Sure Gary Busey and Tommy Lee Jones played bad guy roles pretty well, and each deserved a best supporting actor nomination, but their performances were nowhere near the quality of Seagal's. The villain in Tommy Lee Jones was a bit too campy compared to Hans Ruber (Alan Rickman) in 'Die Hard', and Seagal's chef strolls through this film and easily defeats terrorists, unlike Bruce Willis whose plight actually felt real and his adversaries actually put up a decent fight.Andrew Davis directs reasonably well, and after this film he directed 'The Fugitive' which was nominated for Best Picture. One flaw, too much money was spent on getting Steven Seagal, Tommy Lee Jones, Gary Busey, and the Missouri. ACTION, ADVENTURE, GARY BUSEY & TOMMY LEE JONES AS BAD GUYS IN THE SAME MOVIE. What makes this movie great is that it does not just rely on hero Steven Seagal, but also the villains in ACADEMY AWARD WINNER TOMMY LEE JONES (THE FUGITIVE, SMALL SOLDIERS) and ACADEMY AWARD NOMINEE GARY BUSEY (THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY, APOCALYPSE 3: TRIBULATION). With Under Siege taking place on a naval ship it made the story and the action a lot different.Segal plays Casey Ryback, a navy cook who just so happens to be a bad mofo. It was nothing but thrills.This was the first movie I'd ever seen Tommy Lee Jones in and he played a wonderful bad guy.

tt1175491

W.

In center field of Rangers Ballpark, we see George W. Bush (Josh Brolin) standing with a glove on his hand. He turns around and listens to the cheers greeting him as an unseen announcer introduces him to invisible crowds as the 43rd president of the United States of America.We then cut to a cabinet meeting in early 2002, where W is in a deep discussion about how soon they should respond to the recent terrorist attacks on their country by attacking the Axis of either evil or terror (they can't decide which it should be), although Colin Powell (Jeffrey Wright) is reluctant to go to war with either Iraq or Iran, given that it was a non-affiliated terrorist named Osama Bin Laden who was behind it, although both VP Dick Cheney (Richard Dreyfuss) and Condi Rice (Thandie Newton) are quick to remind him that both are terrorist holders. George Tenet (Bruce McGill) supports Colin in his way of thinking as Karl Rove (Toby Jones) and Donald Rumsfeld (Scott Glenn) laugh behind their hands at him. Eventually Axis of Terror is decided on and the war gets greenlit. Before the meeting is adjourned, W gets everyone together and has them bow their heads in prayer, although more than a few of them clearly don't have their heart in it.Thirty-six years earlier, in 1966, we see a much younger W at Yale during pledge week. W and the other fraternity pledges are being endured an alcohol-fuelled hazing the basement of their frat house. One of his fellow pledges is challenged to name as many brothers as he is able to, and he manages to get seven. Another brother challenges someone to beat that, and W steps forward and successfully names all of the frat brothers, stopping only when the lead brother tells him to and getting great cheers for being true Delta Kappa Epsilon material. W tells them that he is pledging the fraternity as a legacy to his father whom was also a plege there, but he states that he has no intrest in persuing his family's business legacy.We then cut to a jail several months later where W is calling his father, George H.W. Bush (James Cromwell) at home, explaining that there was a "misunderstanding" after a football game in Baltimore that has led to his arrest with several of his frat brothers during a victory party which turned into a riot. George bails his son out and tells him that this is the last time he helps his son out.A few years later, following graduation from Yale, we see Bush working on one of his family oil rigs back in Texas. He takes a break for water and when the foreman yells at him to get back to work, he quits instead. Later on, we see him in a bar with his girlfriend Susie (Marley Shelton) and he gives her a somewhat long-winded proposal and gets up on the bar to dance with her.A few years later, though, he is once again coming before his father. This time, W. is asking George to bail him out of the marriage-that-never-got-official. George agrees to it, but then expresses his disappointment with W., especially regarding the fact that he only got Cs at Yale and can't seem to hold a job for more than six months. For his part, W. ignores the criticism and just walks out. (It is implied, but never fully revealed, that George W. Bush is dislexic which would explain his poor grades, with that combined with his growing alcoholism brought during his fraternity hazing at Yale).Present Day, 2002. Cheney and W are sitting down to lunch in the oval office. After a little preamble regarding the upcoming war, Cheney takes out a small folder. He explains that inside are some ideas regarding possible interrogation techniques that could be instituted at places such as Guantanamo. W. balks at first, worried that there would be stuff like pulling out toenails, but Cheney assures him that it would be nothing lethal, using examples such as sleep deprivation and water torture to make his point. W is reassured and promises to look at the three-page report. As lunch ends, W then asks Cheney to kindly keep his ego in check, since he's only the vice-president, and an insulted-looking Cheney nods and walks out. A few days later, at the Bush ranch, W. is having a walk and talk with some members of his cabinet (Rummy, Dick, Condi, a couple others) and General Thomas Franks (Michael Gaston) regarding a start date for the war, which Franks suggests as April/May/June of 2003. Some time later, we see W. watching a college football game and eating pretzels with his dog when he suddenly begins choking. He staggers around the office and comes behind a recliner. He starts pounding himself on the chest with it and is eventually successful in dislodging the pretzel from his throat just as he collapses to the floor, unconscious.In 1972, we see W. and his younger brother Jeb (Jason Ritter) driving up to the Bush home in the middle of the night and both of them "drunk as a skunk". They stagger into the house where George and Barbara (Ellen Burstyn) start yelling at W. about coming home so drunk in the middle of the night. W. starts posturing as though he wants to fight George when Jeb intervenes saying that George was out celebrating his acceptance into Harvard Business School. This changes the attitude of Barb and George, but W. then admits he's not going -- he just wanted to see if he could get in. This admission prompts George to admit that he only got in because George had pulled some strings with the admissions board.Five years later. George W. Bush is playing poker with some friends at Harvard and announcing to them that he plans to run for Congress. At a celebratory barbeque cookout, he meets a beautiful young woman named Laura Welch (Elizabeth Banks). Over drinks and cigarettes, Laura reminds him that they went to junior high together and the two slowly warm to each other, with her telling him that she's a teacher and always tries to see all sides of an argument, making W. want to appoint her his education adviser.Some time later, we see him in a debate against Kent Vance (Paul Rae), whose strategy seems to be pointing out that Bush is not a real Texan, having been born in Connecticut (HEY! *seethes*) and gone to college in Connecticut. Despite W.'s assertions to a softly understanding Laura that this is nothing but tarring and feathering, he still manages to lose the election, albeit by a mere 6,000 votes.Back in 2002, we see Bush standing in the field again, listening to the cheers. Back in reality, we see another cabinet meeting where he and his advisors are discussing the need for a regime change in Iraq.In 1986, W. and Laura are at a 40th birthday party for W where the junior Bush is drinking up a storm with bottle after bottle of wine and hard liquor. During the party, he gets a call from his father George, who wants W. to help with his campaigning for president, which causes W. to announce that he and Laura are moving to Washington when he returns to the restaurant table. Not long after, W. is heading out for a morning run. At one point, he stops due to chest pains and collapses on the side of the road with a heart murmur.Three months later, we see him in an alcoholics anonymous meeting being headed by Rev. Earle Hudd (Stacy Keach Jr). After the meeting has been ended, W. hangs around and prays with Hudd, saying that most of the time he feels this great weight on his shoulders.In 1988, at the convention HQ, George is having a meeting with his advisers, which includes Karl Rove, when W. enters. The meeting is ended and W. shows his father a videotape by the Bush camp smearing Dukakis, citing his decision to give weekend visits to convicted criminals (Willie Horton). This is enough to dissuade voters, who make George Bush Sr. the 41st President of the United States. Despite the celebration, though, W. himself isn't pleased. Late that night, he confesses to Laura that he almost wanted his father to lose the election, since he constantly feels as though he's living in George's shadow and has to live up to him.In 2002, Bush and co. are in a war room, and the current topic of discussion is the location of any possible Weapons of Mass Destruction. Rumsfeld makes the argument that they are most likely in either Tikrit or Baghdad. Cheney agrees and points out that if they don't act they will lose the advantage they have now, although, as Powell points out, they have no exit strategy and no real American presence. However, after a video call to General Franks, they get confirmation that they expect to have over three hundred thousand troops in Iraq, and that that should speed things up nicely.In 1990, W. is having a conversation with his father over whether or not having faith in God would be of help to him in winning the war in the Persian Gulf. One year later, we see George in the war room with his cabinet celebrating their imminent victory in the Gulf. When asked by Powell if he feels they should have pushed, George decisively says that they went far enough and now need to concentrate on winning the next election. Unfortunately, winning the war wasn't enough and the presidency is given over to Bill Clinton during the results of the 1992 presidential elections. George is devastated and W. is angry that Clinton was elected despite his past and of his reputation of being a womanizer.Another year or so later, Bush Jr. decides to run for Governor of Texas, despite his parents George Sr. and Barbara begging him to wait, since Jeb is running for Governor of Florida and they can't be in both states at once, but he refuses to listen. Later on, we see W out campaigning for governorship with Rove's advice, which in brief is to get across that he is who he is and no other Bush (at one point in here, we see him asking the famous, "Is our children learning?" question). Regardless, he gets elected governor and as a congratulations prize is given a pair of cufflinks by George and a note saying how proud he is. However, this is not enough for W., who is instead offended that George still can't tell him he's proud face-to-face.Five years later in 1999, we see W. in his office when he gets a visit from Earle Hudd. He tells Hudd that he feels he has gotten the call, and then explains that he is talking about the call to be president. Hudd is ecstatic for him, and W. says that he thinks that there will be a bad time for the country, and that God wants him as president in order to help the American people through it. Hudd nods in complete belief, and the two get down on their knees to pray for W.'s delivery to the office of the president.Four years later, in 2003, we see W. giving the state of the union as those who wrote it congratulate each other at various points. Back in the cabinet, W. is determined not to jeopardize their chances in Iraq, despite the massive amounts of protest the war is getting. In a meeting with the British prime minister Tony Blair (Ioan Gruffudd), W. tries to barter for some help from Britain, although Tony is reluctant to commit his own country's troops. Regardless, W. is determined to win in Iraq, even as his parents grow more and more worried about how things are going for him.A few months later though, things turn dark for Bush and the rest of his cabinet when they find out that Saddam had lied about having Weapons of Mass Destruction, which makes them all look bad. In truth, the caves that were to have the WMDs were lines of cattle showing up on their scans, an error which forces David Kay to resign from his office. Regardless, W. still holds steady, staying committed and visiting wounded soldiers in hospitals. One young Mexican soldier says that he's sorry he can't fight for him, and W. tells him to not worry, that now they're all fighting for him.One night, he and Laura are heading to sleep, and W. reflects on what he has done and realizes that the only thing he can still do is fight to keep his place. Later, we see him enter the oval office when he finds George Sr. there waiting for him. George says that he's really in deep, even after he pulled W's ass out of that jam in Florida, and he starts posturing as though wanting to fight W (note -- in this scene more than any other, Brolin is the spitting image of W.). W. starts yelling at George to go away and leave him alone when he suddenly wakes up screaming, realizing that it was just a nightmare.Some time later, we see W. at a press conference where he is continuing to hold support for the war, but the looks on the reporters faces indicate that they're not buying it anymore. One reporter asks what W. feels his place in history will be, and W. says, "In history? Well, in history we'll all be dead." Another reporter asks W. if he feels he may have made any mistakes in his presidency, and W. stammers that he's been kind of caught off-guard here. Eventually, the press-conference ends and W. storms off into the residential area of the white house, going to his bedroom. When he opens the door, W. is standing in the middle of Ranger's stadium on a cool autumn night. The invisible crowd is cheering, and the ball is hit towards W. He raises his hand to catch it, and....George W. Bush looks around. The whole stadium is silent. There are no players, no announcers, no crowds, and no baseball. He searches the empty field around him, and he sees that the ball is nowhere nearby. Slightly panicked, W. looks around the field some more, trying to find the ball he lost so he can keep on playing....

revenge, comedy, satire, historical, flashback

train

imdb

Here he presents us with the early years of our current lame duck president, showing Dubya rushing a frat-house at Yale, meeting Laura at a barbecue, living in the shadow of his father and brother, his troubles holding down a job, his failed bid to become baseball commissioner, and his defining moment when he gives up drinking and becomes born-again. All of which leads us to his first term and the Iraq War quagmire, where Dubya honest-to-goodness truly believes "God" wanted him to become president and that Iraq did have those rascally WMD.In the lead role, Josh Brolin is an endearingly bumble-headed Dubya, and Stone presents him as a simple-minded man with good intentions who has been crippled by his "daddy issues" and has surrounded himself with the most cynical, self-serving, and corrupt administration in modern American history. The supporting cast is a hoot, with highlights including Thandie Newton eliciting big laughs just with her facial expressions as a wicked and moronically faithful Condi Rice, Elizabeth Banks giving a winning portrayal of Laura Bush, and Richard Dreyfuss playing Cheney as the most insipid megalomaniac American politics has ever seen.Stone accomplishes three major coups here that should surprise those who expected a one-sided liberal smear job. His "f-you" to Cheney towards the film's final act is priceless.As the actual presidency still has a few months to go at the time of the film's release, Stone's biopic was never written a true ending, leaving us with a symbolic image of Dubya looking up to the sky in center field waiting to catch a ball that will never drop. Although, some critics apparently wanted the average TV-Movie-muck type of performance where the actress finds the "lighter side" of the real life person, Newton and Stone smartly resist that trite nonsense.Newton transcends her own glamorous persona and gives a hard-as-nails imitation of Rice as a person that is smart enough to understand and follow those that actually have the power in the Bush White House as she helps them manipulate Bush to acquiesce to their desires.Newton's performance successfully evokes images of the Rice that recently went to Russia and had the nerve to coolly and robotically lecture Putin on why it's OK for the U.S. to travel half the globe to punish those who kill Americans, but it's not OK for Russia to go over its border to punish those that kill Russian citizens.It's one of the gutsier performances all year by anyone, male or female, and it really helps make the movie great.As I stated at the beginning W. 'W.', Oliver Stone's latest true story film, is a simple biopic of America's 43rd President George W. Examples of said material would be the controversial speculation around the legitimacy of his position as president, the even more questionable aspects of Bush's behaviour around the time of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the film even makes absolutely no mention of Hurricane Katrina.The performances in this film are the only real things it has to brag about as Josh Brolin carries the film quite nicely with his charming and quirky take on Bush, along with Richard Dreyfuss' Dick Cheney, Thandie Newton's Condoleezza Rice, and others. Another problem with the film's performances is James Cromwell's portrayal of George Bush Sr., as he is shown as a sweet, hard working old man, with no similarities shown in the real George Bush Sr.'s speech or mannerisms, which, I guess, was necessary to make the character likable.Overall, 'W.' is reasonably entertaining with its imitations of the American president and the people surrounding him in his career, however the viewers shouldn't delude themselves into thinking it as a reliable source of historical or political information as it covers any subject it has chosen to include, very lightly giving very little for it to say, despite the fact that there would be many things for this film to include, considering its protagonist's history. The only real conceivable, politically taut, reason for why this film was even released before the end of Bush's time as president is that, to avoid anyone else making a biopic of Bush, in case they might have had the kind of daft, one sided sense to portray George W. W. remains a naive character in his conviction that he's the one leading the show as his good-Christian facade was the perfect foil to more malevolent intents, magnificently conveyed by Richard Dreyfus' portrayal of Dick Cheney.A lot can be said about the performances, Toby Jones as Karl Rove, Thandie Newton as Condoleeza Rice or Scott Glenn as Rumsfeld, they are all good, and maybe Brolin was in a too-crowded a year to get an Oscar-nomination, but boy, was Dreyfus as Cheney chilling, when he delivers his speech about the necessity to attack Iraq, he's as cold and magnetic as Hannibal Lecter, and the scene is even scarier now that the harm is done. Josh Brolin's performance in this movie is one of the best things about this movie and he should deserve an Oscar nod as he should have gotten for his outstanding performance in the Coen Brother's masterpiece No Country For Old Men. This movie could have been better had Stone waited for the real Bush to complete his presidency and then painted a complete portrait of his Presidency instead of just the first 3 years and if he had changed some of the cast around. The film is actually well made, Josh Brolin does a decent job of portraying our constant dumbfounded president, the story is pretty sad when you think about all the pressures he must face on a daily basis.Based on George W. We also go into his world of having to pull himself out of his rut with his family who constantly puts him down with a country who is not exactly proud of him as well.W. is a good film, it's well acted and put together, however, my main complaint, but I think there is a reason why, is that Oliver completely skips the election controversy we faced in 2000 as well as 9/11 which I thought was an important subject to touch. After watching Stone's latest biopic, I feel like I have lived through George Bush's life. The tone of the film is nearly non existent, leaving its admirable cast of actors on shaky ground without a leg to stand on.Stone juxtaposes the rise of "Dubya" (played by Josh Brolin) with his decision to begin the current Iraq War. In displaying Bush's journey from frat boy to drunk to born again AA member to leader of the free world, Stone has enough material to create a wicked absurdist satire, or compelling political theater. However, Stone seems hell-bent on making a film that remains neutral toward the forty- third President, giving him the ability to say things like, "It will contain surprises for Bush supporters and his detractors."# Well, yes, I was surprised indeed. Instead of tearing W a new one, this film applied some Desitin, patted him on the back and said "there, there." I can't help but think that this, along with World Trade Center, represents a kinder, gentler, and newly boring Oliver Stone, focusing on inoffensive dramaturgy and lookalike casting (except Cromwell as Poppy Bush). It seems he now wants to be a Serious Prestige Director Who Gets An Oscar, rather than the passionate, irreverent wiseguy he was when he made his great films.So now Stone turns out a movie that will encourage any remorseful Bush voter to think, "Well, of course I was right to have supported him...he meant well." Give me a break.With the most stupidly corrupt leader in American history as his subject, a rage-filled, sadistic yet passive-aggressive antihero worthy of a blistering satire...Stone instead delivers a wet little Hallmark drama about how a cold daddy produced an unloved, frustrated child. From watching the dewy-eyed, sensible, liberal, good-hearted gal called Laura Bush here, you'd never dream the genuine article actually told survivors of dead soldiers that "no one suffers more than the president and I" or that she once killed a boyfriend by running a stop sign.Oliver Stone - who once made a mainstream movie that accused the CIA of murdering JFK - wants us to believe Bush (who's been repeatedly photographed with wine-colored fluid in his glasses at state dinners and has fallen off bikes, Segways and his own two feet too often to count) passed out on a pretzel...with nothing but O'Doul's at hand? However, as a docu-drama this movie comes up way short, and as a docu-comedy it's not funny.Several of the actors are known to have quite anti-Bush sentiments and you could almost see their glee in being able to add their personal negative spin into this movie.This unfortunately is not acting, and most likely why the movie did not live up to the expectations at the box office.Not worth the watch.. This is probably the most pathetic version of the Bush legacy I have ever seen..It saddens me that a great director like Oliver Stone has sunk to the level of Michael Moore and made such a crap movie solely to get his own political agenda out!! As far as the acting while I thought all performances were not even close to the reality, I think Newtons portrayal of Condi Rice should offend anyone Left or Right...Stone took one the most powerful,intelligent, and articulate women of are day and made her into nothing short of a clown character and yes women to Bush. From my experience with other Oliver Stone movies, I was expecting to see a definitive film about George Bush, filled with facts. Bush it was not an accurate account and didn't reveal anything that you wouldn't find out in a parody or roast of someone rather than a serious investigation of someone's life.Of course in an election year, just days before the final contest between Republican and Democrat, many will read into this movie what they believe to be the truth based on their political affiliation, and many will believe that this is an accurate portrayal of the President just like many believed the premise in JFK that there was a conspiracy to kill Kennedy, and there was more than one shooter.It's really hard to get a handle on exactly what this film really is. There is enough scenes in this movie that call in question both Democrat and Republican missteps, and maybe Oliver is telling us to dig a little deeper, reason a little harder concerning our political choices and alliances regardless of our political party affiliation, instead of just a Democratic bashing of the Republican President.I cannot say the film isn't entertaining, but at the expense of the dignity of person it is about. Stone indulges from time to time in the kind of stylistic choices that veer close to being a TV movie- nowhere near as much or as sappy as the Hallmark-channel spread World Trade Center, but with a couple of obvious music choices- and the criticism put on the movie that there's nothing really new that those reasonably informed about Bush's past and his first term is not completely unwarranted.But, again, there is the expectation going in that this will be the be-all-end-all of lambasting, or on the flip-side that it's too soon an analysis of a man still (not too arguably) crippling the country away in his last months in office. What Stone has done, occasionally brilliantly, is compile a Greatest-Hits of Bush trivia and scenes that are either spot-on to how they likely played out or are based very accurately on what is at the date known about what happened behind closed doors with Bush and Cheney and Rove and company.On top of this is a story of, in a famous-movie comparison, what would happen if Fredo Corleone got the chance to be a mob boss while his disapproving father was still alive and smarter brother got more respect (it's not beyond comprehension to hear the echo of "I can run things, I'm smart!" from Godfather 2 in certain scenes with George and his father). Bush that he makes him, if not entirely sympathetic, understandable and human and not some complete villain.There's also a gallery of who's-who in the acting pool: James Cromwell, Richard Dreyfuss (exceptional), Jeffrey Wright, Ellen Burstyn, Thandie Newton, Toby Young, even Rob Corddry from the Daily Show, all of them are spectacular in their parts, adding interest to scenes that require presence, strength, and from time to time nuance and care in finding that line between playing a character and parody (which, actually, Newton verges into a few times).It's also been said that W. His contempt for Bush oozes thru every scene and it gets predictable and monotonous.Like the Alexander in an earlier Stone movie, the character portrayal of Bush is shallow and inaccurate (although I have never met Bush, he didn't become President being the moron as portrayed by Stone) -- it is just not plausible that he beat Ann Richards for Governor and two of the best the Democratic Party had to offer by schlepping his way through life. Every character was such an over-the-top portrayal of the real person that I thought the movie would surely evolve into a comedic spoof..but it never did.It was a 2 1/2 hour joke that never had a punch line.I'd compare it to watching an old episode of "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman" set in the White House against the backdrop of the run up to the attack on Iraq.I believe George Bush is probably the worst thing that has ever happened to this country but this movie doesn't do justice to his failed legacies. I have just viewed this film on video two months into the Obama Presidency with Dick Cheney still out there warning of another terror attack if his fascist measures are undone.Josh Brolin does an excellent job as W who is a person way over his capacity, sometimes unable to answer questions by reporters, gut feeling decider, and someone who is easily manipulated by Dick Cheney.The mystery of what Laura ever saw in George is somewhat answered. Oliver Stone should hit the road to history because I think he have nothing more to say since long time ago and making comfortable films don't bring any good to him. Regardless of what I think has/has not happened to this country in the last 8 years, I'm confining what I'm about to say to the movie specifically.Stone's film isn't art, it's a failed attempt at character analysis. As for me, it was a total wastage of time and money and I had a feeling of reprieve when it thankfully came to an almost abrupt end.Although the movie attempts to create the impression that Bush was merely a simpleton who was misled into the Iraq war after 9/11 by the evil Cheney-Rumsfeld-Tenet gang, it is in stark contradiction to the real events as evidenced from the following quote from someone in the know:Those present who had attended the NSC meetings of the previous administration - and there were several - noticed a material shift. After JFK, which came very close to bringing out some of the most important details surrounding the conspiracy which brought about the assassination of this countries last great president (a conspiracy which when truly researched places George Herbert Walker Bush firmly in the midst of the whole diabolical plot), I thought surely Oliver Stone would at least drop a few bread crumbs on the ground in his latest cinematic foray to allude to the dark underpinnings of the fascist Neocon agenda which propelled this once proud country down the path of torture and warmongering that has led it to the now nearly irredeemable reputation it has smearing its great history of liberty and forthrightness. Even if you think George W Bush is the worst President in the last 100 years, you still left the movie still having no idea how a guy went from failed alcoholic to the highest position in the World. Between the overly nasally voice of whoever I had to endure as Condi Rice, the myriad incidences of butchering Brolin, as Bush, unleashes on the English language, and the obviously satirical soundtrack that permeates the film, this piece is a second-rate political cartoon that pats itself on the back the whole way through.This movie condenses all the leftist stereotypes of the characters involved and injects them into situations where subjectivity and speculation can reign free for those reenacting (think "in a dimly lit room in some secret bunker 30 stories below the surface of the earth..."). Stone might not have had a lot of money but he certainly spent it well to judge from things like Bush ranch in Crawford or even the White House sets which could arguably compare with those on The West Wing.And now we come to the controversial part of the film: its portrayal of George W. I liked how they showed real people (John McCain, Hillary Clinton, etc) in the movie and the man who played Dick Cheney did a very good job too, as well as the man who played George HW Bush. so disappointed that his crew had given him wrong informations about the existence of nuclear weapons in the middle east.The film doesn't show any credible truth about the 8 years George W.Bush was president and is the most stupid propaganda movie ever.Because the actors played well, I give 3 points for them and if I could I would give a -10 for this waste of celluloid.. Oliver Stone's film about the life of George W Bush seems to be a simple look at the life of W from his college days to the invasion of Iraq and how it all went wrong despite the best efforts of our central character. I watched this movie with the full impression of it being a complete Bush-bashing film based on Stone's past vocalizations about his political opinions.

tt0256009

El espinazo del diablo

After his father dies in combat during the last months of the Spanish Civil War, young Carlos (Fernando Tielve) is brought to an isolated orphanage in 1939. The orphanage, which also serves as a school to the resident children, is home to several dozen other boys, as well as Carmen (Marisa Paredes), the world-weary headmistress with a prosthetic leg, Dr. Casares (Federico Luppi), the kind and intellectual assistant administrator, Alma (Berta Ojea), a teacher, Jacinto (Eduardo Noriega), a hired hand, and Conchita (Irene Visedo), Jacinto's fiancee and an employee of the institution. Carmen, who is concerned about the expenses of caring for yet another boy, mentions the stash of gold bars she keeps in the building and how she would prefer to be rid of it, as she cannot buy anything with it in its current form, nor divulge its existence to any outsiders during this volatile wartime.A large bomb is lodged in the dirt at the center of the courtyard, having been dropped from a warplane months before. It was deactivated before it could detonate, but was impossible to pull from the ground. Carlos is befriended by two boys his age, Galvez (Adrian Lamana) and Owl (Javier Gonzalez-Sanchez), with whom he shares his toys and comic books. On his first night at the orphanage, Carlos is dared by an older boy, Jaime (Inigo Garces), to sneak to the kitchen for water after their pitcher spills in the dormitory. Carlos agrees, but dares Jaime to accompany him. As the boys cross the courtyard, Jaime whispers that he believes the bomb is still active, as he can hear its "heart" ticking within. The boys reach the kitchen, but Jaime sneaks back to the dormitory, leaving Carlos alone. Carlos hears a chilling whisper from an unknown source, which tells him eerily that "Many of you will die." Frightened, Carlos dashes outside, but is caught by Jacinto.At breakfast the next morning, Dr. Cesares demands that Carlos give up any accomplices who snuck out with him the previous night. Carlos refuses to rat Jaime out, and takes full blame. Later, Jaime confronts Carlos by the cistern under the chapel, in the presence of a few other boys. Though Jaime now holds a higher respect for Carlos, he still feels threatened by the newcomer and pulls out a knife to prove his dominance. In the ensuing scuffle, Jaime falls into the cistern. One of the boys shouts that Jaime cannot swim, and Carlos dives in to save him. Jacinto, the hired hand, appears, breaks up the ruckus, and demands to know the owner of Jaime's knife, which had fallen to the floor. Carlos once again takes the blame, and Jacinto slices Carlos' cheek as a warning before threatening him into secrecy. The boys are all shaken by the incident, but Jaime begins to trust Carlos at last.Later on, Carlos talks with Dr. Caseres, who is treating his cut. Casares shows Carlos how the bulk of the money is made for the orphanage: He sells the spiced rum that is used as a preserving fluid for aborted or stillborn fetuses. He claims that many believe it carries a power that cures many ailments, including impotence. Casares is seen drinking the liquid, suggesting that he suffers from this himself. He and Carmen, the widowed, solemn headmistress, share an unspoken mutual love, but it is insinuated that Casares is ashamed of his lack of skills as a lover. Carmen, meanwhile, is having a loveless affair with the much-younger Jacinto.It is revealed that Jacinto has been at the orphanage since he was a boy, and harbors a passionate hatred for it. He works on the property along with his fiancee Conchita, but his violent side is shown through the way he treats the boys; threatening and sometimes hurting them. Jacinto knows of the stash of gold hidden at the orphanage, and uses his sexual relationship with Carmen as an opportunity to take her keys and search the building for the loot. Carmen is deeply ashamed of fulfilling herself through Jacinto, and suspects that he may have sinister motives.The boys, meanwhile, tell Carlos of the ghost that they believe haunts the orphanage. A boy called Santi (Andreas Munoz), a recent resident and friend of Jaime's, had vanished on the night the bomb was dropped. Some say Santi fled the orphanage in fright and was killed by cutthroats. Strange sighing noises are heard at night, and the boys believe it is the ghost of Santi (while in actuality, it is Carmen and Jacinto in an adjoining room). Carlos decides to locate the ghost himself, after recalling the strange voice he had heard in the kitchen, whispering "Many of you will die." He sneaks out again that night, and encounters the ghost: a pale, delicate figure of a young boy with blood flowing upwards from a wound in his head, as if underwater. The ghost pursues Carlos back into the building, and a terrified Carlos spends the night hiding in the linen closet. Later on, after flipping through Jaime's sketchbook, Carlos finds a drawing of a ghostly figure labeled "Santi," leading him to suspect that Jaime knows more about the subject than the other boys.After witnessing some harsh war brutality in the village nearest to the orphanage, Dr. Casares convinces Carmen that they must evacuate the children to a safer location. Jacinto hears of this plan and confronts Carmen, demanding the stash of gold and crassly bringing up their sexual relationship in front of Dr. Cesares. Enraged, Casares turns a gun on Jacinto and forces him out of the building.As the orphans and faculty prepare to leave, Conchita discovers Jacinto pouring gasoline around the kitchen, in which he had placed numerous other cans of fuel, and preparing to ignite it. Horrified, she threatens him with a gun, and shoots him in the arm when he mocks her. Furious, Jacinto throws his lit cigarette to the floor, starting a raging fire, and flees the building. Conchita alerts Carmen and Casares, who order the children out of the building before the many cans of gasoline in the kitchen explode. Carmen and fellow-teacher Alma attempt to stifle the blaze, but fail to prevent the devastating explosion. Alma is swallowed by the inferno, and many of the children are killed (just as the ghost had predicted). An injured Casares finds Carmen, mortally wounded, inside the wrecked building, and tearfully stays with her as she dies. He and the surviving boys, including Carlos, Jaime, Galvez, and Owl, remain in the charred orphanage, with Casares promising not to leave them. He sets up a chair by a front window and waits there with a shotgun for Jacinto's return.The following night, Jaime finally tells Carlos the details of Santi's disappearance. Jaime and Santi had been collecting slugs at the cistern, when by chance they spied Jacinto attempting to open the safe where the gold was kept. Jaime ran and hid, but Jacinto cornered Santi and attempted to threaten him into keeping his mouth shut about what he had seen. In anger, Jacinto shoved Santi against a stone wall, resulting in the boy receiving a severe head injury and sending him into shock. Jacinto, panicking, tied stones to Santi with ropes before sinking the body in the cistern. A terrified Jaime emerged when the coast was clear and ran into the courtyard, only to have the bomb land several feet from him moments later.Jaime explains that he is no longer scared of Jacinto, and will kill him if he ever returns. Conchita, having survived the explosion, is making the long walk to the nearest town for help when she meets Jacinto and his two cronies driving back to the orphanage to claim the gold. Jacinto threatens her with a knife, telling her to apologize for shooting him. Despite knowing the danger of angering him, she insults him, and he stabs her to death.Carlos has one more encounter with Santi's ghost, and is no longer afraid after hearing the story of Santi's death. The ghost quietly demands that Carlos bring Jacinto to him. Carlos agrees.Dr. Casares finally dies of his injuries while still sitting by the window with the gun. Jacinto and his associates reach the orphanage, and imprison the orphans in one room while they search for the gold. The two other men eventually grow impatient and leave, but Jacinto soon uncovers the stash- hidden in a secret compartment of Carmen's prosthetic leg. The orphans know that Jacinto will kill them once he finds the gold, but Jaime encourages them to fight back, as Jacinto is only one man. The boys fashion weapons from sharpened sticks and broken glass, and escape their room (with help from the ghost of Casares). They attack Jacinto in the cellar, stabbing him multiple times and pushing him into the cistern where he had deposited Santi's body. Jacinto attempts to escape the pool, but is weighted down by the gold bars tied to his belt. Santi's ghost appears from the depths and drags Jacinto to his death.Having vanquished the enemy and escaped with their lives, the remaining boys leave the orphanage and begin the long walk to town. Dr. Casares's ghost watches them from the doorway.

dark, suspenseful, murder, paranormal, haunting, flashback, psychedelic, revenge, storytelling

train

imdb

tt2216240

Kapringen

The film is about ancient business model, already so common in Mediterranean in middle ages when the people of Europe were taken hostage and often spent years or their whole lives waiting for ransom money to be sent to their mostly Moorish or Arab captors in North African coast. The heart of pirate criminality has become Somalia since the collapse of the state over two decades ago. It emanates malignant danger and threat all over Indian Ocean and in this story the victims are a Danish cargo ship's crew.The chef Mikkel is the one who is facing the biggest pressure. Instead of the ship's engineer or the captain he was chosen as the one the negotiators use for initiating contact with Orion Subway's CEO Peter for ransom money. The negotiators want Mikkel to express desperation and genuine fear when asking for exorbitant sums for the lives of the crew and for returning the ship to its owners.And the game of chess begins. The tormenting conditions of the crew linger on for months. Peter is in need of resolution but weighs the accumulating traumas of his men against massive sums of money to be paid to the callous captors. Hostages are the pawns on the chessboard under constant threat of violence by psychopathic, impulsive, illiterate teens waving deadly weapons at their face. Only the negotiator speaks a common language with the crew, the youthful pirates entertain themselves by humiliating the Danes whenever in the mood. During the protracted process there are also better times when slight bonding happens under the duress of the Ocean, but the crew's status as an expensive and valuable merchandise whose state of expressed misery is measurable by the profits gained by the captors and the termination of the whole ordeal warrants occasional abuse.Peter remains firm and resolute, Mikkel's family is desperate and hostage to their circumstances as faraway collateral victims, and Mikkel has resigned to his fate as a commodity to be traded. He can't do much else. Nerves falter, poker faces won't hold and some chips end up snatched forever...

dramatic, suspenseful, mystery

train

imdb

Danish filmmaker Tobias Lindholm is steadily making a name for himself; daring filmmaker not afraid to take chances and it pays off in this one.Kapringen (A Hijacking) is sort of the antithesis of a Hollywood hostage drama devoid of tired clichés and the predictable story lines we -- as an audience of generational film-goers -- have become too accustomed to.It features an incredibly in-depth character study from the two main characters: a chef aboard the hijacked ship and the CEO of the shipping company remotely negotiating with the Somali pirates dealing with the incredible pressure and moral dilemmas of the situation. And because it cuts through all the fluff and artifice that has invaded commercial films without compromising momentum as a situationist thriller, one must concede that Kapringen has upped the ante on Danish rebellion against the Hollywood system.The refusal to include actual scenes of the hijacking in a film specifically titled "A Hijacking" is no accident.A cargo ship MV Rozen is hijacked by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean. In keeping with Lindholm's debut feature (a prison drama "R"); Kapringen is filmed on location, in chronological sequence and on board a sea freighter that was hijacked in the Indian ocean. Casting also features a real life hostage negotiator as the central figure and naturally, Somali pirates.Arguably, mechanical reproduction of genuine conditions doesn't guarantee a convincing film but in this case, it does — Kapringen looks so suitably stained with normality that one instantly recognizes the absence of gimmicky aesthetics. The pirates, led by Omar (Abdihakin Asgar), who claims only to be the negotiator, take the crew of seven hostage and demand a ransom of $19 million in return for the ship and their lives. After an unnerving silence lasting days, Omar engages Peter Ludvigsen (Søren Malling), CEO of the shipping company, in a psychological game of negotiation that shreds the nerves of both Peter and the hostages.Kapringen (A Hijacking) focuses on Peter, who shuns the offer of a trained negotiator, and three of his crew: Mikkel (Pilou Asbæk), the ship's cook; Jan (Roland Møller), an engineer; and the captain (Keith Pearson). With pressure from the board to resolve the situation, the burden of facing distraught family members and his own guilt at being unable to solve the crises with an instant payment, Peter struggles to gain the upper hand where his failure will mean the deaths of his men.Tobias Lindholm, who co-wrote 2012's excellent Jagten (The Hunt) writes and directs this critically acclaimed film with a similar approach, refusing to spoon feed us with gimmickry or overstated episodes, instead preferring to leave us to join the dots, to imagine what is happening in the hours, days and weeks that Kapringen passes over. His (lack of?) acting prowess jars at times but the impression he gives of improvising his advice as the actors around him play their own parts in the crisis adds a certain depth and reality to Kapringen.Malling (A Royal Affair and TV's The Killing and Borgen) gives a very restrained, but moving performance as a man who takes control through his arrogance but also needs to take responsibility so as not to feel impotent. This hostage drama shows two different worlds: the despair of the crew on a vessel that has been hijacked by Somalian pirates, and the concern of the management of their shipping company in Copenhagen. The film switches from the clean offices in Copenhagen, where the CEO negotiates about the ransom, to the ship where the cook lives in continuous fear of being killed. The films both tell the same story of cargo freighters hijacked by Somali pirates who seek millions in ransom. "A Hijacking" is a tense, grounded-in-reality based drama without the sense of comfort of a predetermined finale.A Danish cargo ship named the "MV Rozen" is en route to Mumbai when Somali renegades gain control of the vessel and demand millions for the return of the ship's seven-man crew. Shot with hand-held cameras, the movie cross-cuts between two perspectives: the captured vessel's cook Mikkel Hartmann (Pilou Asbæk), and the maritime company's hands-on CEO Peter Ludvigsen (Søren Malling).At the outset, the two characters share a common interest, but as the bartering drags on for months, the uncertainty of an outcome takes these two men in very different directions. I don't know the details of Greengrass' film, but I presume the basic principle is the same as this film, which sees Somali pirates take over a Danish cargo ship and demand millions of US dollars for its release. The drama in this case unfolds in the boardroom of the company (focused on CEO Ludvigsen) and on the ship (focused on cook Mikkel).The film puts an emphasis on realism in how it delivers the story to the viewer; conference calls between the CEO and the pirates are filmed as conference calls (complete with time lag and echo) and the expert in maritime security that the fictional company brings in is indeed not an actor but someone who does this for a living for a shipping company. I particularly liked Porter; occasionally he is a little clunky when working with the actors as a performance, but generally when he is in "the room" where he works in real life then he is a great presence and again really helps the sense of realism.Kapringen maybe doesn't have the large budget or production aims of a bigger film, but the focus on realism in the making of the film pays off to produce a story that is tense and engaging throughout. "A Hijacking" will invariably be compared to "Captain Phillips" if for no other reason than it came out in the same year and is about a cargo ship being hijacked by Somali pirates. "A Hijacking" is more about the emotional and psychological toll the situation takes on the film's key players, namely the cook, Mikkel, one of the hostages on board the ship, and Peter, the CEO of the company that owns the ship, on land. The film is comical in a morbid kind of way -- by the end, the CEO and the contact man for the pirates are exchanging faxes to negotiate an agreed upon ransom while the men on the boat rot. The focus of the crew is on the cook (Pilou Asbaek) and the negotiations take place between the company's CEO (Soren Malling) and an English speaking pirate (Abdihakin Asgar). Though not compelling, the film is nonetheless interesting, and there are a few scenes that are exceptional (e.g., the catching and eating of a fish).(FWIW – I was once a POW in an African prison where I spent a month during which the government negotiated (unsuccessfully) for my release, so I have some knowledge of what goes on under these kinds of circumstances, although my situation was obviously different from the one depicted in this film.). Realism is always a core element in their plots, irrespective of the genre, unlike films from other parts of the world.Tobias Lindholm's Kapringen (A Hijacking) is one such film.At first glance, it will definitely remind you of Captain Phillips because the theme revolves around a vessel hijacking by a group of Somali Pirates. Tobias masterfully captures the scenes behind such a hijacking – the lives of the sailors held in captivity, sandwiched between merciless pirates and their stubborn company officials who refuse to let the pirates dictate terms.The movie is indeed a lesson in negotiation and crisis management. The film has the same strong psychological tension without much physical action, the same combination which made Jagten such a strong film.The story is that of a Danish freighter being hijacked by Somali pirates, and the negotiations that follow.Half the film takes place on the ship, truly capturing the cramped pressure the crew is in, who do not even know if the others on the same ship are OK and are hardly able to communicate with their Somali captors. The other half takes place around the negotiation team in Denmark, where the company's CEO experiences a whole different kind of stress and pressure while handling the uncertainties that come with dealing with foreign demands over a crappy and intermittent phone line.Kapringen is not a thriller, it's a very emphatic observation. Ludvigsen (Soren Malling) takes it upon himself to act as a go between, against the advice of a professional they have called in, with negotiator Omar (Abdihakin Asgar) who is on board with the pirates and the captives. Having not buckled at the original ransom figure, and trying to get it down to a more reasonable demand, this time in line with what the professional advised, they find themselves in a devastating battle of wits with the pirates that lasts an unbelievable four months and leaves ship's chef Mikkel (Pilou Asbaek) doubting his sanity and fearing the worst.Once again world cinema strikes itself a blow with an outstanding effort that wouldn't have stood a chance of being bettered by Hollywood. And while it's the desperation of the crew you feel most for, you can't help but wonder, if not sympathize, with the pirates for how desperate they themselves must feel to drag the siege out so long.A Danish production has tackled a true life story that is a modern phenomenon in the world at the moment, and crafted an unshowy, uncomfortably realistic and naturally human account that begs to be seen. Reaching Western shores around the same time as a much more higher profile hijacking picture with a certain star actor, Danish director Tobias Lindholm's A Hijacking (or Kapringen in its native language) is an equally taut and affecting tale of people caught up in these horrifying scenarios and also looks at the other side with those affected by the ordeal even though they are safe on land.As is the case with many foreign films, Lindholm's feature doesn't include your typical Hollywood styled lead turn as he is more interested in the scenario than the people. The films focus is really on two men in the forms of Pilou Asbaek's on board chef Mikkel and Soren Malling's shipping company CEO Peter and both these men deliver really fine performances in roles that require varying ranges of emotions and demeanour. These lead actors are well backed up by Abdihakin Asgar and Roland Moller as the pirate's translator Omar and ships engineer Jan respectively.While these actors are all on fine form it's the direction that the films story takes that transcends it to a more moving experience. While Captain Phillips was moving for other reasons, A Hijacking's focus on the negotiation between corporate suits and desperate pirates is an exceptional one that will have you mad at the playing with people's lives and joyful at small wins in equal measure and it's a real testament to Lindholm that he balances the ordeal on ship and in the offices of multi-million dollar corporations to such effective degrees.Minimalistic in many ways with barely any backstory, flashy filming techniques or even music to accompany the events taking place, A Hijacking is a very raw and real look into a frightening situation that can happen anywhere in the world. With top quality acting and a razor sharp script (Lindholm also wrote the fantastic The Hunt, so this is no one off) this is one foreign film worth tracking down and different enough from Captain Phillips to recommend another trip to the dangerous pirate infested high seas.4 fax's out of 5 For more movie reviews and opinions check out -www.jordanandeddie.wordpress.com. It means nothing to them." Connor Julian (Gary Porter)If you want a reason to avoid a vacation that takes you to the Indian Ocean, then see A Hijacking, a cinema verite rendering of the harrowing experience that has Somali pirates holding a tanker and its 7 man crew hostage for ransom from a Danish company. The claustrophobia of Das Boot is there as well as the pressure at the company in Copenhagen and the homes of the crew.Most of all, writer-director Tobias Lindholm has neatly juxtaposed Mikkel (Pilou Asbaek), the cook of the ship, a family-loving sailor, with Peter (Soren Malling), CEO of the company, to maximum emotional effect. The director does not spend wasteful time with grieving families, as most American disaster films do, but rather builds a believable scenario of almost impossible trial for the CEO and the crew; the pirates rarely are stressed, a scary circumstance as we realize they don't need to be anyway.Just hope you never have this trip.. 'Kapringen' - or 'A Hijacking' as it is better known, this Danish thriller focuses on a ship hijacked by Somali pirates and the emotional toll on the crew members. 'A Hijacking' could even be thought of as the flipside of 'Captain Phillips' as less than half the action occurs on board, with the most of it set in offices as an emotionally distanced CEO and company board members attempt to negotiate with the pirates by phone. Inspired by true eventsDanish cargo ship, MV Rozen, on its way to Mumbai is hijacked by Somali pirates, and hostages are taken. Now the CEO Peter Ludvigsen (Soren Malling) of the shipping company must negotiate with the pirates, who are demanding $15-million. No, this is a very slow, but realistic portrayal of Somali pirates, their hostages and the negotiations with CEO Peter Ludvigsen in Denmark. But behind the cold calculations and handling of the situation (what follows when a cargo ship belonging to a big Scandinavian company is hijacked by modern-day pirates), there is the intense drama of the hostages, their families, the hijackers and the negotiators. The viewer is kept guessing throughout (this isn't a Hollywood-style adventure) and the slow but gradual dissolution of "the ship's cook" may well have inspired the closing scenes of another recent Somali-hijacking movie, CAPTAIN PHILIPS (which I also liked, but which clearly wasn't going to end with anything untoward happening to star Tom Hanks). A Battle of Wills - and Wits - Fought In Copenhagen and At Sea. Based on real-life events, Tobias Lindholm's drama focuses on the consequences of a hijacking of a Danish cargo ship bound for India by Somali pirates. What sets it apart from other hijacking films is its focus on the delicate negotiations between the pirates, their mediator Omar (Abdihakin Asgar), and Peter Ludvigsen, the CEO of the cargo ship company (Soren Malling) back in Copenhagen. Meanwhile, back on the cargo ship, director Lindholm shows how the hijacking affects the crew, especially ship's cook Mikkel Hartmann (Pilou Asbæk). That is all to bring the real time feel of the situation that takes place over a 4 months from hijack to release of the ship.When they engage in negotiation, on the other side where the ship crews are held as hostage are begin to affect in delusion for lack of good food and loneliness in their trapped room. "A Hijacking" is more of a personal drama than action film.The lead character in in the person of the cook, Mikkel (Pilou Asbæk). We only understand their English-speaking negotiator, Omar.They also show the tension going on in the board room of the shipping company in the person of their icy and soulless CEO (Søren Malling). A Hijacking - Kapringen is Lindholm's second feature film, his first R is a tale of even bleaker conditions and circumstances than this realistic and powerful story of a ransom drama. The famed Spanish writer of Don Quijote Miguel de Cervantes was perhaps the most famous case, and his writing was strongly inspired by his fate at the hands of his Moorish captors in Algeria.Pilou Asbaek stars again in the main role like in Lindholm's previous film R as a ship's chef Mikkel and the representative of the crew used by the negotiator Omar to initiate contact with the owners of the cargo ship. The two central characters are the ship's cook and the company's C.E.O., who negotiates the crew's release after over four months. There is an almost obsessive concern for realism- the scenes with the crew and the pirates were filmed on a real freighter- which had itself once been hijacked- off the coast of Somalia; the offices of a real shipping company were used; the hostage negotiator used as a consultant plays the part of a hostage negotiator. The families of the hijacked crew and the CEO of the company that owns the ship are also some of the characters of the film. Once the ship was hijacked, the parent company for some reason entered into long drawn out negotiations rather than simply allow the insurance company to make the payment and get the crew home as they typically do.Søren Malling played the CEO who is torn between saving the crew and saving a dollar. After a brief introduction to the crew of the ship it is hijacked by Somali pirates whose 'negotiator' Omar contacts the ship's owners to let them know what is happening. Weeks then months pass as the negotiations move at glacial speed; while this is going life for the crew is getting uncomfortable; there are highs, such as the moment they are allowed to do some fishing, but for most of the time there is a constant sense of danger.It is inevitable that this film will be compared with 'Captain Philips' as both concern ships hijacked by Somali pirates however they have significant differences. The other two are the ships' cook, Mikkel, who, as the film's principle lead at sea, becomes our entry point to the drama taking place there, and the mysterious Omar, who claims to be simply a translator and under as much threat as anyone else, but may perhaps be a whole lot more.The occupation and negotiations drag on, weeks turn into months. Fans of Danish television political drama 'Borgen' might be interested to know that several of its cast members turn up in 'A Hijacking', wherein a Danish cargo ship and its crew are held to ransom by Somali pirates. A Danish cargo ship is commandeered by Somali pirates who demand 15 million euros ransom.

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The Devil's Double

Iraq, 1985. Latif Yahia (Dominic Cooper), an Iraqi soldier fighting in the Iran-Iraq War, is called to become a "fedai" ("body double" or political decoy) for Uday Hussein (also played by Cooper), the playboy son of Iraqi president Saddam Hussein (Philip Quast). Latif comes from an upper-class family and had attended school with Uday, where the other students would remark on their likeness. Latif initially refuses the position, but is imprisoned and tortured, ultimately relenting when his family is threatened.Latif undergoes minor cosmetic surgery to perfect his resemblance to Uday and, over the next three years, practices emulating the young Hussein's mannerisms and wildly volatile persona. He is given access to all of the luxurious benefits of the Husseins' fortune, including massive palaces, expensive wardrobes and Uday's Ferrari Mondial 3.2 and various other exotic cars. Latif tries to resist Uday's exorbitant merrymaking and erratic behavior, at one point fleeing a nightclub in another of Uday's Ferraris to attempt to see his family, who believe he has died in the war. However, he is apprehended by Uday's bodyguards and beaten. After an appearance at a conference with several Kuwaiti leaders, an attempt is made on Uday's (Latif's) life, apparently by a member of a rebel opposition group, possibly a Kurd. The real Uday, though, is more concerned with the Kuwaitis, who he believes have been slant drilling from Iraq's Rumaila oil field. Iraq invads Kuwait in August 1990 which begins the First Gulf War. With the fall of Kuwait, Uday proclaims "The Age of the Sheikhs is over!"Uday's increasingly violent, sadistic tendencies are displayed when he kidnaps a 14 year-old school girl and forces her to escort him to a party. At the party, (based on an actual 1988 celebration honoring Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's wife Suzanne), the strung-out Uday becomes enraged with his father's personal bodyguard Kamel Hana Gegeo (Mehmet Ferda). Uday believes Gegeo facilitated an affair between Saddam and Samira Shahbandar, which devastated his mother, Sajida Talfah, and he also expresses jealousy at the trust his father places in Kamel Hana. When Gegeo disrupts Uday's sexual advances towards his young victim, Uday butchers him with an electric carving knife in front of all of the guests. The next morning, Uday's bodyguards are seen dumping the naked, beaten body of the young girl.Saddam immediately becomes furious over Uday's latest indiscrestion and pays him a visit to a local clinic after Uday accidently takes an overdose of sleeping pills to calm down. While Latif watches, Saddam gives Uday a severe beating in his hospital bed for the killing of Gegeo and even threatens to kill him, but calms down and decides to spare Uday because he is still his first-born son and heir to the leadership of Iraq. As Saddam leaves Uday's room he mutters to Latif, "I should have killed him at birth."In January 1991, Latif, acting as Uday, is sent to Basra to rally support among Republican Guard soldiers as Coalition forces have taken control of the war. At Basra, another attempt is made on Latif's life. To Uday's great concern, Latif nearly loses a pinky in the assault, which presumably would mean Uday would have to have his amputated to maintain their resemblance, but doctors are able to save Latif's finger.Later, Latif is confronted by the father of the young girl that Uday killed. Uday eavesdrops on the conversation and is outraged by the man's pleas for "justice" and "compassion." Uday orders Latif to kill the man, but Latif refuses and instead slits his own wrists, to Uday's amusement. After Latif recovers, he confronts Uday at his birthday party. The confrontation escalates to a shootout and Latif escapes in Uday's Mercedes-Benz 560 SEC with Uday's lover, Sarrab (Ludivine Sagnier) whom has recently become romanticaly involved with Latif. The two escape to Malta, but Sarrab, fearing for her three-year-old daughter in Iraq, calls Uday begging for the chance to return without being harmed. A would-be assassin sent by Uday just misses shooting Latif almost as soon as they arrive on the island. Uday calls Latif and offers him one final chance to return to Iraq, threatening to kill his father if he refuses. Latif says he will not return and his father is killed.Latif confronts Sarrab with her telling Uday where she is out of fear for her daughter's safety. Latif tells her that he will not help her get her daughter out of Iraq and tells her to leave, but gives her some money to live so she can live off of for a while. The distraught Sarrab walks out on Latif and goes off on her own.However, Latif does return to Iraq, not to continue to serve as Uday's double, but rather to kill him, with the help of a man whose bride killed herself after being raped and beaten by Uday on their wedding day. In an adapted version of the attempt on Uday's life made by the 15th Shaaban in 1996, Latif and his partner ambush Uday while he is attempting to lure young girls into his Porsche 911 Targa. They wound him severely, including consistent with unconfirmed reports of the real-life attack mangling his genitals with a direct shot. One of Uday's bodyguards catches up to Latif as he flees the scene. The guard, however, is the same one who Latif could have killed as he fled from Uday's birthday party before leaving the country but spared, and the guard extends him the same courtesy.A disclaimer in the final shots reveals that Latif Yahia currently lives somewhere in Ireland under a false name with his wife and two children and has written a book based on his life. Uday Hussein survived the assasination attempt, but was temporarily crippled, and made a partial recovery. He was later killed in 2003 by American troops during the Second Gulf War.

revenge, historical, murder

train

imdb

Anyway, if he missed a few and looked in a wrong direction at some instances, I did not notice it and I think the same of other people seeing this film for the first time.At various moments throughout the screening the notion crossed my mind that this movie could be construed as a justification of overturning the Sadam regime, or (in other words) as propaganda in favor of George W for a completed project in Iraq. It follows Latif Yahia (Dominic Cooper), an Iraqi soldier from an upper class family, who is plucked from the war to act as Uday's double. The posters for director Lee Tamahori's The Devil's Double (18) declare it to be "Scarface of Arabia", referring both to Brian De Palma's 1983 gangster opus Scarface and the film's setting during Saddam Hussein's brutal rule in Iraq. The Devil's Double is based on the true story of Latif Yahia, an Iraqi soldier chosen by the regime to be the body-double of the dictator's infamous son Uday, with both roles played by Dominic Cooper.The perks of the job are acceptable: enough designer clothing and willing women to make the average Premiership footballer looking like a trappist monk. Instigating nightclub orgies while American bombs are exploding and shooting at loyal companions in psychotic rages are all part of Uday's regular routine.The direction, intermingling footage of Operation Desert Storm with debauchery, captures the craziness of Uday and Latif's world with a lurid style.Again, like a great underworld film, Cooper's performance as the central villain is masterful, capturing Uday's menacing madness and chewing the scenery in between sucking breasts or shovelling cocaine up his nose. If you want to see great acting from Dominic Cooper, then this is the movie for you.When you go see it, ask yourself, what would you have done in the same situation as the main character Latif Yahia? Based on the true story of Latif Yahia, the man forced to become the Fiday or body Double of Uday , Saddam Hussein's oldest and psychotic son. There are particular scenes in this film depicting crude torture techniques which are quite gut wrenching for the audience.Dominic Cooper plays the dual role of Uday Hussein and the man 'taken' to be his body double, Latif Yahia. Based on the true story of Latif Yahia and his best selling book of the same name,the Devil's Double sticks pretty much with the book apart from some scenes where Lee Tamahori the director took some poetic license. The Devil's Double is a great action packed thriller of a movie with fantastic performances from not one but two actors playing 'Doubles' Philip Quast (Saddam Hussein) also plays Saddam's Double Faoz Al-Emiri ( I think I got that right) and although you don't see too much of him you know instantly who he is when he's on screen! One thing I will say is that I enjoyed it thoroughly, it hit all the right marks for me, if I wanted accurate information on Iraq I'd watch the History channel, this is a movie, even the guy (Latif Yahia) whose life story it's based on has said "hey, it's a movie", but don't let that fool you into thinking you can walk away from it without having to think about the reality of that situation and what you or I would have done in the Double's place. I really liked the movie, it was fast and flashy with great music and brilliant acting, the lead actor is Dominic Cooper, he plays both Uday Hussein and his body double Latif Yahia, his portrayal of Uday in particualr is just amazing! STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday MorningAs the Gulf War heats up in the early 1990s, soldier and former school friend of Uday Hussein (Dominic Cooper) Latif Yahia (also Cooper) finds himself summoned by the maniacal dictator's son himself to act as his double, so he can appear to be fighting the Kuwaitis with the army while secretly continuing to live his debauched, lawless lifestyle. But when he is pushed too far, Latif rebels, with deadly consequences.With a colourful but ill judged promotional poster that sets the wrong tone for the type of film it is, The Devil's Double was a little seen film from last year, that daringly cast a light on the honour and integrity of Uday Hussein, who some years on from his death in the Iraq war and even with his reputation as a merciless psychopath common knowledge, could still have some loyal followers that might want to make life hell for the film makers. I have heard rumours that the lead actor Dominic Cooper who played both the parts of Latif Yahia and Uday Hussein may be nominated for an Academy award, that would be amazing! The Devil's Double has just opened here in Malta to great acclaim, not only because it was filmed here but because of it's great story and outstanding performances by Dominic Cooper, Philip Quast, french actress Ludivine Sagnier and really the whole cast, everyone really pulls together to make this one of the best movies that I have seen in a long time. Yes, I am a little biased because it was made in Malta but no one could have pulled the Uday/Latif performances off like Dominic Cooper has, that guy is Oscar worthy. It has literally everything you would want in a film, a great story line with flawless acting by Dominic Cooper.This movie is defiantly great, it keeps you on the edge of your seat, with blistering action, sexy scenes and powerful words. As we didn't know much about internal affairs of Iraq during Saddam's era,I think director Lee has made a good opportunity for us to know about those time and the crimes of Saddam's son Uday.This movie specially reveals how Uday abuse the power to satisfy his lust to women and also his freakishness about how brutally he tortured and killed people.This movie made a good point that there would never be good justices by dictators.This movie also showed the very luxurious life including whores and slaves of Saddam's family which resemblance to medieval king and emperors. Director lee made a note about history that Stalin,Shah,Saddam used double,which is an unrevealed fact.The acting of Dominic is simply extraordinary.He played two roles uday and latif which were very opposite roles.But he has made very good distinction of these two characters in whole movie.Performing the character of uday was so hard but he made it successfully by his talent and diligence.Director Lee has made a brilliant job here.His making,screenplay were simply mind blowing.. THE DEVIL'S DOUBLE does look promising on paper, telling an unusual story in an unusual setting, but unfortunately the execution is sub-par and the whole thing turns out to be a waste of time.The story features lead actor Dominic Cooper playing two separate roles. The Devil's Double is that movie, based on the true story of Latif Yahia, the Iraqi Army Lieutenant forced to become the double for Saddam Hussein's eldest son Uday Hussein it is a gripping, violent (although some of the stronger scenes are left to the imagination) emotional roller-coaster ride. I've heard through the grapevine that there may be a push for an Oscar nomination for the lead, Dominic Cooper, it's well deserved, his dual role as both the victim Latif Yahia and the villain Uday Hussein are indeed the stuff of Oscar making dreams, his ability to swap between the two roles is for want of a better word brilliant, you are never, ever, left wondering who you are watching on the screen, unless of course that is the desired effect. Both of the main roles are played by an English actor called Dominic Cooper with French actress Ludivine Sagnier as love interest to both Latif and Uday, notable roles include Philip Quast as Saddam Hussein, Mimoun Oaissa as Ali one of Uday's henchmen, Raad Rawi as Munem Hammed Latif's trainer, Mem Ferda as Saddam's best friend and food taster Kamel Hannah, great work all round and great direction from Lee Tamahori who brings his action background to great force here. The Devil's Double is a tour de force in writing, directing and especially with Dominic Cooper playing both Uday and Latif. THE DEVIL'S DOUBLE is a surprise film - a film that is not only informative in that it is based on a true story, but it is also an examination of the corruption of Saddam Hussein's (Philip Quast) control of Iraq, AND it also happens to display one of the finest acting performances by a male actor this year. Dominic Cooper is doubly exceptional playing both the man from whom the story was obtained - Latif Yahia - as well as the 'Black Devil' Uday Saddam Hussein, Saddam Hussein's despicably rotten, psychopathic, drug addicted, Lothario and brutal murderer oldest son.There is a term 'fiday' which means body double. The brilliance of this film is focused on the dual roles Dominic Cooper plays - Latif and Uday - two men as opposite from each other as could be imagined. More than fantastic performance by Dominic Cooper doing both Uday and Latif's characters.Every movie cannot be in the Oscar nomination top 10 list. Most people, when asked what they thought of THE DEVIL'S DOUBLE, will likely respond with, "Is that one of those possession movies that came out last year?"Dominic Cooper is the most "mainstream" actor in the film (and, again, I personally only recognize him from CAPTAIN America); the remainder of the cast, while they may be major outside the U.S., were unknowns in my case. This was an intense film that really got me involved in the story, but I admit my interest started waning in the final act of the movie when Latif reaches his breaking point and decides to cut ties with Uday and the Hussein regime. Although it was not marketed as such, I along with other people described it as the Scarface of the Middle East.The movie is very loosely based on the true story of Latif Tahia (Dominic Cooper) who in the early to mid 90's was forced to throw away his own life and be the "double" of the widely hated, morally deprived but unlimitedly powerful son of Saddam Hussein, Uday Hussein (Dominic Cooper). The Devil's Double is based on the true story of Latif Yahia an Iraqi Lieutenant kidnapped from the front-line in the Iran/Iraq war to become the body double for Saddam Hussein's notoriously vicious and sadistic son Uday. Dominic Cooper gives an outstanding performance in the Dual roles of Latif and Uday Saddam Hussein, never leaving you guessing who exactly he is playing at any one time but cementing the belief that there are two men in opposing roles. "The Devil's Double",as many of you know a book written by Latif Yahia himself about the demented time that was forced on him by Uday Saddam Hossain. The start of the film is the beginning which everyone wants to see in a film because it wastes no time and it follows through out the movie only showing you the best/shocking/interesting part of the life span of Latif and Uday and Iraq itself. In presence of casting, Dominic Cooper's British accent sometime popped out in sentences but his brilliant performance kept me thrilled through out the film, at first he even fooled me in making me believe there was a double.In short the movie was brilliant in capturing the realism of the terror in Iraq's eye and arraying into a story filled with action, fear, reality and life. This movie follows Latif Yahia and his road in becoming, living, and leaving the life as a double for Uday Hussein, the son of Saddam Hussein. The movie becomes a little slow towards the end and I found that The Devil's Double falls apart due to a story that didn't know where to go, but the entire movie is worth seeing just to watch Dominic Cooper's Oscar worthy performance. What this movie intends to show is the perspective of his Fiday (body double), Latif Yahia (also played by Dominic Cooper). 'THE DEVIL'S DOUBLE': Three and a Half Stars (Out of Five) A brutally violent biopic based on a book written by a man, named Latif Yahia, who claims to have been a body double for Saddam Hussein's son, Uday. As in the case of Latif Yahia, the man who claimed he was forcibly made to act as the body double to Saddam Hussein's eldest son, Uday.Nowadays many people discredit Yahia but his outlandish story made it to a feature film giving Dominic Cooper dual roles. Based on the true story of Latif who is chosen to be the body double of Saddam Hussein's son, Uday. Film Review: "The Devil's Double" (2011)Here a completely by his leading actor Dominic Cooper, in best form, carrying the picture about the Saddam Hussein's son life style and the story from his inches alike body double the character Latif Yahia directed by Lee Tamahori, granted with a fairly-paced script by Michael Thomas based on real-life memories, brought together to an appealing thrilling psycho-drama, which gets ultimately enriched by the truthfully transcending relationship to the character of Sarrab, Uday Hussein's first lady, portrayed by erotic-striking actress Ludivine Sagnier, who with her laissez-faire acting style and immensely build up chemistry to actor Dominic Cooper, making the "The Devil's Double" a secretly to encounter piece of motion picture entertainment with minor suspense dissatisfaction, when it comes to the story's conclusion, worth the watch nevertheless.© 2017 Felix Alexander Dausend (Cinemajesty Entertainments LLC). The film was based on the book of the same name that tells the true story of a young Iraqi man Latif, who was forced to body double the Saddam Hussein's playboy son, Uday. To make the movie confronting and compelling, the story should have been told warts and all.Decent performance by Dominic Cooper, appearing as both Uday Hussein and his doppelganger, Latif Yahia. As told from the perspective of Latif Yahia, who was forced to serve as Uday Hussein's body double, it's impossible to tell how much of this horrific story is true and how much is embellished. From the disputed book by Latif Yahia, this is his real(?) story of being forced to be Uday Hussein's double. Nevertheless this film, based on real life, is worth seeing for Dominic Cooper's superlative performance as Latif/Uday.. The film tells the story of Uday Hussein and Latif Yahia - who is forced to become Uday's 'fiday' - his body double. Set in war-torn Iraq, The Devil's Double tells the story of Saddam Hussein's son, Uday, and his highly look alike double, Latif. The acting by Dominic Cooper who plays both Latif and Uday Hussein is amazing. As Latif Yahia, Cooper plays a genuinely nice citizen of Iraq who gets forced into the role of "fiday" or body double for Saddam's evil son Uday. The movie is very difficult to watch because of the actions of this guy, but Cooper's performance makes it worthwhile.The support work is provided by Ludivine Sagnier (Swimming Pool) as Uday's lover, who also risks her life by getting cozy with Latif. It's not that well known that his oldest son , who was a nut job , also had a double and this the story of Uday Hussein and his reluctant double Latif.The Devil's Double is an interesting story that is told in an over the top extravagant way and is entertaining for the most part but i would have liked this film much more if the director took it a little bit more seriously. Dominic Cooper's tour de force performance in this highly fictionalized account of the relationship between Saddam Hussein's spoiled, drug-addled, sociopathic son Uday and his unwilling double, Latif Yahia, largely holds "The Devil's Double" together, but even he can't save it when its narrative falls to pieces. This is the story of Latif Yahia during the period of his life when he was forced to play body double for Uday Hussein. At it's heart this film is about the fear generated by one powerful, violent and insane man and how people learn to live with him.Dominic Cooper played both of the lead roles, Uday Hussein and Latif Yahia, and was amazing. Now Dominic Cooper plays both young Hussein and latif the man forced to be his double and this performance shows just how good an actor Cooper is. A gangster movie set in Baghdad in the 80's, the fact that it's based on a true story doesn't really hit you until you walk out, and you completely believe that the lead Dominic Cooper is two different people. Definitely the movie of the year so far, can't believe that the guy who played Latif and Uday (British actor Dominic Cooper) is also in Captain America. Three are three very good reasons to go to see The Devil's Double, firstly Dominic Cooper, outstanding in his dual roles as the good guy (Latif Yahia) and the bad guy (Uday Saddam Hussein). Three are three very good reasons to go to see The Devil's Double, firstly Dominic Cooper, outstanding in his dual roles as the good guy (Latif Yahia) and the bad guy (Uday Saddam Hussein). Based on the true story of how Latif Yahia was forced to become Uday's body double or bullet-catcher, it's riveting stuff. Based on the true story of how Latif Yahia was forced to become Uday's body double or bullet-catcher, it's riveting stuff. Having watched a few other Iraq films, I would have to say that The Devil's Double has the best Saddam I've seen yet, the actor, Philip Quast really looks and acts the part, it's incredible. Having watched a few other Iraq films, I would have to say that The Devil's Double has the best Saddam I've seen yet, the actor, Philip Quast really looks and acts the part, it's incredible.

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Fantastic Voyage

A commercial airliner lands at JFK Airport in New York. A Secret Serviceman (Ken Scott), backed by a large Army contingent, greets the plane. After it taxis to a stop, Lieutenant Charles Grant USN (Stephen Boyd) steps out onto a mobile boarding ramp, verifies the Secret Service escort, and then signals to the other passenger, Jan Benes (Jean Del Val), to deplane with him. Benes walks down and gets into the Secret Service car, but not before warmly shaking Grant's hand one last time.But as the motorcade enters a run-down section of New York, a car hurtles out of an alley and broadsides Benes' car. Hastily the Secret Service transfer Benes to another car, which then must make a quick escape as the Secret Service contingent fights a gun battle with several other assailants in the surrounding buildings.Benes is taken to the underground headquarters of the Combined Miniature Deterrent Forces (CMDF) and given a full physical examination, including an EEG. The results are dire: he has suffered a stroke on the left side, in an inoperable spot. The doctors induce a coma so that his brain will not damage itself, while they decide what to do.The original Secret Service man then picks up Grant and delivers him to an alley, instructing him to stay in the car and wait. Then the car, with Grant alone in it, descends to an underground complex. A small scooter bearing the CMDF logo, which he does not recognize, picks him up and delivers him to the Medical Section. There, Grant meets CMDF's commandant, Lieutenant General Alan Carter USA (Edmund O'Brien). General Carter first shows him Benes, in a coma and on a litter. Then he introduces him to the surgeon, Dr. Peter Duval (Arthur Kennedy), and his assistant Cora Peterson (Raquel Welch), who will operate on Benes, and also to Dr. "Mike" Michaels (Donald Pleasence), who is somehow expected to watch Duval to make sure that Duval does not try to kill his patient while operating. Then Carter explains what CMDF means, and about the miniaturization technique that is at the heart of it all. The problem: the USA (and the USSR) can miniaturize any object, to any size, but cannot hold an object miniaturized for more than 60 minutes. Benes knows how to extend the time, and Grant is the one who brought Benes out when he sought to defect. Now Carter reveals why Grant is there: CMDF will reduce a small submarine to microscopic size, and deliver Duval, Miss Peterson, Michaels--and Grant--into Benes' body, to operate on Benes from the inside.Grant hates the idea. Worse yet, CMDF Medical Officer Col. Donald Reid (Arthur O'Connell) does not want a woman to go along on such a hazardous mission. Duval insists that he will have Cora or no one at his side. Grant also meets Captain Wilfrid Owens (William Redfield), designer and pilot of the submarine. The plan: reduce the submarine with all aboard and inject it into the left carotid artery. They will follow this to the site of the stroke, where Dr. Duval will use a hand-held laser to dissolve the clot. Then they travel back along the left internal jugular to the base of the neck, where they will be removed. The problem: if they stay in longer than 60 minutes, they will grow to a size that the immune system will notice, and Benes' own defenses will mobilize to destroy them.Grant barely has time to take in a briefing before Michaels leads him, Duval, Cora, and Owens to a "sterilization room." There they dress in white SCUBA wetsuits, with white overalls over this, all bearing the CMDF logo, and pass through a corridor that irradiates them gently with UVA to kill any germs on their bodies. As Carter and Reid make their preparations, the crew then climbs aboard their submarine (USS Proteus, U-91035) and make preparations for getting under way. Owens and Grant install a tiny reactor containing a microscopic radioactive particle, that will power the sub once they are shrunk. (Radioactive material cannot miniaturize.) Grant tests the ship's wireless, which will be his station. Owens tells Michaels how he will be able to read Michaels' details charts of Benes' circulatory and lymphatic systems. Cora mounts and tests the laser, while also teasing Grant about his still-obvious fear of being "shrunk." (Grant has, throughout, tried to cover his fear with bad jokes and worse innuendo, and doesn't fool Cora for one second.) Cora also reveals that she is a five-year veteran of CMDF and has worked with Duval all that time.Carter radios them to "prepare for miniaturization." So the crew pull out their seats, strap in, and settle in. Everything goes well, except for the time that Michaels, suffering an attack of claustrophobia, tries to get out through the topside hatch (after they are already submerged in an outsized hypodermic syringe), forcing Duval and Grant to restrain him and calm him down. (Duval and Grant have taken their first shot at working together, as they cooperate with Owens to accomplish the submersion.) With the second miniaturization step, the Proteus can now generate its own power. Eventually, the surgical team injects them into the carotid artery.And then the problems begin. At first the view is fascinating, But then Proteus drifts into a strong current, then into a whirlpool. It catches the crew unaware, so that though Michaels and Duval can regain their seats, Grant and Cora cannot. Michaels' shoulder belts pop, and Duval struggles to hold him in. Cora is dragged into a bulkhead, and only Grant's iron grip on her stops her from breaking her neck. Finally the Proteus comes out of the whirlpool--but now the blood cells surrounding them are blue, not the red they remembered. They realize (as do Carter and Reid, watching from outside) that Proteus has gone through an arterio-venous fistula from the carotid artery into the jugular vein. Now they are headed toward the superior vena cava, and will go through the heart--which will smash them. Michaels urges immediate removal, but the authorities, under Carter's leadership, have another idea: to put Benes into cardiac arrest and let Proteus swim through as fast as her drive can propel her. This they do, and Proteus dives into the right ventricle and goes out through the pulmonic valve, with three seconds to spare.Now they head into the lungs, where they observe oxygenation of the blue corpuscles that surround them. Just then, Proteus develops an air leak, which Owens stops, but only after Proteus has lost so much air that she cannot continue. Grant offers a solution: he will take the boat's snorkel and enter an alveolus to take the air that Benes breathes. Owens insists that everyone else aboard except himself join Grant in the dive, for safety reasons. As they put on their SCUBA gear, Grant discovers that the laser has broken loose and gotten knocked around. He firmly tells Duval and Cora to wait on testing the laser until after Grant finishes his snorkel operation.Grant succeeds in pulling in the air--but then his safety line snaps and he finds himself sucked into a bronchiole with Benes' next breathe-out. When Benes breathes in again, he luckily finds the original alveolus, after which he races to safety, with Duval strenuously pulling him back out into the bloodstream.Proteus gets back underway, heading into the pleural cavity. During this time, Cora disassembles the laser and discovers a smashed transistor and a broken trigger wire. Grant supplies replacements for both by cannibalizing the wireless and sending one last message, to the consternation of Carter and Reid. The transistor is of a good size, but the trigger wire is far too large--but Duval believes that he can scrape it down.Grant also takes time to discuss with Michaels a hard reality: someone has tried to sabotage the mission at least twice. Grant knows that Cora had indeed fastened the laser securely--so someone must have unfastened it, just as someone tampered with Grant's safety line. Michaels protests that he cannot think so ill of Duval, the logical suspect.Proteus enters the lymphatic system and passes through a lymph node. The boat blunders into several reticular fibers, and Owens warns that if they keep running into the seaweed-like fibers, they'll block the water jet intakes, and Proteus' engines will overheat. The crew also observe a stray bacterium, and antibodies attacking it and squeezing it to death.Grant is frustrated with the delay and the slow progress. Duval then suggests going to the inner ear--a very hazardous path, because the slightest noise will kill them, and they cannot warn the operating team. Grant expresses confidence that the surgical team, once they see where they are headed, will keep the required silence. Michaels is still dubious, but reluctantly agrees to navigate to Benes' left ear.Inside the ear, Owens must stop--the engines have overheated. Grant, Cora, and Michaels make another dive to pull the reticular fibers out of the intakes. Topside, a nurse (Shelby Grant) gets the idea of plugging Benes' ear with cotton--but then drops a pair of scissors to the floor. With the result that Proteus and her crew are badly shaken up. Cora gets the worst of it--she is carried into the Organ of Corti and finds herself trapped among the Cells of Hensen. She cries out for help, and Michaels and Grant race to her rescue--but Grant orders Michaels back aboard Proteus when he cannot go any further. Grant frees Cora from the hair cells, and they race back to the airlock--but as they wait for it to re-flood (after Michaels used it), antibodies attack Cora and fasten onto her. Grant hastily guides her into the airlock, closes the hatch--and then raps on the door when Cora makes plain that she simply cannot breathe. Michaels, Duval, and Owens open the airlock before it is fully evacuated, pull Cora out, and, with Grant's help, start pulling the antibody molecules off her body. Soon they start crystallizing and come off easily, so Cora is saved.Proteus gets back under way, passes through the middle ear, and then passes through the endolymphatic duct back into the vascular system. Now they penetrate into the brain and reach the clot. During that passage, Michaels and Duval argue about whether Duval, having repaired the laser, should test it. Duval insists on using the laser as-is, not wanting to strain it.Eventually they reach the clot. But with so little time remaining, Michaels wants Owens to take Proteus back out. But now Grant shuts down the power and insists that Duval and Cora go out and operate. Michaels strenously objects, but Grant firmly overrides him, saying that Duval simply does not fit the profile of a fanatic.Now Grant makes his near-fatal mistake: instead of remaining aboard, he goes out to see if he can "help" Duval and Cora. Duval manages to clear the clot, at least enough to get the blood flowing again and relieve the pressure on a key nerve. But aboard Proteus, Michaels knocks out Owens, and then restores power, takes the helm, and sends Proteus on a collision course for the nerve. Grant asks for the laser, and fires a wide-angle beam at Proteus, raking her port side and sending her away from the nerve and into several nearby dendrites. White corpuscles respond immediately, so Grant slips back aboard, through the tear in the hull, to rescue Michaels and Owens if he can. Owens is only now regaining consciousness, so Grant tells him to suit up as fast as he can. But when he tries to untangle Michaels from the wrecked helm station, a white cell settles over the helmsman's dome, breaks through, and suffocates Michaels. Grant and Owens then abandon ship, before the white corpuscles crush it. Duval keeps the white cells at bay long enough for Grant and Owens to escape, before the laser quits for good.Topside, Carter and Reid reluctantly order the removal of Proteus, because time has run out. Inside Benes' body, the four remaining crew swim as fast as they can along the optic nerve, toward Benes' left eye. Carter allows the attending surgeon to make preparations for a trephination procedure--and then deduces what the crew might do and stops the attending in mid-motion. Reid, too, realizes how they crew can still escape, and rushes down to the operating room and asks for a large magnifier. Through this, he looks into Benes' left eye, in time to make out four members of the crew swimming in Benes' tears. He calls for a microscope slide and uses it to lift out a teardrop, with the crew inside. Then he asks the staff to open the door, and as quickly as he dares, walks out into the miniaturization room and sets the slide gently down on the center hexagon. The crew then grows to full size, and the rest of the staff warmly greet them and assure them that the operation is a complete success.NOTE: The film, as it played, had a number of scientific inaccuracies and plot holes. Isaac Asimov, who wrote the novelization from the final shooting script, repaired these and at least tried to produce a scientifically consistent narrative. The key differences are:* The time limit on miniaturization is not a uniform sixty minutes. Instead, the rule is that energy of miniaturization (which is a function of the proportion of normal size to reduced size), when multiplied by duration of miniaturization, is equal to Planck's constant divided by two times pi. In simpler terms, the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle governs the maximum time of miniaturization at any given size. Benes' secret is another set of variables that the original pioneering scientists overlooked. The sixty minutes that apply to this narrative are a special case of that model.* Grant's role and authority are broader than as depicted in the film version. In the novel, Grant, not Michaels, has the ultimate authority on policy decisions, and is another brain and pair of hands in an emergency. Cora, sensing right away that the CMDF brass put him on board because they suspect Duval of murderous intent, at first resents him bitterly, and then softens toward him and almost pleads with him to understand Duval's politics, that have caused CMDF to doubt him. Those politics are that the Two Sides in the Cold War ought to share scientific discoveries freely, without regard to strategic sensitivity. But Duval is not the saboteur, a thing Grant comes to deduce by process of elimination.* When Grant makes his first dive with the snorkel into Benes' lungs, Owens uses the on-board miniaturizer that Proteus carries, to reduce the air to a size compatible with Proteus and her crew in their shrunken state. Otherwise, Grant would have been trying to draw in oxygen molecules large enough to see.* When Grant's safety line parts, sending him up the bronchiolar tree, Duval suggests that Owens orient the Proteus to face the alveolar wall and shine the boat's headlight into it. That allows Grant to find the right alveolus again. Otherwise he would have been hopelessly lost.* As Carter and Reid watch Proteus enter the inner ear, they do not use their PA system to announce to the surgical team the hazard against making noise. Instead, Carter writes a note and sends an orderly to walk into the OR in his stockinged feet to hand it to the attending. When, later, he wants to suggest plugging Benes' ears, he sends another note the same way. (The nurse does not take that upon herself, but acts only when she gets Carter's second note. And when the scissors fall, she steps on them so that they won't rattle and thus risk more damage than they might already have caused.)* When Cora falls into the organ of Corti and finds herself wedged among the hair cells, the antibodies take time to "taste" her before they come swarming. Benes' body would never have had antibodies specific to her at the moment of contact. This is still a stretch, because the immune system is now known to take much longer than that to raise antibodies to anything, and through a process that is much more complex than that depicted in film or novel.* When the crew pull Cora back aboard, they only have to give one good tug at one clinging antibody molecule, before realizing that all the antibodies crystallize at once, and all they need do is brush them off. The air on board "hits" the antibodies and denatures them immediately. So the dramatic (and suggestive) grabbing procedure is not necessary.* When Duval and Cora make their dive to attack the clot with the laser, Cora wears her wetsuit inside out, in order not to present a recognizable target to any stray antibodies that might be lurking about. Benes might not have been "immunized" against her before, but he is now.* After clubbing Owens, Michaels, unaccountably, bundles him into a wet suit and drops him out the airlock. Perhaps Michaels takes no chances that Owens might come to himself and try to take his ship back. With the result that Grant's quick rescue operation becomes unnecessary.* After the Proteus crashes into the dendrites, Duval worries that the damage that Michaels has done might start a new clot. This apparently does not happen, but at least Asimov acknowledges the possibility, which the original script does not even talk about.* After the white corpuscles eat the Proteus, Grant knows that they can't just leave her in place. Even when crushed, Proteus will grow to a size to kill Benes. (Michaels also realizes this at the last instant of his life, which is why he bursts out laughing as the white corpuscle collapses the glass dome over his head.) So Grant takes out his dagger and slashes at the white cell to attract its attention and induce it to follow them out. Of course, that releases chemotaxins that bring a swarm of white cells, so the crew must swim for their lives to get out ahead of them. (Furthermore, the medical team topside do not stop tracking Proteus even as they prepare for the trephination procedure. When the monitoring techs realize that Proteus seems to be moving again, Carter stops the preparations. That's when Reid realizes that the crew are using an escape route he did not at first consider.)* The crew, swimming toward the eye, do not drop the laser. Instead, Cora tries to carry the laser out. When Cora inevitably starts flagging, Grant takes the laser and its power pack away from her so that she can swim unencumbered.* Finally, when Col. Reid extracts the crew, he does not try to walk with the slide into the miniaturizer room. Instead, he sets the slide on the operating-room floor where he stands and orders everyone out of the room, including Benes, whom the staff wheel out on his litter. When the crew re-magnify, General Carter takes a quick muster with his eyes and realizes, with a sickening feeling in his gut, that Michaels and the Proteus are both missing. Grant stops him and assures him that the pile of metal fragments next to the crew is what's left of both.The novel has a few more dramatic differences--offering a more detailed explanation of the science of miniaturization, and making more of the professional (or personal) relationships between General Carter and Colonel Reid, between Reid and Michaels, between Grant and Benes on the flight in, between Duval and Cora, and especially between Cora and Grant during and after the trip. (See above.) Grant also has a scene with Carter and Reid in which he acknowledges his mistake in going out on the dive with Duval and Cora, instead of remaining on board after he, in effect, had placed Michaels under arrest. The novel ends with an inspiring scene in which Grant, fully grown once more, pays a visit to Benes, who by now has regained consciousness and can even talk to him.BENES: And now I must remember what I came here to tell. It's a little fuzzy, but it's still all in there.GRANT: You'd be surprised to know what's in you, Professor.

cult, suspenseful, psychedelic, claustrophobic

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imdb

tt0093565

Moonstruck

Thirty-seven-year-old Loretta Castorini (Cher), an Italian-American widow, is a bookkeeper in Brooklyn Heights, New York, where she lives with her family: her father Cosmo (Vincent Gardenia) a successful plumber; her mother Rose (Olympia Dukakis); and her paternal grandfather (Feodor Chaliapin, Jr). Her boyfriend Johnny Cammareri (Danny Aiello) proposes to her before leaving for Sicily to be with his dying mother; she accepts, but is insistent that they carefully follow tradition as she believes her first marriage was cursed by her failure to do so, resulting in her husband's death. Johnny asks Loretta to invite his estranged younger brother Ronny (Nicolas Cage) to the wedding. Loretta returns home and informs her parents of the engagement. Cosmo dislikes Johnny and is reluctant to commit to paying for the "real" wedding Loretta insists on, while Rose is pleased that Loretta likes Johnny but does not love him; she believes that one can easily be driven crazy by a partner whom one loves. The next day, Loretta goes to see Ronny at his bakery. He reveals that he has a wooden prosthetic hand, and he explains that he blames Johnny for the loss of his hand and his own fiancée; Ronny became distracted while talking to Johnny as he cut bread for him, his hand was mangled in the slicer, and his fiancée left him. Loretta insists that they discuss the matter upstairs in his apartment, where she cooks for him and then tells him that she believes he is a "wolf" who cut off his own hand to escape the trap of a bad relationship. Ronny reacts furiously and passionately, kissing Loretta (who responds to his kiss) and then carrying her to his bed where they make love. At the same time, Cosmo is dining with his mistress Mona (Anita Gillette) and giving her jewelry. That evening, Rose's brother Raymond (Louis Guss) and his wife Rita (Julie Bovasso) join Rose and Cosmo for dinner, and they all wonder where Loretta is. Raymond recalls that when he was a boy and Cosmo was courting Rose, he thought that a particularly bright moon one night was somehow brought to the house by Cosmo because of his love for Rose. That night, Loretta remains at Ronny's apartment and sees such a moon; Raymond sees it as well, and it leads him and Rita to make love. The next morning, Loretta tells Ronny they can never see each other again. She slaps him when he claims to be in love with her ("Snap out of it!") and he agrees to never see her again if she will attend the opera (his other great love) with him that night. She agrees. She then goes to church and confesses her infidelity. She unexpectedly sees her mother there, and Rose tells her that Cosmo is having an affair; Loretta is doubtful. Loretta then goes to Raymond and Rita's store to close out the cash register, after which she impulsively goes to the hair salon and buys a glamorous evening gown. Loretta and Ronny (wearing a tuxedo) meet at Lincoln Center, and each is impressed with the other's appearance. Loretta is deeply moved by her first opera, Puccini's La bohème. But as they leave, Loretta sees Cosmo and Mona, and she confronts her father. He sees that she is with Ronny, and he suggests that they simply agree that they didn't see each other at all, but Loretta is conflicted. Loretta then intends to return home alone, but Ronny leads her back to his apartment where he passionately and desperately persuades her into another tryst. The same night, Rose dines alone at a restaurant and sees a college professor, Perry (John Mahoney), being dramatically dumped by a female student, a similar scene having played out with a different girl the night Johnny proposed to Loretta. Rose invites Perry to dine with her, asks him why men pursue women, and then shares with him her belief that men pursue women because they fear death. Perry walks Rose home and tries to convince her to invite him in; she refuses "because I'm married. Because I know who I am." Later, Johnny unexpectedly returns from Sicily after his mother's "miraculous" recovery and goes to Loretta's house; Rose explains that she's not there and then asks him why men chase women. He tells her it may be because they fear death, with which Rose agrees. After this exchange he leaves, planning to return in the morning to see Loretta. In the morning, Loretta returns home in a reverie but is then distressed to learn from Rose that Johnny will be there soon. Ronny then arrives, and Rose notes their matching "love bites" and invites him for breakfast over Loretta's objections. Cosmo and his father emerge from upstairs, and the older man cajoles Cosmo into agreeing to pay for Loretta's wedding. Rose then confronts Cosmo and, after he acknowledges in response to her questioning that she has been a good wife, demands that he end his affair; he is upset but agrees and, after insistence from Rose, also agrees to go to confession, and they then affirm their love for each other. Raymond and Rita also arrive, concerned and seemingly reluctantly suspicious, to find out why Loretta didn't make the previous day's bank deposit; they are relieved to learn that she merely forgot and still has the money. When Johnny finally arrives, he breaks off the engagement, superstitiously believing that their marriage would cause his mother's death. Loretta, momentarily offended by his breaking the engagement, chastises Johnny for breaking his promise and throws the engagement ring at him. Seizing the moment, Ronny borrows the ring and asks Loretta to marry him; she accepts. To Rose's chagrin, Loretta declares that she loves Ronny. The family toasts the couple with champagne and a befuddled Johnny joins in at the grandfather's urging, as he will now be part of the family after all.

romantic, humor, entertaining, boring

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wikipedia

Besides movies based on Agatha Christie novels, it is rare that a story ends with bringing the entire cast together more satisfyingly than "Moonstruck." The morning-after-the-opera scene in Rose Castorini's sunny kitchen with all the characters present is one that I can watch again and again. "You've got a love-bite on yer neck - your life's goin down the toilet!" "I want you to stop seeing her" "Who are we waiting for?" "Johnny Cammarari" "You're a part of the family!"No matter what sort of table you grew up around, rent or buy this movie. Cage is pretty good, and goofy as well, and Olympia Dukakis as Loretta's mother and Vincent Gardenia as her father are terrific. Wonderful romance comedy drama about an Italian widow (Cher) who's planning to marry a man she's comfortable with (Danny Aiello) until she falls for his headstrong, angry brother (Nicholas Cage). It's a "feel good" movie where you leave the theatre humming "that's amore" or repeating some of your favorite lines: "old man, if you give those dogs another piece of my food, I'll kick you till you're dead"; "Chrissy, bring me the big knife", "who's dead", "do you love him Loretta....., good because when you do, they drive you crazy because they know they can". When the above line is uttered by a tearful, elderly character at the end of this wonderful, funny, charming romantic comedy, I laughed so hard, my ribs hurt. The film is a heart warming look at a quirky Italian-American family in Brooklyn that happens to be going through some relationship issues. Cher, Olympia Dukakis (both Oscar winners), Vincent Gardenia and Danny Aiello have rarely, if ever, been better and the tuneful and romantic score is an added treat. Even the music -- from Dean Martin to La Boheme -- is captivating and delightful!Every character is peculiarly delightful and memorable, from the leads played by Cher and Nicolas Cage, to the many supporting roles -- Olympia Dukakis , Vincent Gardenia, John Mahoney, Danny Aiello -- even grandpa with his dog pack! There are so many stunning and memorable scenes the original meeting between the Cher and Nicolas Cage characters, where Cage tells his tale of woe; Vincent Gardenia discovered with his paramour at the opera, amidst the splendor generated by his gold-mine plumbing business; Olympia Dukakis scolding John Mahoney for philandering with his student in the classic line about liaisons with co-workers: "Don't sh-t where you eat!"; Danny Aiello at his dying mother's bedside; Nicolas Cage "taking" Cher as the rapture of an aria soars in the background! I can't pick a favorite line, but the scene when Loretta first confronts Ronnie in the bakery is powerful, moving, and Nicolas Cage at his very best "I ain't no monument to justice!...". We are here to ruin ourselves and love the wrong people..." Permission to be passionate and flawed.Trivia-Did you know that the second slap Loretta gives Ronnie when she tells him to "snap out of it!" was impromptu, and that they both cracked up after that and filmed the rest of that scene struggling not to burst out laughing?. Now I watch it and go - oh yeah, I get it!Cher is playing Loretta, a 37 year old widow of 7 years who married late for her culture - age 28 - holding out for love only to have her husband get run over by a bus. Then Johnny has to leave town and tells Loretta that he wants her to help him make things right between himself and his brother (Nicholas Cage) who have not spoken for years. A misunderstanding causes Loretta's extended family to think that she embezzled some money, and a professor in a restaurant who is always getting slapped and left by young girls throws some romantic attention the way of Dukakis' character. This sounds like it could be serious, but it is just a sweet romantic comedy and at the same time a family comedy very much steeped in the culture of Italian Americans who never left New York after migrating here and thus retain much of the history of their original homeland in their daily life. Just like everyone is Irish when St. Patty's Day rolls around, everybody's Italian when it comes to watching this pleasant charmer, no matter if it's written by an Irish American, directed by a Canadian Jew, and stars the world's most famous Armenian-Native American.Loretta Castorini Clark (Cher) is not a lucky woman, it seems. Just as she readies herself for a loveless marriage with the sweet-but-simple Johnny Cammarini (Danny Aiello), love strikes in the form of Johnny's bitter brother Ronny (Nicolas Cage). Can Loretta do the right thing, even if she doesn't quite know what that is?"Moonstruck" is a comedy that works in serious themes, like death, infidelity, faith, and hopelessness. Writer John Patrick Shanley operates with a deft hand and an ear for how people say what they really mean even when they try to say something else, like when Loretta's cheating father Cosmo (Vincent Gardinia, along with Cage one of the authentic Italian-American cast members) warns her against marriage because, well, he's cheap and doesn't want to pay for it.Seeing her ring from Johnny is just a pinky ring (Johnny wasn't prepared when he popped the question), Pop complains when she tells him it's temporary: "Everything is temporary! "I ain't no freakin' monument to justice," he exclaims.Cage's best work in the movie comes at the end, when he's not talking so much as listening in the background while the other characters have their big confessional moments at the breakfast table. That concluding scene is a showcase of fine comic acting and writing, which director Norman Jewison (another guy who liked to go big in other productions) plays very lightly and well, working the silences as much as the speeches to wry effect.Even the secondary performers, like Feodor Chaliapin as Cosmo's confused father, and Julie Bovasso and Louis Guss as Loretta's aunt and uncle, make their marks. Olympia Dukakis, the other Oscar-winner in the cast, has a great scene with Aiello which justifies his character's somewhat superfluous presence.To be in love is to die a little, but dying seems like a small price to pay for the pleasure of love. Nicholas Cage, Danny Aiello, and Olympia Dukakis, were wonderfully flawed in "Moonstruck" Such performances by these three were perfectly appropriate for the kinetic energy of the characters in this movie! Most of these were about gangsters (even when they were comedies, as in the 1985 movie Prizzi's Honor), but as Moonstruck shows, there were plenty of other stereotypes to be exploited without resorting to gun-toting Mafiosi.Moonstruck features numerous tropes of Italian culture – vendettas, elderly matriarchs, romantic opera etc., etc., etc… Often these are in a satirical light, such as Nicholas Cage's absolutely pathetic excuse for "bad blood". The movie is really a mess of clichés and crisscrossing romantic subplots, with occasional musings on the nature of love and fidelity, none of which seems quite as intelligent or cohesive as it seems to thinks it is.Cher carries the movie's Italian American cliché through to her performance, which is full of extravagant gesture. The Original Screenplay, by John Patrick Shanley, which won an Oscar, is note-worthy.'Moonstruck' tells the story of a unlucky widow, played superbly by Cher, who finds herself stuck between her would-be husband and his angry, yet lovable, brother, played by Oscar-Winning Actor, Nic Cage.The film begins well, and though the writing does dip after a certain point, the culmination comes out as uncomplicated & memorable. As soon as Dean Martin's "That's Amore" played over the opening credits, this enchanting film had me in rom-com heaven.One night the passions of various members of an Italian-American family in Brooklyn come alive as a huge full-moon casts its spell over them. To this day, Moonstruck is still one of my favorite movies, and congrats to Cher for her wonderful leading role and for the director to use Dean Martin's That's Amore as well as Vikki's # 1 AC hit It Must be Him!. All of these films focus on a single character, but the complete cast makes it work.Right down to the "Old Man" - the aging Italian grandfather, warned by his daughter-in-law to stop feeding table food to his dogs "or I'll kick you til you die."Moonstruck follows an Italian American family in New York and how they discover, realize and run from true love. Its best feature is its wonderful mood, perfectly capturing the Italian core family - hostile and critical, but always loving and caring and ready to defend eachother.Cher won a well-deserved Oscar here for delicately playing a stereotype without becoming a caricacture. In the movies best line, Cher's mother (Olympia Dukakis) asks "Do you love him", and when Cher answers no, mom says "Good. If you haven't seen it or are not sure if you want to, because you don't like Cher, or you think eighties movies are all bad (ok, it was the worst film decade, but so what? Despite being frail and old, he is shown to still be very wise and authoritative, condemning Cosmo for breaking the family and demanding that Cosmo pay for Loretta's wedding.All these personalities come together and make a very ordinary story interesting and funny.All in all, I offer one piece of advice: See this movie. The romantic comedy Moonstruck is directed by Norman Jewison and stars Cher and Nicolas Cage. But, perhaps the best character is the one played by Olympia Dukakis.The film's climax is a scene where the main characters have it out over a breakfast of oatmeal in the family kitchen. Nicholas Cage was the beginning of his career, and Vincent Gardenia and Danny Aiello were not known for their comedic talents, nor was Norman Jewison the director.The only really flat note in this splendid work is "When the Moon Hits Your Eye Like a Big Pizza Pie, That's Amore," a song that is sung too many times in the movie (once is already too many) and that went on to have a long afterlife in popular music. Meanwhile, her father (Vincent Gardenia) is cheating on her mother (Olympia Dukakis), which Loretta accidentally discovers when Ronny invites her to the Metropolitan Opera.Everything works out in the end, as it inevitably does in films of this genre. Cher is such a comedy natural, Vincent Gardenia (who I know mostly through his Frank Lorenzo role on All in the Family until I saw him in this and then off-Broadway in the 80's)deserved far greater stardom than he ever got, and Aiello's hapless loser are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to giving kudos to this tremendous cast. (Let's face it...in real life not exactly a sure thing!) The last scene, with the entire family waiting for Johnny Camarari to arrive, is priceless ("Someone tell a joke...") ("Tell them the truth, Loretta, they find out anyway.") And I believe, with Ronnie, that "We are here to break our hearts, and to love the wrong people.". I am simply enamored with this romantic comedy set in a borough of New York City within an Italian-American extended family. Cher is believable and lovable as Loretta, a tough-and-tender widow of 37, who becomes engaged to sappy, "mama's boy" Johnny, played by Danny Aielo, whom she likes, but doesn't really love. The plot is great and simple to follow, the acting is good from Cher (gasp here) and Nic Cage is on top form as the slightly weird brother of Danny Aiello (also great, very funny)with the wooden hand! I know this review is short, however all I have to say is get your girlfriend/boyfriend to sit down on the warm snug sofa one moon lit night and sit and watch this delightful romantic comedy, probably one of the best of all time. I insist I'm not a Nicholas Cage fan, even though he appears in two of my very favorite films: "Raising Arizona," and "Moonstruck." His real talent must be knowing how to pick scripts. Though Cher and Cage are the focal points of this story, Gardenia and Dukakis are good counterparts for them- this is where Loretta and Ronny will be in 50 years- still in love. Twelve years later and Norman Jewison's charming tale of love and family in the Big Apple is as good as ever. But after he flies to Sicily to be at the bedside of his dying mother, she falls for Johnny's estranged younger brother, Ronny (Nicolas Cage).Aside from a great cast, fine photography and a delightful soundtrack, the movie also boasts some of the best dialogue of the Eighties, such as Cage's one-handed baker, desperately trying to make Cher's character fall for him. We are here to ruin ourselves and to break our hearts and love the wrong people and die."Well, quite.On the surface it may look like a star vehicle for Cher but you don't need to be a fan to warm to its charms. Needless to say, the movie proved an instant smash hit and also worked its charms on the American Film Academy.Moonstruck landed Cher a Best Actress Oscar, garnered screenwriter John Patrick Shanley a gong for Best Screenplay and turned Nicolas Cage into one of Hollywood's most sought-after actors.If star spotting is your favoured pastime, then look down the cast list and you'll see Frasier's John Mahoney, Julie Bovasso (John Travolta's mum in Saturday Night Fever) and in an Oscar-winning role, Tales of the City's Olympia Dukakis. Cher gives a brilliant performance, while the role of Ronnie suits Nicolas Cage better than any other character he has played. Moonstruck is a crazy comedy, a beautiful love story, and a realistic portrayal of an Italian-American family.. It's still not one of those "fun for the whole family movies" as affairs and other sexual escapades are going on, but overall I thought it was a pretty nice story.Now, I did question the loyalty when a woman (Cher), the first time she meets her finance's brother (Nicolas Cage), goes to bed with him! While gone Cher falls in love with his younger, one-handed brother (Nicolas Cage). The cinematography was well done and captures a sense of romance.The Rest: a thin plotline, Nicholas Cage's performance, and a totally unhumorous and weak attempt to portray an Italian-American family from New York. Cher stars in this smart and clever comedy about a widow who is engaged to a man in Little Italy New York but falls in love with his little brother..Cher is at her best as the widow and Aiello and Dukakis make a memorable set of parents.Cage is also perfect as the tormented baker.. I'm finally checking off some of the classic movies I've never seen!..not a big Nicholas Cage fan, but Cher is great and I love the stereotypical Italian family!. I've always loved Cher so the combination of both of these fine actors within a well written story, and expertly directed film is simply gold. A low-key and charming family comedy about a spinsterish widow (Cher), who is torn between marrying her stuffy fiancé (Danny Aiello) and his animalistic brother (Nicolas Cage). But she gets terrific support from Vincent Gardenia and Olympia Dukakis, playing her philandering father and world-weary mother, and from a very funny Nicolas Cage, who proves that he once had both charm and talent.The film makes terrific use of "Musetta's Waltz" from "La Boheme".Grade: A. While not a lot happens in "Moonstruck", the film manages to win you over with good performances from Cher, Danny Aiello, Vincent Gardenia and Olympia Dukakis.Writer John Patrick Shanley has included some very funny situations in his simple screenplay. The centerpiece is Cher's character, a Brooklyn bookkeeper, who decides to marry a man but ends up falling for the brother (Nicolas Cage). Throughout this triangle, Loretta's parents also have problems with their marriage,but in the end, everyone shares wine as the movie comes to a close on a great, Italian moment.I give Moonstruck ****1/2 stars out of *****.. However, she is well supported by strong performances by Nicolas Cage, Vincent Gardenia, and Olypia Dukakis (in her best supporting-actress winning role) and of course, great directing by Norman Jewison. An affectionate look at the live and loves of New York City's Italian community, "Moonstruck" is a low key film in spite of slightly over-the-top performances from almost all its cast. the casting is perfect down to every last role - especially olympia dukakis and the great julie bovasso, who is such a wonderful new york character actress (i.e. john travolta's mother in Saturday night fever). Set against an iridescent Manhattan skyline, it follows the romantic misadventures of a sensible 38-year old widow (Cher) engaged to marry a man she calls a lamb while falling in love with her fiancé's wolfish younger brother (a miscast Nicholas Cage). At the front line are Loretta Castorini (Cher), her fiancée's brother Ronny (Nicolas Cage) and her mother (Olympia Dukakis) and father (Vincent Gardenia). And, of course, the right people end up with the right people, but it's not as obligatory as it sounds.The cast is wonderful, especially Cher (in her Oscar winning role) who surprised me with her greatness, the funny and poetic Cage, Dukakis is awesome as the wise mother (she also won) and last but not least Gardenia, a perfect Italian father, who took a potentially character and made him lovable. Loretta (played by Cher) is a middle-aged widow, who has given up on love and decides to marry Johnny, a man that she likes, and takes care of. And Cher is so funny as the woman who is engaged to "big baby" Danny Aiello, but falls in love with Nicolas Cage. But along with Cher this film belongs to Vincent Gardenia and Olympia Dukakis. One of my favorite romantic comedies ever, I was surprised to see how well Cher acted in this movie. Olympia Dukakis was hilarious as Cher's mother, and her line about kicking the old man til he's dead makes me laugh no matter how many times I see that scene.

