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tt0076752 | The Spy Who Loved Me | The pre-title teaser shows three different events: first, a British nuclear submarine experiences a serious disruption of power. The captain looks through the periscope and sees something foreboding, however we do not see what he does.In Moscow, Colonel Gogol hears from M that the British sub has disappeared. Gogol becomes concerned, especially since his own government has lost contact with one of its own nuclear subs a few days earlier. He promises the aid of his government and calls his best agent, Major Anya "XXX" Amasova to investigate.In Austria, James Bond is enjoying a romantic encounter in a remote cabin in the Alps when he's called back to duty by M. He dons his ski gear and leaves, his lover says she needs him to which James replies, "So does England!" As James skis away from the cabin, he's pursued by a group of four Russian agents. James is able to evade his attackers and, using a ski pole that doubles as a type of rocket gun, kills one of them, a man whom is the group leader (and who happens to be XXX's lover). Bond approaches a sheer cliff and skis over it, free falling several thousand feet until he opens a parachute decorated with the British Union Jack, escaping his attackers.Anya Amasova reports to Gogol in Moscow where she's given her new assignment - the search for the missing submarines. Gogol also informs her that her lover was killed in an operation. Amasova is visibly shaken but says she'll dedicate herself to the mission at hand.Meanwhile, Bond meets with M at a British naval yard where the mission path for the lost submarine is studied: Bond shows M, the Minister of Defense and others a transparency that matches the sub's route, proving it had somehow been compromised. M orders Bond to Cairo on his first lead.In the Mediterranean Sea, two scientists who have developed a sophisticated submarine tracking device, meet with Carl Stromberg, a rich and powerful businessman who lives in a specially designed city, Atlantis, that can both float and submerge beneath the water's surface. He thanks the two scientists for their invention, but before he allows them to leave, he deals with his secretary, who has stolen information from him; she enters his elevator and Stromberg opens the window panel to reveal a large shark pool, then opens the elevator floor, dropping her into the large pool where a tiger shark eats her alive. As the two men leave by helicopter, Stromberg activates a bomb that destroys it and kills them. He killed the scientists as a loose end to prevent them from ever talking about their work with him... as well as to avoid having to pay them. Stromberg then meets with two hired assassins, the fat Hungarian agent Sandor and the seven-foot tall, silent Jaws, so named because he has steel teeth. Stromberg instructs them to go to Egypt and find the stolen submarine tracking system blueprints and to kill anyone who comes into contact with the plans.Bond arrives in Egypt, meeting with a old contact who tells him to find a man named Fekkesh, a local businessman whom is seeking to buy the submarine tracking system. Bond goes to the man's house where a woman tells him Fekkesh isn't home and refuses to reveal his location. As Bond kisses her, Sandor tries to shoot him. Bond uses the woman to take the bullet and chases after Sandor, fighting with him and dangling him over the edge of the house's roof. He forces the assassin to reveal Fekkesh's location and then lets him fall off the building, killing him.Bond goes to Giza to meet Fekkesh at the pyramids where he sees XXX has already found the man. While the pyramid light show goes on, Fekkesh notices Jaws standing to the side. He quickly leaves to escape, Jaws in pursuit, Bond following closely. Jaws corners the man and kills him with a bite to his neck. Jaws also escapes from Bond.In order to continue the investigation, Bond must meet with a man named Max Kalba at his nightclub in Cairo. Anya Amasova also meets him there and the two meet with Kalba to obtain a valuable microfilm containing designs for the submarine tracking system that may have been used to abduct the missing subs. Kalba prepares to negotiate a price with the two government's agents when he's called away to the phone. Jaws (disguised as a maintenance man) kills him in the phone booth after obtaining the microfilm. Bond and Amasova stow away in Jaws' van and he drives out to a site of ruins in the desert... aware that they are in the back of his van.In the morning, the two agents chase Jaws through a series of Egyptian ruins, finally cornering him and obtaining the microfilm. Bond and Amasova escape in Jaws' vehicle and make it to a boat on the Nile. Bond secretly examines the microfilm on board and the two settle down for the journey. Suddenly, Amasova renders Bond unconscious with a gas from a fake cigarette and takes the microfilm.Bond recovers the next morning and reports to another site of ruins where he finds Amasova, Gogol and M waiting. Though Amasova believes she'd outwitted Bond, he reveals that he'd already studied the film without her knowledge. With the assistance of Q, they examine the microfilm, which is worthless, a conclusion that Bond came to when examining it on the boat. However, they do find evidence of a symbol hidden in it that identifies Carl Stromberg. Their superiors order Bond and Amasova to investigate on the island of Sardinia, where Stromberg lives. The two travel there by train (in a scene that recalls the train ride in "From Russia With Love"). They are attacked by Jaws, however, Bond is able to fight him off and expel him from the train.Upon arriving in Sardinia, Bond and Anya Amasova meet Q who has brought Bond's car, a Lotus Esprit. The two meet with Stromberg's secretary and assistant, Naomi, who takes them out to Atlantis. Bond poses as a marine biologist and meets with Stromberg, who tells the undercover Bond of his love of the sea and how an underwater city (like the model he has in his private chamber) may be the only hope for the future of humanity. As they leave, Naomi is telling Anya about Stromberg's largest ship, a one-million ton supertanker named the Liparus. After seeing a small model of the tanker, Bond privately remarks that the design of her bow is unusual. After Bond and Anya leave Atlantis, Jaws comes out of a hidden room and confirms to Stromberg that Bond and Amasova are the spies that he encountered in Egypt. Stromberg instructs Jaws to wait until Bond and Amasova get ashore and to kill them both.As they speed away in Bond's Lotus, they are attacked by Stromberg's men, first by a motorbike assassin who attempts to destroy the car with a warhead sidecar. When that plan fails and the cyclist is killed, Jaws and a carload of assassins attempt to shoot at Bond who is able to throw off their pursuit using the car's defenses. They are also attacked by Naomi in a helicopter, firing on them in a strafing run. As the chase continues, Bond drives off the end of a pier and converts his car to a small submarine. He uses a small missile to destroy Naomi's helicopter, killing her.In the submerged car/submarine, Bond and Amasova proceed to Atlantis, now submerged. Unable to find anything conclusive from outside, they prepare to leave and are attacked by several frogmen and mini-subs. Bond destroys them all with the Lotus' defenses, however, they are forced to surface on a beach when the Lotus is damaged by an underwater mine.Back at their hotel, the two plan their next move. Bond sends a message to M in London, inquiring about the supertanker Liparus. A short while later, a telex reply comes back explaining that in the past nine months when the Liparus was launched, there is no record of the ship being in port anywhere in the world. Bond and Anya suspect that something is up and decide to find the tanker to get a closer look at it. When Bond lights one of Anya's cigarettes, she notices that the lighter he uses is from the city near where her lover was killed. She confronts Bond on the issue, to which Bond replies that he'd acted in self-defense when he killed the man. Anya vows revenge as soon as their current mission is over, if they're still alive.The two spies next find themselves on an American submarine monitoring the Liparus. While surveying it, the sub is rendered inoperable and is swallowed by the Liparus; the bow of the tanker opens, revealing a large submarine dock inside, containing the captured British and Russian subs. The crew are forced out of the sub and taken prisoner by the heavily armed crewmen. Bond and Anya are identified almost immediately and are also taken prisoner. On the bridge of the Liparus, Stromberg explains his plans to use the nuclear missiles aboard both the captured British and Russian subs to ignite a nuclear war between the superpowers. The resulting nuclear holocaust will destroy the surface world, leaving Stromberg the opportunity to rule an underwater kingdom.Stromberg departs for Atlantis with Anya as his personal captive, leaving his crew to begin the assault as crews board the British and Russian subs and depart to their launching stations in the Atlantic Ocean. Afterwords, the Liparus' captain orders Bond to be put with the rest of the prisoners. Bond escapes before he can be imprisoned and frees the British, Russian and American sailors. The combined sub crews lead an all-out assault on the Liparus' crew, taking the dock areas and most of the ship despite taking heavy casualties, including the British sub captain. Unable to break into the heavily-fortified bridge control room, Bond uses a nuclear warhead detonator to blow a hole in the armored wall of the control room, and the crews kill the rest of the Liparus crew, including the captain.With the two Stromberg-controlled submarines on their launch stations in the Atlantic, Bond has the American sub captain use the tracking system computer on the Liparus to transfer the coordinates of each submarine missles to the other as their targets. The ruse works, causing the two submarines to destroy each other with each other's missles. On fire from the battle, the Liparus begins to blow up from the fires on the ship. Bond, the American sub captain, and the remainder of the American, British, and Russian crews board the American sub and escape from Liparus before it explodes and sinks.They set course for Atlantis, which has been ordered to be destroyed. Bond argues with the American captain that Anya is still on Atlantis and must be rescued first. He is given a wetbike (an early Jet-Ski) and arrives at Atlantis ahead of the sub. Bond takes the elevator to Stromberg's level, avoiding the trap door in the elevator floor. Bond finds Stromberg in his massive dining room. Stromberg attempts to kill Bond with a harpoon gun located under the dining table but misses. Bond returns fire, hitting the villain several times in the chest, killing him.Still searching for Anya, he encounters Jaws and outwits him, using an electromagnetic crane to seize his metal teeth and drops him into the shark tank. The shark is no match for its namesake; Jaws quickly bites and kills it.Bond finds Anya tied up in a torture room, just as the American submarine begins its attack, torpedoing Atlantis. The city begins to sink into the ocean, slowly filling with water. Bond and Anya escape from Atlantis in a pod that surfaces. (Jaws himself is also seen escaping the stricken Atlantis and swims off.) In the pod, as Bond relaxes, Anya takes his gun, seemingly intent on killing him. But she changes her mind and shoots off a cork on a champagne bottle, having forgiven Bond in which she professes her love for him.A little later, the escape pod is found by a British vessel which captures it. M, Minister of Defense Gray and General Gogol find the two semi-nude agents in the midst of a romantic encounter inside. | cult, murder, violence | train | imdb | As played by Barbara Bach (a.k.a., soon-to-be Mrs. Ringo Starr), Anya ranks as one of the best Bond Girls, easily worthy of 9 points.Bond Villain: Karl Stromberg (nice villainous name, by the way) is one of those mad billionaires who hopes to create a new world order by mass genocide and building a new society, this time underwater.
From the spectacular ski chase pre-title sequence, climaxing with a parachute free fall off a cliff (love that 'Union Jack'), to Bond and Anya's confrontations with Jaws, in Egypt (reminiscent of Bond's fights with Oddjob in GOLDFINGER and Tee Hee in LIVE AND LET DIE), to the amazing Lotus that would do service on land and in the ocean, to the massive tanker battle while Bond disarms a nuclear warhead (shades of GOLDFINGER), THE SPY WHO LOVED ME would do homage to 007's previous adventures, and utilize humor in support of the on-screen action, instead of spoofing it (other than the brief use of the LAWRENCE OF ARABIA theme...you'll spot it).And to top things off, Carly Simon's rendition of the film's title tune, "Nobody Does It Better", would become a Top Ten hit, worldwide.Critics and audiences loved THE SPY WHO LOVED ME, hailing it as Moore's best work, and one of the better Bonds of all time.
The suspense and high drama is back, for the first time in a Roger Moore Bond film things are played right, we don't think we are watching an action comedy, but an action adventure movie, what little lines of humour are here are subtle, not overt and taking away from the dramatic thrust.For production value it's one of the best.
Undeniably one of the finest James Bond films to star Roger Moore, the film has plenty of excess, top notch special effects (for 1977) anyway, the humor less overt and left over for puns and one liners, and one of the first strong and independent Bond women, paving the way for future love interests like Jinx and Wai Lin. The Spy Who Loved Me scarcely puts a foot wrong.
However 'The Spy Who Loved me' is more than merely a sum of its parts, and when each part is handled as expertly as these, you don't seem to care if it has indeed been done before.The film like Moore exudes a certain charm, and provides a certain amount of nostalgia looking back at it now, with it's lively 70's fashions, even Bond's theme gets the disco treatment, quite superbly.
So in all everything is here you could possibly want in a 007 adventure; top stunts, beautiful women, cool villains, those gloriously huge Pinewood sets and THAT car, wrapped in an exciting globe-trotting story line where Bond has to save the world from certain destruction, accompanied by the svelte tones of Carly Simon singing 'Nobody does it better' it's not surprising that the 'Spy Who Loved Me' is one of the most memorable of all Bond films..
In this case it means Moore working with beautiful Russian agent Barbara Bach and you know of course she'll be Bondified before the film is over.Probably up to this point the most dangerous foe that James Bond ever faced was Odd Job in You Only Live Twice.
He is fun to watch, and is almost indestructible, like the evil cyborg in "Terminator 2." Jaws just keeps coming back no matter what you do to him.Overall, this Bond film is attractive because it has just the right mixture of action, suspense and humor, and another pretty leading lady in Barbara Bach.
This time James Bond-Roger Moore third outing and best entry ,he join forces with female Russian agent named Anya Amasova(Bach)to eliminate a nasty villainous(Curt Jurgens)and his henchman, a giant steel-toothed named Jaws(Richard Kiel).He schemes to utilize captured US and Russians atomic underwater with objective to destroy the world.For the first time nuclear submarines from Russia,Britain are sailing side by side.It may look like the beginning of WWIII,but don't worry .As usual,intervene Q (Desmond LLewelyn),MonneyPenny(Lois Maxwell),M(Bernard Lee) and Russian general Gogol(Walter Gotell).Roger Moore plays perfectly the master spy,Moore tells about his Simon Templar,The Saint, that he was a private person doing things for other people to help them and was rather a boy-scout following the rules of television and James Bond is an assassin licensed to kill.He's right,the tone is perfect for the times and for Roger Moore's brand of James Bond.Times have changed and for example, the Ian Fleming book based the film ,has nothing to do with cinematographic adaptation.His beautiful co-star is Barbara Bach and of course no Bond movie would be complete without the gorgeous Bond girls(Caroline Munro,Valerie Leon,among others).The movie is an agreeable blending of frenetic action,spectacular and exciting sets and humor with tongue in cheek.The film contains the world's largest sound stage specially constructed by production designer Ken Adam.In the inauguration day was even as special guest,former Prime Minister,Sir Harold Wilson.
The motion picture is shot in Sardinia, Cala Volpe.There appears the car Lotus Esprit,¨Sweet Nellie¨, with weapons and rapidly become in sub.There's a very funny scene when the Lotus comes out of the water,but in order to avoid seeing the car underwater,Kem Adam had a speedboat doing waves .The scenes were really very simple attached a cable under the van to the front of the Lotus and pulled the car out the water.The Lotus could function underwater,but had to wear breathtaking equipment inside.The producer Albert Broccoli tells that they went to Egypt in the mid-1970s,tensions were hight in the Mideast.It took some careful negotiation to get out crew into Egypt.They had to submit the script in advance and an Egyptian government official had to be present during the shooting to make Egypt certain and did not portray the country in a negative light.The most challenging sequence was the night shooting in pyramids Giza,where was re-staged the ¨Son et Lumiere¨,despite the dramatic lighting effects much of the show had to be recreated in studio(Pinewood) using special effects.While the Bond films are not travelogues ,the producers do like to take viewers to spectacular places and show them things in a way that they've never seen before.The producers gambled that audiences were ready for a more fantasy-laden Bond film.Egypt(with an impressive temple of Karnak) was a great location for cameraman Claude Renoir,made it look elegant and exotic,Claude was the nephew of the great director,Jean Renoir.He helped photograph many Renoir's great films,like the ¨Grand illusion¨.He also shot second unit on ¨Cleopatra¨and photographer the 60s cult classic,¨Barbarella¨.This is his last major film as cinematographer.The film is well directed by Lewis Gilbert who had previously directed¨You only live twice¨a decade earlier.This picture is one of the more memorable Bond-Moore..
The one under discussion here also features an exceptional performance by Roger Moore, who proved he could really rise to he challenge of playing the world most famous secret agent in his own way.Despite having a thin plot( which Bond film doesn't?), Spy is still a grandiose adventure, with a romantic edge to it that works wonderfully.
And it should be noted that the movie is directed by Lewis Gilbert, who was responsible for my favorite Sean Connery 007 film as well (YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE).Roger Moore has always been considered the campiest James Bond, as his movies spent more time mugging to the camera and quipping one-liners than giving us a serious secret agent on a world-threatening assignment.
This was a spectacular addition to the series and, in my opinion, the best James Bond film since "Goldfinger." It completely washes the bad taste of "The Man With The Golden Gun" out of your mouth.Roger Moore has perfected his take as James Bond by this outing.
The Spy Who Loved Me brings back more action, adventure and mayhem than the previous Bond film, returning once again Roger Moore as Agent 007 on a mission where he investigates the hijacking of British and Russian submarines.
Roger Moore returns as James Bond "007" in this tenth adventure, finding him trying to track down two stolen nuclear submarines, being used in the plot of billionaire Stromberg(Curt Jurgens) who lives in an underwater fortress, where he plans to plunge the world...
Soviet agent XXX(played nicely by the beautiful Barabara Bach) assists Bond in his quest.A return to form for "007" after three disappointing entries, is fun & exciting, with well staged chase sequences(memorable ski chase that opens the film, to a car that turns into a mini-sub, among many others).
James Bond (Roger Moore) teams with a sexy Russian agent (Barbara Bach) to stop a web-fingered megalomaniac (Curd Jürgens) from destroying the world and rebuilding it as a new Atlantis."The Spy Who Loved Me" is fabulous nonsense, superior to all the previous Roger Moore Bonds, even with the obvious model shots, process shots and the occasionally corny background music by Marvin Hamlisch, who also wrote the music for the theme song, "Nobody Does It Better." (It's popular, but you can have it.) The gadgets, sets, stunts and one-liners are more outrageous than ever.
Roger Moore returns as 007 for the third time, with Barbara Bach as the pretty Soviet agent.What's interesting about THE SPY WHO LOVED ME is that it gives a human face to the Cold War enemies.
Curt Jurgens's Stromberg is not the most memorable Bond villain- I preferred Michael Lonsdale' Drax in "Moonraker", a man with a similar scheme and similar motives- but the film did introduce one of the best villains of the whole series in the form of Richard Kiel's Jaws, an immensely strong assassin with steel teeth.
I think the love story between Bond and Agent XXX is the poorest aspect of this film, it felt a bit unnecessary and certainly overused, there wasn't enough chemistry between Moore and Barbara Bach, and because of this their passionate scenes together really just left me wanting more action.
Nobody does it better even with a disco infused James Bond theme.In the spirit of detente Bond (Roger Moore) is teamed up with beautiful Russian agent Anya Amasova (Barbara Bach) to solve the mysterious disappearance of a British and Soviet nuclear submarines.Their adventures lead to the underwater lair of megalomaniac Karl Stromberg (Curt Jurgens) an elegant psychopath who wants to create an underwater empire with a much reduced world population.However Anya also has an agenda to kill Bond as he killed a fellow KGB agent who was also her boyfriend.Hot on their heels is the indestructible deadly henchman Jaws (Richard Kiel) with teeth of steel.
Munro's chase with the helicopter as she pursues Bond's Lotus until it drives into the sea and turns into a submarine, is one of the highlights of the movie.Kiel makes an excellent henchman and German actor (Curt Jurgen)makes a good baddie as Karl Stromberg, who is hell-bent over world domination and creating a new civilisation under water.Barbara Bach is a beautiful companion and female agent who teams up with Moore in the movie to play Russian Agent Anya Amasova.Credit should also be given to Moore's timing of humour in the film.
Good pre-title sequence leading to the usual great song and titles (though they are starting to resemble more and more like a 70's porn film), then we're introduced to the Russian spy and your thinking nice twist it's a woman, then she opens her mouth, oh dear, how on earth did Barbara Bach get such a major part when she plainly can't act to save her life.
As to what THE SPY WHO LOVES ME does to make it such a classic-- enter Jaws, one of James Bond's greatest nemeses; Barbara Bach, widely considered one of the sexiest Bond gals (see Force 10 From Navarone for topless Bach); the locations are wonderful, particularly Egypt; the Bond car & chase seen is easily the best non-Aston Martin Bond car of all time; Stromberg, the main villain played by Curt Jurgens, is one of the darkest & nastiest (and psychotic) villains Bond ever faces; Roger Moore, begins his first of three signature Bond films with MOONRAKER & FOR YOUR EYES ONLY following this film.
A positive note also for the opening credits, with the song "Nobody Does It Better" sung by Carly Simon.In this film, apart from central casting inherited from the previous films, Barbara Bach gave life to the bond-girl Anya Amasova, Caroline Munro played Naomi, Curd Jürgens was the villain, Stromberg, Walter Gotell played the Russian General Gogol and Richard Kiel gave soul the ruthless killer Jaws..
The Spy Who Loved Me is one of the best films of all time.+Everything looks better+Set designs+Anya is actually capable of doing something+Jaws-Perhaps change up the villains motivations for once8.0/10.
His third Bond film was "The Spy Who Loved Me" released in 1977 and it's one of the most entertaining movies in the series.The plot revolves around 007 teaming up with female Russian agent XXX (yeah right) to prevent world-hating Karl Stromberg (Curd Jürgens) from starting World War III by stealing nuclear subs.
This one Clicked, and is Considered, Perhaps, Moore's Best.All the Bond Ingredients Coalesce, The Exotic Locations, the Super Villain (Curt Jurgens), the Gadgets, the Sexual Innuendos, the Bond Girl(s) Barbara Bach with Caroline Munro on the Side, an Unforgettable Sci-Fi Thug named "Jaws" (Richard Kiel), the Enormously Impressive Sets and SFX, and for Toppers, a Memorable Title Tune, "Nobody Does it Better", sung by Carly Simon.The 10th Bond Film might seem to Run a Little Long, but there is a Grand Scheme Underway and the Finale is Fitting for the Scope of the Villainy.Overall, it was Refreshing to Find the Formula could still Work after a Couple of Previous Duds.
The 7-foot 2-inch Kiel, equipped with polished steel bridgework, ranks among the most memorable Bond villains and even merited a return engagement in the next Bond, "Moonraker." Unfortunately, like the principal villain, the Bond girls in "Spy" are not indelible; Barbara Bach is only passable as the Russian Agent XXX, although Caroline Munro's Naomi does raise temperatures in her few brief scenes.The pre-title ski chase through the Austrian Alps gets the film off to an exciting start, and, following the customary Maurice Binder credits played against Carly Simon's title song, the action weaves through disappearing submarines, cat-and-mouse chases among Egyptian antiquities, and intrigue in an underwater hideaway.
Really named Anya Amosova, Triple X is played by Barbara Bach, more than a perfect match for Bond.THE SPY WHO LOVED ME is a step-up from Moore's lesser effort THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN, and pays much closer to the Connery episodes that the said film and LIVE AND LET DIE.
The Spy Who Loved Me has to be one of the best Roger Moore James Bond movies and I have read that it was his personal favourite.
The investigations lead them to discover that these disappearances are the responsibility of Karl Stromberg and he then uses them to send nuclear bombs to blow up New York and Moscow but after defeating Stromberg's men on his oil tanker, Bond saves the world by reprogramming the two subs to blow each other up.The highlights of The Spy Who Loved Me include the Lotus which can go underwater, the battle scenes in the tanker and the first appearance of villain Jaws, who reappeared in the next Bond movie after this, Moonraker.Joining Roger Moore in the cast are Barbara Bach as the Russian agent, Curt Jurgens as Stromberg, Hammer Horror star Caroline Munro (Dracula AD 1972, At the Earth's Core), Shane Rimmer (Warlords of Atlantis, The People That Time Forgot), Richard Kiel as Jaws, George Baker (Inspector Wexford in the Ruth Rendell Mysteries) and Bond regulars Bernard Lee, Desmond Llewelyn and Lois Maxwell.The Spy who Loved Me is a must for all James Bond fans.
As with Doctor Who, people tend to have an affinity for the James Bond they grew up with; in my case it was Roger Moore, and the first Bond film that blew my socks off as a nine-year-old was The Spy Who Loved Me (I may have seen The Man With the Golden Gun earlier, but that film is not a patch on this one).Having just sat down with my eight year old son to watch the film for the first time in decades, I can happily say that the passing of over thirty years has done nothing to reduce the level of enjoyment I can experience watching Moore mercilessly mocking Barbara Bach's driving skills, a Lotus Esprit transform into a submarine, Richard Kiel getting his teeth zapped with a broken table lamp, the gorgeous Caroline Munro being blasted out of the skies, or several hundred boiler-suited henchmen throwing themselves off metal walkways amidst explosions and gunfire.Opening with an iconic sequence guaranteed to stir feelings of patriotism in any Brit, ending with a classic 'exploding Bond villain lair', and with plenty of gorgeous girls, gadgets and gratuitous sexist quips packed in-between, this is THE quintessential 70s Bond movie.
Roger Moore, who currently holds the record for most times portraying James Bond in the Eon series, not including Never Say Never Again, didn't have a better Bond film that The Spy Who Loved Me. The film, while it does have its silly moments, had a great story, in my opinion the best Bond girl, one of the best opening songs, and one of the greatest entertainment values.
The two best Bond movies are Goldfinger and The Spy Who Loved Me. Its true that Roger Moore was always a poor actor, but in this Bond film ...he seems to get away with it.
This is my favorite roger Moore James bond movies I'm sure you will not be disappointed with the spy who loved me.
The Roger Moore era of "James Bond" finally hit its stride in "The Spy Who Loved Me," easily the best or at least most iconic Bond since the early Sean Connery films. |
tt1185431 | My One and Only | In New York City in 1953, Anne Deveraux lives with her bandleader husband Danny, their 15-year-old son George, and Anne's somewhat older effeminate son Robbie. After catching Danny in yet another affair, Anne leaves him and takes the children with her.
Anne embarks on a road trip across the United States, in search of a husband to fund a new life for her and her boys. George serves as the chauffeur. They first travel to Boston and Pittsburgh. Anne has a string of disastrous attempts at relationship. After finding that a former suitor now deems her too old to be of interest she becomes desperate and dispirited and chats up a man in a bar who turns out to be an undercover house detective. He takes her for a prostitute and charges her with solicitation.
Meanwhile, George meets with his father who comes into town on a tour. George asks him to take him back to New York but Danny turns him down because he is often on the road for his work. George concludes that Danny does not love him. George also learns that Danny had sent money several times, but Anne resolutely returned it each time.
Running low on funds, Anne tries her luck in St. Louis where her sister lives. The sisters have a very strained relationship but Anne tries to make the best of it and takes a job at a paint store and becomes engaged to the owner. It turns out, however, he is mentally ill and already married. Anne is paid off by the man's family for her trouble. As Anne readies to get on the road again, this time for Los Angeles, George informs her that he is staying with Anne's sister, whom he'd already cleared it with. Anne and George argue bitterly and Anne, resigned, accepts his decision and leaves with Robbie, who now serves as the chauffeur.
Near Albuquerque, mother and son get robbed by a couple they picked up for gas money. Robbie phones George to tell him what happened. In discussing it with Anne's sister and her husband, George discovers Anne had left money with them for his board and care. He takes the remaining money and meets Anne and Robbie at a Greyhound bus station somewhere in the Southwest.
The three arrive in Los Angeles and settle into a shabby apartment. Anne comes home one day to find Danny waiting for her. He asks if she still loves him and says he wants her and the boys to come back to New York. She replies, "I don't know if I love you but I do know I don't need you." Danny then departs extending an open invitation to return if she changes her mind.
Anne forges ahead and the family gets work as extras in a movie. Anne catches the eye of the movie producer and manages to get Robbie slated to try for a starring role. George thinks maybe his mother was right all along and everything will turn out fine. But that evening Anne gets a call and learns Danny has died of a heart attack. George flies back to New York to attend Danny's funeral and gets Anne's blessing to stay there and attend his former prep school on scholarship.
Soon, however, he realizes he belongs with his family and returns to Los Angeles unannounced. George finds Robbie having difficulty with a scene in a movie. As he helps Robbie recite his lines, George is discovered as a talented actor. Robbie gives up acting and goes to work in costuming. In epilogue, George reveals that he is a contracted Hollywood actor and has changed his last name to "Hamilton," which was his father's real last name. He realizes that Anne, Robbie and he didn't need anyone to take care of them, that they could take care of themselves and that they were going to be just fine. | romantic, autobiographical, flashback | train | wikipedia | After catching her husband in the act of infidelity, Anne Deveraux takes off with her two teen sons and embarks on an adventurous road-trip hoping to find a man who would take care of them.
While Anne's attempts fail, she remains high-spirited and hopeful through her struggles until she learns a most valuable lesson, that the best person to take care of you is you.Writer Charlie Peters has wonderfully encrusted this period piece with plenty of humour that keeps the viewer amused all the way.
It tells of a 1930's high society mother (Renee Zellwegger - never better) who walks out on her unfaithful husband (Kevin Bacon) after discovering another woman in his bed.
(The "making of" featurette on the DVD is a wonderful look into the making of a higher budgeted 'indie' movie by the way.) But there is one serious flaw to the film, and that is Renée Zellweger's performance.
Whenever the character undergoes pressure, she gets all wobbly and quirky, like a character actor playing a supporting role - but she's not only the lead, she's what the picture is all about, so this is definitely a flaw that threatens to derail the whole project.Fortunately, it doesn't.
As good as Ms. Zellweger is, the movie is stolen by the two very gifted young actors who portray her sons; Logan Lerman and Mark Rendall.
After 20 minutes, you want to be with this family for the rest of the film.This is the kind movie that depends on writing and Charlie Peters has given us a convincing and at times, very witty screenplay.
Really enjoyed this story about an unusual family that got more interesting as the movie moved along on their journey from New York City to end eventually in Hollywood, California.
To learn in the end that this may have been based on some real life adventures of actor George Hamilton was especially enjoyable; and, its not spoiling or taking away anything from this story to make that fact known here.
The separation of a middle age mother from her cheating husband has a familiar ring; but, how she and her two sons cope with her disconnection from her husband's money and support in 1953 is a sometimes funny and sad story to watch develop..
After she walks in on her cheating,no good S.O.B. of a husband & his current "item",she packs her clothes,takes her two teen aged sons out of school,and proceeds to leave New York,forever to make a new life (and perhaps to find a new hubby,which won't be easy,as her better days as a singer/sex symbol of twenty-something years ago are far behind her).
Her two sons (both by different men),George (played by Logan Lerman),who is an aspiring writer,and Robbie (Mark Rendall,who nearly steals the show),a closeted homosexual,who is toying with the idea of acting.
Kevin Bacon has some nice,but brief time as Anne's cheating husband,Dan Deveraux.
From what I've read, it's very loosely based on a time in George Hamilton's life as a young teen.
(He is not in this movie, not even as a cameo.) Renee Zellweger plays the unlikely role of mother to two teen sons.
The movie doesn't tell you in the beginning that it is based on a real person, but at the end of the film we learn one of the characters is a real person whom became an actor.
The movie has funny and dramatic parts.It's about a wife, Anne Deveraux, whom is tired of her cheating husband.
There were no elements of this movie that I would have changed.Renee Zellweger embodied her character perfectly as the proud mother of George and Robbie Hamilton.
How many stories like this have we seen so far: mother (Renee Zelweger) finds out that her husband (Kevin Bacon) is cheating on her and leaves him.
Travelling from city to city, and as many things happen to them, she cannot find anyone to 'sign the deal.' The further away they go from NY, the more the mother learns about her family and herself.Very conventional, this is a road film where the family is moving from one coast to the other (NY to LA).
As the narrator, he tells us what he thinks about his mother, family relations, the trip, etc.A good family/drama movie.
At one point she tries her hand at working as a salesclerk in a department store with disastrous results.In My One and Only, Anne, who is used to living the good life decides to leave her husband, taking with her limited funds, some jewelry and her two sons, including son George (who supposedly authored the story as a biographical sketch).
They head west in a new Cadillac and attempt to cope with a series of not amusing, somewhat absurd situations as she tries to land a husband to support them, evincing little interest in how loving or suitable the men she meets might be as husbands or fathers to her sons and, apparently??, without ever divorcing the husband she left behind.
Anne hurts her foot in one scene, the producer rushes over and based on that he agrees to give her second son a chance to play a lead role in another movie although he possesses no talent or meaningful experience.
George intervenes and the rest, as they say, is history, the details of which would require a spoiler alert
although as a hint, things took a turn not dissimilar from events in another great Rosalind Russell movie, Gypsy,as Baby June cedes her place to her sister.Logan Lerman and Kevin Bacon turned in decent performances.
Ann Deveraux (Renée Zellweger) lives with her womanizing band leader husband Danny (Kevin Bacon) and her two sons George (Logan Lerman) and Robbie (Mark Rendall) in NYC.
She's a flaky clueless mother and goes on a cross country road trip looking for a new man.This shows that Renée Zellweger is actually a real actresses.
Of course, the events happening are not so wild and crazy as among the first mentioned types, but it is still catchy to follow - first and foremost thanks to 2 great performances: Renée Zellweger as Ann Deveraux (Zellweger has proved herself to be a versatile and talented actress) and Logan Lerman as George Deverau (so far, his 2nd best performance after Charlie Kelmeckis from The Perks of Being a Wallflower).
Decent but not a Must See. I did not care for the writing in this movie, much of the dialog was uninspired and most of the characters were something of a charactature.The performances were good, almost without exception.
The story really began to drag toward the end but then suddenly sprang to life and finished like a highlight reel in the last few minutes.This is not a bad film and if you feel drawn to it for any reason, it is probably worth seeing.
The poster and the presence of Reneé Zellweger in the leading role might suggest My One and Only is a romantic comedy, and even though it has some characteristics from that genre, the truth is that it is in fact something different...but not necessarily good.To start with, I was surprised when I found out that the film is a semi-biography of actor George Hamilton...or better said, of his mother Anne, whose search of love made her to undertake a trip around the United States in the early 50's.However, despite the competent performances, I did not like this movie, mainly because I did not find that story to be interesting.The story from My One and Only is so light that I never cared about the characters and their search of love and economical support.The obsessive fans of Hamilton's might find this story about his teenage life, which explains the big attachment he had with his mother, interesting.But as a casual spectator, I did not find this movie satisfactory as a family drama nor as a "road movie".Nevertheless, I have to admit I liked the performances from Zellweger in a character which reminded me of the one she interpreted in Appaloosa; from Logan Lerman, who is much better in here than he was in the atrocious Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief; from Mark Rendall as the step brother of Lerman's character; and from the underrated character actors Chris Noth and David Koechner.However, even though the performances are good, they are not enough for rescuing My One and Only from its emotional apathy and narrative inertia.In conclusion, I cannot recommend My One and Only, because despite its good intentions and solid performances, it frankly bored me pretty much.I think that this movie needed more influence from Hollywood and less from the real life.I am not against the realism, but there are occasions in which it is necessary to sacrifice it in order to make an entertaining film experience..
A lot of humorous lines make the conversation interesting to follow, and the heroine's string of unlucky encounters also play to good laughs.But quite a few items irked me, from the overly black and white depiction of lecherous men, to the pale acting of the two sons, to the frightening number of times Zellweger was told she was 'beautiful' (we get it, middle aged men are horny, she's blonde, but puh-lease, her chemically/surgically enhanced frozen-featured face simply isn't attractive - then again, she does get the word 'old' bandied at her a few times so I guess the director thought a trade off was necessary).Overall, the film really lacked in-depth characterization and relied too much on its fickle road movie charm to wind its way to a somewhat trite and tepid ending..
The whole premise of this less-than-mediocre movie deals with a rich spoiled smirky blonde who has a philandering husband, walks out and shleps her two sons, one of whom is George Hamilton as a teen, across the country looking for someone in her past who might take the place of her philandering husband,smirky quirky lying Kevin Bacon.
That alone was a great big turnoff because I'm a saint of a husband.In the meantime, one son, George, constantly yearns to return his fancy boarding school near his philandering father while the other son,gay as gay can be, is an aspiring talentless actor whose future in the theater/movies is as bright as a 100 watt burnt out bulb.
But it's George, whose last thoughts deal with becoming a movie actor,who possesses strong tungsten but doesn't realize it because the light switch had never been activated.The film's dialogue is nitwitty at best.
The story idea of this movie wasn't bad but the execution was poor.Renee Zellweger seemed stiff and her character was an irritation.
Logan Lerman did a good job as one of the sons, however I doubt that the other son, in the 1950s, would actually have acted as he did in this film.
Dan is a boy inside that looks like a grown man.One of the sons is Logan Lerman as George Devereaux.
They needed a new car to leave town.Anne is one of those elegant 1950s women who doesn't think she should work, and therefore her road trip becomes one to find a suitable husband, one who can support her.
The summer is filled with surprises, and that is what makes this movie so interesting, we never quite know what the next surprise is.Really good, interesting movie, one of the better ones I have seen lately.SPOILERS: Anne and the two sons end up in Los Angeles and, to make ends meet become extras in movie production.
Here's a story of a lovely lady, with two boys, and both of them were special, just like their mother.Such is the premise of this 1950s film, which chronicles the beginning of actor George Hamilton and his eccentric yet elegant mother, portrayed by Renee Zellweger.
The interactions and jealousies between them are so real, I'm still thinking about it.The only critique of mine is Kevin Bacon, who seemed a bit weak in his role, but maybe that was what the director wanted.With great use of time and place, this film needs to seen and appreciated more, especially by those who like 1950s-era movies.
Sweetie and I were childless last night so we sneaked out to see girlfriend Renee Zellweger's latest movie, "My One and Only." It also has Kevin Bacon playing her no account philandering, band leader husband.I didn't know anything about the movie so I was expecting a romantic comedy.
Its kind of like a cross between a road movie, romantic comedy, coming of age, and biography.
Basically Zellweger plays the part of Anne Devreaux who dumps her husband, played by Kevin Bacon and sets off across America with her two teenage sons in search of a new husband.She gets humiliated, arrested, and dumped a bunch of times but always keeps her chin up.I loved it.
Fed up with moving from state to state, a young George Hamilton(played by Logan Lerman) decides that enough is enough, and chooses St. Louis over the open road.
True to his word, while Anne and her other son, George's half-brother Robbie(Mark Rendall) are by then long-gone(having resumed their cross-country trip in a baby-blue Cadillac), George sits down for an old-fashioned midwestern dinner with his midwestern sponsors(Anne's sister Rose and her husband), looking fixedly at a midwestern life ahead of him.
His mother, an ex-wife of a womanizing bandleader(played by Kevin Bacon), might not have been the ideal parent for most children, but he was the ideal parent for George(this wisdom would come much later in life), an aspiring novelist, who unknowingly endorses his alternative childhood during an oral report on what he did during the summer(by now he's in New York).Television codifies us, and in the early-fifties, mothers like Dorothy Malone and Donna Reed ruled the airwaves, mother who stayed at home and tended to their husband and children.
Twice a divorcée, Anne is back in the game; a little bit older, but nevertheless beautiful, as her search for a husband takes the mother of two from one screwball comedy situation to another.