tt0082694

Mad Max 2

Against a backdrop of vintage documentary footage and clips from the movie Mad Max and other archival footage of war, a narrator's voice (Harold Baigent) in the near future remembers the time of chaos after the collapse of the oil-based economy, and the apocalyptic world war that followed. The narrator relates how gangs of scavengers took over the roads, pillaging for fuel, and how ordinary men were broken in the decay: men like Max Rockatansky (Mel Gibson), the Road Warrior, who lost his wife and infant child to the gangs, and became an empty "shell of a man."Max and his dog are being chased down an Australian Outback road, two cars and a motorbike pursuing Max's V8 Interceptor. Max deploys his booster and outruns his pursuers, wrecking the two cars. The motorbike riders pull up as Max is collecting fuel from one of the wrecked cars, and the bike's driver, Wez (Vernon Wells), pulls an arrow from his own arm, screaming defiance at Max. Wez rides off, leaving Max on his own. Searching the wrecked truck, Max finds the mutilated body of a dead child, and picks up the child's tiny music box, amused by the tune it plays. Max drives off a short time later.Max spots a gyrocopter by the side of the road. He approaches cautiously, but when he catches the snake guarding the 'copter, a man camouflaged with sand bursts from the ground, aiming a crossbow at him. The Gyro Captain (Bruce Spence) has been using the 'copter to attract the curious, and get their fuel once the snake has done its work. Max warns him the Interceptor's full tanks are booby-trapped. The Gyro Captain orders Max to disarm the bomb. When the Captain opens the passenger door, Max's dog attacks the Gyro Captain and the tables are turned. To save his own skin, the Gyro Captain offers to show Max an oil-refinery not far away, suggesting that the group that lives there will give Max all the fuel he needs. Max takes the man prisoner and drives to the refinery.They arrive on a hill next to the refinery to find it under siege from a gang using all sorts of odd-looking vehicles, from motorbikes to hot-rods. The gang is under the leadership of a huge, masked man calling himself Lord Humungus (Kjell Nilsson). As he watches through binoculars, Max spots Wez arguing with Humungus.Max, the dog and the Gyro Captain settle in for the night. The Gyro Captain pleads for his freedom, but Max reminds him the deal was Max wouldn't kill him. The three eat from a small can of dog food, the Captain getting the last morsels from it after Max and the dog.In the morning four cars make a sortie from the refinery compound, heading in separate directions, with Humungus' people in pursuit. One car is intercepted close to their hide-out, and its driver and co-driver captured and tortured. Watching through binoculars, Max and the Gyro Captain see that one of the victims is a woman, who is raped and then viciously murdered. Max arrives at the scene after all except the rapist have left. He disposes of the rapist with a set of bolt cutters, and releases the badly wounded male victim, Nathan (David Downer), who offers Max as much gas as he likes if he takes him back to the compound.Pulling up outside the compound, Max gets out and enters the compound at gunpoint, carrying Nathan over his shoulder. Max's car (with the dog) is brought inside by the compound's Mechanic (Steve J. Spears), as the leader of the refinery-people, Pappagallo (Michael Preston), interrogates Max about the fate of the other escapees. Max can tell him nothing, and points out he just wants his gas, as Nathan promised. However, Nathan dies and Pappagallo informs Max that whatever arrangement he had died with Nathan. Just then, Humungus' gang approaches, and the gate to the compound (an old school-bus, reinforced with armor plating) is closed, forcing the refinery people to let Max stay inside, cuffed to a pipe.Humungus tells the refinery-people he intercepted all their escapees, and has learned from the captives that they were sent out to find a semi-tractor big enough to haul the fuel-filled tanker from the compound. He offers the refinery-people the chance to walk away free, if they leave the refinery, the tanker and all the fuel to him and his gang. He gives them one day to decide. While Humungus is making his speech, the Feral Kid (Emil Minty) who gets in and out of the compound through hidden tunnels, throws a razor-sharp boomerang at Humungus' gang, killing Wez's companion. Wez goes berserk, and wants to storm the compound immediately, but Humungus wrestles him down, telling him to bide his time - he'll get his revenge once the fuel is theirs. Humungus & his gang drive away.The people of the compound are divided; some want to accept Humungus' offer while Pappagallo and others, among them the Warrior Woman (Virginia Hey), try to dissuade them. As the discussion gets more heated, they forget about Max, who undoes his cuffs. The Feral Kid crawls out of his burrow next to Max, who plays the musical box to entertain him and - when the kid laughs with delight - carelessly throws the toy to him.The discussion isn't going Pappagallo's way: most of the refinery people want to give up, a sticking point being that they have no vehicle that can pull the tanker, and that they're no match for Humungus' brutal gang anyway. Max offers to deliver a rig to haul the tanker, the one he found on the road while being chased by Wez, in return for his car and all the fuel he can carry. The deal is accepted.In the dead of night, Max and the dog set off on foot, Max carrying fuel for the truck in jerrycans. Near Humungus' camp, he stumbles and the noise alerts the guards. The Feral Kid, who's followed Max, draws them off by imitating the call of a wild animal.In the morning, Max arrives at the hill where he left the Gyro Captain shackled to a log, only to find that that resourceful gentleman has set off across the wasteland, dragging the log. Max follows his trail and catches up with him. They arrive at the gyrocopter, finding a dead man who'd been killed by the Captain's snake. Max checks the man for supplies, finding a shell for his sawed-off shotgun (which had empty chambers the entire time). Max, dog and Gyro Captain fly to the truck where Max found the music box when he was chased by Wez. Max gets the truck started and throws the Gyro Captain the keys to the shackles, then drives off with his dog. The Gyro Captain calls "We're partners!" after them.The gyrocopter follows in Max's wake as he heads off to break through the siege. Max takes Humungus' gang by surprise, and - aided by the Gyro Captain who drops snakes on the pursuers - makes it into the compound, although the truck suffers substantial damage. Humungus' gang are in hot pursuit, and Wez gets inside the compound by climbing aboard the truck. The gang now attacks the gate to get inside. In the confusion, no one except Max notices that Pappagallo is wounded while defending the gate. Max runs to take his place, using a flame thrower to prevent the enemy from breaching the gate. Wez brutally kills one of the compound crew and escapes to the outside. The compound people now greet Max as a friend and hero, wanting him to drive the truck for the escape run. Max just wants to get his fuel and go. The Gyro Captain lands in the compound, attracting excited attention. He immediately befriends a pretty young girl (Arkie Whiteley), persuading her to run away with him.That night, Humungus, furious with the turn of events, crucifies and tortures the remaining captives on a hill outside the compound, and threatens that none of them will get out alive. While the compound is listening to his ranting, the Gyro Captain and the girl make for the 'copter, but at the last minute, the girl changes her mind - she won't leave her people. The Captain stays in the compound with her.Meanwhile, Max is fueling up and getting ready to leave. Pappagallo tries to persuade him to drive the truck. Max refuses, and Pappagallo in his disappointment confronts him, calling him a coward, no better than the garbage outside. When Pappagallo asks Max about his history, wanting to know how he became so heartless, Max hits him. Returning to his work, Max finds the Feral Kid has hidden himself in the Interceptor, obviously expecting to tag along. Max evicts him without ceremony. As Max pulls out of the compound at daybreak, The Gyro Captain tells Max he's making a big mistake.Humungus' gang sees Max driving away, and Wez - disobedient to his leader's will - sets off in pursuit with some companions in Humungus' vehicle. Max uses his booster tanks to escape, however, Wez does the same and overtakes Max. Wez hammers Max's windscreen with length of pipe and the Interceptor rolls off the road. Severely injured, Max barely has time to crawl out of the wreck with his dog and hide behind a rock, before Wez's companions scramble down to the wreck. Wez wants Max alive. One of Wez' men kills Max' dog, however, Max is spared from capture when the booby-trapped tank of the Interceptor explodes when opened by Toady, killing Wez's men. Wez pulls away, leaving Max for dead. At the compound, the Gyro Captain sees the smoke from the explosion, and fetches a semi-conscious Max back to the compound on the 'copter.Max wakes up in the infirmary to find the Feral Kid bringing him his gear. Outside, Pappagallo is going over the escape plan with his people. The tanker, driven by Pappagallo, is to leave first, to draw off the attackers, allowing the rest of the people to escape in another direction in the school bus and other vehicles, to rendezvous with the tanker at nightfall. Max convinces them to let him drive the truck, pointing out that - despite his injuries - he's the best chance they've got. One of the women gives Max a small supply of shells for his shotgun.They set off, Max driving the now-fortified truck, pulling the tanker which is guarded by the Warrior-Woman, the Mechanic and another warrior. At the last minute, the Feral Kid (supposed to go in the school-bus) jumps on the truck. The tanker smashes through Humungus' lines and heads off with Pappagallo in an escort vehicle, and the Gyro Captain providing aerial support.The school-bus and the other vehicles quietly leave the compound without attracting interest, just as Pappagallo had predicted. Some of Humungus' people then enter the abandoned compound to take possession, but the compound has been rigged with explosives, and blows up only moments afterward.Humungus has been keeping Wez chained after his disobedience, but now sets him free. They all chase the tanker, and one by one pick off the warriors defending it, Wez killing the Warrior Woman, and Humungus killing Pappagallo. Things are looking bad for Max, as the gang starts shooting out the tires. The Gyro Captain creates a diversion, dropping Molotov-cocktails from above. The 'copter is damaged and goes down, but Humungus has to stop to put out the fire in his vehicle before he can join the pursuit again.Only Max and the Feral Kid remain to battle Wez and another gang-member, who have climbed aboard the truck and are attacking the cab. Max gets rid of Wez by slamming the brakes, throwing him over the front of the truck. The Kid helps Max fight the other guy, and then Max makes a U-turn, heading back the way he came. The Kid goes out on the bonnet to retrieve Max's shotgun shells, when Wez, who's been clinging to the front of the truck, suddenly pops up to grab the Kid. Max hauls the Kid back to safety, just as Humungus, speeding to catch up and realizing too late the truck has turned back, slams into the truck in a horrific head-on collision. Humungus and Wez are destroyed, and the truck goes off the road on its side in a spectacular wreck.When Humungus' people arrive at the wreckage, they can see even from a distance that what's spilling from the broken tanker isn't gas - it's red dirt: the tank was only a decoy. A little later, Max climbs out of the truck, carrying the Kid. He stops by a tap, letting the red dirt run through his fingers. The Gyro Captain comes along, driving his copter on the road. Max and the Captain exchange wry smiles, Max shaking his head tiredly.At sunset, the school-bus and the other vehicles head off, with the Feral Kid waving out the back of the bus at someone. The narrator's voice comes on, telling of their journey north, to safety, with the Gyro Captain as their new leader and that the gas was hidden in canisters in the vehicles all along. The narrator is revealed as the Feral Kid grown to manhood, and the Road Warrior is seen standing alone by the side of the road - "the last we ever saw of him."

comedy, boring, cruelty, murder, cult, violence, atmospheric, good versus evil, action

train

imdb

Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior is the best classic epic Post-Apocalyptic Action Science Fiction film in the Mad Max Franchise.. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior is a 1981 Australian post-apocalyptic action film directed by George Miller. The film is the second installment in the Mad Max film series, with Mel Gibson starring as Max Rockatansky.I grew up with the Mad Max films and Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior Is my personal favorite best epic Post-Apocalyptic Action Classic Science Fiction film. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior still remains one of the most exhilarating action films to ever grace the screen. Yes, in terms of pure action, not many films have been able to equal The Road Warrior's thrills.Mel Gibson remains the only world-renowned actor in the whole film. For me Mel Gibson is the only Mad Max Rockatansky!Grade: Bad Ass Seal Of Approval 10/10 Awesome Post/Apocalyptic/Action Classic/Science Fiction film.. When he discovers a band of people guarding a large deposit of fuel, he lends his services as a driver to help them escape from a vicious group of bandits intent on taking the gas for themselves."Mad Max 2" is one of the best sequels ever. Yes, in terms of pure action, not many films have been able to equal The Road Warrior's thrills.The film takes place presumably years after the conclusion of Mad Max. What follows is classic edge-of-the-seat action entertainment.Having inspired dozens of rip-offs, The Road Warrior still remains the best of the bunch due to the great lead performance from Mel Gibson and the unrivalled car chases, which are very much worth mentioning. The odd characters (mainly the villains), ultra-violence, dark tone, and the sparse dialogue may seem a little too offbeat for some people.Mel Gibson remains the only world-renowned actor in the whole film. But Mel Gibson's Mad Max is #1 on my list of the greatest action movie protagonists of all-time.. It had it's moments but in the end it lost it's impact due to it's own clumsy attempt at trying to establish the family-man Max. The Road Warrior didn't try to attempt any deep characterizations, the pain and suffering was quick and obvious, the need to just survive in this stark world conveyed through a few spoken words and violent actions. Iam a big action move fan and have seen mostly all the best and worst Hollywood action films ever.But for some reason i still don't know why i kept ignoring this movie for years in spite of hearing so many good things about. Violent movie about a futuristic road-warrior cop with high-velocity action and kinetic energy .This classic is set a few years from now, a dangerous, desolate post-industrial world of the future where rules the strongest law . Of course, this film's true merit will always be its action but where other action films fail with sloppy camera work and boring characters and plot lines, Mad Max 2 succeeds, giving the great journey of a debilitated man and a secluded group. This time we are told that it is a post apocalyptic future, overrun by biker gangs, and a drop of fuel is worth more than gold.The ending of Mad Max was disappointing but there was the promise of something epic to come. He must help them to get to a paradise two thousand miles away, driving their precious oil tanker, while a battery of fire power and arrows comes after them.With so many wheels on the desert road, it's no wonder than Mad Max 2 kicks up more dust than any action film around, The climax is reminiscent of Steven Spielberg's Duel, only far more epic. Instead, it allows all the focus to put onto the two elements that define a Mad Max movie like the Burj Khalifa defines the current skyline of Dubai: action and atmopshere.And oh is this film filled with it. But this movie did.At the end of the day, the only thing I have to say is, "Wow, Miller, wow." For my money (not that I have a lot of it), he is the best action director of our time. The Road Warrior (a.k.a. Mad Max 2) is one of the seminal action movies to come out of the 1980s. It singlehandedly created the post-apocalypse genre and the look of said genre that still remains to this day.George Miller's direction in this sequel to Mad Max is of the highest caliber and the movie never even slows down to catch its breath. They have some great information and the episode can be watched with or without viewing the movie at the same time.And obviously...if you loved The Road Warrior be sure to see Mad Max: Fury Road to witness what George Miller is still capable of creating with a massive budget behind him.. MM2s script was written by three men, director George Miller, Terry Hayes and Brian Hannat, and is a script that I can only describe as ‘one in a million', I just wish, it could have been better.Back again is the road warrior Max Rockatansky (Mel Gibson), who is once again a very dark, revengeful type of character. If you like Mel Gibson, Vernon Wells, incredible action, and stunts then Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior is the movie for you!. A superior sequel to the original 'Mad Max' about survival and the endless, violent quest for petrol and assless chaps in a post apocalyptic Australian outback.I remember seeing this in the theatre, (which makes me feel really old) but it stands up well by todays standards. Its just a classic action film; ultra violent, very little dialogue, with unique (strange) characters and fantastic action/car chase sequences.Mel Gibson is perfect as a former Australian policeman now living as a drifter in a post-apocalyptic Australian wasteland. Through a series of events he agrees to help a community of survivors living in a gasoline refinery, helping transport their gas and defend them from "The Humungus" and the evil barbarian warriors.I did come away this time thinking that they wasted a hell of a lot of gas chasing each other around trying to steal each others gas. The Gyro Captain, Wez, Lord Humungous, and the Feral Kid. Anchoring this madness is Gibson, who has a quiet burn similar to Clint Eastwood's Man with No Name.'The Road Warrior' is one of those sequels that easily trumps the original and it holds up exceptionally well. Max Rockatansky (Mel Gibson), driven mad by seeing his wife and child slain, drives alone in his suped-up Pursuit Special hunting for what little petrol remains in the world.It seems he has as little humanity remaining as the mohawked reavers he routinely smashes off the road and executes, until a man known as the Gyro Captain (Bruce Spence) brings a nearby oil refinery to Max's attention. Road Warrior (mad max 2) was the film that I based my foundation and a lot of stories on in some way, shape or form as homage for such a well done movie. When he stumbles across a gang war between violent punks and peaceable settlers, he unwittingly becomes the hero the settlers have been waiting for.Gibson is great as Max. He has little to say, and little emoting to do, but it's the measured performance of a talented actor and, proving that there is sometimes justice in the world, helped set the scene for his subsequent acting career.If you've never seen The Road Warrior, make sure and check it out soon.. Max might have been the film's most potentially interesting character, but writer/director George Miller is perfectly content with letting Gibson do nothing more than scowl, wield a gun, and occasionally drive his (quite dusty-looking) car. Rather, it's the film's chase scenes that make The Road Warrior recommendable, and while they seem kind of sparse when considering the really long dead spots in the picture, there's no question that the action hits hard and fast when it comes. When I first saw Mad Max I thought it more like a horror film instead of an action film as it has some of the most intense music I have ever heard and it's back drop of a world fighting each other and nothing else is just great as it makes the film more darker. Because I was a lot older I watched with an open mind and with the idea of it being compared to Leone' Western and what I saw was a film that was still very frightening in my eyes just as much as the first, but I think Road warrior is the most exciting as so much happens in it even after it finishes because it left me with the idea of what it would be like living amongst such people. Throughout the decades, there have been landmark action films that have been so innovative and influential that they have forever changed the face of the genre: in the late 90s, it was The Matrix, with it's incredible CGI enhanced fight scenes and pumping techno/rock soundtrack; in the late 80s, it was Die Hard, which took an average Joe—in the wrong place at the wrong time, of course—and pitted him against an evil organisation intent on major mayhem; and in the early 80s, it was Mad Max 2 aka The Road Warrior, which took the post apocalyptic sub-genre and pumped it full of adrenaline, steroids, testosterone and nitrous oxide to give audiences one of the most original, intense, and stunt-packed pieces of action cinema of all time.After the tragic death of his family, and the eventual collapse of society due to oil shortages and global war, Max Rockatansky (Mel Gibson), now a hollow shell of a man, has taken to the desolate roads of Australia's outback where he leads a pitiful day-to-day existence searching for food, fuel and ammo whilst fighting for survival against wild gangs of savages.Max is eventually given a chance to regain his humanity by helping a small community of fuel-rich survivors, who are being prevented from leaving their fortified compound by a bloodthirsty gang of road-scum keen to get their hands on the precious gas within. After securing a rig big enough to haul their tanker of fuel, Max leads a desperate attempt to flee for safety, closely pursued by the violent marauders.Working with a budget approximately ten times larger than that of the first Mad Max, director George Miller delivers a sequel more than worthy of the excellent original: the scope of the story is epic in comparison; the action is bigger and better, with crazier stunts and wilder chase scenes; the cinematography is far superior, thanks to Dean Semler's amazing use of widescreen photography; the costume design is fantastic, with Norma Moriceau's punk, bondage gear-wearing bikers setting the standard for post-apocalyptic fashion; and the vehicles are nothing short of mind-blowing—a diverse collection of heavily modified, armour-plated muscle cars, dirt bikes and dune buggies loaded with weaponry.But although Mad Max 2 is obviously most notable for it's unparallelled action set-pieces, Miller also sees fit to include plenty of subtle touches during the movie's quieter moments to add depth to Max's potentially one-dimensional character and further set his film apart from the also-rans. The experience that was acquired Miller, still in the first film, as well as staging scenes with stunt in an action movie "Chain Reaction" Ian Barry, brilliantly used in the film "Mad Max 2". Mel Gibson is a delight to watch as he returns in the role that introduced him to audiences in a big way.Set several years after the first Mad Max, Australia has been reduced to a post-apocalyptic environment following a global war which has seen the environment now a desert wasteland and supplies of petroleum are scarce following a major energy crisis and a global war which saw the decline of society. Mel Gibson's star also continued to rapidly rise with the success of this movie.Director George Miller should be commended on a fantastic job bringing back Mad Max for a show stopping sequel that has outdone the original 1979 classic.9/10.. The Road Warrior is a rousing tale of survival set in a grim and violent future.The Road Warrior is everything a bigger-budgeted Mad Max sequel with should be: bigger, faster, louder, but definitely not dumber.The Road Warrior has just as much to say about human behaviour and industrialisation as he does about fast cars.Director Miller keeps the pic moving with cyclonic force, photography by Dean Semler is first class, editing is super-tight, and Brian May's music is stirring.With a much bigger budget, more spectacular stunts than the first movie, this is undoubtedly the best movie in the series.This Mel Gibson starer is a mythic Western for post-apocalyptic times.An extravagant film fantasy that looks like a sadomasochistic comic book come to life.Classic of its genre; Gibson is tops.A true masterpiece.Relying mostly on image and motion to tell its story, it's a classic action film representative of cinema at its purest.. A bit of the acting was just forced and bordering on being comedy."Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior" is fast paced, lots of action throughout the entire movie, and there is a great red line throughout the course of the movie. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior The best of the Max films 4/4 stars One of the best sequels to an original story ever made... Anyhow Max decides to help this little band of do gooders move camp to a beach area that they all call paradise.Fantastic chase scenes (some of the best in my book) great costumes, and all around action make this one of my favourite sequels of all time!. Two years later George Miller returned with the sequel, Mad Max 2: The Road warrior. It's a tough call deciding whether this one is better than the first Mad Max, but I'd have to admit that "Road Warrior" moves at a frenetic pace and, despite being an almost 23 year old movie, it still holds up extremely well. ROAD WARRIOR (1982) ***1/2 Mel Gibson reprises his role as Mad Max in the second of the trilogy (this being the best) of the Australian outback as a bastion of post Apocalyptic hell on earth with gasoline being the ultimate goal and natural resource for its denizens of crazed, neo punk monsters out for blood and survivalists who rally for Max to save them. Mad Max 2 were and will be forever the best Sci-Fi post-apocalyptic movie ever, much better than original,apart all chase on the road which was the peak of the movie,the most interesting are a colorful characters,the Gyro Captain is hilarious, Wez is terribly bad,the Humungus an insane leader,the feral kid is too smart,all them have a perfect chemistry to increase the picture,the dog is another surprise here,the final chase on the road is epic,no one picture overcome such pursuit, no blue screen allowed here and no especial effects on graphic computation proven that is still possible to make a great movie without them!!Resume:First watch: 1985 / How many: 3 / Source: TV-Blu-ray / Rating: 9. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior is one of the greatest 80's action movies of all time. A simple plot is good enough concerning the staple of these films, notably great car chases, hilarious over-the-top costume design, and Gibson's rock-solid, movie-star like performance. MAD MAX 2: THE ROAD WARRIOR is about on-par with the first, slightly edging it out due to increased focus on character (even if the plot is about as thin) and bigger, more spectacular stunts.This time, the world (or at least Australia) is in the full-on post-apocalypse and looks like a desolate wasteland, for the most part. Mad Max (Mel Gibson) crosses a post apocalyptic wasteland to fight for a small community against gasoline raiders.. Any fan of action, sci-fi, or post-apocalyptic films will love this movie. Any fan of action, sci-fi, or post-apocalyptic films will love this movie. "The Road Warrior" - The master of post-apocalyptic action films. 1979's "Mad Max" started it all, but "The Road Warrior" is that rarity in most movies: it's a sequel that actually surpasses the original and in the case of this film, it surpasses the original in many, many great ways - big and small.The reason it does this is because it actually continues the story that Miller developed in the first film, while allowing for a deeper emotional and mental exploration - and possible redemption - of loner lawman "Mad" Max (Mel Gibson, in the role that introduced him to a worldwide audience), and it also ups the ante in terms of delivering fast-paced action sequences, pacing, and break-neck vehicular stunt-work. Although the plot is a little thin, it's redeemed by Gibson's understated performance (including a minimum of dialogue) and its breathtaking action scenes.Set in the post-apocalyptic Australian Outback, former highway cop "Mad" Max Rockatansky happens upon The Gyro Captain (Bruce Spence), who takes him to a small oil-producing fortress located in the middle of the desert. This film put Mel Gibson on the map and made his place permanent on the Hollywood scene, he's handsome, talented, and charismatic as the road warrior.Max is living in the apocalyptic era where he has lost his wife, child, and partner to the evil motorcycle gangs that have taken over his land. "The Road Warrior" (I know it's not the real title ["Mad Max 2" is the real title], but I'm American) is one of the coolest films of all times. Much better than Mad Max and the eventual Beyond Thunderdome.The music was simply the BEST I've ever heard for an action movie. The post-apocalyptic world of Max returns in this action/adventure film. "The Road Warrior" (aka "Mad Max 2") is possibly the best sci-fi/action film ever made, depicting the horrors, and the aftermath of a destructive force known as the nuclear war. Mel Gibson is great as the leather-clad tough guy, Mad Max."The Road Warrior" is a vivacious action film that's 100% pure fun!

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A Boy and His Dog

Opening: World War IV lasted five days. In the post-apocalyptic world of 2024, rover Vic (Don Johnson) hears a voice from his dog and communicates with him telepathically. The dog is called Blood (voiced by Tim McIntire), and he calls Vic "Albert". Blood is trying to find a female by scent for Vic, and Vic scavenges for food. Only Vic can hear the voice of Blood.As they travel, Blood recounts history and quizzes Vic on various topics in history including the four world wars, from World War I (1914-1918), World War II (1939-1945), World War III (1950-1983), which were a series of wars, also called the Cold War, between the free and unfree world (Korea, Vietnam, Indochina, Congo were among them), to World War IV, also called the Five-Day War, or the Nuclear War of 2007. The setting is what was once the ruins in and around Phoenix, Arizona. The area is a desert wasteland, populated by marauders and rovers who battle for food found in the tops of buildings that was once "civilization" where the desert sands have consumed most of the buildings. There are rumors that what civilization exists now is below ground for the past several years since the nuclear war. The people of these underground civilizations are called "downunders". Neither Vic nor Blood want to venture below to live. Blood finds women for Vic to rape, and Vic supplies Blood with food since he cannot hunt on his own.We learn Blood is a former police dog, and wants to find the "promised land", where farming is possible and several above-ground utopias are said to exist. Blood sniffs out a woman, but rovers have reached her first and have killed her after gang raping her. Vic begins to argue with Blood about his inability to find women. Blood wants to go "over the hill" to paradise. Vic promises that they'll go once Blood finds him another woman for Vic to have sex with.Some time later, Vic and Blood view a small group of scavengers, led by a brutal gang leader, a self-proclaimed "king" named Fellini (Ron Feinberg), who orders his group to dig up a stash of crates containing canned food. Temped by the food, Vic runs forward when Fellini and his men are all in the hole digging and steals some of the bags of canned food, shooting a few of Fellini's men who chase after him. However, Fellini orders his men to let Vic go, impressed by the young man's courage and ablity. As Vic and Blood run away, they are watched from a distance by a small group of mysterious men (unseen from the waist up), where one of whom comments that he just might do. They decide to "put out the cheese" to trap Vic.That evening, Vic and Blood go to an outdoor makeshift movie theater in a shantytown camp to watch some vintage stag films, and Blood smells a female. She is in attendance at the stag film, but in disguise as a male solo. Vic follows the girl to an underground building which is an abandoned YMCA, and he watches her dress. He attacks her and orders her to undress so he can rape her. While she undresses for him, she tells him her name is Quilla June Holmes (Susanne Benton). Blood interrupts them to advise of mauraders nearby. Quilla realizes Blood can talk to Vic telepathicaly. She attempts to communicate with the dog, but Blood just barks at her. Meanwhile, Vic ambushes the mauraders and Blood joins in, killing some of them. Vic imitates the "screamers" (radiation victims) and Blood battles another dog. Vic is about to be shot from behind, and Quilla saves him. The rest of the mauraders run off, but Blood is hurt. Then, the real screamers show up, forcing Vic and Quilla to hide and wait in a storage tank. Vic and Quilla make love repeatedly.Later when morning arrives, Blood goes off to see if the screamers have left, and Quilla tries to convince Vic to go "down under". Blood wants Vic to leave her, and they argue. When Vic goes back to see Quilla, she knocks him out and flees. Vic decides to track her down, but Blood thinks (rightly) that it's a trap. After following Quilla's footprints throught the desert, Vic and Blood come across a small steel obsticle standing in the middle of the desert which leads "down under". Using a key card that Quilla left behind, Vic uses it to open the steel door to the underground. Vic goes down under, leaving Blood alone and injured.Vic climbs down several long ladders through what appears to be an abandoned missle silo, past mysterious machinery, then opens a metal door to find an underground cemetery. He is captured and washed by a clown-faced robot dressed in farmer's garb called Michael (Hal Baylor) with several strangers looking on. After given clean farmer clothes, Vic is dragged by Michael through a local park, walking past picnicers, giggling young girls, a marching band playing Stars and Stripes, and barbershop quartets, all wearing clown face makeup. What we get a glimpse of is a surreal, bizarre re-creation of life in the rural Midwest during the early 20th century with a populace of robotic conformists. Vic stops to talk to a dog similar to Blood, but the dog does not respond. The bizzare underground community wear white clown-faces to distingish themselves from above-grounders that dare to tresspass in their community. Loudspeakers continuously blare announcements, pontificate morals for daily living, and down home recipes.In a church/town hall building, residents may attend the "awards and punishments" at their own discretion. It is led by Lou Craddock (Jason Robards) who reviews blueprints for buildings to be built and passes judgements on transgressors, assisted by Mez Smith (Helene Winston) and Doctor Moore (Alvy Moore), the clownish but cold-hearted rulers of this underground town. Severe judgement (death) is called "farming out" or "going to 3". We learn the underground town is called Topeka. Quilla arrives, and she asks to be put on the committee having served her purpose of luring Vic to their underground community. Lou refuses by claiming that she is too young to rule and arranges for her to get married instead. Quilla leaves and vents her anger to her boyfriend Gary (Michael Rupert) and makes plans to overthrow the ruthless committee, but in the meantime be a good girl and play it safe. At the same time, the dog is brought into the church where he is interrogated by Lou asking if he told Vic anything. But when the dog does not respond, Lou orders the dog to be sent to the farm.Vic is brought before Lou, and Doctor Moore reads his medical statistics. Lou tells the unruly Vic that he and the members of the Topeka Committee have been watching him on the surface for days now, and that Vic has been chosen to help re-populate Topeka, as its male residents are sterile and/or impotent due to their ridiculously wholesome, clean, and subterranean living. Vic laughs hysterically, thinking he'll get to sleep with dozens of women. The sinister Topeka Committee member Mez laughs back hysterically indicating to Vic that sleeping with dozens of women is not what they have in mind.In the next scene, a couple is married in a hospital room, and Vic is in attendance (strapped to a gurney) to provide semen. Quilla arrives and rescues him, subduing the doctors. She tells him he is only going to be allowed to impregnate 35 girls, then will be put to death. They rush out of the hospital with the help of Gary, and find Vic's guns, then Vic starts to leave. Quilla tries to stop him to help her overthrow the dictatorship of Topeka, but Vic wants to return to Blood. The Committee convenes at the town square and begins broadcasting the sentence on Quilla and her friends - the farm. Gary and all of his rebel friends are attacked and killed by Michael. Vic fires at Michael, but the bullets have no effect. One of Vic's gunshots disables "Michael", who is a robot. Vic and Quilla flee firing gunshots at Michael while the committee remains indifferent and begins planning for its next "donor". Lou also orders that another Michael security robot be exhumed from the storage warehouse, with his clowish smile wipped off.Vic and Quilla return to the surface where it is now night. Relieved that the Topeka citizens are not chasing after them, they look around and they find Blood nearby, who is dying. But conditions on the surface have become worse with Fellini and his gang have taken over for the most part. He hasen't eaten for days and will die soon unless Vic provides him with food. Quilla tells Vic that it's too late to save Blood and Vic should come away with her far away if he really loves her. Vic must choose... he looks at Blood, then looks back at Quilla.In the final shot, Vic and Blood are putting out a campfire near the steel dome. Having eaten, Blood feels better and he and Vic walk away from their campfire into the sunrise of dawn. Quilla is nowhere to be seen, but pieces of her wedding gown are seen strewn around the dying campfire. Vic and Blood talk about how Vic was touched by the fact that Quilla June picked him to be with instead of the dictatorship committee of Topeka. Blood remarks, "She had marvelous judgement... if not a particularly good taste (!)" The boy and his dog laugh at the pun and they both walk away "over the hill" toward paradise.

comedy, murder, cult, alternate reality, psychedelic, satire, alternate history

train

imdb

The dog is the most sympathetic character in the movie, and is brilliantly voiced by Tim McIntire.If you are able to wrap your head around the bizarre moral construct, this film is a nihilistic hoot.. It has a genuinely original plot involving telepathic dogs that are more literate than their human masters,gunfights wherein the dogs direct their human masters, an entire society underground that discerns who is apart of them or not by wearing clownface at all times, and other crazy things.It's a wild, crazy, tasteless, sex-obsessed adventure that affords the viewer one of the greatest luxuries of the movies, one that is rarely completely fulfilled, which is unpredictability. A Boy and His Dog is not a great film, but it's worth watching repeatedly and showing our friends. Johnson was, surprisingly, dead perfect as Vic. Tiger was great:) Benton also is pretty good and Jason Robards pops up late in the proceedings.Not a perfect film but an interesting one. Based upon a novel by Harlan Ellison, the premise follows that of a young loner Vic (splendidly performed by Don Johnson) and his telepathic pooch Blood (exceptionally voiced by Tim McIntire) travelling the desert landscapes caused by the after-effects of WWIV in the search of food, shelter and women.What goes on to make this film is the biting conversations and budding rapport and dependable friendship between Vic and Blood. Surely those who were looking for nothing more than what Hollywood usually delivers when they invoke the words "science fiction" were disappointed, because this movie resembles the usual horror or action film masquerading as sci-fi very little. But when Vic (or as the dog calls him, Albert) is lured into a surreal society living in a large bomb shelter, their friendship is threatened and Vic is almost forced to become a sort of sexual machine for the good of the State.Just to run through some of the aspects of the film that I enjoyed, I really liked Tim McIntire's voice work as the dog, perfectly crisp like a cranky old man. Like all good sci-fi the idea is vaguely proposed but never explained.Don Johnson did pretty good work here, I mean it doesn't strike you as all that impressive at first but when you think about the fact that he had to do so many scenes with just this dog as his co-star it's a pretty tough act to pull off as well as he did. In the opening scene we learn that the boy (Don Johnson) is looking for female survivors so he can rape them.If you can swallow that highly disturbing premise, which the director makes no bones in presenting at the outset, then the rest should be an unsettlingly fun joyride all the way to the film's very memorable punchline. Things get really trippy in the 2nd half, and even though there's minimal nudity, certain things happen which would make D.H. Lawrence blush (particularly involving a certain mechanical device attached to the male anatomy).Definitely NOT a date movie, nor any sort of movie you'd watch with your parents or kids, "A Boy and His Dog" is really like a lost cousin of "A Clockwork Orange" or "Dr. Strangelove". Who ever would've thought that this sarcastic gem would come to light through the directing talents of L.Q. Jones, the ubiquitous guest star on many a 70s TV show like "Charlie's Angels", "Columbo", "Gunsmoke" and "Vega$" but whose only other directing credit is an episode of "The Incredible Hulk" (one which I'm going to re-watch immediately).Unfortunately with the somewhat bland & grainy video quality of the existing print, we don't get the full eye-boggling power of this film the way one could imagine it. This movie was well ahead of its time and you can definitely see how it influenced Mad Max. If you're a fan of post apocalyptic films, you can't go without seeing this any longer.. The main character's life as a nomadic rapist is hardly any better then the socially and sexually repressed underground society.I also could not buy the idea that the relationship between the boy and the dog was a friendly one. A boy (Don Johnson) communicates telepathically with his dog as they scavenge for food and sex, and they stumble into an underground society where the old society is preserved.I like that all presidents since Ford have been a member of the Kennedy family... The story comes in three parts:Part 1 ) Vic and his telepathic dog struggle for survival in a post apocalypse world Part 2 ) Vic meets airhead blonde Part 3 ) Vic and airhead blonde find a civilisation that isn`t all it appears to be Oh and the film finishes on a grotesque joke that makes it more memorable than it possibly deserved to be , so you`ve got three themes , one of survival but is miles away from the convincing scenarios seen in the works of John Christopher and John Wyndham , one of trying to find a woman which does seem strange since Vic seems to be well nourished and I`d have thought many women would have no hesitation in prostituting them selves for food , and one of a utopian sanctury not being what it seems , something I`ve seen and read in a hundred different SF stories like the BLAKE`S 7 episode Powerplay . At least one other commentator has mentioned that this is a movie that shouldn`t be taken seriously and with hindsight I can see what my mistake was - I took this film far too seriously and by the time I`d lightened up it was already too late which meant I couldn`t appreciate the funny scene where Vic is tied to the table . A BOY AND HIS DOG isn`t the worst movie I`ve seen today but it`s probably a film that made an impression because it finishes far , far better than how it started and if you`ve never seen it and get the chance to then make sure you don`t take it at all seriously or you`ll be disappointed. Based on a short story by novelist Harlan Ellison, the film belongs in the Sci-Fi sub category of post-apocalyptic movies, but there's far more than meets the eye. Still with the beautiful and young Don Johnson and Susanne Benton in the leads the viewing experience isn't all bad.I'm willing to bet that more than a few people got lured into this film with the title thinking it was going to be some nice family picture with some Benji like dog in the lead. That would have been some shock to someone expecting that.Don Johnson and his dog live in the 2024 in a post apocalyptic world by themselves and scavenging constantly for food and sex. Needless to say he's got the best lines the film.A Boy And His Dog is a good faith effort at an underground classic which has succeeded with many. In the world of "A Boy and His Dog" a Vic and Quilla June relationship was destined to fail for many obvious reasons.Nevertheless, the original story does a much better job of exploring Vic's ambivalence in making the final decision. Now I know why they say "don't believe everything you read." I rented it solely on this basis, and I feel as though Harlan Ellison (who wrote the original story) must be crying head-in-hands somewhere.Don Johnson (AKA the "boy," though he was 26 at the time playing a tender 18) gives a dreary performance, foreshadowing the lifeless screeching that passed as acting on "Miami Vice" a decade later. Jones, an excellent character actor probably best known for his work with Sam Peckinpah, previously scripted the underrated horror movie 'The Brotherhood Of Satan', and also directed this time around. Future 80s TV heartthrob Don Johnson is actually pretty good as "the boy" Vic, and Tim McIntire is even better as the voice of Blood. When Blood sniffs out Susanne it leads to a terrifying journey to the underground where Vic finds himself trapped for sinister means.This is a very basic that sticks to post-apocalypse movie rules - desert conditions, everyone searching for basic needs, loner warrior etc. G. Welles' "The Time Machine." Don Johnson as Vic (the Boy) is adequately dense; Tim MacIntyre as the voice of Blood (the Dog) is ruefully sarcastic; and Jason Robards as Lou, Dictator of the underground civilization, is an arbitrary, disgusted H. It takes a huge twist to the post apocalyptic genre.A teenage boy (Vic) and his telepathic dog (Blood) work together as a team in order to survive in the dangerous post-apocalyptic wasteland of the Southwestern United States. Interesting post-apocalyptic movie about a young man (Don Johnson) roaming around with his telepathic dog looking for food and sex. A young man by the name Vic (Don Johnson) and his super intelligent, telepathic dog Blood (Voice Tim McIntire) have an interesting and unusual arrangement. Blood distrust Quilla and warns Vic, but Vic doesn't listen… I don't want to give more away, but the end is quite disturbing and at the same time, necessary, making it one of the best ending in sci-fi.This movie features a very young Don Johnson, which you might remember him from the 80s crime series "Miami Vice." He plays the naïve and sexually aroused teenager, Vic. This movie is bizarre, kinky, dark, funny, and the picture is literally grainy, giving it that B-movie look. I crawled under that bed and stayed there until I cried myself to sleep.A BOY AND HIS DOG reminds me of the depth of true love, and I nod and understand when Harlan Ellison mentions his dissatisfaction with the last line of this movie. I couldn't really recall much of the film but a few things really stuck in my memory: the scary idea that women would be pretty vulnerable in an apocalyptic future, and those scenes underground with the pancake makeup on the citizens of Topeka and the ubiquitous voice on the PA system giving out recipes and tips for good living... In an era when $200 million science fiction movies, done with absurd excess of high tech special effects combined with zero story and zero character development --- then along comes a memory of this 30 year old 1975 extremely low budget post-apocalyptic gem. This movie contains everything that a cult sci-fi movie fan could ever want: symphatetic but politically incorrect characters, a visually nightmaristic world, a post-apocalyptic society and a dog who talks from his mind and who is way smarter than his human "master". After the end of the world, the only thing that is on the mind of the main characters is food and sex and in a lot of ways, that is exactly what I would except from a very chaotic world, it's represented this way intentionally and paints a great example of what could happen when the world goes to hell.Am I saying this world is a good film, not really. There wouldn't be any education on land, they are just like animals in this world with the only intention to eat and reproduce.In that way it's an essential Post-Dystopian film even in the many flaws such as several really strange underground sections which aren't as fleshed out as the relationship with him and his dog and their journey for survival.The film's context is extremely dark and unsettling especially at the end of the film where it just leaves you to imagine what happened to one of the characters. Vic (a very young Don Johnson, who any of child of the 80's knows instantly) and Blood (voiced by Tim McIntire, who was George Jones in the 1981 TV movie Stand By Your Man) are a human and dog team traveling through the post-apocalyptic fallout after World War 4. Unlike the way my dog just barks and barks until I wake up, Blood can speak telepathically.That telepathy comes at the expense of his ability to search for food, so the incredibly intelligent, human-hating mutt uses Vic to help him. A boy loves his dog."If you've ever played the video game Fallout, then you'll be delighted to learn how much comes from this film.Vic and Blood would have further adventures, even one tale where Ellison tried to off the pair due to either his dislike of the film's ending or being sick of fans asking for more stories about the duo. All of the different parts work together in an interesting and weird way, and it fits perfectly for a cult film (like it has become).The movie is a bleak&black "comedy" about a post-apocalyptic USA, where a boy has some sort of telepathic connection with a dog. So, honourable mentions go to; Don Johnson as Vic, Susanne Benton as Quilla June Holmes, Jason Robards as Lou Craddock and Tim McIntire as the voice of Blood.I can see why this film is played as a comedy, the whole situation in the scenes 'Down Under' are particularly ludicrous. Sure, the premise sounds intriguing: a young man and his dog, who can communicate with each other, roam the barren landscape, in search of food and, well, women in a post-WWIV world. It makes me feel that in the post-apocalyptical world of 2024, a boy and his dog will be partners for life.Try to see it.. don't want to spoil,so will just say it puts everything in perspective.having read a fair amount of these reviews it is very evident that satire,humor and Ellison's biting wit are misunderstood.probably by the under 40 crowd who have been mind-wiped by their (mostly)crappy superhero/spoofs(no fangs like true satire)and their electronic umbilical cords.the screamers are mostly women,by their screen UN.this is so much a sign of the times.granted Vic is a horrible young man,but he honestly doesn't know any better and blood is trying to re=educate him.on the other hand in the event of a dystopian world this is to be expected. Finally after many years watched the cult sci-fi fantasy classic from 1975 "A Boy and his Dog", and I must say wow it's clearly a different kind of picture really probably one that would not be made in today's market. Aside from that the movie is strange and crazy with a world that seems like something right out of a "Twilight Zone" episode only it's more crazier and bizarre even it seems your watching something abnormal.The story involves World War IV and it has just ended in 2024 lasting only five days and most of earth has been destroyed and ravaged as survivors struggle to find the basic things like food, shelter and friends. And the lead character is a young man named Vic(Don Johnson 10 years before his breakout "Miami Vice" fame!)who has with him a talking and telepathic dog called Blood and both wonder the hot dirt like roads in search of food and ladies. Along the way Vic and Blood meet several strange people who show them a new world which may not be for the better.The movie is based on a novella from sci-fi author Harlan Ellison this picture is clearly dark in nature still it's blended with funny moments as it's a search trip and adventure thru a world of hunt and seek with the friendship between a boy and his dog taking over matters as that's the only plan to help both find the basics of food and companionship from the other sex. With the premise of a post-apocalyptic future where a young adult looking for women to have sex with (with or without their consent) helped by his talking dog, this movie is most bizarre. This boy, Vic, who is played by a very young Don Johnson, communicates telepathically with his dog, Blood, voiced by Tim McIntire. I got into the much of the 70s and 80s science fiction films about post-apocalyptic living: Logans Run, A Boy and His Dog, the Mad Max trilogy, and so forth. It is, quite simply, the story of a rabidly horny young man and his talking dog wandering a post-apocalyptic setting where they stumble upon things even more bizarre than our main characters. This low-budget gem of a science-fiction film was the ultimate inspiration to post-apocalyptic science-fiction movies including Mad Max and many that came after that. While it sometimes seems that the SF movies of the 70's were just build up to Star Wars, stops like A Boy and his Dog make the journey almost more interesting than the destination.Scripted by perennial SF bad-boy Harlan Ellison from his own novel, the story has a young Don Johnson (although he hardly seems a "boy") as Vic, scurrying through the near-future blasted remains of a post-nuclear landscape looking for his next meal, and sexual conquest, assisted by his canine pal Blood whom he can communicate with telepathically. The back lists it as an inspiration for Mad Max.A Boy and His Dog is the story of Vic/Albert, and his dog Blood as they eke out their living in the Southwest wastelands of post World War IV. ALl in all A boy and his dog...I think wasn't the best movie but it wasn't that bad! And it is such a tale, nothing like I usually get out of seeing a movie, this story of greed and loyalty and morality and how to survive in a post-apocalyptic society...I had read about the ending and how much of a shock it was... It didn't work and along with the treatment of women sucked, there goes that word again, most of the enjoyment out of what was otherwise a decent little character driven post apocalyptic sci-fi movie.I've nothing against cruel and mean spirited movies, even if they aren't witty like this film is, as long as they have something to say. I never cried when Old Yeller got shot, but I still get moist-eyed when Blood and Vic part ways at the entrance to Topeka."A Boy And His Dog" regularly shows up on most lists of the Top 10 Science Fiction Films Of All Time, and I certainly rank it alongside another independent S.F. marvels like "Dark Star" and "THX 1138".

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Cat's Eye

The film consists of three stories linked together by a cat as he wanders from city to city, seeking out a little girl (Drew Barrymore) in order to save her from a supernatural danger. As a result of it's wanderings, the cat plays a minor role in the first two stories and a significant part in the third."Quitters Inc."In the first tale, set in and around New York City, the cat is captured by a man who works for a self-help firm called Quitters Inc, that aids people in quitting smoking. On a busy NY street, a man, Dick, is driven to an office building by a friend who tells him "These guys'll change your life." At his first visit, his counselor, Vinnie Donatti, asks Dick for all his cigarettes and crushes them wildly on his desk. Dick tells him that this form of treatment leaves much to be desired, however, Donatti gets to the actual treatment. He opens a large set of curtains in the room, showing a white room containing a cat eating at a small bowl. Donatti flips a switch that sends a low charge of electricity into the floor of the room, causing the cat to jump around wildly. Donatti cuts the power after a few seconds and explains to Dick that the association of pain with eating may one day cause the cat to starve in front of it's dish. Donatti tells Dick that his treatment begins right away; there will be people watching him constantly, night and day. If Dick smokes one cigarette, he will be punished. Dick suggests that they will bring him in and give him the shock treatment. Donatti says it will not be Dick, but his wife that will be tortured in the room. Further treatments will be increased voltage and beatings of both him and his wife. If he's unable to give up smoking after 30 days, he will be killed.Dick goes home very troubled. Late at night, he sneaks into his home office and begins to light a cigarette when he hears a noise from the room's closet. Though he's not completely certain anyone is hiding in the closet, he still tells the person that he didn't actually light the cigarette. Dick is able to keep from smoking for several more days until he's stuck in traffic. He opens his glove compartment looking for some gum and finds an old pack of cigarettes. He ducks below the dashboard and lights up, waving the smoke off. When he looks over to his left, he sees one of Donatti's men drive off, smiling evilly. Dick races home and finds his wife gone. He gets a phone call from Donatti, who tells him to report to Quitters Inc. When he arrives, he sees his wife in the cat's room. He tries to free her by breaking the glass and Donatti's goon subdues him and makes him watch his wife being shocked. Dick is devastated and wonders how he'll explain everything to his wife. Donatti says he may be surprised at how his wife takes the news. His wife seems to understand that Dick has done this for her and for his mentally-impaired daughter, who lives at a special boarding school.Several months later, Dick receives another phone call from Donatti. Dick has been cigarette-free for that long but Donatti says they need to discuss another issue. Dick has gained a significant amount of weight, something that happens to the majority of Donatti's clients. He prescribes some illegal diet pills for Dick and tells him to use them wisely. If he's unable to control his weight, Donatti will send someone to Dick's house to cut off his wife's little finger. Some time after that last meeting, with Dick successful at keeping his weight down, he and his wife have dinner with the man who originally told Dick about Quitters Inc. The group makes a toast to Quitters Inc. Dick's friend's wife, however, is missing her little finger."The Ledge"The second story opens in Atlantic City with a rich businessman, Cressner, betting on the same cat (which had escaped from Quitters Inc), seeing if it can cross a busy street safely. Though it causes a minor car crash, the cat makes it safely and Cressner decides to keep it for a pet.In another part of the city, a man, Johnny Norris, a tennis instructor, is beaten and kidnapped by two of Cressner's thugs. He's brought to Cressner's penthouse where Cressner tells him that he knows he's been having an affair with Cressner's wife. Cressner offers Norris several options: he can agree to indentured servitude to Cressner for several years and be free, but not see Cressner's wife again, or he can skirt the entire outside of the building on a ledge about five inches wide, about 300 feet above the ground. If he completes the entire circuit, he'll be free and he can have Cressner's wife. If Norris refuses both options, the police will be tipped off about a kilo of pure heroin Cressner's thugs have hidden in the trunk of Norris' car.Norris agrees to walk the ledge outside the building. Completing the entire circuit around the building takes him about three hours. Along the way, he encounters sheer winds at the corners and is constantly taunted by Cressner himself, who sneaks into the penthouse opposite his own and honks a horn in Norris' ear through an open window. After Norris battles a pigeon that pecks his ankle, nearly sending him plummeting to the street, he stops in the window well of another penthouse. When Cressner discovers him there, he uses a fire house to soak him and threatens to blast him over the side.Before Norris makes it back to the outdoor balcony of Cressner's penthouse, Cressner has his goon, Tony, bring in a bag of money and a small Styrofoam crate, telling Tony to "put it on top of the money" in the bag. When Norris finally makes it to Cressner's balcony, he climbs over the railing and is immediately grabbed by Tony, who takes him at gunpoint to his boss. Cressner says he'll honor the bargain and give Norris the money and his wife, however, when he kicks the bag, a severed head flies out... it is his wife's head. Cressner orders Tony to shoot Norris; as Tony takes aim, Cressner's cat trips him up and he loses his gun (the cat runs out the apartment's open door to freedom). Norris seizes it and shoots Tony, then holds Cressner hostage. Cressner pleads for his life, offering several million dollars. Norris refuses and makes a simple wager... the next scene shows Cressner on the same ledge he forced Norris to skirt. Cressner gets moving, making it around the first corner. However, when he reaches the side of the building where the pigeons roost, one begins pecking his ankle. Cressner kicks a bit too hard at the bird, loses his balance and falls to the street. On the ground, the cat silently witnesses his impact."The General"The cat makes his way to a suburban town on a delivery truck in Wilmington, North Carolina. There, he is taken in by a young girl, Amanda (the same girl from the vision in the opening scene), who names him "General." Amanda's mother immediately disapproves of her keeping the cat as a pet, saying that "cats can steal a young girl's breath" while they sleep. That night, the cat sleeps in Amanda's room. While the child sleeps, a hole opens up in a baseboard and a small, ugly troll emerges. He tries to climb up on Amanda's bed, but is startled by the cat and a short battle ensues, resulting in the troll's escape back into the hole it opened, which is immediately closed up. Amanda's parents, having heard the ruckus, burst into her room. Her mother immediately blames the cat for all the damage and assumes the cat was attacking her daughter. Amanda defends General, telling them about the troll. Naturally, they don't believe her, thinking she had a nightmare.The next day, while Amanda is at school, her mother lures General into a pet carrier and takes him to the pound, which leaves Amanda very upset after she gets home. At the pound, General is to be euthanized; Amanda's mother had told the staff there that the cat had attacked her daughter. One of the staff opens his cage and the cat escapes, running back to Amanda's house.In the girl's bedroom, the troll again emerges from the baseboard and places a small wedge under the door to keep intruders out. He crawls up to Amanda's bed, where she's fast asleep. He begins to use a form of magic that draws Amanda's breath from her mouth. Amanda quickly becomes distressed, finding it difficult to breath in her sleep. After a few moments, General finds his way in through the chimney shaft and immediately attacks the troll. They battle again throughout the room until the cat corners the troll on Amanda's small record player. General hits the button that starts the record, spinning the monster around. General then hits the switch that changes the rotation to 78 rpm; the troll is unable to hold on very long and is flung across the room into a fan, where it's mutilated, leaving behind a few recognizable body parts. Amanda's parents, who had been pounding on the door but unable to enter because of the doorstop wedged there, finally burst in. The mother is furious at seeing Amanda holding the cat, however, Amanda is able to defend General this time, pointing them toward the wrecked fan and the troll's remains. Her father sees one of the monster's arms, as well as it's tiny sword. They look at the weapon, bewildered. Amanda's mother makes her daughter promise she'll never talk about the troll outside of their family. Amanda slyly asks if the cat can stay and her mother allows it. Later that night the cat crawls into Amanda's parents bed where she's sleeping with them. She sees him & cuddles him.

cult, entertaining, sadist

train

imdb

tt0076716

Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger

In the kingdom of Charak, a celebration is taking place for the coronation of Prince Kassim. But Kassim's evil stepmother, Zenobia (Margaret Whiting), places a curse on him and turns Kassim into a baboon (one of Harryhausen's stop-motion creations) just as he was going to be crowned caliph. Sinbad (Patrick Wayne), sailor and Prince of Baghdad, moors at Charak, intent on seeking permission from Prince Kassim to marry Kassim's sister, Princess Farah (Jane Seymour). He quickly gets used to the city and its people, but finds it under curfew. When Sinbad and his men shelter in a nearby tent, one is poisoned and are attacked by Rafi, Zenobia's son, but Sinbad defeats him. Soon a witch (whom the audience later learns is Zenobia) summons a trio of ghouls, which emerge from a fire and attack Sinbad and his men. Sinbad disposes of the ghouls by crushing them under a pile of huge logs. Sinbad meets with Farah, who believes Kassim's curse is one of Zenobia's spells and if Kassim cannot regain his human form within seven moons, then Zenobia's son will be caliph instead. Sinbad, Farah, and the baboon Kassim set off to find the old Greek alchemist named Melanthius (Patrick Troughton), a hermit of on the island of Casgar, who is said to know how to break the spell. Zenobia and Rafi (Kurt Christian) follow in a boat propelled by the robotic bronze Minoton, a magical creature created by the sorceress which looks like a Minotaur. During the voyage, Farah proves to be the only person capable of calming the baboon. Sinbad is convinced that the baboon is Kassim after he witnesses it playing chess with Farah and writing his name on the wall. Sinbad and Farah land at Casgar and find Melanthius and his daughter Dione (Taryn Power), who agree to help them. Melanthius says they must travel to the land of Hyperborea where the ancient civilization of the Arimaspi once existed. On the way to Hyperborea, Melanthius and Dione also become convinced that the baboon is Kassim. Besides Farah, Kassim enjoys having Dione's company and develops a love interest towards her. Zenobia uses a potion to transform herself into a gull to spy on Sinbad. Once aboard his ship, she turns into a miniature human and listens in as Melanthius tells Sinbad how to cure Kassim. Alerted by Kassim, Melanthius and Sinbad capture Zenobia. Unfortunately, her potion spills and a wasp ingests some of it. The wasp grows to enormous size and attacks the two men, but Sinbad kills it with a knife. Zenobia takes what is left of her potion, turns into a gull, and flies back to her own ship. But there is too little of the drink left: While Zenobia is restored to human form and full size, the lower part of her right leg remains a gull's foot. After a long voyage, Sinbad's ship reaches the north polar wastes. Sinbad and his crew trek across the ice to the land of the Arimaspi, but are attacked by a giant walrus. It destroys most of their supplies and kills two men, but Sinbad and the others fend it off with spears. Zenobia uses an ice tunnel to reach the land of the Arimaspi, and she, Rafi, and the Minoton climb subterranean stairs to emerge in the warm, Mediterranean-like valley above. Sinbad and his crew also reach the valley. While resting, they encounter a troglodyte a 12-foot (3.7 m) tall creature somewhat like a fur-covered caveman, with a single horn coming out of the top of its head. The troglodyte proves not dangerous, but rather friendly and follows the adventurers to the giant pyramidal shrine of the Arimaspi. Zenobia and Rafi arrive at the shrine first, but she has no key to enter. She orders the Minoton to remove a block of stone from the pyramid's wall. He succeeds, but the block crushes the Minoton and destabilizes the shrine's power. Sinbad and his friends arrive minutes later, and realize Zenobia has entered the pyramid. They enter the shrine's main chamber, the interior of which is covered in ice and is guarded by a Smilodon frozen in a block of ice. Zenobia orders Rafi to attack Melanthius and is about to hurt Dione with a knife, but he is attacked by Kassim and is killed falling down the temple stairs. Momentarily overcome with grief, Zenobia cradles her son while Sinbad and Melanthius investigate how to get Kassim into the column of light at the top of the shrine which will break the spell. Having come to her senses again and seeing Kassim restored to human form, Zenobia transfers her spirit into the Smilodon. Breaking free of its icy prison, the giant cat attacks the group but the troglodyte then enters the scene and engages the Smilodon in combat. Initially gaining the upper hand and even slamming the beast to the ground, the Smilodon disarms the troglodyte of its spear and pins it to the wall, inflicting more damage before killing it via biting the neck. Sinbad and his men fight against the Smilodon but overpowered by its speed and Maroof is killed. The Smilodon then attacks Sinbad who uses the troglodyte's spear to jab it in the chest, killing the Smilodon and Zenobia. With the spell on Kassim is broken and Zenobia dead, and the adventurers flee the temple as it collapses and buried in snow and ice. Sinbad, Kassim, Farah, Melanthius, and Dione and return home just in time for Kassim to be crowned Caliph. Sinbad and Farah share a kiss. The film fades to black, and the eyes of Zenobia appear on the screen.

good versus evil, revenge, cult

train

wikipedia

It's inventive and eye-catching, and the Minoton is a marvel.Patrick Wayne is strong-jawed and stalwart as Sinbad, but Jane Seymour, as the princess, obviously hadn't done much acting yet when she made this film. Sinbad the Sailor voyages to the mythic northern realm of Hyperborea to restore a caliph from an evil witch's transformation.Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger, the follow-up to the classics The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad and The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, is an uneven conclusion to Ray Harryhausen's celebrated "Sinbad Trilogy". The attractive cast performs listlessly and the villain is campy rather than truly menacing, although former "Doctor Who" Patrick Troughton is delightful as a befuddled wizard.Yet, for all its flaws, Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger remains an entertaining escapade in the old-fashioned Saturday-Matinée tradition. The quest for the mystical Shrine of the Four Elements has a particularly epic quality with the usual eclectic blend of mythical elements set against the backdrop of the Arabian Nights.Most importantly, Harryhausen's realistic stop-motion animation is as extraordinary as ever, with two of the animated-puppet creatures -- Kassim the Baboon and Trog the Troglodyte -- successfully functioning as actual communicative characters within the body of the story. Other wonders include insectoid demons, an over-sized mosquito, Minaton the Brass Minotaur and the saber-tooth tiger of the title.Genuine movie fantasy is a rare commodity, and Ray Harryhausen's vision and conviction shine through the circumstances of production to make this a satisfying final visit to the land beyond Beyond.. And I think at the time of this release we had gotten "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and "Star Wars" so our expectation levels were running higher for "special effects" and "whimsy" than this.But I still can get entertainment out of this film.How?By remembering how old I was when I saw it and WHOM I was with when I saw it. Now, most children don't even think "Spy Kids" can give them a buzz.This movie is about childhood and remembering what it was like to have an imagination and watch a story unfold for nothing but the sheer enjoyment of it...the fun of eating "Good 'n' Plenty", "Snowcaps", "Malted Milk Balls" and Popcorn without thinking about calorie content to make this even more fun to watch...and the "eye candy" of Wayne, Seymour and Power help a so-so story that's really better than a lot of stuff I've seen today that they charge ya $10 a ticket for! Watch this as a "fun" romp....as remembering when families watched shows together (..or in my case my dad mumbling under his breath about how the game was due on and he had to sit through this 'crap' first!), the pre-teen tingles of watching a handsome Wayne, young Seymour and/or Power (...ya know...before having breast implants and weighing 95 pounds was mandatory in Hollywood for women to do this kind of film work?!?) and telling your parents you were REALLY interested in the story...really.Maybe I've got a more "nostalgic" view about this film..its because I'm not looking for academy award winning material with this kind of film, but it does its job of...entertaining...and if you have children and want them to be children for a tad longer, this may be the film fare for them. Or just for you, if you want to curl up with some popcorn and remember "the good old movie fluff days" where special effects were done by hand and stop motion photography by the "grand-daddy" of the genre and a Sinbad movie where Sinbad actually looked like you might imagined him to look like back then and evil characters who were evil and got theirs....pretty much simplified.Open your mind and when you have a moment...enjoy. Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger was the third and final Sinbad movie with Ray Harryhausen creatures.In this one, a prince is turned into a stop-motion baboon and Sinbad and crew go on an expedition to Ademaspai to restore him back to human form. All of them look impressive, thanks to Ray Harryhausen.Sinbad is played well by the Duke's son Patrick Wayne (The People That Time Forgot) and the rest of the cast includes Dr Who actor Patrick Troughton, Bond girl Jane Seymour (Live and Let Die), Taryn Power, Margaret Whiting as Zenobi and Nadim Sawalha.Though not as good as the first Sinbad movie, The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad, I still enjoyed watching this one. Loose retelling of the ¨ 1001 Arabian nights¨ , based on ancient legends , deals with Sinbad The Sailor (Patrick Wayne) sails to deliver a cursed prince Kassin (Damien Thomas) to a dangerous island in the face of deadly opposition from a powerful witch (Margaret Whiting) . In the mysterious land Hyperboria Sinbad along with a sorcerer (Patrick Troughton) and his crew encounter magical and mystical creatures .This exciting picture contains swashbuckling , magic , fast-moving plot , thrills , impressive fights among monsters and lots of fun . It is Patrick Troughton's excellently enigmatic Melanthius and Margaret Whiting's icy Zenobia who are the real stars of this show.Sinbad travels to find a way to break the spell which has turned a prince into a baboon, but Zenobia, who has plans to ensure her son is crowned king in the prince's place, calls upon the help of various mythical creatures. Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger is directed by Sam Wannamaker and is the third and final Sinbad film that Ray Harryhausen (and his stop-motion creations) made for Columbia after The 7th Voyage of Sinbad and The Golden Voyage of Sinbad. It stars Patrick Wayne (Sinbad), Jane Seymour (Princess Farah), Taryn Power (Dione), Patrick Troughton (Melanthius), Margaret Whiting (Zenobia) and Nadim Sawalha (Hassan). They face a perilous journey to the end of the World (a place called Hyperborea) with Zenobia and her black magic tricks in hot pursuit.Depending on if you are a fantasy/adventure fan or not may determine how much, if at all, you get from Sinbad & The Eye Of The Tiger. Troughton has a good time as the mad/eccentric/genius alchemist, while Whiting owns the film with her delightfully over the top trip into evil villainy.It's presumed that newcomers to the movie know what to expect going into this one, whilst old fans revisiting it should hopefully find that it's holding up rather well considering the genre it sits in. It is the most epic of the trilogy and has the most ambitious storyline (POSSIBLE SPOILER) involving a voyage into a lost world hidden behind the ice sheets at the North Pole (no doubt an idea partly influenced by Disney's 1974 'The Island at the Top of the World').The creatures in this one are the least spectacular of the trilogy (THE SEVENTH VOYAGE & THE GOLDEN VOYAGE have better and more spectacular ones) but Harryhausen's artistry is as great as ever and he really should have been given a special accolade for imbuing Kassim the Baboon and the Troglodyte with so much character. You want to see the details on the bronze minotaur (called Minaton here) the intricate patterns on the thousands of fabrics, and precious jewels, the different eye lash-layers on "evil" queen Zenobia and the expanse of ultra blue seas.The third of Ray Harryhausen's Sinbad films has apparently gotten a bad rap over the years, which I can not understand. No doubt it could have been better, but as an exciting adventure it is more than good, thanks to a strong cast and Ray Harryhausen's excellent animation.The story is about Kassim, the caliph of Baghdad, who mysteriously disappears at the very moment of his coronation. It's all a matter of perception and historical placement, above all Location, location, location!In order to break Zenobia's spell on Kassim, Sinbad enlists an adequately wise and aged wizard, Master Malanthius and his sexy daughter, the hyper blond, hypnotized-looking Dione (Taryn Power), who also has some of the most vapid dialog in the movie. The first thing they do is crush the spies that the vizier had set to watching their moves, against a rock as they start on the pursuit, an appropriately delightful moment of evil indulgence.The best part of the movie is Zenobia's transformation into a seagull so she can leave her ship and spy on Sinbad in his. The real plusses come from supporting players Patrick Troughton( a former Dr. Who) and Margaret Whiting as the evil Zenobia, foil to Sinbad and his baboon-changing-back-to-prince plans. I've seen this movie probably about over 10 times when I was little, but now I can't find it and I really want to watch it again!This movie is plain entertaining, about one of many adventures that Simbad had, including a witch that practices black magic, a terrible curse, an old wise man with lots of answers for lots of questions and even a golden bull, Zenobia's slave. Margaret Whiting is completely over-the-top as the villainous Zenobia but at least she seems to be having fun with all the corny dialog(her transformation into a seagull is laughable and the only bad special effect in the film). The effects are, as always in a Harryhausen-movie, excellent, but many people say that it was not for the best that Harryhausen took some creatures from earlier films: that might be partially true, the creatures from the beginning sequence are looking like the selenites from FIRST MEN IN THE MOON, but it is not the right of the master to copy himself? Veteran character actor Sam Wanamaker is the nominal director, but the effects unit was run as always by Harryhausen, and for its time the stop motion animation was very good and the actors did their best to interact with models which weren't there. By the late seventies they were starting to look old-fashioned; there is little in "Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger" (which came out in the same year as "Star Wars") to distinguish it from "The Seventh Voyage" which had come out nearly twenty years earlier.Today, of course, films made using the "Dynamation" process have a very retro feel to them, but I have long had a soft spot for Harryhausen's work ever since I was taken, as a child, to see a double bill of "The Seventh Voyage" and "Jason and the Argonauts" as part of a friend's birthday treat. The acting is variable; neither Patrick Wayne as the hero nor Taryn Power has the talent or the charisma of their famous fathers, but Margaret Whiting as Zenobia makes a splendidly over-the-top villainess, former Doctor Who Patrick Troughton is good as the wise old philosopher Melanthius and Jane Seymour as Farah looks as lovely as ever. Fun Sinbad Adventure with Patrick Wayne, Jane Seymour & Taryn Power. I don't get why so many people pan this 1977 Sinbad adventure film, the third in a trilogy featuring Ray Harryhausen's special effects creations. The previous installments are 1958's "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad" and 1973's "The Golden Voyage of Sinbad."THE PLOT: Princess Farah's (Jane Seymour) brother, who's about to be crowned Caliph of the kingdom, is turned into a baboon by the envious sorceress Zenobia (Margaret Whiting) who wants her son to be Caliph instead (Kurt Christian). Whiting puts her heart & soul into her role as the witch with a capital "B" and Troughton is charismatic as the likable old magician.As for women, this is one of the highlights of the film as the young brunette Jane Seymour and blond Taryn Power (Tyrone's daughter) are breathtaking to behold in every scene they appear. Patrick Wayne is a great Sinbad, the story captures your attention, the locations are fabulous, and Jane Seymour & Taryn Power are delectable. SINBAD AND THE EYE OF THE TIGER (1977) ** Patrick Wayne, Taryn Power, Jane Seymour, Margaret Whitton. I consider it one of the two best films to feature Ray Harryhausen's stop-motion creatures, the other being Clash of the Titans (the original, not the dire remake!).Anyone not impressed by the animation in this film, including a stop-motion baboon who is a main character throughout and gives an exceptionally nuanced and emotionally moving performance, is most likely an ignorant millennial with no knowledge or respect for film history, animation techniques, or the concept of evolving technology, and has spent their entire life being spoon-fed CGI that, while immensely impressive, has rendered modern audiences incapable of suspending disbelief, applying their own imagination (because they have none), or comprehending the sheer artistry and technical genius of old-time movie-makers like Harryhausen!Rant over.As the last of the three Sinbad films released by Columbia Pictures it is my favourite, being altogether more varied, adventurous, imaginative, and well-rounded. Nor do they feature Jane Seymour with corn rows and no clothes!It would be fair to say that the skinny-dipping scene with Jane Seymour and Taryn Power (plus a giant troglodyte) left a lasting impression on my young mind, for which I will always be grateful.Overall, despite being undeniably dated by today's standards, I consider Eye of the Tiger to be one of the finest fantasy films ever made.. For some reason I really like Sinbad movies.Not just these great films by Ray Harryhausen, I also like Sinbad The Sailor and even Sinbad Of The Seven Seas just as much.This is your typical Sinbad story.Sailing, magic and hot women.What else do you need?A prince has been turned into a baboon by an evil witch so her son can become the king.I think that's the set up, it was confusing.There's a lot of talk about Muslim religion stuff, assuming we know that crap.Sinbad decides to drop everything to help the prince because he wants the princess.It may be hard to pay attention to the movie with the extremely hot Jane Seymour running around half nude but watching it a second time will be easy.This is a movie everybody needs to see.. Like Clash of the Titans and The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, it's Ray Harryhausen's special effects that steal the show. With the aid of an ageing wizard (Troughton), a princess (Seymour) and the blonde, blue-eyed Taryn Power (daughter of Tyrone Power) he sails the seven seas, contesting with mutated creatures (the minotaur, played by Dave Prowse pre-'Darth Vader') and other creatures, richly brought to life via Ray Harryhausen's stop-motion animation.Harryhausen fans will marvel at his technical capabilities; the scene In which Whiting is miniaturised, scampering about the ship's cabin while the crew try in vain to capture her before she can morph back into a seagull and escape is classic. Featuring a gorgeous young Jane Seymour "Eye Of The Tiger" was my favourite Sinbad movie growing up, so when I saw it was on TV I sat down to watch it with my 9 year old son. Whilst I revelled in the nostalgia from my youth, my son would say "that looks so fake" whilst I would tell him about how old the movie was, and the effects were great back in 1970's and the wonder of Ray Harryhausen, he would say 'Star Wars' and 'Superman The Movie' were out in the 70's too, and being the tech savvy 9 year old he is, he pointed out this was made in the same year as "Star Wars"Whilst the story is on par (if not better and Jane Seymour is as attractive as Caroline Munro (although she does not show as much cleavage) Patrick Wayne is not as effective as John Philip Law in the "Golden voyage of Sinbad" and seemed to spend most of the first part of the movie like a love sick puppy making doe eyes at Seymour!! Patrick Wayne takes over the role from John Philip Law, and isn't as good(why JPL didn't return I don't know) Jane Seymour and Taryn Power are the female leads(no mention of Caroline Munro either!) Plot involves the quest to restore a young prince to his rightful throne(despite being turned into a chimp) with an evil witch and her son plotting to usurp it themselves. I'd say that at least 20 minutes could've easily been edited from this film's 112-minute running time and I'm sure no one would've been in the least bit upset.About the only really noteworthy thing to say about "Sinbad" was that its title character was played by the dashing, 38-year-old Patrick Wayne, son of the famed, veteran actor, John Wayne.. Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger starts with Captain Sinbad (Patrick Wayne) arriving ashore after a long voyage to see his friend Prince Kassim (Damien Thomas) & his sister Princess Farah (Jane Seymour), however he discovers that Kassim has been transformed into a Baboon by his evil step mother Zenobia (Margaret Whiting) using black magic so her son Rafi (Kurt Christian) can become king. The script by Beverly Cross & producer/special effects man Ray Harryhausen has a simple yet functional story, it has a villain, plenty of monsters & mythical creatures, exotic locations, action scenes, sword fights, black magic & a chess playing Baboon, what more do you want? Interestingly Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger came out the same year as Star Wars (1977) which probably put Harryhausen out of business & just about ended his career.Technically the film is good, with nice locations, decent effects, costumes, sets & production design. The acting isn't anything special apart from Whiting who seems to be enjoying herself as she plays it up as the villain.Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger is a terrific film, it has all the elements one wants in a fantasy film such as this. So, in all, SINBAD AND THE EYE OF THE TIGER is a film for a) Jane Seymour fanciers, b) Harryhausen enthusiasts, and c) people who enjoy watching old-fashioned adventure yarns and don't mind over-long running times and a lack of acting and story. "Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger" is not as good as the other two Ray Harryhausen Sinbad movies. But can any movie featuring Ray Harryhausen's creatures and sexy Jane Seymour ever be truly bad?

tt0365830

Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny

As a young man, JB (Jack Black) leaves his religious family and oppressive Midwestern town for Hollywood on a quest to form the world's most awesome rock band. There he meets acoustic guitarist KG (Kyle Gass), who is performing on the street, and begins worshipping him as a rock god because of his skills and attitude. KG feeds JB's fantasy by pretending to be famous with a self-named band ("The Kyle Gass Project"), and exploits him to do work such as cleaning his apartment and buying him weed (under the promise that JB can audition for his fictitious band.) After JB learns KG is actually unemployed and living off his parents, the two become equal, and KG apologizes to JB by giving him a brand-new guitar. They create their own band: Tenacious D, named for birthmarks found on their derrieres. (JB has a birthmark which says: "Tenac", and KG has a mark which reads: "ious D".) Soon JB and KG learn the deepest secret of rock: all the rock legends used the same guitar pick, The Pick of Destiny, which has supernatural powers. It was created by a dark wizard from a piece of Satan's tooth, as a gift to a blacksmith who saved his life from the great demon. The pick gives its holder unnatural abilities with stringed instruments. Infatuated by the prospect of becoming the next great rock star, JB immediately sets Tenacious D on a quest to steal the Pick of Destiny from a rock history museum. Along the way, the band briefly splits up, when KG decides that sex comes first in "sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll", while JB wants to stick to the mission at hand. But soon, JB and KG come back together when they realize they need each other as friends. The two manage to steal the Pick of Destiny due to incompetent security at the rock museum. Armed with this supernatural pick, they plan to use the winnings from a local bar's talent contest to pay their rent, but before they can go on stage, greed overcomes them, and they fight over the pick, snapping it in half accidentally. After a pep-talk from the bar's owner, they decide they are good enough to go onto the contest without the pick, not knowing that the owner is Satan in human form, looking for his missing tooth piece. Coming back outside (deciding they can both use half of the pick), they are confronted by Satan, who is "complete" when he places the Pick of Destiny back on his broken tooth, giving him the ability to use his supernatural powers on Earth. He threatens to make Tenacious D his first victim. To save their lives, Tenacious D challenge Satan to a "rock-off", which he cannot deny, as the "demon code" strictly forbids him from declining such a challenge. As the bargain goes, if Tenacious D wins, Satan must return to hell on his own and pay their rent. But if Satan wins, he gets to take KG back with him as a sex slave. Ultimately, they lose (KG sings, "That was a masterpiece! / He rocks too hard because he's not a mortal man."), and Satan attempts to shoot KG with a bolt of energy. JB jumps in the way, and the bolt bounces off his guitar, blowing off a piece of Satan's horn. JB is able to send him back to Hell with a magical incantation. (As explained earlier, should Satan become "incomplete", he can be banished from the Earth with said incantation.) The two turn Satan's horn into the "Bong of Destiny" and the movie closes with the two smoking from it as they write new songs.

bleak, cult, comedy, satire, entertaining

train

wikipedia

I saw this movie on a fluke.I was standing on 42nd street waiting for a bus to go home and a sister started passing out free tickets for a preview of this movie.I gave it a chance not expecting much.The promotional movie posters I've seen on the subway station walls do not give this film justice at all.The movie is about a young rocker who goes on a journey to learn the craft and art of heavy metal.I'll leave it there.The movie is a heavy comedy and lot's of fun.If your are old enough to remember when Heavy Metal dominated the music scene in the eighties you are going to love this film.Jack Black is an amazingly talented comedian and actor and assuming he really wrote and performed the songs in this film he is also a talented musician.Tenacious D is definitely worth a look!. Admittedly, I was already a huge fan of the D's work - I loved the HBO series and listen to their music weekly (there's nothing better to sing along to), but this appreciation actually made me more apprehensive going into to tonight's screening (for we've all been disappointed one time or another by something we love when it attempted to make the jump to the big screen). It is worth the extremely expensive price of movie tickets these days, as you will surely bust a nut laughing during the whole thing.Aside from the comedy, the glorious and divine music that flows from KG's guitar and JB's voice is awe inspiring. If for nothing other than the music itself, this movie is worth the price of admission.With a wonderfully coherent storyline tying in almost all aspects of the traditional "D" history and hallmarks, great new songs, hilarious comedy, and some pretty awesome cameos, this movie ranks up there with the best! JB (Jack Black) and KG (Kyle Gass), joined together by fate, must travel to the Rock N' Roll Museum and steal the Pick of Destiny to become the greatest band on earth. If you've heard their previous album or seen their HBO videos from the album, you can imagine the extremely foul-mouthed, rocking good time that is this movie which tells the fable of how the group Tenacious D came to be formed.Full of cameos, it not only gives a fictional account of Tenacious D but is a send-up of musical history as well. Having watched 'School of Rock' not too long ago, perhaps I was expecting something on that level but to me the humour in 'Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny' did not work and I found most of it irritating.. Tenacious d in the pick of destiny was not only the best Music movie I've ever seen but one of the greatest movies of all time I recommend this movie to anyone that loves Jack Black or Kyle Gass or just the D in general also seeing the foo fighters signer being the devil was priceless GOO SEE IT YOU WONT BE DISAPPOINTED I PROMISE Unless you don't like funny movies then go see Saw or something, But this is definitely one of the best movies I've seen all year way up there with Click which was also a great movie i would tell you more but i don't wanna ruin the movie, also the movie music is a lot better than the first album because not only is there rock music but it also goes classical for all you oldies and, Some hardcore metalGO SEE IT :)Brendon. And when Sabbath's Dio sings to JB to keep him informed of what to do via a poster, wow, it's ultimate classic rock, no Nirvana in sight, well, not for an hour and a quarter, because, of course, Dave Grohl, the Nirvana drummer, reprises the Devil for the film.After a brilliant start, the music keeps going as the credits are done using Tarot Cards, some which i have, due to the deluxe version of the soundtrack. Lee here is just a simple Pizza dude, but heck, he's not too important in the film, it's just, it's Lee, he gets recognition.KG soon tolerates JB after a parody of what seems to be getting as hip as Scarface, A Clockwork Orange, but i can't see how a lot of people will recognise the spoof, rather think it's just a skit, but nonetheless, the comic disturbance of seeing Jables being beaten by Americans pretending to be English in white suits is nice, and with a Training Montage following it to level the pace, any uncomfortableness is forgotten.I haven't talked much about the music of a lot of it, mainly Kickapoo, but the music is top notch, rude, crude, classic, and also you rehear songs from the series, mainly History and the opening tune, and the first strummed part of Explosivo, but it's still amazing, especially on a huge screen.The story of the film is just crazy, to pay the rent, JB and KG, after finding their band's name, Tenacious D, on their arses, try to make a song that will win them the cash at Open Mic Night. It starts off like Episode 1: The Search For Inspirado, but teeters onto crazy classic ness when they spot that every great rock band had the same Pick, forged from the tooth of the Devil in the Middle Ages, as we are told by Executive Producer Ben Stiller's Guitar Store Dude, and that the Pick is in the Rock and Roll museum in Sacramento.From this they travel to Sacramento, where they meet Tim Robbins' brilliant Tramp character, as perfectly done as anything, complete hilarity. From this we get into the greatest call back to the TV series during a drug trip, in which JB finally meets Sasquatch.It's a road trip of a lifetime with less road, less trip, and more guitars, but it's pitch perfect, continuing the brilliance of the TV series the film gets every joke it wants to in, and has more laughs than Black claimed, there were more than 1 Orgasmic jokes here, and just watching KG and JB on the big screen is epic, but wait, there's the amazing ending to talk about.Having had to re film it as test audiences didn't recognize the Blues Brothers parody, yet Clockwork Orange was noticed?, it had to be re filmed, and, as much as i'd love to see the original, this is fantastic.Dave Grohl reprises his role as a Demon, here the Devil, from the video "Tribute", he is offered KG if he wins a rock-out, but otherwise would have to stay in hell AND pay their rent, we get an amazing song to end it. Great lyrics to a brilliant song reveal what is the best song in the world that Tribute is based on, and believe me, it's pretty much there in my eyes.1:34 minutes long, starting and ending with fart gags, and including C*ck push ups and laser deactivation with genitalia scenes, Tenacious D is obviously not a film for the whole family, nor for Commercial Black fans, but for Fans of the series, it's the ultimate movie, clever, stupid, brilliant, rocking, and has great cameos. Fans of the duo's rock-comedy album and cult classic television show, or the incessantly energetic Jack Black will have jumped at the prospect of an hour and a half of unfiltered Tenacious D madness, and those who generally would not gravitate towards such forms of entertainment will have already uttered a groan, and discounted any possibility of seeing the film. It's hard to pinpoint exactly where the problem lies; in terms of content the film plays upon the same themes and plot points which made Tenacious D so crudely enjoyable in the first place, but the material feels a touch too familiar by this point, coming across as still enjoyable, but merely cute or chuckle worthy, rather than the real belly laughs which should have been evoked. There may not be a whole lot of new material, and the songs may not be quite as caustic and catchy as in the past, but Black and Gass's collective enthusiasm is enough to guarantee that the legend of Tenacious D will keep on rocking for quite some time. Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny may not live up to its boast of being "the greatest motion picture ever made", but it does certainly guarantee a highly enjoyable, albeit forgettable hour and a half of inspired madness and head banging rock music. Jack Black and Kyle Gass most definitely brought the thunder in this epic tale of friendship, hard rocking and destiny.Filled to the brim with unnecessary swearing in every sentence, toilet humour and the general rule breaking attitude, this movie is a must see for the hard core tenacious D fans of the world.We follow the journey of young Jables (Jack black) and Kage (Kyle Gass) as they try and recover the pick of destiny, to win the open-Mic night, and to become the greatest band on the planet. The soundtrack is phenomenal and each song blows you away....And Dave Grohl plays a fantastic Devil.This is the perfect movie for those of you looking for a hard time and a rocking musical.. No fan will be disappointed, i guarantee, but people that don't really know Tenacious D, and are just going for a bit of fun, or because they like Jack Black (or even KG) they may not like it so much. I was sure I was not going to like the movie as I was never a big fan of the band, and am fairly indifferent to the work of Jack Black. And what I got was a fair mix of bad and good, but I was most definitely surprised at both how the film was so much better than I expected, and just how terribly random it is.After a short musical interlude about the sad and rock-impaired childhood of JB (Troy Gentile, the spitting image of Black) followed by a kickin' credits sequence, we move onto him as an adult (now Black himself) and his meeting with Kyle Gass (as himself). Eventually Black finds out the truth, but decides against making his new friend hit the road.I have already said too much, but suffice to say that the newly formed band needs to create their "masterpiece" and sets out to acquire the 'Pick of Destiny' in order to do it.The film stays on course for the most part with a healthy dose of humour and musical interludes. I am a huge classic rock lover, so I think that's part of the reason why I loved it so much, but the guys made the movie work and had great chemistry.JB is a kid who ran away from his religious family to become a rock star, when he gets to Hollywood he finds another old balding heavy set man KG who is playing his guitar on the streets. KG lies and tells him that he's a huge rock star, but when JB finds out what a fake KG is, he forgives him and they find out what makes a band great and that is "The Pick of Destiny", so they must go to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to find the pick that will make them play like true guitar Gods.It has funny music, some great humor and some gross, and the story just worked for a comedy. The movie is a spin-off of the song, which tells the story of how Tenacious D was formed to become the world's greatest band –by defeating Satan himself (played by the Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl). :-)If you like Rock music and good comedy, this is an excellent movie for you. I am a huge fan of Rage Kage(Kyle Gass) and Jables(Jack Black), so naturally I loved the movie. Many of their songs are referenced, such as Two Kings, Tribute, and Kielbasa to their many audio tracks like Cock Push-ups, every fan in the audience will be saying I remember that as well as new comers saying "That's F'ing hilarious!." I highly recommend this movie to any body that's ever rocked out. If you have heard the new album and thought to yourself "this seems a bit substandard Tenacious material,it is like I a merely playing badminton with Satan, what gives?" Then this movie will elevate your appreciation for the music and you will marvel at this steamy satanic masterpiece. The usual sheer greatness as any of the films that Jack Black has been in, more-so teaming up with his hard-rocking compadre Kyle Gass just made it even better. He teamed up with his mate Kyle Gass and together the two of them created a 'cult' band.Tenacious D in: The Pick of Destiny is a film about the fictional account of how the band formed.The film starts off with a hilarious song sung by Jack Black, depicting his life as a child in a religious family who think of rock as "The Devil's Music". The new partners in crime go on a quest for 'The Pick of Destiny", a guitar pick that has allowed all the legendary rock stars of today to play outstanding music that they had never heard before.The soundtrack features songs by Tenacious D and is a great addition to the film. Any D fan will LOVE this movie (even though it's a tad short) and cameos from John C Reilly, Ben Stiller, Tim Robbins, Meatloaf and Dave Grohl (just about recognisable) prove that the D rock hard enough for anyone. First of all, if your a Tenacious D fan or you like Jack Black then you won't be disappointed with this movie. They got what they expected, a movie about JB and KG's Tenacious D mixed with some Rock 'N' Roll music the whole way through.The story starts with JB moving out of his parents house and travelling all the way to Hollywood to confront his dream. Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny is a fun movie, even not being so funny, the movie will give some laughs, and of course a lot of fun, I liked the chemistry of Jack Black and Kyle Gass, both are excellent, the cast is very competent, especially Tim Hobbins this very well, the opening scene is funny, and the final scene is quite bizarre, the makeup is good, the film has strange moments, the soundtrack is the strong point of the film, the script is problematic, some dialogues are very weak, not to mention having jokes sheepishly, Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny is recommended, especially those who like Rock, the film is fun and guarantee a few laughs. Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny is a great movie with a really fun storyline and great performances from both Jack Black and Kyle Gass.This movie was a box office bomb when it came out,and I don't see why,I thought this movie was very enjoyable,it was really funny and had unbelievably good music numbers,and I thought Tenacious D would have a big enough fan base for this movie to make some decent money.I'm not a fan of the band,and I thought I wouldn't enjoy it unless I was,but I really did,and I also learned that Jack Black is actually a fantastic singer,and the rock off scene with David Grohl as Satan is something I will never forget.Fans of the band will definitely enjoy this movie and fans of Jack Black comedies will also.Two men interested in becoming rock stars head off on a quest to find a guitar pick that is actually Satin's tooth in order to become big.. Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny is a film that defines the perfectly the personalities of its two protagonists, Jack Black and Kyle Gass. For those unaware, Tenacious D is a real rock band composed of famed comedy actor Jack Black and his best friend Kyle Gass. Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny has a love affair with four letter words, especially in the duo's music which is funny yet very juvenile.Jack Black and Kyle Gass have likable chemistry throughout the whole special, and nothing ever feels forced. I didn't really know what to expect from this film, I kinda knew what the main story or theme was but I only wanted to watch it as I think Jack Black was hilarious in School Of Rock. Tenacious D is one of the best comedic bands out there, and finally band members Jack Black and Kyle Gass have taken to the big screen in The Pick of Destiny. It is more of a niche film, but if you are a fan of Jack Black, Tenacious D or the culture of hard rock, you will certainly find enough amusing moments to make it worthwhile.. TENACIOUS D IN 'THE PICK OF DESTINY' 2006 (JACK BLACK, KYLE GASS) DIRECTED BY: LIAM LYNCH ~ THE RUNDOWN: JB-Naysayers beware - the guy is actually very funny and completely proves himself in this absolutely hilarious, immensely entertaining, well-made and completely original comedic masterpiece. If you don't know who they are, Tenacious D (or just "the D") is the rock band which comprises Jack Black and his buddy Kyle Gass. See, a lot of the people who will go and see this are all probably all fans of black's previous works, like Nacho Libre & School of Rock, well I'm here to tell, this has nothing to do with those films. In case you aren't already a fan and are thinking of seeing the movie I would suggest that you first listen to the soundtrack a few times as the film ends up being an excellent visual companion to the music, which is always the most important thing when it comes to the phenomenon known as Tenacious D. I am a fan of Tenacious D and I was hoping against hope that this would be the one movie that would show the true talent of Jack Black and Kyle Gass.

tt1778258

Fuk sau che chi sei

The Rainy season, the days were especially darker, the city seemed to be enveloped by a skin of dust. The Police discovered two homicide cases involving pregnant women. The media widely reported the incident because of the similarities of the two cases: Pregnant woman dissected alive, husband put to death in 100 degree of boiling water. The media nicknamed the cases: The Dissector The Police combed the areas nearby the murder scenes to look for the assailant! Led by undercover detectives Jeff and Kwok Wah they set up roadblocks to catch the suspect! The original 5 member undercover detective team has now become 2 with Du Ge their leader leaving the force more than 6 months ago! They detain a suspect at the roadblock..Chan Kit Chan Kit remains silent throughout the brutal interrogation. Another murder occurs. A pregnant girl named Cheung Wing is dissected alive, same as the first two cases. Cheung Wing survives after 10 hrs in the intensive care unit. The name of the assailant is close at handthe city waits. But to the surprise of allits not Chan Kitjeff and Kowk Wah are adamant that its him but have no evidence and is forced to release Chan Kit. They too are also relieved of their duty! Jeff and Kwok Wah contacts Du Ge their ex-boss to find a way to quell the situation! Chan Kit and Cheung Wing are destined to be together but Jeff, Kwok Wah and Du Ge are destined to find them. Pain once again has been brought back, hatred once again. has been aroused

violence, revenge, sadist

train

imdb

tt1099212

Twilight

Seventeen-year-old Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) has decided to leave sunny Phoenix, Arizona, to spend some time with her father Charlie Swan (Billy Burke), the chief of police in the perpetually cloudy and rainy city of Forks, Washington, on the west coast of the Olympic Peninsula, so that her mother Renée (Sarah Clarke) and her minor league baseball-playing stepfather Phil Dwyer (Matt Bushell) can go on the road together for spring training and perhaps even move to Jacksonville, Florida.Bella's relationship with her father is cool, even though she hasn't seen him in several years. When she arrives in Forks, he surprises her with the gift of a red pickup truck he purchased from his best friend, Billy Black (Gil Birmingham). Bella remembers making mudpies with Billy's son Jacob (Taylor Lautner) and looks forward to having at least one friend at Forks High School, until Jacob reminds her that he is a Quileute Indian and goes to school on the Reservation. Not to worry. On her first day of school, Bella is befriended by Eric Yorkie (Justin Chon), the school's "eyes and ears", and he introduces her to some of the other students. Everything is looking cool so far.Cool, that is, until she meets Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson). Edward is one of five foster kids adopted by Dr Carlisle Cullen (Peter Facinelli) and his wife Esme (Elizabeth Reaser). There's also Alice (Ashley Greene) and Emmett (Kellan Lutz) Cullen and the twins, Rosalie (Nikki Reed) and Jasper (Jackson Rathbone) Hale. From the moment Edward lays eyes on Bella, he can't stop scowling at her. When Bella is assigned as Edward's lab partner in Biology, her stepping in front of the classroom fan makes him react as though he's getting sick. After Edward storms out the door when the bell rings, Bella is puzzled as to what she could have done to anger him. When she overhears him in the office attempting to transfer out of Biology, she decides to confront him and ask him what is his problem. However, she doesn't get the chance because Edward is absent for the next several days. When Edward does return to school, he seems changed. He introduces himself to Bella and asks her about herself, her family, and whether or not she likes the cold, rainy climate in Forks. Bella notices that his eyes seem a different color than previously, and he answers awkwardly before walking away. Later that day, as Bella is about to get into her truck, another car careens out of control in the school parking lot. Within seconds, Edward has crossed the lot, pulled Bella out of the way, and seemingly stopped the car with his bare hand, leaving Bella more puzzled than before. When she tries to ask Edward how he did it, he simply chalks it up to an "adrenalin rush" and refuses to talk about it. Further, he says that they probably shouldn't even be friends.That doesn't stop Bella from asking Edward to be her date when the kids decide to go surfing at La Push Beach on the Indian Reservation, but Edward doesn't show. When the kids are joined on the beach by Jacob Black and two of his friends from the Reservation and they learn that Edward Cullen was supposed to be Bella's date, one of Jacob's friends remarks, "The Cullens don't come here." Later, Bella asks Jacob what was meant by that remark, and Jacob tells her of a Quileute legend that says the Quileutes are descended from wolves whereas the Cullens are descended from an enemy clan. The legend also goes that the Quileutes and the Cullens made a pact that required the Cullens to stay off Quileute land in exchange for the Quileutes keeping it secret what the Cullens really were. Although Jacob calls it just an 'old story,' Bella suspects otherwise. She googles Quileute legends and notices that there is a bookstore in Port Angeles that sells several books on Quileute legends, so she goes along with her new friends, Jessica Stanley (Anna Kendrick) and Angela Weber (Christian Serratos), when they decide to go shopping in Port Angeles for their prom dresses.After purchasing her books, Bella heads to the restaurant where she planned to meet Jessica and Angela for dinner before heading back to Forks. Along the way, however, she is stopped by four guys with no good on their minds. Suddenly, Edward drives up, forces the guys to back off, and orders Bella to get into the car. When Edward and Bella finally join Jessica and Angela, the girls have already eaten. Edward offers to see that Bella gets some dinner and then to drive her back to Forks, so Jessica and Angela take off, giving Bella and Edward a chance to talk privately. Edward reveals that he was following Bella because he has developed very protective feelings towards her. He also lets it slip that he could read what was in the minds of those low-lifes and that he can read just about anyone's mind...except for hers.On the drive back to Forks, Bella accidentally touches Edward's hand and is amazed at how cold it is. As they pass the Forks Police Department, they see several police cars, including that of Bella's father, with their lights flashing. Dr Cullen's car is also there, so Bella and Edward stop to see what's happening. They learn from Carlisle that the body of Waylon Forge, a good friend of her father, was just found lying in a boat, dead from what looks like an animal attack, this being the second animal attack to happen near Forks. Later, after Bella has returned home with her father, she starts paging through the books she purchased and comes across a Quileute legend about "The Cold One." Googling it, she learns that "The Cold One," aka Apotamkin, is a fanged creature, described as undead, immortal, possessing incredible speed, strength, and cold skin. It is said to drink human blood and variously equated with other legends about vampires.The next day, Bella confronts Edward with her findings. He doesn't deny it. He takes her to the top of a mountain, out of the cloud bank, and shows her how a vampire's skin sparkles in the sunlight. He explains how the Cullen family has learned to live on animal blood and consider themselves "vegetarian vampires." Still, he's a killer, he says, and admits that his hostile reaction to her is because her blood smelled so appetizing that he wanted to kill her and feed on her. He's never wanted a human's blood as much as he wants hers. Bella replies that she doesn't care and insists she trusts him to maintain control. Edward goes on to explain that Carlisle turned him in 1918 when he was dying of Spanish influenza and that Waylon was killed by some other vampires...not the Cullens. The relationship between Bella and Edward progresses to the point where Edward decides to take Bella home to meet his family. But suddenly he announces complications and drives away, as Billy and Jacob are arriving at Bella's house. As Edward's car passes theirs, he exchanges suspicious, wary glares with the two. Billy asks Charlie about the investigation into Waylon's death and the conversation shows that Billy suspects what really happened to him; looking knowingly at Bella.The next day, Edward brings Bella to the Cullen home, a beautiful house on the outskirts of town. Upstairs, Bella finds the Cullens preparing a meal for her, although Bella has already eaten as she knows the Cullens don't eat and didn't expect to be fed. Most of the Cullens are super-welcoming to Bella, especially Alice. Jasper is polite but distant, as refraining from human blood is still difficult for him. The one Cullen who's not pleased with Bella is Rosalie, who is concerned that the relationship between Edward and Bella may end badly (i.e., Edward will end up harming Bella), implicating the entire family and forcing them to move again. However, Edward is super careful not to lose control when he's around Bella, and the relationship continues to grow.One rainy afternoon, Edward takes Bella out to play baseball with his family. In the middle of the game, three figures come walking out of the mist. Fearfully, the Cullens regroup, hiding Bella behind him. The intruders are the rogue vampires who have been feasting on humans, including Waylon Forge. They introduce themselves as Laurent (Edi Gathegi), Victoria (Rachelle Lefevre), and James (Cam Gigandet) and ask whether they can join the Cullens for a game. Thinking quickly, Carlisle agrees, saying that some of the family were leaving, and Laurent and the others can take their places-- a cue for Edward to get Bella safely away before she is detected. Everyone moves back into the field to take their places. But suddenly, the wind shifts so that James catches Bella's scent and realizes that there is a human in their midst. "You brought a snack," he sneers and heads toward Bella. Edward jumps between them. Laurent backs off and agrees to leave, taking James and Victoria with him. "Get Bella out of here," Carlisle warns Edward. As they quickly drive away, Edward explains to Bella that James is a tracker. Edward's reaction to his catching her scent made this into his most exciting hunt ever, and now he won't give up until he has her. Bella's only salvation is, if they can get to James first, rip him apart, and burn the pieces.Edward's plan is to catch a ferry to Vancouver, B.C.; but Bella insists on going home first, against Edward's better judgement. They plan a ruse to get Bella quickly in and out of the house without her father knowing what's happening. When Bella gets home, she runs into the house and slams the front door, shouting, "It's over!" at Edward. She then informs her father that she's got to get away from here...now! She packs a nightbag and, against her father's protests, gets in the truck (where Edward is waiting), and they drive away. Unfortunately, James has already tracked Bella to Charlie's house and is on their trail. First, they stop at the Cullens' house, where Laurent has shown up to warn them about James and Victoria. The plan now is for Alice and Jasper to drive Bella south, while the others, including Rosalie and Esme dressed in Bella's clothes, attempt to create a false trail through the woods. It doesn't take long, however, for James to realize that he's been duped.When James changes his course, Alice senses the change and has a vision of James heading to a ballet studio in Phoenix where Bella once took lessons. While Jasper and Alice check them into a hotel in Phoenix, Bella gets a call on her cellphone from her mother, frantically worried about her. Suddenly, James comes on the line and informs Bella that he got her Phoenix address from Forks High School and arrived there just as her worried mother also got there. If Bella wants to save Renée's life, she must ditch Jasper and Alice and meet James in her old ballet studio. Bella takes a taxi to the studio; but, when she gets there, she finds that it was a trick. James got an old movie from her house, and it was only Renée's voice Bella was hearing. James then taunts her further by threatening to film their "time together" to break Edward's heart.As the camera rolls, James bats Bella around the room, then breaks her leg. Suddenly, Edward shows up, having gotten there faster than the others because of his greater speed. With their vampire strength, James and Edward toss each other around the room, breaking mirrors and windows with the impact of their bodies. At one point, James manages to swoop down on Bella and bite her arm. Just then, Carlisle, Alice, Emmett, and Jasper show up. Alice races to Bella's side, while Carlisle pulls Edward off James, telling him that Bella needs him more. Overpowered by the smell of Bella's blood, Alice asks Carlisle to take over for her. While Carlisle bends over Bella, Alice breaks James' neck; and she, Jasper, and Emmett start a fire to burn his body. Carlisle says that Bella's femoral artery is severed and she's losing a lot of blood...but even more important is the fact that she's been bitten, and the vampire venom has begun to affect her. Edward has a decision to make...either let the change happen or suck out the venom. Although Alice says she's seen a vision of Bella becoming a vampire, Edward refuses to allow the change, so he decides to suck out the venom even though it means that he might not be able to stop.When Bella awakens, she is in the hospital, her mother at her side and Edward "asleep" in a chair (he'd previously told Bella that he doesn't require sleep). Bella claims not to remember anything that happened, so Renée tells her how Edward and his father came down from Forks to persuade her to return; and, when Bella went to see them at their hotel, she tripped, fell down two flights of stairs, broke her leg, went through a window, and lost a lot of blood. The story is believable because Bella is a very clumsy and awkward person. When Renée leaves to get Charlie, who's waiting in the hospital cafeteria, Edward quickly "wakes up." He tells Bella that they took care of James and that Victoria ran off. Then he lowers the boom. He wants Bella to move to Jacksonville with her mother so that she can't be hurt anymore by her association with him. Bella refuses.Bella moves back to Forks with her dad. With her leg still in a cast, Bella attends the prom with Edward. When Edward goes off to park the car, Jacob sits down next to Bella. He tells her that his father wants her to break up with Edward and that he sent a warning: "We'll be watching you." Bella laughs. Later, as Bella and Edward dance in the gazebo, she asks him why he didn't let her turn. "If you just let the venom spread," she says, "I could be like you by now." She informs him that she's made the decision to be with him forever and offers him her neck. Edward bends over to bite her neck but ends up simply kissing it. "Is it not enough just to have a long and happy life with me?" he asks. "For now," Bella replies.From a window overlooking the gazebo, Victoria watches Bella and Edward kiss. She turns away, lets down her hair, and smiles to herself.

fantasy, gothic, murder, boring, cult, violence, good versus evil, romantic

train

imdb

tt0443527

The Hamiltons

A suburban family harbors a dark secret: When their parents are killed in a tragic accident, eldest Hamilton sibling David (Samuel Child) relocates the surviving family members to a quiet California suburb and assumes the responsibility of caring for his orphaned teenage siblings; Wendell (Joseph McKelheer), Darlene (Mackenzie Firgens), and Francis (Cory Knauf). While twins Wendell and Darlene seem to share a bizarre incestuous bond that separates them from the rest of the siblings, Francis acquires a video camera that previously belonged to his deceased parents and sets out preparing a school project about his family. The all-seeing lens of Francis' roving camera begins to reveal that something malevolent is going on inside the Hamilton's picturesque abode. David finds work in a meat-packing warehouse, and is shown to bring some stuff from work home with him, while it is also implied that he is interested in men as he regularly invites male co-workers to go with him to a nearby motel for an evening. One evening, Wendell kidnaps two young girls whom he meets in a local bar and they are tied in their storeroom. Older brother David drains blood off one of them till she slowly dies. Francis gets attracted to the other girl who tries to get him to help her. But things come to a head when Wendell and Darlene murder one of her classmates and feed off her blood. When David tries to kill the other girl, Francis hits him in the head and carries her off to a safe hideout at the meat packing plant which is closed for the night. Wendell asks David to follow Francis, as he is the only one capable of persuading him to return. At the barn, Francis, seeing an open wound on the girl's hand, is unable to control his bloodlust and he kills the girl and feeds off her. When David appears, Francis is crying and we see his fangs. Though terribly sad at his actions, he finally seems to be accepting what he really is: a vampire. With the death of Darlene's classmate, David decides to move somewhere else, and they go to the basement to retrieve the creature locked there, who turns out to be their little brother Lenny. The family, the Hamilitons, is revealed to be a new breed of vampires who are born that way, not made. They move from place to place to hide their secret of their thirst for blood and to avoid detection from the authorities. In the final scene, we see them introducing themselves to their new neighbors, as the Thompsons, and Francis, now having embraced his newfound status as a vampire, is shown making a happy video of his now complete family.

cruelty, murder, home movie

train

wikipedia

Another one of the eight films that was part of After Dark's Horror Film Festival, "The Hamiltons" is an intriguing little horror film/twisted family drama that will have you interested and disgusted at the same time. This independent horror film focuses around a family of four, consisting of three brothers and a sister, their parents both deceased. The Hamilton family may seem like a basically normal bunch on the surface - but little does anyone know, they also kidnap innocent people and tie them under their house and proceed to murder them.Interesting premise, eh? It has a few faults here and there (this would mainly be the trouble finding any sympathy for a couple of the characters of the family, when it seems the writers were poking at that), but overall the writing is clever and keeps a couple of important plot-twists pretty well hidden until the appropriate time to reveal them. It does drag it's feet a little during the middle of the film, which could have been a problem - luckily it isn't necessarily uninteresting because the character interaction is really compelling.The acting here is surprisingly good, the leading actors are mostly unknown (besides Brittany Daniel of "Club Dread" and "Joe Dirt", who has a small role in the opening scene of the film), but I thought everyone performed well and the characters were pretty believable. It's not your typical horror movie at all, so don't expect one - but if you want to see a different type of horror film (a little slow moving, but heavy on character development), check it out. On its own, an excellent ending...it's getting there that's the problem with the film.The fundamental flaw of "The Hamiltons" is that it's caught between being a serial killer film and a family drama, and unlike "Suburban Nightmare" - which was similar, also an indie, and much better in my opinion - "The Hamiltons" refuses to commit to its characters. His relationship with one of the women being held in the cellar of the house is particularly well-written and potent.The problem is that the movie feels forced to bend to genre conventions, and in doing so it makes the other three members of the family unsympathetic in the extreme. The characters of Wendell and Darlene are written well as sociopaths, but the problem comes when the film wants you to identify with them and accept them as part of this family, and you can't imagine why anyone would love them even if they WERE family.The film is worth watching, but the script really could've used another run through editing to work out the kinks.. The family now consists of older brother David, who is struggling with his homosexuality and the pressures of running the household, the twins Darlene & Wendell, who are devious troublemakers, and younger brother Francis, who is coming to terms with his family and his place in the world.The film starts out explaining that The Hamiltons siblings recently lost their parents and they have moved several times within the past couple of years. They've managed to put together a good old-fashioned scare fest, with some very powerful shocks along the way, all while using very basic gore and makeup effects.The movie is about a group of grown siblings, whose parents have died, who are living together as a family unit, trying to be a "normal" suburban family. I would like to have seen them use this technique again, but instead they went on to try every camera trick they could think of.The youngest brother is camcording much of the family action, he says for a school project. It's a much better movie than a lot of low-budget horror and it left me with the kind of feeling I get from the old 70s and 80s slashers, but it's not as graphic.. Perhaps a greater emphasis on societal rejuvenation through blood intake, scenes directed with varying geometric shapes outside the square, and a sustained focus on playfulness through the family's maliciousness or traps sympathetic characters need to escape in order to escape their dilemma would have improved my opinion, but this was not a good start to my excursion through horrorfest.. It ended up with a cliché ridden gory sadistic hour and fifteen minutes with all the characters being one dimensional and you couldn't care less what happened to them but to try to make the audience care about the characters they added a useless monologue at the end and the beginning of the film which to be perfectly honest wasn't needed.The only good part really was the middle/end- I won't ruin it for you. After the death of their parents, the troubled teenager Francis (Cory Knauf) and the corrupt twins Wendell (Joseph McKelheer) and Darlene (Mackenzie Firgens) are raised by their older homosexual brother David Hamilton (Samuel Child), who sold the farm that belonged to the family. This low-budget movie brilliantly develops the character Francis, performed by Cory Knauf and alternates between a sadistic movie and a family drama in a slow-pace misguiding the viewer. The Hamiltons is one of the best independent horror films since Saw. More of an intense character study than anything else, this disturbing creep show takes a tired concept and successfully gives it a refreshing, and even humorous, twist. If this film is any indication, The Butcher Brothers are a pioneering duo who should be watched in the coming years, whose ability to tell an engrossing and twisted story is bold and unique.The Hamiltons are just like every other family. And with a crop of rising actors whose talent holds great potential, The Hamiltons is outright one of the best and most enjoyable horror films to come out this year. The youngest brother begins to to think this family tradition is something that must end.In many ways there's nothing new to this movie. I love this movie with a passion, although I don't consider it horror as much as an in-depth look at what lies beneath the surface of a grief stricken family, this movie was still one of the best low-budget films I've ever seen it. At first I thought the story would suck but after 15 minutes I was addicted.Must see for anyone who wants something different from a "horror" movie, anyone who wants to see something so real and deep that for the hours you watch this you wish you were there trying to help... Every aspect of the cinematography is terrible, the acting is forced, and I was left feeling like I had wasted my time when there are plenty of other movies out there that do horror better.. Apart from the fact they like to trap people in their basement and then eat them.The film does its best to try and inject some new life into the current obsession the cinematic public has with vampires, as it tries to portray them as basically a normal family (i.e. they don't fear Peter Cushine's crucifix, throw up when you try and feed them garlic bread, or sparkle in the sunlight - like any self-respecting vampire would actually sparkle in sunlight!). The fact that The Hamiltons opens with a pretty young woman (Brittany Daniel) bound and gagged in a basement desperately trying to free herself and escape, let's us know right off that there is something far more wrong with the title family then dealing with the death of their father and mother. The real standout is Rebekah Hoyle as Samantha, one of the Hamilton's captives who overcomes her horror and fear to try to manipulate the troubled Francis into letting her go and running away from a family he doesn't appear to fit in with. ***SPOILER*** The movie "The Hamiltons" starts out like another chapter of the "Saw" series of horror films with this young woman only known as "Hot Pants", Nathan Parker, trapped in this locked underground cold cellar with a number of human cadavers. It starts to look like "Hot Pants" will very soon become one of them.It's then that the film completely changes course with this mid-west American family having problems making ends meet in paying their bills due to the fact that they can't stay in one place for too long in having moved some six times over the last four years. The head of the Hamilton family David,Samuel Child, works long hours-somethings doing double shifts-at the local slaughterhouse while his two brothers the meek and artistic Francis, Cory Knauf, and good for nothing Wendle, Joseph McKelheer, just hang around contributing nothing to the families coffer.We soon begin to realize what the opening scene, with "Hot Pants", was really all about with Wendle having a hot date with two local teenage girls Samantha & Dani, Rebekah Hoyle & Brittany Daniel, in his beat up Volvo automobile. It turns out that David and Wendle together with their ghoul-like sister Darlene, McKenzie Firgers, are a bunch of homicidal maniacs who've been on the run from the police, which explains their constantly being on the move, and left a trail of dozens of corpses along the way!Francis being the black sheep, by him just being normal, of the family soon becomes a threat to the rest of his siblings in him having human compassion for both Samantha and Dani. If you want to shoot a film about a teenage Psycho Family Robinson, then do it.But then again, The Hamiltons lingers so lovingly over every blood spurt and flying glob of flesh that I suppose simple lesbian porn comes as a welcome relief from the gore porn. Meanwhile, Francis (Knauf), the youngest and most sensitive, is the only one who seems to be normal and trying to complete a school project by filming the daily exploits of them all; something hard to do when there is two local girls bound and gagged in the basement.The Butcher Brothers provide The Hamiltons with a surprisingly real tone despite all the crazed nastiness, helped along by the nods to The Blair Witch Project with the use of a video camera. As they all try to sort out their own problems with only a social worker who cannot possibly understand them to act as parental guidance, you'll want to know why they are so screwed up.Although the Hamiltons are hardly the most likable family with the twins pushing their friend Kitty (Hunt) into joining them for unsettling games that threaten to get out of hand, its grim mood gives way to brighter prospects for them all for an oddly uplifting final reel. Meet The Hamiltons: oldest brother David, who likes to murder transient homosexuals; twins Wendell and Darlene, a couple of sadistic nut-jobs who delight in suffering and incest; tortured soul Francis, who reluctantly assists his family in their gruesome activities; and Lenny, who remains unseen for most of the film, locked in a room in the basement.The opening scene of The Hamiltons, which sees a pretty woman waking to find herself bound and gagged in a grimy hellhole full of bloody surgical implements, made me think that I was in for yet another predictable ho-hum psycho-killer/torture horror, and to be honest, much of what followed did little to alter this perception. The acting was passable, and the direction perfunctory.To my surprise, however, writers/directors The Butcher Brothers pack in a pretty neat twist at the end of their film which actually helped me to forgive some of the preceding mundanity, although I can't help but feel that the whole thing would have been much more successful overall had they not relied so much on their clever ending to completely save the day. For a better idea concerning where the story is going, try to pay more attention to the "narration" given by protagonist Cory Knauf (as Francis), youngest of "The Hamiltons" family. The family has one of those "dark secrets" you often see in movies like this...Anyone questioning "The Hamiltons" secret should keep an eye on Knauf's teeth...Although the secretive screenplay is neither original nor unpredictable, filmmakers Mitchell Altieri and Phil Flores do score some points by playing around with a different delivery than you might expect from the opening; for whatever reasons, they didn't go far enough. It does deal with a troubled young man, trying to find his place in the world, and also how he fits in with his VERY unique "family unit." Frances Hamilton (Cory Knauf), confused, withdrawn and in constant turmoil, documents his day-to-day life with his siblings, following them around with a camcorder as he records them and his thoughts in a video journal.Older brother David (Samuel Child) carries the weight of the world on his shoulders, along with his role as 'man of the house', the legal guardian for everyone else since their parents died. Francis know's something just isn't right & when he eventually finds out the truth things will never be the same again...Co-written, co-produced & directed by Mitchell Altieri & Phil Flores as The Butcher Brothers (who's only other film director's credit so far is the April Fool's Day (2008) remake, enough said) this was one of the 'Films to Die For' at the 2006 After Dark Horrorfest (or whatever it's called) & in keeping with pretty much all the other's I've seen I thought The Hamiltons was complete total & utter crap. A really bad film that I am struggling to say anything good about.Despite being written & directed by the extreme sounding Butcher Brothers there's no gore here, there's a bit of blood splatter & a few scenes of girls chained up in a basement but nothing you couldn't do at home yourself with a bottle of tomato ketchup & a camcorder. Like most of the festivals entries Hamiltons makes for an interesting watch a film thats all ideas and little execution. Don't waste your time or money on this film, the acting is bad, the story is just one of the worst i have come across and the script was just awful. With movies out there like "Hostel" and "Saw" you need to come a little better for a film that is "considered to graphic or too disturbing for general audiences".. A parent-less family of five, the Hamiltons kill and kidnap people, although we don't know exactly why until the end. "The Hamiltons" is a rather dull and weak barely horror film.**SPOILERS**Following their parents' death, the Hamilton family, Francis, (Cory Knauf) David, (Samuel Child) Wendell, (Joseph McKelheer) and Darlene, (Mackenzie Firgens) all move together to get reacquainted. The fact that this is so much like a family drama rather than a horror film is the greatest flaw. With the family drama coming in a possible source, it drains the film of much-needed horror scenes that instead don't do much of anything for building up scares or suspense. If you are going to attempt building tension in a film it is always a good idea not to build it beyond the point of total tedium.Unfortunately the Butcher Brothers haven't grasped this yet.This film sucks, unlike the majority of its characters who (if you didn't work out they are vampires in the first few minutes then shame on you) preference stringing up the plentiful supply of 'no one knows where I am' cheerleader types and homosexual drifters that waft conveniently and with a fast food swagger, past their isolated door.The only tiny bit of originality in the plot is how these vampires come to be vampires in the first place but the rest of it is ludicrous and sloppy.Forced to up sticks (as opposed stakes) on a regular basis due to their penchant for filling their basement with bloodless corpses, they really are none too bright. For such a low budget horror film the acting is very good as is the camera-work. Samuel is the oldest but seems to have too much pressure on him dealing with Francis and the twins Wendell and Darlene, not to mention that they cannot seem to keep their hands off each other, or their next victim, not to mention an apparent family member locked in the basement along with some other would be victims just to make things even more stressful.As you can tell all is not as it seems and as the movie continues we begin to find out that the family has a "disease" and they need to kill for this reason which sends us spiraling to an ending that some may see coming while others may not. What I mean by that is we get more of a character driven horror/thriller than a gore fest which, like "The Abandoned" is a nice change of pace.Taking into account that this had a limited budget and dropping my expectations going in I really came away liking this movie to the point that even with those lulls in the film that may make some shun away I still feel compelled to give "The Hamiltons": 7/10: Good, this is a solid little indie flick that though not a gore fest definitely does what it needed to do to keep me interested for 90 minutes.If you are not into Indie movies or need action every 10 minutes or so you may want to skip this one all together. Just okay horror film about a nice suburban family dealing with the death of their parents and the "thing" in the basement that they keep feeding people they pick up off the street. Of course there is more to it then that but to say more would be telling.For me this just didn't come together as it tries to have it two ways both as a family drama and a horror film. The youngest, Francis(Cory Knauf), finds a movie camera of his parents and decides to use it for a school project filming his family. Also it is split between hand-held and traditional camera work as the youngest brother films with a camcorder throughout the movie.Overall, The Hamiltons is OK at best.