Like all children who grow up and realize that their parents did the best they could, George Deveraux, otherwise known as George Hamilton, the guy with the tan, is also the guy who loved his mother, and in "My One and Only", the moviegoer can see how a generous spirit is the deciding factor that separates comedy from drama..
At the end in his narration he informs the audience he got a contract in the movies as an actor and decided to change his name to Hamilton, like in George Hamilton, whose life the film is loosely based.The film, directed by Richard Loncraine, is mildly amusing.
The film takes a nostalgic look at the way we lived in that era, where things were less complicated in the country.
Another road trip film, but this is somewhat different,it is based on the events of one summer, when Renee Zellweger & her 2 teenager sons make a cross-country trip.
Logan Lehrman is the teen age lad that eventually become the actor George Hamilton , He is relatively new to the screen, He is good enough to have a long career in front of him.The remaining cast are all top performers headed by Eric McCormack,Mark Rendell, Chris Noth,Nick Stahl.Steve Weber, Troy Garity plus others from film & TV.
This movie was inspired by the real-life story of George Hamilton.
After his mother got tired of his dad's affairs, she took him and his brother on a 50s road trip adventure in search for a new husband, on a real 1953 blue Cadillac Eldorado convertible.This movie used authentic props like cars, clothing, music, vocabulary, accent, color shades and hues, buildings, and everything straight from the 50s.
Renew Zellweger stars as actor George Hamilton's mother in the story of what happened when Hamilton 's parents divorced and she began what amounted to an extended road trip to find someone to take care of her and her two boys.I'm kind of at a loss as to why I should care about this story.
In all honesty if it wasn't for the actors, Zellweger and the two young men playing her sons, I would have walked out.
As the film begins, 15-year-old George Devarux (Logan Lerman) began to tell the story of how he would end up in a car showroom with his older half-brother Robbie (Mark Rendall) to the car salesmen.It would turn out that his parents, band leader father Danny (Kevin Bacon) and mother Anne (Renee Zellweger) has gone their separate ways after Anne, who has never taken an interest in her sons' personal lives and interests, caught her husband in an affair with her taking the sons with her away along with the cash from her safe deposit box.
The cash was to be used to buy a car to be on the road for both mother and sons, but the salesmen were initially suspicious of George's reasoning even after he had finished telling his story.
That is where his mother came into the scene.The road trip would eventually come to pass, with the 15-year-old George driving despite having no driving licence of his own.
He would eventually return and an incident which occurred when his mother and younger half-brother Robbie were on route to Los Angeles had him reuniting with them.It is a film based on actor George Hamilton's early life on the road with his mother Ann and brother, as told to his friend Merv Griffin.
What happened to the 15-year-old George Devarux in the end in the film mirrors the real George Hamilton's early days in acting in the early 50s, with a real sense of that decade shown in the cinematography and especially on Renee Zellweger who plays the mother Anne in the film.
For the most part the film looks and feels like the era it's set in.
No!)The film is "loosely" based on the life of George Hamilton and it's possible that Mr. Hamilton's life was filled with stock characters and some events that seemed like they'd make for a good movie. |
tt1735898 | Snow White and the Huntsman | While admiring a rose blooming in the winter, Queen Eleanor of the kingdom of Tabor pricks her finger on one of its thorns. Three drops of blood fall onto the snow-covered ground, and she wishes for a daughter as white as the snow, with lips as red as the blood, hair as black as a raven's wings and a heart as strong and defiant as the rose. Queen Eleanor gives birth to her daughter Snow White, but soon after falls ill and dies. After her death, Snow White's father, King Magnus, and his army battle an invading Dark Army of demonic glass soldiers. Upon rescuing their prisoner Ravenna, he becomes enchanted with her beauty and marries her.
Ravenna, is in fact a powerful sorceress and the Dark Army's master. On their wedding night, Magnus, enchanted, throws Ravenna into the bed and proceeds to make love. Ravenna confesses there was a king much like Magnus that spoiled her. During foreplay, she declares she cannot be a weak queen and kills Magnus. Snow White's childhood friend William and his father Duke Hammond escape the castle but are unable to rescue her, and she is captured by Ravenna's brother Finn, and locked away in the north tower of the castle for many years.
Tabor is ruined under Queen Ravenna's rule as she periodically drains the youth from the kingdom's young women in order to maintain a spell cast over her as a child by her mother which allows her to keep her youthful beauty. When Snow White comes of age, Queen Ravenna learns from her Magic Mirror, in the form of a golden, reflective liquid shaped like a man, that her stepdaughter Snow White is destined to destroy her unless Queen Ravenna consumes the young girl's heart, which will make her truly immortal. Queen Ravenna orders Finn to bring her Snow White's heart, but Snow White escapes into the Dark Forest, where Ravenna has no power. Queen Ravenna makes a bargain with Eric the Huntsman, a widower and drunkard, to capture Snow White, promising to bring his wife back to life in exchange. The Huntsman tracks down Snow White, but when Finn reveals that Queen Ravenna does not actually have the power to do what she promised, the Huntsman fights him and his men while Snow White runs away. When the Huntsman catches up with her, she promises him gold if he will escort her to Duke Hammond's castle. Meanwhile, Finn gathers another band of men to find her, and Duke Hammond and his son William learn that she is alive. William leaves the castle on his own to find her, joining Finn's band as a bowman.
The Huntsman and Snow White leave the Dark Forest, where she saves his life by charming a huge troll that attacks them. They make their way to a fishing village populated by women who have disfigured themselves to save their own lives, becoming useless to Queen Ravenna, who wants to use their beauty and youth to extend and prolong hers, as she does with Gretta whilst Snow White is still imprisoned. While there, the Huntsman learns Snow White's true identity, and initially leaves her in the care of the women. He soon returns when he sees the village being burned down by Finn's men. Snow White and the Huntsman evade them and eventually meet a band of eight dwarves named Beith, Muir, Quert, Coll, Duir, Gort, Nion, and Gus. The blind Muir perceives that Snow White is the daughter of the former king, and the only person who can defeat Ravenna and end her reign.
As they travel through a fairy sanctuary, Snow White encounters a magical reindeer that was only in tales of legend, but as the reindeer and Snow White are about to embrace, the group is attacked by Finn and his men. The Huntsman battles Finn and eventually kills him, and William reveals himself and helps defeat Finn's men. However, Gus is killed when he sacrifices himself to take an arrow meant for Snow White. William joins the group which continues the journey to Hammond's castle.
Halfway to Duke Hammond's castle, Queen Ravenna disguises herself as William and tempts Snow White into eating a poisoned apple, but is forced to flee when the Huntsman and William discover her. William kisses Snow White, whom he believes to be dead and does not notice a tear fall from one of her eyes. She is taken to Hammond's castle. As she lies in repose, the Huntsman professes his regret for not saving Snow White, who reminds him of his late wife, Sara; and he kisses her, not noticing a second tear coming from her other eye falling. The spell broken by the love of the two men she treasures, Snow White awakens and walks into the courtyard; rallying the Duke's army to mount a siege against Queen Ravenna.
The dwarves infiltrate the castle through the sewers and open the gates, allowing the Duke's army inside. Snow White confronts Queen Ravenna, but is overpowered. Queen Ravenna is about to kill Snow White and consume her heart. Eventually, Snow White uses a move the Huntsman taught her and mortally wounds Queen Ravenna, and Duke Hammond's army is victorious. With Queen Ravenna defeated, the kingdom once again enjoys peace and harmony as Snow White is crowned queen. | fantasy, gothic, murder, boring | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0830515 | Quantum of Solace | The film opens soon after the events of Casino Royale with Bond driving from Lake Garda to Siena, Italy. With the captured Mr. White in the luggage compartment of his car, Bond is attacked by pursuing henchmen. After evading his pursuers, and killing several of them, Bond arrives at an MI6 safe house.M updates Bond on Vesper's boyfriend, Yusef Kabira, whose body had been found off the coast of Ibiza, however, the body is not Kabira's, leading M to conclude that he's still alive. Bond pockets a picture of his former lover Vesper Lynd and Kabira.Bond and M interrogate White regarding his secretive organization and it becomes apparent that MI6 knows little to nothing about them. White is quite amused and tells them that they "have people everywhere," as in, right in this very room. At that moment, M's bodyguard, Craig Mitchell, reveals his allegiance to the organization by shooting the MI6 guard and attempting to assassinate M. Bond thwarts the attempt by throwing a chair at Mitchell; allowing M to escape. As Bond struggles with Mitchell, a stray bullet from Mitchell's gun hits White, who seems mortally wounded. Bond pursues Mitchell over several rooftops, eventually ending up in a building under renovation, momentarily causing chaos in the Palio di Siena horse race. A hand-to-hand fight ensues, Bond and Mitchell lose their pistols. Bond is able to recover his own and kills Mitchell. When Bond returns to the safe house, he discovers White has escaped and the place deserted.Following a forensic investigation into Mitchell's apartment and the discovery of marked American currency, Bond heads to Port au Prince, Haiti to track down Mitchell's contact, Slate. Moments after Bond enters Slate's hotel room, Slate attacks Bond, and Bond is forced to kill him. Bond assumes Slate's identity and picks up a briefcase held for Slate at the front desk. As he exits the hotel, a Ford hatchback arrives and he is picked up by a woman named Camille Montes, who believes Bond is Slate. Examining the briefcase, Bond learns that Slate was sent to kill Camille Montes at the behest of her lover, Dominic Greene, the chairman of an ecological organization called Greene Planet. Camille tries to shoot Bond and fails, and kicks him out of her car. Bond steals a motorcycle and follows her to the waterfront. While observing her meeting with Greene, Bond learns that Greene is helping a dangerous Bolivian general, Medrano, overthrow his government in exchange for a seemingly barren piece of desert. What he is unaware of is that Camille seeks revenge against Medrano after he murdered her family years ago.Greene has Camille escorted away on Medrano's boat to "sweeten" their deal, but Bond rescues her. Bond then follows Greene to a private jet, which flies him to a lavish performance of Puccini's Tosca at Lake Constance, Austria. On the plane, Greene meets with the CIA's section chief for South America, Beam, and Felix Leiter, who, when asked if he recognizes Bond from a picture, says he does not. Greene also confirms a deal he'd made with Beam to control whatever resources his organization finds in or under the seemingly worthless piece of desert in Bolivia. Beam assumes that Greene has discovered oil there.Arriving in Austria, Bond discovers that Greene's organization is named "Quantum" and several members are attending Tosca. Bond infiltrates Quantum's meeting at the opera, stealing one of the member's earpieces, and listens in on their conversation which concerns their sinister business dealings around the world. Bond, announcing that Quantum should probably "find a more secure place to meet", tricks them all into standing up to leave so he can take photos of them. He transmits the photos back to MI6 where M's agents begin to identify them.As Bond leaves the theatre, a gunfight ensues in a restaurant. A bodyguard of Guy Haines, an adviser to the British Prime Minister, is killed by Greene's men and Bond is framed. M has Bond's passports and credit cards revoked because she believes Bond has killed too many potential sources of information. Bond travels to Italy to reunite with his old ally René Mathis, whom he convinces to accompany him to La Paz, Bolivia, to investigate one of Greene's business dealings there. On the flight over, Bond drink several glasses of his signature martini and broods over Vesper; he feels betrayed and heartbroken. In La Paz, they are greeted by Strawberry Fields, an MI6 field operative from the British Consulate, who demands that Bond return to the UK on the next available flight. Bond disobeys and, refusing to check into the seedy hotel Fields had chosen, checks into a luxury hotel with her (claiming to be teachers on sabbatical who have just won the lottery). Bond seduces her in their hotel suite.Bond meets Camille again at a ecological fund-raiser being held by Greene, where she is busy spoiling the fun of Greene's party by pointing out his hypocrisy and lies to wealthy donors. Bond and Camille leave hastily together, but are pulled over by the Bolivian police. The police order Bond to pop the rear hatch of his car, revealing a bloodied and beaten Mathis. As Bond lifts Mathis out of the vehicle, the policemen shoot and fatally wound Mathis. After Bond subdues the police, he has a moment of relative tenderness with Mathis as the dying man asks Bond to stay with him. Mathis tells Bond that Vesper "gave everything" for him; his dying wish is that Bond forgive Vesper, and that he forgive himself.After depositing Mathis' body in a waste container, Bond and Camille drive to Greene's intended land acquisition in the Bolivian desert and survey the area in a Douglas DC-3 plane. They are intercepted and shot down by an Aermacchi SF260 fighter and a Bell UH-1 Iroquois helicopter. They escape from the crippled plane by parachuting together into a sinkhole. While finding a route to the surface, Bond and Camille discover Quantum is blockading Bolivia's supply of fresh water, normally flowing in subterranean rivers, by damming it underground. Bond also discovers that Camille has spent years plotting revenge on General Medrano for the murder of her family.The two return to La Paz, where Bond meets M and learns Greene has killed Fields and left her sprawled on the bed, covered in petroleum. M tells Bond that Fields lungs are also full of the substance and that she was likely murdered by Quantum. Believing that Bond has become a threat to both friend and foe, and acting under higher orders, M orders him to disarm and end his activities in Bolivia. Bond escapes the agents who arrest him, defying M's orders to surrender. M tells her men to watch him because she thinks he is "on to something." Even though he has gone rogue, M confesses that she still has faith in him, and that he is "still [her] agent." Before he leaves, Bond demands that M include in her report that Fields performed her duties to the best of her ability.By this point, both the American and British governments have agreed to work with Greene, because they think he has control of vast supplies of oil in Bolivia. Bond meets with Felix Leiter at a local bar. Like Bond, Felix thinks his government is on the wrong track. Leiter discloses that Greene and Medrano will meet at an eco-hotel, the Perla des las Dunas, in the Bolivian desert. Bond is forced to run when several CIA commandos suddenly appear and open fire.At the meeting in the hotel, Greene pays off the Bolivian Colonel of Police. Greene then threatens Gen. Medrano into signing a contract granting Greene's company an overpriced proprietary utilities contract in Bolivia, which will be the only source for fresh water for the country. At first, Medrano refuses but Greene counters saying that Quantum is extremely powerful and influential, able to work with or topple any government or dictator and that Medrano could possibly be castrated and replaced with someone else if he does not agree to Greene's demands. Medrano signs the document and leaves with the money.After the meeting, Bond kills off the Colonel of Police for betraying Mathis, and sets off a chain of explosions in the hotel when a hydrogen fuel tank is hit by an out of control vehicle. He battles hand-to-hand with Greene, who flees the hotel. Camille foils Medrano's attempted rape of a servant girl, and after a fight (during which Medrano tells Camille that she has the "same frightened look" her mother had before he killed her), Camille shoots Medrano. Bond rescues Camille from the burning building, and captures Greene. After interrogating him, he leaves Greene stranded in the middle of the desert with only a can of motor oil. Bond tells him that he bets Greene will make it 20 miles across the desert before he considers drinking the oil, contrasting the resources of oil and water. Bond drives Camille to a train station, where she muses on what life holds for her now that her revenge is complete. They kiss briefly but passionately before she departs.Bond travels to Kazan, Russia, where he finds Yusef Kabira. Yusef is a member of Quantum who seduces high-ranking women with valuable connections, getting them to give up government assets as ransom for himself in fake kidnappings where he is supposedly held hostage. He'd previously tricked Vesper Lynd into the same sort of betrayal of MI6 and plans to do the same with Canadian agent Corinne Vaneau, even giving her the same kind of necklace he gave Vesper (an Algerian love knot). Surprising them at Yusef's apartment, Bond tells Corinne about Vesper and advises her to alert the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. Bond leaves Yusef's apartment and is confronted by M who is somewhat surprised that Bond did not kill Yusef, but rather left him alive for questioning. M reveals that Leiter has been promoted at the CIA to replace Beam, and that Greene was found dead in the desert, shot in the back of the head and with motor oil in his stomach. Bond doesn't volunteer any information on Greene, but tells M that she was right about Vesper. M then tells Bond that MI6 needs him to come back to the agency. Bond walks off into the night telling M that he "never left." As he leaves, he drops Vesper's necklace in the snow.The traditional gun barrel sequence that opens nearly every film in the series (with the exception of this film's predecessor, Casino Royale) appears just before the closing credits. | revenge, action, murder | train | imdb | null |
tt0399708 | Super Bowl XXXVIII | The New England Patriots faced the Carolina Panthers in the 38th annual AFC-NFC World Championship Game in Houston, TX. For the Patriots, it was the second time in three years they had gone to the Superbowl, while it was the first such trip for the Carolina Panthers. The Patriots had erupted to a 14-2 regular season and were seven-point favorites while the Panthers were two years removed from a 1-15 record and had gone 11-5 and three straight playoff wins highlighted by a 70-yard touchdown in double-overtime to beat the St. Louis Rams.Though the two teams were only infrequent opponants due to being in different conferences of the NFL, they carried a particularly bitter animosity into the game, as previous meetings between the two clubs had led to confrontations between players; in on-field warmups before the game the Panthers' Brentson Buckner got into an argument with Richard Seymour and Ted Washington of the Patriots that was broken up by an assistant to head referee Ed Hochuli, and on the opening kick a fight erupted between several players that was quickly broken up; later in the first quarter Michael Rucker of the Panthers crashed atop Troy Brown and his knee broke Brown's nose.The Panthers proved unable to move the ball in the first quarter, but when the Patriots tried a 38-yard field goal it missed. The Patriots clamped down on Panthers running back Stephen Davis and snuffed out efforts by quarterback Jake Delhomme, who'd led a league-leading seven comeback wins in the season. Another Patriots field goal try in the second quarter was blocked by Shane Burton, but this went for naught as Mike Vrabel of the Patriots hammered Jake Delhomme with five minutes to go in the first half and forced a fumble recovered by the Patriots, by which time the Panthers had lost nine yards on a combined twenty offensive snaps.A twelve-yard run by Tom Brady set up a touchdown toss to Deion Branch with 3:05 to go in the half. But now the Panthers found a rhythm on offense and Delhomme began killing the Patriots secondary with passing that led to a game-tying touchdown throw to Steve Smith with some seventy seconds left in the half. Undaunted, the Patriots renewed their attack with a 40-yard Brady throw to Branch that set up a David Givens touchdown catch. But the two teams that couldn't score until 3:05 to go in the half now couldn't stop scoring - in the final eighteen seconds a Patriots squib kick led to a John Kasey field goal and a 14-10 halftime score.Ignoring an embarassing act of exposure during the Superbowl's halftime show, the two teams took to the field for two more quarters, though a professional streaker had to be tackled by stadium security with the help of Matt Chatham of the Patriots. The third quarter was another standoff; neither team moved the ball crisply and several passes were nearly intercepted. But as the third quarter ended the Patriots were on the march, and early in the fourth they scored on an Antowain Smith run.The Panthers, however, had figured out how to attack the Patriots, and drove down the field with an aerial attack by Delhomme and a run into the endzone by DeShaun Foster for a 21-16 score following a missed two-point conversion. The Patriots now drove downfield, but the tiring Panthers defense attacked Brady enough that a third-down throw to the endzone was intercepted by Reggie Howard. Pinned at the Panthers own 15, however, Jake Delhomme moved in the pocket, launched a deep throw, and found Muhsin Muhammid well downfield ahead of cornerback Ty Law; the touchdown put the Panthers ahead 22-21 after another missed two-pointer.By now the game had ceased to be an exercise in coaching and instead had become a race to score against the clock with less than six minutes remaining and the two teams once again unable to stop scoring. Tom Brady completed a gutsy third-down throw to Troy Brown at the 50, and the Patriots drove to the Panthers 3-yard line. Here defensive players Richard Seymour and Mike Vrabel checked in on offense; Vrabel played tight end and caught a Brady touchdown toss. The Patriots went for two and a direct