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Asoka

The movie begins with an opening crawl, giving the viewer some context. Asoka is a child when his grandfather, Chandragupta Maurya, decides to renounce the throne to become a Jainist monk. Before his departure, Asoka's grandfather finds out that Asoka stole his sword and he confronts him. Chandragupta tells Asoka that his sword is cursed to taste blood whenever it is drawn, and he throws it into a creek. After he leaves, Asoka finds the sword and keeps it. The throne goes to Asoka's father, Bindusara, and the movie skips to Asokas adulthood. Bindusara is about to renounce the throne to his successor. He names his son Susima, who has the support of all his brothers except Asoka. When the movie picks up, Asoka is leading his troops in battle against the Takshila army, who have an advantage in numbers. Asoka prevails and kills the leader of the Takshilas. He comes home alive and unharmed, which angers Susima. Susima had ordered General Shivrath to make Asoka conquer Takshila with half an army, expecting Asoka to die in the struggle. Susima orders Shivrath dead and hires an assassin to kill Asoka while he is bathing. Asoka kills the assassin with ease and goes to visit his mother. His mother expresses concern and tells Asoka to leave the city, threatening to take a vow of silence if he does not. Not wanting his mother to never speak to anyone again, Asoka reluctantly leaves. Asoka wanders around, going under the name Pawan, and encounters a beautiful woman. He is immediately stricken with love, and he follows her. After hearing a request for the capture of Princess Kaurwaki and Prince Arya of Kalinga, Asoka saves the woman from attackers who wanted to collect the reward. He discovers that the woman is Princess Kaurwaki and she is escaping from the capital after the prime minister assassinated their parents. After getting to know Kaurwaki and Arya, Kaurwaki's bodyguard decides to go, leaving Asoka alone. The next day, Kaurwaki and Arya are assaulted by bounty hunters. The bodyguard fends off some but leaves to fnish them off. While waiting for him to come back, Kaurwaki and Arya encounter more enemies and try to defend themselves when Asoka comes out and defeats them all. Asoka continues to accompany Kaurwaki in her travels, training her to defend herself while trying to earn her love. At the same time, Kaurwaki develops feelings for Asoka. Bheema, the bodyguard, objects to these feelings, and after a heated argument with Kaurwaki, reveals that Kaurwaki is an adopted child, which shocks her. He tells Asoka, who decides that they should get married. After the marriage, a servant of Asokas mother tells him she is ill. He travels home alone to find his mother in full health. She is ecstatic to see him, and surprised but pleased to find that he has gotten married. However, the king tells Asoka that he must attack Kalinga to prevent an uprising. He goes to find Kaurwaki, who are hiding in the home of a loyal peasant. Their village is attacked by men trying to find Kaurwaki and Arya, and the daughter and grandson of the peasant take the place of Kaurwaki and Arya to protect them. Asoka returns to the burnt remains of the village. He finds Bheema, who is injured. Asoka believes Kaurwaki and Arya are dead and loses his will to live. He begins a devastating campaign and wins battle after battle until he is wounded and taken to a Buddhist monastery. There, he meets a woman named Devi, who, in a struggle, kills a man trying to assassinate Asoka. Because she committed murder, her marriage to another Buddhist is cancelled, so Asoka decides to marry her instead. He remains aching after the loss of Kaurwaki but loyal to Devi. Kaurwaki and Arya return to Kalinga and remove the prime minister from power. Asokas wife is pregnant, and Asoka believes it must be a son and shows intent to train him in the art of murder, which is against the will of Devi. Susima, desperate to stop Asoka from getting the throne, hires an assassin to kill Asokas child. In the attempt, Asokas mother dies, driving Asoka into a murderous rampage culminating in the death of Susima. Asoka kills all but one of Susimas brothers and takes the throne. Asoka leads a massive assault into Kalinga, who is holding the last brother. As he fights into Kalinga, he gains a reputation as a tyrant. Bheema tries to assassinate him but fails and dies in the attempt. Kaurwaki decides to fight in honor of Bheemas sacrifice. The battle commences and Kaurwaki is struck down. Asoka wins the battle. After the battle, he hears that Devi gave birth to twin, a girl and a boy, but she does not recognize Asoka as the father because of the evil he has commited. Asoka wanders the battlefield, heartbroken, when he overhears two soldiers discussing Kaurwaki and how they took her horse. Asoka takes the horse back and searches for Kaurwaki. While witnessing the horrors of his actions in the battlefield, Asoka finally finds Kaurwaki. She tries to attack him, but gives up and embraces him. As they hug, Arya calls out to Asoka. He comes closer and falls; he had been hit by three arrows to the back. After the battle, Asoka reminisces about the tragedies he caused. He returns to his home and throws his sword into the same creek he found it before. The movies ends with a closing crawl telling Asoka's spread of Buddhism.

violence, historical, murder, storytelling

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imdb

I wanted to know what happened to Davi, and I wanted to learn a few things from Asoka's latter days --when he embarked on his journey towards peace.This film is great, and I'm looking forward to seeing it again.. The story basically is how Prince Asoka rose to power to become King Asoka, and can happen when one is overcome with blind vengeance, despair and hatred...Shahrukh Khan (Asoka) has got to be by far, the best male Indian actor Ive seen, besides maybe Om Puri. He has great chemistry with Kareena Kapoor and overall, the movie is well-acted.Asoka is more reminiscent of Braveheart (excellent film), not Gladiator (terrible garbage), which the liner notes suggest. The movie is an epic and the first example of International Indian cinema on a wide scale, bigger canvas and projected through the eye of a master filmmaker.The film begins with the young Prince Asoka (Shah Rukh Khan) as a boy who watches his father accept Jainism, a peaceful religion that encourages him to toss aside his sword, which has caused much bloodshed. To reveal the rest of the movie would be taking too much from the audiences' viewing pleasure but the journey for Asoka is far from over.A story of a traveller's travels, his education that is the journey, the loves and losses and wars and redemption all encompass this 173 minute epic that grips the viewer from the moment the camera pans down onto Asoka, as if indicating it is descending onto a mountain full of riches within, up until the deeply disturbing ending, which leaves the viewer with a ray of hope before the credits flash to announce not the end of the story but the beginning.Santosh Sivan's camerawork and direction are par excellence, as his unique flash-technique and use of many shots to accentuate a minor detail in a scene all add together to create a cleverly woven story immortalised on film. A film such as Asoka cannot be appreciated on a single viewing alone as upon initial contact one is simply bombarded with an onslaught of visual delights, spellbinding sounds and a story that emerges from our past but still reaches into the depths of every man's soul.Performance wise Shah Rukh Khan is the life of the movie. Asoka could not only be Shah Rukh's greatest screen incarnation, but also a clear message to international cinema of his screen presence, dedication and mastery of his art.Kareena Kapoor, as the warrior princess who acts as sister and mother figure to Arya, a cautious then enduring lover to Asoka and emerges as someone on her own personal journey, in search of her identity and sense of belonging while juggling her duties, heart and mind in a three ring circus, Kareena gives what is by far her finest performance to date. I would have loved to have seen more of the underwater scene in ROSHNI SE - innovative and full of grace and playfulness.The Baadshah (King) of Bollywood, SHAH RUKH KHAN, demonstrates his personal aura of majesty and magnetism- classy, gutsy, seductive and intense, he IS Asoka incarnate: imperious, vengeful or romantic, .every move and emotion delivering a message of Grace, Truth and Sincerity straight to the viewer's heart.More famously known for his exuberant dancing, irrepressible energy and audacity, Shah Rukh's flawless portrayal is so internalized and contained, with moments of chilling stillness, that it's difficult to remember any of his previous persona. the film revolves around a real life incident of India's ancient emperor Asoke the great.the beginning of the film is simply marvelous, with the emperor Chandragupta Mauriya, renouncing the throne and advising the young prince Asoka not to use the sword.the story moves quickly onwards projecting asoka as a competent, even brilliant general but ruthless and ambitious. his screen presence is immense, and once he is on, there is nothing else you can help notice.Kareena kapoor is good, as the destitute yet haughty princess Kaurwaki.Supporting castes are excellent, with a special mention of Danny denzongpa, who acts his part to perfection.the conclusion of the film is in the massive battle of Kalinga. This incredible film really needs to be seen on the big screen to be appreciated fully.Santosh Sivan, the gifted cinematographer best known in the USA for the art-house hit "The Terrorist," and in India for his work with director Mani Ratnam, switches gears completely. In fact, I read that the war sequence was the largest of its kind ever filmed in the history of Indian cinema.Asoka, a little-known figure in the West, was a bloodthirsty maniac who became a bastion for peace and tolerance through Buddhism in the 3rd century, ce. Don't get me wrong, Shahrukh Khan is a great actor and he may be the king of bollywood but he can not potray some one like Asoka on the screen. Okay, otherwise, she wasn't very compelling as an actress...but "she looked good!" Overall, I really thought highly of this movie for it's technical and artistic content and I would recommend either watching it on the big screen or on DVD to really appreciate the best aspects. there isnt one...just the same as there is no dramatic kudos to any of the developments in the film, except perhaps to satisfy producers/distributors whims and demands.direction...santosh sivan has clearly been watching and learning from ang lee and ridley scott amongst others and still manages to direct some of the most cack-handed action ever...could martial arts fight scenes be any more pedestrian?i wont go on...but suffice it to say, i sat thru this more easily than the typical poor boy meets rich girl, whose father is a corrupt business type...his best friend dies at the end and he gets the girl type hindi film, but pls, dont think of this as original and ground breaking!. From someone of Indian origin who grew up with the story of King Ashoka and his renunciation of war (after kicking everyone's butt and stretching his empire from the Southern tip of India to Afghanistan and Burma) this film was pretty disappointing.Reasons to be glum:1- The mass fight scenes were....crap. Asoka took the hackneyed old story of love against the odds seen in so many Indian films and transposed it onto the life of historical figure without adding any depth of understanding and merely distracting from the a truly awesome real storyReasons to be happy1- Some of the cinematography was good, bits were excellent2- Shahrukh Khan and the guy who played his brother played their parts as well as could be expected given the scriptThis in no way is a Crouching Tiger, a Braveheart or a Gladiator - it fails against all these films and the only real reason I can find is a lack of imagination and courage in portraying a true story that, if portrayed properly, would kick the crap out of all of them.. I hope that continued screenings of this film will prove to all that we have a real miracle at hand here, easily ranking with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon as one of the great tragic romances buried in an epic as yet ever made.The almost hallucinogenic visionary quality of the visuals, the remarkable and forceful savvy of the actors, the profound and unsounded depths of the script, the world importance of the subject matter, and the audaciously complex interweaving of all these elements - if this is not the film you were looking for, this is still the film you need to see.When we have time again to choose the classics, this will be high on the list.. The singing also seemed poorly synched with the dancing in all but the first song, "San Sanana." If the technical part of the song sequences could be cleaned up, this film would flow much more smoothly.I'm a big fan of Shahrukh Khan, especially his more dramatic roles, so this movie was sure to be a hit with me! Asoka took on similar romantic proportions, in that at its core it has a love story to tell, rather than one focused on waging war throughout the lands, although this was touched upon in the latter half of the film, stemming from a death of his heart, and the embracing of a rage against the known world.The first half introduces us to the star-crossed lovers, and the usual boy-meets-and-woos formula. So you have set up a Romeo & Juliet circumstance, where descendants of the royal households fall in love, and also have to deal with the rubbish politics back home which bays for their blood.The film paints a very emotional Asoka that Shah Rukh Khan excelled in bringing out, especially when three women in his life played an important part in his life-changing decisions, such as his mom's involvement for him to see the outside world, Kaurwaki in being his first true, and unattainable love that he yearns and pines for, and his eventual wife Devi (Hrishitaa Bhatt), a Buddhist who would be instrumental in his embracing of the religion after coming to his senses in the aftermath of his most brutal war waged just because of his insatiable appetite for more territory, though of course done in the name of uniting India.But with romance out of the way, SRK also showed off the result of his training in the numerous swordfights he gets put into. There are few of passionate (I say not enough) moments between Asoka and Princess Kaurwaki highlighted by the music sequences tossed in to balance out the brutal and savage war scenes (not to mention a smoking-hot wet scenes of Shahrukh and Kareena) making the film worthwhile to watch.What raises Asoka above the usual epic drama is not only the strength of its story but power of its performances. High-five, India.If you liked Shah Rukh Khan in this movie, and are in the mood for a good old fashioned Bollywood comedy, check out Dilwale Duhania Le Jayenge. For a commerical bollywood film, its cinematography & art direction is the most exotic & decadent works in reccent times and it actually makes one believe that the setting was indeed the second century B.C. of Ancient India. Though I totally don't disrespect the entire Kalinga War scene, as it is one of my favorite scenes of the movie.Performances-Shah Rukh Khan is really good, Asoka is perhaps his best performance since Mohabbatein and Hey Ram. He is especially good in the second half of the film as his character takes on some major changes and Shahrukh Khan does good justice to each transformation. Ashoka was a great emperor of India and his contribution towards the uplift of Indian people (Hindus and Bhuddists) is an indelible trait of his towering personality but unfortunately it has not been properly projected in this historical movie.Instead, the young Ashok (icon of the Mauraya Hindu Kingdom) is depicted like a replica of the medieval uncivilized conqueror Chengez Khan. India movies have a style of their own and one that does not always get readily accepted by mainstream western audiences.Based on the Legend of Asoka the great Indian prince this movie follows his personal journey and so should not be considered an epic.The acting and story telling ranges from fantastic to the sort of thing you would expect in an episode of Hercules or Xena. Asoka is beautifully filmed and has a hauntingly beautiful music score, and an excellent supporting cast, particularly Ajit Kumar as Asoka's scheming half-brother Susima.I think it is a sensitive, artistic film and it's a pity that Indian audiences weren't able to accept it for what it is: a love story, not a history text.. There's a disclaimer at the beginning of "Asoka" that says that the film is not meant to be a fact-based historical retelling of the life of the great ancient Indian emperor Ashok but rather "an attempt to follow his journey."From that, we're supposed to get the impression that the filmmakers probably took a few liberties with the facts while making this film. He meets another prince who is in exile, this one a young boy still - he also meets his sister, the original Warrior Princess, played by Kareena Kapoor.The first half of the movie plays out kind of like a fairy tale, and focusses more on Asoka's love life than events of a particularly epic or historical nature. it's an incredibly powerful sequence emotionally too, surely one of the most impressive battles put on film.Ultimately Asoka was to become a great envoy of Buddhism and general peace and love, and the movie aims to show how he learnt the lessons in life that led him to that state. in India ,there were became many kings who ruled over India,but the story about the king is different.he had been known as cruel prince ,but after facing many incidents .he was changed his attitude toward enemies.IT WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST MOVIES OF KINGS OF India.the performance of Shahrukh khan was awesome and songs also.the Asoka,who is placed in currency of India because of soul of peace after finishing war against state.the movie says about struggles of Asoka life and love.it was well directed.in the movie ,you could see the past of India and also learn about lifestyle of kings.the ending is full of thrill.and also touch to our heart .you may be made fan of the actor after watching it.. It is a timeless movie which interests and charms and fills in gaps about a little known historical personality in a sympathetic and believable way.Shah Rukh Khan is superb as the young Asoka particularly in the Magadha scenes and as emperor. Historical movies have been made before with some imaginary portions added for entertainment and with even the basic fictional story set against the backdrop of real history, but none like this.Shah Rukh tries to tone down his dramatic style of acting, with little effect; the audience rarely get to see the emperor behind the actor. Asoka has lost everything he loved.He is willing to give up his life which has no purpose for him.He doesn't care about anything anymore and is in deep pain.So,to ease his pain,he returns back to his kingdom and decides to fight in battles until he is killed.But after being severely wounded and is taken cared of by a woman ,Devi.During an attempt to kill Asoka,by his brothers,Devi saves him and also losing the chance to getting married with a wealthy man.Asoka,then decides to marry her.But as his throne and army slowly slaughters and kills their way to the top,Asoka finds himself controlled by power and tends to go on until he has won everything.His sword,that once comes out,only wants blood ,has taken him to the most evil and barbaric victories in his life and Asoka still wants more.And so,begins his downfall from that.This film is Inappropriately titled.It doesn't at all focus on the title character.Instead it focuses on the love story between him and Kaurwaki.The love story is the weakest part of the film.It drags the film a lot and it's poorly executed.The film lacks focus.The love story hampers the film from being a success.This was suppose to be about Asoka ,not about the love story.It's more about Bhuvan-Kaurwaki love angle.It spends a significant amount of time developing that conventional love story and becomes the weakest point of the film.The love story is poorly conceived and leaves no effect on the audience and has no emotional impact.And that is where most of the god-awful musical numbers also pop up ,destroying the only good thing about the love angle.The film doesn't at all concentrates on the lead Character.It begins with appeal,then slows down as the lead character assumes someone else's identity and falls in love,and the film drags.Then the film takes a surprising turn and the film picks up,very slowly.And then leads us to an exciting climax with a good enough battle sequences not relying on CGI,which even if they did they couldn't have achieved perfection of the Hollywood CGI effects,and then ends with satisfaction.The film has a dark tone and feels strange at times.This is one of the better bollywood films out there.It had the potential to become a really good film and it's only a handful of Bollywood films that I had appreciated.But it lacks character focus ,with unappealing love story which makes this film an Above average film.A noble effort nevertheless.The problem lies largely in the plot.I really wanted to like this film but then again, it's bollywood.It does however ,sustains an intriguing atmosphere throughout,with visual flair.I really hated the musical numbers which ruined my mood.They served no purpose to the film at all,an absolutely sluggish move.There is a good score as well and impressive cinematography.Shah Rukh Khan was really fit for the role as Asoka,but since the Character was half-baked,he doesn't get the chance to show his talent,in which I think he could've nailed it if the character were better written.Kareena Kapoor is annoying and gives a lame performance until she gets all heated up towards the end.She is a waste of talent and is only there for the half-hearted love story.A good attempt by the Director who gave the film a distinctive look.It's stylized but it has its moments.Too bad ,films like these from Bollywood only come once in a while.Well,it's worth watching once.. After realising the terror his wars had caused among the indian population he became a buddhist and lived a peaceful life.the film uses this story to portray shah rukh khan in one of his best performances ever. Asoka, another good Shahrukh Khan & Kareena Kapoor film. Peppy songs.If the director had only chosen some other actor for the role of Asoka and someone who CAN play the part of Kaurwaki like may be Prity Zinta than Kareena then maybe the movie would have gained a little audience.

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Bataan

The film opens with long lines of tired and grim soldiers and civilians moving through a congested town away from the advancing Japanese (who are not shown but the hopelessness of the situation hangs heavy). Sergeant Bill Dane (Robert Taylor) of the 31st Infantry and his companion Corporal Jake Feingold (Thomas Mitchell) are seen manning a defensive position. They casually discuss the possibility that they will be ordered to retreat again back toward the presumed safety of Bataan.Their commander orders them to report to a Captain Lassister for a special assignment. The town then suffers a violent Japanese air attack with civilians and soldiers caught in the open and killed. Dane and Feingold reach Lassiter. A pretty American nurse boards the last ambulance out while casting a long, soulful look back at Lassier (Lee Bowman). Lassiter puts Dane in charge of a group of 13 men, all of whom had been separated from their commands, with orders to hold a a strategic bridge after the last refugees cross. Lassiter makes it clear they are to demolish the bridge, stop the "Japs", and hold until MacArthur can consolidate in Bataan. They are given such equipment and supplies as is available and left alone.After the army and some civilians cross the bridge, Dane, Feingold, and a group of eleven hastily assembled soldiers from different units is assigned to blow it up and delay Japanese rebuilding efforts as long as possible. In addition to Sgt. Dane, Cpl. Feingold and Captain Lassier, the rear guard is a mixed lot, making up of:Corporal Barney Todd (Lloyd Nolan), who claims to be a signalman;Private Felix Ramirez (Desi Arnaz), a Mexican American California National Guardsman;Private Wesley Epps (Kenneth Lee Spencer), a black demolitions expert;Private Matthew Hardy (Phillip Terry), a conscientious objector in the Medical Corps;Private Francis X. Matowski (Barry Nelson), an engineer;Private "Yankee" Salazar (Alex Havier), a Philippine Scout;Private Sam Molloy (Tom Dugan), a cook;Seaman Leonard Purckett (Robert Walker), a naive young navy musician;Army Air Corps Lt. Steve Bentley (George Marshall), a pilot;Corporal Juan Katigbak (Roque Espiritu), Bentley's Philippine mechanic.The group sets up camp and firing positions on a cliff overlooking the bridge, blow the bridge, and settle down to wait for the Japanese. Following is several minutes of exposition which set the tone for the rest of the film. Quinine, food and ammo are in short supply. Dane establishes his credibility and toughness as Sgt. of the group. Bentley reveals that he is an Army AF pilot repairing his damaged plane, Todd is soon revealed to be a prickly bully who clashes with everyone. Dane suspects Todd is using an alias and may be the man who seven years earlier murdered a young private in a barracks card fight and ruined Dane's army officer career in the process. Todd is evasive and Dane elects not to push the issue.The Japanese move up and work at night on the bridge. The Americans talk, eat, sit by their weapons, and wait. The calm is interrupted when an unseen sniper catches Capt Lassiter in the open and shoots him dead with a bullet through his head. Purckett wants to play taps at the burial but Dane angrily orders him not to - explaining that the Japs know taps and will start counting the dead. At the burial it is sadly revealed that Lassiter had recently married the nurse seen on the ambulance.That night, Ramirez finds a battery powered radio and tunes in the Tommy Dorsey band live from Hollywood. The aching contrast between these familiar sounds of home and their own isolation and mortal peril is not lost on the men or the viewer. Dane orders Matowski to climb a tree and report on enemy movement. He carelessly shows himself, is shot by a sniper, and falls with a blood curdling scream to his death.The next day Dane and Todd go out alone, hurl grenades at the bridge, and blow it up one more time. Dane notes that Todd throws left handed like the murderer of seven years ago but again doesn't push the issue. Alone with Feingold afterwards, Dane begins to question whether he and the men will break from the strain and run, but the brave Feingold calmly assures him they will do their duty to the end.In succession, more men die as the Japanese pressure increases. Their Phillipino guide tries to break through the Japanese lines and get to Bataan for help, is captured, tortured and strung up for the Americans to see. Ramirez dies of malaria, Malloy is killed in a strafing air attack.Bentley repairs his plane and attempts to fly out under cover of night. They succeed, but Katigbak is killed (with a samurai sword one night) and Bentley is mortally wounded when he tries to lift off in his airplane. He asks Dane to load two boxes of dynamite on the plane. Dane refuses until Bentley pulls rank and orders him to do it. In a last dying act, Bentley flies into the bridge and demolishes it in a tremendous explosion.The remaining soldiers repel a massive frontal assault, inflicting grievous losses on the attacking Japanese troops, ultimately fighting hand-to-hand with bayonets fixed on their M1903 Springfield rifles. Epps and Feingold are killed. Only Dane, Todd and a wounded Purckett are left.Purckett is shot by an another unseen Japanese sniper, and Todd stabbed in the back by a Japanese soldier who had only feigned being dead. Before he dies, Todd admits to Dane that he is Burns.Now alone, Dane stoically digs his own marked grave beside those of his fallen comrades and waits in it. The Japanese troops crawl close to his position before opening fire and charging at Dane. Dane fires back, yelling, "We're still here.....we'll always be here, why don't you come and get us!" When his Tommy gun runs out of ammunition, he continues firing with the heavy machine gun as the Japanese close in on him.... the machine gun points to the audience as the final credits roll (rather then showing his death at the hands of the Japanese).The end story board states that the sacrifice of the defenders of Bataan helped slow the Japanese down, making possible America's later victories in the Pacific War.

cult, violence

train

imdb

Lloyd Nolan does a good job as a professional soldier with a past, Thomas Mitchell is good as the older career soldier, perhaps a bit out of shape from years of peace time duty. 1943 audiences already knew how Bataan would end before they went to see the film, but they went anyway, since this Tay Garnett-directed combat picture is a rugged tribute to the 'expendable' men of the Philippines of 1942. I can't do better than James Agee's fine review when the movie came out, but would like to add a few things of my own.Rather than try to show the entire evacuation and abandonment of the Phillipines, which would be perhaps overwhelmingly depressing, the film-makers decided to focus on one small, fictional incident that could, in effect, stand in for everything else. What happens is that we watch a group of soldiers defend and then destroy a bridge, so as to slow down the Japanese army's advance, if only by a few hours, to buy precious time for everyone else. It is largely covered by jungle and is traversed north to south by steep mountains...After the Japanese invasion of the Philippines in December 1941 and the fall of Manila (January 2, 1942), the defending Americans and Filipinos withdrew to Bataan, foiling Japanese efforts to split the forces of U.S. General Douglas MacArthur... Landings were then made at Mariveles Harbor in the south and on Corregidor Island, thus securing Manila Bay for the U.S. Navy..."Bataan" is the fictional story of 13 men who stayed behind, holding a bridge, and fighting to the death a rear guard action to ensure the success of the Allied forces retreat from the Philippines...The audience live with the soldiers their last heroic days: George Murphy, an Air Force Lieutenant secretly reliable; Lloyd Nolan, the smart Corporal with compassionate qualities; Thomas Mitchell, a career NCO; Deni Arnaz, a friendly Spanish soldier; Barry Nelson, the competent Matowski; Lee Bowman, the Captain who falls with a bullet; Robert Walker (in his screen debut) who almost breaks down from homesickness; Kenneth Spencer, the black soldier with an undisturbed force and simple dignity, and Robert Taylor, the tough heroic Sergeant alive in the face of the enemy, who sets up his machine gun and keeps it firing until the end...All are representatives of the heroism existing in all Americans, symbol of the heroic resistance.... Taylor shines in gritty war film...Robert Walker's debut.... Robert Taylor holds the whole gritty film together with his realistic depiction of a sergeant leading a small troop of men in an effort to hold back the Japanese attack by blowing up a crucial bridge. Taylor, Robert Walker as a gum-chewing homesick sailor, Lloyd Nolan, Dezi Arnaz (surprisingly effective in a dramatic role) and others make splendid contributions. (He had other good roles in Olivia de Havilland's TO EACH HIS OWN and Ray Milland's THE LOST WEEKEND).The jungle setting (although filmed on the studio lot) is impressive with its exotic foliage and adds to the realism. All in all, a gripping war film that more than holds its own with contemporary stories like SAVING PRIVATE RYAN. A small group of soldiers (Thomas Mitchell , LLoyd Nolan , Desi Arnaz , among others) flee from Japanese repeatedly attack and they head for blowing-up a bridge on the Bataan location and their final destination : Corregidor . The Bataan of the film's title refers to both the World War II Battle of Bataan and the place Bataan which is a Central Luzon region province on Luzon island in the Philippines which occupies the whole of the Bataan Peninsula on the island . This classic warlike movie is nicely starred by Robert Taylor at one of his best roles as a tough sergeant , he's accompanied by a plethora of first-rate secondaries . This is one of a handful of feature films that have featured the story of the World War II Battle of Bataan , they include ¨So proudly we hail¡¨ by Mark Sandrich (1943) ; ¨They were expendable¨ (1945) by John Ford and ¨Back to Bataan¨ (1945) by Edward Dmytryck . The motion picture was professionally directed by Tay Garnett, a good Hollywood craftsman.The actual deeds about Bataan concern an unsuccessful attempt by US and Filipino troops under General Douglas MacArthur to defend the peninsular against the Japanese 1 Jan-9 April 1942 . For a war movie, this was a bit unusual in that almost the whole film took part in one place. The closing scenes feature that attack and some are quite brutal.At least half of the story is not action but melodramatic looks at the soldiers, particularly of the squad's sergeant leader Robert Taylor and one of his men who has an attitude problem: Lloyd Nolan. We also get some shorter profiles of combat men played by Robert Walker, Thomas Mitchell and Desi Arnez (yes, Lucy's husband).The special effects are more than passable considering they weren't too advanced in the film industry compared to today's technology. I swear I saw several of them drop over before anyone hit them!Taylor was the best in this movie "army" and Walker was the annoying character, playing an extremely young and generally stupid Navy guy (don't ask) who never stopped talking in this irritating voice. The Horrors of War. My Mom saw this movie at the time it was released and said it gave her more nightmares than any horror film she ever saw. As for Robert Taylor, his weariness and resolve at the end are stirring and the last scene is not one you will soon forget.Ignoring the propaganda aspects of the movie, the last half works as almost a pure horror movie, as our cast gets gruesomely picked off by unseen foes lurking in the jungle.Exciting and gripping, it's easy to overlook the faults of this most violent and gritty of WW2 films made at the time."Bushido, Bushwa! This is one of the best war films of its era, and it is actually less anti-Japanese than many that came later, such as John Wayne's "Back to Bataan". Here, a small number of Americans are acting as a rear guard preventing the invading Japanese from driving south on Bataan in 1942. In some ways I think it does a better job realistically portraying war than some modern films I've seen. Baatan is a good movie superb cast NOLAN TAYLOR...even DesiArnaz makes me wish he had done more of this type of role.A good ending splendid visual effect.....TAY Garnett did it again. This with So PROUDLY We Hail has got to be one of the greatest war movie ever.....and i also forgot the wonderful work of Thomas Mitchell and George Murphy. The message is clear, this may be tantamount to a suicide mission, because, well, war is indeed hell, but sacrifices are necessary to achieve the bigger freedom objective.Nicely directed by Tay Garnett {The Postman Always Rings Twice} and tightly scripted by Robert Hardy Andrews {The Cross of Lorraine}, the film stars Robert Taylor, George Murphy, Thomas Mitchell, Robert Walker, Desi Arnaz & Lloyd Nolan. Violent and brutal for its time {the hand to hand bayonet sequences are brilliantly realised}, Bataan is also notable for portraying a racially integrated fighting force having to come together for the greater good. High on suspense and beating a real brave heart, Bataan is up with the best that the war genre of film has to offer. The efforts here were of extreme importance and the men died with honor.Tough guy Robert Taylor stars, and there is a great performance by Desi Arnaz.The crazy/heroic ending may be trite, but it was good.. All quite realistic.Being made in 1943, the film uses US weapons of the time of the battle, adding to the authenticity.Good performance by Robert Taylor in the lead role. this WWII movie wasn't what i would call spectacular,but it was decent enough as war movies go.it's about as subtle a being hit over the head with a sledge hammer.this movie aims high on entertainment value,but low on realism.still,it's got its effective moments,and there's nary a dull moment.the acting is not the greatest as far as war movies go,but it is serviceable.unfortunately it didn't really linger with me,like some movies do.so in that sense,it's fairly forgettable.on the other hand,it wasn't a complete bomb either,as i sat thorough it no problem.i likely wouldn't watch it again anytime soon though.for me,Bataan is a 5/10. Not to worry with this gritty action film with Robert Taylor, Loyd Nolan, and other tough second leads who made these movies so entertaining. Still, the movie qualifies as a good propaganda film for the Homefront, especially since American forces were suffering their greatest defeats in the history of the Republic about the time of the fall of Bataan. Hollywood cannot turn defeat into victory, but it can claim, and does in this film, that the course of history was changed by the heroic defenders of Bataan. "Bataan" is an outstanding World War II film. For an early WW II film, made when the U.S. had just been in the war a little over a year, "Bataan" is uncanny in its realism. This film clearly has the best hand-to-hand combat action of any modern war movie ever made. So, the Allies were nothing like the organized divisions of battle-hardened Japanese that landed on Luzon.The ages of the men in the volunteer squad also reflected the reality of the time, with the possible exception of Thomas Mitchell as Corp. Sergeant Robert Taylor heads this small unit and we watch to see how many of his troop of 13 soldiers survive.This is one of the better war films from this period. Several of the actors were overweight, obviously out of shape grandfatherly types clearly way too old for combat, some of the scenes were obviously painted, and like all these old war films the viewer is subjected to the "comical" soldier in the unit. Has the Hollywood view of the World War 2 American Soldier changed in the past 50 years? In addition to Bataan being one of the finest World War II films ever done, it also marked the final transformation of Robert Taylor from romantic leading man to tough action star. After this one Taylor, NEVER got cast in any powder puff roles.He's a tough, believable army sergeant who's in command of a squad that's been cobbled together from remnants of other squads and given a suicide rear guard mission to hold off the Japanese from taking and crossing a key bridge. Some of the other men of his squad are Lloyd Nolan, Thomas Mitchell, Robert Walker, Barry Nelson, Desi Arnaz. There's an army pilot with a plane to be repaired played by George Murphy and when Captain Lee Bowman is killed Taylor is in command.So they hold the Japanese off, the Battle of Bataan in microcosm, hoping for aid that never came because the United States had no aid to give at that point. This is a very good war film with so many excellent performances and wonderful writing. Since the film was made during the war, it was meant to encourage and rally the folks at home, so they made sure to put in some clichéd characters to illustrate certain themes (such as the sweet sailor, the jive-talking Chicano or the proud and hardworking Black soldier). As far as losing the battle goes, this can't be changed, but the Americans in the film are practically super-men because they kill off so many Japanese soldiers and make some incredibly lucky shots. Again, this is because the film was intended as positive propaganda, so I can look past this as well.As for the rest of the movie, despite a very simple plot, the film did a very good job of keeping my attention and providing a lot of realism. BATAAN is one of my very favorite war movies and is based on an actual endeavor in the Phillipines. Sgt. Bill Dane(Robert Taylor) leads a small platoon of thirteen devoted men in the mission of blowing up a pivotal bridge, the Japanese need to prolong their war efforts. Great ensemble cast featuring: George Murphy, Lloyd Nolan, Thomas Mitchell, Robert Walker, Desi Arnaz, Barry Nelson, Phillip Terry and Tom Dugan. A strong entry into Hollywood's WWII propaganda movies; solid performances by Robert Taylor and Lloyd Nolan. This well-acted, tough World War II propaganda movie is an excellent example of the MGM style: Solid production values, some good acting...and a tendency to hit the message out of the ball park, and then hit it out again. The story of a small group of soldiers fighting and dying to buy time for MacArthur to regroup around Bataan was, I suspect, a powerful movie when it came out in 1943. For those who may believe that brave men can survive in propaganda war movies, read no further. It's early 1942 in the Philippines and Sergeant Bill Dane (Robert Taylor) with a mixed bag of semi-volunteers are given the assignment of blowing up a bridge which would otherwise be a primary crossing point for the invading Japanese army as it races south. The only other regular Army men he has is Corporal Jake Finegold (Thomas Mitchell), a wise old hand and long-time friend, and Corporal Barney Todd (Lloyd Nolan), a cynic who may have a history with Dane. Yet knowing the men are going to get picked off, combined with the length of the movie, had me tensing every time someone decided to stand up, write a letter, peer over a sandbag, talk about his life back home or sing a spiritual. The one face-to-face fight towards the end of the movie, when Japanese soldiers camouflaged to look like brush and bushes begin to move toward the remaining men, and the men respond first with machine guns and then with bayonets, was a relief. Bataan may be dated, but if you enjoy older war movies you might like this one.. Other action includes more deafening explosions, shootouts and battle scenes which all make very heavy use of Gattling guns, springfield rifles and grenades.But at times there is a lot of dialogue and the film is very bleak, as with most war movies. i have a collection of war movies and last week i came across BATAAN and omg i don't want to badly judge the film....but it didn't completely amazed me. still a 7 is not bad for......Robert walker writing to his mom....Desi arnaz overjoyed to hear tommy Dorsey and first scene of Japanese attack. Although the greatest number of movies made was in the relatively safe haven of the United States, Hollywood commendably told the story of everyman and every nation in the great conflict, we know as World War II.SO IT WAS that MGM turned its eyes toward the Philippines and the events that followed the attack by Japan on Pearl Harbor of December 7, 1941. Names such as Manila, Corregidor and Bataan became rallying cries for our forces in those dark, early days of U.S. involvement.WITH THE NEWS of the infamous and murderous forced march of Philippine and American POW's became widely known as "the Bataan Death March", it was decided to do a picture with the name of that very peninsula on the island of Luzon.BEING WARTIME OF the greatest and scariest ilk, we needn't state that movies made at this time would and should be properly classified as being "propaganda."* With literally millions of men in uniform and under arms, both they and the public at large needed instruction and reminders of what we were fighting for and why.WITH THE SELECTION of "BATAAN" as its perfectly brief and emotionally charged title, the producers only had to craft a suitable story to serve as the vehicle of entertainment/indoctrination. The decision is made and heartily endorsed by all to fight to the end.IN A VERY Davey Crockett-like fashion, the main character (Robert Taylor) is the last to be killed.IT SHOULD COME as no surprise that, being a product of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the film assembled an outstanding cast. Much needed war movie for the times. All those name actors, Taylor, Murphy, Nolan, Walker, Mitchell, Arnaz etc. That the Japanese were called despicable names was common during the war when the movie was made . Mind you, most of the players serve up their character "types" with more realism and dramatic effectiveness than they deserve; though I was not so taken with Robert Walker's eager-beaver garrulousness as were the MGM brass who signed him to a long-term contract on the strength of this film. I thought this movie was good because of it's action scenes but I thought the story was a little weak. Robert Taylor did a good job as the Sergeant. If you want a good movie on the Phillipine war, watch "Back To Bataan." It's a whole lot better.. Thomas Mitchell, aged fifty-one at the time was a tad long in the tooth even for a thirty-year man, Lloyd Nolan, who turned in arguably the best performance had strong ties to Paramount, George Murphy was a jobbing actor who followed the money, Robert Walker was just starting out and was not identified with any studio, likewise Desi Arnaz. already know if you knew any history, no one is left standing at the end of the movie.Casting is quite effective-Robert Taylor, Lloyd Nolan, George Murphy, Desi Arnez, etc. ...if you don't already know the punchline to this joke, you WILL by the time the white guy is laughing maniacally at the end of this movie.Bataan lags at some points but you should never be discouraged. It sort of makes up for the fact they make the black guy dig every grave in this film until he dies (courageously, in hand-to-hand combat with the enemy).The Japanese attackers don't fair so well in the positive portrayal department in this movie, but this flick wasn't meant to swell their service ranks.

tt0099763

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer

In the opening shot, a naked and bloody dead woman is seen lying in grass in a field.In a local diner, a man named Henry (Michael Rooker) finishes his meal, pays his tab, buys a pack of Kool brand cigarettes, and tells the waitress: "real nice smile you got there". Henry walks to his beat-up dark-green 1970 Chevy Impala and drives off.In a convenience/liquor store, a middle-aged man and woman are seen lying dead beside the counter, and the sounds of their murder are heard. In other shots, a woman is seen lying dead in the bathroom of a motel room. Another nude woman is seen lying dead in a creek.Henry drives around Chicago listening to his car radio and staring at the people on the street. He drives to a suburban neighborhood and sees several women walking to their cars in a shopping mall parking lot. He follows one woman to her house, but leaves when he sees a man greet her in the driveway. Henry drives on until he picks up a female guitar-carrying hitchhiker.Meanwhile, a man named Otis (Tom Towles) meets his younger sister Becky (Tracy Arnold) at a terminal at Midway Airport. She has just arrived from Texas to stay with him for a while. Otis tells Becky that she looks terrible (from the bruises on her face). In his car driving from the airport, Otis says he always knew that Becky's husband, Leroy, was no good for her. Becky tells Otis that she is not sure how long she will stay.Otis and Becky arrive at Otis' seedy second floor apartment located at 1801 North Road in Chicago. They are seated at the kitchen table talking when Henry walks in. Henry has the hitchhiker's guitar and gives it to Otis as a gift. Otis introduces Henry to his sister, and Otis tells Becky that Henry is currently heading west and has been staying with him for a few weeks.The next day, Henry is seen working as an exterminator, spraying a kitchen. Henry's boss arrives as he is leaving and tells Henry that this is all the work he has for a while, but tells him to hold onto the spray can. He gives Henry some money for his job and sends him on his way. Henry drives to the house of the same woman that he followed from the mall a few days earlier. He still his spray tank with him. He knocks on the woman's front door and introduces himself as an exterminator and asks if she needs her house fumigated. She lets him inside. Afterwords, the woman is seen laying dead on her living room couch, having been strangled with an electrical cord.Meanwhile, Otis is seen working as a fuel pump operator at a local gas station. A teenage boy visits Otis at the station and asks if Otis has any more of the stuff that he sold the boy last week. He gives Otis some money, and Otis agrees to meet with the teen later.That evening, Becky is in the kitchen cooking dinner and she asks Otis how he met Henry. He tells her that they met in prison a few years ago and that Henry was inside for killing his mother and one of her boyfriends with a baseball bat. After dinner, Henry helps Becky clear the table as well as wash and dry the dishes, while Otis leaves to go to his meeting with the teenager. While playing cards with Henry, Becky asks him about his father, and then tells him that her own father used to rape her. She asks Henry if he killed his mother and repeats what Otis told her. Henry tells Becky that he did kill his own mother but he didn't beat her to death with a baseball bat. He stabbed her. Henry explains that his mother was a prostitute who brought men over and make Henry watch while she had sex with them. When Henry would refuse, she would beat him. When Henry mentions about shooting his mother, Becky reminds him that he told her that he stabbed her. Henry corrects himself.The following evening, Becky again cooks dinner for Henry and Otis and mentions that she got a job as a shampoo girl at a local beauty parlor downtown to help out financially. Otis mentions that Becky's previous job was a stripper and that she used to dance naked at various strips clubs, and asks when she will dance for them. Otis tells Becky to get him a beer. When she comes back to the table with a can, he pulls her by her arm as if to give her a kiss. Henry suddenly grabs Otis' hair and yells "Don't do that, Otis! She's your sister!" Henry makes Otis apologize and promise not to do it again. Otis seems upset, so Becky suggests the two men go out for a beer.While driving along a seedy part of Milwaukee Avenue, Henry and Otis pick up a couple of women. The car pulls into an alley where they begin to make out with the two women. In the back seat, Henry suddenly kills her. The other woman, in the front seat with Otis, screams and tries to get out of the car, but Otis grabs her while Henry reaches up and snaps the woman's neck. He pulls the bodies out and leaves them in the alley. Otis is unsettled, but Henry pacifies him by getting him something to eat. At Otis' apartment later, Henry talks about killing people, and Otis seems to agree with Henry's philosophy that "it is either you or them".Another evening later, Otis in his living room and getting bad TV reception and kicks in the screen. He decides that they need a new television. Otis and Henry drive to a garage where they meet a portly man surrounded by television sets and other appliances. The three men discuss different TV's and a $500 video camera before Otis settles on a $50 black-and-white TV. The fat man is angry that they wasted his time to settle for a cheap TV and is rude towards Henry, who responds by stabbing him in his hand and then in the stomach. Then the two of them bash the $50 TV over his head and plug it it, killing the fat man. A little later, Otis, Henry and Becky are playing with the stolen video camera at Otis' apartment and watch TV with a new and stolen TV set.Another few days later, Otis goes to see his parole officer to discuss his job status. Later, Otis goes to a high school parking lot where he meets with the same teenage boy for a drug transaction. Otis touches the boy's leg, and receives a punch to his face by the homophobic youth who runs out of the car.That evening, a furious Otis tells Henry that he wants to go out and kill someone. Henry and Otis drive around Chicago and feign car trouble at Lower Wacker Drive where Otis shoots and kills a man who stops to offer help.The next day, while out filming with the video camera, Henry advices Otis about his MO for killing and tells him to kill in different ways so that the police will not find a pattern. Henry also says that it is important to keep moving and never stay in one place for too long. That evening, the two men head over to a house where they stage a home invasion. Henry films Otis tormenting a woman, while her husband is lying on the floor bound and gagged. The couple's teenage son returns and Henry drops the camera, runs to the boy and breaks his neck. Otis breaks the woman's neck and Henry stabs the man. Otis fondles and kisses the dead woman, and Henry orders him to stop. Later, Henry and Otis are back in the apartment watching the video. Otis rewinds the tape saying, "I want to see it again."Another day or two later, Becky is working at her job at the beauty parlor and during a break, she talks on the phone with her mother long distance and asks how she is doing.Meanwhile, Henry and Otis are driving around in Henry's car. As Otis leans out with the video camera, the camera is hit and broken. Otis throws it out the window and the two men argue. Henry warns Otis that he is getting careless and out of control with his antics. The growing warped Otis says that he wants to stop for a beer, and Henry forces him to get out of the car.Henry arrives back at the apartment where Becky tells him that she just quit her job so she can go back to Texas to live with her daughter and mother, and she asks Henry to go with her. Henry suggests going out to get a steak dinner at a local restaurant so they can talk about it some more. Plus, Henry wants to try out his new credit card (obviously stolen from one of his recent victims).The couple returns a few hours later to find Otis passed out drunk on the living room couch. Becky takes Henry to her bedroom where she takes off her shirt and begins to unbutton his, clearly wanting to have sex with him. Henry seems reluctant. Otis suddenly appears in the doorway and says "I ain't interuptin' nothin', am I?" Henry leaves the apartment and goes for a walk. He goes to a convenience store to buy some more Kool cigarettes. He is angry, but backs out on wanting to kill the store clerk. Outside in an alley, he meets a middle-aged woman walking a dog. He follows the woman for a while, but again backs out from killing her and heads back to the apartment.Upon arriving back at the apartment, Henry finds Otis on top of a partially unclothed Becky, clearly raping her while choking her with his shirt. Henry kicks him off and beats him until Otis breaks a liquor bottle over his head. Just when Otis is about to stab Henry with the broken bottle's jagged edge, Becky leaps up and stabs Otis in his eye with the sharp edge of a steel comb. Henry crawls to the wounded and screaming Otis and stabs him in the stomach with his hunting knife, killing him at last. Becky yells at Henry to get the police, but Henry tells her to shut up and let him think. After a minute, he tells Becky help him clean up the mess and pack up so they can leave since their names are not on the lease of the apartment. While Becky cleans up the blood, Henry chops up Otis in the bathtub and puts his remains in several black plastic trash bags and then puts the bags in a suitcase. Henry and Becky leave the apartment carrying several suitcases as well as the guitar case. They drive to a bridge and throw the suitcase containing Otis' cut up body into the Chicago river.While driving out of the city, Henry says that they are going to hide out at his sister's ranch out west and they will send for Becky's daughter. Becky tells Henry that she loves him. Henry replies unemotionally, "I guess I love you too." The two of them drive to a rural motel and check in for the night. Becky plays with the guitar while Henry looks at himself in the bathroom mirror. He tells Becky that they need to get some sleep for they have a long drive tomorrow.The next morning, Henry showers, shaves, packs up and leaves the motel by himself. He stops his car a short distance from the motel along a rural road, pops open the car trunk and takes out Becky's blood stained suitcase. He drives away, leaving the suitcase (obviously containing Becky's dismembered body in it) behind.

dark, psychological, grindhouse film, murder, cult, horror, violence, insanity, sadist

train

imdb

But "Second Most Disturbing Film Of All-Time" is still a damn fine achievement, in my opinion.If you want to see an accurate and appallingly realistic portrayal of what the life of a serial killer must be like, definitely give "Henry" a viewing. Count on it.Based loosely on the exploits of multiple murderer Henry Lee Lucas, HENRY was the breakout role for Michael Rooker (SLITHER), and together with co-stars Tom Towles as his dim-witted sidekick, Otis and Tracy Arnold as Otis' emotionally blasted sister, Becky, they paint a documentary-style picture under McNaughton's guidance, of how some people living on the fringes of society behave. 'Henry' is not surprisingly often slated as a violent exploitation film, bundled together at Film Fairs with the Italian cannibal flicks of the 70's.Make no mistake though, this is a highly commendable piece of movie-making, which tackles the subject of serial killers with the same no-holds-barred approach which 'M' did way back in 1931. The trio is made up by Becky, the sister of Otis, who comes to visit.We are introduced to Henry immediately as a killer and the story does exactly what it says it will in the film's title. Much of the film's power comes from this nonchalant approach, whereby if a person doesn't register that something he is doing is wrong, then it quickly becomes almost acceptable.Rooker, in the title role, is totally convincing and gives a chilling performance, free from the mannerism clichés which detract from more famous serial killer characters like Hannibal Lector and Norman Bates. I can only think of Kevin Spacey in 'Seven' (1995) giving a similar level of performance for this character-type.Despite a couple of scenes whose violent content borders on the gratuitous, for the most part 'Henry' succeeds by relying on a suffocating atmosphere and it's down-beat characters.Anyone without a sense of desolation at the end of the film must be devoid of their senses.BEST SCENE - Henry and Otis enjoying a night in on the sofa, watching their recent home-video recordings, is one of the most disturbing scenes I can remember watching.. Powell's film has gone on to attract an avid cult following and, if it hasn't done so already, so will "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer."Loosely based on the real life exploits of Henry Lee Lucas, a leering, low IQ sicko who became a media star after claiming to have murdered several dozen people (some believe Henry was bragging), this film takes a gritty, realistic approach that creates the impression that we are watching real life unfold. Director John McNaughton exploits the discomfort the viewer is inclined to feel by presenting a scene in which Henry and his equally vicious former cellmate, Otis, videotape the rape and murder of one of their victims, then play it back for further amusement. By casting anonymous non-stars in the leading roles (not that he had a choice considering the budget and the repellent subject matter), and focusing entirely on the exploits of the killers (there are no scenes of police investigating the crimes or peeks into the lives of the victims), McNaughton has created a brutal, amoral horror film that makes the bloodiest gorefest look benign. Some will be turned off big-time with the shocking brutality of this film, but that's what it is about - a cold-blooded killer (Michael Rooker, playing real-life killer Henry Lee Lucas) with seemingly no conscience, and a stupid partner (Tom Towles as "Otis Toole"), who is about as bad."Chilling" is a good word to describe these guys.The only part of the movie which was repugnant to me was the scene in with Rooker and Towles break into a house, terrorize a woman and videotape it. This, and the French movie, "Man Bites Dog," are the two movies in my collection I am embarrassed (morally speaking) to say I own and find fascinating to watch.There are only three main actors in this film: Rooker, Towles (playing fellow killer, Otis Toole, a real dumb-ass trashy character) and his kid sister, "Becky" (Tracy Arnold). But don't be fooled, for "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer" is filled with graphic violence and other disturbing moments.The movie feels and breaths an '70's atmosphere. Supposedly based on the true life serial killer, Henry Lee Lucas (played by a turbulent Michael Rooker), but in fact is framed on tall stories of the largest fabler in American crime history (made even taller by director / scriptwriter John McNaughton, who adds his own two cents to the mythology). Inspired by the prefabricated musings of a trickster conspiring with police 'to clean up the books' John McNaughton supposedly presents us a portrait of a psychotic mind, but essentially remains underwhelmingly vacuous.The hyperbole of Lucas's life story is taken at face value giving a terrifying vision of a pair of two morally incapacitated individuals, albeit Henry himself finds a soft spot for Otis's cousin Becky (Tracy Arnold). Suitably events are portrayed pretty matter of fact (thankfully) without the ulterior intellectually deviant underpinnings so predominant in serial killer movies - this murderer isn't a deranged genius, just a murderous lost soul.Low key direction with unassuming choreography keeps attention focused on Rooker and Towles, which make a oddly disturbing couple, believable, but at the same time unreal. Henry (Michael Rooker), a character based on serial killer Henry Lee Lucas, hooks up with his prison friend Otis (Tom Towles) and his sister Becky (Tracy Arnold). It's been half an hour since I finished seeing this movie, and believe me people, I'm still shaking.Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, tells the story of Henry, a man with one hobby: killing strangers. Title: Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer Director: John McNaughton (The Borrower) Cast: Michael Rooker, Tracy Arnold, Tom Towles Review: There's only a handful of movies out there that you watch them and after wards you are left with this look of shock in your face. Based on the real life exploits of serial killer Henry Lee Lucas, this films achieves a thing rare in todays horror films. At times, during their little outings, Otis comes off even more sadistic than Henry, although lacking the intelligence needed to have a successful killing career, besides, Henry's patience is running thin with this obnoxious redneck, plus, Becky is all up in his business, so it might be a good idea to hit the road soon.They occasionally play Henry on the Independent Film Channel. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, while not, as it is often described, among the most disturbing movies ever made (compare with Eraserhead, Pi, and the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari), takes an approach to the biopic genre which was both novel at the time (grainy film stock, hand-held camera-work, no Hollywood plot resolution, a style echoed in Morris' The Thin Blue Line two years later), and frighteningly effective--even today, when audiences have been thoroughly exposed to Anthony Hopkins (and Brian Cox) and the psychological gore films of Se7en and Saw. By stripping down the production and putting the viewer face to face with the empty eyes of Michael Rooker as Henry Lee Lucas, H:PoaSK makes the viewer wonder whether to sympathize with him and believe his sad story of his childhood, or see him as a killer with no hope of redemption. The use of mickeymousing (which, for those unfamiliar with the term, is when an action on screen is matched by a similar sound effect: Mickey Mouse falls down the stairs, and the sound effects man slides his hand across a piano) is fairly rare in modern cinema, appearing in the occasional Bond film when a villain appears, or in the Kill Bill movies, but out of fashion, generally; however, H:PoaSK uses mickeymousing to heighten the impact of Henry's murders in a truly startling way--almost as startling as in Lynch's Eraserhead, when the Fats Waller soundtrack cuts to silence, then to an orchestral sting, then to silence. But that something, instead of like going to a bar or a movie or a show, is killing people, whomever, as long as it's not too obvious (never using a gun twice, and proper disposal of bodies, is some advice given by Henry), with a hapless dumb-ass, Otis, usually in tow.What makes it so unnerving is how McNaughton chooses to just show his protagonist doing these things, without passing any judgment exactly. Some vulnerability is found with the Becky character, though Arnold' performance is just passable.What makes the movie for me is Rooker's hold on the character, so dark and deep and scary that you can feel your skin crawl knowing he could just snap at any moment (albeit not as awful as Otis, in a weird way), and McNaughton's lack of easy answers - certainly not with the ending, which is equally bizarre and chilling. I've even talked to myself about how sadistic and how scary it was and that's why it is known to be a controversial film.I'm also glad that the director didn't go into all the detail and back story of Serial Killer Henry Lee Lucas and I'm glad that he sort of kept his story in some tame sort of way. OK, history lesson over; this is a movie made for pure shock value (and to a lesser degree, entertainment value, as well)."Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer" is an impressively brutal and uncompromising feature from director John McNaughton. (A scene where this is highlighted is when the two break into the home of a married couple and as you would expect from this film already, is not for the squeamish.)What is great about "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer" is the brutal and uncompromising presentation of the story - the stark, frightening realism of the events, the raw intensity, brutality, and utter savagery of everything we're forced to see here. As I stated earlier, no attempt is made to rationalize Henry's actions, though the film and criminologists seem to suggest he was motivated by the abuse he suffered as a child at the hands of his mother - who was a prostitute and would bring home clients and force young Henry to watch her have sex with them, and would sometimes put him in a dress - his murderous actions being an expression of misogynistic rage (his targets were mostly women) over that humiliation.Where most movies fail is where "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer" succeeds. To be sure, he's even more frightening sometimes than Rooker is as Henry."Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer" is a chilling and challenging exercise in horror film-making. Its gritty and gripping tale was so different, so fresh, and just so plain nasty, that everyone watching was lost for words.Even today, Henry still has the power to render the viewer speechless, such is the brilliance of the direction and performances in this powerful and shocking movie.Recently released from prison, murderer Henry (Michael Rooker) is earning a meagre living as a bug exterminator; in his spare time, however, he prefers to seek out bigger prey, committing a series of indiscriminate murders in a variety of grisly ways. But when sexual deviant Otis takes the idea of brotherly love a little too far, Henry steps in with devastating consequences for all.Director John McNaughton shows that he means business from the very start by opening his film on a slow reveal of a naked female corpse, which has been dumped unceremoniously in some shallow water. McNaughton's sparing use of his unsettling score, coupled with some particularly stylish and clever storytelling techniques (most noticeably, the ferocious 'house invasion' scene, which I believe to be a big influence the effectively sickening August Underground pseudo-snuff movies) make this a chilling character study that pulls no punches: nihilistic and disturbingly graphic, the film presents violent death without the glossy veneer that would be present in a Hollywood production.8.5 out of 10, rounded up to 9 for IMDb.. Brutal, disturbing & absolutely uncompromising with its content, Henry is unsettling from the very first frame but what really separates it from other examples of its genre is its stringent focus on telling the story from the killer's perspective.Loosely based on real life serial killer Henry Lee Lucas, Henry covers the crime spree of its titular character who goes around randomly killing people without any remorse or empathy. Shot on a shoestring budget, the movie makes use of real locations & settings that gives its story an added sense of realism, which in turn ends up making the experience all the more horrifying.Despite the low budget, the technical aspects are no slouch here for the film creatively uses its limited resources to full potential and all of it works in harmony to serve its story as well as characters, whether it's the bleak shots of Chicago streets, the stark arrangement of few scenes juxtaposed together, the pace at which its plot unfolds, the brilliant use of sound & music to further amplify its ominous vibe, and keeping it as true to real life as possible.Coming to the performances, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer features a committed cast in Michael Rooker, Tom Towles & Tracy Arnold, with all three of them doing an excellent job in their given roles. Towles begins his act as if his character is dim but as the plot progresses, he adopts a highly repulsive persona that's destined to shock many, and even Arnold does well with what she's given.On an overall scale, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer isn't a film for everyone. A low-budget classic that shows that people in real life are capable of inflicting more horror than any monster on film, Henry is definitely worth a shot.. Henry Portrait of a serial killer is a film that feels more like a documentary than a general horror/slasher film. Instead of the cheap slasher film he was hired to direct, Chicago filmmaker John McNaughton borrowed the case history of local mass murderer Henry Lee Lucas and created a fictitious portrait of an actual killer which, however well drawn, is so brutally honest it becomes a difficult film to recommend. McNaughton flirts, at times, with outright exploitation, but underneath all the appalling violence is a film that demands to be taken seriously, examining a casual murderer (played with unnerving, low-key intensity by Michael Rooker) who preys on his (mostly female) victims with no remorse, no pity, and no real motive: the only reason he kills is because it's easy and he's able to. It just follows Henry (chillingly played by Michael Rooker) and his cousin Otis as he teaches him the way of being a serial killer.I really wasn't prepared for this movie. And make no mistake, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer definitely earns it, mostly with the notorious scene in which the titular murderer and his sidekick Otis sit down to watch a videotape they've made of themselves brutally killing a defenseless family. Therefore, I've always liked films about serial killers, and always preferred those that were "biographies" and not "fiction".OK, so I realize "Henry" was released 26 years ago, and that at the time it made a real serious impact on account of the scenes there that had been considered graphic and violent more than had ever been seen on screen. It ultimately rendered this ugly, vicious and nasty film to the level of being one of the s-h-i-t-tiest "portraits" of anyone that I've ever seen.And, on top of all of the above, here are a number of other points about this pointless story that just about killed me to pieces - (1) Henry (who had already spent time in jail) wasn't in the least bit concerned about leaving tell-tale fingerprints, here, there, and everywhere, around each site of every single murder he committed. Infamous scenes like the one when Henry (Micharl Rooker) and Otis (Tom Towells) watch a tape of their own murderous acts ruin society's fascination about serial killers. The scariest part of this movie is that Henry and Otis , our main characters, were the real life serial killers Henry Lee Lucas and Ottis O'Toole.I loved this film! This movie is the chilling and brutal story of serial killer Henry Lee Lucas, who along with his accomplice Otis killed an unknown number of people. Unfortunately Otis's sister Becky ( Tracy Arnold) has moved in for a little while to their apartment and don't know about the secrets of Henry at night time as she falls for him, but he can't let the truth out or can he?.A powerful, brutal and unique psychological horror thriller with excellent performances by Rooker and company here, director John McNaughton brings us a dark and disturbing look into the mind of a psychopath on the verge of killing people. Uncompromising, brutal, and brilliant; director John McNaughton's "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer" shows the violent life of its titular character in stark reality. I have to admit that even though I saw the movie "Henry:Portrait of a Serial Killer" more then ten years ago it still shocks me thinking about it, far more then any film of that type that I've ever seen, before or after. Shocking, disturbing, extremely graphic horror film loosely based on the real-life serial killer Henry Lee Lucas, with Rooker playing the title role who, along with his roommate Otis (Towles), go on a killing spree. This is the most realistic and Frightening movie ever made.In the way that it happened to a real man and that the whole story is true.Other movies is just fiction and of course there is other movies that are more graphic,but you got to remember that this is real,and that's what is sick.The things that the main character(Henry Lee Lucas)experienced when he was a child was just tragic and we really get to hear about it in the movie.I don't think that it ever have been made a movie like this,who shows a real serial killer from the inside. HENRY: portrait of a serial killer (horror-thriller, 1992) Henry (Michael Rooker) lives with his ex-prison buddy Otis & teen sister Becky.

tt1637688

In Time

A voiceover describes the state of the world. A place where time has become currency. Thanks to scientific advances people can stop aging at 25, but it comes with a catch: after reaching 25 a person is genetically-engineered to live only one more year. The time is used as currency, you can earn more at work but you sell it for goods and other services. Once your time runs out, you die.Will Salas (Justin Timberlake) is a young man living in Dayton, a poor ghetto in the southwest USA. He lives day by day, making just enough to pass each day sharing time currency with his perpetually youthful mother, Rachel Salas (Olivia Wilde). She is 50 today, but has two days work in the garment district, she gives Will 30 mins for lunch. They will celebrate when she gets back. Everyone has a luminous green digital clock on their arms, counting down. Will is generous and easily gives 5 mins to a young beggar girl, Maya.On the way to work he buys a coffee, the price has just gone up. Walking to work they see dead bodies in the streets. Will works in a metal stamping plant, making shiny cassettes. After his shift he notices he is paid less, quotas have gone up. Will meets his friend Borel (Johnny Galecki) at a bar. There they see a man treating everyone to drinks and drawing attention to his arm, which lists him as having over 116 years. Will knows that the man did not belong to the ghetto and was likely to draw attention to himself. Sure enough the Minutemen, a criminal gang, shows up, armed and ready to forcibly take the man's time. The gang leader, Fortis (Alex Pettyfer) is actually age 75. Borel and the rest of the bar scatter but Will interferes and helps the man escape. The two flee from the Minutemen and eventually find an old building to hide in. The man introduces himself as Henry Hamilton (Matt Bomer) and tells Will of the time-is-currency system. It had been established as a means of population control after the advances made in anti-aging processes, but as people were still surviving. Inflation and lower 'wages' were designed to keep the population in control. This currency system also meant that the rich could live much longer then normal and essentially become immortal, while the poor died. Henry however is tired of living for so long, an indignant Will tells him that the rich basically did not deserve their time. He tells Henry he doesn't want his time. Unwilling to abandon the depressed man, Will offers to stay with the man until the morning. At dawn, Henry passes his time to a sleeping Will.Will wakes alone, with the 116 years of time and a message telling him not to waste it. Through a window, Will sees Henry seated on the edge of the bridge and realizes the man plans to commit suicide. He runs out to stop him, but just misses him as Henry's time runs out and he falls into the storm water channel. Will sees street cameras recording him and runs back home.Will meets Borel with his family, and shows him his new time. To thank Borel for being his friend for so long, Will gives him a decade. Borel warns him that staying in Dayton with that much time was going to get him killed. Will wants to take his mom to New Greenwich.Rachel pays off a 2 day loan at a Weis ATM machine. Sh tries to board a bus to get home but the fare has gone up to 2 hours and she has only 90 mins left. In a panic she has to run. Will is waiting at the bus stop, realizes something is wrong and runs toward Rachel. They meet somewhere in between, but too late, the mother dying in the son's arms. Later Will calls a private stretch Lincoln limo to pick him up and take him to a richer Time Zone. He passes through 4 toll booths with progressive fares into a gleaming modern but sparsely populated City center, New Greewich. He has cleaned himself up to dine at a nice restaurant, a young lady across the room takes notice. The waitress tells him to slow down, to blend in with the rich, and suggests a casino nearby.Meanwhile, Henry's body is discovered by the Timekeepers, a body of authority much like the police. Raymond Leon (Cillian Murphy) notices the street cameras and examines the footage. When he expresses surprise at seeing Will's photo, his colleagues ask him if he knew the suspect and whether or not he had a criminal record. Raymond corrects them, telling them he did not know the current Will Salas but he did know the senior Will Salas. Timekeepers are mobilized to locate Will Salas.At the casino, a tuxedoed Will meets Phillipe Weis (Vincent Kartheiser), arguably the richest man in the world. At a high stakes poker game, Will goes all in and comes out as victor, now with over 1000 years. Phillipe is impressed, as is Sylvia (Amanda Seyfried), his beautiful but sheltered daughter, the girl from the restaurant. Phillipe invites Will to his mansion for another party, and partially to see Sylvia again, Will agrees. Knowing to be prepared, he purchases a Jaguar E type and drives to the Weis mansion on the coast. There Phillipe reintroduces him to Sylvia, as well as his wife Michele (Bella Heathcote) and mother-in-law, all three of whom look the same age due to their wealthy background. The women are followed by guards all the time, but Will convinces Sylvia to let loose and have fun. Feeling oppressed by her father and his men, Sylvia agrees and the two go skinny dipping in the ocean. Sylvia admits wishing that she could often do something wild and crazy. Phillipe had always restricted his family members though, and sure enough he soon comes looking for her. Sylvia and Will manage to dress and make themselves presentable again when the Timekeepers appear and confront Will.Raymond arbitrarily takes back the 1000 years as they don't believe Will's story. Raymond hints he knew Will's father and leaves. Will fights off the other Timekeepers and takes Sylvia hostage, escaping out the mansion. Raymond commits himself to chasing them, even taking personal risks that other Timekeepers avoided. After a car chase, Will manages to throw Raymond off their trail and escapes back to the country with Sylvia, who pleads to be let go. As soon as they return to Dayton the car is wrecked in a trap set by the Minutemen. While Will and Sylvia remain unconscious, the Minutemen discover that Will only has a little time left and was thus worth nothing, Sylvia however had about a decade and so they take hers instead. The men are forced to run before they could take all her time, Sylvia panics because she has never been reduced to having so little time. Will tells her that she should not be worried, as regular people live day by day. Instead, he brings her to find Borel, hoping that he could give them some time. To his grief, he learns that Borel had drunk himself to death with his riches leaving his wife and newborn alone.Will manages to buy them more time by pawning off Sylvia's diamond earrings, but knows it isn't enough. He calls Phillipe and demands a 1000 year ransom for Sylvia's return, to be sent to the time welfare office. Raymond listens to the call and warns Will not to follow his father's path. Will learns that his father's crime was not stealing time but "something much more serious". Raymond, deduces where Will was hiding and assures Weis he would bring his daughter back safely. At Will's apartment he explains his father was an arm "fighter" with a trick to win time contests, he demonstrates that you let the other win at first, they get overconfident and distracted just as the last few seconds run down, then the arm can be flipped and the flow reversed.The next day the ransom is unpaid, Will says to Sylvia that it was likely because her father was prevented by the Timekeepers but Sylvia saw it as proof that her father didn't care about her. Nevertheless, Will decides to let her go and tells her to make a call to her family. Since they were in the ghetto after all, he also gives her a gun to protect herself. They kiss and just as they split so that Sylvia can make her call, Raymond appears and nearly shoots an unsuspecting Will. A panicked Sylvia shoots Raymond instead, and Will corners Raymond and attempts to take his time. Raymond however has very little, for it is Timekeeper practice to carry only a little time to avoid being targets. Since Will was planning to take Raymond's car he graciously transfers 4 hours of his own time to him before hijacking the black Challenger car and leaves him alone in the ghetto.Sylvia realizes that using a police car was essentially asking for attention. They end up robbing another limo and passenger, a blond woman dressed like a hooker. They learn that they had both been placed on a wanted poster with a reward of ten years to anyone who could bring about their arrest. Phillipe studies a large map of the world with colored lights and numbers, he assures his business partners that his daughter would not crash the current economic system. An injured Raymond manages to escape the ghetto, verbally harassed the whole time, and meets with Phillipe. Weis attempts to bribe Raymond into 'rescuing' his daughter but Raymond tells him that due to Sylvia's actions, an arrest warrant will be placed for her as well. If Phillipe interferred and tried to save his daughter, Raymond will see him arrested as well.Will trains Sylvia how to use a handgun, she offers to help him get time. Will and Sylvia drive an armoured car through a Weis bank window and scoop up many time cassettes. They invite the onlookers to grab what they can also. The large status board shows the imbalance. This endears them to most people in the ghetto. Weis watches the news report of the robbery as his wife chides him for suffocating them. In a motel the two get closer, then sense something is up and just manage to escape Ray and his squad. Ray alone takes after them over rooftops in a running gun battle, refusing to let them go. They manage to bribe a bus driver and escape.At a seedy hotel they rent the whole building for privacy. Fortis and his gang roust civilians until one admits where he saw the two runaways. In the hotel room the young couple describe how each went through the change at age 25 when the green numbers begin counting down. Fortis arrives and explains it is not just the rich and the Timekeepers oppressing the normal citizens, the Minutemen are being allowed to do so as long as they did not start preying on the rich as well. Fortis challenges Will to an arm fight to the death, as the two men lock arms together Will's time runs down fast. Will uses his trick to reverse the flow, then manages to pull a gun from his boot, kills the henchmen and times out Fortis. Will is dismayed and figures it will take a million years to change the system. Sylvia knows where they could find that time.Sylvia returns home, pretending to turn herself in, distracting her father and his multiple guards, so that Will could sneak up on him. Under gunpoint, they take Weis to his office and open a large vault where they find a single cassette with 1 million years. Phillipe tries to say it is always in an individual's interest to live forever even at the cost of another's, but the two runaways are unconvinced. After locking Phillipe in the office the two again return to Dayton. While keeping the Timekeepers distracted, they pass the one-million cassette to Maya, the little girl.Raymond pursues Will and Sylvia to a remote area running toward Livingstone, the next town over, just as they all begin to run out of time. Will sees that Ray is a Dayton homeboy, an honest cop just doing his job, but the timekeeper has forgot to get his per diem and dies in front of them as he times out. With only seconds to spare Will notices the police car in the distance, runs and manages to transfer the timekeeper's per diem from the centre console device to himself. He runs back to Sylvia and just manages to transfer some time, saving her life. The two of them only have enough for a day.The Daytons stop work and march toward New Greenwich. Watching the news, the Timekeepers decide that their jobs are finished. With 100 years bounty on them, pulling up in front of a large institution, Will and Sylvia draw their guns to make their biggest heist.

suspenseful, boring, murder, mystery, thought-provoking, violence, flashback, revenge, sci-fi

train

imdb

tt0069005

Night of the Lepus

The movie opens showing a news report about how overpopulation is not just a human problem, but exists in the animal kingdom as well, using the rabbit population explosion in Australia in the 1950s as an example. There was a similar plague of rabbits getting out of hand in the American Southwest, especially in Arizona, where the rabbits were devouring crops, destroying property, and out-competing livestock for a finite supply of food and water.Moving to the action in Arizona, our first view is of rancher Cole Hillman, riding his horse. The horse steps into a rabbit hole and injures itself, and Cole must shoot it and walk home. He instructs one of his ranch hands to take the truck to go get his saddle, then makes a phone call to the university in Ajo, hoping to find a cure for the rabbit infestation. He meets Dr. Elgin Clark, but his first suggestion is for the same person who killed all the coyotes that were keeping the rabbits in check. Cole is hesitant to make the same mistake twice, but agrees to visit the Bennett family, scientific researchers who are looking for more ecologically friendly ways of controlling wildlife.We meet the Bennetts, father Roy, mother Gerry, and daughter Amanda. Roy was capturing bats for an experiment. They want to control the bats' flight pattern, hoping to use them to kill mosquitoes, without the nasty side effects of DDT and other insecticides. Elgin Clark comes to see him and asks him to visit Cole, to see if he could come up with an ecologically friendly way to solve the rabbit problem. On the way there, they see ranchers desperately shooting at rabbits trying to preserve their livelihoods.At Cole's ranch, Cole explains his problem. Although hardly an environmentalist, Cole has reasons of his own for not wanting to use poison to kill the rabbits. The poison would harm his cattle, so he would have to sell them at distress prices, and eventually his land would become toxic and barren. He can hold out only a few more weeks before using the cyanide, and the other ranchers are anxious to use it sooner. Roy suggests interfering with the rabbits' hormones, or introducing a disease that affects only rabbits, and takes several rabbits with him to begin experiments. Meanwhile, their daughter Amanda becomes friends with Cole's son Jackie.Back at the university, the experiments are not producing any useful results. They will never have a solution in time to save Cole's ranch. He tries one last injection, in an untested rabbit, over the objections of Amanda, who has become attached to the rabbit in question. While her parents' backs are turned, the mischievous little girl switches the rabbit with another one from the control group, hoping to protect it from further harm. Then she pesters her parents into letting her adopt it as a pet. They think that the rabbit is from the control group and thus has had no injections.They return to Cole's ranch to pick up more rabbits for experimentation, but Jackie does not like Amanda's new pet, since the rabbits are a menace to his family and they killed his chickens at one point. He seizes the rabbit and releases it, and it runs away. Amanda forgives him and they go off together to talk.At the university, the experiments have failed. Some of the rabbits have grown enormously, but are otherwise unaffected. Roy, depsite his misgivings, calls Cole to tell him to do what he needs to do. Cole has one more try, though. He sets part of his range on fire, sacrificing some of his land in hopes of creating a strip of charred land that is completely devoid of food and water, that the rabbits will not be able to cross. Some of the other ranchers are skeptical, but they trust Cole's judgment enough to delay their own use of poisons a little longer. The fire drives away the rabbits, for awhile.While inspecting the land, the Bennetts and Cole find an unusual animal track. They don't know what the animal was, but they know that it was big. Meanwhile, Jackie takes Amanda to meet a friend of his, Captain Billy, who has a gold mine in the hills. Arriving at the mine, they find no one home. He sends Amanda into the mine to look while he looks outside. Jackie finds more animal tracks, while Amanda sees the shadows of enormous rabbits. Then she sees a dead body, presumably that of Billy. She screams and runs out of the mine. We next see her being examined by a doctor, who determines she only had a shock and will be fine. Jackie describes what he could remember, but everything happened very fast; he doesn't remember much.At night, a driver with a refrigerated truck stops to check his truck, and hears the thunder of paws and heavy breathing nearby, but it's too dark to see what's going on. He fails to get back in the truck while the getting is good, and is attacked by the rabbits. The next morning, a policeman finds the abandoned truck, its cargo of vegetables scattered over the ground, and then finds the driver's body. He calls for the sheriff to examine the body. While he is there, he gets a call. The body has been recovered from the mine, and it is Captain Billy, looking as badly mutilated as the truck driver.Back in town, the coroner determines that the bodies and boxes of vegetables were not chopped with an axe, but were chewed or gnawed. He can't think of what animal could cause so much destruction, except maybe a saber-toothed tiger. Meanwhile, another policeman finds more mutilated bodies nearby.At the university, Roy and Elgin realize that the huge rabbits that Amanda saw are likely the cause of the destruction, and are probably the result of their experiment. They debate calling the sheriff, but Elgin, fearing the bad publicity that it would draw to the university, talks them out of it until they can gather more evidence. Roy tells Gerry to go call Cole, intending to go see him the next day to look for the rabbits, and try to destroy them.The next day, Elgin, the Bennetts, Cole, and his ranch hands Frank and Jud, arrive at the mine with cyanide and dynamite. Elgin and Frank go up into the hills to look for more holes and plant dynamite, while Jud and Cole plant dynamite at the main entrance. Elgin drops a rock into one of the holes and listens to the noises the rabbits make in reaction, holding out his radio microphone so that Roy and Gerry can hear it too. Roy and Cole go into the mine, hoping to capture a rabbit, or if that isn't possible, take a picture. They go in, camera and shotgun in hand. The others are apprehensive as Roy and Cole remain inside the mine, out of reach. Finally, Roy and Cole reach the chamber where the rabbits are holed up, and realize that using the gun may cause a cave in. They see them clearly for the first time, describing them as big as wolves and just as vicious. Roy takes several pictures, but the rabbits start to chase them, and they must escape. They didn't mark their way, so they are in danger of making a wrong turn and becoming trapped. Meanwhile, another giant rabbit burrows out of the ground outside and attacks Jud, and Gerry must save him by shooting the rabbit, and treat his injuries. Time passes, and the groups outside become more worried for Roy and Cole's safety. Finally, they reach the entrance of the mine and run out, and Elgin sets off the dynamite, collapsing the mine and burying many rabbits.At the university, Elgin examines the photographs, and he realizes that it is time to inform the sheriff. They plan to go back to the mine the next day, to make sure all the rabbits are dead. Roy, realizing that the press will be all over the place soon, advises Gerry to take Amanda and go to another town, for their privacy, until the whole thing blows over. Next, we see rabbits leaving the mine; obviously the cave-in left a significant number of them to escape and raise more havoc. The thunder of paws panics Cole's horses, waking him up. The horses soon escape. Cole gets his family together in the storm shelter under his house, while the rabbits attack the horses. Jud, still panicked from his encounter with the rabbits earlier, runs to the truck and flees. He encounters the herd of rabbits and quickly turns around and drives back to the ranch. In his panic, he crashes the truck, knocking out the phone lines to Cole's house, just when Cole was trying to call for help. Jud runs from the truck, but the rabbits have arrived and they pounce on him. Cole shoots at them, but it's too late to save Jud. He joins his family in the shelter. There is a tense moment as the rabbits try to scratch through the door, but they are driven off. The rabbits get into the house's main floor and destroy everything inside. Cole and Frank keep them from scratching through the floor by shooting at them.At the store in the town of Galanos, the switchboard operator Mildred is unsure what to think of Cole's telephone line going out suddenly, while Cole sounded agitated. It's late, so her husband and a friend take off to go home. Soon, she can hear the thunder of paws, too, and she looks out the window to check. The rabbits have arrived and they jump through the window to pounce on her. The rabbits also reach her house, where they catch and kill her husband before he can get inside.In the morning, Cole and Frank go outside; the rabbits have holed up somewhere for the day. They mourn Jud, and Cole tells Frank to stay with Jackie while he goes to town. The horses are gone and his truck is wrecked, so his only option is to walk, shotgun in hand. Meanwhile, Roy sends Gerry and Amanda off in their RV to Wooddale. She promises him to call him when she gets there. Roy and Elgin contact the sheriff, who has already been informed of the rabbits. They get into a helicopter to check the area around the mine. Meanwhile, Cole has a long walk. He tries to flag down passing motorists, but traffic is light, and few people are going to pick up a man with a shotgun. Perhaps realizing this, Cole ditches the gun and continues. Gerry's RV becomes stuck in the sand on the way to Wooddale, leaving her and Amanda stranded.Hours later, Cole finally makes it to town, and finds the store that was attacked by the rabbits the previous night. The rabbits are still inside, feasting on the food as they wait for the sun to go down. Finding no help here, Cole takes off again on foot, needing to find help, or at least shelter, before dark. During the day, Roy, Elgin, and the sheriff arrive at the mine, and they find it empty. The sheriff calls the National Guard. In the afternoon, Cole finally is able to get a ride with a priest.The sheriff gets authorization to use the National Guard, but he is unable to contact Cole, since the switchboard at Galanos is out. Cole, riding with the priest, finally reaches a phone and calls in, and tells the sheriff where the rabbits are. The sheriff sends a deputy out to pick him up, but it will be dark soon, and the National Guard will not be able to arrive in time to catch the rabbits before they start moving again. They will likely move toward Ajo, so the sheriff decides to evacuate the town. Meanwhile, Roy is getting worried, since he has not yet heard from Gerry. It gets dark, and the rabbits start to move again, leaving the ruins of Galanos behind. The policemen get more reports of death and destruction from the areas in the rabbits' path and proceed with the evacuation as best as they can. His deputy, who has picked up Cole, reports that the rabbits are right behind them, moving fast and coming in a front about two miles wide, and they have but 50 minutes to prepare before the rabbits reach Ajo.The National Guard major realizes he doesn't have enough men to handle a front of rabbits that long. Roy has an idea involving using the railroad. He calls the railroad dispatcher, and asks him to isolate a siding near town. The deputies can then hook electrical power up to the isolated section of railroad, and the rabbits will be electrocuted as they cross it. The National Guard will use its men to funnel the rabbits onto this section of railroad. However, there is a freight train on the tracks, and they will have to wait for it to pass before implementing the plan.Needing more help, the sheriff goes to the local drive-in movie theater, and enlists the help of the patrons. He has them line up their cars with the lights on to help drive the rabbits in the desired direction. Roy still hasn't heard from Gerry, and he asks the sheriff to check. There have been no calls, and Elgin has called Wooddale and Gerry has not yet arrived. He asks the sheriff to being the helicopter back so that he can go look for her.Meanwhile, Gerry and Amanda are still trying to free their RV from the sand. It's dark now, and they have made no progress. Hearing the noises from the rabbits in the distance, Gerry sends Amanda into the RV while she gets the emergency flares from the glove compartment. From the air, Roy can see lots of rabbits on the road that Gerry was supposed to take. The rabbits arrive at the RV, and Gerry holds them at bay with the flares, but she has a finite supply of them. Finally, the helicopter arrives. The noise and lights drive off the rabbits, and the family is saved. The rabbits attack a herd of cattle instead, causing a stampede.The sheriff has the deputies ready to electrify the railroad, but the train still hasn't cleared the tracks, and the rabbits are getting closer to town. Roy and his family return in the helicopter and the deputy turns the power off just as the train starts passing, amid more reports of death and destruction from the area. When the train passes, the men set wooden stakes in the railroad to keep the section of track isolated, and then turn the power on. The trap is set. Soon, the rabbits come into sight, and the National Guardsmen start shooting at them. The lights from the cars repulse the rabbits just as hoped, and they run straight for the railroad. When they reach it, the electricity does it work, killing the rabbits that reach the tracks. Sparks fly from the overtaxed transformers overhead, but the power stays on. Few rabbits make it past, and the men have no trouble shooting them with their guns. Eventually, the ground is covered with thousands of dead rabbits.Some time later, Cole reports that life is getting back to normal and he has repaired his ranch. Better still, some coyotes have been heard nearby, keeping the normal rabbits in check naturally. He invites them to visit the ranch some time.

cult

train

imdb

From there it's long-eared, low budget mayhem of the highest order, with scenes of regular-sized bunnies rampaging through miniature Western towns (complete with dubbed-in squeals and roars on the soundtrack) and hungry bunnies (played by stuntmen in full body rabbit suits) attacking unlucky townspeople, until the military is called in to neutralize the threat. You can almost imagine Janet Leigh during filming, smoking cigarettes in between takes and asking DeForest Kelley "What the hell are we doing in a movie about KILLER RABBITS? Claxton knew full-well that a distinguished cast was needed to lend credibility to this bold and risky venture, so they hired Stuart Whitman ("City Beneath the Sea"), Janet Leigh ("Psycho"), Deforest Kelly ("Star Trek"), Rory Calhoun ("The Texan"), and Paul Fix (numerous westerns).These fine stars did their best, but alas it wasn't enough, and "Night of the Lepus" is considered a failed experiment. It's definitely an original idea for a horror film and if you ever have the opportunity to view the unedited version, there is a scene or two that's nice and bloody, but it isn't a gore-hound's delight and it won't ever sit high among the classics of horror, but I miss the fact that this used to be a staple on late-night TV when I was a kid and you can't see it at all, these days. Campy, hokey, and oh so hilarious B movie is an unforgettable tale of nature on the rampage.In rural New Mexico folks trying to eliminate the rabbit population create a race of huge, killer rabbits that terrorize mankind!Night of the Lepus is one of those golden B flicks that must be seen to be believe. For a film of its budget, this movie manages to have some pretty decent special FX, it certainly beats the likes of Food of the Gods (1976) or Empire of the Ants (1977).The veteran cast is OK in their performances. The cast has some big names with Stuart Whitman and Janet Leigh playing the scientist couple and Rory Calhoun as the farmer in need of ridding his pastures from rabbits, and then there is Deforrest Kelly, looking quite out of place, as a friend to all. The acting though can't save this film from anything more than what it is: a funny bad picture that is fun to watch because of its ridiculous premise, lamentable special effects, and some corny acting and dialog. A jaw-droppingly stupid idea (giant carnivorous bunny rabbits on a rampage) makes for a surprisingly fun, entertaining movie. If you are an easily frightened 7 year old kid,such as I was when I saw it,it will give you nightmares about rabbits.I am not sure what the intent was here,whether they felt they had a legitimate horror film,or that they went out of their way to be silly,but the film is exactly that;silly.If your kids are easily frightened,keep them away until they are adults who are able to see the humor.If you are one who likes to collect bad movies for fun,or if you are genuinely frightened by the idea of giant killer rabbits,this one is for you.. Soon the animal reproduces in an abandoned mine becoming a new breed of huge carnivorous rabbits."Night of the Lepus" is among the silliest and most ridiculous horror movies ever made. The band Yes released its monumental album "Close to the Edge" which many rock fans say was the pinnacle of modern musicianship.And then we have "Night of the Lepus".I don't know what's more mind-boggling, the idea that a bunch of fuzzy bunnies (the cutest animal on the planet) could be even remotely frightening to anyone; or the idea that a film company decided to fund this venture and get Janet Leigh & Dr. McCoy to act in it.Still, like a horrible car wreck, or like the bearded lady at the circus, you can't resist gawking. Wanna star?" The only reason I sat through it is because afterwards, the original "The Haunting" was coming on, which is arguably one of the best horror movies of all time, so I suffered through ketchup covered rabbits and stilted acting (they knew how bad it was, hence the strained performances). Actually I m searching a horror film n I jus remember the end scene wher the car leaves n an old lady waves hand n there r rabbits all around. This looked about as real as large rabbits can, I suppose.Maybe they should not have taken themselves so seriously and they would have done better -- clearly the writer wanted a serious film, as the overall tone is quite realistic all things considered. These veteran actors all do a pretty good job, and the movie is just a lot of kitschy fun: Just a couple of the many unintentionally funny scenes: one guy hitch hikes while holding a rifle (yes, I think we'd all give that guy a ride). I remember sitting in front of the T.V. as a kid watching movies like Night of the Lepus, Food of the Gods, Empire of the Ants, Frogs, Them(not of the same era, but good all the same), Ben(gotta love angry rats), Willard(gotta love sequels about angry rats), Stuff(killer yogurt from space if I remember correctly) and Attack of the Killer Tomatoes and loving every minute of what I was seeing on the screen. Did you know Night of the Lepus was never released to video(so don't count on the DVD), and movies like Food of the Gods and Ben are out of print(good luck finding these). Well, happy Easter horror lovers, and what could be a better holiday film for us to eat our chocolate bunnies with than "Night of the Lepus." I watched an obviously cut version of this on TV as a kid in the 70's, but get the DVD, and you can put little Suzie off cuddly rabbits forever!!Ah yes, another nature goes crazy film from the 70's. Spend this afternoon gnawing on your chocolate Easter bunnies to find out!Now, the premise of this movie has always seemed a silly one, but this is a good little scare flick with a very strong cast. It's another one of those horrible, cheesy 70's movies were the mutated bunnies are rabbits running on a miniature train model or superimposed in each scene. I wont' go into great detail since most of what makes this movie fun is bad acting, a weak plot, horrible special effects and a poor attempt to scare people, but I don want to emphasize that if you have not seen this film, and you love horror, especially b-movies, than this movie is just for you. The premise of this film, cougar-sized rabbits with a killer instinct on the loose in a rural farm area, just seems too laughable to be taken seriously, but it's handled so well here that the inherent silliness is kept to a minimum, and the film ends up being a pretty enjoyable B-movie.The leading characters are all well-performed by well known and very competent actors, and done with all seriousness, and incredibly they pull it off without hamming it up or being over-the-top. That it has a few names that stick out for me as a movie buff- some more than others (Janet Leigh, quite a fall from the heights of movie stardom, DeForest Kelly, who is spiffy and awesome in a mustache even if he's given nothing to do aside from looking McCoy on us, and Rory Calhoun, who barely has a facial expression to change and has been in many B-horror movies)- is a little staggering.What's a little surprising too, hearing from the people I watched the movie with, was that this was an actual problem in places in Australia and the US, where rabbits really did act as an epidemic and destroy people's crops with over-population. Well, frankly, I wanted to see how the filmmakers would approach something as silly as killer rabbits (which, no less than three years after this film came out, could be found in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, probably unintentionally too, who knows).They're filmed basically in telephoto, with their menacing mouths rabid and foaming or just with big little buck teeth, and in big groups going against models behind them ALWAYS in slow-motion. The editor, John McSweeney, makes the material that is pretty funny in a goofy way into a sort of big jumbled mess of carnage (a good deal of it repeated shots, not just in the climax but elsewhere), and pretty incomprehensible when it should be a big gas of a scene.This all being said, in a very tongue-in-cheek way, I dug what the filmmakers were trying to do, which was a fun scary movie with known stars and sturdy character actors, and pit them in a movie with a terrifying, unstoppable menace (ironically, a menace that doesn't really EAT humans, just vegetables). When Hollywood was churning out ecology gone mad movies like frogs, Godzilla vs the smog monster,etc;etc;they unleashed;night of the Lepus on us.featuring an all star cast. heres the line-up;Janet Leigh,Rory Calhoun(motel hell)Stuart Whitman(ruby)deforest Kelley(star trek)Paul fix.scientists accidentally turn test rabbits into giant slobbering flesh eating bunnies.actually they try very hard to make these floppy eared rodents look menacing.for a pg movie there's much violence and some blood.its a lot like a Bert i Gordon movie from the 1950's.but made by MGM.go figure.its funny to see deforest Kelley play a part outside Dr McCoy from star trek(old school)Janet Leigh and Stuart Whitman play the scientists.there is one priceless scene when the sheriff announces on a pa system at the drive in movie theater,warning there's a pack of giant rabbits on their way please evacuate the area.this is a goofy fun movie thats so bad its good.ill say one thing,its the only giant rabbit movie ever made.5 out of 10.whats up doc???. I was surprised that it is based on a book because it looks like the producer got a lot of bunnies cheap somewhere and said "Hey we can make a movie with these!" The most absurd lines are delivered in such an earnest serious deadpan that I'm not sure if they were meant to be ironic or funny, though that seems the only explanation for them. So, any producer who takes a political satire, essentially a comedy, removes all the...well, comedy...and announces "I'm making a movie about giant man eating bunnies!" deserves an end product like "Night of the Lepus". The model train sets, the acting ranges from Stuart Whitman and Janet Leigh's "At least they're paying me" style thru Rory Calhoun's "At least I have a job" style up to DeForest Kelley's "If this is the best he can get me, I have to fire my agent--I was in Star Trek for god's sake!" Which, by the way, is why my mother (a Trekkie as a young woman)referred to this film by the more entertaining title "Dr. McCoy and the Giant Rabbits". It's also a waste of a fine cast, although the only reason to watch it is to see Janet Leigh ("Psycho," "A Touch of Evil"), Stuart Whitman ("Darby's Rangers," "City Beneath the Sea"), Rory Calhoun ("How to Marry A Millionaire," "Pure Country"), Paul Fix (Marshal Micah on "The Rifleman"), Walter Kelly ("Come Back, Little Sheba"), Henry Wills ("The Cowboys," "In Like Flint") and, especially, DeForest Kelly of "Star Trek" fame.Hollywood tried this same gimmick with "The Giant Spider Invasion," one of the worst movies ever made, and "The Food of the Gods.'' Likewise, they failed miserably.The special effects reek. In place of her rabbit, she puts in an experimental rabbit, that gets released into the wild and, ultimately, creates the monster bunnies.All in all, it's still campy fun, if only to watch veteran actors like Kelley and Leigh try to act their way through a silly movie.. I've seen this movie several times and it's just fun to watch.Forget the silly plot about "killer bunnies" and how stupid it sounds. Among the particularly special elements are the high-budget special effects (SEE the little bunnies lollop down the model street, with underexposure to suggest it's night; SEE that exact same scene four separate times; SEE the copious amounts of over-thickened ketchup pile around the victims), the educational dialogue ("Lepus: that's, uh, Latin for rabbit"; "Well, they won't bother us now" (go on, *guess* if they do)), and the edge-of-your-seat twists and turns of the plot (like, guess if the little kids feel sorry for the bunnies injected with the growth compound and let them out; guess what takes to living in the old mineshafts...)Valuable fare for armchair film studies - a chance to see the same principles of plot structuring and camerawork which make *successful* creepy-mutant films misused, ot set you thinking about just why a good one works.. This is great fun for B-movie buffs: lots of unintended laughs, rabbit suits, and there were actually some pretty good models for the rabbit stampede scenes.. Anyways, director Bill Claxton deserves credit for actually going ahead and dramatizing the story for the big screen!Sure, "The Birds" is one scary movie, one of my personal favorites, and I've realized that a lot of people actually have phobia's for birds but what human-being could fear bunny rabbits?!?!? "Night of the Lepus" is a movie about giant rabbits on a killing-spree!!! The Night of the Lepus is a movie based upon the impossibly stupid idea of giant-sized rabbits running amuck out in the deserts of the western United States, hordes of them, in the form of midnight stampedes, causing vast swathes of death and destruction wherever they roam.The film starts off with an infestation of, shall we say normal rabbits, but due to some scientific misadventures (and then later through the use of lots of laughably bad special effects) the rabbits grow to giant-sized proportions and once that's happened, this awful movie rapidly blossoms into an incredibly ridiculous action/comedy of sorts. But judging by the acting seen in this movie, it's my guess that it's creators weren't thinking of it as being such; but regardless of their true intent, this movie is fantastically stupid and ham-handed to an extreme and just wait till you see the movies TERRIBLE looking special effects.Let's dig a little deeper on the matter of Night of the Lepus's special effects, firstly it's numerous effect shots are the driving force behind, not just the giant rabbits, but the movie itself and they account for the vast majority of the films action. The best/funniest mistake seen in this exceptionally poorly-made movie involves a shot of one of it's many miniature sets, where a guy (who was probably an animal handler) is plainly visible in the background (who not surprisingly looks like a giant himself among all the so-called giant rabbits), is seen running away trying to get out of frame - in a vain attempt to avoid being in this downright awful movie.And for those who like to experience nostalgia through movies you are definitely in for a treat with Night of the Lepus. Oh well, I guess every actor has the right to make at least one or two bad films in their career.If you are really interested, try "Kingdom of the Spiders" (1977) which is about swarms of tarantulas attacking a southwestern town with William Shatner (who is always fun to watch) or "The Swarm" (1978) about killer bees which are far more interesting movies of that genre. Twenty-nine years before "Donnie Darko" brought us a menacing-looking bunny, "Night of the Lepus" portrayed gigantic killer mutant rabbits overrunning Arizona. The killer bunnies are obviously hired from the local pet shop - though to be fair they do give the best acting performance of the film , so much better than their human counterparts - and there's too much gore inflicted on both humans and rabbits for my liking. The killer bunnies are obviously hired from the local pet shop - though to be fair they do give the best acting performance of the film , so much better than their human counterparts - and there's too much gore inflicted on both humans and rabbits for my liking. Night of the Lepus (1972) * 1/2 (out of 4) This legendary horror film really needs no introduction as the thought of killer rabbits just doesn't sound very scary and they're not very effective in the film. Claxton directed this legendarily awful film as a genetic experiment to control rabbit overpopulation in Arizona accidentally results in giant killer rabbits who overrun the state, resulting in the National Guard being called in to save the day(Elmer Fudd was busy elsewhere...) Shoddy film in every way possible, though you do feel sorry for the embarrassed looking cast(Stuart Whitman, Rory Calhoun, Janet Leigh, and Deforest Kelley). When their annoying blond 6-year-old daughter then lets one injected bunny escape, the town becomes terrorized by enormous carnivore rabbits in no time."Night of the Lepus" is a hugely charming and vastly entertaining horror product of the glorious early 70's. Leeches, shrews, sheep, worms, frogs: there have been some pretty dumb killer animal movies over the years, but they all pale into insignificance compared with Night of the Lepus, which features hordes of over-sized man-eating rabbits rampaging through Arizona, devouring anyone who crosses their path. Such an idea might be excusable had tongue been firmly planted in cheek, but with all involved seemingly taking matters as seriously as possible, Lepus has deservedly gone down in the annals of cinema as one of the stupidest films ever made.The surprisingly decent cast includes Janet Leigh, Stuart Whitman, and DeForrest Kelly (taking whatever work comes his way after the cancellation of Star Trek), but despite their best efforts, they simply can't make big fluffy bunnies scary. we have: Stuart Whitman & Janet Leigh, both of who were nominated for and won various awards; plus Deforest Kelly & Rory Calhoun neither of them slouches, in a movie about giant, man eating, stampeding rabbits.

tt0094592

14 Going on 30

14-year-old Danny O'Neil (Gabey Olds) is madly in love with his teacher, Miss Peggy Noble (Daphne Ashbrook). Given the fact that she is engaged to the cold-tempered and vicious gym teacher, Roy Kelton (Rick Rossovich), who is nicknamed Jackjaw for his constant threat of breaking his pupils' jaws, Danny goes through his school days somewhat uninspired and suffers in silence. One day, he oversees his geeky friend Lloyd Duffy (Adam Carl), who happens to live next door with his uncle Herb (Harry Morgan) and aunt May (Irene Tedrow), growing fruits with an experimental growth accelerator. Danny becomes enthusiastic of turning himself into a grown man with the same machine, in order to break up Miss Noble's engagement, as well as convincing her to give him a chance. Lloyd is reluctant to help him out, aware of everything that could go wrong, so Danny secretly uses the machine at night. He saw that the timing was perfect, considering that his parents will leave the house for a week. Unaware of the consequences, he turns into a 30-year-old man (Steve Eckholdt). The next day, Lloyd immediately starts working on a machine with the opposite effect so Danny will be able to return to his 14-year-old body soon. During this process, Danny visits the high school to pursue Miss Noble. When he arrives, he is mistaken as the school's newest principal, Harold Forndexter. He not only impresses his assistant Louisa Horton (Loretta Swit) with the introduction of his new rules - which include having as much fun as possible - but also Peggy, who admires his youthful approach of life. Much to the dismay of Kelton, she agrees to go on a date with 'Harold'. Even though Kelton follows their every step, Peggy has a splendid evening with the new principal, and they almost kiss at the end of the night. During a school dance, 'Harold' convinces Peggy that Kelton is not right for her, and she breaks off the engagement. Immediately after, 'Harold' and Peggy become a couple. Kelton, refusing to accept this, tries to find out more on Forndexter, and finds out that 'Harold' is an impostor, as the real Forndexter (Alan Thicke) looks quite differently. He immediately warns the police, who arrive quickly to arrest him. While 'Harold' tries to escape, Lloyd informs him that his machine is complete. After getting rid of the cops, 'Harold' tells Peggy that he has to leave town for good and then becomes 14 again. Peggy witnesses this transformation, and realizes that 'Harold' was actually Danny, one of her favorite students. Because she has fallen in love with him, she uses the same machine to turn herself into a 14-year-old (Amy Hathaway), which enables her to be with Danny. Meanwhile, Lloyd turns himself into an apparently middle-aged professor, Mr. Lloyd (Sal Viscuso), and starts working at the same high school as a teacher.

romantic

train

wikipedia

Pretty good fantasy, from mindswap genre.. If you ask me, this film fits firmly into the "Vice Versa", "Like Father, Like Son", child-magically-becoming-adult movies. It is perhaps most similar in style to "Big", when a young boy makes a wish on a fairground arcade game to "be big", and then when he wakes up the next morning, he's Tom Hanks!I saw this movie as a child and really enjoyed it. Anyone who has had an unrequited crush on someone completely unreachable, ie teacher, much older adult, will find this movie particularly moving. As will many high school students, who would love to have been given the prospect of running their school for a week - changing uniforms, abolishing homework, introducing half days etc. Danny is hopelessly in love with one of his teachers, but knows he could never have her, not just because of the age gap and the fact that he is her pupil, but because she is dating the high school coach. Magically, he becomes an adult (but still with the brain of a 14 year old) and sets about wooing her. It is a non-demanding, sweet, enjoyable little fantasy which I have never forgotten, even though I have only seen it a couple of times.Just don't set about trying to analyse the plot and just sit back and suspend your disbelief for a while.. Hidden treasure. Copies of this are rare, but hunt one down; this little gem is worth the search. It's a lesser-known cousin of "Big," the Tom Hanks smash released about the same time. As good as Big is, I found this one to be more re-watchable. (Don't confuse it with the similarly titled 13 going on 30, the Jennifer Garner vehicle, which also delved into the kid-turns-into-adult theme.) It's optimistic and sweet, and has a lot of heart. That's because it remembers it's a fantasy right to the end, something these other Big-type movies don't quite do. This one maintains its focus of what the 14 year old's dream was at the outset, and resolves it in an appealing way. It doesn't derail itself with adult angst stuff, as the others have done.Basically, a teen has a crush on his young home-room teacher, who is engaged to his loudmouth gym coach, an arrogant oaf who runs Phys Ed classes like a military dictatorship. A series of well-timed opportunities turns the kid temporarily into an adult, the new principal of the school. He sets out to stop the marriage, with some comic results. The entire story is threaded well, and the final scene is endearing. For a limited budget made-for-TV movie, this is a keeper.. Watch it if you can.... Great little film that's 30 years' old but it's a true gem and is a feel good movie with a nice twist. Difficult to buy as out of print but if you can see it on a download, don't miss it as it's a fun afternoon!!. Every Kid Wants to go to this High School. "Every Kid wants to go to this high school!" That is the direct quoute for the introduction to the movie when it aired in January of 1988. This is a great film that was one of many in the Disney Sunday Movies. This film has earned more credit then it has gotten. Young Danny steps into Loyds "Growth" machine and becomes 30 years old in a matter of seconds. He goes to school trying to stop his teacher Mrs. Noble, that he happens to have a crush on, from marrying the Gym class bully "JackJawKelton" But what happens is way more interesting. He is mistaken to be the new principle and he kind of plays along. In this Film, Bryan Adams's "Only The Strong Survive" made it's opening. But it is not credited any where on IMDb and it should be. I have emailed Disney about bringing back some of these classic films and have not made much progress. If Disney does bring these back, I suggest you watch this one. If you have seen this film, I recomend you check out "Earth Star Voyager on the Internet Movie Database.. Don't mistake it for Jennifer Garner's 2004 romantic comedy. This made for TV movie is about a young boy called Danny who's best friend is a real nerd.His going to school and he has a huge crush on a girl that goes there. But the problem is that the girl that he actually has a crush on is IN FACT his SCHOOL TEACHER.So his friend who has made a growth machine decides to use it in order to get close to her(as he wanted to tell his school teacher that the man she's about to marry is a total idiot,and she doesn't believe him cause his a kid).But when Danny does use the growth machine,he ends up as a 30 yr old handsome man who goes undercover as the new principal.But problems arise when his crush(the school teacher)actually falls in LOVE WITH HIM.So will they,won't they get together.YES its slightly creepy that a 14 yr old boy is in love with a woman 20 years his junior but hey stick around to the ending and you will realise that its (and im really not kidding here) cute.I haven't seen this movie in a very long time as I saw it on TV and on YouTube last year(btw its still on there so you can catch it out).Bottom line if you love body swapping movies and romantic comedies then check it out.For me im giving it a 5. I Liked It!. This is a fantasy movie and it's the main actor Steven Eckholdt who makes it work and makes the whole premise be believable. He plays the role of a teenager who becomes an adult overnight, literally. The similarity to Big is not that much distracting. Eckholdt tries to woo his teacher and stumbles on the way till he succeeds, sort of. The main actor gives off a lot of boyish charm, because in his head he is still a teenager, of course. The ending is supposed to please everybody. But for me it works. I haven't seen this movie in a long time but I remember it quite vividly. I gave this film an 8, partly for nostalgic value. I say go for it if you want a break from the normal romantic comedies.

tt1596350

This Means War

CIA agents and best friends Franklin "FDR" Foster (Chris Pine) and Tuck Hansen (Tom Hardy) are deployed to Hong Kong to prevent international criminal Karl Heinrich (Til Schweiger) from acquiring a weapon of mass destruction, but the mission goes awry, resulting in the death of Heinrich's brother, Jonas. Heinrich swears vengeance against them. Upon returning to America, their boss, Collins (Angela Bassett) assigns them to desk duty for their protection. FDR is a womanizer, whose cover is a cruise ship captain, while Tuck, who presents himself as a travel agent, has an ex-wife, Katie (Abigail Spencer) and a young son, Joe (John Paul Ruttan), who believes his dad is a weakling. Tuck goes to Joe's karate lesson where Joe loses his match, Tuck tries to give Joe advice but Joe rolls his eyes and asks how he would know since he is just a travel agent. Tuck walks Joe to the car where he attempts to rekindle his connection to his famIly, but Katie makes excuses as to why they can't go out for supper together. After being rebuffed by Katie he sees a commercial for online dating. Tuck decides to sign himself up and is paired with Lauren Scott (Reese Witherspoon), a product-testing executive who is dealing with the recent engagement of her ex-boyfriend. Her best friend, Trish (Chelsea Handler) enrolled her in the same online dating website. FDR insists on being Tuck's backup for the date and hides nearby, but Tuck and Lauren hit it off right away. Shortly thereafter, FDR runs into Lauren at a video store and tries to flirt with her, not knowing she's Tuck's date. She surmises that he's a ladies' man and ignores him. Intrigued, FDR crashes into one of Lauren's test groups and coerces her to go on a date with him. FDR and Tuck soon discover that they are seeing the same woman and decide not to tell her that they know each other, not to interfere with each other's dates and not to have sex with her, letting her instead come to a decision between them. Tuck takes Lauren on a date to a circus (after hours) where they swing on the trapeze and have a really great date. The date with FDR does not go well at the start, with Lauren storming out of the club FDR takes her to. After arguing in the street, FDR walks away from Lauren but seconds later, Lauren sees her ex-boyfriend and his fiancée approaching. Desperate, Lauren grabs FDR and kisses him and lies to her ex that she and FDR are together, as FDR plays along with the ruse. Her ex and his fiancée both seem jealous at the passion displayed, and later move along. FDR demands that Lauren explain what just happened and suggests they grab some dinner at a nearby pizza parlor, where they talk seriously and hit it off. Later, after dating both men a few times Lauren feels guilty about dating them at the same time, but is persuaded by Trish to make the best of the situation. By this time both men have bugged Lauren's home and cell phone so they can spy on her when she is on dates with the other one, they over hear her tell Trish that she is going to need to have sex with them both to decide which one is the right one. This leads to both men taking steps to ensure she does not sleep with the other one. After a few more dates Lauren and Trisha discuss the pros & cons of dating more than one guy, especially since Tuck has told Lauren he loves her, Trish tells Lauren "don't pick the right guy, pick the guy that'll turn you into a better girl". After a while, Lauren invites Tuck to lunch, while FDR discovers that Heinrich has arrived in town to exact his revenge. He interrupts Lauren's date to warn Tuck but Tuck doesn't believe him. They engage in an extended fight, after which Lauren discovers that they are in fact best friends and, feeling made a fool of, leaves with Trish. At that moment, the women are kidnapped by Heinrich and his men, who are pursued by FDR and Tuck. FDR and Tuck rescue Lauren and Trish after a car chase, in which they reveal that they are not who they say they are. On Lauren's advice, they shoot out the headlights on Heinrich's SUV, deploying the airbags and sending the car rolling out of control towards them all. With Lauren standing directly in the path of the approaching SUV, FDR and Tuck, on opposite sides of the road, urge her to come to their side and she is saved as she ultimately chooses FDR's side, while Heinrich dies when his car rolls off the elevated freeway and crashes below. Lauren has decided to be with FDR and Tuck makes amends with him, as they declare their brotherly love for one another, and FDR says they're "family, and forever." Lauren and FDR kiss. The car chase is picked up by the news, Katie and Joe see it, Joe tells his mom that his Dad is not a travel agent. Later Joe is at his karate lesson with Tuck when Katie comes to pick Joe up. Tuck and Katie reintroduce themselves to each other and she invites him out for supper as a family. Shortly thereafter, FDR and Tuck go on a mission. They are about to parachute out of a Chinook helicopter when FDR reveals that he will marry Lauren, and asks Tuck to be his best man. He reveals that he had sex with Katie before she met Tuck, but no longer feels guilty about it because Tuck had sex with Lauren. Tuck, however, reveals that they did not go all the way and angrily tackles FDR out of the helicopter.

entertaining, revenge, murder, violence

train

wikipedia

tt0088757

Avenging Angel

Set a few years after the first 'Angel' film, teenage prostitute Molly Stewart (Betsy Russell) is off the streets and studying to become a lawyer at UCLA.Molly learns that Lt. Andrews (Robert F. Lyons), the person who helped her leave her past life, is murdered after witnessing a mob-related killing of a drug dealer. When Molly learns of his death, she goes back out on the streets to avenge his killing. She seeks to track down the only witness, a street performer named Johnny Glitter. Molly (as her street persona Angel) meets with her old street friend Yo-Yo Charlie for help who puts him in contact with her old landlady Solly (Susan Tyrrell). There, Molly learns that Kit Carson (Rory Calhoun) has had a nervous breakdown and is committed to the state mental hospital.The next evening, with the assistance of Charlie, Angel and Solly break Kit out of the sanitarium after a harrowing and funny chase through the building. Angel and her group find Johnny at his flophouse home right as the thugs who killed Andrews find him. Kit and Angel save Johnny in a shoot-out.Meanwhile, Angel discovers a scheme to buy up Hollywood Boulevard by intimidation and violence that a gangster named Gerrard is perpetrating. Gerrard's men corner Kit, Solly, Angel and Johnny in an alley. Kit shoots the car, causing it to crash, and they capture Gerrard's son. The son gets loose and threatens them with a gun, but the phone rings and Kit shoots him to death.The caller is Gerrard, who has kidnapped Solly's adopted baby, Little Buck, and offers to trade Buck for his son. They attempt to make the trade anyway. Upon discovering that the son is dead, a shootout ensues with Gerrard taking the baby. Kit takes out one thug and Johnny Glitter, shooting blindly, shoots the other and also himself.Angel confronts Gerrard on the top floor and Gerrard threatens to throw the baby down. Angel surrenders and Gerrard puts the baby down. But the baby is crawling to the edge, and Gerrard will not allow Angel to move. Solly sees what is happening and goes up to shoot Gerrard. Angel tries to get to the baby but the baby falls. Kit sees the baby fall and catches him. Angel and Solly come down with the baby safely wrapped in Kit's jacket. Angel, Kit, Solly, and the group then walks out of the building and into the night as the end credits roll.

cult

train

imdb

Karin Mani , Robert Tessier , Ossie Davis , plus Angel, YoYo, Kit Carson & Solly. "Avenging Angel" is a worthy, but different sequel to "Angel". The same seedy Hollywood Boulevard locations, are again used to great advantage. Betsy Russell plays "Angel" this time,and along with her street comrades, Rory Calhoun and Susan Tyrrell, they go after the mobsters who killed their friend, Lt. Andrews ( Robert F. Lyons). Karin Mani has a brief, but memorable nude shower scene, Robert Tessier is a helpful tattoo artist, while Ossie Davis plays a police captain. The movie has moments of welcome humor, especially relating to springing Rory Calhoun from a sanitarium. Sure the violence is cartoon-like, but "Avenging Angel" is entertaining, and that's really all that matters. - MERK. Heavens to Betsy—just look at Angel now!. Wow, Molly Stewart, AKA former prostitute 'Angel', sure has changed in the three or four years since she quit hooking on the Boulevard: now played by Betsy Russell (replacing winsome Donna Wilkes, star of the first film), she's gained a couple of cup sizes, developed longer legs, sports an impressive perm, and is training to be a lawyer, thanks to the help of her guardian, Hollywood vice cop Lt. Andrews (Robert F. Lyons).Molly's new life goes on hold, however, after Andrews is shot dead by gangsters; teaming up with her old pals, aging cowboy Kit Carson (Rory Calhoun) and lesbian landlady Solly Mosler (Susan Tyrell), she once again walks the sleazy sidewalks of Hollywood as Angel, this time looking for revenge.For this cheesy sequel to his 1984 exploitation movie Angel, director Robert Vincent O'Neill throws any sense of realism in the nearest side-alley dumpster, opting instead for a much campier approach, his eccentric misfit characters even more exaggerated than before, his villains ridiculously reprehensible, and the violence about as cartoonish as it gets.The film begins promisingly enough, with a car full of gangsters loading their weapons while heading downtown to 'off' a big-breasted undercover cop (who is busy taking a shower, natch!), a blaring Bronski Beat soundtrack giving everything that delightfully tacky 80s vibe. When the killers make their move, they blast their victims in the guts, resulting in some messy squib-work. Unfortunately, after this impressive opening, everything gets rather too comical for my liking (Rory Calhoun riding a gurney like a rodeo champ, as Angel and Solly bust him out of a sanitarium being the most cringe-worthy moment).Still, even though Avenging Angel lacks the gritty edge that I generally look for in my vigilante/revenge flicks, and gets really, really dumb towards the end, the ever present sight of the delectable Miss Russell in a series of tight-as-you-like outfits, including a very sexy nurse get-up, makes the film just about bearable (no nudity from the star, but hey, I've always got her 1983 film Private School for that!).. Even lamer the second time around. At the beginning there is some promise to this sequel - there's a little zip, some decent exploitation, and it seems there will be more of an actual plot this time. Alas, as soon as Angel swears vengeance and hits the streets again, all the positive stuff generated up to that point is quickly flushed down the toilet. The production values barely meet that of a television drama of the time, there is more blatant and utterly unfunny comic relief (Calhoun really embarrasses himself), and the story moves at a snail's-pace, with only occasional (and dreary) "action" sequences. And once again, street-life is portrayed as being not all that bad, so much so that it too promotes boredom. Don't bother!. Like I said about "fighting female" movies.... As with THE SISTERHOOD, ALIENATOR, THE ASSAULT, LADY TERMINATOR, and this lame flick, they prove why you can never trust a box cover! If you really want to get into deadly, lethal passion without the useless nonsense, my suggestion is for you to grab a one-way ticket to China on board the TWA. There, you will find what you want. Remember, your very life depends on it!Am I the only one trying to preach? Never mind! All of us don't even care!!!. Angel takes on the mob. Rory Calhoun, Susan Tyrell, and Steven M. Porter are back in the roles they played in the first Angel movie. Moving into the title role because it's now years since the teen was hooking on Hollywood Boulevard is Betsy Russell. After going through college and law school Russell is back on the street with a vengeance because her savior and mentor from the first film now played by Robert F. Lyons is killed in a shootout with some mobsters. Even though it has only been one calendar year since the first Angel film and no disclaimer about this being sometime in the near future.Lyons was on to a scheme for the mob to buy with their usual tactics of persuasion for the owners huge parcels of real estate on Hollywood Boulevard. But the denizens there like their seedy street the way it is. Never mind that Russell and her posse are going to take matters into their own hands if the law doesn't do anything about a cop killing which I find hard to believe.Angel was a delicious and campy bit of sleaze and this one follows in the tradition. I have to give big kudos to Rory Calhoun who looked like he was having a great old time burlesquing his own western hero image. A lot of Rooster Cogburn in Calhoun's portrayal, all he needed was the eye patch.Avenging, sweet and fun trash.. Avenging Angel. Molly Stewart(Betsy Russell)returns to the Boulevard after her mentor and guardian, a detective, is gunned down while trying to stop gangsters who had just shot dead an undercover cop and her parents in cold blood. Donning her "Angel" persona once again, this time a college graduate and skilled lawyer, she'll seek out those responsible with the help of some old friends.Director Robert Vincent O'Neill and writer Joseph Michael Cala do not duplicate the grit that made the previous film so arresting, and the tone(..despite the violence)is a lot goofier. The threat in this film, a mobster and his sadistic hoods, are rather bumbling when they aren't blowing innocent folks away with shot gun blasts. Russell(..known for her work in the SAW series and the silly slasher CHEERLEADER CAMP), in the titular role, is undeniably sexy and the camera(..and her choice of "street wardrobe")clings to her very tantalizing figure.After watching it, I'm not sure this sequel was necessary, this was obviously made by New World Pictures to cash in on the original entry. Three actors from the previous film return, Rory Calhoun(..as dependable, aging cowboy stuntman relic Kit Carson), Steven M Porter(..as Yo-Yo Charlie, the street comedian in Charlie Chaplin costume), and Susan Tyrell(..as profane "Jewish dyke" hotel tenant Solly Mosler, who carries a facial expression as if she sucked on a sour lemon)to assist Angel in getting revenge on those responsible for the murder of her detective friend, Andrews(Robert F Lyons). Ossie Davis, wasted in a rather thankless role, is Captain Harry Moradian, out to find the one on his force responsible for getting two good cops killed. Barry Pearl is a new street character added to the team of "misfit vigilantes", as Johnny Glitter, wanted by the mob for he was at the crime scene when Andrews was shot. Paul Lambert is Arthur Gerard, the mobster behind property corruption that's tearing apart the district around the Boulevard. Frank Doubleday(freakshow Romero of Escape from New York fame)is Gerard's son, Miles. Ross Hagen plays the nasty killer Ray Mitchell who enjoys his line of work and Hoke Howell has a funny cameo as a drunkard who "operates" a building containing an endless supply of bums.Despite a rather lackluster scenario featuring a team containing a former hooker, elderly retired cowboy stuntman, and sourpuss tenant against ruthless gangsters, cinematographer Peter Lyons Collistor offers some fine photography, capturing the bright lights of the streets especially well. The scummy atmosphere that made the original film more realistic and disturbing seems missing in AVENGING ANGEL. Furthermore, Russell looks nothing at all like Donna Wilkes(..Angel from the first film)and the authenticity is rather lacking..would those she hasn't seen in four years really believe Russell was the Angel they knew and love?. Mon dieu, quel sequel!. I watched this briefly after the original Angel, and must say I liked it quite much, even a little better. The heroine played by a different actress is justifiable, as Molly must have grown a foot in height over four years, and the face/hair is sufficiently similar. Less social drama here (except for the girl sent to Houston), more thrills, and especially a big serving of comedy which sometimes is overdosed, but laugh-out fun at some instances. Consider various mishaps with firearms (Derringer or John Wayne's rifle) in the middle of shoot-outs. Or: the pet hearse is cool, but the sound effects associated with it are ridiculous.One commenter associated this film with China (especially the sexy but tough heroine). I agree - but my strongest impression was that it felt like French. A kind of careless style (caring less for a plausible plot, I mean), while delighting the audience with bizarre twists and turns. And settings: The old high-rise with its caged elevators, the gigantic billboard in front of which Angel walks, initially small as an ant...Don't get me wrong, I like most Hollywood styles as well as off-Hollywood, Chinese, French, what have you. I love a movie if it delivers memorable images and pleasant surprises, and this one often did. A good sequel, that creates some welcome continuity with its forerunner, yet steps well out of its shadow.

tt0102724

Psycho IV: The Beginning

On a local radio show, the host and D.J. Fran Ambrose (CCH Pounder) is discussing matricide with Dr. Leo Richmond (Warren Frost). The doctor, having written a book titled Mother Killers which details "boys who kill their mothers", talks about a 30-year-old case in which a young teenage boy committed matricide, and then dressed as his mother and went on a murderous rampage. The next caller, requesting to be identified as 'Ed', claims to be personally connected with the show's theme. Ed, who is revealed to be in fact Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) tells Fran and Dr. Richmond that he has killed many people before and that he is "gonna have to do it again".Norman then proceeds to tells a story about one of his murders; A frisky young teenage girl named Emily (Sharen Camille) arrives at the Bates Motel c. the 1950s, with a young Norman (Henry Thomas) sitting on the porch of his gloomy house on the hill overlooking the motel. The flirtatious girl asks to see Norman's room, and when young Norman attends to one of the motel guests, she sneaks into the Bates house. After disrobing, the girl lies in bed for a very nervous Norman, who decides that he had better check on his mother. It appears that Norman's mother is upstate that a "whore" is in the house, and she wants Norman to kill her. When the girl goes looking for Norman in the master bedroom, she sees the mummified remains of his mother Norma Bates. Norman (dressed as his mother) kills the girl by stabbing her to death.In the present day, when Dr. Richmond asks where 'Ed' was when he killed his mother, an agitated Norman hangs up the phone and turns off the radio. It is revealed here that Norman is living in a fancy suburban house somewhere in Fairvale. Just then, Connie (Donna Mitchell), Norman's wife, phones him from the hospital where she works and asks if he may pick up his birthday cake from the local bakery since she has taken an evening shift at the hospital. After hanging up the phone, Norman turns the radio back on where he hears Fran telling the listeners that she would like to hear from 'Ed' again. Norman calls the show and talks about his father, who died as a result of an allergic reaction to bee stings, when Norman was six-years-old. Fran reminds the listeners that she is speaking with a man who has killed his mother. Norman chips in saying "plus her boyfriend with her."In another flashback, Norman narrates that he was practically running his family-owned motel by the time he was age 15. He speaks in a eerily close and intimate relationship with his mother Norma (Olivia Hussey) (whom she named her only son after her). He also talks about her mother's perculiarities: "She'd been sweet one moment, and the she'd suddenly turn mean for no reason in the next". Norma Bates (who is implied to suffer from schizophrenia and borderline-personalty disorder among other mental illnesses) would occasionally throw maniacal tantrums and she seemed oblivious to her sexual frankness towards her son. One day, when the two of them are playfully rolling in the grass near the Bates house, Norma realizes that her son is getting sexually aroused, and she punishes him for having "dirty thoughts" by forcing him to put on one of her dresses, and she then smears makeup on his face and locking him in a closet.During a break for 'Ed', Dr. Richmond expresses to Fran his suspicions that Ed is actually Norman Bates. He says that if Norman makes a threat, it should not be taken lightly. Fran tells her station co-workers to check out the records in Fairvale, California to see if Norman has been released from an institution.Norman comes back on the air and continues telling his life story. It seems that Norma is upset about a new freeway being constructed so far from the motel which is making it loose business. She reprimands Norman for not showing sympathy and blames him for her bad bladder, saying un-motherly things like "I should have killed you in my womb. You sure as hell tried to kill me by getting out of it."Fran and the others learn that Norman no longer runs the Bates Motel for it was closed down seven years ago (after the events in Psycho III). He spent a second time at a mental hospital where he met a nurse at the ward where he spent, named Connie, who helped him get better. Norman was then released after being deemed sane once again. He married Connie two years ago and has been living with her ever since.Norman continues his story by saying that some time later his mother met a man named Chet Rudolph (Thomas Schuster), who coaxes Norman into boxing, only to punch him too hard. After inadvertently saying his real name, Norman then talks about committing another murder, that he brought over another young teenage girl from town and, after kissing in Chet's car, he brought her to the motel and then killed her, and dumping her body into the swamp behind the motel.Eventually, Norman says he must kill his wife Connie because she "let herself get pregnant". He wanted to end the "Bates line", but Connie stopped taking birth control pills. As Norman says, he will kill her with his own hands, "just like the first time." He then tells of a dark and stormy night when he added the poison strychnine to a pitcher of tea and served the poison to his mother and Chet while they were getting intimate in her bedroom. Chet drank the poisoned tea first and then Norma. When Chet began gagging and telling Norma (too late) that Norman just poisoned them, she then tries to attack Norman, who pushes her to the floor and watches them both die.At his mother's funeral and wake at his house, Norman carries his mother's dead both from the open coffin to the cellar, and replaces her empty coffin with weighted down books from the book shelf and closes the coffin lid to keep his secret. He then preserved her body via taxidermy and kept it off-and-on in the cellar for the next 10 years. In the present, Norman tells Fran that the "show's over," and he then hangs up and then goes to meet Connie at the Bates house.Norman drives to the closed down motel and up to his old house long-since abandoned. Norman attacks Connie with a knife. Connie manages to talk Norman out of killing her, and a frustrated Norman begins dousing his home with gasoline and setting everything on fire. Norman, frightened by the images of his mother and some of his many victims, is finally helped out of the burning cellar by Connie. As he walks away from his burning house, he tells Connie, "I'm free."In the final shot, the invisible ghost of Norman's mother is heard screaming in the cellar demanding to be released saying "Get me outta here! Norman!"We hear the crying of a newborn over a fade to black screen.

insanity, murder, flashback

train

imdb

tt0112288

The Addiction

New York University. Walking home after viewing a disturbing lecture documenting atrocities from the Vietnam War, doctoral candidate Kathy Conklin (Lili Taylor) is singled out to receive a vampire's 'kiss'. However, Casanova (Annabella Sciorra) is an atypical vampire in that she gives Kathy a chance to save herself by simply saying "Go away" like she means it. But Kathy can only mutter, "Please," so she ends up in the infirmary with a bite on her neck and a policeman telling her she's lucky her assailant didn't slit her throat."One aspect of determinism is manifested in the fact that the unsaved don't recognize the sin in their lives."Kathy starts to feel ill during one of her lectures, and rushes to the lavatory where she vomits blood. She winds up back in the infirmary where the attending physician diagnoses "chronic anemia exacerbated by this traumatic event." The next day she meets her friend Jean (Edie Falco) for lunch but merely picks at her food and feels ill watching Jean scarf down a hamburger."The old adage from Santayana, that those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it, is a lie. There is no history. Everything we are is eternally with us."Kathy has begun covering her mirrors in her apartment, and wearing sunglasses to class to protect her eyes from the sun. Her hunger for blood starting to grow, she uses a syringe to extract blood from the arm of a sleeping homeless man, but it doesn't help. She makes arrangements to meet with her advising professor to show him what she's done so far on her dissertation, which is nothing. They wind up back at her apartment, where he becomes a victim. The next day, while in the university library, Kathy invites an anthropology student to her apartment to study and have coffee. The student becomes a victim when she doesn't say, "Get out of here.""All men counting stars are equivalent in every way to God." [Feuerbach]Kathy's appetite for blood is becoming insatiable. She feeds on a young black guy looking for some "white tail". Kathy even corners her friend Jean in the ladies room at a local bar, challenging her to "look sin in the eye and tell me to go," but all Jean can do is blubber, "Please," so Kathy makes another victim of Jean."Mankind has striven to exist beyond good and evil from the beginning." [Nietzsche]Now, rapidly descending deep into her addiction, Kathy tails a possible victim whose first words to her are, "Why don't you just tell me to leave you alone...like you mean it." He turns out to be Peina (Christopher Walken), a old vampire who invites Kathy to his loft. Peina tells Kathy that he has been "fasting" for four years and has learned to live without blood through the strength of his will. Peina tries to advise Kathy on living as a vampire without having to give in to the addiction. "The point is to blend in," he says, "not to stand out like a sore thumb." He then proceeds to feed on Kathy. Suffering from the pangs of her addiction, Kathy attempts to slit her wrist, but "you can't kill what's already dead," says Peina. She begs him to help her, but he refuses. Instead, he tells her to read the book The Naked Lunch."I felt the wind...the wings of madness." [Baudelaire]Kathy weathers it through the day but gives in to the pangs that night. She walks the streets, stumbling along, holding her stomach and looking for a "fix." When a passerby sees her lying on the sidewalk, he offers help, but she leaps at his neck like a hungry cat. Claiming that she now understands what all this is about, Kathy begins to work again on her dissertation."Our addiction is evil," she writes. The propensity for this evil lies in our weakness before it. Kierkegaard was right. There IS an awful precipice before us. But he was wrong about the leap. There's a difference between jumping and being pushed. You reach a point where you are forced to face your own needs. And the fact that you can't terminate your situation settles on you with full force. There is a dual nature to the addiction. It satisfies the hunger, but it also dulls our perception so we're helped to forget how ill we really are. We drink to escape the fact that we're alcoholics. Existence is the search for relief from our habit, and our habit is the only relief we can find."To celebrate the completion of her dissertation and attainment of her Ph.D., Kathy decides to invite the dean, her professors, and some of her friends to a party at her apartment. On her way home, Kathy meets a prostelytizer who hands her a pamphlet. She invites him to come inside, but he refuses, the only one who has refused to let 'sin' in. As her hunger grows again, Kathy rolls on the floor in agony, screaming repeatedly, "I will not submit!" But submit she finally does when, as the guests start arriving, she asks Jean, now a vampire herself, to bring her a girl on which to feed. Feeling satiated, Kathy attends her party and, after a short speech during which she thanks the faculty and offers to share with everyone what she has learned during her years of study, she leaps at the dean's neck. Thereafter begins an horrific orgy in which Kathy and her vampire friends feast on the humans.After drinking her fill and then some, Kathy begins to feel ill and, like a sick drunk, wanders the streets, talking to herself, covered with blood, and barfing on the sidewalk. She winds up in the hospital again. In an attempt to end her existence, she asks the nurse to open the blinds. As the sunshine slowly descends over Kathy's body, the blinds are suddenly closed and Casanova is standing there. "We're not evil because of the evil we do," Casanova says. "We do evil because we ARE evil.""Bleeding trees waiting for Judgement Day when we can all hang ourselves from our own branches." [Dante]A priest stops by to visit and Kathy begs for absolution. He does and she apparently passes on. In the very confusing final scene, Kathy places a rose on her own grave in broad daylight and walks away, having repented her bloodlust and is reborn as human flesh once again."In the end, we stand before the light and our true nature is revealed. Self-revelation is annhilation of self." [Kathy Conklin]Original Synopsis by bj_kuehl.

philosophical, cult, murder, violence

train

imdb

tt0101516

Bugsy

The story opens in New York City where Benjamin Siegel, an organized crime boss whose partners are Charlie "Lucky" Luciano and Meyer Lansky, visits the office of one of their lesser partners and kills him for stealing from the organization. Ben does so in full view of the man's workers, knowing his reputation will protect him. Often called "Bugsy" but hating the nickname (and willing to beat or kill someone for using it), Siegel is being sent to Los Angeles to broker a deal with another gangster, Jack Dragna, in an effort to expand their operations.Siegel boards a train after saying goodbye to his wife Esta and their two girls. He's visited by Harry Greenberg, an old friend who is irresponsible with his end of Siegel's organization and asks Siegel for money. Disgusted, Siegel gives Greenberg a large sum and dismisses him to sit under a UV lamp and work on his tan.Arriving in Los Angeles, Siegel is met by another old friend, the actor George Raft, who takes Ben to a studio where the movie Manpower is being shot. On the set, Ben notices a woman, Virginia Hill, who has a job as an extra. Ben is attracted to her immediately and talks to her briefly before she walks off, seemingly uninterested and insulting his ego. George drives Ben back to his hotel through Beverly Hills, pointing out the houses of famous Hollywood people. When George mentions opera singer Lawrence Tibbett, Ben asks George to leave him there. Ben meets with Tibbett himself and mildly coerces Tibbett into selling his house, offering straight cash and settling on an amount several thousand dollars more than Tibbett paid for the house. Tibbett agrees. A few scenes later, Siegel buys a luxury car from a random person on the street.Siegel meets with Dragna and his associates at Dragna's office. Dragna isn't interested in Siegel's offer to expand his own business, much less aid Siegel & his associates. Siegel counters, saying that if Dragna won't do business, he'll have to shoot Siegel himself, and even hands Dragna a pistol. Everyone ends up laughing, however Dragna still points out that Siegel's reputation for being a psychotic hothead precedes him and agrees to the deal. When one of Dragna's associates asks why Dragna didn't shoot Siegel when the had the chance, Dragna tells him that all-out war with Siegel's partners, Luciano & Lansky, isn't worth it.Virginia Hill shows up at Ben's new house and the two begin a torrid love affair. Ben receives a call from Dragna who tells him that his office had been robbed by a small-time gangster, Mickey Cohen. Though no one could see Cohen's face, they knew it was him. Ben asks Raft to have Cohen meet him at a spa. When Cohen arrives, Siegel politely demands the return of the money Cohen stole. Cohen unleashes a torrent of verbal insult and also tells Ben that he'd stolen a lesser amount than Dragna reported. Siegel recognizes that Cohen possesses a larger talent for collecting and enforcement and hires Cohen on the spot after Cohen agrees to give back the money he stole. Cohen also reveals that Virginia has a reputation for being promiscuous in LA, something that Ben jealously takes notice of immediately.At home, Virginia makes an elegant dinner for Ben, who acts aloof, dropping subtle hints about Virginia's past love life. Virginia is insulted and throws an ashtray at Ben, hitting him in the head. The two are still arguing loudly when Cohen shows up with the money. Ben waits for Jack Dragna to arrive a few minutes later and shows him the cash. Ben then tells Dragna that he gave the job of running Siegel's operation in LA to Cohen, a job he'd intended to let Dragna have. Siegel then turns furious, accusing Dragna of stealing the difference in funds from the Cohen holdup for himself. After a moment of Russian Roulette and then making Dragna crawl around and bark like a dog, then oink like a pig, Ben gives Dragna the money, ordering him to return it to the the safe in the office, along with the cash Dragna himself misappropriated. Back in the dining room, Ben begins to indifferently eat the meal Virginia had prepared. Virginia, having eavesdropped on Ben's berating of Dragna, is sexually turned on and the two have sex.Bugsy continues to make plans and snap decisions on everything - he meets a countess whose husband is in immediate contact with Benito Mussolini, and plots to kill the dictator. Bugsy begins bringing Virginia on his trips, but she refuses to fly. In the Nevada desert near the small roadside stop of Las Vegas, Ben checks out a small diner with a few slot machines that does turn a small profit but is too small to keep open. Ben closes the place and the trio heads back to LA. In the desert, after an short argument with Virginia about his family back in New York, Ben has an epiphany. He goes back to the car and tells Cohen and Virginia about it. Virginia is unimpressed and drives off with Ben's car, leaving the two stranded.When Ben goes to his home in New York and tells his mob buddies about a new venture, The Flamingo casino/hotel, which will be located in a state where gambling is permitted, he tries to juggle the search for Virginia, the proposal to his partners, and his daughter Millicent's birthday party. His proposal is successful, but his family life is disintegrating. His business dealings intrude on Millicent's birthday, leaving her upset. Despite a promise to Virginia, he fails to ask his wife Esta for a divorce. Lansky says that he likes Ben's idea about the hotel/casino, though it will need final approval from Luciano. Ben also tells Meyer about his plans to kill Mussolini, an idea that Meyer nixes immediately. Meyer is afraid that the rest of their mob won't take Ben seriously if he talks about the plot.Bugsy returns to Hollywood to convince Virginia of his dream -- he flies into another psychotic episode when he finds her entertaining another man. Ben throws the man through a patio door, ordering him to leave before he kills him. Virginia yells at Ben telling him that the man is her brother Chick. Ben tries to make amends by promising to buy Chick a new Cadillac. Virginia is disgusted at the thought of Ben trying to buy Chick's forgiveness and stalks off. Ben is able to talk to Virginia, telling her that the hotel he's planning to build will be named after her, "The Flamingo".Design begins on the hotel, with Bugsy exhibiting his mania -- he seems unconcerned at first with the ballooning budget when he orders several expensive changes. Harry arrives at Ben's home in LA, having escaped from prosecutors, previously planning on informing on the mob. Bugsy takes Harry for a "drive", and Virginia insists on coming along. Bugsy and Harry get out of the car and Virgina, still in the car, hears a couple of faint gunshots. Only Bugsy returns, muttering his mantra, "Twenty dwarves took turns doing handstands on the carpet." Virginia looks nervous. At a retirement party for one of the partners, Bugsy finds Joey, Virginia's old boyfriend, and beats him almost to death over an insult. Esta finally realizes why Bugsy is spending so much time away, and demands that he ask for a divorce.Construction on the Flamingo begins, and costs skyrocket. Bugsy gets arrested for the murder of Harry Greenberg. He's held without bail, but is afforded many luxuries, like a butler and telephone, where he continues to organize the build. Virginia runs the construction onsite, and travels back to brief Bugsy in jail. Bugsy continues to make rash decisions, and costs escalate. Meyer tries to reason with him, telling him he can help with some of the costs, and Bugsy says he'll sell his shares of the casino, just to get it built. He sells everything he can to raise money.Bugsy is released (Ben had arranged for Mickey Cohen to send the cab driver witness out of town unharmed), and returns to Las Vegas. Cohen tells Bugsy that Virginia has been skimming money from him. One day Virginia sees Ben talking to a young woman about being a coat-check attendant and Virginia interprets his conversation as flirting. She rushes upstairs and the two have a loud argument. Virginia is fed up with Ben's grand scheming and has decided to leave him. During the argument, Ben confronts her about a private bank account she's taken out herself. More furious than ever, Virginia walks out on Ben.The mob meets in Havana, where Charlie Luciano lives in exile, to determine whether Bugsy knew about the skimming and about the inflated cost of the hotel, which is estimated to come in at at total cost of $6 million; Meyer defends him, but knows he'll have to handle Bugsy if the hotel fails.The hotel opens on Christmas, and is a failure. The night is severely stormy, water leaks in through the light fixtures, some of the more famous guests haven't shown up and the power goes out. Ben announces to the crowd that the hotel will be closed for an indeterminate period until it can be reopened.Meyer orders Bugsy to fly back to LA. Before he leaves, he talks to Meyer on the phone, asking Meyer to protect Virginia no matter what happens. He also tells Meyer never to sell his shares in the hotel because the place will one day pay off. Virginia returns before he leaves and gives him back some of the money she skimmed. He refuses to take the money but forgives her. He returns home, and is assassinated in his own living room by snipers. The mob takes over the Flamingo and tells Virginia that Bugsy is dead. Title cards before the final credits state that Virginia returned the money she skimmed to Meyer and committed suicide while living Austria. However, Bugsy's investment generated billions of dollars of revenue, and Las Vegas grew into a massive city.

revenge, comedy, murder, violence

train

imdb

I heard mixed things about it, and the idea of Warren Beatty playing a vicious mobster kind of seemed unbelievable to me (he did a great job in 'Bonnie and Clyde' but that was a little different.) In all honesty, I really found 'Bugsy' to not only be a very entertaining and enjoyable film, but also very well-made and Oscar-worthy one. Warren Beatty gives an unprecedented performance as the tough mafioso, Bugsy Siegel, who first had the idea of putting casinos in Las Vegas. The supporting cast is very solid with strong performances from Elliot Gould, Joe Mantegna as actor George Raft, and especially Ben Kingsley as the swift and smart mobster with a heart of gold and Harvey Keital as the mean and ruthless killer who becomes partners with Siegel to start up a hotel/casino. Not that I'm a fan of Warren Beatty (I only watched his Dick Tracy movie), but I'm interested in the Hollywood retelling of Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel's story.For the uninitiated, Siegel was a gangster, who loves his family, but is as horny as he can get. The picture was professionally directed by Barry Levinson .The flick was well based on real deeds , these are the followings : During adolescence, Siegel befriended Meyer Lansky (Ben Kingsley) , who was forming a small crew whose criminal activities expanded to include gambling and car theft . Combining a moving plot, first-class acting, superb directing, and an award-worthy score, 'Bugsy' rises above both period-piece movies and pointless gangster flicks.The plot of the film follows the events in mobster Benjamin 'Bugsy' Siegel's life that culminated in both the founding of Las Vegas and his own death. Highly emotional and vastly outstanding film from director Barry Levinson (Oscar-nominated) follows the true start of Las Vegas as a gambling mecca due to the role of the titled character (Warren Beatty in an Oscar-nominated performance and arguably his finest cinematic turn). One day Beatty takes a long road trip to a small desert town in Nevada called Las Vegas with Bening and West Coast mafia syndicate Harvey Keitel (Oscar-nominated) to check on a nickel-and-dime casino and something happens. Levinson's and writer James Toback's genius was in the decision to forgo the usual hodgepodge of life events, in favor of making what is essentially a love story.The focus of the film is essentially the tempestuous love affair between Siegel and Virginia Hill, with the secondary plot being the creation of Vegas as we know it today from Benny's vision of the Flamingo.The best acting by far was by Benning. That part begins about halfway through the 135-minute film when Siegel (Warren Beatty) gets his "vision" about Las Vegas.Too much of this movie is just profane arguing between the nasty "Virginia Hill" (Annette Bening) and Siegel. Barry Levinson has come up with several other great directions throughout his career ("Rain Man" is a good example), but in "Bugsy" he definitely deserved the golden statute for his excellent work.The performances are also generally good, although here my first objections start to appear: I completely agreed with the idea of casting Keitel as Bugsy's accomplice, and Kingsley as mafia boss; they both fit perfectly in their roles, and their performances were worthy of their respective legends. In a role perhaps written with Warren Beatty in mind, the title character is presented as a charming, vain, lecherous wannabe actor with a weakness for Hollywood glamour, which if true would make this film his dream come true. He was a good looking guy and about 7 years younger than his pal George Raft, so it wasn't such a crazy idea.Warren Beatty was 54 when he made this movie and despite the hair dye, he's too old for this part. An autobiographical feature focused on the LA period of life of notorious gangster Ben "Bugsy" Siegel (Warren Beatty), together with his ill-fated investment into the creation of what would become the Las Vegas gambling empire. At the time however his input was ridiculed, ultimately leading to his death due to overspending of mafia money (albeit truth be told the role of William Wilkerson is absolutely ignored giving Bugsy the sole credit for building Las Vegas).Warren Beatty also offers his strong presence to further romanticise Bugsy Siegel, mostly through to his dedicated love affair with minor actress Virginia Hill (Annette Bening). Warren Beatty is impeccable as 1940s New York-based gangster Ben Siegel (don't call him Bugsy!) who infiltrated Hollywood in its golden era, making friends with celebrities, entering into an alliance with adversary Mickey Cohen, dreaming up a glamorous, heroic life for himself while falling madly in love with volatile starlet Virginia Hill. Annette Bening is a bit uneven as Hill (particularly in a later prison sequence), but Harvey Keitel is an amazingly gentleman-like Cohen, Ben Kingsley a marvelously low-keyed Meyer Lansky, and Elliott Gould sympathetic as stoolie Harry Greenberg. Supposedly Bugsy Siegel was a big gangster boss with connections but when watching this movie it makes you wonder why and how all. So as a biopic of the real life gangster Ben 'Bugsy' Siegel this just isn't a really good or insightful movie.The movie still became an acclaimed success though, mainly because gangster movies were popular at that time, which also explains why the movie received no less than 10 Oscar nominations and taking home 2 of them. The jealousy angle is played up with some vivid scenes between Beatty and Bening that director Barry Levinson controls with just the right amount of passion.BEN KINGSLEY, ELLIOT GOULD (quite effective in an overlooked role as an ill-fated dumb gangster) and HARVEY KEITEL all stand out in solid supporting roles. Whether or not Beatty got his inspiration for building a gambling casino in the middle of the desert is accurate or not, the story is a gripping one, taking unexpected twists and turns as it moves toward its grim conclusion.Summing up: Overtaken at the Oscars by "Silence of the Lambs," it's a film well worth seeking out if you missed it the first time, as I did.. Bugsy Siegel appeared in two 1991 mob movies, "Bugsy" and "Mobsters", I'm glad I discovered the "lesser" one first, it plugged in my memory names such as Arnold Rothstein, Benjamin Siegel, Lucky Luciano, Frank Costello and Meyer Lansky and made my experience of the better film much easier.And since "The Godfather Part II" and the 'Moe Greene' speech, I knew Barry Levinson's "Bugsy" wasn't just about a gangster, but also the man "of guts and vision". So the film works like a companion piece to any classic gangster movie and also an unofficial prequel to "Casino", it's also a splendid example of classic film-making elevated by a stellar cast including Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, Ben Kingsley, Harvey Keitel and Joe Mantegna.It is also served by an entertaining screenplay with dialogues that convey the biting sharpness of its period and its colorful gallery of players: starlets, grooms, crooners, moles and not-so legitimate businessmen. And relationships are so integral to the appeal of the film, that it's just impossible to rave about it without mentioning Annette Bening's performance.As Virginia Hill, she's the 'Flamingo' who inspired Bugsy's "vision", she's the trigger of his most brutal reactions when her name is tarnished, or she's the woman who gets turned on by his brutal humiliation of an underboss who skimmed off the top. Of note (and humorous) is Meyer Lansky (Kingsley) intoning that "what Ben is telling us is the desert is a good place to trap people into spending their money"...truer words about speculation and profit motive never spoken!.Bening looks lovely as Mistress Virginia Hill, a Chicago mob accessory who had deep roots in the organization, if you read her true biography. Most TV regulars do, in a big film which requires sublime performance, they seem cartoon like and ruin the scene.Will not spoil the outcome, suffice to say there is adequate suspense, decent performances and an overall narrative that keeps the audience engaged.Warren Beatty himself engenders some empathy for the character of Bugsy (no easy feat), and while he uses looks to accomplish the persona, it still works. Though Bugsy is hardly the real story of Benjamin Siegal, the criminal mastermind who turned Las Vegas into a desert pleasure town, Warren Beatty has captured the essence of the man. Of course after the film, Bening became Mrs. Wareen Beatty and the off screen romance certainly added to the portrait of the totally obsessed Siegal with Hill.Harvey Keitel plays Mickey Cohen who was Siegal's number one lieutenant and took over eventually the west coast territory for the syndicate and does a good job as the tough as nails street kid who Siegal allies himself with in a gangland power play. Keitel and Kingsley both were nominated for Best Supporting Actor, but lost to Jack Palance in City Slickers.One character who isn't mentioned much in talking about this film is George Raft as played by Joe Mantegna. Harvey Keitel and Ben Kingsley are both really good as Mickey Cohen and Meyer Lansky respectively, however, the real standout for me besides Beatty is Annette Bening. The biopic of noted gangster Benjamin 'Bugsy' Siegel featured recent Oscar winner Barry Levinson in the director's chair and certified star Warren Beatty in the title role. Focusing mainly on Siegel's relationship with Virginia Hill (Annette Bening) and his role in Las Vegas's rise to prominence, the movie was a success at the box office.The cast is impressive, with Beatty being joined by Ben Kingsley, Harvey Keitel & Elliott Gould in key roles. Beatty, Kingsley & Keitel all earned Oscar nominations but, to be honest, I didn't find any of their performances particularly outstanding, especially in comparison to their most memorable roles.The film's two Oscar wins were for art direction-set decoration and costume design, which serves to illustrate the movie's attention to period-specific detail. There may not be enough emphasis on organized crime to satisfy fans of the gangster movie genre but the movie does paint an interesting portrait of Siegel as both a man of action and a dreamer.Ultimately, "Bugsy" has some good points but I think that hindsight has shown that maybe it wasn't quite as commendable as its star power suggested at the time. It has the makings of a great film.If it isn't quite then it's not from something very terrible or exact; it may be sometimes so slick, so conscious of it as beautiful as the shot is when Siegel and Virginia Hill appear in their big embrace and kiss in silhouette behind the screen it screams *cinematic moment* very loudly, even more than Levinson's previous Rain Man. There is also the conflict that is usually resolved through the gritty-cum-documentary style in Scorsese's films which Levinson sort of reaches, which is how the personal side, of an expression of the characters through the filmmakers' perspective on violence and sch raw emotions, as guilt-free entertainment.But for some precious moments, Bugsy works on its own terms very well, so much so I would recommend the picture just to see such actors going toe-to-toe and putting the trust in one another to go just a little farther in a scene that requires it. The best thing about this movie is the performances, especially Warren Beatty as Bugsy, he is very good and deserved the Oscar nomination he got for it. Warren Beatty's always been great (BONNIE & CLYDE his best), but this movie lacks real fire, although it's well cast about a fascinating criminal character. As Jewish mafioso Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel - who was famous for turning Las Vegas into what it is today - Beatty brings to the screen the same flair that he brought to all his great roles. The movie also stars Harvey Keitel, Elliott Gould, Ben Kingsley, and Joe Mantegna, all of whom are great in their roles. Whatever the reason, "Bugsy" never really coalesces into a compelling film, remaining instead an episodic and surface-level telling of Siegel's story.Much to-do was made at the time about the on-screen chemistry between Beatty and Bening, but nothing much comes of it, as her character is woefully underused. Warren Beatty was a lock for this character as he tends to drift from seriousness to craziness back and forth almost haphazardly as Benny Siegel, a man who indeed was crazy as the nickname Bugsy implies but was in reality a genius who had the ahead of his time dream of a gambling capital of the world called Las Vegas. In some of the scenes, I am reminded of James Cagney's performance in "Love Me or Leave Me." He can be a romantic lover, devoted father, and murderer with batting an eye, all at the same time.Both Harvey Keitel (Mickey Cohen) and Ben Kingsley as Meyer Lansky received best supporting actor nominations.. Even the more original of the Post Godfather Films would owe a debt to both author Mario PUzzo and the now master screenwriter and Director Parr Excellence, Francis Ford Coppola.SO it is that we have BUGSY (Baltimore Pictures/Dessert Vision/Mulholland Pictures/Tri-Star Pictures, 1991); which was Director Barry Levinson's initial foray into the Gangster Genre; following a good deal of widely varying product such as DINER (1982), THE NATURAL (1984) and YOUNG SHERLOCK (1985).* IN this we have not only the greatest send up of a story of a Jewish American Gangster to date, but also one in which we are treated to a sort of serio-comic on screen representation of the rough and tumble romance of the main characters: Ben Siegel (Warren Beatty)** and Virginia Hill (Annette Benning); who interestingly enough became involved during production, leading to Marriage which still exists today.IN the film's storyline, we see a link between "the Boys" and the Motion Picture Industry; one which owes its being to earlier relationships of gangsters with night spots, both before and after the Prohibition Era. The obsession with fame and glamour had long been a normal part of the gangster culture; what with well known, high ranking hoods having been described as "Movie Stars with Muscle."*** WITH the course of the movie, Director Levinson allows us to take a step back and sort of laugh at such ridiculous behaviour and at the same time, we're able to perform a sort of logical and cultural biopsy on just what makes such a peculiarsome mindset. We had Mickey Cohen (Harvey Keitel), Meyer Lansky (Ben Kingsley), Harry Greenberg (Elliot Gould), George Raft (Joe Mantenga), Countess Di Frasso (Bebe Newirth) and Count Di Frasso (Gian-Carlo Scandiuzzi).ODDLY enough, there's a movie connection here to THE GODFATHER Saga; for it is generally believed and also somewhat obvious that the real life Ben "Bugsy " Siegel and Meyer Lansky served as models for Mario Puzo's characters of Moe Green and Hyman Roth in THE GODFATHER.NOTE: * Mr. Levinson also followed up these with that greatest of Police TV Dramas, HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREET(Baltimore Pictures/NBC TV Network, 1993-99).NOTE: ** Now Schultz, was that Warren or Ned Beatty? I loved it but it's important to be prepared to deal with its sudden outbreaks of violence.Nobody plays elegant but edgy people better than Warren Beatty and his performance here as Ben "Bugsy" Siegel is a tour de force. Fantastic film about the life of Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel, who was best known for building the framework for Las Vegas. Based on a screenplay by James Toback, the film tells the story of Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel (Warren Beatty), the infamous American gangster.The plot? It seems axiomatic that art imitates life and my postscript to that axiom would be "...except that the characters are better looking and the story simplified." If viewers of the film come away with a somewhat inaccurate picture of the man, then so be it.Warren Beatty's portrayal of Siegel as a violent bipolar sociopath is probably not far from the truth. With the skillful scriptwriting by James Toback and directed by Barry Levinson, and scored by Ennio Morricone, it's apropos to the time period and shows a strong homage to the neonoir era of Los Angeles crime scene of the 1930's and 1940's.Warren Beatty literally lives out the role as Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel a famous mobster who was ruthless in every way possible and no one every dared to call him "Bugsy" to his face. Beatty is magnetic as Bugsy Siegel, in this beautifully shot period-gangster film. Bugsy (1991)Top 3 - 1991 Warren Beatty provides a stunning performance as Benjamin Siegel, the gangster who created the Flamingo Hotel and essentially laid the foundations for Las Vegas. The film follows the life of the enigmatic, volatile yet charming Siegel as he moves to California from NYC and falls in love with Virginia Hill (Annette Bening in another stand-out performance) and embarks on his vision of building an oasis in the desert.Outstanding support from Ben Kingsley, Harvey Keitel, Joe Mantegna and expert direction from Barry Levinson, Bugsy is a superbly made film, extremely enjoyable and one of the best films of 1991.8/10. Warren Beatty is perfectly cast as real life mobster named Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel known for opening a hotel/casino in Las Vegas called the flamingo. In the movie every cast member is terrific as the character he/she plays but i have to say that the performance by Annette Bening was a little over the top when she thought that Warren Beatty's character was going out with a woman he just hired for a job at the hotel. Bugsy is a crime-drama film that tells the story of mobster Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel that is based from research material by Dean Jennings' 1967 book We Only Kill Each Other.It stars Warren Beatty in the title role as Bugsy Malone together with Annette Bening, Harvey Keitel and Ben Kingsley.Barry Levinson directs.The movie is a character study of mobster Bugsy Siegel.He arrives in California in the 1940's and gets assigned to oversee the L.A. rackets.

tt0091474

Manhunter

Will Graham (William Petersen) is a former FBI criminal profiler who has retired because of a mental breakdown after being attacked by a cannibalistic serial killer, Dr. Hannibal Lecktor (Brian Cox) whom he captured. Graham is approached at his Florida home by his former FBI superior Jack Crawford (Dennis Farina), who is seeking help with a new serial killer case. Promising his wife (Kim Greist) that he will do nothing more than examine evidence and not risk physical harm, Graham agrees to visit the most recent crime scene in Atlanta, where he tries to enter the mindset of the killer, now dubbed the "Tooth Fairy" by the police for the bite-marks left on his victims. Having found the killer's fingerprints, Graham meets with Crawford. They are accosted by tabloid journalist Freddy Lounds (Stephen Lang), with whom Graham has a bitter history; Lounds' paper had run photographs of Graham taken secretly while he was hospitalized. Graham pays a visit to Lecktor, a former psychiatrist, in his cell and asks for his insight into the killer's motivations. After a tense conversation, Lecktor agrees to look at the case file. A little later, Lecktor contrives and manages to obtain Graham's home address by deceit during his phone privileges. Graham travels to the first crime scene in Birmingham, Alabama, where he is contacted by Crawford, who tells him of Lounds' tabloid story on the case. Crawford also patches Graham through to Frederick Chilton (Benjamin Hendrickson), Lecktor's warden, who has found a note in Lecktor's personal effects. Reading it, they realize it is from the Tooth Fairy, expressing admiration for Lecktor—and an interest in Graham. Crawford brings Graham to the FBI Academy at Quantico, where a missing section of the note is analyzed to determine what Lecktor has removed. It is found to be an instruction to communicate through the personals section of the National Tattler, Lounds' newspaper. The FBI intends to plant a fake advertisement to replace Lecktor's, but they realize that without the proper book code the Tooth Fairy will know it is fake; therefore, they let the advertisement run as it is, and Graham organizes an interview with Lounds, during which he gives a false and derogatory profile of the Tooth Fairy to incite him. After a sting operation fails to catch the killer, Lounds is kidnapped by the Tooth Fairy (Tom Noonan). Waking in the killer's home, he is shown a slideshow of William Blake's The Great Red Dragon paintings, along with the Tooth Fairy's past victims and slides of a family the killer identifies as his next targets. Lounds is forced to tape-record a statement before being set on fire in a wheelchair and killed, his flaming body rolled into the parking garage of the National Tattler as a warning. Graham is told by Crawford that they have cracked Lecktor's coded message to the Tooth Fairy—it is Graham's home address with an instruction to kill the family (ending with "Save yourself. Kill them all," revealing that Lecktor believes Graham would find the Tooth Fairy). Graham rushes home to find his family safe but terrified. After the FBI moves Graham's family to a safe house, he tries to explain to his son Kevin why he had retired previously. At his job in a St. Louis film lab, Francis Dollarhyde—The Tooth Fairy—approaches a blind co-worker, Reba McClane (Joan Allen), and ends up offering her a lift. They go to Dollarhyde's home, where Reba is oblivious to the fact that Dollarhyde is watching home-movie footage of his planned next victim. She kisses him and they make love. Dollarhyde is confused by this newfound relationship, though it helps suppress his bloodlust. Just as Graham comes to realize how much the Tooth Fairy's desire for acceptance factors into the murders, Dollarhyde watches as Reba is escorted home by another co-worker. Mistakenly believing them to be kissing, Dollarhyde murders the man and abducts Reba. When she calls him Francis, he tells her: "Francis is gone. Forever." Desperately trying to figure out a connection between the murdered families, Graham realizes that someone must have seen their home movies. He and Crawford deduce where the films were processed. They identify the lab in St. Louis and fly there immediately. Dollarhyde has been casing the victims' homes through home movies, enabling him to prepare for the break-ins in extreme detail. Graham determines which employees that match their profile information have seen these films and obtains Dollarhyde's home address, to which he and Crawford travel with a police escort. At Dollarhyde's home, Reba is terrified as he contemplates what to do with her. As he struggles to kill Reba with a piece of broken mirror glass, police teams assemble around the house. Seeing that Dollarhyde has someone inside with him, Graham lunges through a window. He is quickly subdued by Dollarhyde, who retrieves a shotgun and uses it to wound Crawford and kill two police officers. Wounded in the firefight, Dollarhyde returns to the kitchen to shoot Graham, but misses because of his injuries and is killed himself when Graham returns fire. Graham, Reba, and Crawford are tended to by paramedics before Graham returns home and retires permanently.

dark, gothic, murder, neo noir, cult, violence, atmospheric, good versus evil, insanity, suspenseful, sadist, home movie

train

wikipedia

Recent thrillers are clearly lacking in the character development that made movies like Manhunter and Silence of the Lambs so good. Years after that, as a freshman in college, I was managing a video store when a woman came in looking for the recently released `Silence of the Lambs.' She said she knew William Petersen from childhood and told me that he was in THE first Hannibal the Cannibal movie. Walking out, I found myself asking whether I liked it better than `Manhunter.' These comparisons can get very silly because not only am I basing my impressions on a book, but also a previously filmed version and a closely related `sequel.' Best method: let each stand alone, THEN decide if either was successful. In the process it opens up some old mental wounds that were born out during his last action out in the field...Before the gargantuan success of Silence of the Lambs, where the name Hannibal the Cannibal moved into pop culture, and before director Michael Mann became a named auteur often referenced with relish by hungry film students; there was Manhunter, Michael Mann's brilliant adaptation of Thomas Harris' equally brilliant psychological thriller, Red Dragon. Visually, thematically and narratively it remains a clinical piece of cinema, a probing study of madness that dares to put a serial killer and the man hunting him in the same psychological body, asking us, as well as William Petersen's FBI agent Will Graham, to empathise with Tom Noonan's troubled Tooth Fairy killer. There's a scene in a supermarket where Will is explaining to his son about his dark place, where "the ugliest thoughts in the world" live, a stunning sequence of acting and a showcase for Petersen's undoubted talents.Newcomers to the film and Mann's work in general, could do no worse than spend the ten minutes it takes to watch the Dante Spinotti feature on the disc. And it's this last point that touches on that which makes Manhunter so clever and in my opinion better than the book itself.Everything important in Manhunter is subtly hinted at so it's left up to the audience to infer: Graham's ability to track serial killers (he's half-way there himself); relatedly, Graham's motives for choosing Lounds to lure the killer (whether he was aware of them or not); Dolarhyde's disgust/insecurity at his own physical appearance (and the root of his desire to kill). Again, it's to Mann's, and the actor's credit that, by the time his three scenes are done with, we have an implicit feeling as to what may be driving this Lecktor as well as an uncomfortable liking for him.Three stand-out sequences to look for: 1) the 'walk-through' of the tooth-fairy's letter through the forensic process. From the credits I discovered it was from Red Dragon by Thomas Harris, a book I had read.William Peterson plays the enigmatic FBI agent Will Graham, who has left the job after almost being killed by Hannibal Lechter, but who is now coaxed back to help catch a killer who is murdering whole families in different locations in the United States.I enjoyed Brian Cox as Lechter. Perhaps because I saw Manhunter before Silence of the Lambs, I prefer Cox to Anthony Hopkins in the role.The Freddy Lounds character is the stereotypical reporter you love to hate. A psychopath is not necessarily a killer - a psychopath is simply someone who does not feel for other human beings, which is often why the psychopath killers of this world were in fact convincing actors - for example Geoffrey Dahmer and Charles Manson.So when we analyze the profiles of true psychopathic serial killers, we can quite clearly see that Cox plays the better Lecter than Hopkins. Saying that it is above average and a solid serial killer/cop thriller.Manhunter was based on the book Red Dragon by Thomas Harris, the first film about Hannibal Lector. This was Michael Mann's baby-steps into theatrical film making after television work, and led he to direct excellent films like The Last of the Mohians, Heat, the Insider and Collectial.The plot of film was Will Graham (William Petersen), an expert profiler, who is called out of retired by the FBI to investigate a serial killer, the Tooth Fairy, who had brutally murdered two families in the Deep South of America. FBI Agent Will Graham (William Petersen, you have seen him on CSI) has captured the diabolical Dr. Hannibal Lecter or Lecktor (Brian Cox), nearly losing more than just his mind in the process. Joan Allen (The contender), Dennis Farina, Kim Greist and Stephen Lang co-star in this shocking thriller directed by Michael Mann and adapted from the novel Red Dragon by Thomas Harris. Michael Mann's 1986 adaption of the Thomas Harris novel Red Dragon now titled Manhunter is without a doubt one of the best thrillers (or can I say horror movies) ever made (I say horror because what else do you call movies about serial killers). Brian Cox, who played Lecter or actually Lecktor, does great with his performance also but this movie isn't about Lecter so he's only in it for 10 minutes at the most but does great with that time, his Lecter doesn't come off as being the embodiment of evil like the Hopkins performance but his Lecter is more of a sly, manipulitive character. The movie does leave out some things about Dollarhyde's past but I think they were not needed because Tom Noonan did enough on his part, but the ending does change a lot but then again after creating such a compelling character as Will Graham (one of my fave characters ever...right up there with William Sommerset from Se7en) I didn't want him to get mutilated and almost killed like in the books ending. And the director's cut does add some more depth to the characters and the new scene at the end where Graham visits the family that was to be Dollarhyde's next victim's is really good, it's not all dialogue like "you saved our lives" and all that s**t, it's played in the character's face....there needed to be no dialogue for it. Manhunter is an amazing film, we as the audience are not treated as fools, not everything is fully explained or laid out, it contains no throw away dialogue in case we forgot what is going on, all is told through breathtaking imagery and acting, I do not have to see the gruesome details of horrific crimes in order for me to have an emotional response, like the classic shower scene from Hitchcock's Psycho a lot of what we see is implied, at first we only see a silhouette of the attacker we hardly see any blood, we don't see the knife puncture flesh, yet it is still disturbing and horrific.William Petersen excels as the main agent working to track down this vicious serial killer nicknamed The Tooth Fairy, and Brian Cox gives a truly chilling performance.. (the movies seem to need a happier ending, don't they?).This Hollywoods' mania to twist the plots around, spurned me to READ The Silence of the Lambs - sure enough,the film's polished rendition left a lot to be desired compared to the written counterpart.Then I realised that someone had made a film of Red Dragon too. sorry to all the people that think ralph fiennes (still looking for someone to explain how that translates to ray fine, it has got to be a gimmick, and please don't give me a load of replies about it being some English/whatever bit, he is English/whatever and his family seems to be the only one that pulls this) but, tom noonan nailed the red dragon.i read the book, i saw both movies, and i still think tom noonan nailed it.so manhunter isn't a literal translation of the book. With a deadline imposed, the next full moon, and no clear leads, FBI chief Jack Crawford, with some desperation, pulls a retired agent out of the field.That retired agent is Will Graham (a compelling William Peterson) who is faced with the unenviable task of having to go and meet Dr Hannibal Lektor in order to try and gain some insight into the mind of the killer (the 'Tooth Fairy') they are chasing.For my money the scenes between Graham and Lektor are every bit as good (if not better) than those between Starling and Lector in Silence of the Lambs.The key difference here is that Michael Mann never allows the tension of fear to ebb away between Graham and Lektor. Resentful of society, and brutalised by a childhood which sadly the film does not touch on (for that you need the book), Tom Noonan brings depth and even sympathy to a character who has already murdered ten people before the film even starts.Better or worse than Silence of the Lambs, the comparison makes no difference to Manhunter. It certainly has little to do with Hannibal the cannibal and concentrates on FBI specialist Will Graham tracking down a serial killer dubbed " The Tooth Fairy " Michael Mann directs in a minimalist 80s style which I'm afraid appears somewhat dated viewed today . Though to be fair to Mann he does manage to bring a depressing and bleak atmosphere to the movie without ever having to resort to blood and gore and gimmicks unlike Ridley Scott did with HANNIBAL If you like murder mysteries or films that have a typically mid 1980s feel then I can certainly recommend MANHUNTER. Will Graham succeed in stopping the killer before the next full moon?"Manhunter" is an engaging thriller by Michael Mann based on the novel of Thomas Harris that has become famous years later with the movie by Anthony Hopkins. Without further ado, and not too many spoiler moments, I'd like to comment on the performances of both movies' stars and then encourage the reader to rent Manhunter and see for himself.William Petersen, as FBI profiler Will Graham, is intense, sometimes gritty and others, sublime. "Manhunter", a thriller that initially introduced the world to Hannibal Lecter (rebranded Lecktor here), is a rather aloof serial killer suspense drama, murderous in its tension but icy in its pathos.William Petersen plays Will Graham, a retired FBI profiler lying low after a gruesome attack by cannibalistic murderer Hannibal Lecktor (Brian Cox). In "Red Dragon", Lector is a minor character (it's even spelled "Lecktor" here, and he only has about three scenes in the movie, and they are effective enough, because he's not the key character.) Obviously, the character was expanded in "Silence of the Lambs" and its sequel "Hannibal", prequels, "Red Dragon" (based on the same source novel) and "Hannibal Rising" so people watching this film wanting more Hannibal, and wanting Anthony Hopkins to play him.Watch this movie pretending none of those other films ever existed, and that Hopkins never played the role, and you'll enjoy the film.William Peterson (who later went on playing a very similar character in "CSI") delivers as a profiler who gets too close to his work, just getting burned by the insanity he has to try to comprehend without being swallowed up by it. The remake "Red Dragon" shoe-horns Lector into the film where he doesn't need to be, really.The scenes with the Dollarhyde character are truly uncomfortable to watch, which is the point, I guess, particularly when he seduces the blind girl and then wants to kill her in a jealous rage. Not at all coincidental.If Cox had been given the time and the acting latitude that Tony Hopkins was handed on a gold platter, who knows how much better he could have been as Lecktor.Noonan's character was somewhat frightening in the scene with the Tattler reporter, but compared to the average bad guy in Criminal Minds, he could be mistaken as the Easter Bunny.Let's face it. First of all I would like to say, that in my opinion "Manhunter" way better than "Red Dragon".Brian Cox as Dr. HannibalLecktor acts less scary on the first view than Anthony Hopkins does, but Cox makes Lecktor more cold and calculated a psychopath without any emotions. Because if he has, additional sequels are a waste of time.And having witnessed "Hannibal Rising", I confess I believe the character exhausted; but that's another review.Here, let me just say that it was good to see Mann's film again recently, to return to the series' cinematic origins, to get a clearer perspective of the Lecter character as he was originally conceived.What makes the Lecter character fascinating in "Manhunter" is that he is pure genius become pure sociopath. In fact so great, that Michael Mann should take on the challenge making remakes of 'Silence of the Lambs' and 'Hannibal' as well.Brian Cox is the true Hannibal Lecter! Brian Cox performs horribly as the evil supergenius Hannibal Lector, but that may be a result of the fact that I had already seen Anthony Hopkins' performance of the same character (one of the best performances I have ever seen on film) before I saw Manhunter. It is easy to see why he got the role because he exhibited many of the same qualities in this film.Michael Mann (Heat, Miami Vice, Collateral) does a good story in this genre and I really enjoyed his writing and directing of this film.Veteran actor Brian Cox made a great Hannibal Lecktor, and was so much more of what a serial killer should be that later reincarnations of the character.A really interesting movie that was only weakened by the fact that is was in the style of the 80s.. This film is based on the first book entitled "Red Dragon" regarding Dr. Hannibal Lecter (of "Silence of the Lambs"), written by Thomas Harris.In "Manhunter", director Michael Mann manages to create some tension, but not consistently. The plot is good and manages to hold its own, however you never quite believe Brian Cox as Lecter, especially after seeing the part so brilliantly played by Anthony Hopkins.The acting from William Petersen, Dennis Farina, Kim Greist, Tom Noonan and Joan Allen is good, however, in what turns out to be a solid mid-eighties drama-thriller.Saturday, June 16, 1991 - Television. It can not be bettered !An idea would be to get Thomas Harris to write a new novel about how Will Graham caught Lecter in the first place, then get Michael Mann to film that.Anyway back to the movie and what amovie , a near masterpiece. A slow boiling psychological thriller in which Michael Mann pulls off a clever trick in not showing us the Tooth Fairy until a good way through the film at which point you are bursting to see him.And is'nt Tom Noonan the perfect Francis Dolarhyde. the first film to feature the now infamous Hannibal Lecter, it focuses on FBI manhunter Will Graham (Petersen) as he tries to catch the killer Francis Dollarhyde aka the 'tooth fairy' (Noonan). Adapted from the book Red Dragon: The Pursuit of Hannibal Lector, Manhunter follows FBI agent William Graham as he solicits the help of Dr. Hannibal Lecktor (note the spelling of his name in this film as opposed to the later two). Other than The very good performance of William L Petersen, and Michael Mann's slick direction, this film is more of a TV movie of the week than a real thriller. Manhunter is the first film in the Hannibal Lecter movie franchise and it was directed by Michael Mann and it is also written by him based on the book by Thomas Harris, called Red Dragon.The story of MANHUNTER is cool. Let me break it down for you: When asked to investigate a killer known as "The Tooth Fairy", FBI profiler Will Graham comes out of retirement to lend his talents to his case, but in doing so he must confront the specter of his past and meet with a jailed killer who nearly counted amongst the victims.MANHUNTER focuses on the forensic work carried by the FBI to track down the killer and shows the long-term effects that cases like this have on Graham, highlighting the similarities between him and his quarry.The film features heavily stylized use of color to convey this sense of duality and the nature of the characters' similarity has been explored in academic readings of the film.MANHUNTER was the first film to introduce serial killer Hannibal Lecer, who would later appear in the 1991 critically-acclaimed film, The Silence of the Lambs, directed by Johnathan Demme, the Ridley Scott sequel, "Hannibal", released in 2001, the 2002 remake / re-imagining of "Manhunter", directed by Brett Ratner, "Red Dragon" and the black sheep, critically disappointing released in 2007, "Hannibal Rising", directed by Peter Webber.The actors are amazing. The ending was terrible, Will Graham was not fully explained, Hannibal Lector was not scary, it wasn't as exciting as the book, and it didn't show the origin of the tooth fairy and how the Red Dragon painting could talk to him. The first movie about Hannibal Lecter, based on a book "Red Dragon". Petersen, Cox, Farina, and Noonan give splendid performances, and the overall feel is better (in my opinion) than "Red Dragon", the remake of this film. The narrative of the Harris books is a vortex upon which more and more people, beginning down that transformative path (sometimes with the best of intentions), do, in fact, transform from humans into something other than human (except for Will Graham and Dr. Bloom).Where Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal and Red Dragon all fail is that these three movies continue to keep us at a distance. However, I personally think "Manhunter" is a well-made, underrated suspense film - the forgotten entry in the Hannibal Lecktor/Lecter series, and a movie that should be seen regardless of your blind love for all things Hopkins.. MANHUNTER is a too underrated film,another great work from Michael Mann and a much better film than HANNIBAL and RED DRAGON,and it's even a better film than the famous THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS...see this film!. Like many people, I saw Silence of The Lambs first and discovered Manhunter during the ten year void before Hannibal, anxious to see another Lecter film. I've watched it over and over since then, and it gets even better each time around.For this movie alone I have finally accepted Brian Cox as Hannibal.

tt0102960

Sometimes They Come Back

Unable to find a teaching position in Chicago, Jim Norman finally finds an open position, but in a place he never thought he'd return: the town where he grew up. Jim and his family move into a house there, but the entire atmosphere of the town fills Jim with dread.Reporting to his class, Jim finds it filled with numerous jocks and airheads, the majority of which demand Jim pass them anyways. Jim makes it clear he will not, and the Jocks start to taunt him, leading Jim to angrily break a ruler.After work, Jim returns to an old place he hasn't been to for 27 years: the house that his family once lived in, but has been shuttered and vacant ever since. This leads to him having a dream that evening, recounting the terrible incident in 1963:Jim was close to his older brother Wayne, and the two headed off to the library to return some books. Climbing a hill, they came across the local railroad tracks, and Wayne decides to take a shortcut through the nearby train tunnel.The two haven't gone more than 20 ft when the roar of a modified Chevrolet Bel Air is heard, and 4 greasers pull up in front of the two boys, demanding that they hand over what money they have. Wayne tries to get the gang to leave them alone, but they pull off his PF Flyer shoes, and throw them over a metal overhang in the tunnel, before Wayne punches the leader. This causes the gang leader to pull out a switchblade, and stab Wayne, who then collapses. The gang is then about to go after Jim, when the roar of a steam whistle is head, and a train can be seen approaching from the other end of the tunnel. The gang attempts to get back in their car and start it up, but they have lost the keys. Jim then tries to get Wayne up, but Wayne is too badly injured, and weakly tells Jim to get help.Jim attempts to run, but doesn't get far when the train impacts the gang's Bel Air, sending it exploding in a huge fireball, and Wayne is run over along the tracks. Jim eventually ran from the scene, ending up crying on the front porch.Jim then wakes from his dream, when his wife finds him on the front porch of their house.Sometime afterward at school, one of the jocks threatens to get Jim for giving him an F, to which Jim tries to keep his composure. Another student explains to Jim that he appreciates the effort he's making, and then bicycles off. However, Jim sees that the student has dropped his wallet, and drives off intending to give it to him.On a twisting road out of town, the student is menaced by a familiar Bel Air Chevrolet, spewing flames from its twin tailpipes, and attempting to clip the bicycle. Jim comes up on the car close behind, and tries to get the cars attention. However, the Bel Air finally clips the students bike, sending him over the side of a steep embankment. Jim reports about the Bel Air, but almost everyone who saw the student on the bicycle besides Jim, claims there was noone following him.Jim goes back to his class the next day, and is shocked when a new transfer student is introduced...one of the gang of four delinquents. Jim is shaken by the now resurrected gang member, and when one of the jocks causes trouble, Jim lashes out just as the Principal passes by. The Principal takes over the class and orders Jim to leave.Sometime after, a fall parade is held in downtown, and Jim has two incidents that cause him to pause: one is seeing the gang member watching him during the parade, the other is his son Scott finding a pair of PF Flyers that look just like Wayne's shoes from 1963.The family goes home where Jim attempts to relax, but as he attempts to, a familiar train whistle can be heart. Jim then goes off in the middle of the night, back to the mouth of the old train tunnel. His head filling with memories over the bad incident, he heads back through town, where he runs into one of the female students. When he asks her if she's been hearing the old train whistle, the student explains that she's lived her entire life in the town, but hasn't heard any such whistles.That evening, Jim attempts to go back to sleep, but has a nightmare involving the gang as well as the female student. His wife explains that she's worried about him not having slept well and suggests that maybe they should move back to Chicago. Jim angrily explains they are not going anywhere, and heads off for the school.In class, Jim notices the female student is not there, and upon seeing the one gang member flash a devilish grin, rushes from the room, reporting to the police that he has an idea where she is.A search party that evening searches the high weeds near a local farm, but finds nothing. Remembering a barn from his dream, Jim steers the search party to it, where he finds the female student hanging from the upper rafters by her neck.A counselor is brought to the teachers, and many claim the female students death to be a suicide, but Jim claims it was murder.Returning to the classroom, Jim is shocked to see that another of the gang members has appeared as a 'transfer student,' and taken over the other student's desk.Later that evening, the jock who threatened to get Jim shows up at his doorstep, scared. He claims he met with the two gang members after school, and they threatened him, claiming they knew Jim from a long time ago. Jim figures the Jock knows the two gang members were responsible for the deaths of the two students, but the Jock runs off Jim's property, only to run head-first into the Bel-Air, where he is soon thrown up on the windshield of the car as it rockets past Jim's house.Jim quickly rushes back into the house, but panics when there's a knock at the door soon after. However, it is the local Sheriff, who soon takes Jim into the station under suspicion that he may know more than he is letting on. It seemed too convenient that he knew where to find his former student when she went missing.Jim is released from the police the next day, but on his way to school, the Sheriff notes that another of the students has gone missing- the jock who visited Jim the night before.Going into the school, some devilish laughter causes Jim to enter the Boys room, to find the gang members, now joined by a third. They claims that their fourth member will be joining them shortly, and threaten to get Jim's son, Scott.On the way home from school, Scott is chased down and scared as the gang's Bel Air roars up over a hill and chases him down a street. Scott is returned home, shaken by the events. Jim gets there and attempts to comfort his son, by giving him his old baseball cap.Jim also explains to his wife about the gang having seemingly come back from the dead, but his wife can't believe it. Even so, Jim tells her to lock the house as he leaves. Seeing a police car patrolling the area, he wonders about an officer he had seen when he was running away from the death scene as a child.Jim eventually finds the officer who has since been put in a home. The officer explains that when he was wounded some time ago, he was legally dead for 3 minutes, and in that time, he saw Jim's brother, Wayne. The officer claims that Wayne is stuck in limbo, unable to go on, and that when that occurs, some spirits come back, unable to finish their business. Jim tells the officer about the gang members he's encountered, and that each of them mentioned they had 'transferred up from Milford,' but he was not able to find any school by that name. The officer then tells Jim why he couldn't find it: Milford isn't a school, it's a cemetery.Jim then heads out to the cemetery, and finds the tombstones of 3 of the 4 members. As he wonders about the 4th member, the 3 others appear, claiming that their 4th member wasn't killed, and they intend to get to him before Jim does.Jim tracks down the 4th member, finding him in a trailer. Jim takes the gang member's gun, and forces him to go to the old train tunnel, but the former gang member runs off.Back at the house, Jim's wife and son are terrified when the three deceased members break into the house. Jim arrives soon after, firing the gun he used on their 4th member, but the bullets do no harm. The three leave the house, once again insisting that Jim meet them at the old train tunnel.Jim takes his family to the nearby church, promising them that they'll be safe there. When his wife asks why the gang members have returned from the dead, a thought crosses Jim's mind, and he knows why they have come back for revenge.Returning to his family home, Jim breaks in and finds an old cigar box under the floorboards, along with the three books his brother never returned to the library that fateful day. He also finds the 12 cents that was to be paid as a late fee.Inside the cigar box, he pulls out a car key with a red-dyed rabbit's foot. The gang have sworn revenge because in his haste, Jim had grabbed the key on the ground and ran, leaving the 3 in the car with no way to drive away before they were hit by the train.Jim is further shocked to find the 4th member of the gang at the door, claiming he's tired of running, and believes Jim, wanting his pain and torment about that day to be over with. As the two head for Jim's van, it bursts into flames as the other 3 gang members stand nearby. They take their 4th member with them, and tell Jim they are going to get his wife and child.The gang manages to lure both Jim's wife and son out of the church, and taken them along with them to the tunnel. Meanwhile, Jim goes to his brother Wayne's grave, pleading and begging for Wayne to return to help him. As he watches, a white tunnel materializes, and for a few moments, Wayne almost appears, but is then drawn back.With noone else to turn to, Jim heads back to the train tunnel, long since abandoned and the train tracks gone except for the wooden pylons in the ground. Jim recites by heart the conversation he had with his brother that day, and the gang's Bel Air roars up behind him, blocking the way. The gang gets out and attempts to bully Jim, also showing that they have his family in their car. The 4th gang member tries to stop them, but the leader stabs him with his switchblade. As he dies, the 4th member tells Jim that when he dies, someone else can cross over. As they watch, a bright light appears, and the white tunnel reappears, with Wayne stepping out. Wayne and Jim attempt to fight the 3 gang members, when a train whistle is heard, and the train engine is seen at the far end of the tunnel...glowing a hellish red!Jim throws away the rabbits foot with the keys, causing the two gang members to run after it. Wayne tries to take down the gang leader as Jim gets his wife and son out of the car. The gang leader tells Jim they'll get him again, but Jim explains that it's all over, and the gang is going to hell. The three find the keys and attempt to drive off, but are once again destroyed when the train plows into their car. The fireball envelopes them, and the car, the gang and the train disappear.In the aftermath, Wayne sees Scott with Jim's cap, and thinks that Scott is Jim. Jim explains to Wayne's spirit that he is his brother, and that 27 years have passed. The light tunnel reappears, and Wayne pleads with Jim that he doesn't want to go back, and that he'll be alone. He tries to get Jim to go with him, but Jim tells his brother that he has to stay behind to take care of his son. Jim's wife also pleads to Wayne that they do need Jim, as much as Jim needed Wayne when they were younger. Jim promises Wayne they'll meet again, and now that Wayne's spirit can finally rest, he'll be able to see Mom and Dad again. Wayne crosses over into the light tunnel, which closes up behind him.The family embraces, and they return back through the tunnel entrance, the ghosts of Jim's past now having been put to rest.

flashback, cult, murder, home movie

train

imdb

90's character actor tim matheson stars in a surprisingly scary adaptation of a stephen king short story about a guy returning to the town he lived in when he was a child which brought back nightmares of the incident that led to the deaths of his brother and the three hoodlums who tried to mug them. Doesn't matter if you've been good or if you've been bad and these three were definitely bad.Tim Matheson comes back to his hometown with wife Brooke Adams and their son Robert Hy Gorman for a teaching job at the local high school. All transfered from Milford, Milford Cemetery that is.Tim Matheson and the rest of the cast give good performances in this film adapted from a Stephen King short story. "Sometimes They Come Back" by Tom McLoughlin("Friday the 13th Part 6-Jason Lives","One Dark Night")is an adaptation of the short story written by Stephen King.The plot is simple:a school teacher(Tim Matheson)is chased by the dead punks who killed his brother when he was a kid.The film is well-made and has some creepy moments.The direction is solid,the acting is pretty good,unfortunately I found climax to be the weakest part of the film.Still if you like horror movies give this one a look.Followed by two sequels!. Returning to his home-town, a teacher and his family find that the traumatic incident involving his big brother while he was growing up has caused the greaser-gang also included in the event to come back and torment them forcing a final showdown to right the wrong.This one here wasn't all that bad even though it does have some issues. The fact that the initial accident itself feels like the kind of accident that really could happen in such a location, with the greaser gang tormenting them and then getting caught up in the train coming through the tunnel does come off like a rather enjoyable setup for later, and with the way this holds up the different incidents later on that trigger the incidents later on. Those are quite fun as the different variations of them appearing as students in his classroom while taunting him in the town, the ways in which they manage to fool everyone in class as well as the town who constantly think he's having mental breakdowns based on his past history which comes into play quite nicely and overall manages to give this one a great build-up for the story to play out in the later half. With the group out and tormenting him and his family with some rather impressive stalking scenes of the family at the house and the later scene in the church where they get taken away leading into the final confrontation in the tunnel once again as this makes for a rather thrilling and engaging finish that plays out the fateful accident that came through in the rest of the film. The film's biggest issue is the fact that we're not given a reason to care about why the greaser club is seeking revenge, as the film makes the point of them coming back for him killing them only they deserved their fate so it's really troubling to get into the story. The gang is a total joke that simply act like tough-guy greasers but are just so over-the-top in their silly threats that it makes for a pretty hard time to find fear in them for the whole film as they're return doesn't make any sense. Tom McLoughlin, director of the most overrated film in the "Friday the 13th" franchise, directed this made for TV adaptation of the Stephen King short story.Tim Matheson stars as the man tortured by memories of his brother's death and the men responsible. The film is strong on mood, successfully bringing to life that sense of time, place and small town atmosphere that King's stories thrive on. I really like this story, I haven't read it so I don't know if the movie differs a lot from Kings original story, but that doesn't matter, because this is a movie!The story is cool, like I said, I really like the setting and some of the performances from some of the actors. A man and his family head back to his hometown for a teaching job, but are still haunted by the childhood death of his older brother caused by a teenage gang who died at the same time in a train accident. An interesting ghost story about Jim Norman and his older brother Wayne. Now the the vengeful greaser ghosts are wanting Jim dead - they will stop at nothing.Not a bad film. I never read King's story so I can't compare one to the other, but this version was fairly easy to follow with creepy moments throughout, although it seems that I've seen the "car greasers" in other King adaptations before this movie as well, like Stand By Me and Christine. I have seen it at least 100 times, so I finally bought a copy of it.Out of the three 'Sometimes They Come Back' movies the original is by far the best and the most plausible (if you believe in ghosts). Based on an OK Stephen King story, this movie not only mangles the story beyond almost any point of recognition, it makes the plot dumb and incomprehensible! Added to terrible acting, awful special effects and a complete lack of credible storyline (which the original at least had), and you can count this being just a smidge better than "Random Hearts", making "Sometimes" the 2nd-worst movie of all time. STCM is surely an underrated masterpiece written by Stephen King (SK)and excellently directed to become one of the most greatest horror film within SK movies. It isn't without its moments – Robert Rusler is pretty good as the gang leader and William Sanderson is always fun to watch doing his weird jittery thing – but the whole thing is painfully formulaic without an ounce of horror or even suspense. One of them perfect late 80's/ early 90's horror films set in small town America, great story, great acting from the main cast, great pacing and tension, effortlessly cool, there aren't really many special effects to speak of, apart from when the bad guys show their demon faces, the bad guys are cool thou, the epitome of a 50's greaser, complete with flick knife and Johnny Cash hair, and their car is cool as anything, a hot rod with flames roaring out the back of it, the ending is a bit rushed and a bit schmaltzy but it made me cry (because I could identify with it) and is another great King adaption, which is saying a lot as most King adaptions are a bit hit and miss, and the endings always seem rushed, just like his books, definitely a must see if you like small town American horror type films.. Especially since this is branded as a horror movie and it being based on a Stephen King novel.Well, let's just say that the years have definitely distorted the memories of what I had of "Sometimes They Come Back". But today, then the storyline was horrible and so generic to watch that it was almost painful.What carries "Sometimes They Come Back" most of the way was the cast ensemble, which includes Tim Matheson (playing Jim Norman), Brooke Adams (playing Sally Norman), Robert Rusler (playing Richard Lawson) and Nicholas Sadler (playing Vinnie Vincent). There was absolutely nothing scary in the movie at all, unless you are less than 5 years old and watch the three returned young men in the car turning into the dead. Nothing scary about 4 guys driving around in a black classic car primed with fire paint and flames shooting out of the exhaust, while they laugh maniacally.Now that I have revisited "Sometimes They Come Back" in 2019, I now know that this is a movie that I will never return to again. Odd really, considering how much I enjoyed most of the movie adaptations for Stephen King novellas back in the day.. Stop giving Stephen King movies happy Hollywood endings!. If you haven't watched any of the other adaptations then you'll need to know that almost every other story is set in a small American town where something supernatural takes place. It has horror cliches and Stephen King cliches, but either way, just cliches.I first watched it back when it was released in 1991 and thought it was okay - although not okay enough to ever bother buying on VHS back then and certainly not worth tracking down a DVD copy. It's about a family who comes to - yes, you guessed it - a small American town where the father (Jim Norman) is going to teach at the local school. Sometimes They Come Back has that original horror feel that typically only came from movies a little bit before its time. I have not personally read this short story yet.However, the fact that this film begins believably but then collapses at the end is proof that King is very hard to adapt. He returns to teach high school thirty years later and finds the same ghouls who killed his brother are in his class.I think this is is a least watching, it not total waste of time, i have have yet to read the book.This movie dose have really odd scenes that work really well with the pacing of the movie and those are the only two scenes that stand out from the whole and acting is really good for a TV movie.The ending was disappointing for me, it didn't work as they went with emotional ending.This movie more of Drama then a Horror movie,so don't expect anything Creepy,Gory or Scary at all.. The short story this movie is based on is pretty good, and the movie adaption was also worthy of Stephen King. This movie isn't great, but I think it is worth checking out, especially if you've read Stephen King's short story. Based on a short story by Stephen King...that was enough to get me to watch. Sometimes They Come Back is a made-for-TV adaptation of a Stephen King short story that I might have enjoyed a little more if the actors playing the bad guys hadn't laughed, jeered, whooped and hollered quite as much as they do. One by one enough students are slain so the thugs, disguised as living teens, can return to class.They plan to kill Jim in the same way they murdered Wayne in order to keep themselves out of Hell. Sometimes They Come Back (1991) *** (out of 4) A school teacher (Tim Matheson) returns to his hometown with his wife (Brooke Adams) and kid years after he witnessed his older brother get killed by a gang of teenagers who also died in an accident at the same time. SOMETIMES THEY COME BACK is based on the Stephen King short story and I think it translated to the screen very well. As a general rule of thumb, the book or short story of which a movie is based on is almost always better than the film. The story begins by introducing Jim Norman (played by Tim Matheson), a high school literature teacher forced to return to his hometown due to financial reasons. Despite the fact that this is a TV movie, it has the feeling of being one made for the theater with its creepy atmosphere, competent acting, and good story themes. The original King story was a bit darker in its ending and how Jim deals with the three hoods who've come back and I don't think it had the same emotional feeling that this movie did. Based on a short story by Stephen King, a man (Tim Matheson) and his family return to his home town, but he is then harassed by teenagers that died when he was a kid.This film has King written all over it: the use of a train, the idea of a problem for kids transferring over to when they are adults... The only Steven King movie I have seen that I consider better than "Sometimes They Come Back" would be "The Dead Zone" - MERK. The trademark of a successful thriller is the feeling that the main character is more and more alone & trapped in his fear, even if the family or the world is still present.This movie got it.Yes, the budget isn't those of blockbusters, and, sure, the editing (the cycle chase)and the story (the ghost car is visible or not,...) are sometimes goofy... The setting in a small country town is well painted and finally, the question is: - Does Stephen King is in a way involved in this good review ? I like horror, but i must say that the most horror movies are horrible in a negative way.I got negative and positive feelings about Sometimes they come back. However, the movie does happen to capture some of the things King is Notorious for putting in his stories...things he loves...The 50's, Rock music, fast cars, and very heavy plot points. The movie version of his story wants too much to be a good, but keeps falling short. The scenes from this film I mostly enjoyed was Jimmy Normans flashbacks from his childhood memories 27 years before as well as very cool and brutal Nick Sadler (Vinnie 'Vincent' Corey) and Richard Lawson(Robert Rusler) while slaying Jimmys students until they got they're own personal revenge on Jimmy for when they were killed 27 years before. What I liked about this film was the grimness/ darkness of the movie, which brings a shiver in my skin every time I watch it. Sometimes They Come Back starts with Jim Norman (Tim Matheson) returning to the town where he grew up after 27 years along with his wife Sally (Brooke Adams) & their young son Scott (Robert Hy Gorman) having had to take a teaching job there at the local high school. The town holds painful memories for Jim which come flooding back, all those years ago Jim's Brother Wayne (Chris Demetral) was killed in a train tunnel along with three teenage bullies who were trying to steal money off them, Jim was the only survivor. The script by Lawrence Konner & Mark Rosenthal was based on the short story by Stephen King which I have not read but is apparently quite different especially the ending which would not come as a surprise considering the ending that made it to the final finished film is pretty poor with far too much awful sentimentality which comes off as embarrassing & cringe inducing. A bit of a shame really as the rest of Sometimes They Come Back is decent & fairly watchable, the first twenty odd minutes plays out like a drama as Jim recalls the events of all those years ago in various flashbacks but then the story becomes more interesting when Lawson turns up out of the blue followed by his ghostly friends soon after. The acting was OK.Sometimes They Come Back is yet another Stephen King adaptation in a list that is seemingly endless, it's not the best but it's by no means the worst. The worst of the worst when it comes to Stephen King adaptations. A very below average adaptation of a Stephen King short story, hindered by being a TV movie. "Sometimes They Come Back" is one of the most highly regarded short stories by Stephen King and with good reason. This small screen adaptation actually makes an effort in conveying a few of the themes that King included in his original story. As the teacher who is tormented and haunted by the kids who bullied him at school and the murder of his brother, Tim Matheson is well cast. Jim Norman (Tim Matheson, Buried Alive) has moved back home to become a teacher, years after he watched his little brother Wayne get killed by a teen gang. Wayne asks Jim to join him in heaven, but he decides to stay alive.The book and novel differ greatly, with Jim's wife Sally (Brook Adams, The Dead Zone) being killed by the gang and his brother Wayne being a demon that he calls for revenge.Two sequels followed, Sometimes They Come Back...Again (which Becca recommends more than this film and I've been trying to buy her a copy, but it's near impossible to find on DVD) and Sometimes They Come Back for More.This is a decent film, directed by Tom McLoughlin, who also directed Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives. 27 years later, killed teenagers come back from the dead to get revenge on surviving brother. Tim Matheson stars as Jim Norman, a high school teacher who's having recurring nightmares about a boyhood trauma involving the neighborhood bullies that left most of the gang of hoodlums, as well as his brother dead. It doesn't help that the aforementioned deceased gang members are coming back one by one putting the lives of him and his loved ones in danger.This is one of the better Made-for-TV films based on Stephen King's short stories. Matheson does a pretty good job, as do most of the others in the cast (with the only exception being the kid who played Jim as a young boy) and the film managed to keep me interested throughout. This is the first King Adaption that I actually liked BETTER than the short story. In the book, it does not seem clear why they come back, other than he returned to the town?Also, in the Original King Version his wife Sally is killed by the ghosts and they do not have any children. Where as in the movie his Brother Wayne's Spirit actually comes back and helps. The bad ghosts return to where ever they came from and Jim and his dead brother (Wayne)get closure. Tim Matheson plays a man with wife and child who returns to his hometown where years ago his brother was killed by a gang of 50's style hoodlums.

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The Final Destination

College student Nick O'Bannon attends a race at the McKinley Speedway with his girlfriend Lori Milligan and their friends Hunt Wynorski and Janet Cunningham. Nick suddenly has a premonition of a terrible accident that sends debris into the stadium, killing several people and causing the stadium to collapse. In his panic, Nick inadvertently starts an argument with Andy Kewzer. Andy and his girlfriend Nadia Monroy, as well as racist Carter Daniels (who demands his wife stay) chase Nick and his friends out of the stadium, along with mother Samantha Lane, her children, and security guard George Lanter. When the accident occurs, George prevents Carter from going in after his wife and a scuffle ensues. As she is yelling at the group, Nadia is suddenly decapitated by a tire flying out of the stadium. Several days after the disaster, Carter tries to set a cross ablaze on George's front lawn blaming him for preventing him from saving his wife, but a chain of events causes his tow truck to start driving on its own and as Carter tries to regain control, he is grabbed by the towing chain and is blown up by his truck catching fire with the very gas he was using. The following day, Samantha is finishing up at a beauty parlor when a rock propelled by a lawn mower suddenly impales her eye and kills her. After reading about the events in the paper, Nick becomes convinced that Death is coming after them for evading their fates at the stadium. Hunt and Janet are dubious, but they manage to convince George about what is happening. The group arrives to warn Andy, but he is killed when a tank, propelled by a chain reaction from a faulty wench launches him through a chain link fence. After receiving a premonition involving water, Nick tries to warn Hunt, who has gone for one last conquest at the pool, while George and Lori try to find Janet, who becomes immobilized in a malfunctioning car wash. Hunt drops his lucky coin in the water after an accidental placement of a toy turned the pool's drain on. As he dives into the pool, he is pulled down to the drain where the pressure mounts, and his insides are eventually ripped into the draining system before Nick can rescue him. George and Lori rescue Janet from the car wash at the last second. Afterwards, George admits to having tried to commit suicide due to his family being killed in a car accident the year before that he believes was his fault, but every suicide attempt has failed. Lori believes saving Janet must have saved the rest of them from Death's plan and the group celebrates instead. Four days later, Nick then remembers a cowboy, Jonathan Groves, they had jeered at during the race who had changed seats prior to the premonition coming true. Nick and George track Jonathan down at a hospital, where he remained in traction recovering from the stadium's debris. After a bathtub left on in the floor above causes Johnathan's electric equipment to start sparking, falling from his bed and trying to cross the room, Nick and George witness him being crushed as the tub crashes through the weakened floor. Afterward, George is suddenly obliterated by a speeding ambulance and Nick realizes that Janet and Lori are still in danger. Tracking them down to a movie at the mall, Nick successfully saves Lori, but insistent that her life is no longer in danger, Janet remains as a chain reaction behind the theater causes an explosion and kills her. A multitude of explosions race Nick and Lori through the mall until they are trapped on a malfunctioning escalator and Lori is slowly dragged into the gears and killed. This is revealed to be a premonition, but in current time, Nick again fails to save George. At the mall, Lori begins seeing omens of death around her, but Janet convinces her to shrug it off. Having failed in his premonition, Nick runs back stage to stop the explosion. He is pinned down by a nail gun that activates itself as he tries to stop the fire from spreading to explosive materials. Nick activates the fire suppression system, successfully stopping the explosion and saving everyone. Two weeks later, Nick notices a loose stabilizer in scaffolding while heading to their favourite hangout "Death by Caffeine" and warns the construction worker about it, who fails to hear him. While talking with Lori and Janet, he comes up with the theory that his omens were red herrings meant to get them in the right place at the right time for Death to kill them. Just as he realizes this and sees another omen, the scaffolding outside collapses causing a truck to swerve and crash into the coffee shop. As the scene switches to x-ray Janet is crushed under the truck's tires, Lori is internally decapitated by the impact, and Nick is propelled into a wall and killed.

violence, flashback

train

wikipedia

For me, a rating of 5 out of 10 means I didn't like the movie, but I didn't hate it either."The Final Destination" is a 3D horror thriller gimmick. It's just killing people using a Rube Goldberg device or a flying object in 3D.Some of the special effects are good, and a few of the deaths are interesting, however, the film doesn't really do anything for me. Ellis' body bag-fodder isn't mitigated by whatever shallow entertainment an additional dimension might have brought.Eric Bress' script wastes no time in shaping its interchangeable characters as, apparently, Death has to immediately dive into placing its cardboard victims in intricate fatalities that have been the series' central gimmick. As per the franchise's tradition, Death won't be cheated and it starts to do anything -- like toppling cans and letting waters drip -- to create a ripple of events that would eliminate the survivors.Despite showing how lame entertainment can be entertainingly lame with "Snakes on a Plane," Ellis -- who also directed "Final Destination 2" -- doesn't strive for an ounce of creativity, resulting to a terribly disposable fare that fails to hit its its mark despite aiming so low. Usually, in the FD films, seeing the set up of the Rube Goldberg-like death scenes IS the suspense, but in here, they feel as if they come out of nowhere because of how rushed everything is. However, I'm willing to admit the only character I did feel sympathy for was played by Krista Allen, who plays a motherly role with an extremely short running time.However, there are other few things that I liked about the film (emphasis on the word "few"): There's a sequence in a salon and a car wash that have at least SOME suspense. I don't know if this counts but I also liked the opening credits, which I thought was ingenious, a montage of the previous films' memorable death scenes. While the very first movie had a spectacular, and some say too realistic for good taste in having witness from within a plane break up and explode upon take-off, this one had an adrenaline pumping race that got enhanced thanks to the latest gimmick in town, 3D.And while some films are presented in 3D format without exploiting its 3D elements to the maximum, The Final Destination milked every single sequence that it could. From the moment I saw the X-rayed-death-scene opening credit sequence with the hard rock cover of the creepy main theme of the series, I knew that the movie was not to be taken seriously, and a little help from the third dimension drove that idea home.The Final Destination is a caricature of itself and the the entire series for that matter. but i doubt this will be the final installment.these things are so cheap to make,what with their no name actors.maybe i'm just getting old,but i found myself bored out of my skull with this thing.i guess maybe i'm just not all that entertained by people dying in gross,disgusting ways anymore.that and i just found it all too absurd.not too mention the story is old hat.at slightly less than ninety minutes,this thing is slightly less than ninety minutes too long,in my opinion.for the fourteen to mid twenty crowd,i guess this might hold some value,and yes,it would have for me,at that age,and even beyond.until recently in fact.it's only been maybe two years since i realized i wanted more form my movie experience.one thing's for sure,when the next installment comes around,that's one destination i won't be going on.for me,The Final Destination is a 3/10. If you have watched 3 or more Final Destination movies...this film is definitely for you. Besides the fact the 3D was not used well, the acting was dreadful, even by horror movie standards(what happened to Bubba from Forrest Gump?) and the director did not take advantage of what he could have done with the 3D, it was like he read a book on directing and just did all the basic shots you are taught, when he could have got really creative with it. This movie gets 4 stars because of the following 2 stars- 3D 2 stars- acting of Nick Zano (hunt) I don't recommend this film, but if you are a big fan of The Final Destination and are ready to see gruesome deaths based on the same concept in 3D then this movie is for you.4/10. It is merely a marketing tool in order to extend a franchise that reached its zenith in the second movie and now proves there's only a limited number of ways you can kill off characters in a film before audiences stifle a yawn . It also means 1 ) The camera angles are unnatural 2 ) If you're watching this on a 2D television then the framing of the movie is unnatural and irritating There might be a third point and that is cinema still remains a narrative driven art form and no matter how a film is shot then if you're not compelled by the premise or plotting then everything else is secondary As some people have pointed this sequel does seem to talk down to its audience somewhat by having signs saying a certain container is combustible etc . I went out with some friends tonight and everyone wanted to see this movie, and it had been a long time since I saw a horror movie, so I thought it might be fun.I saw the original "Final Destination" when I was younger and thought it was an interesting idea, and that movie was pretty well done. However, seeing it sober as I did will be very painful, you have been warned.*****SPOILERS***** Also, while there are many goofs in this movie I'm sure, I would like to add that this film contains a HUGE plot hole towards the end that made me want to rip my hair out. Let's hope the next film in the "Final Destination" series will bring back the intricate and elaborate deaths, and also the fun and joy that was included in the first three.. And that's pretty much all that it took, with the end result being a movie that is very self aware of its roots, but still plays out as the runt of the Final Destination litter.Just as the director of the first one, James Wong, was brought back to direct part 3, the makers here bring back the director of part 2, David R. Which ultimately proves to be nothing more than some sort of nepotism like factor because The Final Destination is basically just over 82 minutes of poor acting, bad writing and a series of kills weaved together by the odd 5 minutes of barely relevant characterisations (the exposition as painful as the gory deaths!). There are plenty good movies which released recently, its better to watch em twice or thrice, rather than going for super-claimed, Final destination 4 in 3D, last of the series(thank god).Finally, i would rate it 1/10 just for 3D effect. There's all sorts of blood and cool CGI-effects blazing across the screen, it was just a very fun and exciting sequence.Obviously by now, everyone knows the most enticing aspect about these films: the highly original and creative deaths. Saying even a single word about the hugely inventive deaths in the film would completely spoil the whole point of the movie, but at a series high of eleven, The Final Destination displays the most kills of the entire series.The 3D works the very best in the film when it comes to the high-definition, CGI-laden premonitions, which are vastly different than the brief glimpses at future events that were in the first and second films (the third had a complete lack of person-to-person premonitions due to the interesting and vastly original picture-death system). The tongue-in-cheek thing is his specialty; he also directed Snakes on a Plane and the well-received Final Destination 2.What the third film succeeded in the most was three things: character development, highly realistic death scenes, and building tension to a massive boiling point. Where The Final Destination fails in building up much decent character development and in making the deaths hyper-realistic and disturbing, it succeeds in both a fun factor that wasn't present much in the other movies and building tension. One of my favorite things about the movie was the highly original opening credits sequence, which was sort of a lament to all of the series' death scenes. All this coupled with bad special effects and unimaginative deaths scenes we have a horror film that would work better as spoof comedy. Bobby Campo and Shantel VanSanten star as the main leads Nick and Lori, they fail miserably to give the audience any reason to care for their characters, Bobby gives the same "im slightly confused" look thought-out the whole film, shows no emotion what-so-ever.At a merciful one hour 13 minutes its thankfully only an hour or so of utter rubbish. As the franchise reaches its fourth and supposedly final instalment, one would hope that filmmakers would have liked to let the series go out with a serious bang, and to perhaps turn the plot in a new direction. Nevertheless, 'The Final Destination' confounds all positive expectations, and the result is a lazy, poorly-acted, predictable mess.Regular FD buffs will know how the film goes before the opening titles finish: big opening disaster witnessed in a vision, guy with vision saves group, group begins to die in intended order. If you've seen the ones with the airplane blowing up, the freeway pile-up and the roller-coaster accident, you'll probably not be all that surprised to find that the plot for The Final Destination is not much different: a bunch of kids narrowly survive a disaster—a crash at a racetrack that causes the collapse of the stadium—only to spend the rest of the film crapping themselves as death catches up with them one-by-one in spectacularly gory fashion. Part 4 in the series might offer very little new and require minimal thought for the duration, but like the others, it still proves to be a whole lot of fun, the convoluted manner in which the characters meet their fates being both very inventive and extremely gruesome—and this time around, it's all in 3D!Director David R. If literally tossing a mannequin made up to look like the character into a death trap would net you the same emotional impact as seeing the actual character meet their demise on-screen, it's time to hang it up.I haven't seen part 5 yet, and although I hear that it's better than this one, it really wouldn't take much.. This time around, after one pretty young thing, Nick (Bobby Campo), inexplicably has a premonition that saves himself and his friends from a freak accident at a racetrack, he learns that death can never be completely outrun and so proceeds through a series of elaborate set pieces all fastidiously prescribed by the demonic hand of fate, blah, blah, blah, nail gun, gasoline, chain-link fence. The 3D effects and high-definition picture quality in "The Final Destination" are beautiful, striking reminders of what technology can do, filling the screen with images so crystalline, so substantial – indeed, so real – it's often hard to tell where they end and the movie theater begins. I enjoyed the 3-D, I thought the actors were attractive enough to hold my interest, the deaths were wonderfully creative and gory, and in terms of strict formula and fun this film delivered.Most will think the plot was weak, and I suppose I have to admit to some degree that the movie is basically sleepwalking through the old formula we know so well. Final Destination 4 renamed as The Final Destination is actually almost the same as the previous three movies, it is just that there are different deaths...probably what a gore-hound would want to watch it for.The story: View the deaths in 3-D and expect lots of things coming straight to your view. The fourth installment to the popular FINAL DESTINATION series is indeed a good entry but unfortunately for those that expect to see something new from this entry will be disappointed, the plot is rather thin except for the standard part of the lead character having a premonition of a potential disaster and he along with his friends manage to avoid it and pretty soon death comes knocking on their door.I never saw any previews for this film before I watched it, but when I did see them I was surprised by how the death scenes were spoiled and there were a couple of good death scenes, but I think after seeing the previews this film would've really been spoiled for anyone that didn't see it first.The direction by David R. Ellis is certainly more tight than that of FINAL DESTINATION 2 which is also a good entry nonetheless, the acting is not as bad as others suggest, the cast of young people do pull off well above average performances and the effects are also not as bad as I was lead to believe.Overall, its a good entry to the series even though it offers nothing new in terms of the series, but try to avoid seeing the previews as they do spoil a lot of the death scenes.. Watching this movie made me think that it would've been better if they all died in the racing track...In the previous movies you could connect with the characters quite well and you wished them well in their pursue to cheat death, but here, every time they died it would put a big smile on my face because I knew that this get's me closer to the inevitable end. You're supposed to want them to evade death, but I just kept hoping that they would die and put me out of my misery.There is little of the imagination and ingenuity of the first three Final Destination movies. The movie is far from great but it's fun to watch while wearing 3D glasses.I knew going in that The Final Destination would not be a classic or even that memorable. basically everything goes like you would expect if you've ever seen any Final Destination movies before.Most deaths occur through methods intended to be compatible with the 3D system so generally people get impaled and such. I have been a fan of Final Destination since part 2 and I saw part 1 right after.This movie had a lot of bad reviews which made me not want to watch it. I love all the Final Destinations movies, I am huge fan of these movies and I even some of those clips on Phone to watch when I am on my way to work.I was really looking forward to this, I was dying to see this movie, I waited 2 years for this movie to come out.The plot On what should have been a fun-filled day at the races, Nick O'Bannon has a horrific premonition in which a bizarre sequence of events causes multiple race cars to crash, sending flaming debris into the stands, brutally killing his friends and causing the upper deck of the stands to collapse on him. There was something missing from deaths scenes in this and I just found some of deaths scenes a bit too silly, I could not seem them really happen.The other think I was really looking forward to movie was the 3D effect, I was really disappointed with the 3D effect in this movie, i wanted some thing like My Bloody Valentine which handle the 3D effect much better, The 3D scenes that did have in this movie were really good and I did enjoy those scenes.Acting from Nick was really bad for whole movie but Janet acting was not great too but did some good acting in the car wash scene but then quiet scenes she not that good, The rest of cast didn't bother me that much.I wish this is NOT the last Final Destination movie as it would be every disappointed end to the Series.I give this movie a 4 out of 10 just for some of the deaths scenes and the 3D effects.. All in all, The final destination wasn't the best movie I've seen but because i love this franchise, i think they did an excellent job.. The death scenes are, however, as deliciously elaborate as ever, including a neat sequence involving a cinema audience watching a 3D horror film not unlike 'The Final Destination' itself. The latest Final Destination horror flick features the usual human slaughter in 3-D and the intricate sequences leading to the doomed deaths remain the most interesting thing about the new film. As Final Destination movies go, the series fourth (and last hopefully) installment delivers the expected deaths and blood splattered, of course. I liked all of the previous final destination movies, but this 3D one I would not recommend to anybody.(as for the ending.. Then escalator and the car wash attack (though the car wash scene wasn't a death.) I still like the whole concept and I do hope they make another Final Destination movie that is improved. The sequences of the deaths are the threads of all the Final Destination movies. I think there have been four Final Destination movies so far, and each one is different (in the ways people die), but now there is a new wrinkle. Hey, I'm not a bad person just because I like these Final Destination movies. And when I say that it's the worst, I mean that while the movie is well-made and has lots of cool, gory deaths, I couldn't escape the need the producers had to overload the film with CGI, thus making the deaths look cheap and unrealistic.Aside from that complaint, this "Final Destination" entry was worth the trip, even if the series - like any other horror franchise - has become formulaic and if by now you don't know the drill, then what are you doing watching these movies? This film is similar to the other movies from the "Final Destination" series.Overall, this is a very bad film.

tt0337573

Antikörper

In Berlin, the pederast serial killer Gabriel Engel, who later admitted to brutally killing 13 boys and painted impressive religious works of art with their blood, is accidentally taken during an overnight operation. Commissioner Seiler is charged with the interrogation of the murderer. In the small village of Herzbach, memories of the unsolved murder of 12-year-old Lucy are still alive and the crime is attributed to Engel. Michael Martens, a police officer from Herzbach, decides to travel to Berlin to talk with Engel. During the case, he neglected his wife and children. In Berlin, it is assumed that there are parallels between the murders. The Berlin police are no longer able to get information from Engel. Martens tries his luck, and manages to persuade Engel to talk. However, Engel is playing a game with Martens during which reality and fiction blend more and more. Martens is soon convinced that the murderer of the girl is still at large. Martens, a devout Catholic, slowly begins to explore his dark side and begins a brief affair with a woman from the city. After Engel has ingested poison which he acquired through bribery, he has 48 hours to live. Finally, Engel tells Martens the story of the murder of Lucy, which he claims to have not committed, but only observed. He tries to throw suspicion on Martens' difficult 13-year-old son. The desperate Martens then decides to kill his son, but in the meantime, Commissioner Seiler finds out that Engel has committed suicide and that Martens has been tricked by Engel as a means to kill beyond the grave. Luckily, Seiler is able to find Marten before he goes through with it and saves him and his son.