snap to running back Kevin Faulk nailed it.But with three minutes left and down 29-22, the Panthers were not done, and now receiver Ricky Proehl, in his third Superbowl (first with the Panthers after two trips with the Rams) got into the act with clutch catches; with seventy seconds to go Proehl caught a touchdown from Delhomme, and the score was tied yet again, now at 29. But the ensuing kick proved devastating for the Panthers at it flew out of bounds and thus put the Patriots at their 40. This, though, went away as the Patriots lost yardage on an offensive pass interference call against Troy Brown, but Brady completed passes to Brown and then to Deion Branch for first downs with just seconds remaining and the Panthers determined to stop Adam Vinitiari's last-second field goal try. | non fiction | train | imdb | One of the best Super Bowls of all time! The Brady bunch comes thru again at the end.. "Super Bowl "XXXVIII" pitted the AFC champion New England Patriots against the NFC champion Carolina Panthers and it would turn out to be one of the greatest Super Bowl ever played especially a second half that was nonstop action and exciting. The game started off as both defenses were hard hitting and the running games of both offenses were taken away. Tom Brady still remained smooth throwing for 144 passing yards in the 1st half finally the Pats would take a 7-0 lead on a play fake. The Panthers would roar back and tie the game at seven on a 95 yard drive. Never fear the Brady bunch would close out the half with a 14-10 lead, after a dull first 27:00 minutes the last three minutes of the half would explode with points. Starting the second half would be tough as neither team scored a point during the third quarter, yet the fourth and final quarter would prove to be a knockdown drag out fight that was back and fourth. As Carolina would take the lead yet it's not safe when you have to face the eventual game MVP for the second time in Super Bowl history as Tom Brady completed a record 32 passes and he would beautifully drive the Pats with a 1:08 left in the game to set up the game winning field goal. Mr. clutch Adam Vinatieri hit a 41 yard kick to win 32-29 another great Super Bowl win by the New England Patriots.. The Greatest Superbowl. For decades the Superbowl was derided as a spectacle where the hype and the TV ads were more memorable than the game itself, but with the Denver Broncos' win in Superbowl XXXII the game itself retook the lead in importance, a trend continued in Superbowl XXXIV's photo finish win by the St. Louis Rams, accelerated in the New England Patriots' last-second field goal triumph in XXXVI, and finally cemented in the most exciting AFC-NFC World Championship Game ever.The Patriots had emerged as the most successful Superbowl entry since the 1972 Miami Dolphins went the entire season unbeaten, and tellingly, both the 2003 Pats and 1972 Phins won behind their defense - Bill Arnsparger's defensive line in 1972 was called the No Name D, while the Pats defense under Romeo Crennel coined The Homeland Defense for their playoff run.Facing against the Patriots was the upstart Carolina Panthers, two seasons removed from a 1-15 record and now under coach John Fox compared with the 2001 Patriots, particularly with dark horse young quarterback Jake Delhomme. The Panthers pulled two upset triumphs in their NFC playoff run, first a double overtime win in St. Louis via a touchdown at the very start of the second OT, then a last-second field goal triumph in Philidelphia against the perennial NFC title bridesmaid Eagles.The Patriots were listed as seven-point favorites, but a great many fans were genuinely angry toward the Patriots, deriding their 2003 schedule even though they were slated with a dozen teams with winning records in 2002, and wound up winning nine games against teams with winning 2003 records. Fan hatred (and media lack of respect) of the Patriots stemmed from their lack of dominant big name players, a situation in perfect keeping with coach Bill Belichick's anti-star approach to football.The Panthers likewise lacked big names, and many predicted a boring game monopolized by defense. And indeed, for almost the entirety of the first half neither team could score. But a Delhomme sack yielded a fumble and the Patriots nailed a TD with some three minutes in the half. The Panthers responded with an air assault that overwhelmed the stingy ground defense of the Pats, tying the score. Tom Brady and the Pats responded with another TD, but a squib kick led to a last-second Carolina field goal ending the first half.Several embarrassing incidents during halftime festivities did not affect the game, as the third quarter went scoreless, but starting the final quarter the Patriots nailed a touchdown. Carolina responded with their own touchdown, but missed a 2-point conversion. A Tom Brady interception in the end-zone set up the longest score from scrimmage in Superbowl history, an 85-yard Delhomme bomb for a touchdown. The Panthers went for two again and failed, and the Patriots responded with a time-consuming drive that yielded a touchdown, and the Pats went for two and Kevin Faulk ran it in, putting the score to 29-22. But the Panthers could not be eliminated, striking back and tying the game with just over one minute left.From a 27-minute opening span without a score, Superbowl XXXVIII racked up a combined 24 points in three minutes, then after a scoreless third quarter the game racked up another 34 combined points - a total of eight touchdowns, one field goal, and a two-point conversion, stats that brought comparisons with the popular indoor Arena Football League whose 19th season opened one week later. And it came down to a final drive by Tom Brady and the Patriots, a drive to cap off what most who witnessed it would say was the greatest Superbowl ever played. |
tt0104808 | Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence | Houngan, a voodoo-esque priest, recites a chant while surrounded by candles. As he stabs a decapitated human head, Matt Cordell, the so-called 'Maniac Cop', is lying dead in his coffin when he opens his eyes and punches though the casket.The next day, Detective Sean McKinney talks to Officer Kate Sullivan on a shooting range. She complains about being in trouble with her stiff superiors for using excessive force (she has been dubbed "Maniac Kate") Since it is her birthday, McKinney gives Kate a wristwatch and she thanks him since he is one of the few cops whom is casually nice to her.McKinney goes to a crime scene where a headless corpse is found with a dead chicken stuffed inside. The detective talks about Palamayumbe, a ritual which uses heads; the chicken is left inside the body to let the soul "take flight".That evening, Kate and her partner are at a scene where a crazy man named Frank is inside a store, shooting anyone who enters. Reporters Bishop and Tribble are nearby and listening to the police scanner for stories and they are exited to hear that the notoriously aggressive Kate Sullivan is at the scene. After Kate's partner is killed by Frank, she runs inside with an automatic rifle and shoots at Frank until he runs into the pharmacy (with bullet-proof glass) for refuge.At the same time, McKinney describes to Houngan (standing by a barrel of fire) a symbol resting next to the corpse, and Houngan says that it is the symbol of "anti-justice".Back at the pharmacy, Kate runs to the roof, loads hollow-point bullets into her revolver, and jumps through the roof and into the pharmacy. Frank holds the girl from the pharmacy as a shield, and Kate shoots him without hesitating. The girl says: "You shot Frankie!" Kate realizes that she had buzzed Frank into the pharmacy and they are both involved with the shooting spree. They both open fire and the girl is hit in the head and Kate is also hit as the two reporters are filming everything.Meanwhile, Cordell goes to see Houngan and the man tells the undead cop that he allowed himself to bring him back to life because his spirit is not at rest. Cordell hears the news of Kate on the radio (the video of the incident at the pharmacy has been edited by the dirty reporters to make it believe that Kate killed the pharmacist's assistant in cold blood and that the woman was innocent). Cordell is angry and leaves.At the hospital, McKinney asks Dr. Myerson about Kate and he tells the detective that Kate is brain head due to being in a coma from the shooting. Outside the hospital, a man says uncomplimentary things about Kate when Cordell arrives and throws him and shoots the man in the air.The next day, McKinney talks to his friend, Willie, and learns that the pharmacist Frank is using the police due to Kate using illegal weapons. Frank has been giving a six-month suspended sentence in exchange for dropping the lawsuit. McKinney goes to the hospital and asks Dr. Susan Fowler if he can talk to Frank. The detective tries to help Frank remember more about the shooting at the pharmacy by cutting off some of his oxygen.A comatose Kate dreams of walking down a church aisle to meet an ugly and decomposing Cordell at the altar. She opens her eyes and grabs a nearby McKinney when she sees Cordell behind him. The detective tells Susan about her movement and her heart monitor speeding up, but the doctor sees no change in Kate's physical being. Regardless, Susan tells Myerson what has happened and asks for another brain scan, but Myerson think that it would be a waste of time and money.Later, Myerson is enjoying some time with a woman in the doctor's lounge, and Cordell knocks on the door. When the doctor comes out, Cordell shocks him with defibrillator pads. He chases Myerson to the roof, where he places the pads on the doctor's face, killing him. Afterwards, Susan sees Cordell lurking around the hallways and follows him to the basement, but he disappears. Later, after the police discover the body of Myerson, Susan tells McKinney about seeing a cop leave Kate's room. McKinney goes to the basement and finds the old church altar with Houngang, who talks to the detective about resurrection. He says that McKinney and Cordell walk the "same path".Hank Cooney, a local police official, goes to the hospital to see Dr. Powell and tells him that by cutting off Kate's life support would save the city some trouble. Cooney shows that he has a letter of consent, signed by Kate's mother. Powell says that he can take care of it later that afternoon. A little later, Powell hears glass break in the X-ray room where Cordell grabs him and straps him underneath the X-ray machine for a fatal treatment with repeated blasts with high-powered X-rays. Cordell takes the letter of consent and crumples it.That evening, the dirty reporters, Bishop and Tribble, go to the scene of a drive by shooting (which sounds intriguing since it was reportedly a child shot). At the scene, Bishop callously interviews the brother of the young victim. He then looks for Tribble, finding him dead inside an ambulance with two dead attendants. Bishop is stabbed through the back by Cordell.The next day, McKinney watches the unedited version of the pharmacy shooting and sees that the girl killed by Kate had buzzed Frank in.Back at the hospital, Cordell places a gun by Frank's pillow, uncuffs him and leaves him the keys. As Cooney and Gina Lindey, Frank's lawyer, discuss clearing Frank's long criminal records (so he can get the benefits of film or literary rights), Frank and his two hospitalized criminal roommates escape and shoot and kill Cooney, Lindsey and the guard on the floor. Cordell then goes back to Kate's room where he picks her up and carries her away. McKinney arrives back at the hospital and seeing the dead bodies, hides under a hospital gurney and shoots and kills Frank's two criminal associates. He follows Frank to the women's restroom where he kicks a stall door, and is grazed by a bullet from Frank (hiding behind a woman on the toilet), and finally kills the trigger happy criminal.Susan bandages McKinney's arm and they kiss. The detective is told that Kate has been taken away. McKinney and Susan run to the basement church were Houngan is standing over Kate's comatose body and Cordell is standing behind him with a shotgun. Houngan says that Cordell has ordered him to resurrect Kate, but McKinney tells Cordell that Kate is now at peace since all the people responsible for her condition are dead and to "let her go". Cordell tells Houngan to "finish it". Houngan says that he cannot "recover" Kate because Kate will not allow him, and Cordell shoots Houngan, knocking over some candles which set fire to Kate's body. Cordell picks up Kate's flaming body and they burn together as McKinney and Susan run outside and avoid an explosion.McKinney and Susan get into an ambulance to get away as the whole building begins to burn. But as they are driving down a road, a flaming Cordell follows them in another car. The ambulance driver jumps out and McKinney gets behind the wheel as the burning Cordell tries to reach his hand inside and literally pushes cars out of the way. McKinney tosses an oxygen take in the backseat of Cordell's car, but the maniac cop latches his arm onto the passenger's side door. The detective drives by a road sign, slicing Cordell's arm off and the ambulance flips over. Cordell stops the car, turns around and slams it into drive, but the car explodes when the oxygen tank explodes. McKinney lights a cigarette with Cordell's flaming severed arm.In the final scene, the burned-to-a-crisp bodies of Cordell and Kate lie side by side on tables in the morgue, and Cordell lovingly touches Kate's still body. | cult, violence | train | imdb | "Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence" is yet another solid sequel that is just as good as the previous two movies in the series.
Former killer cop, officer Cordell is resurrected to take care of some unfinished business and exact revenge on those who have disgraced a policewoman shot in the line of duty.Despite being made in 1993 Badge of Silence reeks of the 80s farmore than Cordells rotten flesh, basically it's part slasher flick, part cop shoot 'em up.
With a hint of the Bride of Frankenstein and a more blatant supernatural overtone Robert Z'Dar is reduced to a zombie with a bigger chin than Bruce Campbell as wronged cop Matt Cordell.
Top character actors Robert Forster and Paul Gleason have welcomed bit parts with Ted Raimi putting in cameo.Where as part one shocked because of its daylight surprise setting, two because of its dark tone, grit and seediness, part three is most notable for being the darkest looking instalment lacking it's own identity - it feels like an episode of the Equalizer starring The Terminator in places.
Nevertheless, to director William Lustig's credit and writer Cohen part 3 manages to mix a voodoo element on the gritty police backdrop successfully unlike for example Halloween 6 which followed two years later.Overall, while not as entertaining nor as well executed as its predecessor it's worth seeing if only for Caitlin Dulany and Davi's performances and also to hear Joel Goldsmith overlooked score..
Officer Matt Cordell (Robert D'Zar) returns yet again in this, the apparent final sequel to William Lustwigs 1988 original movie.Far from being laid to everlasting rest after having his name cleared in the previous entry, our undead psycho slayer is resurrected here once more, this time by a voodoo priest (for reasons that are never actually explained) However it seems that beneath all that rotting flesh is a lonely heart as evidenced when he takes an amorous interest in a female police officer after she is gunned down during a drug store robbery.
Before this, he resolves to bring about the violent dissolution of all those people who contributed to her comatose state and in addition those who would aggravate it (including in the later category the always excellent Robert Forster!)Returning once more is the welcome face of Robert Davi who ironically shares a similar agenda to Cordell i.e. to punish those responsible, but who is none too compliant with the undead marriage plans.It has to be said straight out that the film in question is not a patch on its two predecessors in terms of either story, script, action scenes or gore content.
However, having said this and despite the hokey plot, the film does contain a few great set pieces including a cool scene where Davi rolls down a hospital corridor on a bed towards the bad guys and jumps out from under the covers with guns blazing.Overall then, for fans of the series this is well worth a watch.
With Maniac Cop 2, director William Lustig and screenwriter Larry Cohen imagined a mixture of bloody slasher and crime thriller The French Connection, and delivered just about the most satisfying sequel imaginable to an original that was hardly great.
Having clear Matt Cordell's name and buried him with honours in tact, Detective Sean McKinney (Robert Davi) had hoped to have seen the last of the 'Maniac Cop'.
After being resurrected by a Voodoo priest, Cordell sees Sullivan as an equally tortured and unfairly disgraced soul, and sets about claiming her for his own.It's hard to know where to start with Maniac Cop 3, as the film is so lacking in ideas and structure that it barely has a beginning, middle and end.
Cordell, again played by Robert Z'Dar, is relegated to little more than a glorified cameo in his own movie, appearing ever now and then to carry out a bloody deed seemingly for Voodoo priest Houngan (Julius Harris), whose motives are still unclear when the credits roll.
As a fan of the first two Maniac Cop movies, it's easy to feel as cheated as Lustig did as he stormed off set..
Wounded following a routine robbery, a female officer is abducted by the Maniac Cop Matt Cordell forcing an officer with previous encounters against him to race to save her before he makes her like him.This here was actually an incredibly enjoyable film.
What is really fun and enjoyable in this kind of film is there's a lot of action in this one, starting with the opening as the voodoo ceremony over the casket followed by the resurrection in the cemetery is rather chilling and makes for some good atmosphere to open the film with, and the drug-store shootout here is just as nice.
The film is subtitled 'Badge of Silence', but 'Bride of Maniac Cop' would be more appropriate, since that's the road that the second sequel has chosen to go down.
The entire movie feels like it cant really be bothered, with the plot serving only in dishing up the relevant elements for Matt Cordell; the 'maniac cop' to go on another killing spree.
As a matter of fact, even if Larry Cohen's script has been modified and rewroten many times in order to fit a bit more with common production standarts (by that I mean for example the whole love story stuff...) Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence delivers in many many ways!
I truly andfully admit having been mesmerised by this wonderful gripping conclusion to Matt Cordel's (the Maniac Cop, still played by Robert Z'Dar) epic journey through nightmarish urban violence!
The overall here just feels like a series of random shots had been put together for a movie, as if they had given different directors free reigns to just do whatever they wanted and then patches their individual products together at the end during production.The story line in "Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence" was laughable at best.
It didn't really feel like there was any heart and soul added to this movie.I have now watched this third movie, and with it I will let Matt Cordell rest, because it was definitely much needed after strained two sequels..
Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence is my second favorite Action Horror flick from the 90's.
Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence (1993) is very underrated and it might be the worst one in the series but is my second favorite Action horror flick from the 90's and I still love it.
I know that this film is different from the first film that started all and I still think the director and cast crew did a great job in this final installment of Maniac Cop franchise.
Like I mentioned I love Action horror flicks and this one did delivered because it had some great action sequences and shootings that I did liked and I thought it was much better film than Maniac Cop 2 because Robert Davi's character Det. Sean McKinney had something to do than he did in the second film because wounded one criminal and through the rest of the film he didn't do anything except talking here he at least did something.The end of the film when Matt Cordell was in flame again and he died caring his bride Kate and Sean didn't do anything I was mad because I thought the film ended without Matt burning to death again and that's it?
I am glad Joel Soisson took over the direction when the original series director William Lustig just left the film project and refused to shoot the additional scenes the producers wanted and quit the project.Maniac Cop III: Badge of Silence is a 1993 action horror film written by Larry Cohen and directed by William Lustig, and an uncredited Joel Soisson.
A voodoo priest resurrect Matt Cordell from dead once again to get revenge on the people for framing fellow officer Katie Sullivan in hostage rescue attempt.
Killing an insider the store clerk was Jessup's accomplice when she fired on Katie and Katie shooting her in the head was awesome, I love this scene.Jackie Earle Haley as Frank Jessup did a good terrific job as the villain in this film and Julius Harris also did a good job as a voodoo priest.
Robert Z'Dar as Matt Cordell did a good job performing his character not that good as he did in the first two films but I still like his performance in here.
The plot apparently was not the main consideration of the people who decided to make this, the second sequel to the 1988 surprise hit; that's the only way to explain why there are so many gaps in it (like "Who is that voodoo master?", "Why did he choose to resurrect the Maniac Cop" and "Why does the Maniac Cop kill / help good AND bad guys so arbitrarily?").
Matt Cordell, the "maniac cop" (Robert Z'Dar) is resurrected by a priest (Julius Harris, one of the stars of 1970s blaxploitation classics 'Black Caesar' and 'Superfly').
Meanwhile McKinney (Robert Davi), the cop who cleared Cordell's name in the previous movie, is outraged when his friend and fellow cop Katie Sullivan (Gretchen Becker), is seriously wounded in a robbery and accused of wrongfully shooting two "victims".
Though this film does have some competently staged action, MANIAC COP 3: BADGE OF SILENCE is unsettling and even tepid at times.The plot revolves around a rookie police officer, Kate Sullivan (Caitlin Dulany) who is currently in a coma after being injured in the line of duty.
He is obsessed with revenge on the corrupt officials who have wrongly accused and convicted Sullivan.It's up to Lt. Sean McKinney (Robert Davi, also a veteran of the MANIAC COP series) to stop Cordell before he precipitates yet another one of his own patented killing sprees, but frankly, it is too late...MANIAC COP 3: BADGE OF SILENCE was definitely the most pretentious entry in the truly well made MANIAC COP series.
Matt Cordell aka Maniac Cop is brought back from the dead by some voodoo priest and he tries to help out a female police officer that was gunned down and now on life support.