mystery, cruelty, murder, flashback, good versus evil, insanity, sadist

train

wikipedia

tt0037415

The Uninvited

Roderick Fitzgerald and his sister Pamela are enjoying the last day of their holiday on the Devonshire coast in the spring of 1937. Walking on the beach with their dog Bobby, they climb a cliff and wind up in the garden of a large uninhabited house. When Bobby spies a squirrel and chases it into the house through an open window, Roderick and Pam follow, intending to save the squirrel from their dog. But the squirrel more than holds its own and escapes up the chimney after nipping Rick's hand.Once the crisis is past Pam notices how lovely the inside of the house is and decides to explore. It reminds them both of their childhood home, and they become enamored of it immediately. Pam becomes excited at the prospect of actually buying the house, and has an answer for each argument that Rick comes up with including the fact that Rick, who writes reviews of music for a newspaper, would be able to compose his own music. They decide to see about the possibility of buying the house, after Pam exclaims that "Important decisions must be made quickly."Discovering from a woman in the nearby village that the house, called Windward, is for sale, they go to call on the owner, Commander Beach. The Commander is not at home, but his granddaughter, Stella Meredith, welcomes them in to wait for him. But Stella's demeanor changes from warm and friendly to almost hostile when she discovers their purpose in visiting. While she tries to send them away her grandfather arrives home. Stella pleads with him to not sell the house, but he dismisses her and sits down to discuss the transaction.The Commander assures Rick and Pam that the house is sound, and that a lot of money was spent on it twenty years before when he gave it to his daughter Mary as a wedding gift. Rick and Pamela make an offer of 1200 pounds, which is considerably below the house's actual value. To their surprise, the Commander accepts their offer, saying that 1200 pounds in the bank for Stella would ease his mind. The commander asks whether they would be bothered by disturbances of which tenants had complained in the past. Pam and Roderick dismiss the hints at a dark past and the sale is made.Brother and sister go back to their new house to take a closer look, including a room that was locked and they were unable to explore before. The room is a painter's studio, and Pam exclaims it to be the one ugly room in the house. Rick thinks it would make a perfect room for his own studio. As they talk, the pair become less and less enthusiastic, and even begin to think they have made a mistake in buying the house. The howling of their dog below breaks their reverie, and they wonder why he refuses to climb the stairs to the floor above.Admiring a large window, they spot Stella outside on the lawn. Although Roderick seems to have no sympathy for her, Pam does, and tells Rick that Stella feels shut out of her own home now.Pam is set to stay on at the inn, but before heading back from Biddlecomb to London to make arrangements, including getting their furniture out of storage, and collecting Lizzie, their childhood housekeeper, Roderick visits the local tobacconist and buys some postcards of Windward, which leads him to explain that he is the new owner. The shop owner bemoans the fact that the previous tenants started ugly rumors, no doubt to get out of their lease and the debts they owed in the village. He also recounts how the Commander's daughter had died after a fall from the cliff by the house.Returning to his car, he meets Stella, who apologies for her rudeness the previous day. She mentions that her mother told her not to feel that way. Rick is puzzled, since he now knows that Stella's mother is dead, but Stella explains that she was referring to a portrait of her mother painted by her father. They discuss how unfair it is for her grandfather to hate the house just because his daughter died there. Rick decides to kidnap Stella for the afternoon, cancelling her plans for a library visit to get a new Dickens novel and some wool-matching in favor of a sail on a rented sailboat.Roderick's boasting of never getting seasick comes back to haunt him when he does just that. Stella gives him her handkerchief to wipe his brow and he recognizes the scent of mimosa. Stella tells him it was her mother's scent, and she has made a bottle of it sent to her by her absent father last for many years.Taking off for London, Roderick asks Stella to be sure and drop in on Pamela while he is away. She declines a ride home, and exclaims that she is happy that he and Pam will be living in the house.Weeks later Roderick arrives back after dark with Lizzie. Pam is annoyed since she wanted them to see everything while it was still daylight. Rick begins to call for Bobby, and Pam explains that the dog has wandered off. Pamela has done wonders with the house and Lizzie and Roderick are impressed. Rick asks Pam how Stella likes the changes, but Pam says she hasn't seen Stella at all, despite having invited her. Her grandfather rebuffed the invitations, and Roderick is confused since he was sure Stella would become friends with Pamela while he was away.Getting ready to turn in, Lizzie's cat Whiskey refuses to go up the staircase. Later Pam goes into her brother's room, seeming to want to discuss something. But his enthusiasm over the house changes her mind and she wishes him a good night's sleep and goes to her own room.Hours later Rick is awakened by the sound of a woman sobbing. Thinking it is Pam he goes out onto the landing, where she joins him. Pam explains that the cries have come before and she has searched for their source without success. She knows the sounds will die away at dawn, which they do. They both go back to bed, and Rick comes up with some unlikely explanations for the sounds as he returns to bed.The next day Rick visits Commander Beach to get information about the disturbances. Asking about the history of the house, he learns that the Commander's ancestors did not experience anything out of the ordinary. While talking Stella comes in, but her grandfather refuses to allow her to converse with Rick, and she leaves for church. Rick's thinking out loud touches on the fact that the noises started since Mary Meredith's death, which upsets the Commander greatly. Rick apologizes for implying his daughter haunts the house. As he is leaving the Commander insists that Stella will not set foot in the house, which leads Rick to realize the Commander actually does think the house is haunted.Stella meets Rick outside and arranges a visit to the house, unknown to her grandfather. After church she informs the Commander that she intends to befriend the Fitzgeralds no matter what. The Commander then telephones Miss Holloway, a woman who was Mary's closest friend and who now runs a retreat. He arranges to go to Miss Holloway's to discuss his fears about the house and Stella.Stella spends the evening at Windward and is taken with the way the house looks, and especially with her old nursery where she lived her first three years. She remembers a warm, loving feeling when someone would bring her a nightlight, and fear when someone else would remove it. Rick then shows her the studio where her father painted her mothers portrait, or more often, portraits of a Spanish model named Carmel. Stella asks Rick to play something on the piano and he plays a tune she's never heard before. When he stops to correct a note on his sheet music Stella realizes he wrote the music, and then he tells her its title is "To Stella, By Starlight."As he continues to play, the tune becomes sadder and sadder, and the candles dim by themselves. Then Stella's mood darkens and she rushes out of the room, and the front door, heading straight for the cliff edge where Mary died. Rick follows, catching her just in time; she says she had no feeling of danger at all. Pam comes out to bring them in to dinner and before they get back inside they hear Lizzie screaming. Lizzie tells Rick that she saw a crawling mist at the studio door, which was forming into the figure of a woman. Stella overhears her and while Pam and Rick attend to Lizzie, Stella returns to the studio, where Rick finds her unconscious. They send for Dr. Scott and put Stella to bed in the nursery. She explains that the studio tuned cold while she was in it and she became afraid, then fainted.Dr. Scott spends the rest of the night and they all sit up watching until dawn. Scott recounts all the stories revolving around the haunting and the history of Mary, Meredith and Carmel and the open scandal in the village. There was also a hint that Mary had been murdered by Carmel. Later they sense the aroma of mimosa, and see a small light in the nursery. Rushing in to check on Stella they find her at the window, at peace. Stella says she knows her mother is the presence in the house, and for the first time felt true love.Rick and Pam allow the doctor to take Stella home and tell her that she cannot return to the house. After Stella leaves Pam thinks that maybe the ghost is gone since it has now found Stella again. They check out this theory by going into the studio, but find the room as clammy and rotten as ever. Soon after, they hear the moaning again. Rick tells Pam that she was right about not having "a ghost" anymore because now he thinks they have two of them.Rick goes to visit Stella, and tells her she mustn't visit Windward ever again. He proposes that she go away with him, never to return. She begs him to take her to the house. He wants to tear it down and forget about the past. She promises she will find a way to return to the house and he promises to prevent it.Rick goes to Scott's where he finds Pam. Rick says Stella is being torn apart by the conflict. Pam suggests a séance at Windward, and Rick jumps at the idea, only he wants to rig the answers to set Stella's mind at rest by pretending the spirit of her mother wants her to stay away from Windward.That night the séance is held using an upturned wine glass and anagram letters. Stella tries to contact her mother and when she asks if she should stay away from Windward the glass goes to "No," much to the consternation of Rick and Scott who had been trying to push it towards the "Yes" card. Then a message is spelled out and Stella goes into a trance during which she begins to speak in Spanish. The room then is flooded with the scent of mimosa, followed by the dreaded cold. As the door bell rings and is ignored, a spectral shape begins to appear and a window is smashed by the Commander who has come to rescue his granddaughter.Scott drives Stella and her grandfather home, and is dismissed as the family doctor. After Scott leaves, Miss Holloway enters, and the sleeping Stella is carried to a waiting car for the drive back to Miss Holloway's retreat.The morning after the séance Lizzy is cleaning up the broken window glass and takes issue with the makings of the séance. Rick promises not to do something similar again and says they intend now to go looking for facts behind the haunting, but laments that all the principal players are dead. Lizzie corrects him, saying that the trained nurse, Miss Holloway is still alive (a fact she discovered while gossiping at her temporary housing with a local family, where she moved after seeing the ghost.)Unaware that Stella is there, Rick and Pam go to see Miss Holloway at her place, the Mary Meredith Retreat. Miss Holloway recounts the history of her time at Windward, stressing how evil Carmel was and how when Mary tried to get rid of her, she refused to give up Mary's husband and returned. Miss Holloway tells them that Mary died trying to prevent Carmel from throwing the baby Stella off the cliff. The next day Carmel came back to Windward with pneumonia and Miss Holloway nursed her until her death.After Rick and Pam leave, Miss Holloway goes to see Stella, who is a virtual prisoner at the retreat. She questions Stella about her experience at Windward and her dash toward the cliff.Before returning home the Fitzgeralds stop by to see Dr. Scott, and he pulls out an old journal from his predecessor. The journal hints that Miss Holloway had allowed Carmel to die through negligence. Scott is called to the Commander's house, to attend the old man who had an episode.Pam and Rick take the journal home to look for more clues, and the room suddenly becomes full of the mimosa scent. The book's pages turn by themselves, unseen. Scott comes to Windward and tells them that Stella is at Miss Holloway's. They decide to return to the retreat immediately since the thought of Stella being under Miss Holloway's influence is abhorrent. They telephone Miss Holloway and tell her they are coming back. Miss Holloway takes the opportunity to send Stella back home, but tells her she must go immediately to Windward.When Pam and Rick and Scott arrive at the retreat they discover that Stella has been sent back to Windward, and Miss Holloway descends into full blown madness.Stella arrives at a darkened Windward and goes inside. Following the sound of her name being called she goes up into the studio, where she finds her grandfather collapsed in a chair. Hed been notified by someone at Miss Holloway's and walked over to warn Stella. Soon the mist reappears and forms itself into a woman. Commander Beach dies at the sight and Stella is driven once again to the cliff, where she is rescued again just in time by Rick.Dr. Scott finds the Commander dead, and Stella says it was her mother that did it. The room is again flooded with mimosa and the journals pages fly open, this time seen by all. An entry in the journal tells of Carmel having a child and how Mary had rejected motherhood. The news means that Stella is actually Carmel's child, and Stella is happy at the news. Distant laughter is heard and it appears that Carmel has what she was waiting for and leaves Windward. Just then the ghost of Mary materializes on the staircase. Rick confronts it and defies the spirit with the truth. He flings a candelabrum at the specter, which dissipates.Flush with their victory over Mary they notice that Whiskey is going up the staircase. Rick says he thinks Bobby will come back, but Scott indicates that he and Pam have other plans for him. Stella remarks that Rick is still trembling and Rick, nodding towards the staircase, responds that "she might have been my mother-in-law."

insanity, gothic, atmospheric, haunting

train

imdb

The intricate plot will delight mystery fans and the acting by Ray Milland, Ruth Hussey, Gail Russell, Donald Crisp and Cornelia Otis Skinner is excellent. But the guilty secret he's been keeping all these years, a secret that involves Stella and her heritage, will not stay secret anymore and Roderick must face a vengeful ghost if he wishes to save the woman he loves.This is a really great ghost story, a true classic of the genre. Add the likes of veteran actors like Ray Milland, Donald Crisp, Ruth Hussey, Alan Napier, Cornelia Otis Skinner, and a charming newcomer in Gail Russell. The Uninvited is a first-rate ghost story about a secret this solitary, palatial house has, and it creates its suspense with things like creaking doors, lights faintly moving, wind blowing windows in(or out), barely audible whispers floating in the air, and ethereal images casting their ghostly shadows for the living's visual consumption. In its own way, The Uninvited book is equally as wonderful as the film, and the movie definitely keeps the gist of the story. It stars Ray Milland, Gail Russell, Ruth Hussey, Donald Crisp and Cornelia Otis Skinner. With a new special edition DVD recently released, and the likes of Martin Scorsese and Guillermo del Toro championing its cause by putting it on their lists of favourite frighteners, The Uninvited is proving its worth as an old sub-genre classic.Plot is pretty conventional stuff. The cast are very effective, with Russell really making a mark so early in her career, while Young's score is both sinister and tender (the song Stella by Starlight would become a popular standard) at all the right times.A genuine ghost story for those who prefer the sparing atmospheric touch to the noisy carnage approach. The ghost plot almost takes a backseat at times to the developing love story between Milland and Russell's characters, but this is not a problem since the film always remains intriguing. When their dog chases a squirrel, they need to break in an abandoned manor named Windward House and Pamela immediately falls in love with the real state and convinces her brother to invest his savings purchasing the house.They seek out the owner, Commander Beech (Donald Crisp), who lives with his twenty year-old granddaughter Stella Meredith (Gail Russell) far from the house, and he accepts their offer and sells the house for a very low price. They also discover that the house is haunted by two ghosts, one of them evil and the other one trying to protect Stella."The Uninvited" is a creepy ghost story, with a great performances and a good story. The Uninvited in this case are brother and sister Ray Milland and Ruth Hussey who take a seaside house to let in England. They truly were not invited by one of the ghosts who does her utmost to get rid of them as well as frighten Russell to death.The haunting cinematography sets the gloomy mood for The Uninvited and small wonder it got an Academy Award nomination for black and white cinematography. This is my first viewing of the movie and the beginning is very reminiscent of the contemporaneous duo Myrna Loy/William Powell in their repartee and tone of acting, but instead of a crime scene they are confronted with the "paranormal." Ray Milland and Ruth Hussey keep an upbeat lilt to their scenes and the added beauty and innocence of Gail Russell makes the tale special somehow. Besides, the crashing waves and and cliff-side mansion add a ton of atmosphere to a really good ghost story.Actually, it's as much a mystery movie as it is a haunting. A composer (Ray Milland) and his sister discover that the reason they are able to purchase a beautiful Gothic seacoast mansion very cheaply is the house's unsavory past.I entered into this film with the understanding that it is a classic. Milland throws in some humorous touches but he succeeds in keeping things in the scary, spooky film genre as opposed to the comedy ghost story genre, which is always a let-down. Ray Milland and Ruth Hussey are excellent as the brother and sister (Rodrick and Pamela Fitzgerald) purchasers of Windward House. The mystery that is the heart of the film's plot is long in the past, so all we receive are characters talking about it--telling us, and figuring out, a story.At that however, what might have been a 6 out of 10 from me, at best, was brought up due to the very clever dialogue, which usually contains a very subtle and quick sense of humor. On the downside, the dialogue was also a bit confusing every once in a while, especially given that two crucial characters in the mystery are a woman referred to as "Mary Meredith" and a man usually referred to only as "Meredith".The fine black & white cinematography is another bonus, as is the horror material (all in the guise of a haunted house) those few times that it is present. When Ray Milland and sister Ruth Hussey buy a house on the Cornwall coast the purchase seems ideal--particularly as Milland is attracted to the seller's granddaughter, beautiful Gail Russell. But once settled in, Milland and Hussey soon find they are not quite alone in their new home.The film is particularly notable for an "every day ordinary" style: there are no manipulative camera angles or unexpected editing tricks; there is no foreshadowing soundtrack; there are precious few special effects--and by refusing to use such time-honored elements, the story's ghostly elements seem all the more disturbing by comparison. The strong cast, which also includes Donald Crisp, Alan Napier, Cornelia Otis Skinner, is first rate and plays expertly, and Lewis Allen directs with restraint but never allows the pace to drag.THE UNINVITED is not a horror movie by any stretch of the imagination, and viewers who expect to rocked, jolted, shocked, and shuddered will probably be disappointed. An antique box of "Anagrams" sits on the shelf in my TV room -old friends know why.One thing no one has mentioned-when "Poltergeist" was made, the effects crew wanted to show the ghosts in the best way they could -guess which film they watched? While I enjoyed the former a great deal on my one and only viewing many years ago, I've always been rather underwhelmed by all viewings of the latter (I still intend to pick up the SE DVD one day) and actually consider its partial-remake, THE LEGEND OF HELL HOUSE (1973), to be a superior film.Anyway, back to THE UNINVITED: as can be expected due to its age and the circumstances under which it was filmed, the movie dispenses with most of the visual and sound effects we've come to associate with "haunted house" pictures. The only "ghostly" sound we hear is that of a woman sobbing which does get on one's nerves after a while (and, therefore, completely successful in its intentions) and the only "apparitions" are those of a cloud of smoke which transforms itself into the feminine figure of the ghost (whose identity I won't spoil here for anyone who hasn't watched the film yet); still, those fleeting moments in which it does appear do manage to send a chill down one's spine, particularly towards the film's climax – which, again proves (if any was truly needed) that all the technological advances in the field of special effects do not necessarily make today's horror films any scarier, let alone better.The film features a good cast: Ray Milland is his usual amiable self here and, unsurprisingly, is the one who finally confronts the ghost head-on at the very end; Ruth Hussey is his practical sister who usually gets her way; Donald Crisp is the stern landlord with a secret; Alan Napier is the kindly country doctor who joins the investigation for love of Hussey; the two I was most impressed with, however, were Cornelia Otis Skinner who plays the shady (and possibly lesbian) confidante of Crisp's dead daughter – she reminds one of Gale Sondergaard at times and I was very surprised to find out that her appearance here was only one of a handful she did for the cinema; and, best of all, the ill-fated Gail Russell (who was only 20 at the time and whose facial features are not unlike those of Hedy Lamarr) who plays Crisp's grand-daughter and is at the centre of the hauntings; according to the IMDb, Russell suffered paralyzing stage fright during the filming, used alcohol (which would be the cause of her untimely death at just 36) to summon up enough courage to get her through it and had a nervous breakdown after the film's completion! Apparently, the film is also notable for introducing a hit Victor Young tune, "Stella By Starlight", which in the film is supposedly the work of struggling composer Ray Milland, an on-the-spot inspiration when the Gail Russell character (named Stella) comes visiting one evening!. I can't think of any truly good haunted house films that have come from Hollywood in recent years. Then there's this film, The Uninvited, which I have read was the first serious attempt by Hollywood to tell a straight forward haunted house story. If this was truly a first serious effort in the genre, it's a darn good one.While vacationing on the English coast, Roderick Fitzgerald (Ray Milland) and his sister Pamela (Ruth Hussey) come across a long abandoned mansion. The owner, Commander Beech (Donald Crisp) is only too happy to sell in order to provide a nest egg for his granddaughter Stella Meredith (Gail Russell) and because previous tenants had spread rumors about the house being haunted by the Commander's deceased daughter, Mary Meredith, who met an untimely death by taking an unscheduled dive off a nearby cliff. All this is complicated by an added love story as Roderick begins falling for the young Stella, who is drawn to the house by the ghost of her dead mother who may or may not have good intentions. It's a genuine puzzling mystery film that will leave you guessing and a truly chilling ghost story with just enough romance and a few light comedic touches thrown in to top things off. Meanwhile, a young woman (Gail Russell) that the brother has fallen in love with is drawn to the house because she believes her mother's spirit lives there.The Uninvited is one of the earliest films to treat the ghost story seriously. If you have never seen this before but are interested in seeing an old black & white ghost story, I should warn you this movie isn't likely to frighten a modern viewer. The heavy darkness dominates the film and deepens the sense of dread.This is the sort of tale which done this way on the screen takes me from my own time and place and puts me in that house, hearing things, seeing things, unsure of but aware of the danger that is from a separate reality but has stepped into my reality and threatens me as it threatens the characters in the story.. These days, with the special effects available, the ghosts in the story would be awesome, but this 70-year old film didn't really need all that, it works just fine on every level.The film has a haunting quality, but that also has a lot to do with the stars, all of them gone now.Rick Fitzgerald (Ray Milland) and his sister Pamela (Ruth Hussey) buy a large house on a clifftop in Cornwall. The special effects are remarkably good as well.Ray Milland and Ruth Hussey play brother and sister Roderick and Pamela Fitzgerald, who come across an oceanside mansion named Windward. They also meet the commanders' 20-year-old granddaughter Stella, played by the enchanting and beautiful Gail Russell, and become determined to look out for her, even as Stella is drawn to that old house and prone to putting herself in danger.Something like "The Uninvited" would likely not suit all tastes when it comes to horror fans, but its subtlety is something to be respected. Supporting players Crisp, Cornelia Otis Skinner as nurse Miss Holloway, and Alan Napier as the helpful Dr. Scott are all excellent, but many eyes will likely be on Ms. Russell, who earns our sympathies quickly.The execution by director Lewis Allen is efficient from start to finish, and everything leads to a nicely satisfying resolution.Easily comparable to the later "The Haunting", "The Uninvited" is one of the better films of its kind.Eight out of 10.. An effective enough little ghost story that sustains a mood of Gothic mystery for almost its entire running time and then wraps everything up patly and rather hilariously in the last five minutes.You'll be able to spot the "twist" in the film from a mile away, but that doesn't spoil the enjoyment to be had from the movie's setting, a haunted house perched on the edge of a cliff in the English countryside. Thoroughly enjoyed Turner Classic Movie's Halloween presentation of the classic ghost story, "The Uninvited." Milland's character is much warmer and self-deprecating than his later performances. With the beautiful (but sad) Gail Russell, Ray Milland, Ruth Hussey and Cornelia Otis Skinner, this is a terrific movie of the period. I really liked, how the film combined horror with romance, which created a relationship between Ray Milland & Gail Russell, and was totally convincing..... It is one of those films with strange and ambiguous relationships between the characters.A brother-sister duo (Ray Milland and Ruth Hussey) is impressed by a large mansion while on a trip to a seaside town. Uninvited, The (1944) *** (out of 4) A brother and sister (Ray Milland, Ruth Hussey) buy an old house and soon begin to hear crying and other strange noises. "The Uninvited" (1944) takes place on the English coast where a brother and sister (Ray Milland and Ruth Hussey) become enchanted with and move into an old seaside house that has stood uninhabited for years. One could say this is Hitchcockesque, except for its pervasiveness: Hitch usually uses his comic relief more sparingly; when he doesn't, the difference is that between a humoresque "The Trouble With Harry" and the allegro con suspense "North by Northwest." Interesting that writer Cornelia Otis Skinner plays Miss Holloway in "The Uninvited," as Russell had her first starring role as the author later this same year, 1944, in the movie version of the autobiographical novel "Our Hearts Were Young and Gay," co-written with Emily Kimbrough. I'm a big fan of classic supernatural movies, and The Uninvited is an enjoyable ghost story that takes the subject seriously, but it does have a few flaws. Set in Cornwall, it tells a simple story in which Ray Milland and Ruth Hussey play the new owners of a large house on the coast. The story follows Milland and his sister (Ruth Hussey), who buy a supposedly haunted house in Scotland. The film features Ray Milland and Ruth Hussey in the lead roles, brother and sister who happen to come onto a sea-coastal house located in Cornwall, England. Ray Milland is the handsome hero and Gail Russell is the lovely young lady who seems to attract considerable attention from the ghost.One of the elements that I liked best about the movie was the music, the song, Stella by Starlight. Lewis Allen directed this superb haunted house film that stars Ray Milland & Ruth Hussy as Roderick & Pamela Fitzgerald, two siblings who buy an abandoned and isolated Seaside house on the English coast in 1937. It is sold to them by Commander Beech(played by Donald Crisp) who is cagey about its past, though his granddaughter Stella Meredith(played by Gail Russell) is at first reluctant to see it sold, but later changes her mind, and a romance brews between her and Roderick, though disturbances in the house(a disembodied woman's crying) leads them to believe they have a ghost, prompting them to investigate its past, which involves Stella and her old Nurse Carmela, who is also haunting the home...What is really going on? Milland and Hussey are good but Russell is terrible and Cornelia Otis Skinner is LOTS of fun as a villainess.So a serious spooky ghost story. Gail Russell takes the role of Milland's love interest but her part plays a far more vital role in the final outcome, Alan Napier is in as the local doctor and performs with gentleman-like professionalism while Cornelia Otis Skinner almost steals the limelight from the rest and delivers an enigmatic performance.On an overall scale, The Uninvited is a well-made haunted house horror that utilises its resources quite well to keep the audience's interest alive but it's not scary, or maybe time has diminished its scare factor by a great deal. Director Lewis Allen's 1944 film "The Uninvited" features Ray Milland as Roderick Fitzgerald, a composer from London who, on holiday with his sister Pamela (Hussey) comes across an abandoned mansion by the sea. As expected, strange things begin to happen in the house - scared pets, cold rooms, mysterious sounds – which rattle the pair, yet inspire them to explore the history of the house, and the lives of its former occupants further, exposing a secret that could threaten the life of Stella, a young woman that Roderick has become very fond of."The Uninvited", shot in black and white, is a great spooky film. This movie is one of the scariest ghost story films I have ever seen. Based on Dorothy Macardle's best selling novel, and directed by the wonderful Lewis Allen, this wonderful mysterious film stars Ray Milland, Ruth Hussey, Donald Crisp, Cornelia Otis Skinner and introduces Gail Russell to film audiences. Well acted and photographed for its time, the story tells of spirits that linger in the house, recently purchased by Milland and sister Hussey, that seek revenge for something that happened in the past which caused Gail's departed mother to leap off the cliff into the sea.

tt0974661

17 Again

Popular high school senior Mike O'Donnell (Zac Efron) seemingly has it all. He is a star athlete headed straight for a college scholarship when he decides to give it up to settle down with his high school girlfriend Scarlet is pregnant. Twenty years later, an adult Mike (played by Matthew Perry) finds his life is not exactly what he expected. He is separated from his wife, Scarlett (Leslie Mann) and living with his wealthy software genius nerd and best friend Ned Freedman (Thomas Lennon), his career at a pharmaceutical company is at a stand still, and his relationships with his teenage children are nonexistent. After getting passed up for yet another promotion at work, he returns to his high school to reminisce over his basketball awards and the life he could have had. While he is reliving his glory days, he is approached by a janitor and shares with him how things were so much better when he was 17. As Mike is driving home from the high school, he sees the mysterious janitor standing on the ledge preparing to jump into the Los Angeles River. Mike rushes out of his car to rescue him, but when he gets there, the janitor has vanished. What Mike doesn't realize is that he is about to fall into the river and turn into his 17 year old self. Young Mike (Zac Efron) returns to Ned's house, where he has the difficult task of convincing Ned that he is in fact Mike. At a loss of what to do, Ned pretends to be Mike's father and they register Mike back in high school to finish the life he never had the chance to live. High school presents a lot of new challenges for Mike, such as dressing cool, keeping up with the latest gadgets and making new friends. But nothing compares to being in high school with his own children. He discovers that his daughter, Maggie (Michelle Trachtenberg), is not nearly as innocent as he thought she was and his son, Alex (Sterling Knight), is the brunt of the star athlete's jokes. But Mike's most difficult realization is that he hasn't been a very good father or husband. Mike befriends Alex and tries to instill him with enough confidence to join the basketball team. He gets close to Maggie's obnoxious boyfriend and does everything in his power to break them up. Most importantly, he visits an unsuspecting Scarlet and rediscovers all the things that initially made him fall in love with her. You don't know what you have until you lose it. Through his experiences, Mike realizes that he had chosen the perfect life he just never appreciated it. Now, he must figure out a way to transform back into his older self and win back his wife and kids. *Info from comingsoon.net*---------------------In 1989, Michael O'Donnell was the star of the high-school basketball team, with a college scout in the bleachers ready to watch his championship game and a scholarship guaranteed for him if he played well. Just as the game is about to start, he sees his girlfriend Scarlett by the bleachers. He blows her a kiss, then goes to her when she looks very troubled. She tries to pretend everything is fine, but finally she tells him she's pregnant. The game starts, but he can't think of anything but Scarlett, and when he sees her leaving, he tosses the ball away and walks away from the game and the scholarship to marry her.Twenty years later, Mike's life is a mess. Scarlett has separated from him, forcing him to move in with his high-school best friend Ned Gold, now a geeky millionaire software developer, and his kids Maggie and Alex are distant and want nothing to do with him. At his job, his boss passes him up for a promotion in favor of a woman the boss likes who's far less competent, and Mike explodes at the boss and is fired. He stops by his old high school on the way home, sees his 1989 team photo in the showcase, and reminisces about the life he threw away. Then he encounters a mysterious janitor who asks him if he really wishes he was a teenager back in high school again, and he does. On the way home, he sees the "janitor" apparently ready to jump from a bridge and he tries to stop him, but the janitor suddenly disappears and Mike falls in the river himself, where he's magically transformed back to age17.After he convinces Ned who he really is, Mike decides he's been given the chance to live his life over again "but to do it right" -- to win the basketball scholarship and go to college. With Ned posing as his father, he re-enrolls in high school under the name "Mark Gold," living with Ned in his mansion full of high-tech toys. But as he starts to fit in to school life, he realizes his daughter is dating the sadistic basketball captain Stan, who only wants sex from her, and that Stan is also bullying and tormenting his son. Gradually, "Mark" realizes that the real reason he's been given another chance in life is to help his children and try to win back Scarlett's love. He befriends Alex and discovers that his son has real talent in basketball and can hit 3-point shots effortlessly. He works with Alex to sharpen the rest of his game so he can win a place on the team and the girl of his dreams. As Alex and Mark practice shooting baskets together every day at Alex's house, Scarlett is amazed how much her son's new friend looks like her ex-husband looked in 1989.Mark starts helping Scarlett landscape her back yard, because she hopes to start a landscaping business. He gains a new appreciation for her talents, but he frequently comes close to her or touches her in ways she considers inappropriate between an adult woman and a teenaged boy. He also comforts Maggie when Stan dumps her for refusing to "put out." He tells her that someday she'll find a guy who treasures her the way she deserves, but he's horrified when he realizes Maggie is starting to think that guy is HIM. He tells her he can't get involved with her because he's already in love with someone else, someone secret.The basketball team wins a come-from-behind game, with Mark doing a lot, but Alex makes the winning 3-point shot. Meanwhile, Ned has been smitten with Jane, the high school principal, since the first day he went to her office to enroll his "son," but his geeky attempts to impress her have done nothing but disgust her. Finally, in return for buying laptops for all the students in the school, she agrees to go to dinner with him on the same night that Mark has announced a party at his house to celebrate winning the game. Mark tells only certain people about the party, but kids text it everywhere and the whole school shows up.Ned's romantic dinner with Jane is going nowhere until he finally admits that he's always been a loser with women. He's really just a geek, obsessed with The Lord of the Rings. She slowly smiles, and starts talking to him in Elvish -- one of the languages in The Lord of the Rings -- and he realizes that she's also a Lord of the Rings fanatic. After a seductive conversation in Elvish, Ned and Jane go back to his house for romance, but they find Mark's party completely out of control with hundreds of kids everywhere. Scarlett is also there, looking for Alex, and Mark's feelings for her are so strong that he can't control himself and he tries to kiss her in front of all the kids. Scarlett is appalled and slaps him, then runs away with Mark following her, shouting that he's her husband and the father of her children. Maggie and her friends all see this and are disgusted, especially Maggie, because Mark had told her he was in love with someone secret, and now she sees him trying to kiss her own mother.The next morning, cleaning up the chaos after the party, Ned reminds Mark that the hearing for Mike O'Donnell's final divorce decree with Scarlett is in 20 minutes, and they rush to the courtroom. Ned pretends to be Mike's lawyer, and they're being thrown out when Mark says he's there to read a letter that Mike has written to his wife. Scarlett agrees to hear the letter, and Mark reads it with emotional power in his voice that astonishes her, plus details about their courtship that only her husband could have known. Mark finishes by saying that, since he sees that she doesn't want him in her life anymore, he's content to let her go because he loves her so much. After Mark finishes and is forced to leave the courtroom, Scarlett picks up the "letter" and discovers it's just a piece of paper with directions to the courthouse on it. Mark wasn't reading a letter at all but somehow knew all the things he had told her. She asks for the divorce decree to be postponed.Mark tries to forget about Scarlett and concentrates on basketball, because winning the scholarship and going to college seem to be the only thing he has left for him. On the day of the championship game, where Mark and Alex are playing and Maggie is cheerleading, Scarlett is looking at her high-school yearbook and realizes that Mark doesn't just look similar to her husband at 17, he looks EXACTLY the same. Then Maggie reminds Scarlett she's supposed to drive her to the game, and Scarlett stays to watch.As the game is about to start, Mark sees Scarlett in the bleachers. He blows her a kiss, using a gesture identical to the one Mike had used in 1989, when he was playing in the same championship game and saw her standing by the bleachers. Scarlett finally realizes that Mark really IS her husband, somehow turned 17 again. She realizes all the reasons she loved him then and still loves him, but she knows she can't possibly make her life together with a 17 year-old boy. Also, she realizes that knowing she's there in the bleachers watching him could put him in the same situation as before, and she can't risk making him lose his college scholarship again. She leaves, going down the same corridor she used when she left the game in 1989.Mark sees Scarlett leaving, forgets about the game and walks away, just as he did in 1989. He hands the ball to Alex, saying this time it's his turn, and runs down the corridor after Scarlett. We see the mysterious janitor smiling in the stands, and by the time Mark catches up to Scarlett, he's the adult Mike O'Donnell again. Mike tells Scarlett he's made a mess of his marriage because he spent the last 20 years resentful at her for losing him his chance to go to college, but now he realizes his family is the only thing that matters to him, and he asks for another chance.A few days later, Mike goes to Ned's house to get his stuff and return his key. He finds Ned in bed with Jane, both of them wearing Elf ears. Mike thanks Ned for all he's done, and Ned gives Mike a parting gift, a whistle for his new job, because Jane has made Mike the new coach of the high school basketball team.

romantic, humor

train

imdb

As we've seen many movies like this before: Big, 13 Going on 30, and Freaky Friday, we always love to see the retelling of the old classic story of the switching age. I'm going to get this out, I am one of the rare girls that just doesn't get the whole Zac Efron heart throb thing, I agree that he's cute, but with mainly High School Musical only being his claim to fame other than Hairspray, he is adorable, but can he act? I can't believe I'm saying this, he was actually a good strong lead role and a perfect fit, he has charisma, he's funny, charming and makes this story worth your time and money.In 1989, Michael O'Donnell was a star athlete with a full college scholarship imminent. He realizes that his real mission is to help his children as well as finding out that maybe his decision wasn't the worst he ever made in his life.We go a little Back to the Future-esquire when we get on the creepy level of Michelle Trachtenberg having a crush on Zac Efron who is her father, just that she can't recognize him, it's understanding, but still makes you squirm, but the director and actors pulled the scene off pretty well with getting out of that yucky situation. Twenty years later, Mike (Matthew Perry) is a complete loser that blames Scar for his failures: he is not promoted to sale manager after working sixteen years in the same company; Scarlett (Leslie Mann) is divorcing him; his teenagers son Alex (Sterling Knight) and daughter Maggie (Michelle Trachtenberg) hate him; and he is temporarily living with his best friend, the eccentric and immature millionaire Ned Gold (Thomas Lennon). The script was hilarious and had a full good plot line, the casting was great (Zac Efron really made you believe he was married with children... The daughter didn't really seem to have a personality, now I'm not totally sure if this is down to Trachtenbergs terrible acting (one of very little who deliver poor performances actually) or poor character development but something was wrong there.I don't really rate the cinematography, but I don't think it's something to be taken quite seriously in teen films. I honestly thought it would be High School Musical-like but it turned out to be a nice movie to watch. Right before the game that could make him into a star, Scarlet tells Mike she's pregnant, Mike makes a drastic and life altering decision and runs out of the game to be with her giving up his chances of becoming a basket ball star, now 20 years later Mike's regretting it all and wishes he could do it all over again, and by some miraculous way he does.17 again is a cool and stylish what if movie, it brings to light the question of what if you could change your life, if you could live it all over again.What would you do different? The film was better.I was laughing so much, that I missed in between dialogue by some of the characters and it was the perfect film to help you unwind after doing a days worth of work or revision.When the opening scene started, I was so worried that the whole film was going to turn out as some kind of adaptation of high school musical and there'd be a song every 15 minutes. In some places, he seemed so much like Matthew Perry which is difficult to pull off for most Amateur actors.The only reason I didn't give this movie a 10 out of 10 is because some people I watched this movie with believed it had an 'abrupt ending' but I thought you can't have too much of a good thing.. With elements of Big and 13 Going on 30, not to mention It's a Wonderful Life and Back to the Future, 17 Again is a pretty enjoyable meshing of those movies considering the cast which has Zac Efron, Michelle Trachtenberg, Leslie Mann, Margaret Cho, Thomas Lennon, and Melora Hardin. My friends and I started to grin and sneeringly guess what was going to happen later in the film, and guess what: most of the time, we were right.We've all seen this movie before - it's been pieced together from the discarded carcasses of films past, by a flock of vultures seemingly so unaccustomed to originality in film-making that they have been rendered unable to create any plot twist even slightly unexpected or interesting. A scene simply there to make most teenage girls squeal and so the rest of the film follows this formula.Mike O'Donnell (Matthew Perry) wishes that he could somehow change his past, go to college as he dreamed, play basketball and live happily ever after. Thomas Lennon as Mike's best friend is funny but he also over acts and at times you can;t help but feel he has had much too much screen time.Overall, 17 Again is more focused on Zac Effron's talent than plot or jokes. When i was going to see this film,i thought to myself that Zac Efrom was going to be all over this film showing off and all the girls in the cinema(which were about 95% of)would jump onto the screen and try and lick it.That wasn't the case at all.This film had been really funny and the star was of course Mr Efron himself.Efron's jokes were very well done and the way he handled himself around his family was fantastic.I would be the same thing if i went back to 17...although i am 15 right now.Matthew Perry was easily the lead in to efron,and he played it very well.Leslie's performance was a decent one.Michelle's was great at playing the horny,attitude,whatever teenage daughter.As for the loser son he was good as well as he turned from zero to hero.Overall this film had a cleaver story and quality acting that will make this film stand out as a comedy hit.. Since I knew what the film basically was going to turn out to be, I was just looking to see if the makers, actors and actresses did it right.When it immediately started off with Zac Efron shirtless, I knew it was going to be a good movie, haha, joking, but seriously, in the end, I was very pleased with how this turned out. Yes, this film of course isn't a masterpiece, but I really thought it was very well done and overall lots of fun!Zac Efron gives a great performance as a teen Mike O Donell and the supporting actors and actresses are all likable and believable in their parts as well, which I found to be even more enjoyment, considering that a lot of films today have teens that couldn't act their way out of a bag. I laughed, I didn't cry, but was really touched at times and then at the end, I nodded my head in approval for 17 Again was a really nice and satisfying teen flick that deserves it's over average rating and any positivity it gets.My favorite things were Ned's geekiness and Zac Efron's quirky humor with his daughter and son throughout the film. a friend recommended this one to me and I had heard some very bad reviews, from some critics, people who don't really like Zac Efron and so on.I'm glad I finally made up my mind and decided to give this one a chance. This movie made me laugh at times, made me tear up at the right parts and most of all, it made me think.Matthew Perry was great and I think Zac Efron should really give more dramatic roles a chance, since he proved to me on this one, that he can act. Matthew Perry is excellent as Mike O'Donnell although his role isn't that long, Zac Efron is quite good in his performance of young Mike, with this role he can tell that he has a promising career after HSM ( thank god), Leslie Mann is convincing enough as Perry's wife Michelle Trachtenberg is also good and Thomas Lennon is terrific as Matthew's all time friend Ned, he is so funny that the movie is worthy just to watch him on it. Of course there was the cheesy factor but you must admit it we all want to watch a cheesy movie once in a while.And oh my Zac Efron knows how to act! You know, I've never really understood the craze around this film's star, but the supporting cast of Matthew Perry, Leslie Mann, Thomas Lennon, and Michelle Trachtenberg was enough to make me interested. However, the best thing about the movie is the charisma, likability, and flat out wonderful leading man show from Zac Efron, who is definitely a lot better than I gave him credit for.'17 Again' really isn't anything you haven't seen before, but what sets it above other movies like it is the cast, especially Efron and Lennon. Efron plays a role similar to what he's done in the High School Musical series (actually, I thought I was watching the wrong movie when this one started), but this time it's his ability to channel the mindset of a man 20 years older than he actually is, in addition to being the same charismatic young man that teenage girls fall over for that makes him a big winner in this one. Matthew Perry is also underused, but it's Efron's version of the character that really counts, and Perry does his best to channel Efron's mannerisms while blending some of his own (everyone loves the sarcastic side of him).This movie is not without its faults however, the biggest one being the total awkwardness brought on by the events in the movie...subplots involving the main character's daughter and awkward scenes with Efron and Mann ultimately fail on screen (while they sound funny, they just don't play out in the way the film makers hoped), making for some moments that should have you squirming in your seat.'17 Again' is a simple movie that should please its audience. As far as acting goes, Zac owned this movie, he is showing that he can mature up to his role and not be like how he is in high school musical, ill definitely look forward to where his career takes him now that hes gone from Disney. And, let's cue the body swap movie.In order to get us, the audience, where we need to be which is watching Zac play out this 17 again life while maintaining his middle aged knowledge, Mike (Perry) falls into a Twilight Zone type of vortex where the switch happens. Still riding on the undeniable success of the 'High School Musical' franchise, Zac Efron steps aside the musical genre to front comedy '17 Again', in which he plays the younger counterpart of a moody thirty-something year old who spends his days regretting not following his own dreams as a teenager in order to stand by his pregnant girlfriend. Mike O'Donnell, played by both Zac Efron and Matthew Perry (with an ability that credits them both as comic actors), is given the chance to change his life for the better when a strange accident leads to his becoming a teenager once again.The surprise for this viewer with '17 Again' was that the content and tone of the film was in considerable contrast to how I originally perceived the package; from the use of Disney's current poster boy to the concept of the film itself, the movie on paper could read like an exercise in crowd-pleasing for the masses of Efron's female fans that its release would be bound to attract. He's 17 again for another reason entirely.Efron, Thomas Lennon, Matthew Perry, Michelle Trachtenberg, Melora Hardin, Leslie Mann, and Nicole Sullivan all give excellent performances, with Lennon's character definitely being the showiest and most fun. I was not very interested in watching 17 Again,but I decided to do it because of the presence of some solid comedians on the cast and the fact that it was directed by Burr Steers,who some years ago impressed me with the film Igby Goes Down pretty much.I obviously could not expect something as unpredictable and subversive on this family comedy,but I considered that his presence would add something interesting to the formula of "adult mind in a young body" as a possibility.Unfortunately it was not like that,and 17 Again resulted to be a boring rehash of the old formula.I think I have seen about 10 movies about body,minds or ages (whatever) exchanges,from the original Freaky Friday to its remake,without forgetting the wave of 80's movies with a similar story (Big; Like Father,Like Son; Vice Versa; Dream a Little Dream...have I forgotten any?).The first half of 17 Again is unbearably tedious,because it was constructed by elements from all the previously mentioned films.The second half gets a little bit better,but it is still boring.Besides,this movie is full of sentimental clichés we have seen many times,and the comedians whose work I enjoyed on other occasions (Matthew Perry,Melora Hardin and Nicole Sullivan) do not have much to do.Besides the episode from Saturday Night Live in which he participated and his role on the movie Hairspray (2007),I had not seen anywhere else to the famous Zac Efron,so I was not very familiar with his work.After having seen him for first time in a leading role in 17 Again,I have to say his performance lacks of weight and deepness,even though he shows some charisma.Like other juvenile actors (like Michael Cera or Jonah Hill),he seems to be destined to interpret the same character for a very long time,something which is not precisely bad...when the material is not bad.Unfortunately,17 Again qualifies as bad material, and it is a boring movie,which does not offer too many positive elements,so I do not recommend it.. This is one of those Zac Efron movies which made me a big fan of his, where he totally nails it good along with a perfect partner that is Thomas Lennon, who indispensably did a pretty fine job too and added his unique touch on the movie.17 Again granted us a quite entertaining experience for a concept that is too sensitive to play with, and might go in a really bad way in case of not being handled properly. This isn't a particularly original movie the plot is strung together with a load of clichés we've seen in many other romantic comedies and body swap flicks the performances are the best thing about it Matthew Perry isn't really given a chance to shine as the older Mike this is the Zac Efron i was concerned about this role thinking it would be a retread of his performances in those dreadful High school musical comedies but i was surprised Efron was Charming , engaging and very sweet he is not just a pretty boy with a nice haircut who showed off his dramatic chops pretty well especially a very moving court scene where he reads a letter that was written by the older Mike trying to not only rekindle the relationship with the great love of his life but to also tell her the older Mike is trapped inside of him . Considering the fact that the premise of this film (old/young body/soul swapping) has pretty much been done to death in varying decades, "17 Again" is surprisingly effective at rendering the concept funny once again in 2009.For a basic plot summary, this film sees an adult Mike O'Donnell (Matthew Perry) dissatisfied with his life and pining for the promise of his high school career once again. Well, thanks to a magical school janitor (one should always watch out for those characters!), he is put back into the body of his former teen self (Zac Efron) for a "do-over". Personally, not a huge Zac Efron fan, didn't think he did a very good job in the movie. My favorite scene was the date with the high school principal and Lennon's character speaking to her is elfish language.Overall, 17 Again is a good movie despite being a formulaic comedy. The main young actor ZAc Efron played well surprinsingly, hopefully for him he'll be offered other interesting roles like this one, it is a pity that Matthew Perry had only a small role, the pretend dad was hilarious, the scene with Mark's kids and wife were predictable but very funny overall. Back in his 17 year old bod (Zac Efron looking like a young Rob Lowe), Mike oversees the trials and tribulations of his two kids who attend the same school, whilst also forming a "special" bond with his future wife Scarlet (Leslie Mann) who is going to divorce him! And after years spent bemoaning the life of athletic glory he never got to experience, Mike learns that there's really nothing more important in life than being a good husband and father to one's family.Despite game performances from the two Mikes (Matthew Perry and Zac Efron), "17 Again" suffers from an ill-conceived premise, labored slapstick routines, and an overabundance of sappy life lessons to go along with all the standard teen-movie hijinks. This is something kids will enjoy and adults won't mind watching with them, maybe I am giving a more positive review of this film than it deserves, but I had such a low expectation of this movie that the good parts about it seemed much more better than it probably really was. this film pleasantly surprised me.i figured it would be the usual age switch movie with all the usual cliché and stereotypes.but it wasn't.it was well acted,and well written.it had a good storyline and it wasn't schmaltzy or overly sappy.Zac Efron who played the teenage Mike O'Donnell was very good in the role.Matthew Perry was good as the Adult Mike O'Donnel,but his role was fairly limited.but i really liked the quirky character of Ned Gold,portrayed by Thomas Lennon.Lennon was very good in the role.overall,even though the ending was predictable,i found the film to be very pleasant entertainment.for me,17 Again is a strong 8/10.

tt1094581

BioShock

=== Setting === BioShock is set in 1960 in the underwater city of Rapture; the city's history is mostly revealed via audio recordings the player can collect during the game. Rapture was planned and constructed in the 1940s by Objectivist business magnate Andrew Ryan who wanted to create a utopia for society's elite to flourish outside of government control. Scientific progress greatly expanded, including the discovery of the genetic material "ADAM" created by sea slugs on the ocean floor. ADAM allows its users to alter their DNA to grant them super-human powers like telekinesis and pyrokinesis. To protect Rapture, Ryan imposed a law that no contact with the surface world was allowed. Despite the apparent utopia, class distinctions grew, and former gangster and businessman Frank Fontaine used his influence of the lower class to plan a coup of Rapture. Fontaine profited by creating black market routes with the surface world, and together with Dr. Brigid Tenenbaum, created a cheap plasmid industry by mass-producing ADAM through the implanting of the slugs in the stomachs of orphaned girls, nicknamed "Little Sisters". Fontaine used his plasmid-enhanced army to attack Ryan, but reportedly was killed in the battle. Ryan took the opportunity to seize his assets including the plasmid factories. In the months that followed, a second figure named Atlas rose to speak for the lower class, creating further strife. Atlas led attacks on the factories housing the Little Sisters, and Ryan countered by creating "Big Daddies", plasmid-enhanced humans surgically grafted into giant lumbering diving suits who were psychologically compelled to protect the Little Sisters at all costs. Ryan also created his own army of plasmid-enhanced soldiers, named "Splicers", which he controlled using pheromones distributed through Rapture's air system. Tension came to a head on New Year's Eve of 1958, when Atlas ordered an all-out attack on Ryan. The battle left many dead, and the few sane survivors barricaded themselves away. What once was a beautiful utopia had fallen into a crumbling dystopia. Some of the events described above are revisited and expanded upon in the downloadable expansion BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea, which takes place in Rapture during the latter months of 1958 and leads up to Atlas' assault on Ryan's forces. === Plot === In 1960, at the start of the game, player character Jack is a passenger on a plane that goes down in the Atlantic Ocean. As the only survivor, Jack makes his way to a nearby lighthouse that houses a bathysphere terminal that takes him to Rapture. Jack is contacted by Atlas via radio, and is guided to safety from the Splicers and the perils of the run down city. Atlas requests Jack's help in stopping Ryan, directing him to a docked bathysphere where he claims Ryan has trapped his family. When Jack encounters a wandering Little Sister and its fallen Big Daddy, Atlas urges Jack to kill the Little Sister to harvest her ADAM for himself; Dr. Tenenbaum overhears this and intercepts Jack before he harms the Little Sister, urging him to spare the child and any other Little Sisters he encounters, providing him with a plasmid that would force the sea slug out of her body. Jack eventually works his way to the bathysphere, but Ryan destroys it before Jack can reach it. Enraged, Atlas directs Jack towards Ryan's mansion through Ryan's army of Splicers and Big Daddies. At times, Jack is forced to travel through areas controlled by Ryan's allies that have now become deranged, such as Sander Cohen, a former musician that now takes enjoyment in watching the death and misery of others. Ultimately, Jack enters Ryan's personal office, where Ryan is patiently waiting for Jack by casually playing golf. Ryan explains he fully knew of Atlas' plan, and explains that Jack is his illegitimate child, taken from his mother by Fontaine who placed him out of Ryan's reach on the surface, and genetically modified to age rapidly. Fontaine had planned to use Jack as a trump card in his war with Ryan, bringing him back to Rapture when the time was right; Jack's genetics would allow him to access systems such as the bathysphere that Ryan had locked out long ago. With no place to run, Ryan is willing to accept death by his own free will, quoting one of his own principles: "A man chooses. A slave obeys." He asks Jack "would you kindly" kill him with the golf club, and Jack is compelled to do so. As Ryan dies Jack becomes aware that the phrase "would you kindly" has preceded many of Atlas' commands as a hypnotic trigger forcing him to follow Atlas' orders without question; a flashback reveals Jack himself was responsible for crashing his plane near the bathysphere terminal after reading a letter containing the trigger phrase. Atlas reveals himself as Fontaine, having used the Atlas alias to hide himself while providing a figure for the lower class to rally behind. Without Ryan, Fontaine takes over control of Ryan's systems, and leaves Jack to die as he releases hostile security drones into Ryan's locked office. Jack is saved by Dr. Tenenbaum and the Little Sisters who had previously been rescued. Dr. Tenenbaum helps Jack to remove Fontaine's conditioned responses, including one that would have stopped his heart. With the help of the Little Sisters, Jack is able to make his way to Fontaine's lair to face him. Fontaine, being cornered by Jack, injects himself with a large amount of ADAM, becoming an inhuman monster. Jack is aided by the Little Sisters in draining the ADAM in Fontaine's body and eventually killing him. The ending depends on how the player interacted with the Little Sisters: If the player has rescued all of the Little Sisters (or harvest only one of them), Jack takes them back to the surface with him, and Tenenbaum happily narrates how they go on to live full lives under his care, eventually surrounding him on his deathbed. This ending is considered canon in BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea. If the player harvests more than one Little Sister, Jack turns on the Little Sisters to harvest their ADAM. Tenenbaum sadly narrates what occurred, condemning Jack and his actions. A submarine then comes across the wreckage of the plane, and finds itself suddenly surrounded by bathyspheres containing Splicers who attack the crew and take control of it. The submarine is revealed to be carrying nuclear missiles, with Tenenbaum claiming that Jack has now "stolen the terrible secrets of the world": the more Little Sisters are harvested, the harsher and more furious Tenenbaum's narrative becomes.

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Written by none other than Ken Levine ("Thief, the Dark Project", "System Shock 2"), this metaphor of modern capitalism and nightmare of ideological proportions, rightfully belongs in the same pantheon of dystopian masterpieces such as "1984", "Farenheit 451" "Brave New World", "Gattaca", "V for Vendetta"...The plot itself revolves around the discovery of Rapture by an unknown man, after his plane crashed in the middle of the Ocean. Accompanying the visuals, a an erudite soundtrack by Garry Schyman fills in the immersion gap, with moody piano ballads and claustrophobic cacophonies establishing the player's mood perfectly.Usually, in my reviews of artistic games, every compliment has been said by the time I get to the game-play section, which is where I commonly start "bashing". It's nothing that hasn't been done before, but in "Bioshock", everything feels tweaked and balanced, to the point of making complex mechanics inherently fun to use, while most games, either simplify them too much, thus discarding the tactical nature of choices ("Crysis"), or complicate them to the point of being too obtuse to be fun ("Deus Ex"). The reason this comes out as a flaw is simple: "Bioshock" is beautiful, immersive, and mysterious, warranting exploration and attention to detail in order to sink in all the wonders of the game, but it is hard to do so, when you're constantly fighting for your life. A more paced game-play would definitely emphasize the more interesting aspects of the game, even if it would end up losing some appeal for more trigger-happy players.It's not hard to understand why someone who looks upon games as an art form, would love "Bioshock" in every possible way. After surviving a terrible plane crash in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, a lone survivor named Jack spots and swims over to a lighthouse and enters a bathysphere, which takes him through the stunning world of Rapture, a city that was once great before things went horribly wrong.Jack is now trapped in Rapture, and the only way to get out is fight through hundreds of crazed civilians called Splicers.Just how did they become so crazy? ADAM.It is the one of the things that keep the wheels of Rapture rolling.But the people of Rapture became very addicted to it and it led to horrible side effects.With the help of a friend named Atlas, Jack struggles to defeat the splicers and kill the one man who's in charge, Andrew Ryan.'Bioshock' is an outstanding game with state-of-the-art graphics and an interesting plot that will have you hooked into the game before you know it.But it gets even better in September, for that is the month in which 'Bioshock 2' is released.But before then, I suggest that you immediately buy the game and start playing if you haven't already.Your time and money will not go to waste.I promise you that you won't regret it.. "Bio-Shock" overpasses expectations and proves again that a solid and dark plot may get your attention, but extremely detailed graphics, creepy and atmospheric atmospheric music, and the best f/x you will ever see are the perfect elements to make a memorable video game.The plot is extremely intriguing and dark; it involves a City in the likes of the myth of Atlantis, the Lost City but taken further to the point that evil alien-type creatures are invading the city and the political system.Talking about politics, this video game has a sub-plot involving political strategies and an ancient political system accused of being corrupt and cruel for a futuristic City.To make this better, we have futuristic and spectacular weapons that will let you eyed open. You'd be hard pressed to find anything else of this caliber with it's blissfully flawless combat system, killer graphics with atmospheric lighting effects, voice acting, and most deliciously important of all, a well-written and intriguing storyline.Despite being a FPS, the game really is a hybrid FPS/RPG. You level up by harvesting or rescuing "Little Sisters" who are carriers of a substance called Adam, which powers the world of Rapture, a city that was once proposed to be a utopia for mankind, has now become a dystopia where mutants and other assorted freaks running rampant throughout the city. Every serious gamer should have at least played this game but don't expect it to be better than Half-life 2 because it's a disgrace against Hl2.Pros- Big daddies, guns, plasmids, story... But I still don't get why the protagonist went down to Rapture in the first place anyway...Note - Big Daddies in the game may be difficult but are essential to the harvesting or rescuing of Little Sisters, which give you ADAM energy useful for the continuation of the game.By HowlingRabbit334. Unfortunately if invincibility still doesn't do it for you, later in the game you can buy ammo and health every where and money is never very hard to come buy… the first time I completed Bioshock I felt a bit of a disappointment in the fact it had every thing a great game needed, great story, great depth in game play, great graphics and great controls. I am pleased to say that now it is one of the greatest games I have ever played.It is unfortunate that I had to take matters in my own hands to make it so, but on the other hand I should be pleased that any wimp can complete the game and enjoy the greatness that is Bioshock.I just hope that in Bioshock 2 they think about the "Hardcore" gamers and take out all the things that make the game to easy on the hard level.. Setting up traps before taking on a big daddy was a delight, and the addition of new weapons, gadgets, and abilities throughout the game provided welcome advances in gameplay options. The thing that separates this game from other first person shooters is that it is based in an underwater city of Rapture, which is an utopia gone wrong. In most of the game you can't exactly die, because you get revived in the Vita chamber, which I didn't exactly like, so I loaded the game every time this happened.Your health and EVE(for using plasmids) are also upgradeable, along with your weapons.There is also a minigame where you hack turrets and cameras, which then work in your favor. I liked that in some parts an arrow guides you so if you forgot where was the main passage, it leads you there.Overall Bioshock is an atmospheric,versatile and fun FPS with RPG and horror elements.It has multiple endings and it is not too scary, although it has a creepy and lovable atmosphere which is easy to get into.I'd recommend Bioshock to every FPS fan and every gamer who is looking for a great story.. The game start with you, jack, surviving a plane accident next to a lighthouse, and results that this lighthouse its actually a bathysphere taking you to Rapture which is a city built under the ocean by Andrew Ryan a business magnate and its runned by him too, separated from the normal world to star a life where The an and The science are the rulers of the city, a place with no limits. There are a lot of plasmids, which are like magic powers (Fire, Electricity, Telekinesis, etc)created after the discovery of ADAM, and few guns that you'll find through the game, you can carry all of them at the same time and all of them have upgrades, so as the game goes on you'll be turning into a big badass.Right when you arrive to the city a man called Atlas. He ask you to help him and back, hell help you and from here, you're going to find Little sisters, which are basically ADAM collectors, but its more than that, and their "bodyguards" the Big Daddies, you'll be part of an immersive world about what would happen if you let mankind live without rules, while you discover the truth behind the city.If you haven't played... Why haven't you played it?...This is worth everyones time, if like good stories, good gameplay, detailed worlds and a little bit of survival horror, this is a must own.. Bioshock is by far one of the best video games I have ever played. What can i say about this game WOW i finished it last night and it is incredible the graphics 10 out of 10 (especially for the water) now i don't want to say to much about it other them that if your all about graphics kinda like me you will not be disappointed the game is dark spooky and really crazy (meaning characters) the story superb its one of those games were u got to keep playing in order to figure it out. One wanted to finish the game because the story was suitably captivating but eventually the traveling, the shooting of Splicers, (who were initially exciting and threatening but eventually became annoyances,) the constant "turn around and find another way" game-play was nothing short of a headache.My final complaint would be the ending. Console: Playstation 3 Genre: First person shooter.Setting: Retro future Utopia...i.e. the game is set in the 1950s, but it's an alternative world scenario...a place where humanity has advanced significantly in their development...more advanced than our current society.Story: You play a character who has crash landed in an aeroplane into the ocean. A negative of the online advice was that it prevented you from achieving one of the in game trophies (not requiring use of the "Vita Chamber").Another issue is the sheer unrelenting presence of the citizens of Rapture trying to kill you...I would have appreciated a "Metal Gear Solid" radar to have advance warning of them...because when I tried to be stealthy, I didn't tend to run into them...but being stealthy wastes time...I would have enjoyed it more if I could have taken in the sights of Rapture every now and again without constantly having to be on guard. Which is to say that as Half-Life was a pioneering first person shooter, it hadn't evolved the story telling method to this genre like Bioshock did.I don't think I'll play this game again...it's just so massive...it's multiple times longer than a game like "Uncharted". Name:Bioshock Type of game:First-person shooter Genre:Horror-Adventure-Action Age recommendation:15+ (it has some serious gore scenes in it)Minimum RequirementsCPU - Pentium 4 2.4GHz Single Core processorSystem RAM - 1GBVideo Card - Direct X 9.0c compliant video card with 128MB RAM (NVIDIA 6600 or better/ATI X1300 or better, excluding ATI X1550).Sound Card - 100% direct X 9.0c compatible sound cardHard disc space - 8GB free spaceRecommended RequirementsCPU - Intel Core 2 Duo processorSystem RAM - 2GBVideo card - DX9 - Direct X 9.0c compliant video card with 512MB RAM (NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GT or better) / DX10 - NVIDIA GeForce 8600 or betterSound Card - Sound Blaster X-Fi series (Optimized for use with Creative Labs EAX ADVANCED HD 4.0 or EAX ADVANCED HD 5.0 compatible sound cards)Well i didn't expect much from it when i first saw some pictures of it, i mean "Come on, a first person shooter in a underwater city?", but it was so much more than that, the environment fitted right in, and the sound was so great, one shot with the gun and it echos through the whole building. If they built an underwater "utopia" where everyone had to constantly listen to carnival music, then NO WONDER everyone went insane.I recently played FarCry 2 as well as RAGE so maybe I'm just comparing this to real first person shooters where you have some sense of control, but after several hours of trying to get into BioShock I nearly pulled my hair out and just turned it off in frustration. But i bought an xbox for several reasons: Halo, Gears of War and BioShock.So, if i'm being perfectly honest, i really liked the look of the game and it's gameplay and stuff but i never truly understood its critical success, i didn't think it was going to be THAT good.But.....would you kindly read on.BioShock....is honestly one of my all time favourite games now. It has great atmosphere and interesting characters with a good story which unfolds as you pick up diaries and you slowly learn the disturbing truth the hell under the sea.A place crash survivor ends up in the god forsaken under-water city of Rapture and it's inhabitants of drugged up psychos and drill and rivet gun wielding juggernauts.pros first. BioShock broke a genre it made a first person shooter with RPG elements and while some developers under-develop and idea like this, 2K have perfected it and made it work well for the game. WOULD YOU KINDLY BUY THIS GAME NOW it's one of my all time favourites and is one of they few games i consider art.and like i said once you enter rapture....you never leave. BioShock is one of the best games I've played in 2007 or any year for that matter. The little cutscenes that appear for buying a new plasmid, the sometimes hilarious audio diaries, listening to "If I Didn't Care" by the Ink Spots while the splicers downstairs in the bathroom are talking crazy and hearing the Little Sisters talk to their Big Daddies and calling them "Mr. Bubbles" are some of the great stuff you'll hear and see.Yes, the game might be a little too easy with the Vita-Chambers and the fact that enemies retain their damage, making even the Big Daddies easy to defeat after you respawn. Bioshock (on Xbox 360) is without a doubt one of the best video games of all time! I've played a LOT of games over the years, but none have managed the deft touch that Irrational have put on this masterpiece.From the moment you step into Rapture, you are unwittingly forced into the decaying underwater dystopia, and must splice to survive.By splicing, I mean genetically splicing your DNA with "enhancements" - what this does for your humanity is up to you, indeed, the choices we make - make us.The greatest thing about Bioshock is that it's all about the journey. Though action-focused, it remains very tactical - if you want it to be.Although this review is convoluted, all I can say was that Rapture was so enthralling, that I went back again and again after I'd finished and played through completely differently.Keep in mind that the difficulty jump from Medium to Hard is like going from walking up a hill to climbing Mount Everest.The great thing is, whether you choose to let it be hard is up to you...That's what this game is about - choice."A man chooses...". Surpassing any country on the surface with its scientific, biological, artistic and moral development "Rapture" will plunge you into the deep crater of a sci fi action horror story of your lifetime and will make you believe that impossible is less of a barrier when you have an idea, vision and will."Would you, kindly?" The main character is an embodiment of a word "mystery" – silent and shady, he is skilled when it comes to wielding the firearm and killing enemies without spilling a word leaving all the philosophical questions for the player to uncover… and makes us wonder more and more about the meaning of the chainlike tattoos on his wrists. Big Daddy's with Little Sisters gathering Adam, nasty mutants rambling through the locations, suspicious Atlas with their own plans, enigmatic "Vita chamber" and superior technologies far exceeding science progress of 1960's – the mix of things you'll find in the Bioshock world is incomparable to anything you've seen before. Gameplay is great yet flawed, you have two types of gameplay In both hands, on one hand you got your primary weapons such as a shotgun, machine gun, wrench, pistol etc., and on the other are your plasmids, which are these abilities that you use to stun or kill enemies, there are a wide variety of plasmids such as shock, fire, ice, telekinesis etc., the great thing about the gameplay is that it's varied and open, what I mean by that is that there are many options at your disposal, maybe you want to hack a security bot that can help you out on fights, or you want to electrocute enemies in water, it's all up to you, also you can explore across open areas, if you do, then you increase the length of the game, my playthrough was around 14 hours which is a pretty good length, the gameplay is a little clunky, but it doesn't hinder the experience, BUY THIS GAME!. when Halo Reach almost makes my top 10 First person shooters list then I need to look on the market a bit more - no offense to Halo fans, the game was okay but I really don't think that they're that great. Because if you showed me the ending I wouldn't really buy it was from BioShock.Onto another thing, I don't really like the silent protagonist, I mean I can tolerate it but in every game I play where this happens it gives me a disconnect to the story, I don't even remember if you see his face. Call it nitpicking but it reduces the dialogue down to the insane ramblings of the Splicers or the NPC voices in your head saying "would you kindly do this?" It just gets tiresome.So onto what I liked, well I liked the story of the thing even if I feel some disconnect to it, I think the gunplay and weapon upgrades are really creative, as are the gene upgrades and the city of Rapture has this constant atmosphere to it that I just love and gives off the mood that whatever good was in here was quickly trans-morphed into a nightmare city. I have played through the game several times and yet I am still finding out new things about the world of Rapture through new diaries etc. Bioshock- 2007 From the first time the player, Jack, lays eyes on the lost city of Rapture, immersion occurs and a longing to survive from the crazy Splicers that inhabit the place. The crazed citizens of Rapture, the Big Daddies, and the Little Sisters look really spooky. The Big Daddy - Little Sister team is the greatest in gaming. The story is incredible and the game really lets you feel terrible for "killing" the Little Sisters which is great.

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In & Out

Howard Brackett (Kevin Kline) is a well-liked English literature teacher, living a quiet life in the fictional town of Greenleaf, Indiana, with his fiancée and fellow teacher Emily Montgomery (Joan Cusack), who recently lost 75 pounds. The town is filled with anticipation over the nomination of Cameron Drake (Matt Dillon), Howard's former student, in the Best Actor category at the Academy Awards for his portrayal of a gay soldier in To Serve and Protect. Cameron does indeed win the award and, in his acceptance speech, thanks Howard, adding, "…and he's gay." Howard's family, friends, students, co-workers and Emily are shocked; but that is nothing compared to Howard's own reaction of disbelief and indignation. He angrily reassures those who know him that he is heterosexual. Reporters invade his hometown, harassing him for interviews, following the awards night telecast; and Howard is placed under the scrutiny of his boss, Principal Tom Halliwell (Bob Newhart), who is uncomfortable with the attention being brought to the school. Although the other reporters leave after getting their story, one stays behind: on-camera entertainment reporter Peter Malloy (Tom Selleck), who wants to wait the week out so he can cover Howard's wedding to Emily. Howard continues to be harassed and dismayed by the changed attitudes of everyone around him, and decides that he must sleep with Emily in order to prove his heterosexuality. Howard finds he cannot go through with it due to his conflicting emotions and Emily's concern for his well-being. Howard crosses paths with Peter, who reveals he is gay and, trying to provide a helpful ear, narrates his own experience in coming out to his family. Howard insists that he is not gay, prompting Peter to kiss him. Although shocked, Howard reacts somewhat positively to the kiss. Howard's final measure to restore his heterosexuality is the use of a self-help audio cassette, although that fails as well. During the wedding ceremony, Emily recites her vow without hesitation, but when Howard is prompted by the minister, he instead says, "I'm gay." The wedding is called off, and although Peter is proud of Howard, Howard is angry with himself for hurting Emily. Howard is fired from the school because of his outing. Despite no longer being on the faculty, Howard attends the graduation ceremony to support his students. When one student who got into college—thanks to Howard's hard work—learns that he was dismissed for being gay, he and his classmates proclaim themselves to be gay as well, showing their support. Howard's family follows suit, as do his friends, and all the townsfolk assembled. Having learned of the ensuing media blitz while in Los Angeles, Cameron flies to his hometown with his supermodel girlfriend (Shalom Harlow) to support his former teacher. Although Howard does not win "Teacher of the Year", Cameron presents him with his Oscar. Howard's wedding-crazy mother (Debbie Reynolds) finally gets a wedding—her own, when she and her husband (Wilford Brimley) renew their vows. Howard, Peter and the rest of the townsfolk attend the reception. Among the crowd are Emily and Cameron, who appear to have begun a relationship. Everyone dances to the Village People's song "Macho Man".

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Rose Collins (Susan Sarandon) runs into an old high school friend while Christmas shopping in New York City. They exchange small talk and Rose says she is married and has a large family. Smiling uncomfortably, she quickly says goodbye and is next seen entering a hospital. Rose walks down the hall and enters a decorated room where her mother Helen (Una Kay), a patient suffering from the advanced stages of Alzheimer's, sits vacantly in her bed. Rose gives Helen some presents and looks across to another room with a comatose patient. Noticing the room is barren and lonely looking, she walks in and hangs an angel figurine on the window. To her surprise, she turns around to see a visitor who introduces himself as Charlie Boyd (Robin Williams) sitting by the doorway. After exchanging some polite but awkward words, she excuses herself from the room.A New York cop, Mike Riley (Paul Walker), sees a beautiful woman, Nina (Penolope Cruz), walking down the sidewalk. He pulls his car up beside her and asks if she needs a lift. After a little verbal banter, the audience realizes that they are not strangers, but in fact joking fiances about to get married.Rose enters her workplace where we learn, through her assistant's remarks, that she is divorced, her father is dead, her sister cannot spend Christmas with her, she sees a shrink, and has been spending the past 10 years looking after her mother. Half serious, her assistant tells her that she "needs to get laid." We learn that Rose has a young coworker, Marco (Daniel Sunjata), who is interested in her. Rose thinks this suggestion is absurd due to their age differences, but later agrees to go on a date with him.Mike drops Nina off at work. As he is driving away he sees her embrace another man. Mike automatically assumes the worst.Jules Calvert (Marcus Thomas), sits in a diner talking to Glenn (Merwin Mondisir), about the best Christmas he ever had. It was when he was 14 years old in the hospital due to a broken nose. He talks about how fun and friendly the staff was. Glenn asks about money that Jules owes him and tells Jules to meet him later.Mike enters the same diner to meet his partner Dennis (Sonny Marinelli) for coffee. Artie, a 50-something male waiter (Alan Arkin) gives Mike coffee and complimentary cookies. Artie seems to recognize Mike and treats him with unexpected affection. Mike and Dennis assume the Artie is gay and has a crush on Mike. When they are leaving the diner, the Artie suggests that he had some type of relationship with Mike before and keeps exclaiming, "It's been such a long time!" No longer wanting to humour the old man, Mike and Dennis tell him he must be mistaken and should stop his crazy behaviour.Rose and Marco go on a date. At dinner, Marco suggests that they go back to Rose's house for "a nightcap." She nervously agrees. Marco quickly makes it clear that he wants to sleep with Rose, and although she admits the attraction is mutual, she is too uncomfortable and asks him to leave.Back at Mike and Nina's apartment, Nina and the man she was earlier spotted hugging are decorating a Christmas tree together. Mike enters the apartment and pushes Nina's friend into the Christmas tree, blowing up in a jealous rage. Nina angrily explains that her friend was only there to help her surprise Mike by decorating the tree. Mike still doesn't believe her, and it takes her friend to openly admit that he's gay in order for Mike to fully apologize. Nina leaves and Mike picks up a broken glass angel ornament from the toppled tree.In another part of New York, Jules enters his run-down apartment. Ignoring his landlord who says she's going to evict him. He shuts the door, sits down and looks at old pictures of him and his mother as well as a photo of him at the hospital on Christmas Day.Mike looks out his apartment window and sees Artie, the old man from the diner, staring up at him. Perplexed and wanting to get to the bottom of the matter, Mike invites Artie up to his apartment to talk. Artie hands Mike a wrapped gift.After Marco has left, Rose walks down the street to clear her head and stumbles upon a lively house playing music, with decorations and people dancing in the window. Intrigued, she walks up the stairs to get a closer look when a woman and her children come up the stairs. Startled, Rose helps the woman bring things into the house. Once inside, Rose notices another woman in the living room, crying. It's Nina. Rose asks Nina why she is crying. Assuming Rose is a family friend, Nina confides in her explaining that although doctors said it was almost impossible, she thinks she is pregnant, but has just left her fiance. The family starts to sit down to dinner, and Rose, lonely and yearning for love, entertains the idea that she might be able to have dinner with Nina's family. As Rose hopefully enters the dining room, the family quickly realizes Rose is a stranger. Mortified, Rose runs out of the house. Nina follows and convinces Rose to accompany her to a nearby bar to talk. The two chat, and Rose gives Nina some advice about the importance of holding on to true love.At Mike's apartment, Artie is talking about his wife and how she had the same habits as Mike. Unexpectedly, Dennis arrives at Mike's door in the hopes of cheering him up. Dennis is worried to see Artie there, but reluctantly leaves at Mike's request. Artie then explains to Mike that the reason he is following him is because Mike is his reincarnated wife. Scared and horrified by the old man's passionate admission, Mike throws Artie out of the apartment.After listening to the advice of Rose, Nina visits Mike to give him one last chance. She explains that the only way for their relationship to survive is if Mike can let go of his jealousy and trust her. Mike doesn't seem to understand, and instead interrogates Nina about men who are attracted to her. Nina leaves and Mike follows. She gets into a cab and Mike turns around to find Artie still lingering outside his apartment. Angry, he takes his aggression out on Artie, pushing him and causing Artie to collapse. Artie is rushed to the hospital with Mike by his side in the ambulance.Rose is still at the bar and decides to participate in an open-mic contest where contestants share stories about their hatred of Christmas. Instead of giving a comical performance as expected, she talks about her ex-husband, their unexpected pregnancy, and the death of her premature baby on Christmas. She wins the contest out of sympathy and is given a miniature Christmas tree.Jules meets Glenn at an abandoned theatre where Glenn introduces Jules to an ominous man "who breaks hands." Oddly enough, Jules asks the man to break his hands. He does this because he wants an excuse to go to the hospital where he hopes there will be a Christmas party like before.Rose takes her miniature Christmas tree to the hospital to visit her mother again. Feeling emotional, she tells the doctor that she desperately wishes her mother could give her a sign that she understood. The kind doctor tries to comfort Rose by assuring that Helen still senses people and has emotions. Rose plugs in the Christmas tree. The lights suddenly burn out and Rose momentarily loses her composure, throwing the tree onto the floor. Rose looks across the hall to see the comatose man she visited before. Feeling sorry for him, she walks to the doorway and whispers, "I love you."Rose leaves the hospital and walks down to a nearby pier, contemplating life. She steps to the edge. A man appears beside her. It's Charlie, the man she saw visiting the patient across the hall. They talk and Charlie says he used to be a priest. He seems well-intentioned and they go to Rose's house to talk some more.Back at the hospital, Dennis shows up and explains that he did a background check on Artie. It turns out that Artie went to jail for manslaughter after throwing his wife's male friend down a flight of stairs in a jealous rage. Artie's fearful wife sped away in a car, got into an accident, and died as a result. Mike clearly sees how Artie's once jealous nature parallels his own. Mike has a strange feeling that there is a reason him and Artie have been brought together, and Mike is determined to find out more.At Rose's house, her and Charlie share their greatest wishes. Rose light-heartedly says her wish is to "make it through the night." Charlie reveals a more serious wish not to die alone.Jules is still at the hospital, but wants to leave after he learns there will be no Christmas party. The doctors suspect that Jules broke his own hand intentionally and request that he stay at the hospital for a psychological evaluation.Charlie tells Rose that he left the priesthood because he lost his faith in God. Rose reveals her faith is shaky because no matter how hard she tries, her mother won't give her sign that she's mentally aware.Increasingly irrate, Jules becomes hostile at the hospital and is restrained by security guards.While Mike sits beside Artie's bed, he is greeted by Artie's son, Paul (Rob Daly). Paul tells Mike that his father has been mentally unstable since the death of his mother and is filled with guilt over his past actions. Paul says every Christmas, Artie has delusions about his reincarnated wife.Nina buys a pregnancy test.Jules nostalgically watches a mother caring for her son at a hospital.Mike and Paul talk about Artie's past. Paul explains that Artie is trapped in the past and can't let go because of the guilt he feels for his wife's death. Paul says Artie yearns for his wife's forgiveness.Clothed and on opposite ends of the bed, Rose and Charlie wake up in her room. Charlie looks at a necklace with a cross around his chest. Rose jokes that she survived the night, which was her wish. Charlie says she must have a greater wish than that and Rose admits she wished her life mattered. Charlie insists that her life has tremendous meaning because she cares for so many people. Charlie brings up the fact that she told the patient at the hospital that she loves him. Rose is surprised because Charlie wasn't in the room at the time. Charlie says Rose has restored his faith in God. Charlie then tells Rose that her mother spoke to him and wants Rose to let go and live her life. Rose thinks Charlie is crazy and says she's going to call the police. She doesn't believe Helen talked to Charlie because as far as she's concerned, Helen is incapable of communication. Sad that Rose doesn't believe him, Charlie says "I love you" and leaves.Jules talks to a psychologist at the hospital and explains his childhood of abuse at the hands of his stepfather. We learn that he was probably at the hospital because his stepfather broke his nose. Jules says that his mother never came to pick him up, and he subsequently left home. He thinks his mother chose his stepfather over him and hasn't spoken to her since. The psychologist tells Jules the only way she'll let him leave the hospital is if he calls his mother. Jules picks up the telephone.In another part of the hospital, Mike is in Artie's room. Knowing that Artie might still be convinced that Mike is his wife, Mike decides to tell Artie that he forgives him for everything and kisses his forehead. Artie breathes a sigh of relief. Mike leaves the hospital to find Nina.Nina takes a pregnancy test at her sister's house.While cleaning her room, Rose finds Charlie's necklace under a pillow. She leaves the house to find him.Mike shows up at Nina's sister's house to find her. Nina's pregnancy test is positive. He tells her that he finally understands and is a changed man. He wants her to give him another chance. He accepts that Nina might not be able to do this, and says no matter what he wants her to be happy. He walks away, leaving Nina with a decision to make.Rose decides to go back to the hospital in the hopes that Charlie is there. When Rose asks a nurse if she has seen a visitor named Charlie, the nurse says Rose is mistaken. Charlie is the patient's name and he never gets visitors. Rose takes a closer look at the patient and realizes that it is indeed the same man, but in a withered and barely recognizable state. The audience is left to deduce that Charlie had an out of body experience in order to communicate with Rose. Charlie opens his eyes and smiles. Rose tells him that "it's okay to let go." Rose takes Charlie's hand and places the necklace with the cross in it. She thanks Charlie. Charlie dies. She has fulfilled Charlie's wish not to die alone.Mike returns to his apartment and opens the gift that Artie brought him. He opens it to find a glass angel and redecorates the tree with it. Nina enters the apartment. She says she wants to give Mike his gift. He asks "where is it?" Nina places his hand on her stomach. They embrace and kiss.Jules is seen leaving the hospital.Rose walks back to her mother's room and sees the doctor feeding her mother. Not knowing that Rose is behind him, he tells Helen that he wants to ask Rose out on a date. Rose asks the doctor what his first name is and he says, "Matthew." Rose tells Matthew she would love to go on a date. Rose talks to her mother and asks for her approval, knowing she will probably not reply. To her bewilderment, Helen squeezes her hand. Rose embraces her mother.THE END!

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train

imdb

tt0112740

Crimson Tide

A rebel force has taken over nuclear missile launch sites near Vladivostok in Eastern Russia. The leader of the force, a radical Russian named Radchenko (Daniel von Bargen), threatens to launch the missiles he has seized. Radchenko's forces, about 60,000 strong, have also gained control of three Akula-class attack submarines to protect the shores off Vladivostok.The United States summons the officers and crew of the nuclear submarine Alabama, which is being dispatched to patrol the coast of eastern Russia. If necessary, the Alabama will be available to launch nuclear missiles to stop Radchenko's forces before they can launch their hijacked missiles.Commander Ron Hunter (Denzel Washington) of the US Navy is called into an interview with the Alabama's CO, Captain Ramsey (Gene Hackman). The Alabama's executive officer (XO) is ill and a replacement is needed. Ramsey is impressed with Hunter's service record and the two connect over horse riding. Ramsey's Jack Russell Terrier also seems to approve of Hunter.The situation in Vladivostok escalates and Hunter and his friend, Lt. "Weps" Ince (Viggo Mortensen), are called up for duty and leave immediately for the Alabama. Ramsey gives a stirring send-off speech and the boat puts to sea. Before they submerge, Ramsey and Hunter enjoy cigars.At an officers' dinner, Ramsey and the crew pontificate about the threat of nuclear war. Ramsey is eager to know Hunter's views on the subject, especially since the XO has a degree in philosophy. Hunter states the the true nature of war is to serve itself and leave the world destroyed. Ramsey takes the opinion seriously although he seems to disagree with his XO.On patrol off the eastern coast of Russia, the Alabama runs drills. When a fire breaks out in the galley, Hunter rushes to help put the blaze out. At that moment, Ramsey orders a missile launching drill to be performed. Hunter is perturbed that Ramsey would order a drill in the midst of an emergency but reports to the bridge to oversee the transfer of coded transmissions and report to Ramsey. During a lull in the drill, Hunter informs the captain that the fire in the galley could flare up again but Ramsey dismisses him, concentrating on the drill. A report comes in from below decks; one of the crew has suffered a heart attack. Ramsey cancels the drill and goes below to check on the crew member, who has died.Ramsey orders Hunter into his cabin and reprimands him for trying to interrupt the drill. Hunter calmly counters that the fire needed more attention and that the captain's calling for a drill had jeopardized the safety of the boat. Ramsey tells the XO that confusion aboard a submarine is something to be taken advantage of. Hunter still obviously disagrees, however, he chooses not to say so.The Alabama receives an emergency action message (EAM) informing them that Radchenko is very close to breaking the codes for missile launch and that the US defense readiness has been raised to DEFCON 3. Further patrols with the Alabama's crew on even higher alert will be necessary. A fight breaks out between a petty officer, Rivetti (Danny Nucci), and another man, Bennefield (Eric Bruskotter) over the origins of the Silver Surfer and Hunter breaks it up, telling Rivetti to act like a leader. Hunter reports to Ramsey about the altercation and the tension amongst the crew over the their current state of readiness. Ramsey announces to the crew over the boat's PA system that infighting will not be tolerated and the threat of war is of the utmost importance.In the sub's sonar cabin, Rivetti and his unit detect an enemy submarine, possibly one of the Akulas that Radchenko has command of. Ramsey orders him to identify the sub and orders an evasion maneuver to escape detection by the Akula. An EAM arrives seemingly ordering a launch of the Alabama's missiles. Ramsey orders the procedures for launch to be initiated. Another EAM comes in but the Alabama is too deep to receive it. Hunter requests that the sub's buoy be launched to receive the EAM. The buoy winch fails, causing noise and alerting the Akula to the Alabama's location. The Akula attacks with torpedoes. The Alabama successfully evades the torpedoes, one of which explodes very close, severing the buoy cable. The Alabama suffers minor damage, the Akula disappears from sonar and the buoy cable is severed, cutting off the EAM. Additionally, the radio equipment has suffered severe damage and no messages are going out or coming in.Ramsey and Hunter review the EAM, finding that the message doesn't contain any clear order. Hunter recommends that the Alabama surface to receive the rest of the message, but Ramsey refuses, saying it's too dangerous with the Akula still nearby. Ramsey intends to continue with the launch of his missiles, but Hunter quickly disagrees, saying the incomplete message could be a target package change or an order to cancel the launch. Ramsey counters saying that the message is not a complete order and not to be followed up upon and orders Hunter to repeat his command to launch. Hunter refuses under Navy regulations, citing the fact that Ramsey's order must be repeated for it to stand, concluding that the captain is acting irrationally. When Ramsey will not concur with Hunter, the XO orders Ramsey to be arrested and locked in his cabin. A hesitant Chief of the Boat concurs with the XO and has the captain detained. Hunter assumes command and informs the crew that they will still patrol, at the same state of readiness, and attempt to re-establish communications to verify the EAM.On sonar, the Akula reappears and attacks, launching torpedoes. Hunter orders an evasion plan and the Alabama avoids being hit. Hunter launches two more torpedoes which connect with their target and destroy the Akula. However, a last torpedo was launched by the Akula before it was destroyed and explodes very close to the Alabama. Propulsion is damaged and the bilge bay takes on water despite the efforts of several crew members to contain it. The men in the bilge bay drown when Hunter orders the bilge bay sealed. Meanwhile, the Alabama is sinking rapidly, approaching a depth of 1850 feet, where the intense water pressure will crush the hull. Propulsion is restored before the boat can be destroyed and the boat rises to a safe depth.Several of Ramsey's officers decide that Hunter is unfit for command and they plot a counter-mutiny to free Ramsey. They persuade Weps to join them and give them the key to the weapons locker to take the sub back by force. They free Ramsey, who follows the armed men back to the bridge where they arrest Hunter and the other officers who aided him in the mutiny. Ramsey assumes command and order the launch to continue. While in detention, Hunter talks philosophically about the choice to launch nuclear missiles and start the destruction of the world.Rivetti, while walking between cabins, is stopped by the same man he fought with earlier. Rivetti is able to overpower the larger man and free Hunter and the other arrested officers. They make their way back to the bridge to stop Ramsey from launching. After a tense altercation in the weapons cabin which delays Ramsey long enough for Hunter to seize the master missile key, the two face off on the bridge. Ramsey hits Hunter in the face twice, demanding his missile key back. Communications reports that the radio is very close to being operational. Ramsey allows three minutes for the radio to operate again and receive another EAM. The two sit in the command center, awaiting the message. While they do, Ramsey lights a cigar and brings up the subject of horse riding again, saying that Lipizzaner stallions are from Portugal. Hunter tells the captain they're Spanish horses, born with a black color and turn white later in life. Ramsey still insists they're from Portugal.Rivetti reports that the EAM transmitter is fixed and that a new EAM is coming in. It's brought to the bridge and authenticated. When authenticated, the message is for the Alabama to stand down and cancel the launch of their missiles. Ramsey retires himself from the bridge and is saluted as he walks to his cabin.In Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, a general inquiry is called before the Pacific Fleet admiral (Jason Robards). Having reviewed the incident, he tells both Hunter and Ramsey that they both were right and wrong in their actions aboard the Alabama. Off the record, he admonishes both of them, saying they've done much to disrupt the traditional chain of command of the Navy. The admiral also announces, to Hunter's surprise, that Ramsey has filed for retirement. Hunter is further astonished when he hears that he is to be given a captain's commission aboard another submarine and that he came highly recommended by Ramsey himself.Outside Navy HQ, Ramsey is retrieving his dog from an ensign. He sees Hunter and tells him that he was right, about the Lipizzaner stallions being from Spain. The two smile and salute each other.

cult, suspenseful, comedy

train

imdb

tt3949660

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows

The film starts with the four humanoid teenage mutant ninja turtles Leonardo (Pete Plozek), Donatello (Jeremy Howard), Raphael (Alan Ritchson), and Michelangelo (Noel Fisher) sliding into Madison Square Garden to catch a basketball game by hiding in the jumbotron. Outside, Vern (Will Arnett) is enjoying his new celebrity status as "The Falcon" since the Turtles let him take credit for bringing Shredder (Brian Tee) down a year earlier in the previous film. Mikey and Raph decide to mess with Vern by throwing spitballs at him.Meanwhile, April (Megan Fox) is investigating scientist Baxter Stockman (Tyler Perry), thinking he is up to something suspicious. She sits down with him, pretending to be a big fan of his work, and she leaves once she gets her information. April tells Donnie that she found out Stockman is working for Shredder and is trying to set him loose since Shredder is being transported to another prison soon. The Turtles have to flee when Mikey drops a slice of pizza out of the jumbotron, causing one of the players to slip.Prison guard Casey Jones (Stephen Amell) is set to transport Shredder, along with two other crooks, Bebop (Gary Anthony Williams) and Rocksteady (Sheamus). The two of them are fans of the villain. As they are being taken away, a team of Foot Ninjas pursue the prison van and blow up the security vans in front of them. The Turtles drive by in their own van and shoot manhole covers at the ninjas. Mikey brings out some huge nunchucks and gets a few hits before accidentally destroying them under the bridge. A ninja makes an opening for Shredder to break out of the van, while Bebop and Rocksteady are given a chance to take over the van. We see Stockman in his lab getting ready to teleport Shredder with Karai (Brittany Ishibashi) by his side. Shredder tries to board a chopper overhead while the Turtles try to catch him with a net. Shredder jumps and is then thrown into a portal, leaving the Turtles baffled.Shredder is brought to Dimension X where he encounters the alien creature known as Krang (Brad Garrett). Krang is a slimy pink brain-squid-thing that uses a giant robot to move around. He tells Shredder to help him gather the pieces to a portal to bring him to Earth where he can unleash a device called the Technodrome so that he may rule over Earth. Stockman already has one piece, and the other two are located at the Museum of Natural History and a rainforest in Brazil. Shredder agrees on the condition that Krang help him eliminate the Turtles. Krang accepts the proposal and sends Shredder back to Earth.The Turtles sneak back to the sewers. Mikey sees the Halloween parade happening, which he wants to join in since he knows he'll fit in. His brothers make him come back. They slide down and interrupt Splinter (Tony Shaloub) during his meditation.Chief Rebecca Vincent (Laura Linney) chastises Casey for the escape of the three convicts. Casey tries to defend himself by stating what he saw, but it sounds too farfetched to be believable. Vincent orders him to stay off the case. However, Casey finds the police file on Bebop and Rocksteady and finds out their favorite bar to hang out at, knowing they would be dumb enough to go back there.Sure enough, Bebop and Rocksteady are at the bar plotting to start their own criminal organization since they think Shredder is out of the picture. He appears before them in his suit and demands that they be his errand boys, which they accept. Casey later arrives at the bar and asks the bartender where to find the crooks, or else he'll keep trashing the bar. The bartender gives him a GPS to use to track them from a signal in the phones he gave them (which were supposed to be untraceable).Shredder brings the two to Stockman's lab at the TCRI building. Stockman has developed a formula using a special brand of mutagen that can create powerful beings. Shredder takes two darts and shoots them at Bebop and Rocksteady. The two begin to mutate into bigger and stronger creatures. Bebop becomes a warthog and Rocksteady turns into a rhino. Meanwhile, April has snuck into the lab and she steals the mutagen sample.She runs out into an alley where she is cornered by Foot Ninjas. April thinks that the Turtles will show up to rescue her, but instead, it's Casey (who tracked Bebop and Rocksteady's signal to the building) who shows up with a hockey mask and stick, hitting pucks at the ninjas to take them out. Police arrive and take the mutagen sample (after a ninja took it from April). The Turtles then arrive after the fight is done. They bring Casey to their lair where they trick him into trying to attack Splinter, only for the rat to drop him on his ass.Bebop and Rocksteady hit the Museum of Natural History and steal the next piece for the portal machine.Donnie analyzes a sample of the mutagen and discovers it has the ability to possibly turn him and his brothers human. He tells Leo, but he thinks it would be a bad idea, and he tells Donnie not to let the others know. Mikey heard the whole thing and he tells Raph. Raph confronts Leo for keeping secrets from his brothers. Raph and Mikey think it would be great if they could be human so that they could walk among the humans without being seen as freaks, but Leo insists that they are meant to be turtles.With April and Casey's help, Mikey and Raph try to sneak into the police station to recover the mutagen sample while Leo and Donnie are on another mission. When Mikey and Raph encounter trouble, they call their brothers for help. The police corner the Turtles, with one of the cops calling them monsters. April and Casey run in to cover them, leaving them to get arrested while the Turtles retreat. Leo chastises his brothers, saying they do not work well as a team. He goes to voice his concerns to Splinter, who says that the fact that each Turtle thinks differently is what makes them a strong team.The Turtles learn that Bebop and Rocksteady are headed to Brazil to recover the last piece of the machine. The thugs find the piece and are already flying back toward New York. The Turtles, flying in their own plane, drop down to intercept them. They jump off their plane and enter the villains' plane. They encounter Bebop and Rocksteady face-to-face and begin fighting them. Rocksteady hops inside a tank and shoots at the Turtles, unintentionally causing the plane to crash into the river. Rocksteady continues firing from the tank as the Turtles still try fighting him and Bebop. The Turtles then plummet down a waterfall, but they hide in their shells for safety.Back in New York, April and Casey are being detained by Vincent. Vincent plays security footage from Stockman's lab to make it look like April broke in and stole the mutagen sample. Casey manages to pick Vincent's pocket to get her phone to let April call Vern. Vern uses his status to get into the TCRI labs and steal the unaltered security footage. He brings it to the police station and shows it to Vincent. The video then shows the mutated Bebop and Rocksteady to prove April and Casey aren't crazy. Vincent has no choice but to let them go.The villains now have each piece to the portal machine, which Stockman uses to open the portal to Dimension X. Shredder betrays Stockman and has his ninjas take him far away. Shredder returns to Dimension X and tells Krang that everything is falling into place. However, Shredder gets a taste of his own medicine when Krang says he plans on taking all the glory in his scheme. Krang freezes Shredder and holds him within his ship before making his way to Earth.The Technodrome begins forming piece-by-piece above the city. The Turtles decide they must spring into action, but are conflicted on whether or not they do it as humans or turtles. They take the mutagen sample they got, but Raph chucks it against the wall so they can take Krang on as NINJA TURTLES. On the surface, they are met by April, Casey, Vern, Vincent, and the cops. Vern then admits that he got help from his friends in taking down Shredder. Vincent meets the Turtles and becomes certain that they mean to save the city.The Turtles hop on the flying pieces and find Krang on his ship. As they fight him, April and Casey confront Karai at the lab. The Turtles bring Krang and his robot down while April takes Karai out, and Casey closes the portal. The Technodrome falls apart, bringing it and Krang back to Dimension X. Krang vows to return for the Turtles, bigger and stronger than before.The Turtles are honored by Vincent and the NYPD for their heroics. April, Casey, Vern, and even Splinter are their to support them. Although they are given the chance to live above the sewers, the Turtles decide that they will stay where they are, and they will continue to protect the city. In the final shot, the brothers then go to the top of the Statue of Liberty and cheer for their victory.

comedy, violence, good versus evil, psychedelic, humor, revenge

train

imdb

Sadly, things aren't sustained as the film rushes through, ending it in favor of a big climactic action sequence.Speaking of action sequences, the movie never strays away from the basic Michael Bay blockbuster formula (he's the producer, of course): over-the-top CGI-heavy destruction, one action set piece after another. Stephen Amell obviously got the role of Casey Jones due to his physical work in "Arrow" and the fact that they needed someone equally attractive as Fox. He does his best, especially in action scenes, but him joining forces with the turtles is rushed and poorly done. Of all the villains, arguably the comical mutant duo, Bebop and Rocksteady, steal the show.There is no doubt that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows is better in nearly every way than its predecessor. I am not all "Cowabunga!" for this sequel (the plot still rots my brains), but if you're looking for two hours of frothy entertainment and 'Bay'-esque action sequences are your guilty pleasure, bring some pizzas because you're in to a one (s)hell of a ride.Full review: http://goo.gl/xoNRno. Worst Ninja Turtles movie in the TMNT franchise. When I first saw the trailer,it reminded me of the old movies which I loved to watch when I was a kid.But after I saw the movie in person,I became really disappointed on what the turtles franchise in live action was turning to.Like how the turtles look like Doomsday from DC Comics,April is not a redhead at all,they made the character Vern played by Will Arnett whose's character annoyed me in the movie before this and he became a celebrity,Casey Jones who is played by one of my favorite actor's Stephen Amell who plays as Green Arrow on Arrow is shown as a major wimp who wants to be a cop,and Casey Jones doesn't want to join the cops in any other adaption, he wants to be a vigilante .And shredder has long hair on this movie and I remember he had short hair in the first movie.So I give this movie a 1 out of 10 star,I wish I can give it a 0.. The 2016 sequel seems to have given this up completely, and offered a disappointing viewing experience to this viewer.The film follows the Turtles as they battle Shredder, recently busted out of prison, as he tries to open a portal to another world to bring the armies of Krang to Earth to take over. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles began as comic book characters in 1984, later spinning off to have its own cartoon series, toys, video games, and of course, films. He started of with him shouting "THIS IS THE BEST MOVIE EVER" once I asked him to elaborate he stated,"The turtles looked so realistic, and the action was actually pretty fun, yet I did not like how they sacrificed parts of the story to cut down the running time, and second have the last fight a little longer, yet all in all it was great!" I then asked him ' What would you like to rate it out of 10?' He said boldly "10 out of 10!". With the help of Bebop and Rock Steady Shredder gets ready for the arrival of the alien brain Krang, The Ninja Turtles have to step "out of the shadows" to save New York again with help from Cassey Jones. Everybody go watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of The Shadows in the theater, drive in if possible, either way Go see the movie it's a fun ride!. I also (and I mean no disrespect to Brian and Brittany) never really saw the need to replace the original actors with the new ones when this film is supposed to follow on from the first one.Finally: the film is faithful to the franchise with nods to past and current generations of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the team obviously had a better picture of what they wanted to achieve here. Eating pizza, cracking jokes, awesome ninja action and just generally acting like teenagers are all major points in the development of these characters, and with Out of the Shadows, there is some more of that old school TMNT feel between the four brothers. Even if there is an alarming lack of literal action scenes involving our favorite mutants, the Turtles are once again the best part of the movie, as they should be.There are more positives to be excited about, including the additions of villains Bebop and Rocksteady and occasionally, the Turtle's sidekick Casey Jones. While I was really mix on the 2014 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Movie because I grew up a fan of the series I got to say this movie did a lot to make it up to the fans.I saw this one twice in theaters once in 3DTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadow really feels like the classic cartoon coming to life on the big screen with The Turtles returning along with the big screen debut of Krang, Rocksteady and BebopIt really felt like they wanted to make up for what happened in the first movie and I have to say this one really gave us the feel and thrill of what the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are all about.The action in the movie is pretty balance out and you won't be disappointed they really took it up a notch with the fights.The music in the movie really helps bring the story and the emotions out because music is part of what makes a movie important otherwise it's no fun.The story of the film really works for fans of Turtles old and new they made it work out for a win win for all generation of Turtle Fans. So we broke down and watched Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (2016), we didn't have high hopes in the beginning as the trailer and of course the previous film; but we did give it a shot. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (2016) is not a bad film, it's fair; they just got completely sidetracked trying to piece the real actor scenes in with the created animated work that the glitches show so much it is hard to watch. If I were around the age of 10, this film may have been more enjoyable as it did have that cartoon vibe to it, and of course the Turtle scenes was more like watching the intro videos and cinematic within a video game.As for the acting, well Megan Fox was put in the Jennifer's Body look again to help keep the eyes on the screen as they spent a lot of time putting her in outfits to keep that going on. As for the rest of the acting, it was so-so; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (2016) looks as if all the money went into the art department, Megan Fox; and what was left went into putting the pieces together to make a film.The story itself, well.. Fox is surrounded by large characters with big personalities yet her April never looks like she can't hold her own.Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows is a good looking movie. The plane sequence in particular is very entertaining.The obvious highlight, the stand out by a mile, better than everything else on screen, of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows is the bungling duo of Bebop and Rocksteady. The humour in the antagonists is hit-or-miss and there is a little I found missing, but this time there are story elements that will make people's hands go on their chins, especially the conflicts about the pressure of conformity and change that could go several ways, the turtles are a delicious treat to watch even more than before, especially MC Mikey, there's fan service that doesn't feel too desperate, there are smiles and laughs as well as shocks, and just like last time, the credits song rocked enough to have me go out feeling like I had a blast!You can read my full review at http://weldonwitness.weebly.com/movies/teenage-mutant- ninja-turtles-2-out-of-the-shadows-2016. Will Arnett is charming like the first film, Megan Fox turns April O Niell back into this bad-ass character we saw in Transformers, and as for newcomer Stephen Amell, coming in as Casey Jones, is like a bad-ass vigilante cop kicking the crap out of The Foot Clan with hockey sticks and balls.The turtles are just as amazing as in the last one. The ninja turtles take the help of their friends, April O'Neil(Megan Fox), Vernon Fenwick(Will Arnett) & Casey Jones(Stephen Amell), to stop Shredder & his gang, at any cost. In fact, I liked this movie a little bit more than, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles(2014). I know it has been held in low esteem by critics,but when I walked into the theater with extremely low expectations,what I got was a movie which was actually funny with a plot which somehow made sense.The voice cast is quite energetic,which is exactly what is required for this kind of movie.I have always liked the TMNT quite a lot,and this movie is a nice way to get them back in form after a horrible predecessor.Even though it is marred by problems such as some implausibility and some jokes that fell flat,it is all quite forgivable.Overall,TMNT 2 has a fair share of flaws,but it makes for a fun time at the movies with a good voice cast.. Better than the first by far, more turtles and action, still faithful to their personalities, less human characters.Bebop and Rocksteady, Casey Jones, a REAL Shredder, and my god, Krang is amazing in this. when the tmnt reboot hit theaters 2 years ago, a lot of the people didn't like it, whether it was the direction, the cgi turtles, the plot lines etc, but of course kids loved it, it was a box office success and here we are, in a sequel, and man i am happy that the first was a success. this movie unlike its predecessor which was afraid on going full ninja turtles, actually does, it goes to the extreme actually, it is not afraid of showing a giant rhino and a giant warthog, it is not afraid of showing an over the top mad scientist, an alien talking brain or evil actual ninjas kicking the hell out of people, in fact it celebrates it which means if you grew up in the 80s and you are a fan of either the 80s show or the new nickelodeon one, you are going to absolutely love this, if not then go f@#k yourself, it is a love letter from the creators, or maybe it is a scheme to play with our nostalgia, but who cares? the first movie was more like Megan fox and the turtles, this one starts with the turtles, and ends with the turtles, they are the heart and soul of the movie, (april O'Neil, Vern, Casey Jones and all other humans are side characters) these turtles are THE best turtle incarnations ever on the big screen, even beating the 1990 movie, the turtles are spot on, they look real, they have a soul, they are bad ass, the characters are spot on and every thing about them is just perfect, they face struggles and it is actually believable in this one unlike the first, the new bebop and rocksteady are also spot on, their bro-manse relation ship is absolutely fun to watch, they are there to have fun and they feel like they jumped from the old cartoon, their cgi is also well done and again, they just feel perfect, I'm not talking about the other last act of the movie character because it might be a spoiler, but i liked him and even if the final act seems like its done so many times before, it is still fun because you got the turtles. Thankfully the teenage mutant ninja turtles are willing to stop them with the help of Vernon (Will Arnett), April O'Neil (Megan Fox) and new addition Casey Jones (Stephen Amell). The action cues are well produced and definitely help with the momentum in the film.Originally what seemed like would be just another clunky Michael Bay influenced movie; the sequel has made some significant improvements. Stockman and Shredder also recruit two criminals by the names of Bebop and Rocksteady(played by Gary Anthony Williams and WWE superstar Sheamus) to ensure their plan, and it's up to the turtles along with April O'Neil(Megan Fox) Vern Fenwick(Will Arnett) and their new friend Casey Jones(Stephen Amell) to stop them. You have the main plot line, as well as the introductions of Bebop/Rocksteady, Krang and Baxter Stockman AND Casey Jones, Leo facing leadership troubles, all the human crap, the brothers fighting among each other AND the movie isn't subtitled Out of the Shadows for no reason. In the end, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows is a very good film with good performances and great action, but suffers from Batman v Superman syndrome of having too many plots for it's own good. The first one I recall wasn't strong on plot, originality and even lacked key elements of the comics and series but it's safe to say that this sequel did deliver to be better and surprisingly fun for fans alike.The plot follows right after the events that took place in the previous film, the Turtles still live in the shadows from the real world and their enemy Shredder is pretty much set to be taken to prison for his dredd and actions on New York City. With several key cast members returning such as Megan Fox, Will Arnett and three of the turtles motion capture and voice cast (Johnny Knoxville was absent and replaced with a more suited actor) we also have new faces to the franchise like Arrow's Stephen Amell, Tyler Perry, former WWE wrestler Shamus and Brian Tee (the replacement for Shredder, who does a much better performance than the first bloke). The acting from the cast is good, such as Arnett being funny when needed, Amell being a bad ass much like in Arrow and Shamus and Gary Anthony Williams both giving us villain duo Bebop and Rocksteady a role in the film that makes the movie better but there are more factors to consider. Carrying with it is some impressive action set pieces and a better climatic showdown than the cloned showdown of Amazing Spiderman, CGI that mixes well and detailed motion capture work and features various nods and quips to the cartoon series (yep, they even have the theme song present this time).TMNT: Out of the Shadows is a vast improvement over the first one, with big nods and tones to the original cartoon series and a fun popcorn movie feel, this feels like it should get some appreciation from the old time fans of the franchise.4/5 - Nick 3/5 stars- Jay. Another Strong Showing for this Series Revival. in this they are this the best but more annoying then ever before.bebop and Rocksteady they where fun like in the cartoons but at times annoyingYEAH LETS TALKS ABOUT THE STORY WHAT STORY?EASY THE WORST PART ABOUT THE MOVIE IS CASEY JONES I CAN NOT BELIEVE THEY DID CASEY WRONG. But this is Michael Bay, who is so satisfied with his own brand of consumerist, money- grubbing blockbusters that he would never do anything as gracious as actually try to make a half-decent movie.A year after their battle with the evil Shredder (here recast as Brian Tee), the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Leonardo (Pete Ploszek), Raphael (Alan Ritchson), Donatello (Jeremy Howard) and Michelangelo (Noel Fisher), are still living in the sewers, hiding from a public who are unaware of their part in saving the world. Tbh im not sure how any true fan of the turtles can hate this film it is pretty much a live action throw back to the origional 1980s cartoon you've got beebop, rocksteady, karang, and Casey jones all in a story that would fit in perfectly with the 80s cartoon we all loved and to top it off they use the cartoons theme tune at the end. This is almost a perfect TMNT MOVIE but there is some bad bits!!!The main huge problem is the worst actress in cinema history megan fox she's terrible & only in movies because she's extremely pretty but she can't act at all & she's a horrendous April o'neil & like i said Casey Jones was ruined in this film he may as well of been a new character that teams up with the turtles as his character is NOTHING like the proper Casey Jones.The action is big blockbuster action & all the fx are outstanding & has lots of fun & humorous scenes,THIS wipes the floor with the crap first 2014 film!!! Meh. Well it was better then the previous one.Directed by Dave Green movie had way too many flaws.Story line up horrible.Parts I liked in movie were the airplane action sequence and introduction of Bebop & Rocksteady.Stephen Amell and Tyler perry were good.Rest of the film was just a land slide.Same old same old Micheal Bay stuff.April and Vern had no significant role.No justice to bad guys either.Shredder had a shady part.No justice to Krang too.Ending battle is lame.Cool turtle ride then the last film.Better off to wait for DVD then to watch in cinemas.Save your money for better films.#LovelySingh. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows is an American action adventure film. Personally, I wasn't overly fond of the way they look now."Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows" is an entertaining movie for what it was, but hardly one that stands out as being memorable. I actually have gotten to like Megan Fox in movies now, but I do think she should stick to comedy but she was a fan of the Ninja Turtles like some of us where then and how some kids are now.

tt0388795

Brokeback Mountain

In 1963, Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal) are hired by Joe Aguirre (Randy Quaid) to herd his sheep through the summer in the Wyoming mountains. After a night of heavy drinking, Jack makes a pass at Ennis, who is initially hesitant but eventually responds to Jack's advances. Despite Ennis informing Jack that it was a one-time incident, they develop a passionate sexual and emotional relationship. Shortly after discovering their summer together is being cut short, they briefly fight and each is bloodied. After Jack and Ennis part ways, Ennis marries his longtime fiancée Alma Beers (Michelle Williams) and has two daughters with her. Jack returns the next summer seeking work, but Aguirre, who observed Jack and Ennis on the mountain, refuses to rehire him. Jack moves to Texas, where he meets, marries, and has a son with rodeo rider Lureen Newsome (Anne Hathaway). After four years, Jack visits Ennis. Upon meeting, the two kiss passionately, which Alma observes. Jack broaches the subject of creating a life together on a small ranch, but Ennis, haunted by a childhood memory of the torture and murder of two men suspected of homosexual behavior, refuses. He is also unwilling to abandon his family. Ennis and Jack continue to meet for infrequent fishing trips. The marriages of both men deteriorate. Lureen abandons the rodeo, going into business with her father and expecting Jack to work in sales. Alma and Ennis eventually divorce in 1975. Hearing about Ennis' divorce, Jack drives to Wyoming. He suggests again that they should live together, but Ennis refuses to move away from his children. Jack finds solace with male prostitutes in Mexico. Ennis sees his family regularly until Alma finally confronts him about her knowing the true nature of his relationship with Jack. This results in a violent argument, causing Ennis to abandon his connections with Alma. Ennis meets and has a brief romantic relationship with Cassie Cartwright (Linda Cardellini), a waitress. Jack and Lureen meet and befriend another couple, Randall (David Harbour) and Lashawn Malone (Anna Faris). It is implied that Jack begins an affair with Randall, although he later tells Ennis he had a relationship with a woman, who is assumed to be Lashawn. At the end of a regular fishing trip with Jack, Ennis tries to delay their next meeting. Jack's frustration erupts into argument, and Ennis blames Jack for being the cause of his own conflicted actions. Ennis begins to cry. Jack tries to hold him and there is a brief struggle, but they end up locked in an embrace. Jack watches as Ennis drives away. Some time later, Ennis receives a postcard he had sent to Jack, stamped "Deceased". He calls Lureen, who says that Jack died in an accident, when a tire he was changing exploded. As she is speaking, Ennis imagines that Jack was actually beaten to death by a gang of thugs, the same exact fate that Ennis feared. Lureen tells Ennis that Jack wanted to have his ashes scattered on Brokeback Mountain, but she does not know where it is. Ennis travels to meet with Jack's mother and father (Roberta Maxwell and Peter McRobbie), and offers to take Jack's ashes to the mountain. The father refuses, preferring to have them interred in a family plot. Permitted by Jack's mother to see his childhood bedroom, Ennis finds the bloodstained shirt he thought he had lost on Brokeback Mountain. He discovers Jack kept it hanging with his own stained shirt from that summer's fight. Ennis holds both shirts up to his face, silently weeping. Jack's mother lets him keep the shirts. Later, 19-year-old Alma Jr. (Kate Mara) arrives at Ennis' trailer to tell her father she is engaged. She asks for his blessing and invites him to the wedding. Ennis asks her if her fiancé really loves her and she replies "yes". After Alma leaves, Ennis goes to his closet, where his and Jack's shirts hang together, with a postcard of Brokeback Mountain tacked above. He stares at the ensemble for a moment, tears in his eyes, and murmurs, "Jack, I swear..."