One of the few recommendation's is that Robert Davi returns as Det. Sean McKinney and also Robert Z'Dar is back as the horribly disfigured cop from the grave Matt Cordell.
The robber, in return, decides to sue the police force, which awakens our maniac cop (Robert Z'Dar) with the help of a voodoo priest.
Perhaps the fact that director William Lustig walked off the set, for some reason, is the reason for this.You can tell that this movie had some really good ideas in it but it just doesn't work out quite well enough all.It sounds strange but even Cordell just comes across as a totally pointless character in this movie, even though he is the titular maniac cop of the movie.
This time its perhaps more the other way around, with the movie focusing more on the 'human' characters and not the evil villainous Matt Cordell.
Of course all of the previous Maniac Cop movies are silly ones but at least the know to be fun and don't become ever very serious and instead goes more often over-the-top.Oh well, it at least still has Robert Davi and Jackie Earle Haley in it, who still keep the movie somewhat interesting and fun to watch, avoiding it from becoming a completely unwatchable one.Not hard to see why they decided on leaving the series at 3 movies.5/10http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/.
Maniac Cop III: Badge of Silence is a pretty good sequel to Maniac Cop and Maniac Cop 2.Written by Larry Cohen who wrote the previous two Maniac Cops and directed by William Lustig who directed the previous two Maniac Cops also some scenes was directed by Joel Soisson, Robert Devi returns as Sean McKinney and Robert Z'Dar returns as Matt Cordell.The film sees Matt Cordell returning from where Maniac Cop 2 finished off, this time he's after a female cop named Kate that was gunned down and is framed for killing a civilian.
The Maniac Cop shows up in the hospital killing people getting in his way and the staff that are not trying to help Kate Properly.Matt wants Kate for his wife since Houngan, a man that used magic to bring him to life again can return her soul into her body making her live again then she can be Matt's bride.But Sean McKinney is out to stop Matt again and save Kate's soul from Matt Cordell.
For instance, an early sequence in which Cordell (the titular Maniac Cop) throws a man up in the air then shoots him several times on the way down was very exciting, but then nothing like that happens for the rest of the movie.From the script and direction point of view, this movie is pretty interesting, involving a blacklisted cop in a coma that Cordell is trying to clear by killing everyone involved in her framing, and a lot of similar cop-thriller style direction from Lustig, but the movie just lacks any real spark.Don't get me wrong, Badge of Silence is still a reasonably fun watch.
Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence starts where Maniac Cop 2 (1990) ended with the funeral of the Maniac Cop himself Matt Cordell (Robert Z'Dar).
The Maniac Cop Matt Cordell takes an interest in Kate & starts to kill those wanting to switch off her life support...The third, & thus far the last, entry in the Maniac Cop series of films Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence was originally going to be directed by William Lustig but was completed by co-producer Joel Soisson after Lustig walked out, apparently even scriptwriter Larry Cohen voiced a dissatisfaction at how the film ended up.
While parts of the film don't work as well as they could have I still think Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence is a really good horror film.
It moves along at a nice pace, is never boring & entertains from start to finish.Director's Lustig & Soisson give the film a nice look & special mention goes to cinematographer Jacques Haitkin (who has worked on over 75 films) as Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence looks fabulous throughout, from the candle lit Voodoo rituals to the cold, clinical & sterile Hospital interiors this is one great looking, atmospheric & moody film.
There is a really cool car chase at the end with a burning Matt Cordell behind the wheel of a police car trying to catch McKinney.Technically Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence is very good, the stunts at the end are great, the photography is great, I really liked the music & it's generally well made.
The acting is pretty strong by all involved & Caitlin Dulany as Dr. Fowler is a bit of a babe & easy on the eye's.I really liked Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence, it lacks a bit of logic but it tries to raise a few issues & have some twisted fun with them.
So after the dissapointment of 2 I wasn't exactly thrilled to see a 3rd installment, but after hearing so many good reviews, I bought it, and let me tell you it was worth every penny.!!!POSSIBLE SPOILERS!!!A voodoo priest resurrects the corpse of officer Matt Cordell.
But to be precise, this 3rd entry in this popular horror series is not that gruesome at all, mostly downplaying the gore in favor of the stunt-filled action sequences.The Maniac Cop himself, Matt Cordell does not have much of a part in the story-line until the final act.
Matt Cordell's(..the formidable Robert Z'Dar, under heavy prosthetic make-up)restless soul is conjured by a voodoo priest, with the resurrected zombie seeking a mate, which is provided when he hears about a shoot-out at a pharmacy between a female cop, Katie Sullivan(Gretchen Becker)and a sadistic junkie, Jessup(Jackie Earle Haley).
Dr. Susan Fowler(Caitlin Dulany), the on-call physician over Jessup, who somehow survived multiple gun shot wounds from Katie's firearm, will assist McKinney while also falling in love with him during the process.Despite Larry Cohen's sloppy, incoherent mess of a script, director William Lustig and Joel Soisson(..Soisson, I'm guessing, was probably more associated with the stunt-work)unload plenty of action sequences which impress such as the final car chase between a burning Cordell trying to drive McKinney and Fowler off the road, or bloody shoot-outs where a heavy supply of squibs were utilized to show bullet-riddled bodies.
And "Maniac Cop" wasn't good enough to warrant the second installment, so you know it's even worse.
**MAJOR SPOILERS** Exonerated of the crimes he was framed for not the dozens, most of them cops, of innocent persons that he wipe out in the previous two "Maniac Cop" flicks Officer Matt Cordell, Robert Z'Dar, was finally laid to rest in a lavish inspectors funeral courtesy of the NYPD; Or was he!It just happens that this Voodoo priest, Henry Pensen, for reasons known only to himself has resurrected Cordell to go out on the streets and do his thing; Killing cops or anyone else who has the misfortune of getting in his way.
Cordell starts things off by killing everyone who, rightly or wrongly, was responsible from framing Katie, like they did to him, and hanging her out to dry!The film has Katie's former police partner Det. Sean McKinney, Robert Davi, try to get Jessup, who's been hospitalized, to come clean and tell the truth about why Katie shot both him and Terry but Cordell beats him to it.
Which includes himself and his bride to be the equally dead Katie Sullivan.With both officer McKinney and the now late Frank Jessup's, who was killed in a shootout at the hospital, doctor Susan Fowler, Caitlin Dulany, coming to Katie's rescue, thinking that she's still alive, Cordell literally explodes!
He was dead but she was deader!The least effective of the "Manaic Cop" film trilogy "Badge of Silence" was only saved by Cordells actions in the film that again lead to some two dozen people getting murdered by him including the man who brought him back from the dead Voodoo Priest Henry Pensen. |
tt1858481 | Last Passenger | Lewis Shaler (Dougray Scott) is a doctor and widower heading home with his young son Max (Joshua Kaynama) on a late-night train from London heading to Tunbridge Wells. Max accidentally causes fellow passenger Sarah Barwell (Kara Tointon) to spill coffee on her coat, prompting Shaler to apologize to Barwell. The interaction is the beginning of a romantic connection between the two.
Later, while the train is stationary, Shaler notices an unidentifiable man tampering with the train's brakes. As the train begins to move again he sees another man crawling across the tracks. On investigation, Shaler discovers the conductor has vanished.
Soon after, as the train approaches Shaler's home station, Barwell kisses Shaler and asks him to call her, however Shaler is distracted by the train bypassing his stop. Shaler tries to contact the driver on the intercom, but the driver only speaks to ask how many passengers are left on board. Shaler and fellow passenger Peter Carmichael pull numerous emergency brake cords to no effect. It dawns on Shaler and Carmichael that the driver intends to kill himself and his passengers and, along with fellow passenger Klimowski (who Carmichael originally suspected of involvement), attempt unsuccessfully to stop the train using the rear hand brake.
After the train continues past Tunbridge Wells, the train collides with a vehicle at a level crossing as the train is traveling too fast to activate the gates and lights. It kills all the occupants inside the vehicle instantly and fiercely jolts the passengers. The crash also causes one of the six remaining passengers to suffer a heart attack, and Shaler is unable to revive her. Klimowski and Shaler then work together in an attempt to break into the driver’s compartment using a fire extinguisher as battering ram, but their efforts are unsuccessful due to the reinforced door.
Klimowski attempts to decouple the train carriages by climbing outside, but this dangerous gambit is cut short by an approaching single-track tunnel. Shaler saves Klimowski by pulling him back on board a moment before the open door's impact with the tunnel. It transpires that the police have laid an ineffective blockade in the tunnel which only momentarily stops the train, and none of the passengers can open the doors due to the narrowness of the tunnel.
Suspecting that they are now close to a destructive collision with the Hastings station buffers, Shaler creates an improvised explosive using the last remaining fire extinguisher. The explosion causes enough damage for Shaler, with help of Carmichael, to de-couple the carriages, however Carmichael falls through the gap in the carriages and is killed instantly. The burning carriages separate as they speed through a suburban station where police officers watch helplessly as the train rushes through with the end car trailing not too far behind. Shaler is left on the front car whilst, Klimowski and Barwell attempt to stop their own carriage with the hand brake at the rear. With the train continuing to burn around him, Shaler takes a moment to compose himself, before running and leaping from the carriage as it explodes, possibly killing the driver and immediately engaging the brakes. The front carriage of the train finally screeches to a stop just in front of the camera and shows the headlight going off for good.
Shaler is discovered alive and conscious by Barwell, Max and Klimowski while a helicopter circles over the burning wreckage of the train in the distance. The identity of the driver and his/her motivations for committing a murder-suicide are left unknown. | suspenseful | train | wikipedia | The number of passengers on board dwindles to an eclectic few, seemingly in real time, before this familiar and very British late train to Kent is invaded by the plot of a Hollywood Blockbuster.
And this merger is the heart and soul of the piece – a 'what if?' scenario that sneaks out of nowhere, pulling the rug on what you thought you were watching.If I had to level any major criticism it would be that the films ultimate ambitions are occasionally betrayed by its lack of budget, but don't let that put you off – a number of creative decisions were probably based around what couldn't be afforded and, in my opinion, are improved by the inability to throw lavish visual effects at the screen.
What we are left with is a taut, claustrophobic thriller that's hard to second guess.The film makers influences are easy to spot, the 'Dual' like scenario and the rattling interplay between a collection of disparate ('Jaws'- like) characters screams early Spielberg, whilst the slow build of simmering tension, as the reality of the situation takes hold, evokes the sensibilities of Hitchcock, as does the Herrmann-esque score.
This is a thriller that takes its time to present a credible realism – all the better so that when the brief flashes of chaos and action do erupt we are invested in the characters lives and the predicament they face becomes a life threatening battle for survival with, only too real, motive and consequence.
In fact the cast seem uniformly intent on selling the danger and urgency of the piece.All in all, I found Last Passenger to be a thoroughly entertaining film that I'll be seeking out again when it's released on the big screen in the UK..
The widow Dr. Lewis Shaler (Dougray Scott) and his son Max (Joshua Kaynama) are traveling late night by train to London.
Lewis contacts the passengers Jan Klimowski (Iddo Goldberg), Peter Carmichael (David Schofield) and Elaine Middleton (Lindsay Duncan) and they team-up expecting to stop the train.
The story takes place in a train along 97 minutes running time and is never boring.
From the start Last Passenger feels like the kind of suspense film you don't see any more.
What ensues is reasonably good given the set-up, with plenty of suspense and low-rent heroics as those trapped try to work out a way to improve their situation.One of the real strengths of LAST PASSENGER lies in the calibre of the cast members.
While "Last Passenger" isn't the be-all and end-all of action/adventure films, it was certainly entertaining and exciting.Most of these types of films, including high-end James Bond movies, have pretty preposterous plots and action sequences.
The average person doesn't know that.This is a wild film, highly improbable, and thrilling, with attractive stars Dougray Scott and Kara Toinin.
I enjoyed all the acting, even if the little boy here is no Leonardo di Caprio in the making.I get a little tired of people criticizing films as if, for instance, a movie like this is supposed to be Citizen Kane when it isn't.
When I look at IMDb reviews, those are the films that are hailed as "classics" that "demand multiple viewings." Well, David Lynch movies might demand multiple viewings, but others don't -- by me, anyway, since often I can't through five minutes of them.
It is exciting, full of suspense, great acting and a good script, keeps you wondering all the time.
So pleased we did as its very enjoyable gripping drama, it had some great character build up at the start and from then the tension built to a good climax.I thought the camera angles was excellent (like a scene with someone battering a door and the camera followed each ram) and the effects were spot on without being to over the top.On the whole a really enjoyable movie with good acting its just a shame a movie like this is not as well received as some of the big Hollywood movies that are sometimes a huge let-down.
Yes, there are many ways the train could be slowed and stopped by outsiders, and yes, some of what went on was not realistic, and yes, there are technical things which a rail-enthusiast pedant would object to.However, I found it thoroughly enjoyable and at times edge-of-seat.
Last Passenger reminds me of movies like, "The taking of Pelham 123" and "The Cassandra Crossing", although the story in this is somewhat different, the similarity is being helplessly captive on a train.A small cast of characters and a tight script.
Without giving anything away and me being a stickler for reality even in the most unrealistic of movies this runaway train would have fallen into the English Channel by the time the passengers did their stuff.Before the film gets going (between London and Tunbridge Wells)a journey that takes less than an hour and they have had a few good kips in between like they are crossing Canada instead of south east England!
Instead, what we have here is a kind of 'Speed' film.Dougray Scott plays a single father, who's taking his young son on the train just before Christmas.
Unfortunately for him and the handful of passengers left on board (including the single female of appropriate age who just so happens to find single fathers REALLY attractive), the train refuses to stop and they must work out a way of getting off before it smashes into whatever there is at the end of train tracks in Britain (a wall of spikes, perhaps?
Effectively, the few passengers left on board could just sit around in relative comfort for most of the movie, only really needing to figure out a way of getting off five minutes before the end.
If you're bored of zombies, gangsters and found footage B-movies you may enjoy this one (just don't dwell on the slightly dodgy computer special effects when the train catches fire).http://thewrongtreemoviereviews.blogspot.co.uk/.
This is not to say The Last Passenger is a bad film but it certainly isn't a good one.Dougray Scott is a very under-rated actor who I feel is always watchable and he is a solid lead here, but there isn't much for him to get his teeth into.Reality contestant and lads mag favourite Kara Tointon is the latest blonde of the moment to try her hand at acting.
I suppose its inevitable that low budget independent movies will employ "celebrities" to get funding but its a shame they let down the project's ambitions.I enjoyed the leisurely pacing at the start, the time devoted to setting up the characters and the wait for it all To Go Wrong.
But when it does the pacing remains very slow, which, combined with the somewhat abstract nature of the threat means the movie drags.I applaud the film makers for trying something different but would urge them not to proceed before the script is tighter.The Last Passenger feels like a TV movie and it feels the kind of thing that would turn up on Channel Five one afternoon.
By that time SPAD (Signal Passed at Danger) technology was in effect across the BR Network so the train would have been stopped automatically when it failed to stop at Tonbridge.In addition the dialogue was crap and in my view it had no convincing story line, was technically inaccurate and got nowhere near the icon of the genre (IMHO) - The Taking of Pelham 123.
Kara Tointon for all her looks has a silly grin throughout this movie and quite simply cannot act.Dougray Scott just about holds the whole sorry story together.The rest of the cast are sad indeed.A note to the director...You cannot possibly create a suspenseful film without decent acting It just does not work That is all I have to say.
Painful would be the best way to describe this movie, I cannot understand why a movie like this would be released in the wake of 'The Taking of Pelham 123', it is just total crap.There have been many movies in regards to out of control trains, but with what seems like a budget of $1.50 this was still a waste of money.Truly anyone who has seen The Taking of Pelham 123 would not write a favorable review for this film, and to be totally honest Denzel Washington's incarnation of a train movie wasn't brilliant either, that being said I could at least sit through it a second time, but not for this (Last Passenger) rubbish.You would think with all of the train movies that have been done over the years the producers of this movie would at the very least try to equal their rivals, however it seems they just want their rivals to look good.The entire movie looks and feels like a very bad 1960's incarnation of a train movie, the music is like something out of a Hitchcock thriller.The only good thing about this movie was the end credits.If you see this movie advertised somewhere, RUN!.Bloody dismal.
The budget isn't adequate to realise a thriller like this.Dougray Scott is good as usual and gives a performance far better than this tripe deserves.
Thought it would be more action packed based on the poster, But it was mores suspenseful like Duel on a train or the Hitcher on a train.A weird story about an unknown villain who hijacks a train that still has 6 passengers on it as the train speeds its way to the last stop.
Well if your idea of good movies are some Hollywood concoction where a decent script and decent acting is replaced with ridiculous special effects every five minutes then I guess you might feel that way.Personally I would say that this is a decent movie.
Set on a train, our film focuses on Dr. Lewis (Dougray Scott) and his son Max who are traveling to their next destination late at night.
The doctor's plans for the evening are suddenly "derailed" when he and the small group of remaining passengers discover the train is no long stopping at any of the stations and it is speeding up.
It's now up to a small group of passengers to work together and either find a way off the train or stop the unknown train driver who is behind this cruel plan.One element I really enjoyed with this film was the easy setup and introduction of its characters, including our leading hero.
Watching these characters working together and trying to figure out what's going on with the train is fun to see.
As far as the audio and visuals are concerned, the film feels more like a B Grade (or midday movie kinda film) and if you have that expectation, there are elements here that can be enjoyed.That being said, the film's focus is with the characters located on the train and not the villain (aka the train driver).
The primary plot is simply about the characters trying to stop the train or get off it, which is great, but I was hoping to know more about the reasoning behind it all.Overall, Last Passenger is an entertaining and yet harmless B Grade film.
This film just has the appearance of one that the cast enjoyed making and genuinely liked working together.
As an ex-railway man and lifelong rail enthusiast, I'm drawn to any film that features British trains and, good or bad, simply have to see them myself.
Serious viewers will pass it over as silly, but any time the critics like an action picture so much more than the ordinary reviewers, you should know to whom it will appeal.Please see this film if you like to consider weighty subjects like death and the meaning of life after someone you love dies.
Presumably British producer UK FILM COUNCIL (THE IRON LADY, MY WEEK WITH MARILYN) had the same impression and took care of the financial side.LAST PASSENGER has the spectator witness the helpless interactions of a group of panic stricken travellers doing their utmost to regain control of the train gone high speed coffin and prevent it from killing everybody.
Sure, in the beginning the people aboard fall victim to ye olde behavioural patterns seen in many a genre trip before but over the course of the film the plot takes a healthy turn and the rare occurrence of an ensemble cast without a total jerk in their midst can be spotted.
"Last Passenger" begins with a doctor (Dougray Scott) and his son (Joshua Kaynama) getting on a train in England.
They soon strike up a conversation with a very lovely young lady (Kara Tointon) and it really looks like it's going to be a romance film.
IMHO, it's the single best thing about this film.I liked all the characters.
The Last Passenger Rides On Full Suspense & Drama Train & Delivers It. Starting Dougray Scott Tsp is a well made film from start to finish it was handled extremely well.the concept is old but presented in a superb manner.if you can get what i typed one my title summary you know what i mean about this film.i saw this film few weeks back in Pakistan on May 15 i guess its not released yet in other countries like USA.Singapore & others till 13 august as IMDb says i guess.critics are waiting to grab this movie but ill say that this is purely a audience entertainer.plot is about some passengers takes train back home but someone has other plans for everyone on board.lewis suspicion rises on driver as hes traveling with his son.what i like in movies is story buildup & how it takes itself to the climax, director Omid Nooshin did the best here & surpassed expectations.this film runs on full suspense & drama with characters suspecting each other when i saw the climax it blew me away its not your usual nonsense Hollywood film its got a very different ending.the cast includes Dougray Scott(Mi2) now what can i say about him he was amazing as always,Kara Tointon was great addition its the first film i saw of her will look out her films from now on other cast members did good job with their characters.dialogs & chemistry was fine hereid say if you want to enjoy any film then please don't look at critics reviews they ruin a film.this is a well made film of 2013 low budget & shows great talent,there is some action at the end but i saw a different poster of this film with Scott running with a revolver it was misleading,its a age of new movies somehow the team manged to do something that many other filmmakers failed to do so,its this types of films when i see & then i want more of this stuff because of no antagonist & protagonist theme involved it gets named a genre of its own one of a kind id say.movies like unstoppable & under siege 2 are quite similar popular b movies.my rating is 10/10 all points i am honest here.i enjoyed it i saw die hard 5 & its was quite weird what they have done to that franchise, i am not saying that it will give a push to Dougray Scott's acting career but its still a nice addition for fans.overall last passenger provides great entertainment & takes a name in my list of good suspense films.wins me over & i loved it.go for this because its recommended.
She flirts with him from the off, which is of course what all beautiful professional women do on London commuter trains – flirt with total strangers!Of course I'm forgetting he tells her he is a doctor and has a little boy with him (I must try that then) but it still seemed too simple, too straightforward, almost as if they wanted to create their relationship immediately and get it out of the way, which, when it's two of your main protagonists I think is a mistake.The other characters are a bit 'cut out and keep' as well and I didn't really see the point of Lesley Duncan, she seemed to be solely there to die!
Another reviewer poured scorn over the train details (agut-65-912139) and I am pouring scorn over the plot and the acting performances.This movie is supposed to be a thriller the first half an hour is trying and failing to show that the characters are human.
I have seen speed.Really I could not work out why what should have been such a taught thriller was so boring, then I remembered that I do not like Scott.
So here is the story a train is taken over by a deranged person and driven at high speed while half a dozen people try to stop it.
Surgeon Lewis Shaler (Dougray Scott) is together with his son Max (Joshua Kaynama) on the way home with a night train.
No doubt she looks the part.The film is a bit of a slow-burner - taking at least 45 minutes to get to the meat of what's going-on.I like the idea of Iddo Goldberg's character in the film(Jan Klimowski).
Dr. Lewis Shaler (Dougray Scott) is riding a late night London train with his seven year old son Max (Joshua Kaynama) Max is a bit rambunctious and through him he meets another passenger, the flirty Sarah (Kara Tointon).
Several reviewers have described Kara Tointon, the fetching young woman who meets the handsome doctor, Dougray Scott, on the train from London to Hasting as "flirtatious." This is a blot on the character's virtue.
"Lewis Shaler" (Dougray Scott) is a doctor who is on his way to a hospital at night and decides to take the train to get there.
Also on the train is a fellow passenger named "Sarah Barwell" (Kara Tointon) who strikes up a conversation with Lewis along the way.
Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that, while this certainly wasn't a great movie by any means, the director (Omid Nooshin) managed to maintain the suspense and used the rather limited cast in a sufficient manner to produce a fairly entertaining film none-the-less. |
tt0375173 | Alfie | Alfie (Jude Law) is a Cockney limo driver who regularly beds and discards beautiful women. In addition to maintaining a casual relationship with a single mother named Julie (Marisa Tomei) that he refers to as his "semi-regular-quasi-sort-of-girlfriend thing", he also sleeps with various girls on the side, such as the unhappily married Dorie (Jane Krakowski). At the first inkling Dorie wants something more than casual sex, he decides to block all contact.
Alfie wants to go into business with his coworker and best friend, Marlon (Omar Epps), but Marlon is preoccupied with trying to win back his ex-girlfriend, Lonette (Nia Long). Marlon asks Alfie to put in a good word with Lonette. Alfie meets with her at a bar to persuade her to get back together with Marlon - and ends up having sex with her on a pool table. Alfie meets with Marlon the next day, terrified that he knows about their indiscretion, but is relieved when Marlon says he and Lonette got back together.
Alfie goes to Julie's place for another booty call, but she throws him out after confronting him about his affair with Dorie, which she learned about after finding the other woman's panties in his laundry. Alfie soon gets another unpleasant surprise: Lonette is pregnant with his child. Without telling Marlon, they visit a clinic and arrange for her to have an abortion. Soon afterwards, Marlon and Lonette unexpectedly move upstate without even saying goodbye to Alfie.
Following repeated failures to achieve an erection with various women, he visits a doctor who tells him he is perfectly healthy, and that his impotence is due to stress. However, the doctor also locates a lump in Alfie's testicle that may be cancerous. Alfie immediately has a test run at the clinic and spends a few anxious days awaiting the results. During one of his trips to the hospital, Alfie meets a widower named Joe (Dick Latessa) in the clinic bathroom. Joe imparts some life advice to the depressed Alfie: "Find somebody to love, and live every day like it's your last". Soon afterwards, Alfie finds out he doesn't have cancer.
Believing he's been given a second chance, Alfie decides to "aim higher" in his love life. To that end, he picks up a beautiful but unstable young woman named Nikki (Sienna Miller), and they quickly embark on a passionate, turbulent relationship. They move in together, but Alfie finds it hard to put up with her mood swings, especially after she goes off her medication. He begins to distance himself from Nikki, and sets his sights on an older woman, Liz (Susan Sarandon), a sultry cosmetics mogul. Alfie becomes infatuated with her, but she wants to keep their relationship strictly sexual. Alfie then breaks up with Nikki.
Alfie runs into Julie in a coffee shop, and finds that he still has feelings for her; to his dismay, however, she's now happily involved with someone else. A trip upstate to visit Marlon and his now-wife, Lonette, reveals that she never actually went through with the abortion. Alfie also learns that Marlon knows that Alfie got her pregnant, but nonetheless raises the child as his own. Marlon then cuts all ties with him. Alfie calls Joe, who tells him that he needs to get his life together. Alfie turns to Liz for comfort, but is crushed to discover that she has a new man in her life. Alfie demands to know what her new boyfriend has that he doesn't; Liz replies, "he's younger than you".
Alfie has a chance meeting with Dorie late one night. He tries to get back into her life, but she says that she wants no part of him. The film ends with Alfie talking to the audience about changing his ways. | melodrama, flashback | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0082279 | The Dorm That Dripped Blood | A young college man is seen running from an unseen pursuer. As he is hiding, hands grab his throat and he is strangled to death.Dayton Hall is a dormitory that is about to be turned into an apartment complex. Five students have volunteered to help with the cleanup, supervised by Joanne. At a party, Joanne's boyfriend, Tim, tries to convince her to move into an apartment with him, but Joanne wants time to think about it. After she says goodbye to Tim (who is leaving with some friends to go skiing), Joanne prepares the cleaning schedule for the next two weeks. She learns that one of the five students, Debbie, has to leave that night with her parents, leaving Joanne with Patti, Brian, and Craig.Debbie helps with the cleanup for a long as she can and then goes back to her own dorm to wait for her parents. Before she leaves, she heads to the room to get the inventory list from the storage room. Debbie's mother and father arrive and wait for her in their Bronco truck. The father walks up the stairs of the dorm to her room to see what is taking so long, but on the stairway he encounters someone who beats him with a nail-studded baseball bat. While the mother continues to wait in the truck, the back door of the truck slowly opens. Debbie comes down the stairs and sees her dead father at the foot of the stairs. She runs outside to the truck, only to find her mother's dead body inside. Debbie is hit on the head and falls to the ground unconscious. The unseen killer drags her to the truck's back tire, puts the vehicle in reverse and mashes Debbie's head. The dead bodies of Debbie, her mother and father are put in the truck and driven away.The next morning, Patti goes to the supply room. She sees a homeless bum scavenging in the trash bin. When she tells the others about the "wired-looking guy with the fuzzy hair", Brian says that the man is named John Hemmit; he often hangs around Dayton Hall, but he is harmless. Bill talks to Joanne and complains about someone stealing his power drill. Afterwords, Joanne meets with Bobby Lee Tremble, who has arrived about the desks being sold from Dayton Hall. Bobby Lee mentions occasionally driving by the dormitory.That night, after playing pool, Patti goes for a beer and is startled when she sees Hemmit at the window. Brian runs outside to get Hemmit, but he returns without seeing him. The group then splits up to search for the bum. At home, Bobby Lee gives Joanne a ring and asks if she would like to "get together". His "lady friend", Alice, nags him about the phone calls, and Bobby Lee decides to go out for a drive.The next day, Bill goes to the bathroom to clean up. While he is washing his hands, the unseen killer shows up with the drill and "returns" the drilling by drilling right in the back of Bill's head.Brian and Craig are outside when Hemmit walks by. Craig confronts and threatens him to stay away from the dorm while Brian tells Craig to "lay off" Hemmit.An elaborate dinner is planned for the evening, but while Craig is getting candles, some food is stolen. Assuming that Hemmit is in the house, Craig searches for the bum, while Joanne goes to get the others. When she finally finds Brian, they all meet back at the table to see that someone has beaten the food and dishes with a baseball bat. The group gives a description of Hemmit to a police officer, who tells the students that it sounds like something the cops had picked up earlier.While on the telephone to her mother, Joanne hears noises on the room. She calls Patti, who comes over to Joanne's room. Joanne then realizes that the phones are now dead. Brian is seen playing pool when the power in the building goes out. While running up the stairs, he is attacked by the unseen killer with a machete. Craig joins Patti and Joanne to ask about the power failure. Craig and Patti go to check the fuse box. Once there, Craig is knocked unconscious, and Patti is murdered. Craig gets back to Joanne and tells her what happened. The two of them see Hemmit walking around outside, carrying a bloody machete. Arming themselves, Joanne and Craig go out in the hall to find and confront the killer.Soon they run into Hemmit, who knocks out Craig. Joanne runs and eventually finds Brian's dead body. Joanne grabs the machete from out of Brian's corpse and wounded Hemmit. He tells her "You've got to trust me". Not believing him, she hits him again with the machete. She meets again with Craig and Hemmit appears once again. While Joanne gets Hemmit's attention, Craig begins to struggle with him over the machete until Joanne intervenes and hits Hemmit on the head with a baseball bat, killing him at last. Craig seems very pleased and he says to Joanne: "It's been me the whole time". Suddenly realizing that Craig is the killer, Joanne runs away.Bobby Lee arrives at the dorm and hears Joanne's screams and cries for help. While hiding, Joanne is knocked out by Craig, and soon him and Bobby Lee are fighting over the machete. When Bobby Lee bests Craig and grabs the machete away from him, the police show up and see Bobby Lee standing over Craig with the machete. Mistakenly thinking that Bobby Lee is the killer, they pull out their guns and tell Bobby Lee to freeze. Craig, acting like a scared victim for the police officers, tells them that Bobby Lee has killed everyone and pleads to shoot him. Craig then sinisterly whispers to Bobby Lee that he is a "dead man". When Bobby Lee lunges for Craig, he is shot and killed by the policemen. The police help Craig to his feet who continues play-acting as a frightened survivor. He tells the officers that the rest of his friends are dead and they are up on the seventh floor. When the officers run out, Craig picks up the still unconscious Joanne, carries her to the basement to the incinerator and drops her inside. Joanne is burned alive screaming, while the murderous and psychotic Craig calmly walks out of the building having gotten away with everything. The policemen left in the building begin to wonder what the horrible stench is that just circulated all through the dorm. | cruelty, grindhouse film, murder, cult, horror, violence, insanity, sadist | train | imdb | null |
tt1228933 | Laid to Rest | The film begins with a credits sequence showing women being assaulted, before moving to The Girl (Bobbi Sue Luther) waking up inside a coffin in a funeral home. The funeral director (Richard Lynch) hears this, and exits the room. The Girl manages to knock the coffin over, and crawls out. She crawls to the exit, only to find it locked, but the door to the adjacent room is open, so she goes in there instead.She picks up the phone and dials 911, where she is unable to report what has happened to her due to amnesia. The operator offers to send a police car to her, but she accidentally pulls the phone off the hook before they can find out where she is. She walks over to the door, but Chrome Skull (Nick Principe) sees her and rushes to the door. He tries to get it open, but fails, and she sits down on the floor. When he goes away, she throws the phone down, and the funeral director returns to let her in. He puts the keys in the door, only for Chrome Skull to appear behind him. The Girl attempts to warn him, but he tells her no one is there, and Chrome Skull kills him. Chrome Skull tries the door, but The Girl pushes it into his head and knocks him out, before running away.She runs into the street, where she is picked up by Tucker (Kevin Gage), and she tells him she had been locked in a box. He takes her home, where she meets his wife, Cindy (Lena Headey). At first, Cindy is nasty towards her, but after Tucker explains the situation, she calms down, and allows The Girl to take a shower. She tells The Girl that she doesnt have a phone because the phone company cut them off, but her brother Johnny (Jonathon Schaech) will be over in the morning, and he can take her into town.The Girl goes for a lie down, and gets upset, so Tucker comes in to comfort her. When he has finished, they notice Cindy has disappeared. They go outside to find that Chrome Skull has her. Chrome Skull tries to get Tucker to give The Girl up in exchange for his wife, but he refuses. Tucker tries to attack Chrome Skull, but he stabs Cindy in the head and pins her to the house. The Girl drags Tucker away, but Chrome Skull comes forward. Tucker hits him with his walking stick and he falls down some stairs. Tucker and The Girl get into Tuckers truck and drive away.Meanwhile, Johnny and his girlfriend Jamie (Jana Kramer) arrive at Cindys house. Johnny goes to investigate Chrome Skulls car, and then comes back to his own car, where Chrome Skull cuts off his face. Jamie crawls on to the back seat, and reaches for the phone, but Chrome Skull stabs her in the hand. She gets out of the car, and cannot see him, so she runs into the garden, where he cuts her with his knife. She carries on running only to find that he has cut her stomach open and her intestines are hanging out.Tucker and The Girl arrange to go to the next house, where Steven (Sean Whalen) answers the door. He invites them in and tells them he can use his computer to contact the police. They tell him that Cindy has died and a man with a shiny face has killed them and wants to kill her too. While she goes to the toilet, they report the crime on the computer. They then look for more information on Chrome Skull, and look for missing people that match The Girls description. The site tells them that Chrome Skull has killed over 31 girls so far and filmed their deaths.They go to the police station in Stevens car and look for the Sheriff, who radios in a report. Tucker answers it, and reports the crime. The Sheriff tells them he is locked in the supply closet. The Girl finds a body in a cell with a camera strapped to it, and then they hear someone behind them, and Tucker tells them it isnt the Sheriff. He radios the Sheriff again, who says he is locked in the supply closet. As Steven enters the closet, which is empty, the cell door opens and the camera comes on, just as Chrome Skull appears and dashes towards The Girl. He slices her, but Tucker knocks him over and into the cell. He and The Girl escape, inadvertently locking Steven in, so The Girl goes back to get him and Steven stabs Chrome Skull in the leg.They drive to the funeral home, where Tucker dresses The Girls wounds, and Steven sees his mothers corpse in a hearse next to his car. Tucker reassures The Girl that no one is going to kill her, and hugs her. Chrome Skull arrives and takes Stevens mothers corpse into his lair at the side of the funeral home.Tucker goes home to clear up the mess in case Johnny sees it (he doesnt know Johnny is already dead), and The Girl decides to stop Chrome Skull. She enters his lair and tries to rescue a woman, but he approaches them, so she runs away. He then decapitates the woman. The Girl hides inside a coffin and he drills a hole in the top before putting a camera on there.Tucker arrives back with a gun and shouts at Steven for not looking after The Girl. They enter Chrome Skulls lair and Tucker shoots him twice. They get the girl out of the coffin and steal Chrome Skulls car, where they find a new phone. They go to Stevens house, and The Girl waits in the car. She watches a video of the funeral director telling Chrome Skull that the Sheriff was on to their plan. Then she inputs the destination of the nearest store into the GPS and sets off towards it.Tucker and Steven find her gone and go after her on foot. Meanwhile, Chrome Skull gets into a hearse and syncs the two GPS machines so he can track his car, before driving off to find it. Tucker and Steven attempt to get a lift from Tommy (Thomas Dekker) and Anthony (Anthony Fitzgerald), who drive away.The Girl pulls up at the store and tries to get out, but the doors are locked. She tries to get the attention of the Clerk (Lucas Till), by beeping the horn, but he cant hear her. When Tommy and Anthony arrive she tries to get their attention too, but they ignore her and enter the store. Chrome Skull arrives next and enters the car. He gives her a message to get some tapes, and sends her into the store. She puts the phone on the counter and asks for the tapes, but he sends her a threatening message, which the Clerk sees. The Clerk goes outside with a rifle and threatens Chrome Skull, but Chrome Skull grabs the gun and points it at his head just as he is about to fire it, causing him to shoot himself in the head. Inside, Anthony manages to call the police and reports the crime, before locking the front door.As Tucker and Steven arrive, Anthony goes to check the back exit, and is decapitated by Chrome Skull. Tommy initially refuses to let them in, but The Girl says she knows them. She apologises for driving away, and Tucker hugs her again. Steven then mixes some acid that will cause someones face to burn, before they get a message on the phone. He goes to answer it, but Chrome Skull sprays tyre sealant into his ears, causing his head to explode. Tucker tells Tommy to bring his car to the door and not to leave until The Girl gets out. Tucker fires at Chrome Skull but runs out of ammo, and tells The Girl to leave, but she refuses.She tells him Chrome Skull will never stop, but he tells her (knowing her real identity) that she is somebody great, and not to forget it. He attacks Chrome Skull, but Chrome Skull gets the upper hand and stabs him in the chest. The Girl climbs into the fridge, and Chrome Skull puts a camera in there. She watches the video and it is revealed that she is just a prostitute.Chrome Skull then starts to use the acid, thinking it is glue, to glue his mask back on. When he puts it on, his face begins to melt and he falls to the ground. The Girl climbs out of the freezer and grabs a baseball bat, hitting him in the face and causing his head to smash. She then gets into Tommys car and they go to Atlanta with her in Anthonys place. | violence, murder, flashback | train | imdb | null |