boring, depressing, realism, murder, stupid, violence, queer, flashback, tragedy, romantic, sentimental

train

wikipedia

It has changed my perception, I must confess, about certain aspect of same sex love because I didn't think of same sex when I was watching it, I saw two human beings (amazing performances by both actors)I have the feeling "Brokeback Mountain" will make history, deservedly so.. Watching this movie brought back many of the emotions I thought were long buried.I feel like grabbing my coworkers and talking them to death about this film, but I know they don't want to hear about it. I'm not going to talk about revelations or Oscar buzz, I'm just going to let you know that what he does in this film is so courageously beautiful, so truthful and so transcendental that his Ennis del Mar is bound to become a point of reference not just for us but for generations to come.. No matter who we are, we've all felt some of Jack's hurt and Ennis's pain some time in our lives - and if we haven't yet, we know that one day we probably will.In that great last scene, we are confronted with our most profound fear: that no matter how secure and good life feels right now, one day we may find ourselves totally alone and crippled by regret. I've said it before and I'll say it again, 2005 wasn't the best year for movies, and I'm not just saying this, but I felt that Star Wars, King Kong, and now Brokeback Mountain so far are the only real decent movies to see.The great thing about Brokeback Mountain for those who are uncomfortable with it's themes, the love story between Jack and Ennis is not rubbed in your face in any way. Only seeing Jack 4 or 5 times a year and then going back home to his wife and two girls and just acting like nothing ever happened.The performances in this movie are terrific, all the actors gave it their best shot at becoming who their characters were. This is truly an exceptional achievement, a landmark film with an amazing story/script, outstanding and exceptional acting, masterful direction, unhurried and controlled pace, breathtaking cinematography, simple yet excellent and beautiful music, and most importantly, unprecedented emotional impact. Avoiding facile and superficial stereotypes, the great author Annie Proulx and director Ang Lee have created truer-than-life characters and, thanks of course to the unforgettable and heartbreaking performances of Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal, "Ennis and Jack" now live forever, they are now undeniably part of the American literary and cinematic culture. This film is not pushing a specific moral, instead, it makes us think, it makes us feel, it makes us reflect on the true meaning and value of our lives.If you haven't seen this film yet, get the DVD, enjoy this truly exceptional masterpiece, and "live the Brokeback Mountain experience"!. I have watched it probably 15 times already, trying each time to pull it as close to me as I could, but, like Jack and Ennis, I simply don't ever get quite close enough to it, requiring me to watch it, and particular scenes in it, over and over like some strange obsession.This story of pure and natural love leaped off the screen, grabbed hold of my heart and has refused to let go. I think I have finally decided that it must have been that the stars were aligned from Annie Proulx' raw and somewhat crass short story, to its publication in the New Yorker oh so many years ago, to Diana Ossana reading that New Yorker issue, to her and Larry McMurtry's screenplay and then placed into the caring hands of director, Ang Lee, cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto, and then, finally, the casting of these two fine young actors in the lead roles. The next night I got up at 2am and saw it again, this time crying over tragedies of human existence (imagine a story being told from Ennis's wife's point of view, or daughter, etc.); and thats the whole thing: it's not a good guys vs. Hailed as breathtaking and an instant classic, Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain based on the sort story by Annie Proulx, with outstanding performances from lead and supporting actors alike, a spectacular yet haunting screenplay, superb cinematography and a beautiful score, certainly does not disappoint. Ennis Del Mar (played by Heath Ledger) the mysterious and reserved ranch hand from Riverton spends the summer working for Joe Aguirre (Randy Quaid) shepherding on Brokeback Mountain with bubbly Texan rodeo cowboy Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal.) Their friendship and feelings toward each other develop over the summer with one drunken night resulting in sex and the wordless revelation of their love. Go see it, however be warned, you will cry, you will have a pain in your heart and your mind will be possessed by Jack and Ennis' story, but you will also have witnessed what in my opinion is the most stunning film in cinema history.Brokeback Mountain: brilliant, beautiful but heartrendingly haunting.. Annie Proulx's short story, Brokeback Mountain.Charting the twenty-year love affair of two men, the film features brilliant direction, stunning cinematography, a beautiful authentic-feeling score, and a dignified and well-written screenplay (courtesy of novelist Larry McMurtry and writing partner Diana Ossana) that judiciously adapts Proulx's story.The film is also filled with superb performances from all its cast. Co-star Jake Gyllenhaal also gives a fine performance, though unfortunately he will be overshadowed by Ledger: it's understandable, as the movie concentrates more on Ennis del Mar than Gyllenhaal Jack Twist, but Gyllenhaal is a talented young actor who gives a marvelous performance.Both main stars are well supported by Michelle Williams (as excellent as she was in another gay-themed film, HBO's If These Walls Could Talk 2) and Anne Hathaway (giving surprising depth that you would not expect from the star of such films as Ella Enchanted and The Princess Diaries).The film plays beautifully, never sensationalizing its so-called 'controversial' topic (really, in 2006?) and all the cast and crew display an obvious respect and passion for the subject.If there are any low points, they are few - such as the cast is very young (not only the main leads but Hathaway and Williams in particular look too young) which stretches credibility as the twenty years slowly pass. However their fine performances just about make up for this and the filmmakers wisely didn't overdo the aging make-up (in fact they keep it to a bare minimum: young cast members playing much older characters can be hard to believe, but particularly so when they are obviously heavily made-up to look older!).There's very little else to fault in this wonderful movie, though perhaps the passion between the two main characters could have been slightly steamier – you do get the feeling the producers were treading carefully; then again, had they steamed things up, maybe it would have felt too vociferous and controversy courting.As things stand, this is a tender and heartbreaking masterpiece and one of the most beautiful films to come out of America in recent months. Though the film thugs wonderfully at your heartstrings, it never comes close to being one of those awful 'weepies' like Love Story.Hopefully, the controversy surrounding this movie will stop. This film deserves to be viewed, enjoyed and cherished on its own right, as a beautiful tale of a love affair repressed and hidden out of fear of society's reaction.Brokeback Mountain is an intelligent and thought-provoking film that deserves to win all the Oscars it's nominated for. From their first raw encounter of physical intimacy, to the warmth and compassion that follows, we are taken on a journey of love and despair as these 2 men endeavour to keep alive an impossible relationship in the most difficult and unforgiving of times.Full of passion, daring, hope and despair, Heath & Jake give extremely brave and heartfelt performances in roles that not only would be a formidable challenge for any straight actor, but that will also shake and perhaps change forever the traditional stereo-type of the American cowboy. After seeing this film my views are stronger and I honestly was moved for the second time this week (having watched Once Upon a Time in America a few days before although Brokeback Mountain is even better.) Heath Ledger, Jake Gylenhall, Michelle Williams, Anne Hathway and many others turn in outstanding performances here, with Ledger and Gylenhall carrying the film. In the summer of 1963, young ranch hands Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) are signed on to work together on a Wyoming mountain range. Nineteen-year-olds Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal) have been assigned a flock of sheep to guard on Brokeback Mountain. His father made sure he saw the body.The rest of the story I will not reveal because some events are better left to be experienced in the theater where their power can be fully absorbed and appreciated."Brokeback Mountain" would not work half as well as it does if it were not for the multitude of fine performances throughout. When Ennis says, "If you can't fix it, you've got to stand it," our hearts break because we know there is nothing that should need to be fixed.In addition to being one of the most compellingly acted and written films of the year, "Brokeback Mountain" is the most stunningly photographed. But after having seen this masterpiece for a second time yesterday evening there remains nothing else but that.The film contains wonderful landscape, two brilliant leading actors (and of course a bunch of great supporting actors), beautifully sad music and, most importantly, a very powerful and innovative story. "If you can't fix it, Jack, you gotta stand it"So goes the adage that Brokeback Mountain's tragic central character, Ennis del Mar (Heath Ledger), lives by. By the time the film closes, you cannot help but feel your heart has been ripped out of your chest: raw, same as Ennis.With Brokeback Mountain, all the aspects of film-making combine coherently to paint a visual expression of Annie Proulx's sparse prose under Ang Lee's delicate, consummate guidance. I simply cannot comprehend how, as Ang Lee's obvious masterpiece and what has developed into the most acclaimed film in motion picture history, the Academy could fail to honour this touching, tragic, universally powerful story that carries with it – but never preaches – an important message about love it's own Best Picture statue. Set in 1963, we see Ennis Del Mar (Ledger) and Jack Twist (Gyllenhaal) team up in their job to shepherd sheep to graze, and having strict orders to be separate most times to take care of their flock.But being together alone in the mountains, sharing their lives with each other, brings them too close, and soon, they share a forbidden illicit relationship (hey, they're supposed to be macho cowboys, and it's the 60s of free love and Vietnam looming) that transcends the usual boundaries of male bonding.It's like a summer love, and after an hour into the film, we explore how this love affect them as they try to ease themselves back to normalcy. Before long, they get together again to reignite their passion for each other and continue over a period of 20 years.One thing's for sure, the story will still play out decently if you substitute gay love with heterosexual roles, like the countless of movies on cheating spouses, but there'll be a very distinct lack of punch. Thanks a lot Ang Lee, Annie Proulx, Larry McMurtry, Diana Ossana, Jake Gyllenhaal, Heath Ledger (I loved your small role in "Monster's Ball", but I had never thought you could do anything better than that), Michelle Williams (farewell to Dawson!), Anne Hathaway, Gustavo Santaolalla, Rodrigo Prieto, and all of the others involved. The characters Ennis and Jack, superbly played by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal, the absolutely stunning directorial work done by Ang Lee, and the heart-wrenchingly beautiful musical score by Gustavo Santaolalla, have all been swimming in my head and heart nonstop these last few days and nights. It was one of the most beautiful movies, one of the most beautiful human stories I have seen in awhile, at least out of modern cinema.Heath and Jake give the performances of there careers, by taking possibly the best role's of there lives. Where do they make it after years and years of secrecy, what happens to them, will anything change, can there love exist like it should, without destroying these men.Perhaps this review isn't very clear, but the movie is incredible, cast aside what religious or personal prejudices you may have, and enjoy a great human story. Every time I see the film I am simply awed by its sheer artistry, the magnificent cinematography (should have won the guild award as well as Oscar), the multi-faceted acting of the cast, especially Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal, the moving and subtle musical score, and the near perfection of the screenplay, all woven together by the genius of Ang Lee. There is always something new that I discover, and the final scenes always move me emotionally. It's been a while since I saw Brokeback Mountain, but it's emotive content still resonates to this day.To over-analyse this film would do it a disservice, as it is in it's simplicity that the story revels.Although focusing upon the forbidden love of two men (set in the ultra masculine world of cowboys and rodeos), it manages to convey the warmth, devotion and unrequited emotions of essentially a couple who happen to fall in love.Here's lies it's magic; the two leads (played with exceptional restraint by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhall) quietly invite the viewer into their relationship, gradually making one feel they are watching an intimate piece of reality.The essence of the story could be transposed to any supposedly socially forbidden coupling (bi-racial, lesbianism, etc) but it's core message is one of sustaining a love that has to be hidden and never explored to it's full potential.Ang Lee (as always) provides a beautiful cinematic back drop to the evolving epic and clearly allowed the actors to freely explore the range of their characters.I could go on but I feel the best way for any potential viewers to embrace the magic of this film is to pick a quiet afternoon, rent the DVD and settle back to enjoy what is truly an exceptional piece of movie making.. Gyllenhaal's openness is beautiful, his determination to make the love work and to just exist the way he wants to, he definitely provides the emotional anchor for the film and gives a heartbreaking portrayal.It's Ledger, of course, who steals the show though, with a kind of transcendent performance that we're treated to maybe once a decade. The amount of acting skill and diversity it took to do such a touching and completely honest job, makes this young man, Heath Ledger, a legend.The scenes in the Brokeback were beautiful and allowed me to imagine somehow I was transformed back in time watch these young men.The truth is neither one of the characters was entirely gay, rather bisexual, but they did find each other as their own natural soul mates.Unfortunately cultural prejudice and homophobia prevented them from doing what Jack Twist had dreamed, ranching together on his father's spread.The final scenes are absolutely acted with such depth of character, the viewer is taken to tears. Starting out in 1963 in rural Wyoming a simple summer friendship is formed by two innocent cowboys by the name of Ennis Del Mar(Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist(Jake Gyllenhaal) only this summer encounter will turn into a lifelong connection of love and friendship. I must say great movie and well done especially good acting from Ledger and Gyllenhaal who make both Ennis and Jack such likable characters that you feel emotions for and you feel their hurt. Brokeback Mountain to me is one of the most moving love stories of all time. They are movies I watch again and again.The main characters of Brokeback Mountain are young, poor Wyoming ranch hands named Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist. BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN has been constantly referred to as a 'gay cowboy' film, but that unfortunate label doesn't even begin to describe the film.In their star-making & Oscar-nominated performances, Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal portray Ennis & Jack, two sheepherders hired to watch over a flock of sheep on the movie title's mountain. Of course, with any great love story ultimately comes tragedy...To label BROKEBACK the 'gay cowboy' film is ludicrous, in my opinion. Nevertheless, the story is not somehow considered a forbidden love.There are so many scenes in the movie that were so captivating and made me cry considering by magnificent and talented performances of the main characters showing animal desire and reluctant feelings of hesitantly knowing yourself and their what-is-the-right-thing-to-do justifications. Also, the movie was lifted to even higher heights with the brilliant performances by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal who put pure emotion into each scene making you feel for each character. Another important question for me that this movie brought to mind the second time that I watched it was the role that fear brought to Ennis and how it stopped him from fulfilling his own happiness with Jack.The performances were exquisite and Ang Lee is a genius for bringing us this remarkable and haunting love story.It is quite obvious that this film has resonated with a cord in the majority of the viewing public, and we all have our own views on what that is. I wanted to be honest with not only myself, but with the people reading this review that Ang Lee's "Brokeback Mountain" was in fact the best movie of the year. From Ang Lee's sharp, point-made directing to Rodrigo Prieto's mouth watering cinematography (most notably the Fourth of July scene) to the dream-like performances by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal, "Brokeback Mountain" does what so many films fall short of doing: It captures the heart. If even one person has come to realize this, or changed his/her mind about how "normal" it is for someone to love someone of the same sex, because of "Brokeback Mountain," then this film was very much worth making..

tt0058182

A Hard Day's Night

Bound for a London show from Liverpool, The Beatles escape a horde of fans ("A Hard Day's Night"). Once they are aboard the train and trying to relax, various interruptions test their patience: after a dalliance with a female passenger, Paul's grandfather is confined to the guard's van and the four lads join him there to keep him company. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr play a card game, entertaining some schoolgirls before arriving at their desired destination ("I Should Have Known Better"). Upon arrival in London, the Beatles are driven to a hotel, only to feel trapped inside. They are tasked to answer numerous letters and fan mail in their hotel room but instead they sneak out to party ("I Wanna Be Your Man", "All My Loving"). After being caught by their manager Norm (Norman Rossington), they return to find out that Paul's grandfather John (Wilfrid Brambell) went to the casino. After causing minor trouble at the casino, the group is taken to the theatre where their performance is to be televised. After rehearsals ("If I Fell"), the boys leave through a fire escape and dance around a field but are forced to leave by the owner of the property ("Can't Buy Me Love"). On their way back to the theatre, they are separated when a woman named Millie (Anna Quayle) recognizes John as someone famous but cannot recall who he is. George is also mistaken for an actor auditioning for a television show featuring a trend setter hostess. The boys all return to rehearse another song ("And I Love Her") and after goofing around backstage, they play another song to impress the makeup artists ("I'm Happy Just to Dance with You"). While waiting to perform, Ringo is forced to look after Paul's grandfather and decides to spend some time alone reading a book. Paul's grandfather, a "villain, a real mixer", convinces him to go outside to experience life rather than reading books. Ringo goes off by himself. He tries to have a quiet drink in a pub, takes pictures, walks alongside a canal, and rides a bicycle along a railway station platform. While the rest of the band frantically and unsuccessfully attempts to find Ringo, he is arrested for acting in a suspicious manner. Paul's grandfather joins him shortly after attempting to sell photographs wherein he forged the boys' signatures. Paul's grandfather eventually makes a run for it and tells the rest of the band where Ringo is. The boys all go to the station to rescue Ringo but end up running away from the police back to the theatre ("Can't Buy Me Love") and the concert goes ahead as planned. After the concert ("Tell Me Why", "She Loves You"), the band is taken away from the hordes of fans via helicopter.

cult, comedy, psychedelic

train

wikipedia

Where John, Paul, George, and Ringo became firmly established as individual personalities as well as the premier entertainment troupe of the 20th century?Only this: "A Hard Day's Night" is good, yes, and significant, but it's fun, too. Paul has his grandfather along, a codgy old troublemaker who nevertheless is "very clean." The irony of the movie is that the old guy, played by British TV star Wilfrid Brambell, is the one that continually ruffles the feathers of society while the Boys themselves play things fairly straight and legal.Grandpa has the best take on the meager storyline: "I thought I was supposed to be getting a change of scenery, and so far I've been in a train and a room and car and a room and a room and a room!" Brambell works very well in the film, a needful focal point in a film that requires some bearings in order to work. George shines, too, in a scene with a trend-happy fashion maven, and married one of the girls on the train in real life, so he did pretty well here, too.Is it the best Beatles film? I think "Yellow Submarine" is better for what it's worth, but "Hard Day's Night" is the best film actually featuring the Beatles for who they were and what they were about.Great music, too. The music they perform in this 'black and white' film are 7 'Lennon & McCartney' classics - from the title song, "A Hard Day's Night", to "Can't Buy Me Love" and "She Loves You". Watching it today, "A Hard Day's Night" still seems fresh and original, because it's still different (we're used to music videos, but not feature-length music videos), but to the 1960's audience it would have seemed entirely different from anything they had previously seen (especially if they were expecting a traditional rock musical, considering that the only good one of those made prior to this which I've seen is "Go Johnny Go").Lester infuses the film with nonstop quick cutting and energetic pacing, giving the film an almost documentary-like feel (and somehow managing to integrate the biggest pop band in the world into the French 'nouvelle vague' style of film-making). It seems absurd after Kubrick's long and distinguished career and Lester's career which while featuring some famously good films, also includes "Butch and Sundance: The Early Days" (a cheap prequel with none of the original cast), and the notoriously horrible "Superman III" to compare the two directors, but looking at Welles' reasoning behind loving John Ford films, it all makes sense. That's not to say there isn't any good acting in the film, quite to the contrary actually, since Wilfrid Bramble is hilarious as McCartney's grandfather and was presumably cast thanks to his very funny co-starring role on Britcom "Steptoe and Son", which was one of the shows I frequently watched as a kid (and was remade for American audiences as "Sanford and Son"). They may have had a "hard" time making this movie, but they would have to agree that it was worth it; people could easily spend "days" and "nights" watching it.. Director Richard Lester and writer Alun Owen caught a moment in time like lightning in a bottle and turned it into a jumpy, jangly thing that is as hot as it is cool and everlasting as The Beatles' music. Indoctrinated by all the corny teen movies that mostly were made prior to Hard Day's Night you knew that if they were going to be portrayed as conventional teen idols it was going to be a bust but if it was a glimpse into what it was like being a Beatle and the London mod scene of '64 and The Beatles in their irreverent but likable persona with cool clothes and Beatle boots and lots of Beatle's music and The Beatles playing their guitars it was going to be a hit. Supporting, or in this case actual actors, Norman Rossington as Norm and Victor Spinetti as the TV Director along with Wiford Brambell as Paul's "clean" grandfather and John Junkin as Jake gave the movie a legitimate cast to cohesively hold it together and it worked well but heck, The Beatles were good on their own first time out. A day and a half in the life of the Fab Four (Paul McCartney , Ringo Starr , George Harrison and John Lennon offering a few welcome moments of his acerbic , dry wit) leading up to a studio , in flight from the fanatic fans , managers (Norman Rossington) , and televised concert gig . A Hard Day's Night is a great example of the early Beatles musical ability, and work product, being that the title tune was written in about 20min between finishing an American tour, a European tour, a plethora of television specials, recording an LP in Paris in German for the Deutschland market, writing and recording the Hard Day's Night LP as well as making this film all within the same year, and before May of that year. Directed by Richard Lester and written by Alun Owen, this is the least pretentious of the Beatles' movies, more or less mirroring their own story and featuring many of their most popular songs – along with the title track (even if it does bring back memories of the crazy send-up by Peter Sellers), there is ‘I Should Have Known Better', ‘All My Loving', ‘Can't Buy Me Love', and ‘She Loves You'.Alongside the mop-tops playing themselves, this energetic movie also features Wilfred Brambell (Albert Steptoe) as Paul's grandad, as well as John Junkin, Victor Spinetti, Deryck Guyler, and – eek – Lionel Blair. ‘A Hard Day's Night' is fun and perhaps the most accessible of their films to non-Beatles fans. The Beatles' first classic movie is a nostalgic time capsule that manages to embody a very special age of innocence from the early 1960's, when four young men from Liverpool England practically took over the world with their marvelous music and charismatic charm and wit. John Lennon and Paul McCartney penned several songs for inclusion in the film, all of them winners and two of which easily became #1 hits ("Can't Buy Me Love" as well as the title tune, which was actually made-to-order overnight after producer Walter Shenson asked for a song called "A Hard Day's Night" which could run along with the credits). Elder British comedian Wilfrid Brambell was also cast as Paul's meddling "very clean old grandfather", and is often humorous to watch, getting involved in all sorts of mischief, though perhaps the necessity of his character being added to the formula would be open to debate.A HARD DAY'S NIGHT is a special account of a very wonderful, if fleeting, moment from our entertainment history. We have the incomparable John "You're Him!" Lennon, the perennial eight-year-old-but-still-sexy Paul "No, actually we're just good friends" McCartney, the jovial puppy that is Ringo "window rattler" Starr, and the deadpan intellectual humor of George "Arthur" Harrison.A Hard Day's Night encapsulates all of the charm of the Beatles, along with their fantastic music to make a great ride! What you're seeing here is nothing less than the first music video, albeit a rather lengthy 90+ minute one.Director Richard Lester wisely eschewed the idea of a plot and basically did a docucomedy with songs about 12 hours in the life of John, Paul, George, and Ringo. A decade later, such a disparity would have forced a punk band such as the Sex Pistols to fire off a massive "F*** You!" to its audience (and, in fact, one rock star did do just this - in film, no less: Roger Waters during the amazing and squirm-inducing "In the Flesh" segment of Pink Floyd The Wall, where a concert of mindlessly adoring fans is compared none too subtly with a Nazi rally).I'm not saying, of course, that the Beatles should have come out spitting and gobbing at their fans and tearing apart their image in A Hard Day's Night. In some ways, the next year's followup, Help!, was the better film because it did not try to be anything more than a madcap Beatle travelogue (and succeeded admirably, with its pristine color, beautiful locales, and clever comic moments - although its setups do get a bit monotonous after awhile).Of course, A Hard Day's Night *will* endure - simply because THE BEATLES endure, and this gives us the best sustained look at their performing prowess and all-around joie de vivre. The musical sequences in the film are simply glorious, particularly the orgiastic concert at the end, but even more muted moments such as when the Beatles sneak off to a nightclub to dance and intermingle with other youths to the soundtrack of their own songs; the scene provides a wonderful "you are there" quality to the partying and club-hopping side of Swinging London circa 1964. Just don't allow your enthusiasm for the group to confuse this with a great film.(btw: If you wish to experience the group's charm and musical euphoria of this time full on, without the intrusions of a tacked on plot or supplementary characters, check out the wonderful documentary "The Beatles' First U.S. Visit". For my money, this film is even MORE essential than A Hard Day's Night; it is, quite simply, the best extended visual document of the Beatles that we have.). As a die-hard Beatles fan, I am probably one of the many people out there who say that this is one of the best rock n' roll movies ever created. After seeing this film, you will want to watch this over and over again.One of the funniest things about "A Hard Day's Night" is Paul's "clean" grandfather. If you're a Beatles fan, or just want something random to watch, "A Hard Day's Night" is the movie you want.. It was much much better than I remembered.A day in the life of the Beatles was almost certainly nothing like the portrayal in this "documentary-style" film shot in black and white. After all, this movie was obviously produced as a marketing medium for their music and their personalities, and what a brilliant job of directing Dick Lester did to showcase both.It is a cleverly crafted screenplay and an amazingly effective film considering none of the band could act. It perfectly captures the joy of the whole thing, from the underdog charm of the four Beatles themselves to the sheer excitement they created around the world just by being themselves and using their God-given talents.The film is a flawless fusion of the clever wordplay of Alun Owen's script and the visual humour of director Richard Lester. I was 5 years old and remember hearing the Beatles music on the radio constantly at that time, so it was cool when I saw them miming to some of those same songs in the film. The story is all that a beatles fan could want:One day with them and I remark one of the roles: Paul's Grandfather is very funny Richard Lester directed the film very well. His dialogue is so unreasonable witty that even Groucho Marx himself would be impressed.In "A Hard Days Night", we not only see the Beatles as great characters, but we also get some other outstanding characters, such as Paul's mischevious grandfather (Wilfred Brambell) and the dim-witted Norm and Shake (Norman Rossington and John Junkin).This is a great film with great music and a great screenplay. "A Hard Day's Night" is a great film for Beatle fans, but even non-Beatle maniacs can appreciate the great British humor, stylish cinematography, and on screen hijinks. This movie is shot to somewhat look like a documentary, or an actual day in the life of the Beatles. Though the film is not a documentary, it actual does a good job of portraying the Beatles' real personalities and gives the audience a feel of their hectic, confined, touring days. A study of a day in the life of a mega-popular UK rock band in 1964, "A Hard Day's Night" does nothing to disguise its performers: they may be playing characters, but they're the Beatles.This is essentially just a movie that follows them around as they lead a day of their "ordinary" lives - packed with raving female fans, musical jam sessions, and comic mishaps.This isn't as "great" as some people (mainly Beatles fanatics) would lead you to believe -- if it weren't for the Beatles' presence, nobody would even be watching it. In "A Hard Day's Night," we know we're really watching the Beatles.The soundtrack is great (songs from the album "A Hard Day's Night"), the movie is fun.. Actually, I read that he says he was pretty hung over at the time.Hard Day's Night was the best of all the Beatles films. I think "Help" is OK, but lacks the spontanaety of "Hard Day's Night." "Magical Mystery Tour" had a great premise, great music, two interesting videos, but fizzled because the Beatles tried directing it themselves, with no experience. It just shows that the Beatles really were the very best rock band in history -- there was a magic that only John, Paul, George,and Ringo together could make. Norman Rossington is good as Norm - the Beatles' manager - and Wilfrid Brambell is hilarious as Paul McCartney's "other grandfather," who has joined the band's travels for a "change of scenery." 'A Hard Day's Life' is an interesting little film, full of moments of joy and laughter and drama - and let us not forget the excellent soundtrack of (you guessed it) Beatles songs! It is not, in any real way, a groundbreaking film, though I've heard that the performance scenes greatly influenced how music videos were filmed at the time.However, if, like me, you were unfortunate enough to have missed out on the 1960s, and you've been wondering why the Beatles were as big as they were, this is your definitive answer!. Everything in 'A Hard Day's Night' is so well balanced - there's nothing too much, nothing too less and the songs play in perfect order at the very best spot.Everything that Elvis Presley failed to do in his movies worked well with the Beatles. There are no endless amount of romances with women who look like our mothers but just hysterical girls and cool looking young lads who play music from probably their nicest sounding album A Hard Days Night, plus a couple of their older tunes.It is really cool to see a rock'n roll or pop movie where everything works so well. You will even remember those supporting actors which in other rock films become just victims of mega-rock stars hubris, but in 'A Hard Days Night' even an Irish grandfather gets a couple of memorable one-liners that does not question the Beatles' stardom. The scene where he walks down by the river after taking photographs is touching and acted out very well; it is easy to feel sympathy.The music on 'A Hard Day's Night' album is also among the best that the Beatles performed, and there are several excellent film clips throughout the film that make this a historical music documentary.It's thoroughly an enjoyable film packed with humour, rich cinematography, and excellent music. Before A Hard Day's Night, we only recognized John, Paul, George, and Ringo as famous musicians that were good looking. The other 'Beatle' movies like "Help"(1965),and "Yellow Submarine"(1968) and the documentary "Let It Be"(1970) were pretty good,but out of all of them it can't touch the electricity of "A Hard Day's Night". A Hard Days Night is simply fantastic as it lets us peek into the world of the four iconic lads from Liverpool: John, Paul, George and Ringo! As a 16 year old girl watching this film, I was so surprised that i loved it, the Beatles lets face it were gorgeous, and the music is simply magic. A Hard Days Night is a classic comedy that every Beatles fan should see.. this is the first film starring the Beatles,and it's a good one.it's shot like a documentary,but it's not.i'm pretty sure there is some add libbing involved,but i think the film is mostly scripted.it's very funny,and has great dialogue.all four of the Beatles star here,and all are very good.their comedic timing is really good,and they all have some very witty one liners.Richard Lester directed.he is also the director(officially)a of Superman 2 and he directed Superman 3 but it's the acting and writing that take centre stage here.this is one of thee most enjoyable musical/comedies i have seen.in fact it's one of the most enjoyable movies i've seen in awhile.it's simply brilliant.and this is coming from someone who's not a big Beatles fan.10/10. I found myself laughing quite a bit and you probably will too if you sit down to watch "A Hard Day's Night." Paul, John, George and Ringo weren't actors and it certainly shows in this film but I think their sort of awkward performances add to the random humor quite a bit so I can't say they were bad actors. The brilliance of Hard Day's Night is that director Richard Lester takes on the Beatles phenomenon for what it is, makes it an exuberant feast of rock and fun and screaming girls, and at the same time makes of the funniest British comedies of the last fifty years. The girls released their own film in 1997, "Spiceworld: The Movie", which attempted to copy "A Hard Day's Night", but it failed miserably and it failed to exploit their music to the same degree that the former did. A Hard Day's Night is my Favorite of the Five Beatles movies I've seen. "A Hard Day's Night" was the Beatles' first, and probably best, feature film of their career. The first - and best - of the Beatles' feature films, A Hard Day's Night purports to cover 36 hours or so in the life of the Fab Four in the run up to a live TV performance.

tt0042593

In a Lonely Place

Dixon "Dix" Steele (Humphrey Bogart) is a down-on-his-luck Hollywood screenwriter who has not had a hit, "since before the war." While driving to meet his agent, Mel Lippman (Art Smith), at a nightclub, Dix's explosive temper is revealed at a stoplight along the way in a confrontation with another motorist that almost becomes violent. At the nightclub, Mel cajoles him to adapt a book for a movie. The hat-check girl, Mildred Atkinson (Martha Stewart), is engrossed in reading it and asks if she can finish, since she only has a few pages left. Dix has a second violent outburst when a young director bad-mouths Dix's friend Charlie (Robert Warwick), a washed-up actor. Dix claims to be too tired to read the novel, so he asks Mildred to go home with him, ostensibly to explain the plot. As they enter the courtyard of his apartment, they pass a new tenant, Laurel Gray (Gloria Grahame). As soon as Mildred is convinced that Dix is not trying to seduce her, she describes the story, in the process confirming what he had suspected—the book is trash. He gives her cab fare to get home. The next morning, he is awakened by an old army buddy, now a police detective, Brub Nicolai (Frank Lovejoy), who takes him downtown to be questioned by Captain Lochner (Carl Benton Reid). The coat check girl Mildred was murdered during the night and Dix is a suspect. Laurel is brought to the police station and confirms seeing the girl leave Dix's apartment alone and unharmed, but Lochner is still deeply suspicious. Although Dix shows no overt sympathy for the dead victim, on the way home from the police station, he anonymously sends her two dozen white roses. When he gets home, Dix checks up on Laurel. He finds she is an aspiring actress with only a few low-budget films to her credit. They begin to fall in love; this invigorates Dix into going back to work with a vengeance, with Laurel assisting him, much to his agent's delight. However, Dix behaves strangely. He says things that make his agent and Brub's wife Sylvia (Jeff Donnell) wonder if he did kill the girl. In addition, Lochner sows seeds of doubt in Laurel's mind, pointing out Dix's lengthy record of violent behavior. Dix becomes furiously irrational when he learns of it. He drives at high speed, with Laurel a terrified passenger, until they sideswipe another car. Nobody is hurt in the collision, but when the other driver accosts him, Dix beats him unconscious and is about to strike him with a large rock when Laurel stops him. Laurel gets to the point where she cannot sleep without taking pills. Her distrust and fear of Dix are becoming too much for her. When he asks her to marry him, she accepts but only because she is too scared of what he might do if she refused. She makes a plane reservation and tells Mel she is leaving because she cannot take it anymore. Dix finds out and almost strangles her during a violent confrontation before he regains control. Just then, the phone rings. It is Brub with good news: Mildred's boyfriend (named Henry Kesler, the same as the film's associate producer) has confessed to her murder. Tragically, it is too late to salvage Dix and Laurel's relationship.

violence, suspenseful, humor, murder, storytelling

train

wikipedia

Bogart and Grahame are a terrific team (she is the designing actress), but also good are Frank Lovejoy, Jeff Donnell (as his wife), Martha Stewart (no not that one) as the murder victim, Art Smith as the agent, and Robert Warwick (just wonderful) as the washed-up actor. Humphrey Bogart plays a bitter, hard drinking and frequently violent screen writer who becomes a murder suspect when a young girl (Martha Stewart) is killed. It's a much more wrenching and powerfully disturbing film because the murder that draws the protagonists together turns out to be of peripheral importance, while the love story between Humphrey Bogart's troubled screenwriter and Gloria Grahame's B-actress spins inexorably towards damnation completely on its own power. In some of the scenes with Gloria Graeme he's at his smooth, wisecracking, slightly irritable best, but in the moments where the anger and the fog of despair descends he is a more threatening character than in any of his other leading man roles.The cynical, darker aspects of this film just go to highlight how few contemporary films are prepared to be so bleak.Despite the fact that the plot is ostensibly a 'did he do it?' crime story, this is largely inconsequential to the psychological character and relationship study that is the central concern of the film. The moments of tenderness he shows to his alibi-turned-lover Laurel (an ethereal Gloria Grahame; imagine Hope Davis glammed-up for the 50s) alternate with fits of anger to turn their relationship into that of a tragic poem.In A Lonely Place is film noir that focuses on romance rather than crime. A scorching performance from Bogey makes this film a real classic, his Dixon Steele one of the great screen characters. In this more biting version of the plot of Hitchcock's suspense/comedy Suspicion, Bogart is a kind and loving screenwriter with a violent streak of temper waiting to break out and a taste for a drink or two, wooing Gloria Grahame's pretty young actress next door. Bogart's performance is brilliant, but the setting works well too, Grahame is great as the sassy girl he falls for, then frightens, the story chugs along at a fair lick, but allowing plenty of time for the many fun minor characters to develop well, and the script is a corker - wonderful stuff.. This man was not physically isolated as Robert Ryan ('Inferno') had been: he was an embittered Hollywood screenwriter who needed self-discipline and trust… The lonely place in which he was trapped was his own mind...Perhaps some people thought Bogart over-acted, played the writer like a criminal aggressively apt to be easily offended... The title describes the mental state of the lead character Dixon Steele - played by our favourite Humphrey Bogart.He seems to be more himself in this movie, than in any other role he played before or since. I really can't understand why as it's a wonderful Film Noir-style movie with exceptionally exciting dialog and some very clever writing.Bogart plays a strange and complex character--a man who writes screenplays. "In a Lonely Place" is a magnificent movie, and Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame have outstanding performances. Art Smith plays Steele's long suffering agent and only true friend.The film skirts film noir traits, but is equal parts murder mystery and tragic love story. But a glint of light appears in the form of Dixon's beautiful neighbour, Laurel Gray, who provides Dixon with a solid alibi, this sets in motion a relationship between the pair that might break or make either one of them.In A Lonely Place is a fabulous picture, not nominated for any academy awards (incredible in light of Bogart's stunning portrayal as Steele), and tagged on its release as being too bleak to be a winner, it's now rightly considered one of the best films of its type and contains some of the best work from those involved. It's quite an achievement that director Nicholas Ray molds the pictures halves together and dabs them with darkly affecting visuals, whilst all the time taking us up and down as to how we feel about Dixon Steele and the girl he has clearly fallen in love with.This is not just about the actors (Gloria Grahame as Laurel is also as fabulous as Bogart is) and its director tho, a tip of the hat has to go to the source material by Dorothy Hughes and Edmund H North and the adaptation by Andrew Holt, the ending here is different to the one in the book, but personally I think this one works better because it has a quandary cloud hanging over it, not in a short changed way, but in a deeply unnerving way, the kind that sets you pondering over a cold glass of beer. It has the elements of the classic 40s film noir tradition and it also anticipates the revival of the melodrama genre which would become so popular in the fifties in the hands of directors like Ray and Sirk.It also contains one of the most schizophrenic of screen performances by Humphrey Bogart. Featuring his future wife in Gloria Grahame, In a Lonely Place is Nicholas Ray's fourth and finest picture, and Humphrey Bogart's most dynamic performance. They quickly fall in love after she provides him with a slick alibi, then begins to think different after he shows some of his more unfortunate cards.Ray is best known for Rebel Without a Cause, Grahame for her Oklahoma role of Ado Annie, and Bogart for Casablanca and others. Gloria Grahame is very well-cast despite the fact the part was specifically written for Lauren Bacall, but playing one of his most complex characters Humphrey Bogart holds the film together in a superb performance. Shortly after moving into a new apartment, Laurel Gray (Gloria Grahame) discovers a mutual attraction between herself and neighbor Dixon "Dix" Steele (Humphrey Bogart). While the murder investigation plays through their lives, Steele and his neighbor, Laurel Gray, played by Gloria Grahame in a bravura performance, fall in love. This is one such film, and if you want to know movies and why they work deep in our soul you need to come to it at some point.Okay the story at face value is that a hard-nosed screenwriter on the rebound is prime suspect for the murder of a young girl he took to his apartment to do some reading for him. Truly one of the great noirs, "In a Lonely Place" was directed by Nicholas Ray and stars Humphrey Bogart, Gloria Grahame, Frank Lovejoy, Jeff Donnell and Martha Stewart. Dix's edginess comes with a price - the question is whether she's willing to pay it.The rest of the cast is excellent: Art Smith as Dix's long-suffering agent who loves the guy in spite of everything: Frank Lovejoy as his detective friend, who can't help liking him even if he is a suspect for murder: and Jeff Donnell, who plays Lovejoy's wife, a woman who knows real love when she sees it.What a movie - you really can't ask for more. A brooding study of aggression, trust and success, Ray's film meticulously deconstructs the Hollywood myth, revealing a frightening world where the man you love could very well be a murderer.Dixon Steele (Humphrey Bogart) is a down-on-his-luck screenwriter, an unsuccessful artist who resents being pressured into writing hackneyed, unoriginal scripts, which are guaranteed money-makers for the studios but possess zero artistic integrity. Humphrey Bogart is magnificent as a tough Hollywood screenwriter who is romantically involved with a gorgeous actress, Gloria Grahame,meanwhile he's under suspicion of killing of another woman.This is a fascinating psychological thriller which takes Bogey's screen persona and turn him to show the dangerous undertones which could destroy such a man.¨Bogie¨makes mythical stuff of the violent, volatile and two-fisted writer.Bogart's brooding ,male animal intensity brought him rave reviews for this film.Here he is an unlikeable,angry urban male with smooth-talking charmer who erupts into sudden violence.Bogart'd done it all and had it all done to him,he's the patron soul of film noir:High Sierra,Maltese Falcon,Big sleep,Key Largo, Knock on any door and of course, In a lonely place.Gloria Grahame was a female icon of 1950 film noir,Grahame custom mingled vulnerability,sensuality and emotional volatility to craft a remarkable string of flawed characters :Crossfire,Sudden fear,Big heat,Human desire ,Naked alibi, and specially ,In a lonely place. The distrust in their relationship is the factor that moves the story forward toward a downbeat ending "in a lonely place".It's a thinking man's film noir, but never reaches its full potential as a thriller even though Nicholas Ray does his best to give it the proper noir atmosphere. Nor is Gloria Grahame's character completely sympathetic when she decides she's had enough.Not likely to please all audiences looking for a good film noir, although there are some who think it is one of Humphrey Bogart's most complex and rewarding roles. Norman Mailer who as I remember back in the day was always involved in all kinds of scrapes must have been the model used for Bogey's character of Dixon Steele.Anyway a script girl played by Martha Stewart comes over one night and gives him the synopsis of a trashy novel that the movie studio which employs Bogart wants him to adapt. IN A LONELY PLACE is among the most personal and wise studio films to look at adult love in all its insecurities and fears, capturing not only the feel of the Red Scare of the early 50s but the sad realization that nobody can come out a free man in a world where we are all victims of our own fate and powerless in our control over it.The film's most iconic lines are of Dix in the car with Laurel driving, saying aloud lines he wants to put in his script but doesn't know quite where: "I was born when she kissed me, I died when she left me, I lived a few weeks while she loved me." These film lines not only sum up the speaker's desperate life of trapped loneliness and despair, being reborn in hope of a new relationship, thriving at the chance of love, then falling back into darkness at its failure; it is Dix's life in a single, poetic phrase.. "In a Lonely Place" is a downbeat film noir, and not a comfortable film to watch, but it is unforgettable because of the excellent performances of Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame. They are completely convincing as a pair of lovers whose relationship begins by chance and then is threatened by their own character flaws.Bogart is Dixon Steele, a Hollywood screenwriter whose temper constantly undermines his better qualities. The story itself is as unpredictable as the characters, maintaining tension all the way to the ending.Bogart's fans won't find this one as much fun as his more famous roles, but he gives quite a performance, and this is a movie that will certainly keep your attention.. Humphrey Bogart turns in an outstanding performance in this gritty film noir about an aging screenwriter suspected of murder. She shows great range as their relationship goes through stages, and without spoiling anything, I'll just say that things get difficult for her as Bogart gets erratic, and she realizes he may have committed the crime.Director Nicholas Ray is taut in his story-telling, and there is a wonderful atmosphere to the film, such as when the two are in a nightclub sitting at a piano with other couples as Hadda Brooks performs "I Hadn't Anyone Till You", drinking and murmuring to one another. As their relationship develops, Dix sizes her up as one of the Hollywood dames "not so good with arithmetic, BUT ask them how many minks make a coat!" Gloria Grahame playing Laurel is the perfect pouty lipped, narrow-eyed, tough noir broad making her the ideal female counterpart for Bogart's domineering, demanding Dixon Steele. In a Lonely Place (1950) *** 1/2 (out of 4) An aging Hollywood screenwriter (Humphrey Bogart) is accused of killing a woman but that doesn't stop his neighbor (Gloria Grahame) from falling in love with him. This is a very hypnotic film noir type film from director Nicholas Ray that has a wonderful mystery and a pretty good love story, although it begins to drag a bit towards the end. Humphrey Bogart is magnificent, (it may be his best performance), as Dixon Steele, a Hollywood scriptwriter whose violent outbursts makes him the prime suspect when a hat-check girl he had taken home is later murdered while Gloria Grahame is also superb as the neighbour who provides him with an alibi and subsequently falls in love with him.Bogart's guilt or innocence is not the issue here. Then he becomes a suspect in the murder of a hat-check girl, a circumstance that oddly leads to Dixon finding the love of his life, a blonde neighbor named Laurel Gray (Gloria Grahame). The psychological suspense drama "In a Lonely Place" has Bogart in the lead role of Hollywood screenwriter Dixon Steel a forerunner to Queeg but a much more complicated man. Firstly the story's great with Bogart as an unstable, violent screenwriter suspected of murder, to the point even his fiance is convinced he did it.Secondly it's a great comment of the time, the 1950s, when screenwriters were accused of communism and their friends eroded and turned against them.Thirdly it's about control, while Dixon Steele attempted to control his love, Nicolas Ray, the director, had been in a relationship with Gloria Grahame and in her contract was a clause that she had to do ANYTHING he said.Watch it. A Humphrey Bogart headlined suspense drama, directed by Nicholas Ray, his fourth feature, also co-starring Ray's then wife Gloria Grahame, IN A LONELY PLACE has enjoyed a steady augmentation of accolades through the years, Bogart's performance is praised as one of his finest, as Dixon Steele, a Hollywood screenwriter with a propensity for violence, who becomes a major suspect of the murder of Mildred Atkinson (Stewart), a hat-check girl whom he had brought home to read him the story of a book, which he has been required to adapt.A key witness is Dixon's new neighbour, Laurel Gray (Grahame), a young lady just gets out of an unfruitful relationship, who attests that Mildred left Dixon's place alone and unharmed. Interesting Humphrey Bogart crime-drama.Novel plot: man (Dixon Steele, played by Humphrey Bogart) with a history of violence is accused of murder, female neighbour (Laurele Gray, played by Gloria Grahame) helps clear his name, they fall in love but she comes to be wary of his violent temper and thinks he may well have committed the murder. A potentially violent screenwriter (Humphrey Bogart) is a murder suspect until his lovely neighbor (Gloria Grahame) clears him. Alcohol-soaked Hollywood screenwriter Humphrey Bogart (as Dixon "Dix" Steele) and sexy aspiring actress Gloria Grahame (as Laurel Gray) are mutually attracted, but he is suspected in a violent murderer. Hidden between the carefully positioned paintings on Grahame's apartment wall and the arch of her eyebrow is a love story that does not quite convince; now, if they'd had mixed her romantic feelings with some ulterior motives, director Nicholas Ray might have had something that lined up perfectly...Otherwise, "In a Lonely Place" offers a superb Bogart performance and generally grand work by all...The characterizations surrounding Bogart's pornographically named "Dix Steele" - erstwhile agent Art Smith (as Mel Lippman), annoyingly chatty Martha Stewart (as Mildred Atkinson), and washed-up "silent movie" actor Robert Warwick - all help the film hit home. Like this film's principals knew, Hollywood loneliness is often filled with drugs and younger sex partners.********* In a Lonely Place (5/17/50) Nicholas Ray ~ Humphrey Bogart, Gloria Grahame, Frank Lovejoy, Art Smith. I liked the first half of "In a Lonely Place." But somewhere along the way, the movie drops and nearly forgets the noir-ish murder mystery that got the whole story started and just becomes another '40s/'50s message picture about an out of control and abusive man (this time around a bad temper substitutes for alcoholism). I found it ironic that the story revolved around a Hollywood screenwriter who was grappling with a script because this script must have involved quite a bit of struggling, possibly from a lack of inspiration on the part of the writer.Bogart aside, I have seen Gloria Grahame, Frank Lovejoy, and Art Smith in other films, and they were much better in them. Bogart plays Dixon Steele an ex police officer and now Hollywood screenwriter who is very committed to his work as we see throughout the film. This film is such a good film Noir and has a great story and questions many things but the main question is did he or didn't he?The film begins with Mr Dixon Steele (Bogart) a screenwriter having a few drinks with friends at a bar and friendly chat ends with a quarrel and a bit of a fight. Humphrey Bogart's down-on-his-luck screenwriter Dix becomes a suspect in the murder of a woman whom he had recently met, so his neighbor Laurel (Gloria Grahame) gives him an alibi. He portrays one of his most interesting characters of film-noir cinema and was at a zenith of extraordinary acting.The story is about a screenwriter (Bogart) suspected of murdering a woman that is let off by an intrigued neighbour. At first, Bogart's character is introduced as an average man, but as the film progresses, he becomes darker and more violent.In a Lonely Place is certainly one of Bogey's best and also one of the greatest noires of classic cinema. In a Lonely Place is a story about a screenwriter who is suspected from murder.Dixon Steele (Humphrey Bogart) is a cynical, lonely Hollywood screenwriter, who wants a random girl to give a summary of a book he is supposed to write a screenplay of. In a Lonely Place is a romantic film-noir thriller.This is one of Humphrey Bogart's greatest roles. The writer of In a Lonely Place has said that the role of Dixon Steele is incredibly close to Humphrey Bogart's real life personality.

tt0401815

Tamara

Tamara Riley is a shy and unattractive but intelligent girl who likes witchcraft and has a crush on Bill Natolly, her handsome English teacher. When a critical article she writes about the school's athletes is published, two of the star athletes, Shawn and Patrick, want revenge. Tamara attempts to perform a magical ritual to bind her fate to that of her teacher, but when she must spill her own blood she ceases the ritual.That night, a prank is orchestrated by Shawn and Patrick, along with Shawn's girlfriend Kisha. Shawn calls Tamara, impersonating Mr. Natolly, and invites her to a motel room. A video camera is placed there and catches Tamara undressing. Shawn, Patrick, and Kisha watch this, along with three others who did not know about the prank (Chloe, Jesse, and Roger). Shawn comes in and taunts Tamara, and Tamara is accidentally killed in a struggle. Despite Chloe's demands that they inform the police, she is blackmailed into helping bury Tamara.However the very next day, they are shocked when Tamara walks into class, alive and well and looking more attractive than ever before. They convince themselves that she was only unconscious and she dug her way out of the ground. That night, while Roger is watching a movie in the school AV room, the image on the screen suddenly changes to the video of Tamara. Roger removes the tape and is confronted by Tamara. She torments him with hallucinations of what it is like to be buried alive and with his history of cutting himself. The next day, he sends a televised message to the entire school in which he proclaims that one should 'hear no evil, speak no evil, and see no evil.' He then cuts off his ear and tongue with a razor blade, then stabs himself in the eye, which kills him.Tamara then visits the home of Mr. Natolly, intending to seduce him. However, when he resists her, she says that "it is only a matter of time." The next day, she visits the school guidance counselor, Allison Natolly, the wife of Mr. Natolly. Tamara confronts Allison, mentioning Allison and Bill's infertility problems. Realizing that her father fantasizes about being with her and that his alcoholism drove her mother away, Tamara makes her father "finish the bottle", requiring him to eat a beer bottle.At a party, Tamara puts a spell on Patrick and Shawn, and forces them to have sex with each other, with Patrick raping Shawn, just as he has done to girls in the past. Kisha attempts to stop Tamara, but is incapacitated when Tamara begins to talk about Kisha's eating disorder. Tamara tells Kisha that she is "skin and bone, and really should eat more." Kisha begins to eat herself into a stupor, but is taken away by Jesse and Chloe. When Chloe and Jesse call Mr. Natolly and tell him about what happened, Kisha (still under the spell) calls Tamara and tells her that Mr. Natolly knows. Kisha is knocked out by Chloe.Chloe, Jesse, and Mr. Natolly go to Tamara's house, where they find the corpse of Tamara's father and a spellbook describing the ritual Tamara tried to perform. They realize that when they killed Tamara that night, her blood was spilled. It was because of Tamara's blood being spilled that the ritual was completed and allowed her to rise from the grave as what she is.Meanwhile, Tamara, learning of what the others know, sends Shawn and Patrick to the Natolly residence to kill Allison. They try, but Allison kills them both in self-defense after a long and brutal chase and fight. Kisha and Allison are both taken to the hospital and treated, but Kisha wakes up and chases down Jesse and Chloe, resulting in Jesse's death.Tamara then takes control of the mind of an armed security guard and chases Mr. Natolly, Allison, and Chloe up to the rooftop of the hospital. Tamara and Chloe finally confront each other. Tamara is unable to control Chloe because of her being innocent and realizing the monster that she herself has become. She breaks down and slowly changes back into a corpse. Before fading away, Tamara asserts her will to be with Mr. Natolly and he appears to surrender to the inevitable. Mr. Natolly holds Tamara close and kisses her, then throws himself off the roof with Tamara.In the final shot, it is revealed that Chloe and Allison are fine, and Tamara and Mr. Natolly are both dead. However, Kisha, still apparently under the spell, takes the spell book from Chloe's jeep.

revenge, gothic, murder, violence, prank

train

imdb

tt0112851

Desperado

An unnamed man (Steve Buscemi) walks into a bar. The customers are initially hostile towards him but he seems not to notice. He begins to tell how he was in a bar in another town and it was cleaned out by a man in black looking for a man named Bucho. This story openly frightens the men as well as the bartender (Cheech Marin) and his side kick Tavo (Tito Larriva), attempt to get a description of the man's face. Buscemi claims to not know and remarks that he believes the man is headed that way.El Mariachi (Antonio Banderas), the man from the story wakes up from a dream about Domino, his love interest in the first film. He hears a knock at the door and lets in Buscemi. It is revealed that Buscemi is helping El find out where Bucho is. He tells El that he can find out where Bucho is at the bar he just visited. Buscemi asks El what he will do when he has his revenge. El simply states that it will be over. Buscemi then says he is glad. El remarks that Buscemi never had the stomach for that sort of thing. He replies: "Neither did you." El then cleans himself up to appear as a mariachi and walks to town. He meets a young boy who carries a guitar and teaches him to loosen his fingers when playing, however, the wound to his left hand from Moco (in the first film) prevents him from using his fingers on his left hand. Instead, he teaches the boy to pick the strings with his right hand.Meanwhile, Bucho is apparently worried that "the man in black" is coming for him. He orders his men to keep an eye out for any strangers and buys a bulletproof limo. El then goes to the town's bar. The patrons are suspicious of him due to the Buscemi's story even though he appears nothing like he was described ("The biggest Mexican I've ever seen in my life!") except for the black clothing. They hold him at gunpoint as they open his guitar to search for weapons that they were told were in the guitar case, but only see a guitar. They let him go, just as the guitar is revealed to be a cover inside the case to conceal his guns. They prepare to kill him but he ejects two hidden Ruger P90 .45 ACP semi-automatic pistols from his sleeves and engages in a bloody gunfight with the men. Meanwhile in a hidden room, several other men see the gunfight on a video monitor. Tavo executes the drug Pick-Up Guy (Quentin Tarantino) because they believe he betrayed them. El proceeds to kill all the men except the bartender and tries to question him, wanting the bartender to take him to Bucho. The bartender is accidentally shot in forehead by a man from the hidden room. They attempt to shoot each other but run out of bullets and try to use the fallen men's guns but find that they are all empty. Finally the man finds one and tries to shoot El with it, but El snaps his neck.El Mariachi then leaves the bar, unaware that he is being followed by the bartender's friend and associate of Bucho, Tavo, who is carrying two semi-automatic pistols; a .44 caliber Desert Eagle and a Ruger P90. As he walks, he notices a beautiful woman (Salma Hayek) walking towards him. Her shocked expression at the man behind him warns El and he shoves her out of the way in time as he is shot in the arm, but manages to kill Tavo.Later, El awakens in a bookstore to see the woman stitching up his arm. She says her name is Carolina. He wants to go to a hospital but she says he wouldn't if he saw them. He then asks where he is and she says it is her bookstore, but business is not very good. He then falls asleep from the painkillers she gives him. Carolina runs some errands and then comes back to the bookstore. Curious about his guitar case, she opens it to see the guitar, but it then opens to show his guns. She is then grabbed by El. She says she now knows who he is ("You're that guy you always hear stories about.") She doesn't seem to be afraid of him. He then offers to give her one of his guns as a gift, but she declines.He then leaves to go to church, where he meets with Buscemi who tells him to get out while he still can, because that is what he is doing. El then follows and begins to argue with Buscemi, again unaware that he is being followed, this time by another man in black ("Navajas") (Danny Trejo), who has been stalking El throughout the film. He then tells Buscemi that maybe he should quit after all. Buscemi approves of this, but is then killed by Navajas' throwing knives. El is then also hit, but only wounded and takes cover in an alley.Navajas waits confidently at the entrance. Bucho's limo, full of armed men and Bucho's girlfriend, pulls up behind him and attempts to question him on who he is. He kills several of them with his knives, but is then shot dead. El manages to escape without being seen and runs into the little boy from earlier, who wants to show El his real guitar. El follows him, visibly in pain and bleeding profusely.A car drives up and a man inside trades guitars with the boy. They then drive around the corner and see El. The man in the car attempts to pull a gun, but El is faster and demands the other guitar. They give it to him and drive away. He then breaks it open to see a packet of cocaine. He then questions the little boy who says that everyone else in the town is involved and most of the businesses are fronts, including Carolina's bookstore. Furious, El heads back to the bookstore.Meanwhile, Bucho's men return Navajas' dead body to the gated compound. He calls his superiors to ask for a description of the man they sent in to look for El. The description matches Navajas, but Bucho doesn't let on that his men killed the man they sent. He then chastises his second in command for believing that El is nothing but a legend.El, returning to the bookstore, yells at Carolina, angered at the fact that she is apparently working for the man who he is trying to kill, and that his friend is dead. She then states that she doesn't work for Bucho, stuff is only dropped off and picked up from her bookstore and she is paid 50,000 dollars a year. She says she uses a little to keep the bookstore running and saves the rest in case she ever has to leave, but that once she joined she wasn't allowed to get out. El calms down and lays on the counter so she can fix his wounds, but she promptly shoves him off behind the counter just as Bucho walks in. He questions her about if she has seen any strange people, but she states that she hasn't and will call him if she does. El, behind the counter attempts to load his gun silently, but is unable to in time before Bucho leaves. He attempts to leave and follow Bucho, but Carolina tells him that it would be suicide and to wait till later.Later, while El is recovering from his wounds, Carolina gives him a guitar as a present. They attempt to play together, but are unable to. Carolina then kisses El, and they proceed to have sex in her bedroom. Meanwhile, Bucho calls his men in town and tells them to search the bookstore and if El is there, to kill him and Carolina by burning the bookstore down.The next day, El awakens while Carolina sings with her eyes closed, to see the silouhettes of armed men through the curtains. He proceeds to silently pull out one of his pistols and his sawed-off double barrel shotgun and trips Carolina out of the way as he fires and kills the two men. They attempt to escape through the bookstore, only to see that it's on fire. They make their way to the roof, gunning down several men, only to find their way blocked by men on the ground. Carolina jumps while El fires at the men and then throws his guitar case across to the next building. Men then come behind him and he is forced to jump backwards off the roof while firing at the crooks. He lands, and rolls, unharmed. He then uses a grenade to kill the last of the gangsters. While hiding on the roof, El sees Bucho drive up. He proceeds to aim a scoped Wildey Magnum pistol at Bucho's head but hesitates when he sees Bucho's face, and puts the gun away. Carolina asks him why he didn't shoot him. El doesn't answer, and they take refuge in a hotel.El tells her that she can escape and use the money she stashed to start a new life, without El having to kill Bucho, but Carolina says that the money was hidden in the books that were burned. El then decides to call his friends Campa and Quino. They show up shortly after and follow him to a deserted part of town, where Bucho's men find them. Campa and Quino reveal that they have special cases, too, Campa's two cases being machine guns, and Quino's case being a rocket launcher. They proceed to kill many of Bucho's men along with Carolina's help. However, Quino is killed by a gangster on a roof, and Campa is killed when he runs out of ammo. The little boy is also caught in the crossfire and is badly wounded. El and Carolina kill the last man, Bucho's second in command, by running him over, and rush the boy to the hospital. With the doctors unsure if the boy will live, El angrily heads to Bucho's ranch to settle the conflict.They arrive and find themselves surrounded, but Bucho calls his men off. It is then revealed that El (Manito) and Bucho (Cesar) are brothers; this being why El did not kill Bucho earlier. Bucho, however, angry at Carolina's betrayal, tells El to put his hands up while he kills Carolina and that they will then be even for El killing his men. El, unable to bear another love's death, ejects his pistols from his sleeves as he did earlier in the bar, and shoots Bucho dead.El and Carolina are later seen at the hospital there they get to know the boy has survived and is getting better (Note: how El Mariachi and Carolina got away or walked away from Bucho's surviving henchmen is not revealed). El tells Carolina he will thank her and leaves.Then walking in the desert Carolina drives by him with a jeep and asks him to join her. El throws away his guitar case and he and Carolina drive off, but then stop and go back for the guitar case ("just in case") before driving away into the sunset.

comedy, mystery, neo noir, cult, revenge, violence, flashback, good versus evil, humor, action, romantic

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imdb

tt0298148

Shrek 2

Shrek and Fiona return from their honeymoon to find they have been invited by Fiona's parents to a royal ball to celebrate their marriage. Shrek refuses to go at first, but Fiona talks him into it, and along with Donkey, they travel to the kingdom of Far Far Away. They meet Fiona's parents, King Harold and Queen Lillian, who are shocked to see their daughter as an ogre, with Harold particularly repulsed. At dinner, Shrek and Harold get into a heated argument over how Shrek and Fiona will raise their family, and Fiona, disgusted at Shrek and Harold's behavior, locks herself away in her room that evening. Shrek worries that he has lost his true love, particularly after finding her childhood diary and reading that she was once infatuated with Prince Charming. Harold is reprimanded by the Fairy Godmother and Charming, her son, by reminding Harold that Charming was to marry Fiona in exchange for his own happy ending, and requests that he finds a way of getting rid of Shrek. Harold arranges for Shrek and Donkey to join him on a fictitious hunting trip, which actually is a trap to lure them into the hands of an assassin, Puss in Boots. However, Puss is unable to defeat Shrek and, revealing that he was paid by Harold, requests to come along and make amends. The three sneak into the Fairy Godmother's potion factory and steal a "Happily Ever After" potion that Shrek thinks will restore Fiona's love for him. Shrek and Donkey both drink the potion and fall into a deep sleep, awakening the next morning to discover its effects: Shrek is now a handsome human, while Donkey has turned into an elegant white stallion. In order "to make the change permanent", Shrek must kiss Fiona "by midnight". Shrek, Donkey and Puss return to the castle to discover that the potion has transformed Fiona back into her former human self as well. However, the Fairy Godmother, having discovered the potion's theft, intercepts Shrek and sends Charming to pose as him and win her love. At the Fairy Godmother's urging, Shrek leaves the castle, thinking that the best way to make Fiona happy is to let her go. To ensure that Fiona falls in love with Charming, the Fairy Godmother gives Harold a love potion to put into Fiona's tea. This exchange is overheard by Shrek, Donkey and Puss, who are soon later arrested by the royal guards and thrown into a dungeon. While the royal ball begins, several of Shrek's friends band together to free the trio, creating a monster-sized gingerbread man, which breaks through the castle's defences so Shrek can prevent Charming from kissing Fiona. He is too late to stop them; instead of falling in love with Charming, though, Fiona knocks him out with a headbutt. Harold reveals that he never gave Fiona the love potion, whereupon the now enraged Fairy Godmother attacks Shrek. In the ensuing melee, Harold sacrifices himself to save Shrek; Harold's armour ricochets the Fairy Godmother's spell which disintegrates her into bubbles; it also returns Harold to his true form as the Frog Prince. He had used the Happily Ever After potion years before in order to marry Lillian, but she tells him that she loves him regardless of his appearance. As the clock strikes midnight, Shrek and Fiona let the potion's effects wear off and they revert to their ogre forms, while Donkey changes back to his natural form as well. Harold gives his blessing to the marriage and apologizes for his earlier behavior, and the party resumes. After the party, the Dragon, who had previously romanced Donkey, arrives and reveals that they now have several dragon-donkey hybrid babies.

comedy, fantasy, cult, violence, humor, satire, romantic, entertaining

train

wikipedia

tt0068816

Kozure Ôkami: Sanzu no kawa no ubaguruma

In this second Lone Wolf and Cub movie, the disgraced former executioner, or Kogi Kaishakunin to the shogun, Ogami Itto is now living rough on the land with his three-year-old son Daigoro, travelling the countryside as a hired killer. Pushing his son in a baby cart, he stops at a bathhouse looking for a room and a bath, and is eagerly welcomed in by a young woman. However, the manager of the house sees Itto as a dirty vagabond and scolds the young woman for letting him in the house. Overhearing this, Itto goes to the baby cart and retrieves a bundle and hands it to the manager for safe keeping it is 500 gold pieces, earned from a recent job. The manager's tone quickly changes, but when he tries to wash Daigoro's feet, the boy kicks water at the old man and tromps across the floor, leaving wet footprints.Itto's activities are being watched by the Kurokawa spy clan of Shinobi-class ninja, which have fallen in with Itto's nemesis, the Shadow Yagyu. They report on his activities to Sayaka, head of Akari Yagyu clan of female assassins. But the Kurokawa are unsure that the women are up to the task of killing Itto. Sayaka laughs confidently and tells the Kurokawas' leader to send their best man into the room. She then orders the man to try and exit the room. He tries to do so by grappling onto the ceiling, but the female assassins set upon him and make short work of him, hacking off his ears, fingers, arms and legs, leaving the man a writhing heap of just a torso and head before he is finally finished off.Itto, meanwhile, is hired by a clan that specializes in making indigo dye and has a secret process. One of the clan plans to sell out the secret to the shogun. Itto must kill him. The turncoat will be escorted by the three Hidari brothers, each a master of a deadly weapon; the iron claw, the flying mace, and a pair of armored gloves.As he travels to his job, Itto encounters three groups of female assassins of the Akari clan. The first group is disguised as an acrobat troupe that turns deadly as their gymnastic moves are combined with blades and turned against Itto. He then encounters a pair of women who with blades on their straw hats that they throw at Itto as if they are Frisbees. Finally, some women washing vegetables by the river turn out to be assassins and the daikons they are washing are wielded as weapons. Itto kills them all.Then he meets Sayaka, who catches him, his son and the baby cart in a steel net. Itto cuts his way out of the net and engages in a sword duel with her. He delivers what should be a disabling blow to her ankles, but the woman fighter jumps straight up out of her kimono to reveal a fishnet body suit and then runs away, bizarrely jogging backwards.Next, the Kurokawa clan are waiting for Itto, who puts together his naginata (disguised as railing on the baby cart) and gives the baby cart a shove toward the waiting enemies. Daigoro, still in the baby cart then activates blades in the axles of the cart, which cut off the feet of several men. The battle that ensues between Itto and the Kurokawas is fierce and Itto is injured before he kills them all.Weary from the endless fighting, Itto struggles along the road and eventually finds shelter in a shack. Daigoro, seeing that his father needs his help, must do what he can. Unable to carry water in his tiny hands, Daigoro carries water from the river in the only vessel available his mouth. He spits the few drops he could carry between his father's parched lips. For food, Daigoro finds some rice cakes given as an offering to a Buddha statue and takes them for his father, leaving his vest in exchange. Itt recovers and finds that his son is missing. Daigoro has been taken by the Kurokawa and Sayaka, tied up and suspended over a water well. If Itto attacks, they will let go of the rope and Daigoro will plunge to his death. Daigoro lets his sandal drop into the well, giving Itt a gauge of how deep it is. He then makes his move as the rope unspools, stopping it just in time.Sayaka watches silently and makes no move to engage the swordsman, realising his technique far outstrips her own and perhaps also out of a sense of honor for the devotion of the father to his child.Itto then finds himself aboard a ship, carrying the three Hidari brothers. Itto is met by several other members of the indigo-dye clan, who try to kill the Hidaris but are bloodily rebuffed. The clan then sets the ship on fire in an attempt to kill the Hidaris, but the three killers escape. Itto tosses Daigoro and the baby cart into the water, the cart proves itself by floating.Sayaka has followed Itto onto the ship and in the water, she tries to kill him, but is disarmed. Itto, with Daigoro and Sayaka, find shelter, but they are cold. Itt disrobes himself and Daigoro, then turns on Sayaka, tearing off her clothes. But he does not mean to rape her. Instead, he is seeking to get her out of her cold, wet clothes and cling to her while nude. "Three people are warmer than two," he explains. She thinks about taking his sword and killing him, but the cozy scene, with Daigoro sitting between them, playfully fondling her breast, makes her abandon the plan.The final showdown takes place on a vast area of sand dunes. The three Hidari brothers are at the head of a caravan of men carrying a palanquin with the indigo expert inside. The brother with the iron claw runs forward and thrusts his claw into the sand, which boils up with blood. There are men hiding in the sand. He digs his claw into the sand several times, each time creating a pool of blood and pulling up a hiding warrior by his head. The rest of the hidden men in the sand emerge and fight, but the Hidari brothers dispatch them all.Itto awaits, alone, at the top of a large dune. Each brother is dispatched in a high-pressure spray of blood, with the last brother dispatched in a lethal stroke along the throat, a cut that sprays blood in a fine mist, while making a sound like the "howling of the wind". The final slain Hidari brother comments such a fabled finishing stroke is referred to as "Mogaribue", and wishes he had heard the sound just once from the many people he has killed, but is instead hearing it from his own neck as his life slowly drains away.Itto approaches the palanquin with the traitorous indigo expert inside, finishing him off before gathering Daigoro and again setting off. The end sees them out of the desert and on a coastal trail, followed by Sayaka. Aware of her presence Itto stops the cart, looking straight ahead whilst holding out his dotanuki blade, as Sayaka wielding a katana is revealed behind him. Itto stands ominously still until he hears the sound of Sayaka dropping her sword; knowing that she can never defeat the master swordsman.

good versus evil, violence

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imdb

Kozure Okami:Sanzu no Kawa no Ubaguruma/Lone Wolf & Cub:Baby Cart at the River Styx(1972) is made up of a few episodes from graphic novel series. Baby Cart at the River Styx(1972) is the best of the six film series because of complex character development, interesting story, and outstanding action sequences. The Chimes heard by Ogami Itto and his son, Daigoro during early moments of film are a reminder for them of their painful past. Humorous moment occurs when an owner of a hotel inn takes in Itto and son(Lone Wolf gave him gold pieces to watch over) after thinking of not taking them in moments earlier. There is a brilliant 360 to 180 degree pan of the camera that features an effective tight close up to display expressions of intuition from faces of Ogami Itto and Daigoro. Ogami Itto as the Lone Wolf lives by Meifumado as a way towards restoring his family name while at the same time take revenge on the Yagyu clan. Ogami Itto intriques me as a character of graphic novels and for this instance film because of his strong paternal presence. Introduces some tough female ninja assassins that Lone Wolf & Cub have to go up against. Ogami Itto is one tough and determined opponent as the female ninja assassins find out when the majority of this group but one is killed off. The face off between Ogami Itto and Sayaka, the leader of the female assassin group successfully played by Kayo Matsuo has a surreal feel to it. Ogami Itto walking through a path of bodies with a baby cart that has a vegetable stuck in the middle front is a nice comic touch. The confrontation between Lone Wolf & Cub and the Shogunate's Kurokuwa Ninja group is a combo of artful violent imagery and brilliantly smooth editing. Although the scene does have it share of graphic violence, there is never a crude feel in the action as at moments in Sword of Vengeance(1972). Fantastic use of cuts and dissolves to make this moment one of the best action scenes from the first two films. Lone Wolf and Cub:Baby Cart at the River Styx(1972) really gets at the heart of the story with its complex father/son relationship. The father/son relationship of Itto and Daigoro is what has made the Lone Wolf & Cub stories for so many people. Maybe not as artisticly refined as in samurai films by Akira Kurosawa, but the violent battle scenes at least never feel bland or boring. Ogami Itto and Daigoro follow a path of blood and corpses that is steeped in tragedy. Only when they completely destroy the Yagyu Clan can the Lone Wolf and Cub return to a path of a hopeful future. Daigoro represents the good, kind side of Ogami Itto whom without would just be cold blooded and ruthless. One of the actresses(Michie Azuma) who plays a female ninja assassin would have a more substanical role as topless female assassin in Lone Wolf & Cub:Baby Cart in Peril(1972). Lone Wolf & Cub:Baby Cart at the River Styx(1972) stays true emotionally to the graphic novel that the film is based on.. "Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx". The "Kozure Ôkami" cycle is, simply put, THE greatest samurai saga ever brought to screen, and this second entry to the cycle is (along with the fifth) arguably the most brilliant of all six films. Director Kenji Misumi outdoes himself once again with this masterpiece, and the great Tomisaburo Wakayama is again incomparably brilliant in the role of his life as Ogami Itto. The lone Wolf Ogami Itto returns with his only son Daigoro, on their journey on the 'path to hell'. His expertise is once again put to the touch, as he is both hired as an assassin, and has a whole group of assassins set on himself by the despised Yagyu clan...The entire "Kozure Ôkami" cycle ranks high among my personal all-time favorites, and "Baby Cart At The River Styx" is my personal favorite of them all, for a variety of reasons. The Lone Wolf and his son have to stand up against a group of female ninjas lead by Yagyu Sayaka (Kayo Matsuo) as well as three assassin brothers called the 'Masters of Death'. Ogami Itto's son Daigoro (Akihiro Tomikawa) has grown a bit, and learned to talk (but hardly ever does), since the first film. Daigoro is, as far as I am considered, arguably the greatest child-character ever in a film. The father-son relationship of Ogami Itto and Daigoro is one of the great aspects of the 'Ôkami' films, and makes these ultra-violent Chambara-highlights heart-warming at times. Daigoro's role has become more active in this second entry to the series, and he even actively engages in some of the crafty tricks in his father's fights. Tomisaburo Wakayama is again brilliant in the lead and the rest of the performances are also great, especially Kayo Matsuo is excellent as ninja-lady Sayaka, and so are the three 'Masters Of Death'."Lone Wolf And Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx" is pure perfection in every aspect. I have seen too many films to come up with a list of all-time favorites, but if I ever was to make such a list, this second entry to the brilliant 'Okami' series would definitely be in the top 10! An incomparably brilliant masterpiece of blood-soaked swordplay-cinema, "Kozure Ôkami: Sanzu no kawa no ubaguruma" is essential for every true lover of film! Another winner in the BABY CART series (but honestly, I can't find too much fault in any of the films in this set of "classic" films...) and personally my favorite single entry...This one has the Lone Wolf and his Cub still enjoying the "misadventures" of samurai-for-hire, and of course their quest for vengeance against the Yagyu clan that initially betrayed them. There is also the requisite side story of Itto's "hit of the day"...This one has some pretty fast-and-furious fight scenes and is probably the most action packed of the series. Again, like the other entries, good acting, great sets and costumes, beautiful camera-work, and the almost magical but extremely unorthodox "chemistry" between father and son are not to be missed. The use of silence in some of the fight scenes were great but at first I thought it was really strange and didn't have a clue what was going on and I was saying every swear word in the dictionary of swearing then my Fiancée brought me back down to earth and said that she once read that samurai attacks in completely silence so it's enemy isn't aware of his moves which was the reason the film was like this and my thought straight away was `Clever Buggers'. Alas, Lone Wolf is one with void now, but his legend will live on forever in these films. Trailed by a clan of female ninja, Ogami is paid to assassinate a clan traitor accompanied by three killers known as the Monks of Death.The English title refers to the River Styx, which strictly speaking is not accurate. In Baby Cart at the River Styx, for the first time, we see vulnerability from the master swordsman and a little headstrong personality from his young child. Some of the fighting is a little awkward, and the formula is threatening to wear thin, but overall this represents a wonderfully stylish, entertaining continuation of the journey that was so well-established in the first film. In this, the second in the Lone Wolf and Cub series, ronin Ogami Itto (Tomisaburo Wakayama) and his son Daigoro (Akihiro Tomikawa) continue to wander the land as assassins for hire, all the while keeping an eye out for members of the nasty Ragyu clan, who want them dead.When the wealthy Awa clan approach Itto, offering him 500 gold pieces to kill a man who might be able to ruin them financially, he accepts; in order to complete his mission, he must face many dangers, including a team of vicious female warriors, and the highly skilled Hidari brothers, also known as the Gods of Death.Baby Cart at the River Styx sees director Kenji Misumi delivering a breathtaking sequel to his excellent Sword of Vengeance. Like a Japanese Sergio Leone, he once again uses extreme close-ups, rapid zooms, sparing use of a haunting soundtrack, and superbly choreographed violence to continue his epic tale of a man and boy on a gore-spattered journey through 'hell'.From the opening scene in which Itto quickly dispatches of two Yagyu clansmen, through to the stunning climax which sees Lone Wolf and Cub battling the Hidaris in a desert, this film is a stunning and often beautiful display of carnage. There are occasional moments of tenderness too, with the close bond between father and son displayed in a couple of notable scenes: Ogami gently bathes Daigoro, with one hand on his sword in readiness for trouble; and Daigoro nurses his injured father back to health, trading his jacket for food.My only gripe with Baby Cart at the River Styx is that the film is often very dark, and it was extremely hard to see what was going on, particularly during the many night scenes. Whilst this may be due to my DVD being a bad transfer, it did affect my enjoyment of the film (I had to re-watch the gory dismemberment of one unfortunate shinobi at the hands of the female ninjas with my TV's brightness and contrast whacked right up), which is why I give it slightly less than Sword of Vengeance—7.5/10 (although I have to round my rating up to 8 for IMDb, which technically puts it on a par with the first one).. I love the entire 6 part series, but this one is my personal favorite with it's grand collection of action, emotion and gory dismemberment.Time has passed since the Yagyu clan framed Ogami Itto as a traitor and murdered his wife, but the wandering assassin is as determined as ever. At the same time, Ogami has just accepted a job to assassinate dye maker.Arguably the bloodiest of the series, but also the most methodical. Once swords are drawn, however, the movie becomes a whole other beast entirely; the action is fast, it's gory, and it's ever so fun to watch.Story wise, this one doesn't do much for the overlapping plot of the series. Inparticular, the three 'Gods of Death' are a nice addition; Ogami's fight with them is the best of the series in my opinion.Nothing much to say on the technical front, it's no better or worse then any other film in the sub-genre. Sound, lighting, direction, acting are all sufficient enough to get the job done.A classic of samurai film and another hardy addition to a great series.9/10. And of course I saw the first Lone Wolf and Cub movie before I watched this. It's the usual Ogami Itto getting hired to kill some bad guys, that's basically the entire plot boiled down to it's core. If you already thought that the first movie was action packed, wait until you see this one.It's not just more action filled or entertaining but it's also a better done film as well. The movie is basically non-stop entertaining action in which Ogami Itto takes on more bad guys and gals than ever before. Watch this film and whole set of baby cart films. The opening of film sets the pace and style, with lone wolf ninja encounter. Highly enjoyable, with a great mise en scene, every frame has meaning and every scene has value.Once you buy this film you will want all Kenji's films, including the great blind swordsman films.For action and style River Styx is hard to beat.. The final duel between Ogami and the Masters of Death is a great one. Also when Diagoro is rolled in the cart and cuts the legs of two of the ninja.that's a good bit.All in all the films can't be compared to the comics. ogami itto still in the path of avenge his wife,this time he has to fight yaigiu ninjas,killer women, and three weird guys that uses unusual weapons. This is an example of how hacks can make an action movie an embarrassment for all involved.This is a story about a guy who rolls his son along in a cart, but all they do is just kill what seems like hundreds of people.In fact, everyone seems to be just killing everyone, with one exception. The overkill of fighting and killing gets more monotonous than the lack of action in movies like "Equus".In effect, this is "Equus", just the flip side of the coin. This, the second of the 'Lone Wolf and Cub' series of films, sees protagonist Ogami Itto, an assassin who travels with his young son Daigoro, being hunted by a group of female ninjas who are working for the Yagyu clan. As well as dealing with these assailants Ogami has been hired by another clan who want him to kill a traitor who intends to give the secret of their lucrative indigo dying process to the shogunate. This man is being escorted by the three Hidari brothers… a trio of killers who is each a master of a lethal weapon; one has a spiked club, another has spiked gauntlets and the most deadly has a claw-like weapon.I came to this without seeing the first film in the series but that didn't really matter as it was easy to figure out what was going on. The action starts almost immediately and gives the viewer a fair warning of what is to come… Ogami is attacked and one assailant ends up with a sword buried in his head and a second sprays vividly coloured blood after he is speared. There is plenty of similar violent action throughout the film with just enough quieter moments to lets us know what is going on. It is the relationship between Ogami and Daigoro that makes the film so memorable… the idea of an assassin who pushes his son around in an armed cart is original to say the least. Overall this was a solid samurai action film; it is pretty violent but fans of the genre should enjoy it.These comments are based on watching the film in Japanese with English subtitles.. The second in the Lone Wolf & Cub series - and the best!. This follow-up to the excellent SWORD OF VENGEANCE is everything a sequel should be: it's better than the original, taking themes and running with them, and as a whole more expansive and elaborate than the first film. Although the action-focused plot is slimmer than in the first film, the central characters are explored at more depth. In fact, he's quickly becoming, in my eyes, the greatest child character ever put on film – the scene with the water is endearing beyond belief. The supporting cast is pretty iconic, with a ruthless female fighter who becomes gradually attached to the killer twosome, and a trio of imposing 'gods of death' who cut quite the figure with their huge helmets and outlandish weaponry.There are so many great bits in this short film that it's hard to remember them all. A highlight for me is when Ogami must contend with a clan of female assassins, who come at him in a series of spectacular ambushes. It may well be the most entertaining samurai film ever made!. Lone Wolf and Cub are living up the assassin life and Yagyu monks hunt him everywhere he goes. Yagyu hires Sayaka and her band of female assassin's to kill Ogami, currently employed in her town Akashi. The traitor escaped to the next Domain over, awaiting the arrival of the Shogunate escorts, BenTenRai, to safely bring him to Edo.Before Ogami faces the Three Brothers he must first take out Sayaka, her band of assassin's, and Kurokuwa-Yagyu monks. Assassin for hire Ogami (superbly played by the husky Tomisaburo Wakayama) battles a group of deadly female ninjas led by the ruthless Sayaka (a deliciously vicious portrayal by Kayo Matsuo) and accepts an assignment to kill a traitor who's planning on selling his clan's secrets to the Shogunate.Director Kenji Misumi keeps the absorbing story moving along at a steady pace, delivers oodles of outrageously excessive blood-spurting violence, and stages the exciting sword fights with rip-snorting aplomb, with the climax set in the desert in particular rating as an absolute corker. Moreover, Daigoro actually kills a few people himself thanks to his booby trap equipped baby cart (!). The Lone Wolf and Cub series was co-produced by Shintaro Katsu--the same man who played the lovable Zatoichi in so many films. While there are clear similarities between the two series, the Lone Wolf and Cub series will not be mistaken for the Zatoichi films because they are clearly much more adult and more morally ambiguous. In the first Lone Wolf and Cub film, I was actually rather put off by this. Also the enemy are clearly bad and it was easy to root for Ogami Itto in his two major conflicts.The film begins with the clan who is trying to destroy Ogami approaching a group of rather intense female ninjas for their help. When the clan hires Ogami to kill the three and the man who is trying to betray his clan you can understand Ogami's need to kill them--and it sets up a great finale.Be forewarned that although this movie has less nudity and is in some ways tamer than the first film, it clearly surpasses it in blood. I have never seen a Japanese film with more blood spraying in all my life--and this includes the super-bloody Zatoichi film made by Beat Takeshi a few years back! Oddly, some of the killing and gore was done by Ogami's tiny son in this installment!! No, this is an adult-oriented film--and an extremely bloody and entertaining one at that.By the way, if you like to see mistakes, watch the bathtub scene.

tt1980929

Begin Again

Dan Mulligan (Mark Ruffalo) is a formerly successful record label executive living in New York City who is estranged from his wife Miriam and struggling to keep up with the changing music industry. After being fired from his job, he goes on a drinking binge which leads him to a bar in the Lower East Side where he encounters Gretta James (Keira Knightley). Gretta is a young and fiercely independent songwriter from England who has just broken up with her long-time boyfriend and songwriting partner Dave Kohl (Adam Levine), a newly successful musician who had an affair with one of his producers' assistants. Captivated by Gretta's music, Dan offers her to sign her to his former record label, and although she initially refuses she reconsiders the offer and agrees.Dan and Gretta meet with Saul, Dan's business partner and co-founder of their record label, but he does not see the same potential in Gretta and turns her away. Undeterred, Dan proposes that he and Gretta produce their own album together, to be recorded live during the summer at various public locations around New York City. Recruiting a team of talented musicians, including Gretta's best friend Steve, Dan sets out to make an album worthy of being published by his label. During this time, Dan and Gretta bond both personally and professionally, and Gretta takes Dan's teenage daughter Violet, a fledgling guitarist, under her wing and encourages her to play on the album. When the album is finished, Dan and Gretta meet again with Saul, who is very impressed with their collaboration. Gretta demands that Saul give Dan his job back and give her a bigger share in the deal. They leave without reaching an agreement, but Dan feels confident that Saul will eventually sign Gretta to the label.When Gretta sees Dave accepting an award on television, she criticizes him for selling out to the music industry and she expresses her grievances with him in a song which she records on his voice mail. A remorseful Dave, who is back in New York to promote his new album, returns her call and asks to see her. After some consideration, she decides to meet with him and they critique each other's albums. Gretta feels betrayed by Dave's heavily commercialized rendition of "Lost Stars," a love ballad she had once written and composed for him as a Christmas present, believing that the true meaning of the song has been lost. Dave tells her that the audiences love when he plays it in the new way, and that their energy fills the room. He believes that music is about sharing it with people, but Gretta tells him that's not what she intended for that song. Nevertheless, Dave invites her to come and hear him play the song at the Gramercy Theatre that weekend so that she can see the impact it has had on his fans. She arrives at the venue just in time to watch him play her original arrangement of the song, but as she watches him play and sees the reaction of the crowd to the song and how Dave responds to the fans' adoration by slipping into singing the commercialized arrangement of the song, she realizes that he is a lost cause. Gretta then leaves the concert and cycles through the city with newfound closure and a dawning smile on her face.Afterwards, Gretta visits Dan at his apartment as he prepares to move back home, having made amends with his wife. She tells him that she does not want him to release her album, instead preferring to distribute it online for $1. Although Dan returns to work with Saul, he agrees to let Gretta release the album online and helps her to promote the release. The next day, Saul jokingly fires Dan for promoting Gretta's album and informs him that it sold 10,000 copies in its first day of release.

romantic, flashback

train

imdb

Mark Ruffalo and Keira Knightley play producer and song writer who team up to make a demo filmed all over the city. Nice cameo by Ceelo Green and Adam Levine who sings quite a few songs.Movies like this are pleasant and uplifting to watch - if you want a break from action or violence of summer blockbusters.. I felt a little worried going in to see the film that somehow Mr. Carney had fallen foul of the big producers, making sacrifices to the story in order to get some 'names' into it.However, around 20 minutes in, my hopes returned and I knew it was going to be special... the film builds on the story and characters as it goes on, making me care about them, showing me things I had never seen before in similar movies and above all, making me think. Between the scenes, I also loved how it discreetly touched on some important issues with throwaway lines, addressing things which people take for granted these days: 'Music is for the ears, not the eyes.' and 'don't dress like you are easy' being two of them. "A movie about modern advances dismantling the art industry as we know it by replacing the high-paid middle-men with IT, bringing artist closer to audience." Doesn't sound like a thrilling blurb, but this movie brings the story to live with incredible writing, great music, wonderful performances and a brilliant vision. The actors just nail it, especially Knightley and Ruffalo, though I would have liked to have seen more done with Catherine Keener.I rarely watch movies twice, but there are people I want to share this with, and I ordered the soundtrack as soon as I returned home.How will they finish this, I kept thinking toward the end. It deals with Dan and Greta (Mark Ruffalo and Keira Knightley, respectively) who after being cheated on by their former boyfriend/girlfriend meet up and record some songs together. The soundtrack is more poppy compared to the folk songs in "Once," but they are nice to listen to.This film is the movie you kind of have to be in the mood for to really enjoy. It had all of the elements of success: a great cast, excellent production, and a solid premise.However, it just couldn't win me over and ultimately fell flat.The biggest beef I had with the movie, and admittedly this is a very subjective matter, is that if you're going to make a movie like this, the music must at least be good. The one thing it does have in common with Once is that Carney ripped the beginning line/melody of Hansard's "All the Way Down" ("you have broken...") in the song "Like a Fool." When I saw that they gave Glen Hansard some "writing credits," the only thing I could imagine is that they were forced to pay him retroactively for this line that they stole because Hansard's music has nothing in common with the music in this emotionless movie. The whole movie made me extremely annoyed, though I wanted to like it - the beginning scene that felt forced (look a girl can play a guitar - isn't that super original?), the 0 chemistry between Ruffalo (a usually fantastic actor) and Knightley, the scattered plot with weirdly timed flashbacks, and the constant message that this movie was supposed to be about authenticity when it was decidedly fake!!! Funny, dramatic, romantic and platonic, the film navigates its cast of characters with much skill and tenderness.Dan (Mark Ruffalo) is a mess: once a groundbreaking executive of his own indie record label, he's floundering helplessly in a life he no longer recognises. Musically-inclined Greta (Keira Knightley) isn't having all that great a time of it either: she moved to New York with her boyfriend Dave (Adam Levine), but he's too busy having his head turned by fame and other girls as he hits the big time. And yes, Dan will find a way to bond with Violet in the process, just as Greta figures out just what she wants (or doesn't want) from her relationship with Dave.But Begin Again is a far better film in its details, largely because Carney lavishes a lot of thought, love and hope on his characters. James Corden turns in an amusing performance as Greta's hapless panhandling friend Steve, although Keener - a fine character actress - is robbed of the opportunity to lend Miriam more depth (especially considering a revelation that comes later in the film). It's not hard to see why: though it is warmly entertaining, it is, ultimately, flimsy and unmemorable.Written and directed by John Carney, whose biggest hit to date remains 2006's Once, Begin Again shares a similar theme: a couple making music and discovering themselves.Gretta (Keira Knightley) accompanies her musician boyfriend Dave (Adam Levine) to New York when he signs a deal with a major record deal. By chance, she is thrown together with disgraced record label executive Dan (Mark Ruffalo) and, astounded by her raw talent, he signs her up for a quirky musical collaboration around New York City.And therein lies my biggest issue with Begin Again: Dan is astounded by Gretta's talent, I wasn't. Begin Again is all just a little bit plinky plonk, it is obvious and idealistic and, particularly in the instance of the family dancing sequence, plain embarrassing.I love the idea of a group of musicians recording an album in the open around New York but there has to be a far better way of presenting it to the world.Pleasant but insubstantial. Some highlights: horrible music, clichéd dialogue, repulsive acting, that guy from Maroon 5 sporting a beard, Keira taking a hipster bike ride through NYC, the end of Ruffalo's previously stellar career, directed like an NYU film school project, horrible music, spouting off about "bad" and "commercial" music but every song in the movie was commercial garbage, the cliché line "you can learn a lot about someone from their play-list," ... Gretta meets accidentally with washed- up producer Dan (Mark Ruffalo) in a New York bar, and after an iffy start, the two of them agree to produce a do-it-yourself album of Gretta's songs, with the help of amateur musicians, Dan's daughter Violet (Hailee Stanfield), and some of Dan's acquaintances in the music business. The plot is an old one, a recycling of the "Let's Put on a Show" genre historically associated with Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland musicals of the Thirties.The leading actors try their best with a shallowly-written script, but nonetheless Ruffalo's Dan comes across as someone entirely responsible for his own decline due to impatience and a fondness for alcohol. Knightley's Gretta is a passive figure, although apparently a talented song-writer, and she really cannot sing.Yet the potential for character-development is set aside in a film with far too many unmemorable musical numbers for its own good. To tell you more would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.Couple of comments: as a general matter and contrary to apparently many other reviewers, I did not "fall" for this movie like I did for "Once", writer-director John Carney's previous tale of romance and music. This movie has some great musical scenes, which are the film's best asset, but also the problem.The plot's not that substantial, relationships ending/beginning, with discussions about selling out in the music industry. Having enjoyed John Carney's previous film to this 'Once' I was intrigued to see how he was going to top it.The resulting film sees him trying to replicate the idea of a lost guy being saved by a woman and some music, but moving the action to the US.And sadly much of the charm gets lost in translation, with the almost home made quality of 'Once' being left behind.Levine and Knightley form an unlikely double act and are well supported by Ruffalo, but although the music is good, the story is flimsy and too reliant on swearing to be entertaining.I've read lots of reviews of this film that call it 'charming' and a 'must see'. Review: This is a sweat movie about a down and out alcoholic, music producer who hears a song in a bar and gets inspiration to make the singer famous. And I thoroughly enjoyed both her version of 'Lost Stars' and Adam Levine's!Mark Ruffalo's performance as Dan was great - he showed the range of emotion you'd expect in the part he was playing - a jaded, down in the dumps record executive who gets a turnaround through the movie by his chance meeting with Gretta (Keira Knightley's character). Loved the opening sequences of the movie - showing the same scene from several different character's perspectives - but especially Dan's - when he re-imagines Gretta's song with added instruments and enhanced arrangements. Gretta an independent and tough singer-songwriter who's coping from a recent heart break catches the eye of Dan (Mark Ruffalo) an out of work record label executive.A chance occurrence brings together these two lost souls for a musical journey that takes them through every street and corner of the beautiful New York City. The acting from most of the cast is actually pretty okay,for what seem like a small budget movie.Never knew Keira could sing,but never given it much thought.I think they meant the music to be the focus,but somewhere along the line they changed it to a:stick to the man kind of movie,than they change it back again to a long music video.The main problem is,for me anyway.That you really don't care about the ex boyfriend who's supposed to be the catalyst for everything. The two of them capture a very accurate attritional relationship between an angsty teen and a failing father.This is a lovely, feel-good, indie film that gives us an insight into a cross section of the music industry. Watching Begin Again reminds us so much of summertime in New York City that you are almost transported, but luckily you get to skip the hot garbage smell.Begin Again is a sweet little film about redemption and staying true to yourself, all set in the vibrant city of New York, where music and location are integral characters in the story.Dan (Mark Ruffalo) used to be a top music executive, but personal problems and a lack of a 'star' has caused him to slip in reputation at his label. From this encounter, Dan and Gretta collaborate to create the music he knows she has deep within her raw talent, and in doing so emerges the powerful transformative ability from music.Begin Again manages to hit all the right notes (Don't hate me, I couldn't help it!) in being a sweet summer film perfect for a light watch on a summer evening. His energy and innate ability is captivating and his character is a nice antithesis to Adam Levine's contrived douchiness as Dave.So if you find yourself longing for summer on a cold winter night or in need of a delightful film for a casual one-time watch then Begin Again is your girl.Please check out our WEBSITE for all the REVIEWS of recent releases and indie films!. Much the same way that John Carney's script emphasizes vision as the key ingredient for a successful song, his own vision is more than enough to compensate for some of the strangeness here, and the film works very much in the style of those classic British comedies of manners we don't see much of anymore (a la 3 Weddings...) Other notes for the die-hard fans: * Knightly and Ruffalo spent much of their careers making other actors look good. I was expecting a cheesy movie full of cliches but both th script was interesting and th performances was really captivating.The most interesting thing was Keira singing, solid and very nice, got to give her for that!The music is interesting and it really makes you wanna update your playlist and start listening to music.. Plus you're beautiful.Gretta: I'm sorry, what's beauty got to do with anything?This is the first exchange between Mark Ruffalo and Keira Knightley's characters in this story about flawed lives intertwining with a backdrop of music. This film centers around Gretta (Knightley) a young singer-songwriter who is new to Manhattan and Dan (Ruffalo) a music-business executive who both meet each other at pivotal moments in their life. The film may be about life and relationships, but this feels like a love letter to music from writer/director John Carney. Knightley's soothing voice backed by a great melody will make you want to hear it over and over again.If this film doesn't get a nomination for original song it should receive acting nods for Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo. An absolutely incredible must watch feel good film that makes you believe in the good in the world!Mark Ruffalo (Dan) and Kiera Knightley (Gretta) are of course brilliant but even other key characters such as Gretta's friend Steve, her boyfriend Dave and Dan's daughter Violet play the role to perfection. So there are perfect acting second, This movie has many good music such as 'Lost Stars', 'No One Else Like You'. These backgrounds of the lead characters are reminiscent of writer- director John Carney's breakthrough 2006 indie film, the delicate "Once." The story was also about musicians who led sad lives until they meet and click musically. In "Begin Again" though, Carney's first Hollywood film, the setting is upgraded from suburban Ireland to New York City, and the cast is upgraded to A-list stars.Mark Ruffalo perfectly captures the broken character of Dan, gruff exterior and deep-set cynicism. His singing was of course flawless in very catchy songs like the centerpiece tune "Lost Stars", which is this film's answer to "Falling Slowly" from "Once", certainly a contender for Oscar Best Song as well.James Corden plays Greta's best friend in New York Steve. I just enjoy music and listen to a lot and know the sounds I enjoy, So it may be not great singing/music, but I enjoyed it.Love movies as well and this was very good. This movie is the definition of a pleasant surprise, with excellent acting, surprisingly good music, and a plot that doesn't give in to the typical Hollywood ending. So begin again had a potential but i don't thing it used all.I don't like this movie mainly because it's so mean,i thought that i was watching something like Ray Donovan.I thought that it was for kids too.Adam Levine was good in this movie.I very much liked Cello i thought that he was very good even though he was there for like three minutes.I don't get like on the poster there are the names and there is Cello too but he was there for minimal time.The only people who actually played there were Keira Knightley,Mark Ruffalo and James Corden but he wasn't there very long too.Song very good i liked them and the beginning in the bar how he imagines the tools that was pretty good.6/10.. In the beginning, I expected it would be a typical success story of a singer-songwriter, who seemingly had trouble in the past and tries to "begin again." But as she is encouraged to come to the stage and starts singing with her guitar, I thought "It's not for me..." Maybe the voice of Gretta, starring Keira Knightley is great, and lyrics are touching; however, the melody is a little bit plain. Makes me feel good watching AND listening to this movie, because the story is so uplifting AND the soundtrack is just terrific.The story is about Keira Knightly struggling as an unknown singer/songwriter, who didnt even realize she has got talent, untill a famous (has been) producer (Mark Ruffalo) discovers her extra oridinary singer/songwriter skills. The plot is about more than just music and the dialogue felt natural, with believable performances from Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo.'Begin Again' is a good movie all round. I was totally blown away with this movie and its beautiful music...the acting, the premise of what music really is and what the industry destroys...I loved this movie and watched it 4 times.....never do I do that...its bringing relationships back again and the hope of what could lie ahead when your world falls apart....perfect picks for the cast..I could watch it again right now ..Adam Levine and his vocals were over the top...Kera Knightly was such a wonderful surprise with her vocals...Mark Ruffalo was as always amazing...this man can act in any role....he is amazing and once again nailed this character with such compassion as a father, husband and musician...I HIGHLY recommend that anyone reading this review watch this fabulous film....I was so moved by it and most likely will watch it Again and be moved once aGAIN...LOST in the music and these characters which we all can relate to. The music in this film is spectacular, and if you love music and movies "Begin Again" is worth a watch.. It's a scene played quite well by both of them.The movie has a nice soundtrack, including "Coming Up Roses" by Keira Knightly and "Lost Stars" by Adam Levine. If you love movies about music, filled with original songs from beginning to end, then you'd love "Begin Again." Mark Ruffalo plays Dan, a record producer who gets fired and lives estranged from his wife and daughter. It is a great movie showing the beauty of the city with music.An independent songwriter 'Gretta James'(Keira Knightly) moves to New York because her boyfriend 'Dave Kohl'(Adam Levine) gets a contract with a major music company. All the songs are very appealing and were very popular for a long time.New York is known as a big dreary city but in this movie it changes to a very peaceful place through the music. I love Mark Ruffalo and Keira Knightly in this film. Schmaltzy and predictable, but reasonably enjoyable.The story of a washed-up music producer/executive (played by Mark Ruffalo) who discovers a singer-songwriter (played by Keira Knightley). However, character engagement is good, the music isn't bad and there are some funny moments too.Mark Ruffalo gives a solid performance in his role.

tt0063671

Targets

A movie clip from the film 'The Terror' is shown (the climatic flooding scene at the end featuring actors Boris Karloff, Dick Miller, Jack Nicholson, etc.). The clip ends with the final fade out and it is being shown in a small screening room somewhere in Hollywood. The elderly star of the film, Byron Orlock (Boris Karloff), tells the producer Marshall Smith (Monty Landis) that he has decided to retire from acting because he considers his performance no longer frightening in mainstream society. Marshall and the film's director Sammy Michaels (director Peter Bogdanovich) try to convince him to appear in their next film, but Orlok refuses and plans to return to his native England to live out the rest of his days, and refuses to even read the new script that Sammy gives to him. Orlok walks out with his young secretary Jenny (Nancy Hsueh), whom is Sammy's current girlfriend. Sammy follows him outside to persuade him to stay in Hollywood, but Orlok tells Sammy that he considers himself to be an anachronism because people are no longer frightened by horror pictures. "The world belongs to the young. Let them have it", says Orlock.Across the street, a young man named Bobby Thompson (Tim O'Kelly) is seen buying a high-powered semi-automatic .303 caliber hunting rifle and pays with it by check. He goes out to the parking lot to his white convertible and places the newly purchased rifle in his car truck which has more then a dozen firearms of various calibers. Bobby drives along a freeway listening to the car radio and munching on Baby Ruth candy bars. He arrives home in a suburb of the San Fernando Valley where he lives with his wife Ilene (Tanya Morgan) and his parents and has dinner with them.Across town, Orlok is dining with Jenny at a local restaurant when his manager Ed Laughlin (Arthur Peterson) arrives and tries to persuade him to stay in town at least for a few days to attend the premier of 'The Terror' at a local Racine drive-in theater the following evening. But Orlok refuses and even refuses to speak to Marshall over a phone that Ed tries to set up.After dinner, Bobby and his father go out to a shooting range where they shoot at tin can targets. Bobby has a keen talent from shooting guns apparently due to his recent military service. Since Bobby still lives with his parents, its convenient for him and his father, Robert Thompson Sr., to go out shooting together. While his father is setting up more tin targets, Bobby, for some odd reason points his rifle at his father seemingly intent on shooting him. Robert Thompson sees Bobby aiming the rifle at him and orders him to put the rifle down, because pointing a gun a people goes against everything he has taught his son.That evening, Orlok is in his hotel suite with Jenny who is setting up his schedule for his return to England the following day. Jenny also tries to persuade Orlok to stay at least for the premier of his latest film, but Orlok tells her that he is through with the movie business and still refuses to read Sammy's script. Orlok then sends her home while he stays alone in his room to watch TV.At the Thompson house that evening, the whole family is watching TV together when Ilene says that she has to go to her night job as a switchboard operator. Bobby follows her to the bedroom and wants to talk to her saying that he has not been feeling well lately and has been getting "funny ideas". But since she is late for her job, she tells him that she doesn't have time to talk and leaves. He asks her not to take his car but take her mother's to work and she agrees. After Ilene leaves and his parents go to bed for the night, Bobby goes to his car and takes out one of his guns, a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol before returning to the house.At Orlok's hotel room, he orders room service and watches himself on one of his old movies 'The Criminal Code' that is playing as a late-night movie. Sammy arrives and demands that Orlok hand over his script and they both watch the movie together. Over drinks, Sammy again tries to convince Orlok to appear in his latest film because the script that he wrote will cast Orlok as a real-life person rather then a bogeyman. But the bitter Orlok announces that he is still fed up with the film business and shows Sammy that people are more frighted by the latest newspaper headings about crimes committed by random people then horror films. Sammy gets so drunk that he attempts to leave, but collapses and Orlok puts him in his own bed and soon afterwords also collapses drunk next to Sammy.Meanwhile at the Thompson house, Bobby is sitting alone in his bedroom chain smoking when Ilene returns home. His tone of voice is now very cold and he asks her not to turn on the lights because he has a headache. When she asks him what he wanted to talk to her about and why he is perplexed, he no longer wants to talk and asks her to go to bed.The next morning, after his father has apparently left for work, Bobby types out a note and when Ilene walks in the room, he suddenly takes out his .45 caliber gun and violently shoots her dead. When Bobby's mother runs into the room, he shoots her dead too. He then shoots an unfortunate grocery delivery man who enters the house. Bobby hides the bodies in rooms through the house, hides the bloodstains and leaves, leaving behind a note saying that he has killed his wife and mother and will continue killing until he is caught or killed.In Orlok's hotel suite, a hung-over Sammy wakes up and sees a sleeping Orlok next to him and jumps, waking him up. Sammy says that he was having a nightmare and woke up to see Byron Orlok. As Orlok gets up to answer a knock on his front door, he passes a mirror and he too jumps from his own reflection. Jenny has arrived with Orlok's internary with his airline tickets to New York as well as his tickets for the ship to take him back to England. However, Orlok finally agrees to make the final promotional appearance at the Racine Drive-In that evening for the premier of his latest film.Across town, Bobby arrives at another gun store and asks for 300 rounds of ammunition for his new rifle as well as box of 12-gauge buckshot for his double-barreled shotgun. Despite the fact that Bobby looks a little jittery and of the unusually large quantity of ammunition requested, the clerk sells him the ammunition. When the clerk asks Bobby about the order, Bobby tells him that he is going out to "shoot some pigs."In Orlok's hotel suite, he, Jenny, Sammy along with a brash radio disk jockey named Kip Larkin (Sandy Baron) discuss his appearance at the drive-in theater for that night and Orlok decides to reherse to them a ghost story that he plans to tell after the movie premier.Meanwhile, Bobby drives to an industrial center and after parking his car, pulls out of the trunk all of his guns in a large pouch and enters an abandoned amusement park that sits next to an oil storage tank facility where he scales a cynderblock wall and climbs up the stairs of one of the oil tanks that sits alongside a busy freeway. Bobby lays out all of his rifles and pistols that he brought with him as if displaying them for himself and then eats a sandwich and drinks soda pop that he also brought before taking am with his new high-powered rifle at motorists traveling along the road and opens fire, killing and/or wounding many in which some cars veer off the road. An oil company worker investigates the shooting, but Bobby kills him too with a blast from his shotgun as he is reloading. When Bobby hears police sirens and sees police cars approaching on the freeway, he grabs most of his guns and runs down the stairs and back to his car, but drops several of his weapons including his .45 pistol, an unused .44 magnum revolver, as well as his shotgun and a rifle and some boxes of ammunition. As Bobby drives away, a police car appears and give chase, but he eludes it by driving into the very same drive-in theater that is showing Orlok's 'The Terror' for that night. After reloading and having a meal from the concession stand, Bobby carries his remaining guns in his US Army pouch and walks through a door leading to the big screen.When it gets dark and the movie finally goes on, Bobby climbs up the structure and begins to shoot the viewers through a small hole in the screen. He first shoots a man in a telephone booth and then shoots people in their cars, on by one. He even shoots and kills the projectionist. Orlok arrives for his special appearance and the limo parks close to the screen. Meanwhile, many viewers start to leave because they realize that there is a sniper present. A traffic jam ensues. When Bobby pauses to reload, he accidentally knocks over his last few boxes of ammunition. Panicking, Bobby climbs down the screen and tries to retrieve the ammo from a drainage but without success.Some male viewers take guns from the trunks of their cars and charge towards the screen. Seeing the vigilante mob approach, Bobby runs to an area to the side of the screen and opens fire randomly. One of his shots seriously injures Jenny as she gets out of the limo. The police soon arrive as does Sammy and they try to find both Orlok and the sniper. Orlok angrily walks towards the screen as Bobby finally runs out of ammunition for his rifle and opens fire with one of his smaller pistols. He gets confused when he sees the Orlok character on the drive-in screen walking towards him and sees the real Orlok walking to him as well. Bobby first shoots Orlok, but misses and only gazes his forehead with the bullet. Bobby takes aim and shoots at the Orlok on the big screen. Blinded by police searchlights zeroing in on him, Bobby fires widely until he runs out of ammo. When Bobby takes out another one of his pistols, Orlok rushes up and knocks the gun out of Bobby's hand with his walking cane and beats Bobby with it as well as literally slapping him into submission. Bobby then cowers in fear as Orlok says, "Is that what I was afraid of?" Two policemen run up to the screen and arrest Bobby. As he is being led away, Bobby says to his police captors, "I hardly ever missed, did I?" Bobby is taken away in a police car while Sammy tends to Orlok and takes him away in his limo as the crowd of people and cars file out of the drive in theater.The final shot shows the deserted drive in theater the morning after which is now empty, except for Bobby's white car sitting alone in the empty lot as the end credits silently roll.