tt1930308 | Comforting Skin | Awkward, average looking, and lacking any real self-confidence, Koffie has always felt she neither fits in nor stands out. These insecurities caused her to move around in dangerous circles, exhibit destructive impulses, and lie uncontrollably. But now she thinks she has turned the pageKoffies life is in transition. She has stopped peddling drugs for her ex-boyfriend Alan and now works three minimum wage jobs. She has been taken under the wing by a neighbour named Synthia, a club-hopping Barbie at the end of her shelf-life. Koffie has also been going to weekly sessions with a therapist for over half a year and reconnected with her estranged family.The only constant in this time of change is Koffies childhood best friend Nathan, a sociophobe who has been her conscience in times of need. In return Koffie has always acted as his lifeline to the outside world, doing his errands, and even taken it upon herself to cure his phobia of people by slowly re-introducing him into society. Indeed her life is full of promise.But try as she might to keep herself busy, Nathans demands, her ex-boyfriend Allans endless female conquests, and existing in Synthias shadow do nothing to embolden Koffies sense of self-importance. Escaping the rain one dreary night, Koffie finds herself within the warm shelter of a tattoo parlor starving yet again to feel special. When asked what she wants, the only answer to pass her lips as she gazes the wall of tattoo designs is to have something unique. Inevitably, the act of getting a tattoo does little to fill Koffies insatiable void. In the weeks that follow, she spirals ever downward, and ultimately finds herself standing at a precipice. Koffie does not want to go on. So she places a blade to her wrist. And begins to press. But unlike the many times before where shes done so for attention, this time she does so without restraintAnd it is during this darkest moment the tattoo comes to life on her skin.With a soothing whisper and an electrifying touch never experienced, the tattoo stops her. Immediately her desire for death is replaced by a thirst for life. Crazy though she may be, Koffie does not care. Slithering and pulsating, the tattoo shifts and dances her skin like nothing shes ever felt. It knows every inch of her. Its embrace is overwhelming. Koffie is enraptured.Disappearing into a world of sensory pleasures, Koffies surreal relationship with her tattoo eventually has its casualties. First affected is the fragile relationship with her family. Next the usually self-centered Synthia finds herself both curious and resentful of Koffies newfound happiness. And most tragically a rift between Koffie and Nathan begins to form. As much as she cares for Nathan, Koffie is convinced by the tattoo to wean herself from Nathan, leaving him alone and isolated. Its our time to be selfish, the tattoo argues, Our time to enjoy life!Koffie quickly learns however, even the most unique relationships can become stale and confining. Before long the tattoo has stripped-away all she had of an identity and covets her completely, sabotaging any relationships that get in the way. Monotony and mistrust eventually lead to a wandering curiosity in others. And jealousy ignites into cruelty and violence. For once the tattoo realizes if ever there comes a time where its not needed, that it would cease to exist, it does everything in its power to ensure Koffie will always need it.Fearful for her life, Koffie finally turns back to Nathan and reveals her secret. But Nathan is neither convinced nor prepared for how strong a hold the tattoo has on her, and soon finds himself in great danger as well.In the end Koffie must look to herself for salvation. But how do you end a relationship existing in heart your mind, and played out on your skin? | suicidal | train | imdb | null |
tt1032755 | RocknRolla | Lenny Cole (Wilkinson) is a crime boss who calls the shots in London's underworld and real estate market. We learn all about Lenny from Archy (Strong) his second in command who serves as the film's narrator. When a wealthy Russian property dealer by the name of Yuri Omovich (Roden) looks to Lenny for help on a major new deal, Lenny is eager to assist (for a very large fee, of course). Yuri agrees to pay, and as a show of faith, he insists that Lenny borrow his "lucky" painting. Yuri then asks his accountant, Stella (Newton), to transfer the money to Lenny, but Stella arrangers for a band of thieves known as the The Wild Bunch consisting of One Two (Butler) and Mumbles (Elba) to intercept the money before it reaches him and split the cash among the three of them. To make matters worse, the lucky painting has mysteriously been stolen, and the number one suspect is Lenny's estranged stepson, crack-addicted rock star Johnny Quid, who is presumed dead. As Lenny desperately tries to locate the painting, Yuri calls in sadistic henchmen to recover his money.In an attempt to find Johnny, Lenny and Archy enlist his former record producers Mickey (Ludacris) and Roman (Piven) to track him down or else their concerts and clubs will be shut down. Meanwhile, Handsome Bob (Hardy) is distraught on the night before his court case, he's scheduled to do a five year prison stretch. One Two organizes a party for Bob. On the way to the party, One Two tries to cheer Bob up to no avail. Bob then comes out to One Two, admitting to having a crush on One Two. One Two is disgusted, but thinking that it's Bob's last night as a free man, asks him what exactly he'd like to do. The next day, One Two refuses to attend Bob's court hearing to the surprise of Mumbles. One Two uncomfortably tries to explain that something happened between him and Bob the previous night, when Mumbles tells him that everyone knows that Bob is gay.When One Two, Mumbles, and Bob try to steal a second load of Yuri's money they are wounded and chased by Yuri's persistent hired mercenaries who engage them in a shootout and a lengthy foot chase. They nevertheless deliver the money to Stella as they did before. By this time Yuri has grown impatient and come to suspect that Lenny is involved in the theft of the cash and his painting. Yuri has Lenny viciously beaten, demanding that the painting be returned and the money delivered. Two item peddling junkies manage to steal the painting from Johnny and sell it to the Wild Bunch, and One Two promptly gives it to Stella after they have sex. Mickey and Roman find Johnny and call Archy to have him delivered. After capturing the three, Archy and Lenny's men go to apprehend One Two who is already in the hands of Yuri's vengeful mercenaries. Archy and his men kill the mercenaries and kidnap One Two as well as Mumbles and Handsome Bob who arrived to deliver the name of a much talked about police informant inside the London underworld.Yuri arrives at Stella's house to seal their arrangements while also asking her to marry him, as he has been smitten with her for a long time. Immediately after asking, Yuri spots his lucky painting in Stella's living room. After being asked how long she's had it, Stella says she's had it for years, not knowing it's actually Yuri's. Feeling betrayed and enraged, Yuri orders his associate inside to kill Stella.Meanwhile, Archy brings Johnny, the Wild Bunch, Mickey, and Roman to Lenny's warehouse where Johnny begins to verbally provoke Lenny. Lenny then shoots Johnny in the stomach before he finishes telling Archy that Lenny is the famous rat. Lenny then orders Johnny, Roman, and Mickey escorted downstairs while demanding that the Wild Bunch to tell him where the money is. Handsome Bob offers Archy the documents in his jacket pocket which reveals the informant, code named "Sidney Shaw," to be Lenny. Lenny had arranged with the police to give up many of his associates for prison at any given time in exchange for his freedom. One Two, Mumbles, and Archy himself are among the people Lenny has ratted out over the years, and Archy had served over four years in jail because of this. With this new information brought to light, Archy frees the Wild Bunch and kills Lenny.In the meantime, Johnny, Mickey, Roman and two of Lenny's men are in an elevator on their way to a spot where Lenny's gangsters will execute them and dispose of their bodies. Johnny informs Mickey and Roman in detail about how they will be killed along with him. This prompts Lenny's men to act prematurely, but thanks to Johnny's warning Mickey and Roman react in time, and after a struggle manage to kill the gangsters. When they make it to the ground floor, Johnny kills two more guards waiting outside the lift. The Wild Bunch save them from the last remaining henchman (One-Two knocks him out from behind) and they all escape.Some time later, Archy picks up a rehabilitated but still eccentric Johnny Quid from the hospital. Archy offers Yuri's lucky painting to Johnny as a peace offering and "welcome home present," which Johnny accepts. Archy reveals to Johnny that obtaining the painting "cost a very wealthy Russian an arm and a leg." The film closes with Johnny proclaiming that with his new freedom, he will do what he couldn't do before: "become a real RocknRolla". During the end credits, it is revealed that One Two and Bob had danced together on the night before Bob's court hearing. | comedy, cult, violence, flashback, psychedelic, entertaining | train | imdb | A quick list of things it shares with Lock Stock and Snatch would read thus: fast paced, witty dialogue; complex, interwoven plot threads; central McGuffin driving the mayhem (#1 antique shotguns, #2 huge diamond, #3 a lucky painting); smart, rapid editing; a mountain of Cockney crime stereotypes.
The movie as a whole maybe be a bit of a head scratcher here and there but the pay off is good and the idea is a bit of a parody of itself which is what makes this film so fun.What Ritchie accomplishes though, in the same way he has with his past successful productions is putting together an extremely diverse and yet correlating cast.
The cast is amazing, Gerard Butler gives a formidable performance, Thandie Newton also very good, Tom Wilkinson flawless as always and the secondary roles from Toby Kebbell (Johnny Quid), Idris Elba (Mumbles) and Mark Strong (Archie) gave the movie a very good support.
Writer/director Guy Ritchie, who at first garnered countless approval for his vicious, hyper-stylized tales of dirty deeds in the British underground, had found the critical tides turning in recent years after the succession of universally panned Swept Away to widely baffling Revolver, begging the question as to whether Ritchie's cinematic genius had been limited to his initial films.
After a relatively slow start, serving mostly to set up the convoluted array of characters and plot points (the central Maguffin this time being a 'lucky' Russian painting which goes missing) the film takes off at the frenzied pace those familiar with Ritchie's work would expect.
Mark Strong delivers harried menace and perfect comic deadpan as Wilkinson's right hand man, crafting another memorable Ritchie reference with the "Archie slap", and Idris Elba and Tom Hardy are fittingly hilarious as One-Two's bumbling fellow hard men Mumbles and Handsome Bob. Finally, Toby Kebbell eerily essays the most commanding character on screen as allegedly deceased rocker Johnny Quid.
I had been a huge fan of Guy Richie's "Snatch" and "Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels." Then he married Madonna and made a few bum movies, especially "Revolver." Well rest easy, Guy Richie Fans, the man who made the two great movies I listed above is back and funnier, more intense, and a better writer/director than ever.
While seeing the dark knight a trailer for a new guy ritchie film came up.I wasn't particularly swayed too much by this trailer but considering the summer period was almost over and we film lovers now have to survive the cheap horror winter season, Rocknrolla seemed like a nice surprise.So i saw it last night.And, to the tell the truth, i absolutely loved it!
Characters are The Wild Bunch with Gerard Butler, Thandie Newton the accountant, Tom Wilkinson the gangster.I could say more but there are a lot.The film to start i found was rather complicated but as time went on i got used to all the characters and they're relationships etc etc.It's filled with some great top notch sequences but my favourite and the crowds favourite was "The Invincible Russians" Overall this is a great film and breaks the dead lock of cheesy cheap films we get around this time of year.go see it now!.
Throughout his career, director Guy Ritchie (Snatch, Lock Stock and two Smokin' Barrels) has slowly gathered a cult-like following, ensuring that his movies, be they good or bad, will always earn a few dollars from loyal fans.
Providing monologue after brilliant monologue, Quid becomes a character of classic cool, embodying olden day suave with modern day style, a true to time Rocknrolla.As with every one of Ritchie's gifts to the silver screen, the subtle yet slick script throws the few negative aspects of the movie to the backburner, leaving only pure gold to shimmer and shine.
Unfortunately for the masses that truly enjoy a movie with an intelligent script, box office numbers generally speak poorly for Guy Ritchie's films on our side of the pond, his movies usually making no more than a few hundred thousand dollars, only to become cult hits once released on DVD.Viewers may be shocked to see Gerard Butler (best known for his overly masculine performance as King Leonidas in 300) hidden amongst an amazing yet unknown cast, with each actor holding their own and providing more than authentic performances.
It is beyond sad, the least can be said, to see Chris Bridges A.K.A. Ludicrous (2 Fast 2 Furious) and Jeremey Pivens (Smokin' Aces) failing miserably in their attempt to act in brief yet important cameo performances, also singled out as the only two American actors in the film, their "talent" shadowed and overcast by the nobodies surrounding them.To those readers out there who are contemplating seeing this not-quite-so-common piece of theatre in the form of British Cinema, it is best for you to know there are many worse things you can do.
The press and the film critics seemingly revelling in giving the bright director a good old cockney kicking after putting him on a pedestal with the success of the Lock, Stock and Snatch movies.
He did to some extent (and not necessarily to his credit) create a distinctive genre of British film with Smoking Barrels and Snatch and, in the sense that this is almost identical to those earlier films, RocknRolla it is certainly a return to something.I'm a Londoner; my parents were Cockney and my grand-parents were Cockney (in fact my Auntie Elsie lived only a few streets away from Violet Kray), and as such I have always thought of Ritchie's Mockney gangster genre as the rather sad fantasy of a bored and insecure middle-class public schoolboy sitting in his 'dorm' reading "A Profession of Violence" and wishing that Mad Frankie Fraser was his dad and that Frankie would turn up in the senior common room one day and give a good slapping to all those rotten school bullies.I've never found any of Ritchie's films funny and I certainly didn't laugh at RocknRolla.
The Formalist style of film making is clearly seen in this film with the hard core action and violence, and a scene where someone finds a creative use for a pencil (by stabbing it in someone's neck) but it is not as violent as I had hoped it to be, and since this is formalism style of film making the violence and action had to look cool as opposed to being real, which is probably why when Johnny Quid stabbed the guy in the neck like twelve times with a pencil there was no blood or markings, but really I was too busy going "what the hell?" to notice.The film's story was a little bit clearer than Ritchie's next film ("Sherlock Holmes") but there is no development of the story or plot but of the characters themselves.
I'm surprised this film has such high ratings on IMDb. Weak disjointed story which went off at a tangent and was not remotely clever (unlike Snatch and Lock Stock); poor dialogue that was neither witty nor funny; dull characters - none of whom were interesting or convincing; exposition galore (mostly via an annoying voice over); bad acting by some of the cast, not very funny (apart from a couple of chuckles).
It's maybe unfair to expect that this film would be on par or even exceed guy Ritchie's 2 finest achievements in lock stock and snatch, but it doesn't even come close which is a shame because i really expected it to be another masterpiece.The storyline isn't very interesting at all, most of the film is just plain boring and you don't really share any emotions with any of the characters like you usually would in Ritchie's movies.
it has some good points and some of the scenes are entertaining and amusing like you would expect but these are very few and far between to keep you enthralled for the duration.Thandie Newton is very nice to look at and Gerard butler does a solid enough performance without being spectacular but the rest of the cast are easily forgettable which is easy to see when most scenes have no substance to keep you wanting more.let's hope Ritchie's next chapter goes back to what he does best, we know he's capable of making amazing films so here's hoping for a quick recovery to make up for this lacklustre effort..
However, "RocknRolla" contains mediocre acting, mediocre action, horrendous dialogue, a terribly pompous script, and uninspired direction.The way this film is structured, I wouldn't be surprised if Guy Ritchie fancies himself as the English Tarantino or Paul Thomas Anderson; after all, the massive amount of characters and subplots are both reminiscent of the aforementioned writer/directors.
But let's get to the point.Starting up, I'm a big fan of Guy Ritchie's work ('Snatch.' is one of my favorite movies) and so I was kind of expectant with this, since his last works weren't successful: the misunderstood 'Revolver' and the awful 'Swept Away'.
However it all feels a bit lazy, the script and plot are just a rushed rehash of Lock Stock and Layer Cake, some of the characters and "twists" are just there to fill in and make no sense, and add nothing, and ultimately if you are a fan of this genre of film you will feel let down.A shame for the public, and a shame for the good cast, I think!If you haven't seen Lock Stock or Layer Cake, you'll probably enjoy it more!!!.
Classic Guy Ritchie with a robust script and some great performances.So why didn't it work as well as "Lock, stock and two smoking barrels" or "Snatch"?
The film has some amusing moments, but these are rarely down to the intelligence of the dialogue.RocknRolla feels like a dumbed-down, diluted take on the genre that Ritchie created with the release of Lock, Stock and the result is a parody which sacrifices many of the qualities that made the director an overnight success.
He tries to figure out who stole it and eventually figures out it was his junkie stepson and now he hires some people willing to do whatever it takes to get it back.This movie was great definitely one of my favorite from Guy. I did not much care for lock stock and two smoking barrels but I loved snatch and this..
Almost everything about this movie is about guy ritchie....The problem with that is that it makes watching this movie very risky.The main issues are..His style has barely changed across the years.And his movie are all about the ending which normally culminates in comedy of errors and chances and twists of fate.After seeing so much ( or so few of his movies) there is no doubt that every Guy Ritchie movie i have seen has been less pleasurable than the earlier one.The good part though is that my mind seems to have a hit a plateau instead of continuing downwards.Which brings us to the real risk.After sitting through 90 minutes of his movies, seeing event after event of randomness and character building you wait in anticipation for the ending which you may hate you may love but will definitely send you in a tizzy.Here however you have the most sedate guy ritchie ending to date.Its almost as if nothing happened and leaves you feeling quite disappointed.This movie has its memorable moments as all his films do but these few and far between, once again i would like to stress how much guy ritchies movies are about the end.The other guy ritchie traits such as top notch acting direction camera-work background score are all there.
But these have been of such high standards in all films that only a move in the other direction would merit any surprise or mention.As a standalone film this would have been a merely a decent film.If this is your first guy ritchie film than you would enjoy it more but its recommended that you see snatch or lock stock to be really blown away as this may dull your experience of watching those masterpieces.From the number of times I've mentioned guy ritchies name you can see that this movie is quite like putting all your eggs in one basket except that its rare that you come out merely with what you started when you play such a high risk game.in this case ill consider myself lucky that i came out not feeling completely disappointed.however i would advise that you treat this movie with caution and set your expectations right when you watch it.-s typical guy ritchie, lacklustre ending.+/-s typical guy ritchie.+s typical guy ritchie which means technically superb.total 5/10 (factoring in the fact that it fell below my expectations, however most people will take one look at the directors name and see this movie hence expectations cannot be ignored, proceed with caution)..
A number of years ago young director Guy Ritchie changed mobster movies with his infectious LOCK, STOCK AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS and that twisted underbelly of London's crime population is back in full force with ROCKNROLLA.
Ritchie's style - mixing rapid action, flashback explanations, loopy violence, wildly imaginative characters, and a near non-understandable collection of various accents from the British Isles coupled with an integral musical score - makes this tale of deceit, desperation, intrigue, vice in all forms, low on the food chain criminals at service in the line of polished professionals - a fast paced highly entertaining movie.
The overall feeling in Lock Stock and Snatch was that the bad guys had the power, and were scary, whereas RockNRolla displays that the bad guys are pussies, and can be messed about with little consequence.Some performances in this film help bring it up slightly - Mark Strong and Toby Kebbell are both brilliant in their own way, and fit their characters uncannily, saving the casting director any further blushes.The storyline, as would be expected in most Ritchie gangster films, is complicated, with the difference this time being that it was unnecessarily complicated.
There may be only a few surefire things when it comes to movie-going these days, but one of the surest is that, in any film written and directed by Guy Ritchie, your mind will have to race mighty fast just to keep up with all the characters and plot conniptions that will go speeding by you through the course of the story.His latest film, "RocknRolla" is clearly no exception to that rule.
The movie contains virtually all of the patented Ritchie trademarks familiar to us from such works as "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" and the truly incomprehensible "Snatch" (though viewers should know that "RocknRolla" is nowhere near as complicated as that film).
mostly the violence is toned down quiet a lot, and Tom Wilkinson's character is nowhere as vicious as the "boss".but what this feature retains and even improve are the social-humor gags.too bad that the whole plot seems to play around an "inside joke" regarding big city corruption...but do not get me wrong, there are plenty of situations where i was laughing hard.now, i have seen all the movies with Thandie Newton , something i really like about her "on screen" presence.
but this movie does have a lot of action,, fine women , great plot, interesting plot twists,, surprise ending,, everything that you come to expect from a Guy Ritchie film.
Uri uses corrupt accountant Stella (Thandie Newton) who in turn double-crosses Uri by getting One-Two (Gerard Butler) and the Wild Bunch to steal the money.Guy Ritchie is returning to his London gangster movie roots.
Heralding RocknRolla as a return to the smart, fast paced, witty form Guy Ritchie successfully developed with Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch might be a tad generous, but it's definitely a solid comeback after the turds he dropped with Revolver and Swept Away.The quick cuts, clever scene transitions, snappy dialog and oddball characters are all in place (keep an eye out for what has to be cinema's fastest depiction of a sex scene), but manage to get bogged down somewhat by a script that tries to be a little too clever.
There are so many characters and so much going on in "RocknRolla" (like in any other Guy Ritchie movie, except the dreadful "Swept Away"), that after just one viewing, I wouldn't be able to tell what the plot is exactly about (if anything).
The only thing that was a little screwy was the plot, but other than that I thought the dialogue acting more than made up for the structure of the movie.Gerard Butler played a real "good guy criminal", thandie newton was very sensual w/o being a tramp, Tom Wilkinson made a perfect haughty, loudmouthed mob boss and Toby Kebbel made one hell of a rock and rolla...giving the movie a very distinct taste.Now a lot of American WT morons out there with short attention spans probably got bored with "all the talking".