cult, suspenseful

train

imdb

However, things are not as simple as that as, on the same day that Orlock is due to make his final public appearance at the screening of last movie (Roger Corman's 'The Terror'), there's a serial killer on the loose who's taking pot shots at people with a sniper rifle. and for the right reasons as it contrasts a Monster from the pages of real life, a quite seemingly normal fellow who unexpectedly goes off the deep end and winds up on a killing spree, with an old Horror film icon named Byron Orlock, clearly based on the man who plays him Boris Karloff himself. Addressing issues that are more powerful today than when the film was made, Targets is a wildly ambitious take on modern life, a great coda to Karloff's career, and a vital interface between B movies and independent cinema.. Calling a story with much gunfire "quiet" is peculiar, but the sound editing of Verna Fields is the unsung hero of "Targets", where the bursts of lethal noise alternate with a serene soundtrack stripped down to not too much era music (Bogdanovich had a handful of obscure 60's tunes to sparingly use) and, thankfully, none of the din cluttering most 21st century movies, letting us hear the full tones of each person's voice sans cranked up score and effects."Targets" is a terrific and overlooked time capsule from an era before school shootings were an almost weekly event in the news and when there seemed to be a solution for ending violence in our future. Many, many thanks to writer/director Peter Bogdanovich who – under the protective supervision of Roger Corman – cast Boris Karloff in a role that couldn't have been played by anyone else, except maybe Vincent Price (like Bogdanovich own supportive character even funnily mentions at one point during the film). Young director Sammy Michaels (Peter Bogdanovich) has just written a great script especially for Orlock, and tries to persuade him to re-think his retirement plans on the build-up to Orlock's final public appearance at a drive-in for his new movie The Terror. Meanwhile, suburban husband and gun-obsessive Bobby Thompson (Tim O'Kelly) is planning a massacre using his sniper rifle, starting with his wife and family.As usual when it comes to Roger Corman productions, the story behind the film is just as interesting (often more so) as the film itself. Karloff apparently owed Corman a couple of days work, so he was handed to Corman protégé Peter Bogdanovich, and told him to make whatever film he liked - as long as it was cheap, quick, included footage of his film The Terror (1963), and drew on the recent Charles Whitman killings. This is the stuff of nightmares and resonates today, especially with recent developments in D.C.The sub-plot of Boris Karloff's character, the retiring Horror film star Byron Orlock, is somewhat confusing and could be described, by cynics at least, as simply a way in which Bogdanovich gets a 'name' associated with the film. Bogdanovich (who also appears in a small role) attempts to correlate the stories of two disparate characters: an ex-soldier turned sniper and a retiring horror-movie actor (Boris Karloff) about to make his final publicity appearance at a drive-in movie theater. In this combined effort, called " Targets ", Director Peter Bagdonovich and writer Polly Platt team with a legend of horror, Boris Karloff who plays Byron Orlok an aging film actor who up and decides to retire from movies. Story is patterned around real life mass murderer Charles Whitman, who in 1966 murdered 16 people during a shooting rampage at the University of Texas in Austin.Cineaste Peter Bogdanovich's debut directing effort, sadly, to this day remains a topical hot spot. Over the years it has come to gain a cult following that is much deserved, the low budget production value actually helping to keep it uneasily potent.Story is structured by way of two separate narrative threads, one sees Karloff as veteran horror film actor Byron Orlock, who sees himself as an anachronism and announces his retirement from movie making. The two stories converging for a bloody finale at a drive in movie theatre, where Orlock is making a special guest appearance, the old time horror of the movies coming face to face with the real terror of the modern world.Though uncredited by choice, the screenplay belongs to Fuller, something that Bogdanovitch has always been keen to point out, and it's with the writing where the film gets its quality factor. It tells the dual stories of two individuals and how fate and circumstance bring them together.Boris Karloff plays aged Bryan Orlok, in a role that mirrors his own personal life, as he decides to quit the movie business due to his own increasing apathy with the changing world around him. Bull's Eye. Despite working with a tight budget and schedule and having star Karloff for only two days of shooting, Bogdanovich made a smashing directorial debut with this thriller, telling the parallel stories of an aging horror movie star and a sniper. (As an actor he's passable, but he could direct and edit with the best of them).Karloff plays Byron Orlok, an aging horror film star now reduced to making second-rate horror flicks and thinking that he's no longer needed or even relevant. The trail of murder comes to a head when both worlds collide in an art-imitates-life (or is it the other way around?) moment at a drive-in theater.The acting is exemplary here with Karloff a standout essentially playing himself and ably supported by Bogdanovich as screenwriter/director Sammy Michaels and Nancy Hsueh as Karloff's loyal assistant and (possible?) love interest of Sammy.Bogdanovich wisely eschews blood as much as possible and builds the tension with long shots and quick cuts at key moments in the movie. Peter Bogdanovich scored his first critical success with Targets that starred an elderly Boris Karloff playing an elderly star of Gothic horror films hardly a stretch for the man's talents. Elderly horror-film star (Boris Karloff) who, while making a personal appearance at a drive-in theater, confronts a psychotic Vietnam veteran (Tim O'Kelly) who has turned into a mass-murdering sniper.This film was written, produced and directed by Peter Bogdanovich under the direction of mentor Roger Corman. B-movie mogul Roger Corman came to Peter in late 1967 with a proposal: take 40 minutes of footage from Corman's film "The Terror", film 20 minutes of Boris Karloff (who owed Corman 2 days of work), film 40 minutes of other stuff with other actors to tie it all together, and complete a feature film all for a budget of $125,000.You'd think this would be a recipe for a colossal turd of a movie, but on the contrary, it pushed everyone's creativity to the max and resulted in a remarkable work of cinema.Peter & his wife grabbed their typewriters and wrote a modern horror story contrasted against a classic Victorian horror. Targets (1968) **** (out of 4)The history behind the film is known by just about everyone as Roger Corman owned two more days worth of shooting with Boris Karloff so he told director Bogdanovich to make a movie with these two days as well as footage from THE TERROR. You'd expect a young director would just turn out another piece of junk but instead Bogdanovich decided to do something different and the end result is one of the best movies of its kind.The story has a veteran horror movie star (Boris Karloff) wanting to retire because in the current times people aren't afraid of fake monsters any more but a young writer (Bogdanovich) tries to talk him into one more picture. I just bought the DVD after reading some positive reviews and I wasn't disappointed as this is a well paced, quietly disturbing thriller, which although not overly violent, manages to creep under your skin, especially considering it was made in the 60's and has relevance even today when compared with the recent gun killings in America.Without spoiling the storyline, Boris Karloff practically plays himself and the way the two separate story lines converge, leads to a darkly humorous ending.If you enjoy thrillers and want to be kept entertained and gripped, then this movie is worth a look.. Peter Bogdanovich directed Boris Karloff in one of his last films, playing a version of himself: Byron Orlok, a horror film star who believes real-life horrors have made his cinematic kind obsolete; meanwhile, a young gun enthusiast (Tim O'Kelly) goes on a shooting spree which brings him to the drive-in theater where Orlok is to make a personal appearance. This low-budget Roger Corman-produced thriller sums up his career and is a good film to boot.Bogdanovich plays a young writer-director whose next film seems to be one very much like "Targets." The real "Targets" is rich in self-references and movie buffery. Sikking's by-the-numbers pipe-smoking marksman for-hire in John Boorman's terrific Point Blank the year before may have been some kind of inspiration for the precision of the character of Bobby Thompson in Targets (along with the real-life Charles Whitman), but the eerie similarities between this cynical profit-taking drive-in deathfest and the chilling, cold-blooded murders currently occurring at absolute random in the United States' mid-Atlantic region are simply spooky, and I'm guessing this will probably attract some new viewers to the film. This is a film that clearly illustrates what can be done with very little money, if the director and writers are creative enough and lucky enough to get a star of Boris Karloff's magnitude and presence.Karloff only appears here because he owed Roger Corman about three days shooting time on his latest contract; using him in a secondary but crucial role, Bogdanovich gives a true resonance and frisson to the film that might not have been there with a lesser light in the role of the old-time bogeyman who knows that he's not nearly as frightening as the Real World. One of the cleverer ways he uses to make this point is Orlok's recounting, in that beautiful, deep, velvety, slightly-lisping voice that is so archetypal, of "The Appointment in Samarra", a fable that stresses that however much we attempt to escape our fate, often that much more we bring it to its climax.An important point that Bogdanovich understood, which the makers of "Two Minute Warning", another sniper film, apparently did not, is that the best way to portray true terror of this story is to focus tightly on the killer, leaving his victims -- for the most part (one particularly scarifying sequence in the drive-in at the end that shows us in tight sharp focus the results of his marksmanship serves to emphasise the point) nothing but distant, anonymous ... Made by Roger Corman's 1960s low-budget film company and directed by Peter Bogdanovich in his debut as a director, the story of how the film came to be is as almost as interesting as the movie itself. Karloff plays an aging icon of the older style horror films of the less graphic, more spooky variety, which has seemingly been rendered obsolete, and, literally under assault, in the film, and unable to frighten or be possessed of any meaning, when contrasted, as the film does, against the more topical horrors of the day typified by a Charles Whitman type, Vietnam vet, who snaps, and turns his sniper training to good use, inflicting terror on the community via a string of r long range killings, against random victims; an an Ed Wood, Lugosi vibe is present in the depiction of a up and coming director, played by Peter Bogdanovich playing Himself,at the time, pretty much, as a film fan doing hackwork, He was, at the time, shooting B-pictures for Roger Corman.. The other part of the story, which weaves well with the main section, deals with an aging horror star (played wonderfully by Boris Karloff) who wants to retire because real life is now scary then any of his films. Tight, suspenseful, full of cross-cutting scenes to follow the unfolding of two stories that are about to merge into one, TARGETS is the last major feature film that BORIS KARLOFF made, and it's one of his best during the latter part of his career.He's a man about to retire from the picture business, a horror film star called Byron Orlock, feeling he's too much of an anachronism in the changing world of the late '60s and that his kind of horror is passé. On the very same day, legendary actor Byron Orlok (Boris Karloff) is making his final promotional appearance before retiring from the business after a long career as a icon of horror movies. These two monsters, the fictional and the real one will face each other when Bobby arrives at the Drive-In theater where Orlok will make his final appearance.Written by Bogdanovich and his then wife Polly Platt, the film is at its core a thriller with a Hitchcocknian style; however, it's not difficult to see that the movie is also a reflection of what the couple of writers thought about the dying decade. On one hand, the story of Orlok feels definitely like Bogdanovich's ode to low-budget horror films, with the casting of Karloff as the icing of the cake. This is such a great movie,just a classic all the way around.Great directing by Peter Bogdanovich,and marvelous acting from Boris Karloff and Tim O'Kelly.For sheer,straight-to-the point realism,Targets is hard to match.Everything about it is one of a kind,although it shouldn't be viewed with anti-gun sentiment.If anything,the viewer is left with the obvious fact that,in the end, it's always people who kill people.By all means if you want to see a gem of a movie,than don't miss out on this one! In one of the most daring displays of creative fortitude- and just one of the great movie-geek stories to tell- Peter Bogdanovich, an assistant for Roger Corman on the Wild Angels, was given carte blanche by Corman for his first film as director, with the only catch being that he had to use Boris Karloff for two days that he owed Corman, and had to use footage from the Victorian horror film the Terror. After seeing the Terror, Bogdanovich joked to his wife how the film should start: the climax of the Terror is shown in a screening room where once the film ends Karloff sitting and watching the film turns around to Corman and says "that was the worst movie I've ever seen!" But then this, plus the story of Charles Whitman (you might remember his mention in Full Metal Jacket), spurred on a direction in two stories: the story of an old, cranky and waiting to retire horror movie star who thinks he's run his course, and a frighteningly ordinary kid from the suburbs who has a lot of guns and uses them first on his wife and mother, then on passer-bys on the highway.What Bogdanovich has here is a case of two stories that should be completely unlikely to work together- with the killer story being the one that should obviously be more compelling- but somehow logically work together. TARGETS is a gripping and suspenseful piece of work that depicts the violent mess that civilization frequently seems in danger of becoming.Boris Karloff's "Byron Orlok" character has a definite social conscience; he is actually concerned about the effects that his actions (starring in horror movie "heavy" roles) have on society.The one fault I see in TARGETS is that Bobby goes on a killing spree for no apparent reason. Byron Orlok is an aging film star, who has made his reputation in horror movies.Now he wants to retire, feeling that there is no place for an old-fashined actor like him.That you can't scare people so easily now, wearing a monster mask, when much worse things are going on outside.At the same time a young Vietnam veteran and an insurance agent, Bobby Thompson, buys weapons and starts shooting people.Peter Bogdanovich, who recently turned 70, is the director of Targets (1968).This started his career as a director, thanks to Roger Corman.The movie uses many clips from the Corman/Karloff collaboration The Terror (1963).The part of Orlok is played by one of the greatest actors of all time, Boris Karloff (1887-1969).Boris Karloff plays a character that reminds very much of Boris Karloff.He's a horror movie legend in this movie just like he was in real life.He is really something as this aging screen icon.There's one funny moment in this movie, when Karloff gets scared of his own mirror image.Tim O'Kelly is great as this psychopatic gunman.This actor hasn't done a movie since 1973, but obviously he had the talent.James Brown is his father Robert.Director Bogdanovich plays young director named Sammy Michaels, who has wrote a screenplay with Orlok in mind.Nancy Hsueh is Orlok's secretary.This is a somewhat realistic movie.You hear these stories all the time how some loners start shooting a bunch of people.There are some shocking scenes in the movie.First is when Bobby kills his wife and daughter.Then randomly shooting drivers in cars atop from a Los Angeles oil refinery.The ending is memorable, when the mad man is firing at the drive-in theater and Karloff goes and saves the day.A very good movie that makes you think.. Basically ageing horror movie star Byron Orlok (Boris Karloff) has become bored with acting and feels that monsters he is playing are going out of fashion, so despite getting a new script that was written specifically for him he wants to retire, but friend Sammy Michaels (Peter Bogdanovich) is insisting he keep going. Bogdanovich did something unexpected: rather than simply working around the existing footage, he set his story in the modern-day, casting Karloff as aging horror star Byron Orlock, who is considering retiring from the movie business.

tt0486946

Wild Hogs

Doug Madsen (Tim Allen), Woody Stevens (John Travolta), Bobby Davis (Martin Lawrence) and Dudley Frank (William H. Macy) are four middle-aged suburban men in Cincinnati who find themselves frustrated with the pace of daily life. Woody is a formerly rich businessman who suddenly finds himself alone and broke. Doug is a dentist who cant connect with his son, and he misses his college glory days when he was called The Golden Knight. Bobby is a plumber who is henpecked by his wife and daughters while trying to follow his dream of writing a plumbing how-to book. Dudley is a computer geek who seeks to find a woman in his life. Their one collective hobby had always been to ride together on motorcycles around the city, though after college that happened less and less often.When Woody finds out that his marriage is ending in divorce and that he's bankrupt, he suggests they embark on a cross-country road trip west on their bikes to seek adventure. After some hesitation from the other three, the four agree to the trip and set off on their Harley-Davidsons.The road trip is filled with humorous moments, such as sleeping close together scantily dressed and being found by a policeman (John C. McGinley) who tells them they can be charged with lewd and lascivious behavior, but it turns out that he is only teasing: he is actually jealous. Later, when the four go to a small lake, a family on a picnic joins them in the water only to realize the four men are naked. The policeman appears again; he also undresses and joins the four men, who quickly leave.The fun ends when the four stop at a bar and stumble onto a real motorcycle gang called the Del Fuegos. Del Fuego leader Jack (Ray Liotta) tricks the foursome into a bum motorcycle trade, then tells them they are nothing compared to real bikers, especially Del Fuegos founder Damien Blade, and that they should leave before something else bad happens.Less than a mile away, Woody stops, disgraced at what just transpired. He tells his friends that he will go back to the bar to retrieve Dudley's bike, but when he gets back there, a courageous Woody cuts the fuel lines on the gang's motorcycles and takes Dudleys bike. He returns to his friends with the bike (to much astonishment) and explains that he simply threatened the gang with legal action. When the Del Fuegos realize what has transpired, provoked by the Wild Hogs riding past the bar again, Jack orders his gang to follow the Wild Hogs. When Jack errantly tosses his cigarette, it hits gasoline on the ground and triggers a chain reaction that blows up the bar. The Del Fuegos swear revenge.Meanwhile, because of Woodys insistence that they should not stop for any reason, the Wild Hogs run out of gas and have to walk their bikes a long distance until reaching the small town of Madrid, only to discover they have to stay the night to wait for the fuel station to open. The four are first mistaken for actual Del Fuegos and feared, but once the mistake is cleared up, the Madrid Sheriff tells the Wild Hogs that the Del Fuegos terrorize the town yearly and the small police force who received weapons training by playing the video game Doom is unable to do anything about them.At a chili festival that night, Dudley furthers his interest in Maggie (Marisa Tomei) the owner of the local diner. As he courts her, Bobby comes across two Del Fuegos in town (who have spotted the Wild Hogs and informed Jack). Thinking himself untouchable, because of Woodys previous explanation, Bobby humiliates the two bikers. Under orders from Jack, the two Del Fuegos refuse to do anything and Bobby ends up squirting them with ketchup and mustard. The town praises the Wild Hogs as saviors, considering them a friendly biker gang who can protect them.Dudley spends the night with Maggie. The next morning, the Del Fuegos arrive en masse and Jack yells to the townspeople that his gang will vandalize the town, starting with the diner, until the Wild Hogs come out to fight. Woody reveals his lie about the biker bar incident, plus his reason to take the trip (his divorce) and his friends are disappointed with his deceit. When the Del Fuegos start to wreck Maggies diner, Dudley goes out to meet them. The rest of the Wild Hogs eventually back up Dudley and a four-on-four fistfight begins between four Del Fuego bikers and the Wild Hogs. Easily outmatched, the Wild Hogs are beaten up, but refuse to stay down and see the diner destroyed. With their dignity on the line, they continue to get up and take punch after punch, much to the amazement and fury of Jack. Just then, the townspeople arrive carrying makeshift weapons to defend their new friends; they demand the Del Fuegos leave the Wild Hogs alone and get out of town. The situation is defused by the arrival of Damien Blade himself (Peter Fonda). Blade chastises Jack and the Del Fuegos for picking on four men and the townspeople, and reveals he actually thought his bar was a dump and explained that he insured the bar for twice what it was worth. We also learn that Jack is Damien's son, and he points out to Jack how he forgot what being out on the open road is about, and that it doesn't involve thuggish behavior and violence. Jack's split-second transformation from the ultimate bully into a guilty-faced momma's boy is almost as priceless as Woody's earlier impersonation of a tough Marlon Brandoesque biker earlier on. The Del Fuegos, feeling guilty, leave and offers a friendly good-bye to the Wild Hogs. In a salute to Fonda's own memorable role in Easy Rider, Blade tells the Wild Hogs that they need to "lose the watches," referring to the Easy Rider scene when, just before departing on their cross-country chopper-born odyssey, Fonda's character takes off his watch and throws it in the dirt.Bobby and Dougs wives arrive in town, giving Bobby the chance to tell his wife that he dislikes how she controls him, and the two reconcile. Doug impresses his son by telling him of the adventures. Dudley tells Maggie he will return to town soon to enjoy more time with her, and the four head finally continue on to the Pacific coast.The closing credits include excerpts from a faux episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition where the Del Fuegos are given a brand new bar. Jack can barely restrain his emotions as he views it.

humor

train

imdb

Containing a diverse cast that works quite well, a handful of funny cameos, tons of predictable yet enjoyable scenarios, and a rather surprising amount of physical humor; Wild Hogs is a startlingly delightful comedy that isn't afraid to reach low for a laugh. Coming off as more than just a guilty pleasure, we have good acting running the show, as our longtime cinema veterans mesh together and bring out their best comedic skills to deliver a nice trip through the United States.Wild Hogs follows four middle-aged men losing excitement (among other things) in their daily aspects of life. Doug (Tim Allen) isn't the fun guy he used to be, Bobby (Martin Lawrence) is not able to run his own home, Woody (John Travolta) has lost pretty much everything, and Dudley (William H. Adventures are searched for, and John Travolta (not acting his best in this movie) has the saving idea for his buddies: a real road trip on their bikes instead of their usual short trip to a biker bar once a week.Like in "City Slickers" the men have to go through some adventures and become heroes before they emerge with new energy to battle the next years of getting older ... The movie starts off slow and is reminiscent of a couple of failed Tim Allen projects (Shaggy Dog and Zoom), but after about 15 minutes it shifts gear and becomes a wonderful comedy well worth spending the admission fee. I attended a pre-release screening of the movie in Philadelphia, and I went in expecting a lot of zany sequences, funny violence and a truckload of laughs, and I wasn't disappointed.Messrs. Travolta, Allen, Lawrence and Macy fit their parts well, and while the story doesn't demand a lot from the actors, they are good as middle-aged professionals tired of their boring lives. I just got back from the theater and I gotta say, Wild Hogs was hilarious!It's a great mid-life-crisis type movie. Making straight-up funny jokes like peeing on the side of the road and phrases like "...If we're gonna drink p***, we're gonna drink it cold!".A couple hilarious scenes with Ray Liotta as a VERY bad boy as he usually plays and John C. Light as a feather and dumb as a brick, Wild Hogs flounders about lifelessly whenever Macy isn't on the screen.The paper thin plot, which exists simply to hook a series of sight gags and skits onto, centers around four lifelong friends who are all suffering different mid-life crisis. He does have a romantic subplot with a sweet small town waitress (Marisa Tomei), but the movie forgets to give them a reason to fall in love or anything resembling a real relationship, since Tomei's character maybe has four minutes worth of dialogue in the entire film. Not even a last minute cameo by Peter Fonda earns its laugh, because the movie makes the fatal mistake of thinking that the star of Easy Rider playing a legendary biker is funny by itself, instead of giving him something actually funny to go along with his role.I have no problem with respectable actors like Macy and Liotta appearing in silly movies like this, as long as the film itself is up to their talents. The entire movie itself winds up being a bust even as a buddy road trip comedy, as we never truly believe that the four main characters are friends to begin with. I am not the kind of person who rates everything 1's or 10's, nor do I write reviews regularly, but there was something singularly distasteful about this film that begged for a reaming on IMDb. I honest to god felt slightly brain-damaged for almost cracking a smile toward the end.Whether it was the phoned in performances of the four leads, or the asinine plot, or the ham-fisted comedy, or the sense that the joke was one massive gay joke, I can't be sure, but I can't begin to express the depths of my loathing for this paint by numbers mess.I feel bad for William H. If this picture took 39,000,000 it's first weekend, then all I can say is there must have been a whole-hell-of-a-bunch of angry and disappointed movie goers.In all honesty, the only thing this disaster has in it's favor is some great names, some good looking scenery, and nice bikes.I really feel sorry for the actors, i.e., I can only hope they are laughing all the way to the bank because not one laugh did it get from me (and I laugh EASY!).Films like City Slickers never brought hearty laughs, but compared to this mess, the former was the funniest movie EVER.The only people I can recommend this movie to are HEAVY fans of the stars in it, or to parents that don't want to fall asleep while with their kids in a family flick.Bottom line: PATHETIC!. But we looked at each other half way through and said "This is SO bad." The worst part, for me, was seeing John Travolta and William Macy in this unfunny,poorly written, and terribly directed mistake. As a 48 year old weekend biker I was very much looking forward to this film, but after reading the overwhelmingly positive reviews by other posters I have to wonder if I saw a different version of this movie. The fact that THREE of the lead actors appeared on the Leno Show is a sure indicator something needs selling - but oh dear...It all ambles along, but it is with a huge sense of predictability, and the comedy is just horrible.There's only one thing monumentally wrong with Wild Hogs: it just ain't funny. It looks and feels like City Slickers, without the charm of Billy Crystal (And let's face it...) Sure, it is harmless enough - in fact too harmless - the script and editing for my taste are really TV quality - you'll see better film making in Heroes or Entourage, at least an attempt to say something with the celluloid - and the performances are all sooooo predictable.It tries to manufacture a mid-west charm in the little town of Madrid but it feels rushed throughout - quickly made and quickly thought through.Hugely disappointing - what a shame! Considering the fact that the film had some serious "A" list actors...it's was a pitiful example of a bunch of stars getting together to have a good ole time making a piece of garbage. Otherwise, it's hard to understand what motivated them to be in this silly comedy that will not add anything to their resumes.On the other hand, it's easy to see Tim Allen and Martin Lawrence involved in the project because they are basically television products that only aspire to just a certain degree of what could pass for "acting".The film reminds us of better made films like "City Sleekers", just to name one. This is one of those comedies where they save almost all of the good out-of-context humor for the trailer and practically give away the plot to draw you into the theater, but never really offer much more.More or less the basic premise is your four, suburban, middle-aged men who have had a bike "gang" for a number of years coming to the revelation of the total monotony of their lives. Macy, John Travolta, Tim Allen, and Martin Lawrence, despite being limited by some terrible dialogue and cookie cutter characters, for the most part give hilarious performances and have great on-screen chemistry with one another. Many minor characters fail due to the disappointing platter of lines they've been given, a contributing factor to why this may be the worst performance of Ray Liotta's career.It rakes in some laughs, sometimes pushing the PG-13 envelope to its limits in a fashion quite unusual for a film that could've easily gotten a PG rating, if not for its intentional marketing to the 30-55 demographic (the same as its characters) its intended to reach; not daringly offensive to receive an R, nor kiddie enough for a PG, but trying its hardest to be as watered-down PG-13 as possible with its share of aptly fitting racial remarks, homosexual undertones, crude sex humor, and sporadic profanity.The movie has some very good comedic moments, however, some of which are surprisingly clever and well-executed, but many that fall victim to many Hollywood comedy stereotypes, such as the "One main character who does something that only he and the audience knows about and we will milk humor from this for the entire middle act" syndrome and various others including the romantic redemption for the geek and the token black guy.Overall, if you want a socially acceptable, moderately funny, assembly line comedy with the inspirational message you will see in about 20 other mainstream releases this year, you won't be disappointed. EVERYONE else please stay home, watch it on DVD and don't reward John Travolta and Tim Allen for another movie-mill POC like I did. I'm also quite certain this was somehow engineered from the mind of Travolta.John McGinley (Scrubs - Dr. Cox) and Steven Toboloksky (Groundhogs Day - Needle-nose Ned) were relatively predictable in their trademarked characters, but not disappointing.The story/script were almost none existent and completely riddled with glaring goofs (maybe intentionally, either that or terrible editing - I'm going with the latter.) Visually the movie was pretty good (else I wouldhave gone all the way down to a 2 of 10.) Nothing impressive, but a budget can do wonders for a flicks visuals. Nah- that would mean soccer moms would have to think for 90 minutes.) However; in the end I would say a good 75% of the audience (mostly mid-aged men themselves and their wives) seemed to have a ruckus good time so I'm sure we're bound to be served up another meal from the trough next off season - Wild Hogs 2 "Del Fuegos visit Cincinnati." Take your early teen kids(they're exposed to a lot worse every day in school) and enjoy your stupid movie.PS- As far as the all the homophobia and John T.- I'm sure this is a cry for help. In "Wild Hogs," four middle-aged, suburban bikers (John Travolta, Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence and William H. To all those who are afraid to spend the money because of negative comments: Don't listen to the "critics", this movie is entertaining from beginning to end, and even during the closing credits there is a pretty funny surprise. In this movie, 4-friends: Woody (Travolta), Doug (Allen), Bobby (Lawrence) and Dudley (Macy) want to put the excitement back in their lives and decide to take a cross country trip on their motorcycles. I mean its 100% predictable, which is not usually a problem in most comedies but this, wow, really bad.The movie is in limbo between totally off the wall Home Alone style humor (where the main characters get mortally wounded ever 2 minutes on screen with successive jokes) and some sort of realistic Seinfeld humor. It is the waste that is created when producers serve up a shallow script, with proved box office superstars and a formulaic (see "idiotic") plot, and, time and time again, receive mass consumption.Box-office money makers Tim Allen (as Doug, the aging dentist), John Travolta (as Woody, the aging playboy whose wife has just left him), Martin Lawrence (Bobby, the henpecked husband), and respected actor William H. Macy (Dudley, the geeky tech guy) form middle aged, suburbanite motorcycle "gang" Wild Hogs.A combination of nagging wives, disrespectful sons, empty bank accounts, and midlife crises light a fire under the sagging behinds of our protagonists, prompting them to embark on a cross-country road trip.One of the few things uninspired director Walt Becker ("Van Wilder") gets right is the soundtrack, featuring classic rock anthems ("Slow Ride," "Who Do You Love?") and hard rock/metal gems from AC/DC and White Zombie. For Travolta's sake, I hope Quentin Tarantino never glimpses his cringe worthy jaunt to Bobby Brown's "My Prerogative." Quentin might think twice before trying to jump-start Vinnie Barbarino's career for a second time.By the time the Wild Hogs run afoul of a real motorcycle gang, led by Ray Liotta, is there anyone out there who is unsure whether the heroes will cure their ills, long for their families, find a new love and save the day? Allen, Travolta, Lawrence and Macy look and act like real people in everyday life. I love the guy and I wanted to see him back on screen, but he made his last good film a long time ago, when he was still funny. John Travolta is also in for the ride and although I think he doesn't care which role he plays anymore and that he lost credibility at the end of last decade, he has reached the lowest level; and yet he's the best of the four main characters, trying very hard to steal the show.I was very intrigued by the name of William H. Macy pretty much stole the movie because 'Dudley', his character, was so naive in every situation you couldn't help but laugh at a 50 year old man that had so little life experience... Bored and disappointed with their ordinary lives, 4 bikers plan to get away for a week and explore the open road.Every biker, or simply every person, has dreamed of just packing in their ordinary day to day lives and hitting the open road and leaving their problems behind, and this ideology is explored in this tame and unfunny "comedy".I currently can't ride a motorbike but have been a pillion on my dad's for years and we have had some great exploring adventures and this film puts the ideology of exploring and adventure to shame by throwing in clichés, unfunny sequences and sadly a list of Hollywood Oscar nominees who you won't believe to be this poor.You would never have believed Travolta (Saturday Night Fever) and Macy (Fargo) would be Oscar nominees by their performances in this atrocious film, and this comes from a person who loves these two actors. Travolta's desperate and inspirational speech to convince his friends to come on the trip had me turning away it was so clichéd inspirational, with that atrocious cheesy music spurring in the background.From there we see plenty of stereotypes such as the hard nut bikers and a gay cop who is played by John C McGinley of Scrubs, and being a huge fan of Dr Cox I was ashamed to watch, like other parts of the film.The one and only good thing about this film is the directed sequences of the bikers on the open road, cruising down highways with some chilled music playing.Bad performances and exceptionally poor writing, wild hogs follows the current trend of comic convention and doesn't live up to every biker's fantasy. Great cast, good rating on IMDb, road trip comedy, I thought this would be a fun movie. A couple of saving graces in the movie were John Mcginley as a gay, adventurous cop and William H Macy as the nerdy "Wild Hog", he had a couple of good one liners and played the role of the geek with no pretensions well. One of my husband's coworkers, a biker himself who liked the movie, gave us the DVD which we watched on Saturday night and had a good time. Macy is a great actor, Tim Allen and Martin Lawrence are funny, and i have enjoyed much of John Travoltas previous work. Everyone was enjoying it, and it showed.Performances from the main characters were well done, the story was 'middle-aged angst' done for the umpteenth time, no doubt, but well executed by the cast.The closing scene run during the end-movie credits added to the insanity/hilarity of it all. and that's saying something.I haven't laughed like that in years, the way that everything came together was just perfect.As always, Ray Liota does an excellent job as the main villain, and it's been ages since Tim Allen made a GOOD movie.This movie is a refreshing change from most films that you have to be a genius to analyze and enjoy.The only thing that really bothered me was the predictable sit-through ending... Wild Hogs has a simple plot and is easy to get into, the actors were good and Travolta is so good he shines in every movie he is in. William H.Macy,martin Lawrence,Tim Allen and John Travolta were fantastic. The movie begins with four unlucky middle aged friends named Woody(John Travolta), Bobby(Martin Lawrence), Doug(Tim Allen), and the blissfully ignorant Dudley(William H. "Wild Hogs" the new comedy from Tim Allen, John Travolta, Bill Macy and Martin Lawrence is a good comedy that entertains throughout but is far from scintillating. And in watching it, I can see why.Wild Hogs chronicles the story of four middle-aged friends (played by John Travolta, Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence and William H. I loved the beauty and good acting of Marisa Tomei as Maggi!.ABOUTH THE MOVIE: The film is about four friends in their middle age: Doug, Woody, Bobby and Dudley, who like to spend some time riding bikes as the Wild Hogs, Doug (Tim Allen) is a dentist with a common family, Woody (John Travolta) is a divorced, broke businessman and liar, who was the one that influenced the others, Bobby (Martin Lawrence) was a good husband that didn't worked and whose wife was like a tiger in a cell; finally Dudley (William H. I thought this movie was a complete waste of an excellent cast.The jokes tended to fall flat.The music was hackneyed and uninspired, and the sound cues actually worked against the comedic timing.I wasn't made to care about the characters mid-life crisis as none of them was fleshed out enough for me to be interested in their plight.All in all, this was one of the most boring films I've seen in quite awhile and some of it was so bad I felt like walking out.Actor Ray Liotta was scary, not good scary, just really creepy as an outlaw biker. I mean, sure, it could've been a lot better and funnier and that ending needs work, but Wild Hogs is just a harmless little movie that'll kill 100 minutes of your time.

tt0399934

Zombie Honeymoon

Open: Sounds of eating, drinking, sucking. A sound of a kiss. We see a sign for St. Peters Episcopal Church and the writing under the sign states: Denise & Danny Til Death Do Them Part. Bride and Groom exit the church. The bride is wearing a red dress with a red veil. They drive away in a car with the license plate CFO-52T. JUST MARRIED is written on the rear hatch window. The couple begin to kiss. The bride gives the groom a BJ in the car. She throws her veil out of the window. Denise Zanders <Tracy Coogan> carries Danny Zanders <Graham Sibley> over the threshold of the house owned by Uncle Barry. The house has a video game, a swimming pool and a swing set. Denise and Danny start to swing. They mention Portugal. A man is running down the street coughing. The newlyweds make love on the lawn to teach the jogger something. Denise looks for veggies in the refrig and chases Danny around the kitchen with raw ground beef. Down at the beach Danny is surfing as Denise cheers him on. They hold hands on the beach when Danny is done surfing. Seagulls are on the beach. Denise takes out her sketch book and starts to draw the ocean with Danny surfing. She has drawn some kind of black winged thing. An Ocean Zombie man <Mitch Goldberg> is coming toward the shore. Denise tells Danny to wake up. The Ocean Zombie falls on top of Danny. The zombie throws some black stuff up in Dannys mouth then dies. Danny is in the hospital. The doctor <John Sobestanovich> is trying to restart Dannys heart but fails. The doctor tells Denise that Danny is not responding. All of a sudden Dannys eyes open. Denise runs to him. The man next to Danny tells the doctor to let them hug for Christs sake. Danny was dead for 10 minutes. The Doc says Danny has to rest. Denise kisses Danny. Denise and Danny leave the hospital. Denis pulls out her sketch book. Danny appears and Denise hugs him. They are lying in bed when Denise asks Danny if he is hungry. He says not really. Denise will cook him dinner tomorrow night with candles. A candle-light dinner. They begin making love when Denise sees some of his chest skin peeling off. Breast action. The next day Denise is looking at a photo album with scraps of this and that in it. They discuss him being dead. They talk about having a child a girl. Blah, Blah, couples talk. Danny picks up the phone and resigns from his job 2 week notice. Denise then resigns from her job. She is a childrens book illustrator. Danny then calls Marty and gives up their apartment. Cut to a palm reader. She tries to read her customers hand with no luck. She then goes to the tarot cards. The man gets up and goes. He says she is ripping him off. Denise calls her palm reader friend and says they are going to Portugal. They couple laugh and kiss. The doorbell rings. It is Officer Frank Carp and he asks for Danny. He has Dannys surf board. His parents got him the board for his 15th birthday. Officer Carp asks about Jack Birch <Phil Catalano> Dannys roommate in the hospital who has disappeared. Denise goes shopping for their dinner. A jogger comes down the street clutching his chest. Denise passes a marina. Denise pulls into an Acme Supermarket. She bought 4 bottles of wine. Denise goes to the bathroom, she hears something and pulls the shower curtain open. She sees Danny eating a mans guts. Danny has blood all over his face. She runs out of the house but Danny says he needs her. He says he is sorry and she tells him not to touch her. Danny was eating Jack. Denise goes out onto the deck and smokes a cigarette. She remembers her vows to Danny. She had quit smoking for 7 ½ months, she throws the cig away. Blah, blah, not a bad person etc. They scramble to clean up the houseNikki < Tonya Cornelisse> and Buddy <David M. Wallace>are coming over. Denise takes a finger out of the tub drain. Enter Nikki and Buddy. They are drinking wine out of plastic cups. Buddy asks Denise if she is going to write a comic book now what Danny is one of the living dead. Nikki doesnt like this. Buddy makes fun and plays a zombie asking for brains. They go out for dinner and Danny plays with his food at dinner and is tired of vegetables. Danny scarfs down a steak really fast ravenous like. Denise goes to the bar has a drink then asks for another two drinks NOW. Nikki asks for seltzer NOW. Buddy says their waitress looks like the girl he used to bang in center - Tammy. Danny doesnt remember he dated Tammy for 2 years. Nikki consoles Denise. The next day Danny is throwing up in the locked bathroom. Denise breaks down the door. Blood is all over the toilet. Danny is crying and says that vegetarians dont make good cannibals. Denise and Danny in the car and he asks her to put on track 4 of the CD. They go to a travel agent Phyllis <Maria Iadonisi>. She offers them coffee and a bagel. They book a one way trip to Portugal. They depart 10:15AM. Arriving in Lisbon at 10:15PM. Danny starts eating her arm then tears out her throat. Denise is trying to get him out of the store. She freaks out. Danny runs into the woods. We now see a Video Library store where the owner <Dustin Smither> is wearing a T-shirt that says We are going to eat you! with a face of a zombie. The customer puts $10.00 on the counter and walks out grousing. Danny attacks the irate video store customer <Nate Meyer>. Denise goes home and Officer Carp rings the doorbell. Denise offers the officer a drink. He starts to look at her photo album. She says she has grapefruit juice. He asks her about Jack Birch again. Carp tells her when he has loose ends he cant sleep and he says thats a pain in the ass. He gives her his card and he says they found blood in the bathroom. Danny comes home bloody. Danny says he is trying to kill as few people as he can before they leave for Portugal. He mentions Portugal zombie doctors. Denise says its an affliction which has cures. Danny asks Denise not to leave him. She says in sickness and in health. The doorbell rings again and Buddy falls in the door and Nikki walks in. He is holding a Rubix Cube. Buddy says Danny looks like shit. Danny asks Nikki to read his palm which is gray looking. Nikki says they will have one kid. Nikki then sees the longest and deep life line she has ever seen. Then she sees his face as a zombie. Danny attacks Buddy and tears out his throat. Nikki and Denise run out of the house. Denise cant leave Danny and goes back into the house. Danny is playing a video game. Ugly face Danny. Nikki took Denises car. Denise is getting the candle-light dinner ready. Danny is growling. Nikki is going to the police department. We see a sign for Birch Drive and a sign that says Dead End. Denise puts one long-stem rose into a vase. Nikki sees a Police sign. At the house Danny makes a toast to Portugal. Denise is drawing Danny in her sketch pad. The police are coming to the house. Danny is crying. A piece of Dannys face falls into the soup. Danny gets ready to bite Denises neck. The police shoot Danny. Denise screams and Danny gets up and bites off Carps nose. Danny eats the other policeman. Danny goes after Nikki, puts two fingers in her neck and starts eating her. Denise runs, puts her hair up and puts on her red wedding dress. She listens as Danny eats. She turns on the television and flips channels as Danny throws up. She is laying on the bed and you see a severed arm on one of the pillows. Denise hides in a closet then falls out to find a severed head at her feet. Dannys face is all grey and rotten. Danny is hocking up black stuff. Denise runs downstairs and uses Dannys surf board to block him from getting to her. Danny comes toward Denise and remembers them on the swing. He throws her to the floor and turns his head and spits zombie stuff on the floor. He says he is sorry and falls on Denise. She cries while Danny is laying on her. The next morning we see Denise holding a dead Danny in her lap. She drags his body out by the pool. She rolls him into the pool. Denise goes to the beach with her red pail and scooper. She runs into the surf and has a vision of Danny as he once was. She is holding her stomach like she is pregnant. She unfolds her ticket to Portugal. A Tammy Wynette song plays. Stand by your Man. The End.

tragedy, romantic

train

imdb

Unfortunately, although I think the initial concept could have made a very good romantic/psychological drama movie even with no budget, the uninspired writing, the conventional directing and most of the acting (except the wife) just didn't cut it. "Zombie Honeymoon", said the director, "is probably the first zombie-movie ever to be based on personal experience".The audience was ready to laugh, but there was nothing funny about that: the plot is an effort to handle the untimely demise of the director's brother-in-law, who died in a surfing accident shortly after getting married. The premise of the movie, therefor, is telling the story of two people trying to remain together against all possible odds.The film's protagonist, Danny, is a surfer as well - but what gets him (temporarily) killed is not an accident: like a rotting pal of Venus Anadiomene, a zombie walks out from the sea to directly attack the poor guy and vomit black goo straight into his mouth. Problem is, after coming back home he finds himself desperately hungry for human flesh - which understandably proves a shock to his young wife Denise.While presenting the film, Gebroe introduced it as a cross between a John Cassavetes piece and "Night of the Living Dead" - which is a fitting description for "Zombie Honeymoon". Although the photography does leave a lot to be desired (the film is all shot on digital video, and the choice of a hand-held camera style proves somewhat a bit annoying instead of contributing to the realistic effect ), the dialog and the interaction between the two unfortunate newlyweds are all absolutely believable - and even moving at times. Graham Sibley (Danny) is OK, but the selling point to the film is Tracy Coogan's Denise - not only she's beautiful: she is also great in totally selling the story.Maybe the film does lose some steam halfway through, when the gruesome suppers of Danny start becoming a little repetitive. However, the final 20 minutes are genuinely poignant - starting with a great scene where Danny, after eating some of his victims, spends a long time in the dark of his and Denise's home playing with one of those arcade games from the 80s, while Denise, devastated, comes close to him and watches him play the game without uttering a single word.I won't spoil the ending of the best zombie romance since the underrated "Return of the Living Dead III", but any Blues Brothers fan should love the way Gebroe uses the song "Sometimes is Hard to be a Woman" - we sure kept humming it for the rest of the evening, while discussing if death couldn't be seen as the ultimate handicap. In this movie, however, Graham and Tracy make the love real between Danny and Denise, with none of the affectations that could have prevented this from coming across. Writer/Director David Gebroe has managed to give us an old fashioned zombie movie with a twist that is unique.We see Denise and Danny rushing from the church to enjoy a honeymoon. None of the principals involved seem to have gone much of anywhere in the past few years, but that's no slur on the integrity of this admirable little piece of cult film-making.I suspect many of the negative commentaries posted here are from people who expected something more directly related to the Romero/Argento zombie mythos. Well written and shot with only a few naff scenes, "Zombie Honeymoon" features very respectable performances from a cast of unknowns, especially Tracy Coogan as the young woman who has no trouble getting her husband to eat leftovers, particularly if they're human. I had to give it a "6" just for the quality that ended up on the screen.Put it this way: with a little bit of script-tweaking and a higher production budget, along with the casting of marketable names, "Zombie Honeymoon" could have been a true classic. There's no reason a horror film cannot tick all the boxes of what we've come to expect in the genre, still frighten and disturb us, and not have something to say AND have fleshed-out characters populating it.Dave Gebroe was smart and jumped on this deficit in the horror genre..aside from Larry Fessenden and maybe Brad Anderson and Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later, horror films and 'emotional' rarely end up in the same sentence. If John Cassavetes was hired to do a zombie film it might be something like this, although the director pours the energy of youth into this film and his leads.Using an intentionally lurid yet appropriate title to lure us in, the film covers the once vibrant and now deteriorating marriage of Danny and Denise, two psychobilly-crazed, frenetic and all-out happy lovers who are rushing from the altar, newly wed. This euphoric approach, followed by a hilarious scene where they get to their new house, drop everything and start planning to live abroad, sweep us up in the giddy rush of starting a new life with the one who makes your heart sing.Naturally, because he remembers it's a horror film, things go wrong ten minutes later.A decaying surfer stumbles out of the ocean and 'infects' Danny who seemingly dies on the operation table an hour later. Danny and Denise are in deep love, and while they are resting on the beach, Danny is attacked by a stumbled zombie that comes out of the sea and vomits into his mouth. However, the former vegetarian Danny, having an uncontrollable hunger for human flesh, attacks many people, while Denise cleans his bloody mess trying to help her beloved husband."Zombie Honeymoon" is a bizarre and gore love story, but unfortunately the confused screenplay fails, once mixes romance, drama, dark comedy and horror but in very wrong doses and the genre of the story is not well situated. This low budget movie is visually too heavy and gore for a romance, shallow for a drama, silly for a comedy and most of the tension of the horror scenes are broken by the dramatic love story of Denise and Danny. The story follows newlyweds Denise and Danny (cathartically based on Gebroe's real-life sister and late brother-in-law) as their honeymoon is interrupted by an attack by a zombie. And suddenly there is a host of new logistical problems that Danny and Denise must face as a new married couple trying to stay together, plan for the future, and keep Danny from killing and eating too many people.This isn't the first Zombeo-and-Juliet movie, but it may be the best yet. Zombie Honeymoon is more Zombie-Romantic-Tragedy than Zom-Rom-Com, but still delivers its share of laughs and even uplifting moments.A quick word about the leads: Graham Sibley and Tracy Coogan bring great realism to their roles as the newlyweds. Another thing that bothered me about this movie was in order to make the audience "get the picture" they would have scenes where nothing was going on, no sounds, no movement, just sad faces for what seemed like an eternity.If you are looking for a sweet "love" story that more fits a horror movie rather then a drama with some blood I would recommended David Morlet's "Mutants" (2009). The acting is of a high standard, particularly Tracy Coogans wife 'Denise', giving the film an emotional resonance lacking some zombie films. The film has an excellent garage / surfer rock soundtrack (one of the credited roles was for 'Psychobilly Adviser'), and excellent sound design - it sounds like their having a lot of fun in the production of this element.Its main flaw, an unfortunately unavoidable one, is that it doesn't strictly adhere to the zombie rule book (handed down to us by the one they call Romero), making comprimises between the zombie and romance genres (a few more zombies wouldn't have gone amiss), and there are a few unanswered questions lingering on later viewing. For only his second film as a writer slash director, Dave Gebroe had the bizarre ambition to blend gross horror with genuine romantic drama and even to throw in bits of comedy. Re-working bits and pieces of this real-life drama into a horror film served as some sort of therapy for Gebroe, who was really fond of his brother-in-law as well. However, even with bearing Gebroe's introduction in mind, "Zombie Honeymoon" can't possibly pass for a good film. After an accident on their honeymoon, a woman begins to grow concerned about the change in her new husband's' behavior as it grows increasingly obvious he's become a zombie and tries to keep the behavior under control.This was a decidedly bland and quite uninspired effort that rarely feels like a horror film. (Evil Dead Series including Army of Darkness) Someone gave the director a cam corder and said "Let make a really bad movie so we can feel like big shots. Well, it's a cheap film but that's where my expectations and the actual film departed ways.A young couple are on their honeymoon when Danny is attacked by a zombie lurching out of the ocean. His wife Denise, while freaked, stands by her man, all the while still grossed out by his actions.In the last few years we've had a few different types of zombie films. Zombie Honeymoon, while not in the budgetary league of these films, is the first romantic drama film I've seen where a lead character happens to be a zombie.Danny and Denise were good couple, they were decent people. This film is like no other Zombie movie I have ever seen and has to be among the top 3 I have ever seen. You will get wrapped up in the plot if you give it a chance and the two main characters are developed to the point you will care for them like friends.The entire plot and spin on the zombie genre is brought back to life in this film. However a little world filled with love and gore that will leave you saying this is a zombie movie like no other!Dawn of the Dead 2004 done an incredible job of making you care for the characters and this little film done just as good with the 2 main characters. I think this is my new favorite movie...Tracy Coogan is so cute, and what better way to prove how much you really love someone than to clean up their bloody mess when they turn zombie on the honeymoon! Troma films are dear to my heart.I rented this DVD expecting to see some good cheesy horror movie fun and zombie schlock.This film has none of that. This film is totally unique and entertaining - you can see where the director is slightly influenced by some of the old horror classics (little subtle elements of the camera work, etc.).Also, once you know the true story inspiration behind this film, it makes it all the more interesting (it's a tragic real life story and a bit of the same in the movie).Definitely worth renting - and the director's comments are very interesting to watch too.. Most of the bad reviews and ratings are probably from kids and guys expecting a standard zombie movie involving an apocalypse and lots of gore and action. This is none of those things, and it offers so much more for the discerning horror movie fan.It is the perfect blend of romance and horror, and deals with a single zombie: A newly married young guy and the hell that his loving wife must endure while trying to stick with her man who is slowly turning into a monster. Coogan is happy when her husband miraculously recovers, but the couple faces a zombie challenge...Neatly written and directed by David Gebroe, "Zombie Honeymoon" is essentially a love story. Lastly, near the end of the film, Coogan has a brief, dreamy vision of Sibley which shows a romanticism that should have been part of the story's opening.***** Zombie Honeymoon (10/23/2004) David Gebroe ~ Tracy Coogan, Graham Sibley, Tonya Cornelisse, David M. I took the chance and purchased the DVD thinking that I might eventually get around to a Saturday afternoon sequester and by the time I got around to viewing, I was sorry I wasted previous week-ends with much inferior pieces of supposed horror.Zombie Honeymoon is one of those few zombie films that really works thanks to a smart script and acting by the two leads that is about as good as anything I have seen in small budget films of the genre. Graham Sibley and Tracy Coogan do such a believable job with a difficult topic that you actually feel for these two characters and you root for their cause of trying to find a happy medium between dead and undead (It reminded me of what Fido (2006) wanted to conjour).For those of you that prefer gore to story, there are enough scenes of flesh munching to keep you interested, but let's face the fact that this is small budget and we have seen zombie's eating people for years without really seeing anything 'new' with the culture.I can't say that I will follow David Gebroe's odyssey going further, but if this film is just a stepping stone, he could be one of those rare talents that puts together scares, spooks, horror and humor with smart dialogue spoken by believable characters. With a zombie.The movie opens as newlyweds Danny and Denise (Tracy Coogan and Graham Sibley) race from the church to set off on their honeymoon: a month relaxing in a beach-front property. However, the young couple's wedded bliss is short lived when Danny is attacked by a strange man who emerges from the sea, pukes black gunk into the poor guy's mouth, and then promptly dies.Danny is rushed to hospital, where he flatlines for ten minutes before suddenly coming back to life (to the surprise of the medical staff, who have already pronounced him dead). Seems like the love of her life is turning into a flesh-eating member of the undead!After the first five minutes of Zombie Honeymoon, I really had my doubts about how much I would enjoy this low-budget effort: the director appeared to be trying too hard to be 'wacky', and the leading characters seemed to be rather annoying. After half an hour or so, however, I realised how wrong I was: Danny and Denise turn out to be a very likable couple—their love for each other is totally convincing and very touching thanks to great performances from Coogan and Sibley— and director David Gebroe proves that he knows what he is doing, handling his material thoughtfully and with a great sense of pacing.Denise's confusion and despair seems all to real as, before her eyes, the man she has just married slowly becomes a monster. It's heart wrenching stuff watching the poor woman first go into shock, and then entering a stage of denial (in one scene, Denise turns up the volume on her TV so she can block out the nauseating sound of her husband slurping down a couple of his victims).Zombie Honeymoon is a film that will catch many off-guard: those expecting a zany bloodbath might very well be disappointed by what is essentially a rather depressing love story (which could explain some of the more negative comments here on IMDb). Some other major turn-offs are the minimal gore (for this genre) and smashing every zombie rule possible.This one actually deserves 1/10 on my scale, but as mentioned, the acting, camera work - and also sound - are good enough to bring the score up by 1 point each.Don't watch this unless you really have to.. But, if a zombie movie is actually good, I will still like it. It's not often that a new horror film takes me by surprise, so I don't want to say too many bad things about Zombie Honeymoon. Bad acting and worse dialog I'll put up with for a horror flick, but throw in 'love' scenes that would make a real zombie cringe, bad camera work and a soundtrack that is so stupid you actually notice it, well, let's just say your time is better spent watching a zombie movie you've already seen once, and liked a little bit.There were not even any bright spots that jumped out and lent themselves to a "well at least -BLANK- wasn't too bad", sorry. Nice to see some good acting and directing for a change.Evidently I need 10 lines of text for some reason?Awesome movie!Great film!Loved every minute of it!Seen it twice since!Look forward to seeing the next movie from this director!Big Horror Fan Chris Gough, Manchester, UK.. Now it's true there are some parts in the movie that will have you chuckling or cringing, but the competent cast all give relatively good performances, especially Tracy Coogan as the young woman married to a zombie. While Zombie Honeymoon is shot on a low budget (at times this is evident.) It refreshes an otherwise stale genre and has a nice little tale about love and its boundaries at its centre. Zombie Honeymoon is fantastic!Every aspect of this film has given me new hope for the future of this genre we call horror. (One of the adorable things about Tracy is how her native Irish accent sometimes breaks through the general American one she's assumed for her character.) Tracy has, I think, the best scene in the film: Toward the end, when her zombie husband Danny (Graham Sibley) has killed all the cops and their friends and is looking around the house for her, Denise is seen cleaning off her makeup and putting on a nice, red dress -- a clear reference to something that happened during an earlier scene in a restaurant. Newly married couple, Denise(Tracy Coogan)& Danny(Graham Sibley)face a major unusual crisis that will certainly test their love for one another..he is infected with blood he consumed when a zombie, who emerged mysteriously from the sea as they were laying on the beach, vomits in his mouth. I found it entertaining though and hope that Tracy finds new roles as her acting was good and I look forward to more movies from David Gebroe.

tt3181776

Momentum

Pre-credits you hear a U.S. senator (Morgan Freeman) speaking to some unseen defense contractors. They are planning to orchestrate an event that will result in a war for them and a higher political office for him.The first scene opens in a bank in South Africa (Cape Town?). A robber gang of four, dressed in mysterious and futuristic garb (they have rows of different colored lights on their suits for identification and all their voices sound the same because they have been electronically modified) ruthlessly torture the bank manager until he opens the safe. The "key" to the safe is the manager's body and after an initial failure, the robbers shove two teeth that they had knocked out back in place, which works to open the safe. The thieves only open and remove the contents of one safety deposit box, which contains diamonds and one other small, unidentified, item. We begin to differentiate between the robbers. Red light and green light appear to be the leaders and violet light seems to be a hot-head who was apparently recruited by the fourth member, blue light. Red light gets in a fight with violet light and they shoot each other. Violet light is hit in the upper shoulder or neck, which does little damage, and red light takes only a nick to the cheek. They struggle and Red lights mask is pulled off, revealing a beautiful young red-haired woman. All the hostages see her face and blue light says she must kill all of them because she's been compromised. She says no and about that time violet light struggles back up and is shot again, this time with fatal result. All the robbers leave the bank and ride away in a van. Blue light removes his mask revealing a bearded man who is very angry with the woman because his friend violet light (Wayne) is dead and because she didn't kill all the witnesses and when green light (also a man) comes to her defense he also turns his anger on him. The woman knocks him unconscious with a left-handed backwards punch. As the thieves split up, the woman reminds the bearded man to lay low for a month and then he will receive "30,000".The man and the woman (now identified as "Alex" or "Alexis Farraday" (Olga Kurylenko) relax in different rooms of a luxury hotel. Alex is seen changing her eye and hair color. She goes to her partner's room and it becomes apparent that they are ex-lovers with Alex being mad with him and him wanting to reconcile. The man says he found "some even better insurance" in with the diamonds and wants Alex to help him with it but is disturbed by a knock on the door. He -- now identified as "Kev" or "Kevin Fuller" (Colin Moss)" -- is expecting a woman who will the original insurance. She (Jessica) is indeed at the door but followed by some gunmen -- actually three men and one woman. Alex hides under the bed, but Kev and Jessica are subdued. Jessica gives up her cell phone with a sex video and is promptly shot in the head. The leader then demands Kevin give over a USB drive, after badly torturing home they kill Kevin, Alex is quiet and unnoticed under the bed. The head "bad guy", Mr. Washington (James Purefoy) is annoyed that Kevin has died prematurely. Alex sneaks out from under the bed and finds a gun but it turns out to be unloaded. An extended chase and running gun battle ensues but in the end, Alex escapes from the hotel.There's a chase scene on the city streets with the bad guys temporarily joined by the police when she runs a red light. However she escapes everyone.Alex shows up at "blue light"''s apartment and he confidently prepares to defend his place but has underestimated his opponents and is quickly killed. In the other room, Alex calls Kev's wife and warns her to get out of town immediately. She also ask her to bring the package containing the diamonds and disk, which she suspects Kevin has stashed at home in his "bug-out bag". Kev's wife insults Alex because she knew of the affair Kev and Alex were having, and refuses to bring the package, if any, however, she reluctantly prepares to leave. Alex hides in a ceiling space and overhears Mr. Washington's plan to kill Kevin's wife and child. He learns of their address by tricking the young boy over the phone.At the Fuller home, Penny Fuller retrieves Kev's bug-out bag from the ceiling of the garage, inadvertently breaking the windshield of her car in the process. We see her look down at the windshield fragments, thoughtfully.Three bad guys race to Kevin Fuller's home while the other group are cleaning up the bodies left behind at the hotel. Alex also gets to the house and another big fight happens in which both baddies are killed (Mr. Washington had already left for the hotel with the bug-out bag). Alex is given the disk by Mrs. Fuller (which leaves us wondering just what was in the bug-out bag) but when she attempts to view the disk on the home computer, it activates a GPS device telling "someone" her location, so she immediately leaves along with Mrs. Fuller and the boy.Mr. Washington receives a phone call from the senator asking about the drive and is annoyed when the senator says he is sending his right-hand man, Doug MacArthur (Karl Thaning) to provide assistance. Mr. Washington is annoyed at this but polite to the senator while on the phone with him.As the cleanup at the hotel is taking place, Washington receives a call from Alex and is tricked into revealing that they are at the hotel. She races to the hotel on a stolen motorbike and then follows him to some abandoned industrial building. Washington has with him two associates, Ms. Clinton (who he thinks well of) and Mr. Jefferson who both he and Clinton think is an idiot. Alex sneaks in and subdues Mr. Jefferson and holds him hostage by holding him with a gun in his mouth. Alex calls Washington and it now is explicitly stated that both the robbers and Mr. Washington's crew were hired by the senator. The robbers weren't told about the drive, only the diamonds, and Washington knew about both and was assigned to kill the robbers. She then deliberately makes Washington and Clinton aware of her presence and attempts to trade Mr. Jefferson for the diamonds (even though she already has the diamonds and the drive). When Washington refuses, she shoots Jefferson through the head. She also activates a bomb she has hidden in Mr. Washington's SUV, but fails to seriously harm him or Clinton. Alex has hidden but again makes her whereabouts known. She gets captured when a third member of Washington's crew appears. She's placed in a chair with her leg in a vice and there is a long torture scene. Washington figures out she was a CIA "entry-specialist" who quit after a job in Beirut went wrong and innocent people were killed. Washington also discovers that the "diamonds" he thought he had were actually just shards of a broken windshield. Alex had placed them in a bag earlier and he hadn 't bothered to look in the bag until later. Alex fagrees to make a trade for the diamonds and drive at 9 PM that night at Cape Town airport. she calls Penny Fuller to confirm the meet.That evening at the airport, what's left of Washington and Clinton show up along with Alexis, in a short black dress, heels and a cane. Penny is there is a dark wig, keeping incognito. Alex is handed a key to a locker at the airport (Penny hands it to her as she walks by). Penny then lingers around the airport with the bug-out bag, which is dripping a bit of blood .Washington is very suspicious of Alex and insists she open the locker and then the box. However, she has tricked him by placing both items in an inner compartment in the box and when this is opened by Ms. Clinton, a bomb goes off. Clinton is seriously wounded in the face but still able to fight. Meanwhile, the third member of the crew has spotted and captured Penny. The airport police are now involved. Clinton defeats a squad of them in hand-to-hand combat but is finally shot. Washington and Alex fight and she wrestles away from him the drive- which Penny had hid in his necktie, earlier. She stuns Washington with a blow to the face and runs toward the terminal door. Washington kills a policeman who gets in his way. All this time, the third baddie has been carrying a subdued Penny through the chaos of the terminal. Alex gets to him and puts a bullet through his head. She runs towards the exit. Washington is surrounded by police just outside the terminal. He stops and raises his hands. Penny pulls off her wig changes her appearance quickly, and tries to exit the terminal. Alex comes out and talks to Washington. She makes a chess comment, "Queen to Bishop 5" then yells out "gun" and dives off. The police open fire and Washington goes down in a hail of bullets. Penny Fuller is held as a witness at first, on the scene, along with all the others, but released when the lead detectives attention is diverted elsewhere. He is shown a bag left on the scene which contains a woman's head, Jessica's. The head has been given a fresh wound to the face because Alex had received such a wound when she was shot at the bank by violet lights. A few diamonds were left on the scene also, however it is revealed that Penny has the bulk of the diamonds in her bag. She leaves to go to her mother's to pick up Matthew, her son. A Squad of Interpol police arrive along with Mr. MacArthur, and take control of everything, but it is too late, Alex gets past security with a fake passport and is on an outbound flight. She has a new tech associate with her and they view the video on the disk. It is of building plans with large bombs in the basement. She calls Washington's cell, McArthur answers and she lets him know she knows the plans.In the closing scenes, the senator and McArthur discuss the situation. The senator wonders whether she is going to be "greedy or a martyr". McArthur indicates that she will be a martyr (be a hero) . The senator mutters that martyrs must die.

comedy, murder, violence, flashback, humor, revenge, sadist

train

imdb

tt0108598

The Wrong Trousers

The film begins at 62 West Wallaby Street on Gromit's birthday at breakfast. After being tipped out of bed and dressed using several mechanical contraptions, Wallace is greeted with a large pile of overdue bills. Wallace remembers Gromit's birthday and presents Gromit with a pair of “ex NASA” robotic "Techno Trousers", acquired by Wallace to alleviate the burden of taking Gromit for walks. While Gromit is out on a "walk", Wallace realises they are in financial difficulty and decides to let the spare bedroom out. He is answered by an inscrutable looking penguin named Feathers McGraw. The penguin comes to stay at the house, pushing Gromit out of his comfortable bedroom, into the spare bedroom and keeping him awake at night with loud organ music, much to Gromit's aggravation. On the other hand, Wallace takes a liking to him. Feathers also takes an interest in the Techno Trousers after seeing Gromit use their suction feet to walk on the ceiling while decorating the spare bedroom. Distressed that Feathers has barged in on his relationship with his master, Gromit packs up his belongings and leaves home. After watching Gromit leave, Feathers secretly modifies the Techno Trousers for his own use. He removes the controls on the trousers and adapts them into a remote control. The next morning, Gromit hunts for suitable lodgings. He notices a wanted poster offering a reward for the capture of a "chicken" – actually a criminal penguin who disguises himself by wearing a rubber glove on his head. Meanwhile, Wallace's normal morning routine is interrupted when his expected trousers are replaced with the modified Techno Trousers. Trapped inside the "wrong trousers", Wallace is marched out of the house and sent running around town on an extended test run, unaware that Feathers is controlling them. Gromit witnesses this spectacle and later spies on Feathers as he measures up the exterior of the city museum. He returns home and uncovers Feathers' plans to steal a large diamond from the museum. However, Feathers returns and Gromit is forced to hide. He watches as Feathers arrives dressed in the "chicken disguise". In a deep sleep after the day's misadventures, Wallace is unwittingly brought into the robbery by Feathers. Feathers marches him out of the house to the museum and uses the trousers' suction feet to climb up the building. The penguin controls the trousers from a window sill, while Wallace enters the building through a roof air vent and walks across the ceiling to the room with the diamond, narrowly avoiding the laser burglar alarm system. The helmet Wallace is wearing contains a remote controlled claw that Feathers uses to hook the diamond. He narrowly succeeds, but accidentally dislodges a ceiling tile and sets the trousers off balance and thus causes the claw to swing into the laser and triggers the burglar alarm and wakes Wallace up. Feathers marches Wallace out of the museum and back to the house. The penguin reveals himself to be Wallace's lodger, and traps him in a wardrobe. Gromit confronts Feathers, but the penguin draws a gun and forces Gromit into the wardrobe, locking them both inside. Using his electronics expertise, Gromit tampers with the trousers' circuits to make them march and break open the wardrobe. There follows a chase aboard Wallace and Gromit's train set, as Gromit tries to stop Feathers from escaping with the stolen diamond. Wallace's attempts to assist are mostly unsuccessful, though he manages to remove Feathers' gun and free himself from the trousers. Feathers' train collides with the trousers, and he is captured in a bottle, taken to the police station, and imprisoned in a zoo. Wallace and Gromit celebrate paying off their debts with the substantial reward money. Meanwhile, the Techno Trousers, unceremoniously consigned to the dustbin, walk off by themselves into the sunset.

psychedelic, comedy, cute, entertaining, humor

train

wikipedia

Nick Park's hysterical plasticine duo Wallace and Gromit are back in this, their second outing, pitting themselves against the plotting penguine whose devious nature is taking advantage of Wallace's niavity. The Wrong Trousers is the best so far from Peter Lord and Nick Park, putting even the outstanding Chicken Run and Close Shave in it's shadow. The ever suffering but mute Gromit and the clumsy well meaning Wallace muddle their way to stopping a truely outstanding criminal genius penguine (whose pesona is portrayed with such subtlety and effect that the cute bird becomes the very essence of evil). It is also absolutely a wonder to watch – even when I wasn't laughing I was easily charmed by the wit and imagination of the whole thing.The animation is superb, Wallace is as good as ever and Gromit is much more fully developed and is easily the star. The noirish lighting, the attention to detail, the small jokes in the background, the camera compositions and the fluid animation (it doesn't have that herky-jerky look of most clay animated films) are awe-inspiring by themselves, but combined with such a witty story and appealing characters the result is something that truly deserves to be called a classic.. Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers (1993): Calling this delightful and hilarious Oscar-winning masterpiece (brought to us by Nick Park, co-director of "Chicken Run," one of my all-time favorite films) the best claymation short ever is a lot like saying that someone just bought the best vehicle from a used car lot, so I'll go ahead and call this the best animated short ever, which it definitely is. It's the advantage of stop-motion animation: each shot is carefully studied and considered, and the story moves forward having Gromit the dog as the main character, and he succeeds all the way in convincing us of his "acting skills", even though he doesn't say one word or make one sound. The film has a great plot: Wallace and Gromit are forced to let a room, and a grim penguin applies for it. Gromit decides to leave, but then it turns out that this is no ordinary penguin.I think that my favorite scene was Wallace "walking" around in the trousers; they must have had fun filming that scene. If you had told me that sitting for 30 minutes watching bits of clay would be entertaining, I would have said you were mad.But you would have been right.Thanks, Nick Park, for making this old man feel like a kid again.. 'Wallace and Gromit: The Wrong Trousers' is a highly enjoyable claymation tale about an inventor man and his dog companion, who happens to be smarter than the man himself. This tale involves a rogue penguin with an evil plan involving Wallace and Gromit and his inventions.This is a warming tale about friendship and realistic characters, and children are sure to enjoy the imagination behind the story and the claymation and humour. It's rare in a film to find a tale enjoyable to both children and adults, but 'The Wrong Trousers' succeeds in this.This is a charming little short film, and it should be watched and enjoyed by all. THE WRONG TROUSERS is the second and best of the Wallace & Gromit shorts . The plotting and character interaction makes it touching and exciting and even this childless cynic enjoyed every single moment of it If you're a parent and are wondering how to keep the kids quiet for over an hour maybe you should show them an episode from the new DOCTOR WHO series followed by THE WRONG TROUSERS . It was 'Creature Comforts (1989)' that took home the Oscar in 1991, but Nick Park instead planned a sequel to 'A Grand Day Out with Wallace and Gromit (1989),' a short film that, in my estimation, showed far more promise. Very few films have ever juggled so many filmmaking resources so well, but one of the few to do so, in my opinion, is the English clay-animated short "The Wrong Trousers".As in "Kane", Nick Park and his crew of animators expertly combine a variety of methods in telling their story. The "acting," or rather the character animation, is wonderful, more so for the dog Gromit than for the goofy-looking human Wallace; Gromit's subtle expressions conveying everything we need to know about what he's thinking. Finally, the music is one of "Trousers"'s most overlooked features--the sequence in which Gromit leaves in the rain while the penguin watches from the window offers a neat demonstration of music's effectiveness as a storytelling tool.I don't really think "The Wrong Trousers" is really BETTER than "Citizen Kane", in an artistic sense. But, to those of us who "discovered" W&G back in the mid-to-late '90s, they were a fun pair we enjoyed in these three 30-minute shows."The Wrong Trousers" is best at the end with a very funny chase scene inside a toy train set. The dog is literally put out in the dog house, and is not happy about this.In a crazy series of events, the tenant - an evil penguin - gets Wallace inadvertently involved in a jewel heist and Gromit has to come to the rescue. This is the second Wallace & Gromit film and unlike the last one, which was only nominated for the Best Animated Short Oscar, this one was this prestigious award. This is my first experience with the clay animated Wallace and Gromit series, and for sure it's not going to be my last, as this must be the hardest I laughed at a movie for years!Wallace and Gromits quiet lifes come to an end when Wallace, who seriously needs the money, rents Gromits room to a penguin. Wallace however finds the little penguin a great treat, as he brings him the newspaper and his slippers.Gromit thinks he's of no use anymore and leaves the house, right after his birthday on which he got a pair of mechanical trousers, which are playing a large role in this 30 minute comedy. The penguin seems nice and cute when Wallace is around, but he's actually a criminal, and is planning to steal a diamond with the help of Wallace's mechanical trousers."The Wrong Trousers" is truly an animated masterpiece. It's truly a masterpiece in animation, and not only is it the best Aardman production, the best Wallace and Gromit short, or the best thing Nick Park ever directed, but it's also one of the best animated shorts, period. Amazing is the best word to describe this wonderful clay-animated short film.Rating: 10/10 "Amazing". Wallace has been perfecting his work on a pair of robotic trousers that he plans to use to take Gromit for walks so he doesn't have to, until he notices that his expenses are running a little high and he and Gromit will have to take in a lodger to help make ends meet. Both Wallace and Gromit are better developed, and this felt like it could've been a full length feature, though it worked perfectly well at it's 30 minute length.To get some extra money, Wallace rents out one of his rooms to a burglar penguin. The music perfectly accentuates the action, and this is a really an animated masterpiece, and definitely the best of Wallace and Gromit's movies.My rating: **** out of ****. "Gromit, you've gotten the wrong trousers!" Funny, funny voice acting compliments a very good animated short about an evil penguin (or is it?) that tries to deplace Gromit as the favored household pet in order to have a building place for its diabolical schemes! The penguin is a marvellously sly and cold villain, never humorous and always with an air of menace about him.Nick Park and Steve Box have here created the best of their weird and wonderful world where humans and animals seem to amiably and inexplicably co-exist. IF there is a Goood British short animation worth watching its Wallace and Gromit. This short film was the second to feature dumb, cheese-loving Wallace (evocatively voiced by Last of the Summer Wine's Peter Sallis), and his intelligent dog, Gromit.In this feature, Gromit (who reads newspapers and is definitely more clued-up than his owner) is ousted from his place as Wallace's best friend by a mysterious Penguin. The penguin gets Gromit's room (which is papered with dog bone wallpaper when first we see it) and starts to plot on how it can best use Wallace's new invention - 'the wrong trousers'.As is usual in Nick Park's superior Claymation output, 'The Wrong Trousers' is extremely well-made, and has knowing references to other media, especially films. The Wrong Trousers is only one of Nick Park's creations - and it's difficult to know which is best, but Grommit has to be one of the greatest characters ever created in animated form, proving that animals regard all humans as pets.Saw a wonderful documentary (by the BBC) on Nick Park and I suspect he is a Wallace, wishing to be a Grommit! A fast pace, fully rounded characters, and one of the most remarkable chase seens of any movie I've ever seen are the reasons that my children and I watch this (as well the other Nick Park films) endlessly. An evil penguin plays an important role, and once again everything (music, setting, lighting) just comes together to let you know this is not a character to be trusted.What really makes this a gem of a film, however, is the comedy. This easily ranks right up there with anything ever done by Jones or Disney as far as humor is concerned.The Wrong Trousers is probably the most well paced of the Wallace and Gromit trilogy, hence its place on the IMDB Top 250, but I highly recommend all three to anyone who wants a good laugh. "The Wrong Trousers" was the second of Nick Park's Wallace & Gromit trilogy, and, in my opinion, certainly the best. I don't think I've ever met ANYBODY, from age 2 to 92, who didn't really like this short film!In "A Grand Day Out" (the first of the three), Nick Park hadn't yet hit his stride, either with quality of animation, or with plot and direction. Because of this film, I was sad to hear there were to be no more Wallace & Gromit movies.Ah, BUT -- as I write this, Park is at it again. I learned earlier this evening that JUST TODAY he's released an 80-minute clay animation movie called "Chicken Run!" If it's as good as "The Wrong Trousers," it'll be a classic of the genre.Tomorrow's Saturday, and you can bet I'll be looking for any possible matinee tickets.. The inventiveness of it, the timing of the gags, and especially the incredible amount of character demonstrated by lumps of clay (especially Gromit and the Penguin, who have no dialogue)...it's really amazing what Nick Park has created here. "The Wrong Trousers" deserves a place in the top ten of any list of the great animated films of all time.. One would expect animation which is cute -- but not nearly so clever as Nick Park's team have been in THE WRONG TROUSERS.Using only their hands and tiny tools to mold and shape the clay from shot to shot, Wallace and Gromit's creators gave them life, personality, style, quirks, and sympathy. Imagine… A moon of cheese A penguin disguised as a'rooster' only to steal a diamond Imagine a dog named GROMIT who reads `the republic by Pluto' and CRIME AND PUNISHMENT By DOG-STOIEVSKY!(while he is in prison, of course) NOW IMAGINE that Wallace and Gromit are FLESH AND BONE!The best parts of the trilogy are the `train chasing scene'.it's just brilliant(Buster Keaton eat your heart out!) in the `wrong trousers' we see `the techno trousers',how cool its name is!Thanks Mr Park you are a genious! the second Wallace and Gromit short film.. This here is another great Wallace and Gromit short film.This time it's taken place in their neighborhood and not the moon. The characters look more smoother and has nice detail in the backgrounds.The ending is the best part too.Those who like the first one will like this one even more.It's my favorite of all 3 Wallace and Gromit short films.. Wallace (Peter Sallis) is used by a shady, criminal penguin in a robbery involving mechanical trousers.Nick Park has said this was his favorite of the Wallace and Gromit films, and I have to agree with him. the wrong trousers has great humour from wallaces jokes to the inventions within the film like wallaces bed, a special train set and gromits prompt evasure of being found out by jumping into a handy cardboard box. I think that Wallace and Gromit are the best young partners in this short film category.. It's difficult to describe just how good this short film is.The world Nick Park creates is so real and believable that you entirely forget these are only pieces of clay plasticine. This time, Wallace gets into trouble after buying some robotic pants, designed to take Gromit to walk, and rent a room to a mysterious stranger, a sinister-looking penguin that will turn Gromit's life into hell.I found the script much more elaborate and elegant than in the first short. In the second Wallace and Gromit short, Wallace invents remote controlled trousers to walk Gromit.Soon after that he realizes he needs money to pay the bills so he decides to rent out a room.A shady penguin moves in and takes over Gromit's room.Wallace likes the penguin and doesn't know that he's plotting to use our stars in a big jewel heist.Everything about this is better than A Grand Day Out.The jokes are better, the story is better and the penguin is a great character.In one scene Gromit reads a newspaper and the headline says "Dogs Reads Newspaper!", that actually made me laugh.This is definitely something adults will like just as much as kids do.See it.. Following up from the 1989 short A Grand Day Out, Nick Park and Aardman Studios revive the legendary duo Wallace and Gromit in their second adventure, The Wrong Trousers in what is possibly the greatest short film of all time. I don't know what it is about penguins but they always work out as such superb and amusing characters in animated movies.The story is however of course far from likely. It's just too risky and doesn't really sound like the right suiting master-plan for the criminal genius the penguin is.But oh well, this of course doesn't make this Oscar-winning short animated movie any less fun to watch. However with Wallace & Gromit, Aardman Animations have never failed at it to bring a good, entertaining and convincing looking movie. Wallace & Gromit - the wrong trousers is my number 158 movie, because it is very funny and has good ideas. Wallace and Gromit are fun too, although I think THE WRONG TROUSERS marked the peak of their career; nothing else they've been in has been as intense and funny as this.Everything about this 30-minute film is amazing. A penguin disguised as a chicken, giant robotic trousers, a diamond robbery, and the greatest chase sequence ever, make this the best claymation film ever. Wallace and Gromit first came to my attention about ten years ago when I saw the film "A Grand Day Out" on TV. The penguin takes great interest in Wallaces new invention, a pair of remote controlled metallic trousers.I won't tell anymore, you'll have to see for yourself, but all the thirty minutes we are served very clever comedic details, you'll find more and more the each time you see it, generally a lot of craziness and especially "the train-scene" which will make you laugh your head of. The second of the adventures of Wallace & Gromit sees the animation greatly improve from the brilliant but very amateurish 'A grand day out' and the comedy extremely sharp and funny. I think this is the greatest Aardman film ever.I have not yet seen a single Aardman film that I liked more than this.The plot was great.Gromit has to stop the evil penguin from stealing a diamond that belongs to a museum.At the end there is a 2 minute train chase at the end.I thought it was too short 2 minutes a lot of ending battles would be longer than that but it still had plenty of detail in it.Youhave to watch this and all the Wallace and Gromit films. Wallace gets Gromit a collar (So he looks like somebody's dog now) and a pair of robotic trousers, Techno Trousers AKA the wrong trousers. Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers. Wallace and Gromit were number 11 on The World's Greatest Comedy Characters, and they were number 15 on The 100 Greatest Kid's TV Shows, and as part of Aardman Animations, they was number 15 on The 100 Greatest Cartoons. Wallace and gromit have had some amazing great adventures with some of the best short films ever! The story is well done with the most funniest animated villain in years (my opinion) and really good claymation (the rain is top notch and were talking about clay) its just great!The humour is really improved from a grand day out not because the previous short was not funny but this got me choking at one point. Wallace and Gromit first appeared in 'A Grand Day Out' and that was a fine story but this, their second outing, is better! Where the first film had some obvious kinks to work out, The Wrong Trousers is all that A Grand Day Out should have been.Nick Park has polished his craft immeasurably in the four years since. But The Wrong Trousers, right from the very beginning, is a more sinister story that takes Wallace & Gromit to some very dark places. The film won a well deserved Oscar, and although I love all of the subsequent movies, The Wrong Trousers is still unsurpassed, and remains Wallace & Gromit's, and Aardman's finest hour..

tt0054240

Orgy of the Dead

The film opens to two muscle-bound men dressed in loincloths approaching a crypt. They open the doors, revealing a coffin. They remove the lid and exit the crypt, then the inhabitant of the coffin (Criswell) sits up to deliver an opening narration. This narration mostly matches the prologue of Night of the Ghouls (1959), with one minor variation and an additional line. The phrase "world between the living and the dead" of the original is changed to "void between...". There is also a new line at the end: "A night with the ghouls, the ghouls reborn, from the innermost depths of the world!" The opening credits feature the image of "an immobile young woman clad in gold". The image was probably inspired by a memorable scene of Goldfinger (1964). Following the credits, the camera shifts to a lone Chevrolet Corvair driving down a California desert road. Its passengers Bob (William Bates) and Shirley (Pat Barrington) are arguing over the decision to use this night to search for a cemetery. Bob is a horror writer who hopes that the scene of a cemetery at night will bring him inspiration. The conversation ends when Bob accidentally drives the car off the road and over a cliff. The next scene opens to a nocturnal image of a fog-shrouded cemetery. The lonely figure of the Emperor (Criswell) walks towards a marble altar, sits, and then summons his "Princess of the Night", the Black Ghoul (Fawn Silver), who appears and bows before him. The Emperor warns that if the night's entertainment fails to please him, he will banish the souls of the entertainers to eternal damnation, indicating that he is an all-powerful demonic being. As the full moon appears, the Black Ghoul summons the first dancer of the night, a Native American woman (Bunny Glaser). The Black Ghoul explains that this woman loved flames, and that both she and her lovers died in flames. The woman dances and strips before the flames of the cemetery. The Black Ghoul then introduces the second dancer of the night, a street walker in life. While the woman dances, Bob and Shirley make their way to the cemetery and start observing the dance from a distance. Shirley suspects that they are observing a college initiation, though Bob seriously doubts her theory. The Emperor himself summons the third dancer, a woman who worshiped gold above else. The Golden Girl (Pat Barrington) dances in her turn, and the Emperor instructs his loin-clothed servants to reward her with gold. The supposed reward is soon revealed to be a punishment, as the servants place her in a cauldron with liquid gold. What emerges from the cauldron is a golden statue of the living woman who entered. The servants transport the immobile statue to a nearby crypt. At this point, a werewolf (John Andrews) and mummy (Louis Ojena) appear and seize the intruding young couple. They are brought before the Emperor who decides to postpone deciding their fate. The intruders are tied up, side by side, and allowed to continue watching the dances. The Black Ghoul next introduces the fourth dancer, a "Cat Woman" (Texas Starr). She is depicted as a woman dressed in a leopard costume, which exposes her chest area. As she dances, a servant follows her around and thrashes her with a bullwhip. Offering a sadomasochistic show for the spectators. The Emperor next calls for a Slave Girl (Nadejda Dobrev) to be whipped for his amusement. The slave wears a tunic and is chained to a wall. Following her torture session, the Slave Girl breaks free and becomes the fifth dancer of the night. Later, the Black Ghoul exhibits a fascination with Shirley and scratches a mark on her. She draws a knife and seems about to kill Shirley, when the Emperor decides it is not yet time for the intruders to properly join them. The female ghoul reluctantly obeys. The Emperor is puzzled when a human skull appears instead of the next dancer. The Black Ghoul explains it is the symbol of the sixth dancer, who loved bullfighting and matadors. She used to dance over their demise, and now it's time to dance over her own. The dancer of apparent Spanish/Mexican heritage (Stephanie Jones) appears to perform. The Emperor and Ghoul briefly discuss the past of the dancer, who came to them on the Day of the Dead. The seventh dancer appears dressed in Polynesian garments. The Black Ghoul describes her as a worshiper of snakes, smoke, and flames. A rattlesnake is depicted along with her dance. The camera shifts to the mummy and the werewolf. The mummy voices his dislike of snakes and recalls the death of Cleopatra. He informs his companion that ancient Egypt had many snakes and they were the stuff of nightmares. The Emperor next expresses his boredom and demands "unusual" entertainment, while the Black Ghoul notes that the night is almost over. She reminds her superior that they will be gone at the first sight of the morning sun. They proceed to argue over the fate of Shirley. The argument ends with the introduction of the eighth dancer (Barbara Nordin), a woman who murdered her husband on their wedding night. She dances with the skeleton of her spouse. The argument over Shirley then resumes, as the Ghoul claims her for her own. The Emperor feels the need to assert his own authority over the Black Ghoul. The ninth dancer (Dene Starnes) was a zombie in life and remains zombie-like in death. The tenth and final dancer (Rene De Beau) is introduced as one who died for feathers, fur, and fluff. She starts her dance in clothing matching this style. When the final dance ends, the Emperor finally offers Shirley to the Ghoul. The Ghoul briefly dances herself as she prepares to claim her prize. But dawn arrives and with it sunlight. The Emperor and all his undead are reduced to bones. The final scene has Bob and Shirley waking up at the scene of the accident, surrounded by paramedics, suggesting it was all a dream. Criswell appears in his coffin to offer parting words to the audience.

cult

train

wikipedia

How can this old low-budget stuff end up looking better than many a modern film?Sure, this movie is slow, tedious, repetitious and ultimately pointless. Somehow, nobody seems to really understand that they are making a bad movie -- the secret of the charm of the Ed Wood universe.I have not only the new DVD, but also the full (including dialogue) soundtrack CD which I have listened to many times. I admit to a strange, childish pleasure to be typing away at work while listening to dialogue like, "A pussy cat was born to be whupped!"Would-be indie filmmakers should take inspiration from this film, as it is proof that no matter how bad the dreck put to film may be, it can see distribution and perhaps even a profit. Wood, Jr. prepare or better yet, brace yourself, yet again.While Ed did not direct this spook-fest, he did write the screenplay (so to speak) based on a novel which he also penned for general release, primarily at fine bookstores which also carried magazines like 'Dude', 'Rogue', 'Nugget' and 'Gent.' For 'ORGY OF THE DEAD' is not so much a horror movie but a beyond the grave burlesque show featuring a bevy of beauties summoned by that master seer himself, Criswell. The opening scene takes place in broad daylight with a 1965 Corvair convertible taking in some mountainous curves until the next turn when, in true Ed Wood time management fashion, it suddenly becomes night and then day again along the same mountain pass. Actually, Pat Barringer's 'talents' were displayed to best advantage in Russ Meyer's classic 'MONDO TOPLESS.' Go, Pat, Go!This brings us to the real reason to view 'ORGY OF THE DEAD.' In spite of Criswell's rants from his coffin about "Monsters to be pitied, Monsters to be despised," the real show is provided by the likes of 'Texas Starr', 'Bunny Glaser','Rene de Beau' and more grind house marquee starlets. Now here are a few tips if you happen to stumble upon this "movie" and decide to watch it:-Ignore the script (there isn't one anyway)-Ignore the acting (the actors say things like "I'm afraid! Almost a great gem of bad cinema, if it weren't for all the awkward nudie-dance segments (skeleton and streetwalker girls were the best), which has to sound at least somewhat contradictive to those of you who haven't seen it. See, those ten dances make up about 80% of the movie, leaving precious little time for the absurd plot, dreadful dialogue (and delivery), and choice moments like the guy playing the Wolfman exposing his neck under his mask while howling. They come across the cemetery that has a Ghoul leader observing dead topless women dance for his pleasure. In fact, I had to fast forward through most of this movie because more than half of it was sedated women, possibly out patients, swaying to and fro while my buddy Criswell watched and clapped. The main point of this movie is to show about 10, attractive, topless women doing individual exotic dances. Basically, the whole movie is a strip show, featuring a variety of resurrected 'ghoul' women doing the bump and the grind.Although I am a flaming heterosexual, I must admit that halfway through this film, I was thoroughly tired of looking at women's mammary glands. They tie their two victims to stakes and they're forced (as we are) to watch a bevy of topless women individually introduced to do all sorts of long and ultimately boring solo dances. Before watching this movie, I thought I knew a thing or two about bad movies (being an MST3K fan), but this is by far the worst movie I have ever seen. There is a pattern in this movie that becomes painfully obvious (dancing girl scenes), so it becomes very tempting to fast forward through bits. For crying out loud, it's a movie called "Orgy of the Dead" written by Ed Wood!! This one definitely belongs into the category 'So bad they're good' - the curious little 'story' about a young couple finding themselves at a graveyard at night and unwillingly witnessing the 'shocking' activities of the undead dead is nothing but a pretext for a fanciful striptease show; half-naked 'dead' girls dancing and being punished by the sadistic 'Emperor' for the bad things they did in life - one of Ed Wood strange fantasies, it seems...But we must admit that the producers chose some very well-shaped young women for their acts, almost fit for the Moulin Rouge; so the dances alone are worth watching for lusty gentleman, and not only. And above all, the bizarreness of the whole 'plot' - that, at the time of the film's making, went about just as far as it could without being stamped a porn movie - makes it kind of unique: the creepy settings with tombstones and fog, the 'wardens' with their whips, the delight with which the 'Emperor' follows and explains the 'punishments'; all this gives an almost nostalgic note for today's viewers to this colorful (in every sense of the word, no doubt) nonsense.Ideal for voyeurs, and for horror fans with a BIG sense of humor!. While it is quite terrible, with next to no production values (and it could very well have been made by Ed Wood, who "wrote" it; in fact, I'd classify it as an Ed Wood movie), A.C. Stephen's "Orgy of the Dead" is often at least extremely entertaining; that is, it's entertaining to those who enjoy pure schlock when they see it. If nothing else, this movie offers non stop schlock, ranging from actors who cannot act (but who spout inanely quotable lines, nevertheless), strippers who can't dance, and effects which are anything but special. A young couple crashes their car only to end up in a cemetery full of half naked strippers being watched over by "The Ruler of Darkness" and his foxy looking assistant "Ghoulita". I love Ed Wood movies, I have a healthy collection of Franco flicks, but this is so far beneath any concept of the word 'good' or even 'decent' that I feel pain in referring to it as 'cinema', which (sorry to say to any one that liked this unadulterated piece of trash) it isn't.A young couple experiences car trouble and are taken captive by a group of monsters and are forced to watch semi-attractive girls sporting K-mart quality costumes prance around topless. When Ed Wood writes a film that he DOESN'T direct, this is what happens - pointless drivel with some nicely shaped "dancing" girls. Ed Wood's classic bad movies like 'Glen Or Glenda', 'Plan Nine From Outer Space' and 'Bride Of The Monster' are great fun, and still entertain after multiple viewings. It's simply a tedious bore.A courting couple crash their car near a cemetery where the Devil (Wood regular Criswell) and his Goth girl side-kick are holding a topless dancing competition. Maybe the problem is that Ed Wood's name is attached to it, so a bunch of asexual geeks that watch MST3K came to this movie expecting "horror". (I know Rob Zombie would like this movie because he always had naked women from this era playing on the screen behind the band during White Zombie shows. This movie didn't even required a real story in it, since it all it features are a bunch of girls dancing half naked at a cemetery, for Criswell and his princess of darkness, who looks like a Vampira knockoff.Really, that is all this movie is. I don't know how many dancing acts there are in this movie but it felt like at least a dozen. The first and other one was of course Ed Wood's classic "Plan 9 from Outer Space", which was a way better movie compared to this one. All you get to see, is a bunch of "not-so-good-looking" female strippers, who perform in front of Criswell, the Cemetery Ghoul Master, or something like that.... A must-see for any fans of Edward D Wood Jr, this....remarkable...softcore striptease movie reaches new heights of what I like to call 'ultra-boredom'.I don't believe it's impossible to have a plot in a porn film...mainly because it isn't...but Orgy Of The Dead managed to fall between both stools. Criswell is DA MAN in this movie, proving with his 'performance' that you don't need to smoke wicked pot to act completely stoned. The film's not very long, maybe 70 minutes tops, but seems to make the 15-hour-plus Paris Alexanderplatz look fast-paced.This movie is bad bad bad, but as the final collaboration between Ed and the world's most inaccurate TV psychic (Cris, of course), this is unmissable. As many other people have noticed, Cris and his busty assistant bear an odd resemblance to Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky...a good deal of humour can be gained from taking the duo's on screen comments out of context in a "Bill and Lew" way.One final note - "Monica" is by far the sexiest woman in the movie, and yet is the only one that doesn't take any of her clothes off. In a film where you can see the wrist watches of actors in mummy/warewolf costumes, and where the stings to the skeleton dances that dances with some topless chick, there needs to be something said. Before I saw this movie I used to joke that Ed Wood wrote it, but he knew it was going to be so bad that even he refused to direct it. I mean please, one girl after another dancing around topless to burlesque music does not a movie make.And the repetition! The film has about twenty minutes of actual plot developments and about sixty minutes of the topless girls dancing. If you say that Plan 9 is the worst movie ever made, you have never seen Orgy Of the Dead. After a while, watching these bored, topless women dancing around for criswell's pleasure actually became embarrassing to watch! Speaking of embarassing total disasters, we have "Orgy of the Dead", a film that dares to make you watch 90 minutes of odious stripping - and nothing else. :=8P Sporting some of the worst acting the MooCow has ever seen, TONS of dull, stupid dancers, and two bumbling, brain-dead wanna-be monsters, AND the loquacious Criswell, this Ed Wood-written schlockfest is must viewing for all devotees of Le Bad Cinema. If this campy chorus line of boring bimbo jiggle wasn't enough, we have the always-overdone Criswell, who acts as if he's reading his line from cue cards just off camera, and two silly ghouls(a mummy and a wolfman, very obvious comic-relief), who pointlessly argue about the afterlife. Night of the Ghouls and this movie, Orgy of the Dead I don't at all like. The good thing about Ed Wood is that he usually kept his movies short (45-60 minutes long). The Emperor (played by perennial Ed Wood star Criswell - who also never learned to memorize his lines) is in the cemetery getting his monthly dose of undead topless cabaret, sponsored by a Monika Lewinsky look-a-like ghoul. I have seen porn that has better acting and is more interesting to watch than this movie. This movie could actually be quite instructive as I believe it should be shown in every freshman film school class, to prevent things like this from being made. While DEADLY WEAPONS was unerotic because of its bizarre star (Chesty Morgan) and GOOD GIRLS OF GODIVA HIGH was unerotic because of its open-heart surgery filming of hardcore sex, ORGY OF THE DEAD is unerotic because it is never exciting and never holds the viewer's attention long enough.Criswell is the Master of the Dead, who sends a mummy and a werewolf to capture two lovers so they can witness "the tortures of the damned", in actuality some absolutely WRETCHED strip tease acts that do nothing but disgust and cause yawns. The dialogue (what little there is) is great, as it is written by Ed Wood, and I love the fake sets, the music, and the main cast mentioned above, but above all else, ORGY OF THE DEAD is drop-dead boring, which is sad coming from the director of softcore classics such as CLASS REUNION and SNOW BUNNIES.. I'm a big fan of Ed Wood, and I must say honestly- although I've tried several times- I've never been able to watch this movie till the end. A bunch of women dressed up like certain "dead things" dancing around topless at most to horrible music. Urghhh!!!If this isn't one of the top10 badest movie-crap ever made,i'll jump thankfully from the edge of our plain earth,when this saves me from watching this dumb-sucking-asswipe-trash!!!OK,I'm totally in bigboops/barenacked ladies(when we may use this title)/for this voluptious RussMeyer twintower-bodies.I usually watch sleezy films like this in a relaxed atmosphere,but this junkonfilm just let me loose my temper&let me get angry about all this stupidity packed in this movie.This would've been an notsobad-vampire-erotic-movie,with a complete other backgroundcrew,a better set&wardrope(OK,only to let it fall xtreamly fast to the ground),a better director,producer&camerateam;i'll strongly recommended in the last few years after seeing this totally shipped-on-a-sandbank-movie.Totally waste of time.. The acting is typical of an Ed Wood production, with the extra bonus of local strippers getting an opportunity to practice their art on film.The plot (ha): Horror novelist and girlfriend go driving at night to find a cemetery for inspiration. Criswell (obviously reading cue cards) is judging various dead girls by having them dance topless ("No one wants to see men dance"). After the couple (a horror story writer and his girlfriend) get into a car accident in a cemetery, they happen upon an "orgy of the dead" that basically consists of topless women dancing for Criswell, who lurks around in Bela Lugosi's cape but is supposed to be playing the devil. The acting is bad but there isn't much of it (most of the movie is dancing); the alternating day/night camera shots don't last past the first scene; and the set seems to be a tad larger than the one used in Plan 9 From Outer Space. Although, it's a great movie if your a fan of Ed Wood or cheesy films.. If you are looking for a good movie to watch do not get this one. I could not believe the absolutely ludicrous Wolf Man and Mummy characters that were tacked on to the "plot." Perhaps the movie's only saving grace is Criswell, who looks a bit bewildered, but campy as always as some sort of "lord of the dead" whose chief concern is his pleasure. If you want to see snippets of Criswell, his Vampira/Elvira-esque assistant, a couple of cheap monsters, and hordes of "dead" go-go dancers, this is the movie for you. The opening day-and-night switches are humorous, and you have to give credit to a movie plot which can be summed up in two words--"car crash"--but the strip teases which make up 90% of the film grow old kind of quickly. Still, it does have Criswell with an awful tan, and he does say "torture,torture--it pleasures me!" So it's not a total waste, but it is probably Wood's most boring movie. Now as a heterosexual male, my eyes didn't mind those scenes but I was here to watch an Ed Wood horror/sci-fi movie and instead just got a showpiece for lousy dancers. Wood, Jr. and Criswell giving out predictions you just know this thing had to turn out really bad. The movie is disguised as a horror film but in reality it's just a nudie flick but a very bad one at that. Their car crashes and they awake in the cemetery where The Emperor (Criswell) forces them to watch various ghoulish girls dance around naked. They are tied at stakes(not real well either) and forced to watch the orgy of the dead.Also on hand are a silly looking mummy and wolf man.The infamous Criswell as the emperor and his cohort Ghoulita emcee the great dance. Ed Wood Jr. is the master of schlock...there is probably only 15 minutes of dialouge in the whole movie, but the lines are masterpieces, And if you like watching for mistakes, then you will be in heaven. Also, the only movie where my friends and I got bored watching naked women!. The movie is just about approximately 10 dancers who strip half naked to perform "lust dances" for two funny characters and their assistants a werewolf and a mummy. Watch it only if you want to see the so called "lust dances", because really, that is all that this "movie" has to show.. I still say it, "What was this?!"The basic premise is 2 people maybe or maybe not get in a car crash, and see topless ladies emerge from the afterlife to dance for Criswell who looks like he desperately needs some sleep...That's about it. They end up in some limbo place where Criswell, the legend of "Plan Nine From Outer Space", a man in a bad werewolf outfit and a mummy, sit with them and watch the dancing ladies. Now, as far as this movie is concerned I found it to be extremely long and tedious with the only scenes even remotely of interest being the dance routines of several "ghouls" (for want of a better word) forced to perform a striptease for an underworld demon of some sort called "the Emperor" (Criswell). A badly acting couple (Pat Barrington is the girl) drive their car at night (although in longshot it's day) looking for a graveyard. The car crashes and they find themselves outside a graveyard where various strippers dance for Criswell, his Vampira-like assistant (The Black Ghoul) and a mummy and a wolfman (who are great fun as comic-relief). The Black Ghoul wants to kill the two of them but throughout the night the Emperor tells her there is still time, get on with the dancing.And there you have the entire plot of the movie. And during all this, the two prisoners just watch the burlesque show--along with Criswell, his Vampira-like assistant, a were-wolf and a mummy standing around and trying not to look too out of place.

tt0369436

Four Christmases

The movie opens in a bar near Christmas, where a geeky Brad (Vince Vaughn) tries to hit on a confident and bitchy Kate (Reese Witherspoon), who blows him off...until she's called a bitch. After a short fierce exchange the two are having sex in the bathroom, and running off to the San Francisco trolley to their house, where we find that they are roleplaying, and have been happily together for 3 years. Both are wealthy, and successful. They are happy with the relationship as is and have no plans for marriage or children. They simply want to enjoy life while being with each other, even telling so with glee to a married and engaged couple. During the conversation, both Brad and Kate reveal that they are both from broken homes, and don't want to repeat that, or bring a child into it either.At a later company Christmas party two of their coworkers dread their Christmases with family, while Brad and Kate happily discuss their plans to leave the country. They lie to their parents each year, saying they go do civil service like helping starving children in China, so that they can escape Scott free. While the coworkers are appalled Brad reminds them that "You can't spell lies without families." This year they plan to go to Fiji.On Christmas Day Brad and Kate prepare for the trip as they tell their parents that they are going to inoculate children in Burma, and head for the airport as the San Francisco fog rolls in extra thick. By the time they arrive at the airport all flights have been canceled due to fog. Before they can make plants to stay at the hotel and wait for the fog to lift the local news comes and interviews the couple, live. They both stumble for answers, dressed in full knowing there's a good chance their families are watching and unable to lie about their true destination...and sure enough, right after they're interviewed they start to receive phone calls. They end up making plans to visit all their parents within one day.BRAD'S DAD As Brad and Kate pull up to the farm where Brad's father lives Brad and Kate agree to a safe word of "Mistletoe" to signal that they should get out, but it's clear Brad doesn't want to go in at all. As they step in Brad's father Howard (Robert Duvall) greets them warmly. Also there are Brad's brothers, Dallas (Tim McGraw) and his two children, and Denver (Jon Favreau) and his wife and baby. Dallas and Denver start to beat on Brad, calling him Orlando. When Kate asks, Brad's brothers reveal that they were named after the cities they were conceived in: Kate is appalled that Brad never told her his real name, and Brad tries to explain that his brothers are like MMA fighters that just brawl in backyards and upload the footage to YouTube.Kate convinces Brad that he's a grown man, and can demand his space from his brothers. Brad has a talk with his brothers about boundaries and respect. The two answer by beating him again, with even Dallas' children getting into the act. Howard breaks the fight by asking to have the presents handed out. Just as Denver's wife mentions the $10 cap that everyone agreed to Brad hands Dallas' kids a brand new Xbox 360. His brothers are appalled, not only because they feel that Brad is showing off just how much he makes but that it makes their own presents look horrible (Dallas got one of his kids a cheap flashlight). Brad ruins it further by accidently revealing that there's no Santa Claus. Screaming that nobody loves him one of Dallas' kids strips off his clothes and runs out the window (As someone mentions, when he can't express himself he goes streaking. He'll be back.) Howard's gift is a new satellite dish, which he takes up to the roof to install with his boys.Kate waits with Denver's wife in the kitchen, who asks Kate to hold her baby while she cooks. Kate seems uncomfortable with the baby, but slowly grows used to it. Meanwhile Brad is installing the dish while his brothers mock him. Howard mentions his ex-wife calling her a whore. Brad is offended. Howard also mentions the same thing Brad did, about lies in families. He then goes down to check the signal, while Brad tries to point the dish in different directions to get a clear signal. The dish pops off and he falls off the roof dragging the cable wire all along the living room and destroying it, even pulling the TV up into the ceiling before it catches flames. Shocked by all the noise Kate swings and slams the baby's head into an open cabinet door angering the mom. Brad and Kate quickly leave after this.KATE'S MOM As they pull up Kate's house has a statue of Jesus on the front lawn. Kate is surprised, and as they go in we meet her mother Marilyn (Mary Steenburgen), her sister, two aunts, and grandmother, all of whom find Brad to be very attractive. We quickly find out that Kate was picked on as a kid. Her nickname was "Cootie Kate" and was tormented, eventually leading to a traumatizing experience in a moon bounce/jumpy jump. Of course, there's one outside for the kids.Marilyn's newfound love of religion is based on her current boyfriend Pastor Phil. They give each other the gift of verbal promises (which disappoints the sister's kid) which includes the grandmother promising her husband more sex. As they're sharing Kate is given a baby to hold, who throws up all over her. Brad reacts horribly, the smell making him want to throw up too. Kate goes to change in the bathroom, having to wear an old sweater and jeans. She finds a pregnancy test and decides to try it but before the results could come in her niece runs in and steals it. She runs into the moon bounce where Kate tries to follow.As this happens Kate's family is showing Brad their photo album, which shows Kate was once so fat she went to fat camp and that she had a lesbian friend in high school. The kids torment Kate in the moon bounce and even drop kick her out of it before she snaps, closing the door to the moon bounce and flinging kids left and right to get her test. When the niece puts it in her mouth Kate happily tells her that she peed on it, making the kids stop cheering and start to look sick. She looks at the test, sighing, before trying to talk to her mom. However Marilyn is too obsessed with making sure everyone is ready for Pastor Phil's sermon. Kate changes back to her now clean regular clothes but Brad is laughing at her. He mentions how he's not as fazed by her large weight as a kid or her lesbian friend (whom Kate herself didn't even realize was lesbian, until she thinks about it), so Kate shouldn't be so mad about the Orlando thing.We find out Pastor Phil (Dwight Yoakam) runs a very flashy church and needs volunteers to star in the play of the birth of Christ. Wanting to impress him Marilyn "volunteers" Kate who gets Brad to go up with her. On stage Kate gets stage fright and can't remember her lines or actions while Brad hams it up and mocks Kate much to the crowd's delight. The two leave. Kate is upset that Brad threw her to the wolves but Brad doesn't understand what was so bad about it.BRAD'S MOM In a short visit they come to visit Brad's hippie mom (Sissy Spacek). Things quickly turn sour as we meet Brad's stepdad, who tells Brad that he knows he can't be a father but he just wants to be a friend. Brad answers "You were my friend. You were my best friend growing up, and then you married my mom," to which he answers "To be fair I didn't have a sexual attraction to your mom until I was 30." Turns out that they are incredibly sexually active, which disgusts Brad. Kate has brought board games though, and they decide to try Taboo.Denver is there with his wife, still giving Brad a death glare over the incident at their dad's. The couples start to play, with one person trying to tell the other to say a key word without using any words from a short list. They try by using their personal experiences with each other. Brad's mom and stepdad do well, but all their clues are sexual. Denver and his wife play like professionals, knocking out word after word. But when Kate tries to tell Brad clues based on her life Brad gets angry wanting more specific clues. He clearly has no clue about anything involving Kate outside of what he's done with her.As they leave Kate is upset and Brad tries to comfort her by forgiving Kate for the bad clues. Kate mentions that she took the pregnancy test and Brad freaks out. She reveals that the test was negative but it made her think of wanting something more than the "friendship" that she and Brad have. Brad will have none of it. He's happy the way they've been and he wants to stay that way.KATE'S DAD As they pull up Kate tells Brad that he doesn't have to come in. He insists but she doesn't want to lie to her parents anymore about their relationship. If Brad doesn't want to go further then she's done. Brad leaves and her father (Jon Voight) comes out to greet his daughter. Upon going in Kate is shocked. Marilyn and Pastor Phil are there too, and getting along well with everyone. Kate asks her sister, saying she thought that their mom and dad hated each other, but they stopped and started gathering when their granddaughter was born. Kate goes upstairs to be alone for a bit when her father comes in and reveals that he always knew his daughter was lying about leaving for Christmas. He isn't upset, but warns her that he used to make lies to avoid his family, and many divorces later now wishes he had that time back.Brad goes back to see his dad, who is drinking on the porch. When Brad tells him that Kate offered to make a family with him and he said no his dad finally seems happy. He tells Brad that he's the smart one, not falling for getting married, and says how they're alike. This frightens Brad, knowing that he has become his father. He ends up going upstairs to his old room, where all his old toys and awards (All in his birth name Orlando) are still arranged. He goes back to see Kate, who at first doesn't want to see him. He does convince her that he is there to talk to her about having kids and getting married "sometime, not right now but sometime." And the two talk about the advantages and tax breaks that being married and having kids would bring. But for the future.ONE YEAR LATER It's New Years Day, just after midnight, and Brad and Kate are amazed that they just had a baby. The nurse comes in and tells them that if family is waiting they're now allowed to come in and visit. Brad and Kate look at each other before revealing that they never even told their parents that Kate was pregnant. The nurse gives them a funny look and leaves, just as a live news crew comes into their room to interview them about having the first baby of the new year. As they stare nervously, just before Kate can answer the baby throws up all over her and Brad, and Brad jumps up gagging.

romantic

train

imdb

Vince had some moments as well, but it's more the supporting cast that was just a fun addition to the story.When upscale, happily unmarried San Francisco couple Kate and Brad find themselves socked in by fog on Christmas morning, their exotic vacation plans morph into the family-centric holiday they had, until now, gleefully avoided. Brad and Kate, an urbanite unmarried couple with no plans to tie the knot or ever have children, are forced to visit their respective families after bad weather grounds planes and keeps them from going on their yearly tropical Christmas vacation together. Running a scant 89 minutes, it stars no less than five Oscar-winning actors in the standard cookie-cutter story of a commitment-phobic couple who are forced to visit each of their four divorced parents on Christmas day. The last stop is at the home of Kate's father, and this is where the tone gets serious-minded as the couple learns a lesson in the value of being with family in spite of whatever personal differences may exist to divide them the rest of the year.Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon - he with his semi-improvised riffing, she with her exacting intelligence - would seem to be absurdly mismatched, but they spar convincingly, even if they do look more like best friends than lovers. To be fair, I should explain right away I had no intention of seeing this movie at all not to mention Vince Vaughn hasn't done anything very good like Swingers and Made in some time (to me, Wedding Crashers and The Break Up were just O.K.). What I liked the most about the film's brief serious turn is it wasn't syrupy while providing some genuine touching moments thanks to the believable acting skills of Reese Witherspoon, Vince Vaughn and of course the two screen legends, Bobby DuVall and Jon Voight. In the hands of an able and creative script writer this film could have been quite enjoyable as both Kate and Brad learn to appreciate their families and not exclude certain things - mainly marriage and children - in their lives just because their parents are bad examples of them. Here, his quirks play a little better, though I never really bought off on he and Reece Witherspoon as a couple.Low expectations, a strong cast, a few clever lines, easily relatable family strain, and a true sight "gag" make this one enjoyable enough. Those thinking that Four Christmases must be four times the fun of a normal Christmas movie, are about to get a truckload of coal at their front door, because you'll receive nothing but four times the pain, four times the tripe and four times the garbage.2008 marks the second year in a row a Vince Vaughn yuletide film has met the silver screen. With such talent involved, the absolute failure of Four Christmases is all the more lasting and if not for Vince Vaughn who gets the films only (and very, very few) laughs, the Grinch himself would have loved it.Following the only clever scene in the film in which Brad (Vince Vaughan) and Kate (Reese Witherspoon) meet in a bar (although not to the end which you may expect) they plan their annual holiday trip down south for sun, relaxation and as an added bonus an ocean between them an their families. I mean this truthfully, after the first Christmas I was ready to leave, and the same slapstick surfaces again and again like the appetizer you accidentally dropped in the egg nog at an open house; Baby spittle scenes, UFC takedowns and crude sexist jokes seem to make up this films backbone.A few times throughout Four Christmases the quip "You can't spell families without lies" appears. It was a waste of my time and money.I was really hoping for a good Christmas movie to get in the mood for the holidays. For a Christmas movie, it's not bad, but it's not great either; throwing in sporadic comedy and fun with lukewarm romance and lazy plotting, Four Christmases isn't anything new for holiday movie lovers to soak up, but it certainly isn't anything to loose any sleep over either. Once you get past the high expectations, you'll be able to relax and actually enjoy the humorous points that in this movie.The actors/actresses did a good job of playing their characters and there were only a few scenes when it was just too painful to watch, but the laughing out loud with the crowd at some of the scenes just out numbered those painful points.Vince delivered as expected and so did the rest of the star-studded cast. Couple Brad (Vince Vaughn) and Kate (Reese Witherspoon) have been dating for three years but have no interest in getting married or having babies. Naturally all their families are somewhat strange and familiar (but funny) complications ensure.I saw this for a few reasons--it got good reviews from critics; it's been an OK hit (so far); I like Vaughn and Witherspoon and it's hard to resist a movie with FOUR Academy Award winning actors in supporting roles--Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, Mary Steenburgen and Jon Voight. Starring Reese Witherspoon, Vince Vaughn, Jon Voight, Robert Duvall, Mary Steenburgen, Sissy Spacek, Jon Favreau, Carol Kane, Kristin Chenoweth and Tim McGraw. Originally appeared in LakewoodBuzz.com November, 2008.OVERVIEW:Brad and Kate (Vaughn and Witherspoon) are a happily UNmarried San Francisco couple who have a unique holiday tradition: Every year they embark upon a Christmas vacation to a sunny locale after fibbing to their families about where they are bound. It may be The Fokkers At Christmas but it plays out like a damp squib.With four families to visit, ranging from mad Southern white trash (Oh so hilarious) to horny mothers and even weirder churches this just about misses every target it sets up by a mile.It is not even funny embarrassing, it just ain't funny.Given all the amazing talent on show here something good out to have come out of this - preferably the shooting of the script editors - but nope, absolutely horrible.Reeks of the taste of two week old turkey..... It was nice seeing Robert Duvall in a bit of a light hearted role again as well, and Sissy Spacek was great.I'll finish my Four Christmases review in Four Paragraphs - it's a cheap, lame, formulaic, yet oddly funny comedy that will give you what you expect. Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn play the perfect couple who enjoy their lives together, which doesn't include their family. I can't help but to chuckle at how Brad (Vince Vaughn) and Kate (Reese Witherspoon) got busted on national television no less, for having everyone whom they have lied to, see exactly where they are - at the airport trying to get to their vacation destination rather than accepting the invitation from their families to spend the season's greetings with. But a fog-ruined holiday meant they have to spend their one-day delay in San Francisco, and play tote the politically correct line in visiting all their divorced parents - that makes it four pit stops to commemorate the festivities, and hence the title - and this led to various inevitable hilarious situations.Such as revisiting the ghosts and skeletons hidden in the homes they each grew up in, and for the first time, for both Brad and Kate to really discover who they once were, and who they are now, warts and all, for the other party to see. It's still quite amazing though that the film managed to get on board as supporting characters, the likes of Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, Jon Voight, Mary Steenburgen, Kristin Chenoweth, Tim McGraw (!) and even the director of Iron Man Jon Favreau! On many aspects,Four Christmases tries to avoid the clichés of the Christmas movies,which are released every year to exploit the artificial spirit that movies have.But,Four Christmases is a very bad movie which tries to seem subversive and irreverent when in fact it is a bland comedy with mellow homilies and tiring messages.This is one of that comedies which result totally unfunny and boring.The only good jokes from this movie have already been revealed on the trailer,so I highly suggest watching it on the Internet than losing the time watching this crappy movie.Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon have had good development on other comedies (Old School and Legally Blonde,respectively) but they do not have good material in here.The same can be said about the supporting cast,which is full of prestigious actors (Robert Duvall,Jon Voight,Sissy Spacek and Mary Steenburgen).They just say their lines and they do not seem to be too interested on their performances...it seems they are only worried in charging their paychecks.I do not blame them...after all,with a screenplay so poor like this one,anyone looses the interest.Four Christmases is an irritating and enormously boring "comedy" and I do not recommend it by any means.. I rather liked this movie to be honest,, light comic fare from Vince Vaughn,, nice touches from Reese Witherspoon, Jon Voight, and Sissy Spacek. snowstorm,, airports are closed,, and film crews are at the airports,, so their faces are plastered all over TV so their families know that if they try and get out of Christmas visits they would be lying,, so the couple have no choice but to visit his parents,, and her parents,, four different Christmas's , this movie is full of laughs,, tender hearted moments,, and some definite awkward moments,, and a few crude ones as well.. I still can't figure out why it is that Vince Vaughn is a movie star when all he does is the same sarcastic/smug act and he's not that funny and he's not good looking either, he's always the same character and I am not entertained by him at all. I hoped it would be really good but it looks at Vince Vaughn's character too much and it really is just a series of poor jokes and gags, the characters are too dimensional and the movie doesn't even have much to do with Christmas.. It's funny, but don't count on it being just another warm holiday comedy, like The Santa Claus trilogy, Elf(2003), and Fred Claus(2007).The film centers around Brad(Vince Vaughn) and Kate(Reese Witherspoon), a happy go lucky couple, both have parents who are divorced, and during the holidays, Brad and Kate avoid there families at all cost, by coming up with a series of lies, and taking a trip to Fiji, but there lies soon catch up to them, when there flight has been canceled, and they both end up on T.V., for there families to see. Much of the humour works thanks to the stellar cast that includes, Reese Witherspoon, Vince Vaughn, Robert Duvall, Jon Favreau, Katey Mixon, Tim McGraw, Kristin Chenoweth, Mary Steenburgen, Jon Voight and Sissy Spacek. The idea of this anti-Christmas movie in which a couple is forced to visit all four of their nightmare families in one day promises a laugh-filled comedy from beginning to end. So it is a jolt when suddenly, at the end, they have a self-revelation about great it would be to start a family of their own.You can clearly see the serious flaw at the heart of the Four Christmases premise if you contrast it with Little Miss Sunshine, the best movie comedy to come along in a few years. She just seemed like she was sedated throughout this film.Mary Steenburgen, Jon Voight, Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, Dwight Yoakam, Tim McGraw, John Favre & Kristen Chenoweth are wasted in this.The bouncy house scene was so stupid. What you have is a yuppie couple played by Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon who spend every Christmas on Fiji to avoid their dysfunctional families, but this year they are fogged in and stuck at home. Yet, through a multitude of problems, first and foremost being the continued dumbing down of what people must think is funny, it fails to resonate on any level.Basically, the story sees a couple (played by Reece Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn) trying to escape their holiday family get-togethers due to tension from both sets of parents. An amiable if not outright funny Christmas-themed comedy with Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn as an unmarried long-term couple so set in their ways that they role-play nights out in bars to add spice to their relationship. There are amusing scenes where the hapless couple get roped into playing Mary and Joseph at a school nativity play and participate in a truth-telling board game.Vaughn and Witherspoon play well together and there's lots of celebrity support with Robert Duval impersonating De Niro's latter-day elderly curmudgeon schtick, Mary Steenbergen as a born-again yummy mummy although Sissy Spacek seems miscast as Vaughn's mother who's taken in her son's best pal as her live-in lover.The ending, where the duo apparently find the true meaning and happiness missing in their relationship by eventually having a kid of their own seems to cock an uncharitable snook at other couples who either can't or don't want to have children in their relationships but I'll chalk that one down to holiday sentimentality."Four Christmases" won't go down as an enduring Christmas classic, but with lots of Christmas decorations around and a variable quality soundtrack (Bing Crosby crooning "White Christmas" to a disco beat at the start of the film is a definite no-no) I found it a pleasant enough diversion this particular December as the big day approaches this year.. The idea of going to 4 Christmases on the same day is a funny enough premise (both couples come from divorced parentage, so 2 Christmases per), but these 2 normally skip town on Christmas to avoid their respective whacked out families and are now stuck at home because of weather. And by the end of the day, she is beginning to wonder if their crazy families' choices are not so crazy after all.I would recommend Four Christmases just if you wanna see a cute holiday movie in the theater this year. And by the end of the day, she is beginning to wonder if their crazy families' choices are not so crazy after all.I would recommend Four Christmases just if you wanna see a cute holiday movie in the theater this year. Vince and Reese had good chemistry and this movie just represents the craziness of having to go to all the families every year for Christmas. Vince and Reese had good chemistry and this movie just represents the craziness of having to go to all the families every year for Christmas. Out of that lot, this one is probably the least impressive; it's too bad it can't assemble a great line of jokes and character situations as it can a heartwarming cast.Our story lies with Brad (Vince Vaughn) and Kate (Reese Witherspoon), a happily unmarried couple with divorced parents they never see to avoid contention. From mentioning Dwight Yoakam's pastor to trying to extract a theme I must say, "mistletoe!" Starring: Vince Vaughn, Reese Witherspoon, Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, Jon Favreau, Tim McGraw, Jon Voight, Mary Steenburgen, and Dwight Yoakam. Christmas eve and seemingly happy couple Brad (Vince Vaughn) and Kate (Reece Witherspoon) are at the airport on their way to Fiji to avoid their families over the holiday period, when weather conditions scupper their getaway and are forced to visit each of the divorced parents houses on Christmas day. There are some good comedic moments and its worth a watch as long as you don't expect too much, but when there are so many better Christmas comedies out there I would rather watch one of them.I give this movie 2 out of 5.. Sure, this movie had a crazy script, too much gags and a few plot holes but it worked for me and anything with Vince Vaughn, Reese Witherspoon & Kristin Chenoweth, I'm all right it!! The cast is very good Vince Vaughn in his typical role of a guy who isn't very attached with his family is hilarious, Reese Witherspoon performance is very funny also, she is like very natural with this kind of comedy. The Reese Witherspoon, Vince Vaughn film that has no heart, no laughter and will not be remembered among the Christmas films to watch on the holiday season.Brad and Kate, Vaughn and Witherspoon, struggle with the fact that they have to meet their families on Christmas Day, once their vacation flight is canceled. This is everything a Christmas film should not be.I like Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn but they seem to move from one manic set piece to another in a trance and are not helped by a weak script.On the positive side the nativity play scene was mildly funny but it's just a shame the rest of the film was not of the same standard.. This time of year brings a few Holiday theme based movies, the first to arrive is "Four Christmases" a comedy about family ties and the Joy of the Christmas Holiday. Vince Vaughn & Reese Witherspoon star as lovers Brad & Kate, whom visit their four dysfunctional families on Christmas Day due to the fact that their planned Christmas vacation to Fuji has been cancelled due to foggy weather conditions. It is definitely not your average Christmas movie, but Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon did the best they could with it. On Christmas they plan to travel to Fiji away from all their family members but when their flight gets canceled they decide to go visit their families instead, both their parents are divorced so they have 4 different places to visit on Christmas eve.The chemistry between Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon is great, I would have liked to see more movies with the two of them. Its occasionally funny, Vince Vaughn was Jon Favreau give the biggest laughs in the movie when they are together there's solid comedy with them two buy the rest of the comedy is pretty mediocre, the story was simply and it entertains you quick I mean the films is only about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon play a happily unmarried couple who are forced to spend Christmas with the families of their divorced parents...

tt1114740

Paul Blart: Mall Cop

Paul Blart (Kevin James) lives in West Orange, New Jersey with his teenage daughter, Maya (Raini Rodriguez), and elderly mother, Margaret (Shirley Knight). Aspiring to join the New Jersey State Police, he trains at the police academy, but his hypoglycemic medical condition causes him to collapse just inches from the finish, therefore failing the exam. To shape things up for his career, Blart works as a security guard at the West Orange Pavilion Mall. Blart patrols the mall on a Segway to assure things are safe and clean. He goes to the surveillance room and trains Veck Simms (Keir O'Donnell), who is new but uninterested on the job. Meanwhile, Blart eventually becomes acquainted with Amy Anderson (Jayma Mays), the vendor of a new kiosk. He meets her one evening at a restaurant with other mall employees. Things initially go well, but Blart is sidetracked when he decides to participate in a nacho-eating contest with his friend Leon (Jamal Mixon). The hot sauce is more than Blart can handle, and he begins chugging down several alcoholic beverages causing him to become excessively drunk and incoherent. He crashes the party and makes a wild exit by falling through a window. Two days later, on the night of Black Friday, an organized gang of thugs disguised as Santa's Village employees begin what appears to be a bank heist inside the mall. They take Amy and other customers in the bank hostage. Simms is revealed as the gang's leader – his mall security job was a ploy to gather intelligence. They are keeping the hostages as insurance for the gang's escape. The crew forces shoppers to exit the mall and strategically places motion sensors around each entrance to detect any attempt to enter or exit the building. Blart takes a break in the arcade and plays Detroit Rock City via Rock Band. He eventually walks back out in the mall, and discovers the entire mall is evacuated and under a state of emergency. Upon realizing this, he calls the police, and slips out of the mall to speak with Commander Sergeant Howard (Adam Ferrara). Blart realizes Anderson is still inside after spotting her car in the parking lot and decides to return to the mall to look for her. A state SWAT team soon arrives with Commander James Kent (Bobby Cannavale) at the helm. Kent, a former classmate and bully from Blart's childhood, takes control of the police units and orders Blart to let them handle the situation. After spotting Anderson as one of the hostages, Blart refuses and attempts a rescue. Vastly outnumbered and physically outclassed, Blart takes a stand against Simms' crew using improvised measures to take them down one by one. He discovers credit card codes written in invisible ink on the burglars' arms and realizes that their real plans go beyond robbing the bank. Maya, unaware of what has happened, shows up at the mall on her way to bring Blart some food, but Simms' remaining henchmen seize her and add her to the hostage group. Blart manages to arrest all of Simms' accomplices and attempts to evacuate the hostages by pulling them up through an air vent. The plan fails when Leon cannot fit. Simms enters the room, capturing Blart and forcing him to give up the credit card codes he recorded on his cell phone. Simms escapes, kidnapping Anderson and Maya. As police swarm the mall to apprehend the criminals and rescue the hostages, Blart borrows a display minivan and joins Kent in pursuing Simms to the airport, where he is attempting to escape to the Cayman Islands. After a brief scuffle, Blart overpowers Simms and puts him in handcuffs. Moments later, however, Kent pulls his gun on Blart revealing that he was in cahoots with Simms. Kent demands the phone containing the codes from Blart, who refuses and responds by smashing the phone into the ground. Before Kent can retaliate by shooting Blart, Chief Brooks (Peter Gerety) of the mall security team arrives in time and shoots Kent in the arm. Kent and Simms are arrested, and Anderson and Maya are returned safely. For his bravery and assistance, Howard offers Blart a job with the New Jersey State Police. Blart honorably declines opting to remain in mall security. Blart and Anderson are eventually married in the mall, where they exchange vows on a set of black and white Segways.

cult, comedy, stupid, violence, comic

train

wikipedia

tt0083156

Die Säge des Todes

A woman is seen rolled in a wheelchair at night. Miguel, a man with a heavily scarred face, hands around a dance outside. As a young couple enjoys some time together, Miguel steals the boy's mask and shirt and puts them on. He leads another dancing girl to believe that he is Ralph, and they go to her room, where they lie on the bed for some kissing. The girl takes away the mask, sees Miguel's face and kicks him away. Miguel grabs a pair of scissors and stabs the girl repeatedly in the stomach.Some time later, when Manuela drives to a clinic to pick up her brother Miguel, a doctor tells her to not remind Miguel of the incident. On a train, a seemingly irate Miguel eyes a young woman named Angela as she stands in her compartment.Alvaro arrives at the International Youth-Club Boarding School of Languages. He goes to see Manuela, whose aunt, Countess Maria Gonzales, states her belief that she is being plotting against and that Manuela only wants money. That night, as Maria lies in bed, someone shines a light in her face, the moves a flaming torch towards her. The countess screams and burns.Angela arrives at the school a little later then her friends, and she mentions the "awful experience" on the train. She is staying in Room 13 where (it is rumored) a girl was once killed with a pair of scissors. Angela unpacks, plays some music and prepares to shower. When she wipes the steamy bathroom mirror, she sees Miguel reflected and recognizes him as the guy from the train. At the estate, Manuela rolls her aunt around in a wheelchair.Angela goes outside, sees Miguel and walks faster. She is cared by her friend Inga, and then both go to see Laura, Eva and the flirtatious gardener, Antonio. Miguel goes to see his sister, and he proclaims his love to Manuela; the two kiss and touch. Manuela stops him, saying that it could be like it was before if they could get rid of the people who would judge them.After a night of dancing at the local disco, Antonio walks Angela home and asks her to play tennis with him tomorrow. Angela reads in bed and the lights in her room are turned off. "Who's there?" asks Angela. A person appears in her room with a knife. Angela looks around, finds nothing and goes back to bed. Before the killer can attack, Eva appears at the window; when she is let inside she asks to borrow a pullover. Angela gives her the clothing. As Eva changes, she is stabbed through the back with a knife. Angela finds Eva's body on the bed, screams and runs outside, finding Antonio. She tells him about Eva, but the corpse is gone when they return to the room. Inga and Alvaro also arrive at the room.The next day in the Spanish class that Alvaro teaches, the class is listening to tapes of Spanish dialect. On Angela's tape, the voice suddenly changes and threatens to cut her with a hacksaw. Seeing Miguel at the window, she screams, but he is gone when Alvaro's is there and the tape is back to its Spanish lessons. Angela finds bloody clothes and a bloody show in Eva's place, and decides to look for her friend. At the dock, Angela sees Antonio arguing with Manuela, Later, a boulder rolls down a hill, nearly crushing Angela. She tells Laura that she cannot find Eva. Angela then talks to Antonio, who says he did not even know Eva. Manuela talks to her aunt and notices one of her snakes is missing. After agreeing to look for Eva, Antonio sees a snake and chops off its head with garden shears. Angela turns to see bloody and open shears, and runs. Antonio tries to stop her, but Alvaro calls out to him and tells him to stop bothering his students.Laura and her friends go into Room 13, where Inga, reportedly with someone named Ralph, is feigning a sexual act inside. She does not sees a dead Eva hanging in the closet. The girls finally sees Inga through the window, and they laugh at her. Angela, out walking, sees Inga drive back in a yellow car (similar to one Manuela drove). A person wearing a mask takes Inga somewhere (she has accompanied the person willingly), and she is tied with rope. The person turns on a saw and Inga slowly moves towards it. A young boy, seeing the couple arrive, walks inside, turns off the machine and runs. The saw is turned back on and Inga's head is sawed off. The killer gets in his car, chases the boy and runs him down.Manuela rolls the countess in her wheelchair. Angela goes to her room and packs. After seeing Antonio at the front door and Miguel at the window, the barricades herself in her room and sits and waits with a knife. As she looks around the room, Angela sees a shadow and stabs someone. After she lets Laura inside, she realizes that she only stabbed a dummy. Laura offers to stay for the night, and goes to the disco club to get some drinks. When Laura returns, the killer clamps large thongs around her neck and strangles her.Angela receives a phone call where the caller says: "prepare yourself to die!" Angela then finds the severed hand of Inga's on the bed and a lifeless Eva behind the curtain and Laura's hanging corpse outside. She is grabbed by the killer. Miguel runs in and the two of them struggle. Angela runs away. Later, she sees a figure in the dark, which turns out to be Alvaro. Alvaro gets in his car and drives away. Miguel, having been hit on the head by the killer, stands up and walks out the door of Room 13.Angela runs to Manuela's place and asks for help by screaming: "all my friends are dead". Manuela takes her to a room and gives her something to drink. Angela says that she did not get a good look at the killer's face but notes that the murder's eyes seemed familiar.Miguel is outside when Alvaro arrives at his place. Manuela and Alvaro discuss the killings that he has done, and Miguel hears them talk of blaming the murders on him. Manuela talks of how Miguel thinks she loves him, and she mentions his "repulsive face". Manuela tells Alvaro that she has already been paid and she tells him to kill Angela and get out. Miguel goes to a room, and eventually believing that Angela is his sister, chokes the girl until she shoves a spike through his neck. Angela runs downstairs, sees Alvaro and Manuela struggling and goes to a room and screams when she sees the countess... dead and crispy having been long dead (shades of the Norman Bates mother discovery in 'Psycho'). Alvaro runs into the room, grabs Angela and holds a knife to her, but Manuela arrives with a power saw and saws Alvaro's stomach wide open. She puts the saw to Angela's throat and tells her to remember that she has save her life. Angela nods and runs away from the mansion.Manuela then goes to her room and talks to her dead brother, but Miguel sits up and chokes Manuela until she is dead. As the police arrive and Antonio embraces Angela, Miguel collapses, holding onto his dead sister's hand.

comedy, cruelty, murder, cult, violence, plot twist, revenge, sadist

train

imdb

This movie is basically the infamous Jess Franco having a go at the American-style slasher films that were big in the early 80's, and what's most remarkable about it is how unremarkable it is. The best thing I can say about this movie it is it is so over-the-top with its dumb victims, obvious red herrings, and ridiculously gory murders that it might have actually meant to be a parody of the slasher film. okay, so this isn't as good as most Italian Gialli, but to be fair, it is head and shoulders above 90% of American slashers of the early-mid 80's.Jess Franco certainly delivers the goods with this one, with lots of bloody stabbings (including a girl stabbed in the back, the knife protruding through her nipple), strangulations, a hedge trimer attack, and an awesome band saw decapitation. "Bloody Moon" is a great slasher film from the master of exploitation Jesus Franco.The plot is obviously inspired by "Halloween" and "Friday the 13th".The acting is pretty average,but there is plenty of gore to satisfy fans of splatter.There is for example very bloody power saw decapitation plus some other killings which involve chainsaws,razorblades and knives.The music score is pretty appalling and the film's theme tune is incredibly annoying.Overall,the film is moderately entertaining,so if you're a Franco fan give this one a look. Here is the plot:"Bloody Moon" takes place in a Spanish language school,where pretty female students are murdered by an unidentified stalker in a variety of grisly ways.. "Die Säge Des Todes" (literal translation: "The Saw Of Death") of 1981 is a gory slasher from exploitation's most prolific filmmaker - Jess Franco. "Bloody Moon" is not one of his truly great movies, but it is definitely a highly entertaining and gruesome flick that should not be missed by fans of gory European Horror exploitation. For Franco standards, this film does not feature a lot of sleaze, but even more gruesome brutality and graphic gore in exchange.The movie takes place in a language school in Spain, where a bunch of hot German girls are enjoy the sun, alcohol and sex more than practicing the Spanish language. A maniac who enjoys murdering pretty young girls in most atrocious ways...The movie begins a bit slow, but it gets really nasty and brutal later, and actually becomes quite suspenseful. The eerie score composed by Gerhard Heinz, who has also composed the scores for a bunch of mainstream productions, is probably the greatest aspect of the film, and makes the whole thing a lot more atmospheric.All said, "Bloody Moon" is a brutal little slasher that I recommend to my fellow Eurohorror buffs, especially Jess Franco fans should not miss it!. There are plenty of disturbing moments like the infamous saw decapitation.The masked killer concept started two years before the movie when John Carpenter's "Halloween" stormed the genre.The opening sequence gave me the creeps the first time and I think it's the most frightening moment in the movie.There's plenty of gore but not in great quality. Clearly shocked, the girl struggles off the hulking and clearly disappointed soon-to-become killer, sparking him to retaliate by stabbing her repeatedly with a large pair of scissors… Five years later Miguel is released from an asylum (keeping things in tradition, of course), although the doctor doesn't seem all that convinced that he's recovered, but frees him anyway. Next up the unseen psycho (with a stocking over his head) begins to murder her buddies while at the same time terrorising her with somewhat leisurely threats that include: ‘ I'm gonna cut you in two… like a piece of wood… with a hacksaw (!)' Before long Angela is being constantly stalked by the wacko and it's our job to guess whom it is! But any credibility is desultory, mainly ruined by the endless jerky zoom shots or the comical dubbing that makes Godfrey Ho and Joseph Lai's Ninja films look like theatrical masterpieces.There are long spaces when not a lot happens aside from watching the humorous females struggle to look convincing, and at times things feel like they're moving far too slowly. nothing new in this slasher movie from the 80's but every slasher fan should have this in their collection.lots of pretty girls getting killed in a variety of inventive and gruesome ways.i am not going to describe how the ladies get killed because other people on IMDb have already did that.there are quite a few good and gory graphic killings in bloody moon.so if you are like me and love gory slasher movies and not mainstream garbage like scream go and find this movie.just make sure you get a version that is uncut because there is nothing worse than buying a horror movie and all the gory killings have been cut out.so slasher fans go buy this now. A derivative but strangely appealing slasher flick from that auteur of Spanish sleaze and zoom lens-inspired madness, Jess Franco, which opens with a masked killer murdering a young girl and being sent to an asylum for the crime - just to prove that Franco's copying HALLOWEEN a little bit too much, we even see POV shots from the killer looking through the eyeholes in his mask! The plot is pretty ludicrous, with a really dumb script - the English dubbing reaches new levels of absurdity with some of the trite dialogue that the girls constantly spew.The acting isn't much better, and it's obvious that Franco picks his actresses for their looks rather than their acting ability. The identity of the killer is pretty easy to guess, especially seeing that the red herring is so obvious in this case - could it be the mysteriously scarred man who was previously convicted of murder, who constantly lurks around the school watching the girls? BLOODY MOON is just about a series of young, sometimes naked girls being offed gorily by a perverted murderer, and that's exactly what Franco delivers. Unfortunately, when she spurns his advances Miguel picks up a pair of scissors and brutally and fatally attacks the girl.This opening sequence, while setting the scene and Miguel's character doesn't feel realistic or believable and that is a big drawback to the story and the movie.Then after just five years in a mental asylum, he is released into his sister's custody. The big stone cutting saw sequence is actually let down by how fake the decapitated head is; it's pretty close to being laughable.If you like gory murder mysteries then you may like this though I wouldn't recommend rushing out to purchase a copy, however, if the chance comes up to watch it you could do worse.. Starting a new school-year, the staff of an all-girls language school in Spain come to find that the savage killings of the campus' students lead back to the deformed killer supposedly wandering the grounds and must find a way of stopping his rampage.This here is quite the fun and enjoyably sleazy slasher opus. The way this one manages to exploit it's slasher leanings, from the opening shot of the killer wandering through the party in a mask while a girl mistakes him for her boyfriend to the tragic past of the brother and the ingenuity of many of the set-pieces here are straight from the playbook of the modern slasher movement at the time, and the decision to feature so much of the film through the killer's eye-view in order to distort their identity is a rather impressive series of call-backs to that scene. As well, the rather suspenseful stalking and tormenting here comes into play straight from those elements as well with the taunting on the headphones while she's in class, the suddenly disappearing bodies of his victims and the quick-shot scenes that show her supposedly being targeted by the killer off in the shadows including dodging a boulder pushed off a cliff and avoiding a poisonous snake hanging from a tree, which when combined with the spectacular series of chases and brawling found in the final half it makes for a stand-out slasher effort. That final half, where the killer runs rampant against the girls resulting in utterly brutal and graphic set-pieces as the sequence in the abandoned mill, her being barricaded in her room with all the furniture stacked up against the walls before finding the bodies scattered throughout the house that becomes quite thrilling overall as the action picks up and the thrilling scenes makes for a wholly enjoyable sequence. Alongside this, the film also goes for the usual sleaze route here with copious amounts of nudity featured here that goes for not only the strange notion of the girls' night-time habit of flashing the moon, the incestuous relationship subplot and the cheesy feature of the lecherous school- teacher screwing everyone which all provides this one generous amount of trashy, sleazy fun. Taken within the confines of the genre, however, I suppose "Bloody Moon" delivers an interesting blend, as a gaillo/slasher hybrid, but the film's dreadful B-movie script and zero believability place it somewhere between camp and outright refuse. In other words, a typical slasher film.Miguel (Alexander Waechter) was just released from a psychiatric facility following a brutal murder in the past. Bloody Moon is a rare combination of American style slasher and giallo a la Jess Franco.The director most famous for his exploitation films.As far as I can recall the only other film I have seen from him is Venus in Furs.It could very well be that I have seen more titles from him without realizing.He seems to have made quite a few.But one thing I know for sure he is without doubt one of the worst directors I have come across that surprisingly is still very active in the industry.And that can be explained because he has made some films that are in a league of their own .Mostly because he mixes up the genres in a way that is rarely done.What does that mean for Bloody Moon?A slow pace and severe lack of tension and thrills that make it a real task to stay interested.The excessive gory deaths and some clever twists and turns oddly aren't enough to make you overlook that.It doesn't help also that the characters aren't really interesting apart from two key players looking very similar to James Caan and Brad Dourif in their younger years.Now there is one scene that was unexpectedly thrilling involving a little boy.You will find yourself rooting for this boy.It's a mystery in itself that this boy suddenly was so curious that he decided to investigate in the first place.But it shows that Jess Franco is able to create tense scenes.Too bad it is the only one in the whole film that is filled with real tension.With some tighter plotting and direction Bloody Moon could have become a real classic.Now it is an unremarkable hybrid of slasher and giallo that will bore you to death.. Angela knows they are being killed and even witnesses a murder, but no-one believes her.When going into a horror film directed by exploitation legend Jess Franco, you know what you're in for. Bloody Moon (1981) ** (out of 4) Original title: Die Sage des TodesSpanish director Jess Franco wasn't shy from jumping into a genre, which was proving popular at the time he did his jumping. This time out the director jumps into the slasher genre after films like Halloween and Friday the 13th had proved to be money-making gold. Although technically poor, ineptly scripted and badly acted, this American style slasher from Spanish horror auteur Jess Franco is actually pretty entertaining, thanks to plenty of two of the most important ingredients of the genre: gratuitous gore and female nudity.The silly plot sees Miguel (Alexander Waechter), a disfigured killer, released into the care of his sister Manuela (Nadja Gerganoff) after five years of rehabilitation, and returning to the exact place where he killed his victim: a language school at which every student appears to be an attractive female twenty-something. Is Miguel carrying on from where he left off, or has someone else taken over as the school's resident murderer?Franco directs with his usual lack of finesse, but includes plenty of sleaze 'n' cheese to ensure that, this time, I didn't doze off halfway through his film. There are some excellent 80s disco moments for fans of dodgy dance scenes (the best being a roller disco/rock 'n' roll scene accompanied by the worst song ever); a smattering of incestual behaviour between Miguel and Manuela; several red herrings and multiple suspects to throw viewers off the scent; and a spot of real-life animal death (a poor snake loses his head to a pair of shears).And let's not forget about the gore, which is fairly frequent and always pretty vicious: Miguel's brutal scissor attack occurs only minutes into the film, and this is followed by several other bloody scenes that helped Bloody Moon secure a place on the notorious BBFC Video Nasties list. Gorehounds will not be disappointed by the film's two nastiest deaths: a knife attack which sees the blade exit the victim via her breast, and the graphic beheading of a another girl using a massive rotary stone-saw.The film is also good for some great unintentional laughs, and I defy anyone to keep a straight face as the film's heroine, Spanish student Angela (Olivia Pascal), narrowly escapes being crushed by a huge, cuboid polystyrene rock, and is scared witless as a door is opened painfully slowly by.... Legendary European exploitation master Jess Franco makes his own contribution to the slasher film boom of the early 1980s with "Bloody Moon", a silly and trashy affair. "Bloody Moon" is one of the Franco's more marketable films, and is certainly a worthwhile slasher as well.**SPOILERS**After being released from a mental asylum, Miguel, (Alexander Waechter) is moved with his sister Manuela, (Nadja Gerganoff) to the Boarding School for young women on the Spanish resort of Costa Del Sol where she works. When bodies start piling up at the school, the remaining people investigate and find a possible serial killer on campus and are forced to evade the maniac.The Good News: One of the weirder entries in the early 80s slasher films, this one certainly has a lot going for it. Die Säge des Todes - probably best known under the title BLOODY MOON - is Jess Franco's response and share to the popular trend of teen slasher films. The "final girl", a student named Angela(..played by the gorgeous Olivia Pascal)attempts to warn others about a friend murdered in her bungalow(..the place where a scar-faced Miguel, played by Alexander Waechter, viciously stabbed a girl to death with a pair of scissors). I think when one watches this, comparing it to Franco films of the past, they'll realize this isn't typical of his output..is that a bad thing?Miguel is released from an asylum and rejoins his sister Manuela(Nadja Gerganoff). One reason for his behaviour appears to be his forbidden love for his sister Manuela (Nadja Gerganoff), who is happy to parade herself around him in suggested poses and revealing clothes but is appalled at continuing their forbidden relationship.Various characters come and go, sinister suggestions of stalking young girls is accompanied by Gerhard Heinz's mostly magnificent score (Pink Floyd were originally approached), and improbable and brightly coloured murders take place.Euro sleaze, eurotrash, eurotica or euro-horror: there are plenty of labels for allegedly exploitation films such as 'Bloody Moon', but a lot of them are unfairly maligned by the lazy definition. A lot of films directed by Spanish Director Jess Franco are far better than their reputations suggest. Set in a Spanish language school for girls (how original), the story sees our heroine Angela in peril as her friend begin to die around her, and nobody believes her. Truly awful film-making is here in abundance, in such scenes as the one where Inga is merrily driven to a saw mill and tied up, gabbling the entire time, or the one in which Angela sees a shadow on the wall, walks backwards (??) towards it and stabs the figure hysterically and then runs off, or the one where a snake dangles into view and is snipped to death by hedge cutters, or the one where a huge foam rock bounces out of nowhere to menace Angela, or all the time we spend watching the girls in their language class and nothing actually happens, or the one with Inga (again - she's particularly bad) bouncing on her bed pretending to be having sex, with a dead body in her wardrobe that it would be impossible for her not to notice, and many, many more. Bloody Moon sees prolific sleaze director Jess Franco take advantage of the slasher movement that was becoming increasingly popular in the United States around the time that this film was released. Bloody Moon appears on the Nasty list along with Devil Hunter and Women Behind Bars, and while the gore isn't as bloodthirsty as some slasher flicks; Franco still makes sure that the film deserves its place on the list. The film pretty much plays out in a familiar slasher fashion for most of its duration.While Jess Franco isn't the greatest director of all time (as shown here), one thing he has to be admired for is his ability to make his own entry into any popular sub-genre and make it sleazier than most. While Bloody Moon isn't exactly original, Jess Franco makes sure that his slasher is sicker than most by way of the incestuous relationship at the film's centre. There are a couple of genuinely tense scenes and cinematography is good and it is one gory little movie- the film's most (in)famous moment comes when a girl lets herself get tied up by, unbeknownst to her, the killer, "I'm game for anything!" she squeals, before being messily decapitated by a huge buzzsaw. But the bad things about this movie is the acting isn't very strong, probably due to the fact the dubbing is terrible, the film is also so dark at times you can't even see what's going on.

tt2724064

Sharknado

The movie opens with a sea captain and his crew illegally capturing sharks off the coast of Mexico and slicing off their fins, tossing the dead sharks back into the sea. An Asian man, known only as Mr. Palmer, is seen below deck with the captain, Santiago, and the man offers $100,000 for the captain's cache of shark fins. Captain Santiago scoffs at the offer and asks for $1,000,000. When Palmer questions why (the shark fin soup offered to him by the captain was 'good, not great') Santiago states that a record-breaking pod of 20,000 sharks is passing through the waters, implying the catch will be well worth the price. When Palmer offers $500,000, the captain pulls out a loaded gun and lays it on the table, and Palmer reluctantly agrees to the $1,000,000, and offers $100,000 hidden in a tackle box as down payment. The captain seals the deal by telling the man that he knows the secret to shark fishing -- that man should not be afraid of the sharks, but the sharks should fear man. A storm kicks up on deck, and the captain goes to investigate. Returning below deck, he finds Palmer, the gun and the tackle box missing. Santiago and Palmer confront each other on deck while sharks begin to jump aboard the ship and chomp various crew members. Palmer and Santiago are both eaten as the sharks are shown swimming in greater and greater numbers around the ship whilst the storm swirls around the now-empty boat.At the Santa Monica Pier, beach goers are preparing to surf, and we meet Finley "Fin" Shepard (Ian Ziering) and his best friend Baz (Jaason Simmons). Fin is a former champion surfer who now owns a bar built on the outer edge of the pier, surrounded by ocean. Fin is excited about the announcement that a storm brewing in Mexico will soon reach their shores, bring great surf. Inside the bar, George (John Heard) is a patron with a permanent seat, always perched on his red stool. He regularly flirts with the waitress Nova (Cassie Scerbo). Nova has a mysterious scar on her leg that she will not discuss.A little later, while Fin is walking down the beach and enjoying looking at the surf, he witnesses a fellow surfer get chomped by a shark. Baz, who is nearby on a jet ski, tries to get to Fin, but Fin is too busy trying to get the attention of the other people in the water, yelling that there is a shark. Soon it is obvious there are many sharks, and chaos ensues as the people in the bar hear the commotion and run out, the folks on the sand panic, and the people in the water experience various forms of shark-bite injuries.Baz is attacked on the jet ski by a shark that leaps out of the water and bites his leg. Fin paddles over and bravely rams it with his surfboard, and the shark lets go. Fin and Baz head inland on the jet ski.On shore, medics are ready to assist Baz with the minor "flesh wound" to his leg, while others are writhing on the beach missing limbs. Nova shows up, and chastises Fin for not being more careful - she clearly has a crush on Fin, who reminds Nova that he is too old for her. Meanwhile, Baz is providing comic relief while he gets a bandage on the 6-inch long gash on his leg.With everyone safely back inside the bar a short time later, the storm gets worse, and Fin is nervous. He insists on calling April (Tara Reid) his ex-wife to make sure she and his teenage daughter Chloe (Aubry Peebles) are safe. Nova is surprised to learn her boss has an ex-wife and daughter. With April clearly hostile on the phone, Fin insists on coming to get them since the storm will cause flooding and the house is less than 10 miles from the beach. April advises Fin that he need not be responsible for them anymore because her boyfriend Colin (Christopher Wolfe) says everything is fine.As the storm rages outside, and the waves pummel the windows of the bar, Fin decides to go see April and Chloe anyway, and announces the bar is closed. As he says this, a shark bursts through the front window of the bar, carried in on a massive wave. As the great white wriggles along the ground looking for humans to chomp, Nova grabs a pool cue and stakes the shark right through the head. Nova really, really hates sharks.As the people run from the bar and try to escape the storm, sharks begin flying through the air, propelled by the water and winds, and chomp quite a few people. The group of Fin, Nova, Baz and George agree that they need weapons, and each one gets an item from the bar. Nova takes a pump-action rifle from behind the bar, and George takes his barstool. The storm loosens the Ferris wheel on the pier, and the wheel begins to roll, chasing down and crushing a few people lucky enough to escape the sharks.As the winds calm down, Fin sees his bar destroyed, and the area is flooded with ocean water as the sea rises. In the flood waters are hundreds of sharks, obviously from the large "pod" mentioned earlier. The group of friends decides to help Fin on his quest to get to April and Chloe, and pile into Fin's truck.Getting to the house is an adventure, as the group encounters much flooding (Fin's truck has a sealed engine so he can get the through the water) and many stranded motorists. As the storm gets worse, so does the flooding, and soon sharks are swimming right alongside the truck. At various points, the group stops to assist people, and Nova is very handy with the rifle as she shoots more than her fair share of sharks. George is the first casualty, when he uses his barstool-weapon to break a window for a dog locked in a woman's car. A shark swallows him in front of the stunned friends.When Fin, Baz and Nova arrive at the enormous and beautiful ex-home of Fin's, April is still angry. She insults Nova and Baz, and won't listen to Fin when he warns her that the flooding and storm is coming. Suddenly, a shark bursts forth out of a manhole (from the sewer system) and Nova blasts it with the shotgun like a skeet shooter. April lets the group in the house. Inside, April is still in denial and Chloe is a brat. Boyfriend Colin then makes an appearance and tells Fin that until his monthly visitation week arrives, Chloe is none of his business. Fin tries to tell April about the sharks, and Colin steps up to the living room window to show Fin there are no sharks when . . . BAM! One comes flying through the window at him. Baz, Fin and Nova try to rescue him, but he's torn to bits. Now April is convinced, and agrees to go with them further inland. Chloe mentions that they have to get Matt (Chuck Hittinger) who is in flight school in Van Nuys. Nova is shocked to learn Matt is Fin's son, and Fin is angry that no one told him Matt was in flight school.On the way to Van Nuys, many sharks are fought, and many lines are said that give homage to "Jaws." Fin continues to show his good-guy nature by rescuing an entire school bus of teens, and Robbie the Bus Driver (Robbie Rist) dies a uniquely funny death.Along the way, the truck is destroyed during a shark encounter and Baz steals a tricked-out Humvee. Once in Van Nuys, the storm has reached hurricane proportions and three enormous waterspouts have formed over the ocean and come inland, each one swirling hundreds of hungry sharks in its funnel. Matt is found, his flight instructor is sucked out of the hangar into one of the funnels, and a few sharks fall out of the sky at various intervals and must be killed.Realizing the local nursing home residents are in trouble, and the town must be saved, Matt concocts a plan to throw homemade bombs into the twisters, hoping the explosion will equalize the pressure and neutralize the twisters and bring the sharks back down to earth. Because Matt is the only student at flight school with helicopter flying experience, he volunteers to go up and fly close enough to the twisters to toss the bombs in, and Nova volunteers to go with him. This seems to bond them, and they develop a mini-crush on each other, and Nova reveals the reason for the scar on her leg (a childhood shark attack that killed her family --marvelously clever Jaws reference inserted here).The conveniently-next-door hardware supply store provides the group with fresh ammo, bomb materials and Fin takes a liking to a chainsaw. Meanwhile, Baz starts working on plan B, rigging bombs up to the Humvee, saying he will sacrifice himself to drive the vehicle into the twisters if it comes to that. Fin stays on the ground with April and Chloe to kill the sharks that will rain down once the twisters die.In the sky, Matt and Nova neutralize two of the twisters rather easily, and the ground team kills a lot of sharks very creatively. Baz gets attacked and eaten. With one twister remaining, Chloe throws the bomb but it doesn't work. A shark chomps onto the choppers' "skis" and won't let go, tipping the chopper sideways in the air. Nova falls out and is swallowed whole by a great white soaring by while a terrified Matt watches.Fin realizes the third twister must be stopped and drives the Humvee close to the twister, sets the bomb, and jumps out at the last minute. The explosion stops the last twister. Matt manages to expertly land the chopper that is now on fire.As sharks rain around them, Fin returns to the group and sees a shark soaring through the air, straight at Chloe's back. Fin pushes his daughter to safety and, holding the running chainsaw out in front of him, manages to allow the great white to swallow him in one gulp. As his loved ones look on, the shark flops around on the ground, its stomach wriggling. Suddenly, Fin cuts through the shark from the inside, and emerges from the gooey insides of the man eater. Reaching in, he pulls out Nova, who is unconscious. A shark-goo covered Nova gets CPR from a smitten Matt and survives, while April reluctantly kisses the super-gooey Fin, our movie's hero.

absurd, cult, violence

train

imdb

Not because it is good or has a single redeeming factor, but because if Ed Wood set out intentionally with an unlimited budget to make the worst movie ever, he could not have made something this bad.The law of large numbers would seem to imply that in 86 minutes you'd have to get something right by accident, and yet this movie doesn't. And yet Sharknado rises above mathematics to give us a film that is bad in every single possible way.Continuity is shrugged off completely. It is so blatantly bad you are distracted from the more subtle inconsistencies like objects moving around, attire, wind, or quality of film from one cut to the next.If you manage to close your eyes you are immediately taken in by the sound. I'm reluctant to suggest using your stereo's sound-leveling technology for fear your sound system will simply melt from the strain.One is almost loath to point a finger at suspension of disbelief when it comes to a movie whose premise is sharks in tornadoes, but whatever level you plan to come in with is almost surely going to fall far short. If you've played pool, fished, surfed, driven a car in water deeper than two inches, been exposed to gravity, or otherwise in any way have interacted with or gained some understanding of the world around you, this movie has something for you to go "wha!?!" about.And while you would think that once you had bad special effects, bad editing, and bad sound strung together you'd get at least one Bruce Campbell out of the cast to latch on to. For anyone who hasn't seen the SyFy original movie, Sharknado; it's a heart-warming, coming of age story about a ragtag group of sharks uprooted from their home by mother nature's fury. Great terrible movies like the Room, Miami Connection, and Birdemic are completely sincere and honest in there awfulness, and that's what makes them special. All in all, if you truly are interested in bad movies, I recommend you watch something like Troll 2 or Miami Connection. This movie acts upon the mind like a mind altering substance, taking it to a land of shark-infested water spouts, science gone mad, absurd visuals, and movie making run amok. Riffing is optional; the movie is goofy and deranged either way.A freak-storm turns into tornadoes/water spouts that vacuum up a zillion sharks that are swimming around and whisks them off to southern California. I'm thankful for the laughter, though, because it kept at bay any sort of aesthetic sense that might have interfered with my viewing pleasure.Regardless of genre, most movies are a construction of thoughtfully planned scenes, each of which presenting plot points and character motivations that, together, form a plausible narrative, allowing for the proverbial "suspension of disbelief." Such careful craftsmanship is never more important than at a film's beginning. Other than the brief preview of the "sharknado" to come at the end of the second act (yes, I'm taking some liberties by using standard film vernacular to describe this storyline), it was as if this scene was jumbled together from leftover footage of some other SyFy shark movie. I think Ferrante's purpose was to preemptively counter all would-be critics who might say things like "This is no Jaws." He could have just titled the movie Another Killer Shark Film That Is Not Jaws. Nova's scar story, in a tongue-in-cheek sort of way, serves to again make the director's statement: "I am aware of Jaws, as is everyone in the civilized world, and this is not that movie!"Later, this same point is made again, this time even more comically and pointedly. She sees an enormous shark coming straight at them and declares: "We're gonna need a bigger chopper."If you want to be moderately entertained, then I don't think you will be disappointed with Sharknado. The acting done by Tara Reid is amazing I feel like I was actually living her shark filled life story. Wooden acting, special effects from a Midwestern middle school science fair, a script that veers wildly from insipid to bizarre to total nonsense, actors that should face summary execution if they made only scale and still cashed their paychecks, a director that makes Ed Wood look like Ingmar Bergman. In other words a glorious triumph of B-grade movie making..As you take in the visceral train wreck (that could only be better if released in grainy 8mm), you are reminded of what good/bad scifi is. I have never seen a movie so chopped up and put together.One minute there are tidal waves of water & tornadoes, dry streets and sunny skies the next.The surfing scene is a great example of what I'm talking about. But one thing that is right about the movie, is that most shark attacks happen in 3 feet of water. They're full of hungry sharks!This is truly bad, even by the execrable standards of SyFy movies. The concept for this movie is unspeakably stupid and just does not work at any stage.Although Sharknado is of course low budget tosh, there are no excuses for film making of such execrable standards. Many viewers who have assisted this garbage in attaining some sort of pathetic cult status insist the amateur CGI, bad acting and ridiculous premise is what makes this film so fun to watch. Seriously you have no reason to read anymore, you know this movie contains Sharks and Tornados. Therefore, I don't watch stalker or slasher movies.There are sharks coming from every direction when they're catapulted into the sky by a freak storm that carries them everywhere. Plus, if you've seen the trailer, you've seen a lot of the "Money Shots." But, the cast and crew are game, and the effects are fun, helped by the fact that they are getting more affordable to do these days.Plus, SyFy Channel needs content, and The Asylum is more than happy to oblige! But if you put these trifles to one side it's a fast paced, action packed, hilarious romp that few films can match.The added bonus of ex 90210 actors acting their wooden hearts out just adds to the fun.The delightful nom nom nom noise made my the huge rubber sharks whenever they try to bite anything is another highlight.One of the best and worst films I've seen in years!10 out of 10. Sharknado is not entertaining in the least.I'll skip the credits, skip the plot and get right down to business, this movie is a crappy made-for-TV snooze-fest, starring D-list celebrities and made by inept "filmmakers" who seem to have trouble differentiating between endearingly cheesy and downright bad. However, the problem with Sharknado is not that it is silly, it's that it is boring.The cast has no charm, the effects are in a dead zone between not bad enough to be funny, and not good enough to be convincing, the look of the film is murky and dull, and the action scenes are incomprehensible and poorly edited. Sharknado is not entertaining, a flaw that will sink any movie, whether it has shark-filled tornadoes or not.20/100. But then you probably already knew that.If you can put aside all the - many - negatives about this film and see it for what it is - a piece of silly, stupid, cheesy fun, then you should be entertained for an hour and a half.Of course you could just invite ten of your best friends round, get hideously drunk and put this on - it'll probably end up in your list of Top Ten films of all time if you watch it inebriated.. The acting is below the bottom of the barrel, the script is appalling, the sharks look like enemies in a playstation one game, the direction is ridiculous and the plot is utter gibberish. In fact, if you actually succeed in making it bad then you've really made a 'good' film, in that you did exactly what you intended to. It was a cliché from start to finish, I wanted to have fun watching the nonsensical scenes like bombs to stop tornadoes, guns to kill sharks in mid-air (changing their trajectory), cutting a shark clean in two using a chainsaw while it hurtled from the sky. The acting is as despicable as the script and directing and editing and effects and every other aspect!!And I thought "Shark In Venice" was the worst movie ever... There are movies are so bad that they don't even make rank for "so bad it's good." Then there's Sharknado, which plumbs new depths in cinema, and deserves its own category of awful.The winning formula in Sharknado is that it lures you into believing that no way, this movie just *can't* get any stupider or more nonsensical...and then, just as you've become comfortable, the film ups the ante, as if to say, "You thought that was terrible film-making? Sharknado is a film about Sharks that hitch a ride on a tornado and terrorize Las Angeles. It would be advised to turn your brain off when SHARKNADO starts up because if you come into a movie like this expecting any sort of logic then you're going to be out of luck. SHARKNADO is the type of bad "C" film that I enjoy watching because it puts everything bad about it on the back burner and at least delivers some cheap entertainment, which is something hard to come by.. The concept of the film where the wind and rain of a tornado drop the sharks deep into the heart of the city, gives this plenty to like as there's a unique setup at play here taking sharks away from the water where they're known to live and placing them on dry land letting the ferocity and intensity of their attacks take place in a new locale. There's constant action and cheesy gore effects as various people (read: extras) are torn to pieces by the maritime monsters, and it's all as ridiculous and over-the-top as you'd hope for.Nobody goes into this expecting good acting, and you won't be surprised by the woeful performances of, for example, Tara Reid (Cassie Scerbo is much better). John Heard is bloated and unrecognisable from his HOME ALONE days.SHARKNADO is a film filled with cheesy CGI effects and plenty of continuity errors and plot holes; the constantly changing water levels are probably the silliest thing about it. Everyone knows the plot, and you get the impression that the film was constructed in the wake of a night out that involved one of the producers declaring: "Imagine one of those terror storm movies involving sharks! So, in the midst of weather systems that come and go, sharks that change size and leap from here, there, and everywhere, and an interminable bus rescue, the cast is game, although Tara Reid looks a bit bewildered by what is going on at times, while John Heard pretty much forms a double act with a bar stool. sharknado is the very best asylum / syfy TV movie i've ever seen and actually one of the only ones to rise above a 4. like air collision, sharknado is a commendable example of how to take one event and stretch it out to feature length, which is no easy task when the event is 'sharks in a tornado' or 'two planes are about to crash in midair.' amazingly, sharknado does not pad it's first act with drama minutiae, but quickly deliver some action and so the escalation of events really continues throughout the whole movie. Far from great, and it is easy for anybody- regardless of whether they are taking it too seriously or not- to criticise it, but Sharknado is also one of SyFy's/The Asylum's more tolerable and most fun to watch movies. The next worst thing were the special effects(nearly always one of the worst assets of their movies, so that was expected), they are some of the better effects to appear in SyFy's/The Asylum's output but the fact that they look so artificial and though they were made in a rush doesn't make that say very much. Their scenes admittedly are hilariously chaotic and incredibly dumb but interweave within the nature of the story very well, there are even scenes that are bust-a-gut-laughing-worthy, like character chainsawing their way out of a shark. The best of the lot is Ian Ziering, he's very funny and has good charisma, the character starts out a little obnoxious but you actually grow to like him.All in all, not a great movie with some obvious flaws and maybe overpraised by some reviewers, but it is a lot of fun to watch and for a SyFy/Asylum movie it is one of their better ones. While Sharknado is not on the level of Snakes on a Plane, it still is a good time for people who enjoy absurd disaster movies.. From the improbability of sharks swimming down suburban streets six miles inland to the outright absurdity of a helicopter hovering mere feet away from a violent tornado (sorry: sharknado!), there is very little in this film that makes logical sense. My Rating : 1/10A Bad movie of the best kind.Forget everything, make this a priority and watch it right now.. You might be wondering who would even watch Sharknado, but a better question is who would actually write a review of this movie. You don't root for anyone, and it isn't that much fun you could watch it alone like the best of B- movies. I honestly didn't have much hope for this movie and have been holding off watching it for quite a while and I'm sort of glad i did.I really enjoyed watching this movie, maybe not as much as other more realistic movies, but thought it was really funny.From the start i enjoyed picking out all the wrong things in the movie and all the unbelievable and the funny and it was a big joke among friends.Other than the obvious flaws that they have put in the movie purposely where some are funny and some a stupid, the story line wasn't that great.I understand its a 'stupid comedy'like zombeavers however i found the story line of this movie to be all over that place and unpredictable which i don't like in these sorts of films.I'm giving it 4 stars because it was a funny movie but very very different to others in the genre and i don't think it worked very well in this case. On one hand it is quite possibly the worst film I've ever seen - and most definitely it ends up on the top five of really freaking bad movies. When I saw the preview for this, I thought "wow, how can this be a true story!?!?" So before watching the movie, I read up on the latest literature--publications such as "Helicopters and the Fall of the Roman Empire", "How to Use a Fishing Pole for the First Time", "Sharks: How to Speak Sign Language With Them", "The Phantom Tollbooth", and of course "Surviving the Apocalypse: Everything You Need to Know About Feral Cats".So going into this movie, I felt like I sort of cheated because I knew all of the background and really expected that nothing in the movie would be much of a surprise. Watching a freak hurricane bring thousands of sharks raining down to terrorize a group of friends in a waterlogged Los Angeles.Sharknado makes no excuses; its shameless, brainless, bloody good time. For some reason this was the only thing that bothered me, not the bad acting, dubious CGI or the fact that man eating sharks are raining down from the sky! The film goes on to deliver loads of blood and action, but with its cheap production value, stupid story, and terrible acting, the film delivers lots of laughs as well.The story for Sharknado pretty much mirrors the same formulaic disaster-movie fare you may have seen in such cinematic gems as Birdemic. Some viewers might prefer to laugh at truly bad films, which are unintentionally funny; I personally appreciate the lack of pretension in Sharknado, for it knows its place in the world and lives up to its name.There may truly be no dumber film than this.It's all about a shark tornado.Sharknado.Enough said! You turn your brain off for 90 minutes and just enjoy the fun, but bumpy ride.I know it sounds like I'm giving "Sharknado" a bad review, but I'm actually not. Filmmakers like the Asylum are under the impression that the less you think about how to tell a story, the worse the movie. Instead of crafting the best most epic bad movie Sharknado could be, the film feels padded by a lazy story. Makes JAWS III look like The Old Man and the Sea. All the viewers were harmed in the making of this movie.Imagine if you will a tornado (which occurs over land, right?) picking up just sharks and then dropping them serially over the same area for an hour. There is simply no way of redeeming this dreck on ANY level; it's not a farce, it's not fun as a disastrously bad attempt at "movie" making; I feel absolutely sick for having spent ANY amount of time watching a single frame of this garbage. I could explain the storyline with great detail, but I think you already know from the name what this movie is all about; a tornado hits LA, full of ridiculously hungry killer sharks. So enjoy with a mind as open as it was when you willingly invested time in a movie about sharks in tornadoes.. Now Sharknado as a movie may not have been ripping off any specific film when it came out, but it certainly ticks a lot of the classic Asylum checklist - middling to horrible acting, ugly bland locations and a confused lacklustre story, shoddy effects work that looks like it's been done by a first year graphic design student? Get used to that if you watch other shark films from Asylum, it is their go to cause for everything!

tt0058461

Per un pugno di dollari

A stranger arrives at the little Mexican border town of San Miguel. Silvanito, the town's innkeeper, tells the Stranger about a feud between two families vying to gain control of the town: on the one side, the Rojo brothers: Don Miguel, Esteban and Ramón; on the other, the family of the town sheriff, John Baxter. The Stranger decides to play each family against the other in order to make money, and proves his speed and accuracy with his gun to both sides by shooting with ease the four men who insulted him as he entered town. The Stranger seizes his opportunity when he sees the Rojos massacre a detachment of Mexican soldiers who were escorting a shipment of gold. He takes two of the dead bodies to a nearby cemetery and sells information to both sides, saying that two Mexican soldiers survived the attack. Both sides race to the cemetery; the Baxters to get the "survivors" to testify against the Rojos, and the Rojos to silence them. The factions engage in a gunfight, with Ramón managing to "kill" the "survivors" and Esteban capturing John Baxter's son, Antonio. While the Rojos and the Baxters are fighting, the Stranger searches the Rojo hacienda for the gold. While he is searching he accidentally knocks out a woman, Marisol. He takes her to the Baxters, who, in turn, arrange to return her to the Rojos in exchange for Antonio. During the exchange, Marisol's son, Jesús, runs towards her, followed by her husband, Julio. While the family embraces, Ramón orders one of his men, Rubio, to kill her husband as he has already told him to leave town. Silvanito attempts to protect the family with a shotgun with the Stranger backing him up. Neither Ramón nor any of his men attempt to challenge the Stranger, knowing that he is too fast on the draw. The Stranger then tells Marisol to go to Ramón and for Julio to take Jesús home. He learns from Silvanito that Ramón had framed Julio for cheating during a cards game and taken Marisol as his prisoner, forcing her to live with him. That night, while the Rojos are celebrating, the Stranger rides out and frees Marisol, shooting the guards and wrecking the house in which she is being held, making it appear as though it were attacked by the Baxters. He gives Marisol some money and tells her family to leave the town. When the Rojos discover that he freed Marisol, they capture and torture him, but he escapes. Believing the Stranger to be protected by the Baxters, the Rojos set fire to the Baxter home and massacre the entire family as they run out of the burning building. Ramon kills John Baxter and Antonio after pretending to spare them. Consuelo, John Baxter's wife, appears and curses the Rojos for killing her unarmed husband and son. She is then shot and killed by Esteban. With help from Piripero, the local coffin-maker, the Stranger escapes town by hiding in a coffin. The Stranger hides and convalesces in a nearby mine. When Piripero tells him that Silvanito has been captured, the Stranger returns to town to face the Rojos. With a steel chest-plate hidden beneath his poncho, he taunts Ramón to "aim for the heart" as Ramón's shots bounce off. Panicking, Ramón uses up all of the bullets in his Winchester. The Stranger shoots the rifle from Ramón's hand and kills the other Rojos standing nearby, including Don Miguel and Rubio. He then uses the last bullet in his gun to free Silvanito, tied hanging from a post. After challenging Ramón to reload his rifle faster than he can reload his own pistol, the Stranger shoots and kills Ramón. Esteban Rojo aims for the Stranger's back from a nearby building, but is shot dead by Silvanito. The Stranger bids farewell and rides away from the town.

comedy, murder, realism, western, violence, good versus evil, humor, action, revenge, sadist

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Sergio Leone's first classic spaghetti western masterpiece and the best one of Clint Eastwood!. A lot of people are going for The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and Once Upon a Time in the West and of course Eastwood's Unforgiven as their best favorite western films. What I love about this film is Clint Eastwood's character who helps out a young family, who is torn apart from the Rojo's gang, he make sure that the kid goes in to his mom's arms, Eastwood was a heart in this movie. A Fistful of Dollars gets a perfect 10 by me and remains my all time best favorite Eastwood Western movie in the series that I absolutely love to death and I love Clint Eastwood's character. Similarly, one should not criticize this film for being based on Yojimbo, for that film itself was based on an American story while A Fistful of Dollars really is very different in many key respects, not least of all Leone's visual style or his own sense of irony and symbolism derived from Italian precedents and Hollywood westerns.We also see the nascent Leone visual style here, with the close-up style and contrast of close-ups and long shots appearing. A western classic and the movie that launched the careers of Sergio Leone and Clint Eastwood.. For two reasons - firstly because the second and third movie in Leone/Eastwood "Man With No Name" trilogy ('For A Few Dollars More' and 'The Good, The Bad and The Ugly') are so damn good it's easy to overlook this one. It was also the first real Spaghetti Western.Clint Eastwood is "The Man with No Name" who comes to a small town where two families run the place. The way we see Eastwood kill four man early in the movie is simply spectacular.This no 'Once Upon a Time in the West' or even 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly' but we have the same atmosphere, the same kind of score by Ennio Morricone and a Clint Eastwood at the beginning of a great career.. When Per un pungo di dollari, or A Fistful Of Dollars, was released in the mid-1960s, the term "Spaghetti Western" was coined as a putdown to these brazen new films that dared to recreate the Wild West in a place as far away as Italy. However, the last laugh was shared by the Italian directors, whose new style of portraying Colonial America in a realistic style rather than the romanticised way that was characteristic of John Wayne and his contemporaries will be remembered long after the films of the romanticised style are no more.The plot is indescribably simple, as Clint Eastwood simply wanders into a town where gang warfare has stripped the economy to the point where only the local undertaker makes a profit and turns the two warring families against one another. Sergio Leone used the storyline of Akira Kurosawa's "Yojimbo", replacing the samurai without a master ("ronin") Sanjuro Kuwabatake performed by Toshirô Mifune and the scenario of the rural Japanese town in Nineteenth Century by the stranger without a name (Clint Eastwood) and a small Mexican town in the border of the Wild and Far West. It was the first film in Sergio Leone's "dollars trilogy"; Eastwood was to star in the other two, "For a Few Dollars More" and "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly". This revisionist line was to become commonplace in the Westerns of the late sixties and early seventies; Sam Peckinpah's "The Wild Bunch" is a good example of a film which shows the influence of Leone's work.The film was originally shot without sound, with a soundtrack being dubbed on later. In fact , Richard Harrison was the one who suggested Clint Eastwood to Sergio Leone when the famed director was looking for the main actor , as Harrison said : Maybe my greatest contribution to cinema was not doing Fistful of Dollars , and recommending Clint for the part . But it also has the effect of rounding out the character so that he becomes human to us in a way Hammett's anti-hero is not.In 1965, an Italian director, not yet credited with completed film, Sergio Leone, was hired to do a typical "spaghetti western" of the era. Not many will be surprised that "A Fistful of Dollars", the first of Sergio Leone's famous trilogy, is in fact a replica (or if you prefer 'a westernisation of the westernised Samurai genre') of Akira Kurosawa's famed Ronin drama "Yojimbo" (predating this movie by just a few years). it took me awhile to get around to watching this movie,which is considered a classic by a lot of people.it was a bit too sedate for my tastes,although it wasn't a horrible movie and it probably bears viewing at least twice.it's the first of three movies in the Man With no Name trilogy,directed by Sergio Leone and starring Clint Eastwood as the man with no name.he's also the quiet man with no name.the character doesn't say much unless he needs to.he's brooding and mysterious,and doesn't give too much away about himself.he's also calm and cool,at least on the outside,showing little or no outward emotion. Eastwood is the perfect actor to play this character.though he was in the series Rawhide,it was apparently this series that rocketed him to fame.although i thought there were some slow moment here and there,i didn't hate the film,and i can understand why it has the following and reputation it does.for me,Fistful of Dollars is a 6/10. The first movie of its kind, it rose the Italian Western to an international level, and if it had not been for "Per Un Pugno Di Dollari", the great genre of the Spaghetti Westerns would probably never have become what it is.Based On Akira Kurosawa's masterpiece "Yojimbo" of 1961, "A Fistful Of Dollars" is not a simple remake, but a masterpiece based on another masterpiece (something very rare in film history) that definitely has its very own style. I love "Yojimbo" as I love "Per Un Pugno Di Dollari" and I could not say which one I prefer.The movie that made the Italian Western what it is, made Clint Eastwood a star as an actor and Sergio Leone a star as a director. It also made Ennio Morricone famous, who is arguably the most brilliant film score composer of all time, and it basically created the Western Anti Hero.A cigar smoking stranger, the Man With No Name (Clint Eastwood) comes to San Miguel, a small town in the Mexican/American borderland, which is terrorized by two rival gangs of outlaws, lead by two families, the Baxters and the Rojos. The supporting cast furthermore includes such great Spaghetti Western actors as Mario Brega, Aldo Sambrell and Benito Steffanelli, actors who have gained fame amongst Spaghetti Western fans, for roles such as those in "A Fistful of Dollars".It is Ennio Morricone's iconic, brilliant score that gives this movie perfection. Morricone's scores are one of the most essential things about Sergio Leone's films, see "A Fistful Of Dollars" and you'll know what I mean."A Fistfull Of Dollars" is a superbly directed, violent film about selfishness, greed and hatred, full of black humor and spiced up with great dialogue. The Western genre changed forever with the release of Sergio Leone's landmark Spaghetti Western "A Fistful of Dollars," but not necessarily for reasons you might think when it comes to a movie deemed a "classic."The story is weak, most of the acting bordering on comical and there's no depth to speak of, but the Akira Kurosawa-inspired style of "A Fistful of Dollars" makes it entertaining and a rather fascinating watch from a stylistic perspective. Leone did things with a camera that Hollywood hadn't seen before (probably … I admit I wasn't there), an approach that made the Western more entertaining yet more dramatic and tense.Clint Eastwood stars as Joe, or more popularly, "The Man with No Name," in the role that launched the "Rawhide" star's film career. Otherwise, he's a troublemaker with money on his mind; we just like the guy because he's a badass who is less slimy than the rest of the characters.The script annoyingly drifts between too overt and not explicit enough, but eventually it becomes clear that the only dialogue worth paying attention to is the clever quips, and that it doesn't matter how a point of tension or violence is reached, but how it looks and feels when we get there.Leone isn't at the peak of his powers here by any stretch, which should be obvious given this was his first foray into Western territory and second film ever, but he gets enough right to open the door to a shift in thinking about how these movies are made. It's not that great, I actually fell asleep at the half of the movie.When I watched Yojimbo later on, I just realize that Fistful of Dollar is Yojimbo ripoff, from the beginning to the end.I remembered there is no acknowledgment of Akira Kurosawa in that film. Per Un Pugno Di Dollari/A Fistful of Dollars(1964) was Sergio Leone's first Western as well as the movie that made Clint Eastwood a international star. I consider this movie the beginning of a progession for Sergio Leone as he went from doing a Very good Western(A Fistful Of Dollars) to making a great Western(Once Upon A Time In The West). A brilliant masterpiece; Leone created a genre of cinema that nobody can do the same<remember;Sam Raimi tried.>.You have to write a clever script that also includes adventure,good dialogs and of course a little bit of sarcasism.I like to see it as a John Wayne movie in Tarantino way. 'A Fistful of Dollars' is probably a movie to remember.Not only for spaghetti western,it's also a peak point for the century of our cinema time.'JOE' is one of the first anti-hero character of movie history.Because of this I think it is a root for the film-noir genre of the latest times. The second character of the movie is of course music.The Morricone's work is first class <like it always was>.From a moment you come to a level that you don't need dialogs to learn emotions,thoughts....The music starts to talk and makes the atmosphere all ready.So this gives Leone the chance to create a scene that only a few director in movie business can do:Creating the tension without the words.Remember how he did it on the final duel scene in 'The Good,The Bad,and The Ugly' and the final gunfight in 'For A Few Dollars More'.He doesn't betray the tradition and he builds a scene that we will see in the future<Back To The Future 3>But the difference between this scene and other scenes is:On other scenes there is the speed of the hands of the characters,in this one Leone shows us that you also have to be smart when it comes the time to shoot,not only on cheating,running away,or following a trail. My final word is that here is classic.It includes all the style and genre Leone wanted to do in westerns.You can say the characters or the music is like other Leone movies but small roles make this movie impossible to put it to the same level with other stuff of Leone.Really characters like 'BARMEN' and 'COFFIN MAKER' are also the things that other 2 'dollar-movies' don't have.I'm sure that we all agree with 'The Good,The Bad, and The Ugly' and 'For Few Dollars More' are the greatests, but this one is standing on the top alone.It's the biggest chance to see what all Leone western is about and also to thank for all the influence on Coppola,Robert Rodriguez,Tarantino... Perhaps not as great as Leone's The Good, the Bad and the Ugly or Once Upon a Time in the West, A Fistful of Dollars stands out as the birth of a genre of film that still has a lasting impact upon the movie industry. The plot of course has The Man with No Name (Clint Eastwood) arriving in a small town and playing two groups off against each other.Obviously, Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns are the ones against which all others should be judged. Pretty impressive table-setter for the Clint Eastwood westerns, not just the two others Sergio Leone directed but the many after, right up to "Unforgiven." Clint's Man With No Name (called "Joe" by the coffin maker Piripero, though I suspect that's just what Piripero calls every man he doesn't know by name) appears mysteriously in the town of San Miquel and quickly sets himself up by playing two rival criminal families against each other? RELEASED IN 1964 and directed by Sergio Leone, "A Fistful of Dollars" stars Clint Eastwood as an expert gunman who drifts into a Mexican town where he finds himself in the middle of a war between two factions, the gun-running gringo Baxters and the firewater-running Hispanic Rojos. Cool caricatures with superhuman bravery & abilities work just fine when you're in your teens or early 20s, but after you mature a bit you naturally desire more three-dimensional and believable characters."A Fistful of Dollars" is worth checking out for its engaging first act and its iconic place in Western history, but there are superior Eastwood Westerns, such as the two Leone non-sequels (1965 & 1966 respectively), "Hang 'em High" (1968), "Two Mules for Sister Sara" (1970), "The Outlaw Josey Wales" (1976), "Pale Rider" (1985) and "Unforgiven" (1992).THE MOVIE RUNS 99 minutes and was shot in Almería, Andalucía, & Madrid, Spain; and Rome, Italy.GRADE: C. A Fistful of Dollars is by no means a bad film, but it is definitely inferior to the Good, the Bad & The Ugly.Eastwood plays an interesting character where very little is known about him. it relaunched Eastwoods flagging career, launching Leone's and Morricone's careers and reinvigorating the western genre which would pretty much come to an end in hollywood within ten years, at about the same time as the loss of John Wayne.But, as another reviewer commented, it pales into comparison with Yojimbo, the Japanese movie it was modelled on.You can count with the fingers of one hand movies of Clint Eastwood that stand out cinematically. A classic innovative film that changed the face of the Western.Sergio Leone's 1964 film made Clint Eastwood an international star.This new genre of Western was called "the spaghetti western", a term that I personally don't like. Such as the haunting singing chorus,blaring trumpets,stringing guitars and harmonic whistling.Fistful reveals in Eastwood's character a flawed individual instead of the noble hero found in most Westerns during that time.He was the anti-hero who lived by his own moral code and blew away any who stood in his way.This film was the first of what would be a trilogy based on Eastwood's role as "the man with no name".Hard to believe that this role was first offered to Steve(Hercules)Reeves who turned it down.After seeing Eastwood performance in Fistful, I can't imagine anyone else playing the part.A great film, but I believe Leone's sequels, "For a Few Dollars More" and "The Good,The Bad and The Ugly" are better films.. With many classic scenes (the climax is one of Clint's more infamous cinematic scenes, serving as an inspiration for the Back to the Future parts 2 & 3), Ennio Morricone's first great musical pairing with Leone, and moments that bring intensity and coolness in repeat viewings, Fistful of Dollars is one of those Westerns that's a lot of fun, and can be taken seriously too by film connoisseurs.. Clint Eastwood plays the Man with No Name displaying his enigmatic charm - that would be followed up in "For A Few Dollars More" and my personal favourite "The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly" - in the way that he swerves around on screen, if one may call it that, and in the way that he delivers his lines.A Fistful of Dollars is not a film to miss, especially if one likes the rest of the Dollars trilogy, Westerns, or Clint Eastwood films. Sergio Leone's first spaghetti western pits Clint Eastwood against two rival families in an abandoned, dilapidated town that has seen more than its share of death and destruction. By the mid-1960s, Italy had produced several Westerns – all low-budget, and none particularly successful – until Sergio Leone moved on from the "sword and sandal" historical epics on which he had been working, and decided to make his own Spaghetti Western {so-called because of the large level of Italian participation both before and behind the camera, though filming usually took place in Spain to evoke the American Southwest}.'A Fistful of Dollars (1964)' was the first film in what would later be called Leone's "Dollars trilogy" – the other two entries were 'For a Few Dollars More (1965)' {the one film I haven't yet seen} and 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966).' All three films famously starred Clint Eastwood as the laconic and morally-ambiguous Man With No Name. The film that birthed the "spaghetti western" genre A Fistful of Dollars is often overlooked in favor of the more popular For a few dollars more and The Good, the bad and the Ugly. Clint Eastwood was not director Sergio Leone's first choice for the 'Man with No Name' role, but he's excellent, and a huge part of why this film is successful. Being their first work together, the film creates an iconic western character out of Eastwood; the man with no name. The Leone/Eastwood/Morricone 1-2-3 punch is the deadliest in western film-making, and that's why after all these years, the Fistful of Dollars trilogy stands proud and remains just as popular.. "A Fistful of Dollars" is the first of Sergio Leone's "Man with No Name" trilogy of westerns. Clint Eastwood and director Sergio Leone made this film what it is. The film stars Clint Eastwood as The Man with No Name and it`s directed by Sergio Leone, the rest is history. A Fistful of Dollars marks the first film in the 'Man With No Name' trilogy and also launched Sergio Leone and Ennio Morricone's careers.

tt1273204

Il compleanno

Two couples of friends, Matteo and Francesca, Diego and Shary go to see Wagner's opera, Tristan and Isolde. By chance, they encounter Leonard, Shary's younger brother, who is briefly passing through Italy. Leonard is still profoundly marked by the death of his girlfriend. Shary insists he come stay with them in the beautiful villa on the beach that the two couples have rented for the summer. Matteo, a 40 year-old established psychoanalyst, is married to Francesca, with whom they have a 5 yearold daughter, Elena. Matteo,, has a solidly happy, although not explosively passionate relationship with Francesca. Diego is an eternal child, who with great difficulty chose to become a lawyer; at a very young age he discovered that Shary, the American girl he was dating, was pregnant with his child. After David was born, Diego and Shary got married, broke up, then got back together. Theirs is a passionate but unstable relationship. David, having grown up in the United States, where he now goes to boarding school, comes back to Italy after five years to spend the summer with his family. Davids arrival deeply unsettles Matteo. Trying to escape his growing obsession, Matteo escapes to Rome to treat one of his patients, Giuliana. The delicate balance between friends has been upset. The growing tension seems to corrode the two families. Cracks appear in Matteo and Francescas relationship. Old disagreements between Shary and Diego flare up. It is as if everyone knows the truth, but is afraid to confront it. Leonard, having tried in vain to warn his sister and deter Matteo, decides to take off, leaving the main characters to their inevitable destiny.

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imdb

Not Overly Long and Definitely Not Limp. As you watch this film, you'll find yourself wanting to scream, "Don't do it. Stop! Stop!," that is, if you have ever betrayed the best that you have for something that you should not obtain. The acting is excellent, and believe me, after having watched more than my fair share of French films, this Italian creation is an action film in comparison. A malevolent, mythological undertone, the antithesis of those mystical experiences found in Italy by E. M. Forester's Brits on vacation, lurks just below the surface as the story lurches toward what did not have to be inevitable. If you watch closely and listen intently, David's Birthday says much about betrayal and unrequited love.. Nice movie !. A Great Italian movie. I didn't like the ending though , but still a wonderful movie (why should all gay relationships be tarnished with guilt by writers). For some reason European films have a lower ranking than Hollywood films on IMDb even though they are sometimes of better quality. This is a great drama film. Whats great about this movie is the way it recreates moments and precisely conveys what the characters are feeling - the bike scene with David and Matteo is superbly done with background song "zingara" - interpreted by Iva Zanicchi, which is great. The actor who plays David's character is a real hotty by the way, watch out for an intimate scene with a song by Loretta Goggi - "Maledetta Primavera" in the background. The opera style music played in the beginning and end is a bit strong I felt - reminds me of 'Death in Venice'. The movie has a great realistic and natural style to it, everything including conversation flows smoothly and is completely engrossing. A good watch.. Brilliant Italian Film. Maybe it's because I'm Italian but this Italian film is absolutely brilliant. Anyone who says otherwise obviously doesn't get it based on what the various reviews here say. Nor is this film for the faint of heart or the weak of mind. It is stimulating, thoughtful, and very intense because you never know what will happen next, a true sign of a great film. It keeps you at the edge of your seat biting your fingernails. But any film that begins with a Wagner opera is nothing to sneeze at and if you don't get Wagner you won't get this film either. Visually, it is nothing less than stunning, in fact may very well be the most beautiful film I have ever seen. The eroticism is unprecedented, true art, done so perfect that I sat there with my mouth open because it never borders on the vulgar. The cast is sublime, just about the most perfect casting you can imagine.. Worth seeing only for Massimo Poggio's great performance. I am somewhere between liking and disliking this movie, so I am giving it five stars. What I like is the lovely performance by Massimo Poggio as Matteo; if the rest if the movie had been on his level it would have gotten an easy eight stars. But it was as if he was working all alone in an otherwise uniformly mediocre undertaking.The story, the dialog, the pacing and all the other performances are more like a soap opera than any other movie I can think of, with overblown emotions, preposterous developments, a lot of yelling and crying, and almost continual minor crises of one kind or another - even convenient interruptions for commercial breaks (what another reviewer brilliantly described as fadeaways).I am a gay man, but I did not find Thyago Alves attractive at all, so the fact that Massimo Poggio made his obsession with the boy totally credible is part of his achievement. His is a stunning, subtle, restrained, and deeply moving performance. So I can recommend this movie highly for his work, but not for anything else.. Long and Limp. This is an overlong Italian soap opera about two fortyish married couples sharing a beautiful beach home for the summer; when the long-absent 18-year-old son of husband #1 shows up, husband #2 falls hard. All sorts of complications might arise, but the film just flounders around for almost two hours, until it finally ends in (you guessed it!) tragedy. (All those shots emphasizing husband #1's wedding ring were a dead giveaway that this would end in tears.) There's some nice scenery, a little eye-candy, and lots of talking and eating and strolling on the beach. This movie offers a long, slow haul to a limp, contrived finish.. Modern Opera. Built on the theme of ill-fated love, this film merges modern cinema with opera and emerges with a hybrid which infuses the viewer with a morality tale under two hours duration. Emotional theatrics reveal the frayed and tattered mental state of these two couples as both attempt to keep the appearances of functional family ties and friendships. While some USA viewers may find the emotional intensity "over the top," I find it similar to the emotional intensity that was infused into American Western genre when it went Italian and added an operatic theme to the story-telling. While no bullets are flying in a "pulp fiction" sensational style, the emotional content and the poignant plot climax enliven a rather dull scenario of viewing yet another "Doing Time on Maple Drive" clone-film with subtitles.. A response to a few earlier comments. Put it this way, if I were rating this movie on attractive male actors, it'd be a ten. The scenery is beautiful, as well. Other than that, this movie wasn't bad. I (like someone else mentioned) had a problem with the lack of forethought put into Matteo's sudden desire for David. It was evident from pretty early on that David is gay, but I thought more could have been done to make Matteo's sexuality believable. Also, I had a problem with the tantrums thrown by Shary. They were soap opera-esque and really distracted me from buying into the reality of the movie.Also, someone mentioned that the uncle (Leonard) was there as a fifth wheel? I whole- heartedly disagree, and I think that you don't understand the movie if you don't appreciate the uncle's role. His story serves as the foreshadowing of things to come. He sees Matteo looking at his nephew, and indirectly warns Matteo not to get involved with David, telling him that there are "some roads you can't turn back on," in reference to the "mistake" he made two years ago with Isabelle. Leonard makes sure that Matteo knows that what he is about to do is wrong, and will have severe consequences (which it does) and, like Leonard, he will never be the same. I do agree, though, that this movie could have done without the third couple.. A Grand Soap Opera.....and, oh yes, includes a........ .......Boiling hot M/M sex scene at its end.....with full frontal added in. (But, what did you expect.....it's Italian)What we have here is a lush surroundings showcase for one very "hot bod".....in the form of title character, David (tall, dark, first-timer, Thyago Alves). And as the one bedeviled and bedazzled by this youthful sex god, we're given family man, Matteo (Massimo Poggio), a psychiatrist by trade, and a man who the first half of the film goes out of its way to show as being scholarly, but even more so, soulful.This is a production much like the then well known 1950s era, Douglas Sirk directed, lush and weepy melodramas (see "Magnificent Obsession" or "All That Heaven Allows"). For a more current approach to this genre, see the Todd Haynes written/directed work, and Dennis Quaid's one foray into homosexuality: "Far From Heaven" (2002)."David's Birthday" is also what I refer to as a "fadeaway" movie, meaning it's something more usually seen from the 1940s through '70s. You know how those went; when anything sexual might begin to transpire, there was always a quick fadeaway to the next scene. For examples of that in this film, consider the following: Putting yourself into the position of a young and gorgeous Calvin Klein-type underwear model (David), you take this still hunky, but older, married man (Matteo) for a Vespa scooter ride.....his unhelmeted head winds up resting softly against your back, his arms clasped tightly around your body. And then nothing further happens for days.......UNTIL a night on the beach, when this young Adonis emerges from a moonlit swim and approaches his walking-on-the-beach "enraptured soul".....both of them then standing together for at least a minute, staring in one another's eyes. UNTIL.......you guessed it: Fadeaway.Awarded 5-Stars, above.....but perhaps it merits another Star cause I like looking at Matteo.....while most of you will likely prefer to eyeball David.****. Very long and mostly boring........... I can't really improve on Jm10701 or Steve222's reviews. This is an overly long soap opera. Yes, the scenery is beautiful and it is easy to catch the mood the director is shooting for since the actors do their jobs well. While I agree with Jm10701 the only person who really stands out is Massimo Poggio (Matteo) I think he had the best part too. It is hard to shine when your lines or part don't. I didn't know what the third couple was there for or the Uncle. Talk about fifth wheels.Anyway, if you decide to spend almost two hours on this muddled, floundering mess, you may want to know (Spoiler Spoiler Spoiler) - the much anticipated sex scene doesn't occur until the very very last couple minutes. Even this they ruined by cutting away e v e r y second to show Matteo's wife winding her way up the stairs to catch Matteo & David at it. Cut away a little sure, for "suspense." But no, every second. Ruins it.. Oooops! You dirty little finger! You bad bad dirty uncle! You bad bad dirty uncle! How come you turned suddenly gay? Well, bad uncle turns suddenly gay, on the exact inverted ratio this film turns operatic, and just plain bad. Do films this bad get still made? Apparently, so. I for one thought that this kind of muddled film-making was something I left behind in the 80's, when I was a kid: the Mediterranean sea, the sky, the sun and the moon, and some adults scattered like scenery moving among the elements for no great purpose. Some nice candy though - just the next time make the sex scene longer than the mutilated, really cringing Wagner reference, you conceited amateurs! And make it even bigger and larger, in fact take out all footage of psychotherapy sessions and give us some sex, give some to you, too! Someone in this film hates his analyst, or is in need of one, for there is nothing that rings true concerning the analytic situation.As it is the only reference (someone mentions Sirk - my foot) - are you ready to cringe? - is some sort of delirious "Death in Venice"...gone south, and turned into "Death to Penis". Oscar Wilde does it again! "All bad poetry is sincere." So, if you feel like a sincere film, or don't have time enough to bring in any psychotherapeutic association, or the Wagner Society to sue the makers of this film, relax and watch it! I have to admit that in the end, when tragedy happens and naked David brings his hands to his face, covering it in convulsions as if in recognition of the tragedy - THAT was so bad it turned me on. Bad, bad, dirty me.. Italian variations on Eros and Thanatos. CONTAINS SPOILERS. Queer themed Italian cinema needs to grow up, this recent entry in the canon is all the further proof we need. Not nearly as god-awful as Ferzan Ozpetek's critically revered and homophobic HAMAM, DAVID'S BIRTHDAY is not immune to the sacrificial lamb syndrome. The "controversial" twist is all in on who will get butchered this time around, because we all know that homosexual desire is harbinger of doom. Slow paced and poorly written, often the case with publicly-funded Italian cinema, the film plays out as a cross pollinated low rent hybrid of Visconti's "Death in Venice" and Malle's "Damage". Such high influences are clearly stated over and over again, but high art - or even simple lyricism - are definitely out of reach for Marco Filiberti's fraudulent hands.. "Powerful Subconscious Forces Act Within Us ...". Life is an opera.. And so it seems..."the characters becoming prey to their own impulses..." This is the story of a married man named Matteo and his sexual longing for the young visiting hunk David. Would he give in to his desires? What consequences await them?Massimo Poggio who plays Matteo is an eye-turner even for his age. He is also one brilliant actor though I must admit I find him over the top when he got drunk at that party night.Film has some good sceneries spiced up with appropriate music. There are other subplots which may or may not move the story forward. Is there anything else going on between Uncle Leo and David.Don't miss the last 15 minutes. If you love drama and sexual tension, this is for you...

tt0009968

Broken Blossoms or The Yellow Man and the Girl

Cheng Huan (Richard Barthelmess) is a Buddhist missionary living and working in the Limehouse district of London. He had traveled from his native China with the intent of spreading a message of love and hope to the British but instead became an opium addict. He admires from a distance young Lucy (Lillian Gish), a downtrodden teenager who shops in the district. Lucy's lives with her father, the prizefighter Battling Burrows (Donald Crisp). He is a cruel, brutal man who beats Lucy with a whip whenever she does anything wrong. She does her best to maintain a positive outlook but it is difficult.Just before he goes to his training quarters, Battling beats Lucy severely because she accidentally spills food on him. After he leaves, Lucy stumbles to the Limehouse and collapses in Cheng Huan's shop. He takes her upstairs to his bedroom and nurses her back to health. He dresses her in Chinese silk gowns, gives her dolls and flowers, and for the first time in her life, Lucy feels safe. Cheng Huan's love for her is more than platonic but her beauty is so pure he refuses to sully her with sexuality.One of Battling's assistants (George Baranger) buys some merchandise in Cheng Huan's shop. Cheng Huan leaves him alone in the store momentarily. The assistant hears a noise from upstairs and goes to investigate. He discovers Lucy. The assistant rushes to Battling's training ring and informs him of what he saw. Battling is outraged that Lucy is associating with a member of another race. That night, after winning his boxing match, Battling goes with two other men to Cheng Huan's shop. Cheng Huan is out buying flowers for Lucy. Battling destroys the bedroom and drags Lucy back to their dismal apartment. Although she tries to hide from him in a closet, she is unable to stop Battling from thrashing her mercilessly with the whip. She dies from her injuries.Meanwhile, Cheng Huan has returned and discovered that Lucy is gone. He takes a gun and goes to Battling's apartment. He finds Lucy's dead body and in revenge guns down Battling. He then carries Lucy back to the bedroom above his shop. While Battling's friends alert the police to the boxer's death, Cheng Huan performs a Buddhist ritual for Lucy to reach the afterlife. He then commits suicide himself.

violence, murder, melodrama

train

imdb

From a good silent film Broken Blossoms is beautifully transformed into a work of Art, the merger of the music and Billy Bitzer's visuals can be so striking. I know that most people today would hoot at the acting abilities displayed: Lillian Gish's pathetic submissiveness, Donald Crisp's over the top savage expressions and Richard Barthelmess's determinedly serious inscrutability, but appreciation of silent melodramas as a genre is really required rather than simply selecting just one film to watch, such as this. "In this scarlet house of sin, does he ever hear the temple bells?" Broken Blossoms is the movie I use to introduce people to silent film who only know it from Chaplin shorts or Birth of a Nation. If you have a chance to see this version, by all means do so.In answer to a question in another posting, the movie WAS originally tinted--it was part of the "epic poetry" attempt and was quite common with a lot of Griffith work--even back to "A Corner in Wheat".While I am an immense Gish fan, a lot has already been said about Miss Lillian in the other comments, so I will concentrate on Dick Bartlemess as Chen Huan. However, I think "Broken Blossoms" is the Griffith film which stands the test of time and still rings true today, over 83 years from its debut."Broken Blossoms" is the story of two wounded, abused, seemingly hopeless individuals who find comfort and strength in one another. The Chinaman (played by Richard Barthelmess) and little Lucy Burrows (played by Lillian Gish) are as different as night is to day, however they complement each other and give each other what the other needs; Lucy gives the Chinaman respect as a human being, he in turn gives Lucy affection and love.What happens to the two souls is, in my opinion, one of the most heartbreaking turn of events ever filmed. The brutal treatment of Lucy by her father and the ultimate sadness of the Chinaman at the end of the film always reduce me to tears.Those who believe that silent movies are inferior to today's craft really needs to see "Broken Blossoms" and open their hearts and minds to a world that is beyond beauty and beyond pain.. Unlike Griffith's epic masterpieces as THE BIRTH OF A NATION (1915) and INTOLERANCE (1916), each running over two hours in length, BROKEN BLOSSOMS, is in fact a simple story focusing on three central characters (Richard Barthelmess, Donald Crisp and Lillian Gish, in order of their appearance) that deals with touchy subject matters ranging from racial prejudice to child abuse, topics that are still sensitive issues even today.Based on Thomas Burke's "The Chink and the Child," the story begins in China where Cheng Haun, also known as The Yellow Man (Richard Barthelmess), a young idealist, coming to the London slums where he hopes to convert rude Westerners to the gospel of the gentle Buddha. Battling Burrows (Donald Crisp), a small-time prizefighter by which the title cards describes him as "an abysmal brute, a gorilla from the jungles of East London," living with his illegitimate daughter, Lucy (Lillian Gish), a tragic figure who waits on him hand and foot. When Battling Burrows is told of his daughter's whereabouts, he sets out to get "the dirty Chink" and to "learn them both."In spite of its old-fashioned screenplay with the use of a white actor (Barthelmess) in an Oriental role, BROKEN BLOSSOMS is still timely. For this scene alone, Gish has proved her capability as one of the finest actresses in this history of film.With such a depressing theme, BROKEN BLOSSOMS reportedly was a surprise hit upon its release. The sole reason for its success is how Lucy is portrayed on screen, ranging from her tragically sad face and shoulder-length hair adding to the believability to her character, knowing full well that Gish was a young woman in her early twenties enacting the role of a 12 to 15 year-old child. This is the film that elevated Barthelmess to the rank as top leading man through much of the 1920s, one opposite Gish again under Griffith's direction in another classic tale, WAY DOWN EAST (1920).With a limited amount of actors listed in the cast, the supporting players consists of Arthur Howard as the fighting manager; Edward Piel as Evil Eye; Norman "Kid McCoy" Selby as a prizefighter; and George Nicholas as the Policeman. And was that Roscoe Karns as the reporter in the final portion of the story?BROKEN BLOSSOMS was one of the twelve selected silent films that was broadcast on public television's 1975 presentation of THE SILENT YEARS, as hosted by Lillian Gish. It would be hard to top Lillian Gish's performance as Lucy in any era, and Richard Barthelmess turns in a purposefully restrained and surprisingly effective performance in a role that was far from easy.The story ties together several weighty themes, and most of them are still pertinent. Like the BROKEN BLOSSOMS of a trampled rose, the pure affection between two unutterably lonely people is destroyed by evil & hatred.Turning his back temporarily on the Silent epics of his past, movie master David Wark Griffith turned the laser beam of his talent on the tragic story of three pathetic individuals living in the slums of London's Limehouse: a fragile waif, her vicious father, and the gentle Chinese shopkeeper living nearby. Just three people living increasingly desperate lives, brought together by a tidal wave of pure emotion.Lillian Gish was right thinking she was too old to play the young girl, and she did so only at Griffith's insistence, but it is impossible to contemplate anyone else in the role. Miss Lillian had started rehearsals while weakened from the Spanish Flu; she created a movie portrait which caught her genius forever.Matching her in almost every particular is her costar Richard Barthelmess, who gives a most sensitive portrayal as the Chinese missionary who comes to England to proselytize for Buddha, but instead finds himself alone & friendless in the squalor of the great city. "Broken Blossoms" is a mere story of forbidden love if such occurrences can actually be called "mere." And although the sets used to portray the foggy gloom and forbidding darkness of London's Limehouse district were indeed expensive, this was a film carried by its only three stars and one that relies totally on the telling of a story.Richard Barthelmess plays Cheng Huan, a Buddhist missionary who now takes residence in Limehouse. Donald Crisp plays this part so well that the lack of sound does not inhibit the volume of cruelty he enforces on his only daughter, nor our ability to feel her level of sheer pain and suffering.Although all three of them may technically may be viewed as broken and products of their own respective worlds, when those worlds clash with each other and tragedy seems more likely, it is Gish who steals the show. And while Griffith may have already given the cinema more than its fair share of technological nuances with his first two features, he still manages to find subtle bits of direction that affect one's viewing of this sordid triangle: Gish's physical inability to smile and her seeking of solitude in something as simple as a flower cannot be emphasized enough as the film goes along.Political historians may note that Griffith is up to his usual tricks of racism as it is portrayed in the Asian who is played by the white Barthelmess but this is unfounded. It is rather interesting to compare the silent D.W. Griffith BROKEN BLOSSOMS with its inspiration: the 1916 Thomas Burke short story The Chink And The Child, published in Limehouse Nights (Grant Richards Limited, London). In a time when women were either out on the street turning tricks, or in the home raising children, this film looks at Lucy Burrows (Miss Gish) who seems to be caught in the middle. As in all of Griffith's films, the women are either virtuous or fallen, and the men are either lusting brutes, or effeminate sensitive males.Many may look aghast at the legendary Barthelmess playing the chinaman, Cheng Huan, or any one of a number of races played by white actors. However Griffith had not lost his own talent, and in its favour I will say Broken Blossoms has one of the most convincingly bleak portrayals of a setting in any film of this time. Likewise, his 'Broken Blossoms' has also been frowned upon as being racist – an unjust label, I believe, since the director has obviously aimed to be quite the opposite, portraying the Chinese Cheng Huan as the most noble and sympathetic male character in the film.Cheng Huan (played by American actor Richard Barthelmess) is a devoted Buddhist who travels to London to spread the word of peace in the Western World. His one and only shining light in this grim, smog-ridden world of cruelty and hate is Lucy Burrows (Lillian Gish), a truly painfully poignant image of vulnerability, of a delicate flower in the breeze, of the "broken blossoms" of a trodden rose. Though the subtitle of the film, 'The Yellow Man and the Girl,' today also sounds inherently offensive, it is best observed merely as a product of the era, and I also don't believe that Griffith meant anything evil by it.The acting in the film is quite effective, though it varies between subtlety and exaggeration among the actors. Barthelmess and Gish meet, and fall in love… Subtitled "The Yellow Man and the Girl", D.W. Griffith's "Broken Blossoms" is poetically directed and photographed (G.W. Bitzer). ********** Broken Blossoms (5/13/19) D.W. Griffith ~ Richard Barthelmess, Lillian Gish, Donald Crisp, Edward Peil. This is one of Griffith's 'small' pictures, unlike the super-productions such as 'Intolerance' or 'Orphans of the Storm,' or even 'Way Down East.' Still, it's difficult to believe that the intricate and detailed and richly authentic waterfront location was a set constructed to Griffith's specifications for the film.Like most other students of film history, I have conflicted feelings about David Wark Griffith and his legacy of racism and intolerance, as is plainly demonstrated in his watershed picture 'The Birth of a Nation.' But still, I don't know that it's fair to ignore or deny or even question his ability to use the cinematic medium to create drama, establish dramatic nuance, and express emotion, particularly in an art form which at the time was necessarily speechless.'Broken Blossoms' as a film was actually suggested to Griffith by Douglas Fairbanks, who'd read the Thomas Burke source material, the short story collection 'Limehouse Nights.' And according to actress Lillian Gish, who like Richard Barthelmess gives probably her career-best performance in this picture, the film's release was delayed after production and principal photography was completed because Griffith was so emotionally devastated and drained by the filming experience that he couldn't face editing the picture. Turrin located a copy of the original sheet music of that lovely song, and performs it on the piano in one of the 'Masterworks' extras.Those extras also include a filmed introduction by Lillian Gish and the entire text of the original Thomas Burke short story. And as an extra and unintentional bonus, watch closely about twenty minutes into the picture, right after the inter-title which reads, "The girl with the tear-worn face": The shot shows Gish looking into a store window, and reflected in the window glass the viewer can see the ghostly image of photographer Billy Bitzer standing behind his tripod camera and then Griffith himself in a vest and shirtsleeves walking briskly onto the set and seating himself in a canvas chair beside Bitzer. Cheng nurses her back to health, but a friend of the abusive father finds her and tells the father, who comes looking for her with tragic results.This is not a grandiose movie the Griffiths epochs but is a story told close up with a small cast and use of a lot of close up shots, It all works well together making a stunning and emotional tale. It is beautifully filmed (including the quite realistic boxing footage) and has really amazing performances by Donald Crisp as the violent alcoholic misogynist boxer Battling Burrows and Lillian Gish as her suffering daughter Lucy (white Richard Barthelmess, though, does not convince so much as the "yellow man" from China). Set in what one could assume is Victorian-era London boiling over with strife and hard times, Broken Blossoms centres around hapless and sullen victim Lucy, daughter of professional boxer Burrows who often gets overly mad (for reasons never truly justified) before proceeding to take it out on his timid daughter in between beating people up for money and then spending said money on alcohol and women. From the harsh, foggy London streets to the endlessly amusing fight scenes involving Burrows, Broken Blossoms is very much Intolerance without the historical sidestories or light-heartedness of its central love story, mixed with the character dynamics of Birth of a Nation. It can be a little broad at times, and often tries too hard to be frail and grim, but there's still plenty to love whether it's in Gish's wonderful performance or simply just in appreciating the stark change of pace from Griffith that favours tone and character over grand historical stories, huge elaborate sets and line-in-the-sand political statements.. To make a truly poetic film (however I, of course, cannot 100% speak for the man he's been dead for years).With some really mature themes attached to it (some sequences containing abuse towards Lilian Gish's character are still hard to watch today), "Broken Blossoms" is ahead of its time in almost every way. If you consider Griffith's time, and the desire for social reform which was sweeping the nation at that period, the possibly awkward sentiments (to our 21st century eyes)that are presented should really be considered as liberal, even revolutionary.Lillian Gish does a beautiful job of portraying the abused and forlorn girl, and Richard Barthalmass is delicate, sympathetic and very sad, a hero without being GRAND, very unusual for the time.The lighting and photography is exquisite, the story is lovely, and the acting superb. Donald Crisp overacts wildly and comically as the father, and I feel such a broad performance is ill-fitting for such a delicate tale.Broken Blossoms is dated and perhaps not ideal as an introduction to the silent era, but it's still worth a look for more seasoned fans and especially those only used to Griffith's epics.. Indeed, all the European characters, with the exception of Lillian Gish, come across as savages compared to him.Broken Blossoms benefits from several good performances. He soon after than opens a store and starts a new life until when he falls in love with a young girl, whose father is a brute.The movie obviously is a melodramatic one but like with all D.W. Griffith's movies is the case, it all works out extremely effective and powerful. but too happy, because this movie exists.I heard about "Broken Blossoms" when i see for first time the beautiful and unforgettable picture of Lillian Gish in the port near of her house. I cannot put into words in this small bit of space and time which I am alloted, exactly how tenderly and beautifully Richard Barthelmess as the Chink is portrayed in D.W. Griffith's "Broken Blossoms".....the movie even though silent, speaks its own eloquence. W. Griffith dials it down with this intimate drama, Broken Blossoms, starring Lillian Gish and Richard Barthelmess. BROKEN BLOSSOMS (1919) tells the story of Cheng Huan (Richard Barthelmess), a young Chinese man who journeys from his homeland to spread the peaceful message of Buddha to the English. At the same time we meet Lucy (Lillian Gish), a poor teenage girl who has to contend with an abusive father, prizefighter Battling Burrows (Donald Crisp). SCORE: 9/10 SUMMARY: BROKEN BLOSSOMS is a notable film in Griffith's body of work for its daring (for the time) subject matter. An intimate portrait of Cheng Huan (Richard Barthelmess), a kind hearted Chinese man, and his love for a poor abused girl named Lucy Burrows (Lillian Gish), as well as the brutality of Battling Burrows, a sadistic prizefighter.The visual style of Broken Blossoms emphasizes the seedy Limehouse streets with their dark shadows, drug addicts and drunkards, contrasting them with the beauty of Cheng and Lucy's innocent attachment as expressed by Cheng's decorative apartment. However, with this picture, Griffith captures a moment in time when foreigners were not welcome in countries far from home and the poor lived more and more poor every day.Richard Barthelmess gives a powerful performance as Cheng Huan, a Chinese who migrates to London to spread what he believes is the peaceful word of Buddha. Cheng Huan (Richard Barthelmess, who became a star with this film and would go on to earn two Oscar nominations) comes to London to make his fortune, but soon finds himself in the drudgery of everyday life.Lucy (Oscar nominee Lillian Gish) is a 15-year-old girl who is used as a punching bag by her father, a boxer, Battling Burrows (Oscar winner Donald Crisp).East meets West and flowers bloom.Lucy smiles for the first time in her life, and is treated like a Princess. But things don't last, as they are found out by Battling Burrows.Hatred in his heart, Burrows strikes out with disastrous consequence.D.W. Griffith manages to bring out the best in Gish and Crisp and in a beautifully tinted film gives us a tragic love story.. Broken Blossoms (1919) *** 1/2 (out of 4) An abused girl (Lillian Gish) falls in love with a Chinese man (Richard Barthelmess) but her abusive father (Donald Crisp) doesn't approve and will stop at nothing to make sure the two don't see one another. Unfortunately, it was also done to us, punishing us for enjoying "Birth of a Nation," I suppose.Griffith must have still been feeling guilty by 1919, because in that year he also made "Broken Blossoms or The Yellow Man and the Girl," in which he tried to atone for his racist classic one more time.

tt1093908

Confessions of a Shopaholic

The movie opens with young Rebecca looking at beautiful shoes and talking about how there're two kinds of prices: real prices, which buy wonderful things, and her mother's prices, which buy things that last forever. We see her receiving a sturdy pair of plain brown shoes and looking enviously at the other girls. We see her looking at older girls trying on dresses and jewelry, and not even needing money for these perfect things as they swipe credit cards. She wanted one of those. Now the adult Rebecca (Isla Fisher) is walking down the street, saying little did she dream she would one day have twelve.Rebecca "Bex" Bloomwood is a writer for a gardening magazine with a closet full of clothes and accessories, and a lot of debt. She does not know the exact sum, but she is concerned when she receives one bill for $900. At first she believes her credit card was stolen, but realizes that the Outdoor World charge was for a farewell gift. The debt is all hers, and among other things it comes with persistent collection agent Derek Smeath.Heading off to an interview at Alette magazine, run by Alette Naylor (Kristin Scott Thomas), Bex spies the perfect green scarf; even the mannequin is telling her that it will define who she is. She tries to buy it by spreading the price over cash and multiple cards, but with one card being declined, she's still $20 short. She rushes to a hot dog vendor, going to the front of the line for an "emergency", begging the vendor to give her cash back on a check, even offering to buy all of his hot dogs, claiming she needs the scarf for a sick aunt. The man in the front of the line gives her twenty dollars to get her out of the way so he can get his dog, telling her there is a difference between cost and worth.Wearing the scarf, Bex heads into Alette's office, but the receptionist tells her that Alicia Billington has filled the job internally. Complimenting the scarf, he tells her that a consumer finance magazine from the same parent company is also hiring, and getting her foot in the door there will help. Bex hurries over to that office, and meets her interviewer, Luke Brandon (Hugh Dancy), the man in line from the hot dog stand. The interview does not go well, and things get worse as she returns to her job and finds that the magazine is closing, and everyone has received termination notices.Bex goes to her roommate, Suze (Krysten Ritter), who tears up her rent check, but it does not resolve the debt problem. With the help of a bottle of tequila, they go through the bills, Suze adding figures up and finding that the news is horrible. However, they get the brilliant idea to write up a sample article for Alette and send it in. At the same time, Bex drafts a mean note to Luke.A call from Luke the next day leads her to realize that she put the letters in the wrong envelopes: He likes her idea of using shoes as a metaphor for investing, but before taking that job, she makes a desperate rush to intercept the insulting letter on its way to Alette. By hiding in a coat rack, stretching, and ending up flat on her back in front of Alicia, she does manage.Suze also gets Bex to go to a support group for shopaholics, but all Bex does is send most of the members into a relapse as she describes her love of shopping. Suze also makes Bex watch a video about shopping addiction, and tries to get her to declutter, but Bex just hides everything in the closet, which later explodes onto and buries Suze.Bex gets off to a rocky start at the magazine, especially since her card is declined as she tries to buy a finance book. Luke takes her to a company meeting and makes her question the presenter about their bonuses, seeing as the company posted a loss. He asks her to go home and send him a new outline for the article, but a sample sale distracts her. One coat that she buys gives her the answer though, as she sees that it is mostly acrylic and not cashmere, and she writes about changes in credit card terms. Her new column, The Girl in the Green Scarf, is well received. Although the head of advertising is nervous, Bex wins over the company head, bankers, and even Finns from Nokia, as she manages to avoid getting caught in her constant lie that she is fluent in Finnish. At a Miami conference she does well, but is still being harassed by bill collection agent Smeath, whom she has told Luke is an ex-boyfriend who is stalking her.Still in Miami, she and Luke share a shopping trip and a dance. He reveals that his mother is a wealthy socialite, but he wants to make it on his own. They bond, but she finds out that he is having dinner with Alicia, upsetting her. She also finds out that Alicia will be Luke's date for an upcoming ball.Suze convinces Bex not to buy a new dress, but to use something she already has for the ball, but the evening turns out to be jinxed: Bex's jacket unravels, beads come off and trip an elderly woman, and her dress is similar enough to that worn by the waitresses that she is handed a platter, sending fish onto many of the diners. Luke smooths things over and the night takes a turn for the better as he joins her out on the balcony and kisses her.Bex goes to her parents to ask for help, but it turns out that they have put all of their savings into an RV. They do mention her column and how much they love it, but she does not reveal that she is the author.Her work is being so well-received that Bex is given a television spot with Luke, and Alette takes her shopping. While Bex is trying on clothes, Alicia holds her purse and takes a call from Smeath, thus finding out Bex's debt issues. Bex buys the outfit, though it costs a month's pay, and heads over to her bridesmaid dress fitting, as Suze is getting married. Upset to see the Barney's shopping bag, Suze sends Bex back to the support group.Bex meets a new woman going in to the support group, and asks her to stash her purchases in her trunk. The woman agrees, but turns out to be the new group leader, Miss Korch, who marches the group to a thrift shop and makes Bex turn over the purchases. Bex goes to buy them back after, but only has enough cash for one, so chooses the Barney's dress for the television appearance.The show is going well, but once things are turned over to the audience for questions, Smeath stands up and exposes her debt issues, as well as the lie of him being an ex-boyfriend, which Suze, her fiancée Tarq, and Bex's parents all see.Bex goes back to the apartment to find Suze; while they're talking, a homeless woman goes by wearing Bex's bridesmaid dress. Suze is furious and moves out. Bex's parents drive up and offer to sell the RV, but she wont let them. Alette stops by and makes an offer to Bex to work at Alette, but since it would involve writing about affordable fashion that is not really affordable, and encouraging more credit card use, Bex turns her down. Before this happens, Alicia complains to Luke about being stuck with Bex.Bex returns to her support group, asking for help, and sets up a sample sale and auction of her entire wardrobe. She sends a notice to the original receptionist at Alette, who forwards it to all assistants, including Luke's assistant Hayley. He says that she will need to make room for all the free samples from Alette.Everything sells, with the last item on the block being the original green scarf. Two women have a small bidding war, but eventually Bex releases it to the winner, telling her not to wear it with yellow and that it will bring her love. In the audience, Hayley has ended up sitting next to Bex's mother, who reveals that Bex turned down the Alette offer.Having defended Bex, Luke's job is in danger, but the owner surprises him by offering to start a new magazine. As they talk, Luke realizes he wants to strike out on his own, possibly inspired by Bex earlier telling him that she could see him running his own business.The grand total from the auction is over $16,000, allowing Bex to pay off her debt. She takes $9,000 to Smeath's office in pennies, giving him what he deserves in the most annoying and inconvenient fashion, as he did to her.Bex shows up at Suze's wedding wearing the bridesmaid dress, which she has traded back from the homeless woman for other clothes. They reconcile, and Suze and Tarq are married.As the newlyweds drive off, Bex wanders down the street. The mannequins beckon to her again, but as she resists they start applauding her. Exhilarated by her growth, she finds Luke in front of her. He presents her with the green scarf, having sent both of the bidders. They kiss on the street, and she talks about how giving up shopping has allowed her time for other things, including a relationship with Luke.

romantic, cute, feel-good

train

imdb