There's a lot of faces from all the modern good gangster flicks turn up.This not Revolver (i'm must say I enjoyed Revolver) this is more Mr Ritchie's earlier films Lock Stock and Snatch and like Matthew Vaughn's Layer Cake.Great camera work and fantastic score.
RocknRolla is a Guy Ritchie film through and through, if you've seen one of his others like Lock, Stock or Snatch you've pretty much seen them all.
Guy Ritchie returns to familiar territory following some less than kind comments from the critics and it's good to see that he hasn't simply settled for more of the same style of film as Lock Stock and Snatch.
RocknRolla is a return to the familiar territory of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch for director Guy Ritchie and reminds us why he was hailed as such a talent at the time of their release.
RocknRolla is like a movie-comeback film by Guy Ritchie. |
tt0475937 | The Abandoned | A Russian peasant family is sitting down to dinner when a run-down, overheating truck comes to a halt in the front yard. The Father opens the door to find a now dead woman, obviously murdered, and two crying infants in the seat next to her.40 years later. We meet Marie Jones who has been summoned back to Russia by a notary who claims to have found her long dead parents and the home they once owned. As she mounts the steps to his office, she runs into someone, but brushes it off.After meeting with the notary, who explains he found no other living heirs, she sets out to visit and claim her parent's home. She arrives at the house where her mother died and is "attacked" by a now very old mother who, in Russian, insists that she not go to the Kardinovsky Farm. They're interrupted by Anitoly, her guide, the only person willing to venture to the farm at night.The farm sits on the "island" a small parcel of land surrounded by the river and only accessible by a bridge. After hours of driving they cross the bridge and stop just a few yards from the house. Anitoly tells Marie to stay put while he makes sure there are no animals between them and the house.Marie waits, and then sees what appears to be Anitoly ahead of her, but when she leaves the truck, she finds herself alone. Within minutes the truck dies, leaving the forest quiet.With no one around, and no where else to go, she enters the old house armed only with a flashlight and begins to investigate. While exploring the ground floor she hears a bang and a child wailing from upstairs and rushes up as quickly as possible to see... nothing. She enters the nearest room, a nursery, and sees, out of the corner of her eye, a woman walking past the door.When she runs into the hallway she sees the same blonde woman turn into another room and she follows only to scream as she comes face to face with her doppleganger who appears to be very real and soaked to the bone. She runs out the door in time to see the truck (and presumably Anitoly) leave. In a panic she chases him and falls down a hill and into the river where, since she can't swim, she begins to drown.She wakes up in a much warmer and brighter lit room in the house. There is a man (Nikolai) rifling through her wallet. Marie smacks him across the face with a log, then flees the room.He chases her and explains that he is her brother and that he too was summoned by the notary. She is of course skeptical, as the notary had told her she had no brothers or sisters, but when he takes her upstairs and shows her their cribs she realizes he is telling the truth.She tells him what she saw and he explains, that seeing your double shows you the way in which you will die.Very quickly they meet Nikolai's doppleganger (a bloody, ravaged body) and they both realize they have to get out of the house and off the island. As they get ready to flee Nikolai falls through a hole in the floor and vanishes leaving Marie alone. She returns upstairs, determined to find anything to explain what is happening. Upstairs, in her parents room, she witnesses some of the events of the past as she watches her father stab her mother to death on their bed. Screaming, she turns to find her doppleganger behind her, yet again. This time it catches her in the babies' room and seems to suck out part of her life, leaving her gasping and disoriented. She flees the house.There is a boat on one side of the river, and she takes it to the other side, leaving the island, and her doppleganger (watching from the shore), behind her. Unfortunately, it's too late, and as she runs through the forest, she finds herself before the house again.This time when she enters, she finds the dining room is suddenly... clean and neat, as it must have been decades before. At the table, looking morosely at a birthday cake, is an injured Nikolai. He didn't die, but merely fell into the basement through the floor. He explains to Marie that he's figured out what is going on: they were never meant to have left the house in the first place. They were supposed to have died with their mother all those years ago and now, on the eve of their birthday, the house has called them back to fulfill their destinies at midnight.When the clock strikes midnight, the entire house returns to the state it was in 1966, and they hear their father enter the house. Marie tries to intercept, hoping to change the past, but Nikolai intervenes and tells her that it's already happened and that the only way to survive would be to get away from there, in the past, where the house can't touch them. But when they try, they get separated. Marie ends up in the back of the truck as her father drives away with the infants (herself and Nikolai), whereas Nikolai sees the form of his long lost love, Natalie.Her father stops at the barn, leaving one baby in a pig's pen to feed the baby to the boars, while he tries to drown the other in the boars' water tank. Neither he nor his wife (who he had thought was dead) see Marie. Her dying mother shoots her father in the head and grabs both babies, fleeing to the truck. Meanwhile Nikolai turns to see his lover is now actually his father and then is attacked by wild boars, fulfilling his destiny.Marie finds her father's now desiccated body in the farm, and is then pushed back into a pseudo-past where she realizes her father and the notary are one and the same. He's come back from the dead to lure his children to the hell he had created. She flees his office in the present and runs right into her past self as she comes up the steps, and continues to flee into the sunlight until she finds herself right back in the house, this time between the past the present, where the apparition of her father explains to her that he's always loved his children, and his wife, and couldn't let them leave him. She runs from him, down the hall and finds Nikolai's body, being eaten by the boars. As they tear off his nose and parts of his stomach, she vomits and falls against the wall. It's only when her doppleganger comes after her that she flees out to the truck parked out front and drives away.Her father's voice comes over the radio, telling her to come back and join the family he has created, and then promises to take her daughter, Emily (who is in the States) but it's too late. The bridge that brought her there has been destroyed, and Marie plunges into the lake, drowning, and fulfilling her destiny.The film ends with Marie's daughter (who we now realize is the narrator) explaining that she knew in her heart her mother would never return. It's been months since she left for Russia and in all this time she's never had the desire to know what happened to her, or her parents, thus breaking the cycle and leaving her... abandoned. | realism, murder, flashback | train | imdb | It deals with an American film producer named Marie (Anastasia Hille) goes back to her homeland, Russia (although shot in Bulgaria), where her mother's (Paraskeva) dead body has been found under strange circumstances.
And the cruel secret behind their family takes place at the end of the movie.This is a horror story with creepy atmosphere and plenty of twists and turns .
The motion picture is well written and directed by Nacho Cerda who create a powerful story that blends chills , thrills , suspense and familiar drama in a cleverly devised plot that certainly offers more than the usual terror film .
I did think the movie had a lot of credits at the beginning, the writing caught me off guard, but I like how when the family was speaking Russian we didn't get subtitles, that was cool, we don't need to know every word these folks are saying, just know that something bad is about to go down and it did.
Check out The Abandoned for a good time with friends, the movie is pretty solid in a day when a lot of these movies leave you wondering what you just wasted your darn money and time on, this one will keep you jumping and guessing the whole way through..
Spanish director Nacho Cerda's THE ABANDONED is like the beautiful, unholy marriage of Lucio Fulci (circa THE BEYOND) and Russian art-house master Andrei Tarkovsky -- if that sounds like some high-falutin' pretentious art/horror movie, think again: this film is so downright terrifying I spent half the movie with my hands over my eyes, and my brother confirmed it's one of the scariest flicks he's ever seen.
Set in the woods of Russia, where even the Olga boat man wouldn't show, the fright level of this film is high and the suspense will have you on the edge of your seat for the duration of the movie.
Further, they find that they are trapped in the house and can not leave the place."The Abandoned" is a frightening and creepy film of ghosts, with a nightmarish atmosphere but a dull story.
Definitely one of the most frightening films I have seen in years, thanks in part to great writing, acting, sound, cinematography, and a menacing electronic soundtrack by David Kristian, who IMHO is the future of horror film music.
Forget what you think you know about ghost stories, The Abandoned makes movies like An American Haunting and other recent supernatural flicks seem like kiddie fare.
Really sad to see good gems in the rough like this getting trashed by people that frankly shouldn't be reviewing movies, maybe I'm an elitist, I don't know, but I'm sorry, if you couldn't follow the story of The Abandoned, I really don't know what to say.This movie is kept from being a top tier creepy movie simply by pacing issues, that's probably my main problem with it which drags it's score into the 7 range (might as well be a 10 for the amount of drek horror made since the mid 90's).
This movie has impeccable atmosphere, the kind you can cut through with a knife which is oh so important for any great haunted house film.
The atmosphere itself was incredibly creepy, the director should have let the audience just stew in that a bit before getting right to the point so to speak within minutes of walking into the house, it really lessens the impact of the imagery and the antagonists in this movie, but doesn't destroy it by any means.What stood out the most to me is that it was a very original idea (as far as i know, I have never seen anything quite like it) and like The Baby's room, I love wildly original takes on my favorite horror genre, the haunted house movie.
yet we have people screaming "TOO SLOW TOO BORING" and 1 starring it so this is why character development is sadly all but dead in horror movies.The imagery and photography was fantastic, sound appropriately creepy if severely overdone at times but only a few times.Just see it.
Even if it doesn't scare you like it didn't scare me (i can count the movies on one hand that have achieved this, this is the holy grail of horror for me.), it's very creepy and quite unnerving and just an all around enjoyable flick.
It isn't Jack Ass and it is not Hills Have Eyes, The Abandoned is a well written and in my opinion an over all good suspense film that is getting over looked by the movie goer.
What I like is that it takes us on a journey to a part of the world where you know there was and is a lot of adoption abuse and other acts against humans going on and it tells a story of a home, a haunted past that won't rest until the family is all but gone.
Director Nacho Cerda got the most out of the 2 lead roles (Anastasia Hille and Karel Roden), I had never seen either one of them and I think they did a reasonably good job working out the kinks of the film.
The story is the only thing that really bothered me, I tried to stay with it but honestly there were some times that I did get a little lost but every time I found myself wondering what was going on, the characters answered my questions.
That's what The Abandoned is a jerk who annoys you at their every opportunity.It's really too bad, because the concept that presents itself at the very end of the film is quite good.
This is a horror movie with some creepy atmosphere but just doesn't have a plot that is developed very well, but the twists was decent at times.
One of the original "After Dark Horrorfest: 8 Films to Die For," (ADHF) and the only one to get a nationwide release in theaters, The Abandoned tells the story of an American movie producer (Marie) who receives word that she has inherited a house and land in the back woods of Russia.
Their birthday nearing, they prepare to face their dark past.This was my second time seeing this movie, and for some reason the first time I saw it I got the complete wrong idea about what happened at the end.
There are only 2 or 3 "phantoms" in the movie that don't show up very often, so most of the "scares" are through the suspense of not knowing when the next horrible thing is going to happen.I really love the setting of this film.
The dark woods, withered house, and misty lake all contribute to the chilling atmosphere...you couldn't really ask for a better set for a movie such as this.There aren't that many special effects, but for the most part they are above average.
There are really only two full characters in the movie, all others besides Marie and Nicolai can easily be considered extras (except maybe the main villain ghost thing, which gets a few minutes of screen time).
I'm not exactly sure how good of an actor Karel Roden (Nicolai) is because of his Russian accent, but he appears to be acceptable.The storyline was not my favorite, but when everything came together it ended up being a solid independent horror flick, definitely one of the better ADHF films.Final Score - 8/10.
We accompany her on this journey, and it takes us to a place that is as terrifying as any I've seen on screen.Much of the story is told through the clever use of light and sound, as are most good horror films.
This film worked for me for a number of reasons: it is story driven as well as effects driven, it has solid acting, great location shots, and a strangely, highly flawed script that does create interest.
The acting was quite alright, even if I wasn't sure what they were supposed to be doing half the time.I guess that's the thing -- if you want a confusing story about lost families and body doubles in Russia (or at least backwoods Russia) then you have found a winner for yourself.
The third, is that is tries to deal with time and an never ending cycle of terror that puts Marie (Anastasia Hille) into a returning course of horror.Remote Locations always make for good horror movies.
More like a mishmash of random scenes, haphazardly slapped together and drawn-out in an overlong way to artificially pad the movie to a feature length running-time.To end this review on a positive note, there *is* a good entertainment production called "The Abandoned".
That is also called "The Abandoned", but unlike the movie that shares it's title, Deep Space Nine's "The Abandoned" is chock-full of suspense, great acting, scary scenes, engrossing characters, and a wonderful story.
I'm going to go on the record as the second person who has, after years of using the IMDb to look up movies, been motivated by Nacho's film, The Abandoned to create an account and post a comment.
Best of all to be abandoned." Oh, the irony.A ghost story with all the technical refinements of a Hollywood horror film, but horrifyingly bad dialogue after the first quarter of the film, and you feel like you're being preached to from the start.It's as if the writers' cumulative character dialogue can be summed up by bad cop TV and a Jerry Springer show.
Abandon all hope to see original or genuinely petrifying new horror here, as Nacho Cerdà's American long-feature debut reverts to all the known and dreadfully overused clichés of ghost stories and haunted mansion tales, but doesn't succeed in showing a single shocking image or surprising plot twist.
Generally speaking, "The Abandoned" had great potential (I haven't mentioned the eerie scenery yet, like dolls and such) and easily could have been a small horror-triumph, but it sadly turned out a painful disappointment.
I really like this movie much better than I expected, I really like the start of the movie , the opening scene was very good.The first 20 minutes of the movie are quite slow, not boring at all, then the movie picks ups a lot of stuff happened for the rest of the movie,.I don't think this movie was scary or even that creepy however this movie did want to confuse you as it messing with your head.I like how the movie came to an end and I got the acting was really good.I am going to give this movie a 7/10.
This is very good visually, no spectacular special effects but lots of creepy visuals, but the plot isn't very good.The cast are quite good, they are all convincing and deliver solid performances although the dialogue is fairly uninspired.The pace is pretty good too, getting into the action very quickly and sustaining it, it become frenetic towards the end as you'd expect from a horror.The problem is the story, it isn't interesting or disturbing.
4) It's a good ghost story, even though you don't quite get it till near the end.What I did not like: 1) very few things, just some of the actions of the main characters do not make a lot of sense: ¿why go into an isolated and abandoned house in the middle of the night?
As a whole the film is much less than the sum of its parts; the storyline feels flabby and unfocused and the film as a whole has far too much of the characters just wandering around and not doing much.Nacho Cerda has the ability to shoot a dark and decrepit-looking movie and there's atmosphere here in spades, but it's the lack of a decent storyline which put me off.
By the way, the story supposedly takes place in Russia, even though it was actually filmed in Bulgaria and they didn't do a very good job hiding it.
It's not the first time that a movie supposedly takes place in one country and it is actually filmed somewhere else, but the problem is when the audience can notice this and...
It's the type of movie that leaves an impression with you, and there are so few horror films that deserve a fan's time..
This is a very tedious flick that has a secret, you want to know what the full story is, but at the same time- based on the character development thus far- there's a scary feeling that the plot's "gotchya" moment will be a dumb yawner that makes you go...
Cerda's 'The Abandoned' is a welcome throwback to a time where special effects and huge budgets were not needed to create a downright chilly horror movie.
I think it could have been better with a more cohesive story, but I liked the cinematography and overall it was an enjoyable film..
I have never been to Russia but I have seen plenty of news coverage from high school and other history stories from cold years past, this story and film is one of my favorite ghost or haunted house stories, right up there with "The Changling" Nacho Cerda does a great job moving to the full feature, bringing Anastasia Hille and Karel Roden together was a good combo on team.
I don't know how people can find this movie boring, you need to spend some time here and listen to all the ghost stories, this was true to form on some of ours, and the fact it takes place in cold Russia, leads me to think we will see more of these films from Europe coming in to the US market soon.
I thought that The Abandoned was a good horror film.
The acting was good, the cinematography was great, brilliant idea to have an old abandoned Russian farm house for the stage.
I was glad to see a foreign film like this get play in the United States, it was obvious to me that the film wasn't an original from the States, it had a totally cool feel to it, the Director, Nacho Cerda got the most he could out of the crew and the actors, this movie had it all, good complex story, good setting, and it was pretty graphic at times.
It wasn't way over the top with gore or teenage horror or what we have come to expect in that area but we were all OK with that, we felt like it was a thinking man's hockey game, not all blood and guts but something that at the end had a real message about how we treat those who are abandoned and how they must feel, without answers in some terrible circle over and over again.
Second time around on this one, I still think it is worth it, the film was scary and a movie like I haven't seen in years, mostly due to great writing, acting, sound, cinematography, and location.
If you like to see a movie that makes you think as well as takes you on a journey you won't soon forget, then The Abandoned is the one you have been waiting for!.
I think this film is a really good horror/thriller..
The terrifying mood and atmosphere of the film is carefully and masterfully woven by Nacho, who clearly knows how to really make a horror movie.the abandoned is without a doubt one of the most bizarre, beautiful , original and scariest films I have seen in the past few years.
It is a film that, over the course of the years will manage to scare the living hell out of its audiences.the best horror movie about a woman going back to reclaim what is hers.
It's so sad that the film ended up such a disaster because it had everything else going for it.There is truly a lot great skill and talent within this movie.
The sets were amazing the mood was creepy, the actors were intense and involved, and the cinematography was one continuous beautiful metaphor, but without out a story that brings everything together and convincingly and completely pulls the viewer into the movies reality, it can be nothing more than a failed attempt at making a true horror film..
It is simply a haunted house movie, a bit like "The Shining", with there really being nothing new being added to the table other than the fact it is set in Russia.
This film is horror strong and a great see, you wont be playing the fool if you watch this movie.
Probably one of the few best supernatural horror films of the past few years, "The Abandoned" is a refreshing and scary movie.
and history is about to repeat itself and take their lives, just as it was originally supposed to forty years earlier.The scariest supernatural thriller I've seen in quite a long time, "The Abandoned" is a unique and wonderfully crafted horror film that is reminiscent of the classic ghost stories of the '70s and '80s, but with an interesting and satisfying spin on it.
The Russian countryside is an eerie location (although the movie was filmed in Bulgaria) to set the story and there are many simplistic but effective shots used throughout.
The semi-shocker of a conclusion was a brilliant and effective way to end the movie, and wasn't what I was expecting.Overall, "The Abandoned" is an intense and atmospheric horror film that is sure to please fans of old-school supernatural films.
Definitely my favorite horror film of this year (so far), and probably the best supernatural-horror movie I've seen in a very long time.
What Decent Horror Should Be. This is what a decent haunted house movie should be like.
I liked the story, the acting, the soundtrack (which is also very dark and mysterious, and it is great providing suspense to the film), but what I appreciated the most was the production, the dark ambiences, the surrealism, which turns this movie into one very obscure, weird n creepy flick.
I honestly think that all of these great reviews are a result of people seeing this movie at Horrorfest (8 Films to Die For). |
tt1600195 | Abduction | Nathan (Taylor Lautner) is a high schooler in Pennslyvania, who likes parties and boxing with his dad. He has rage and self-identity issues, and sees a shink (Sigourney Weaver). He's apparently a good wrestler as well as a kickboxer. He's assigned to work on a school project with his neighbor, Karen (Lily Collins), who he's sweet on, but too shy to talk to. They find a website for missing children, and, aging one online, see a likeness of Nathan. He contacts the site, and it triggers an alert in New York. The tech on duty (Nickola Shreli) in New York activates a trace and Nathan's webcam and send a photo of Nathan to a Mr Kozlow (Michael Nyqvist).He takes some old pictures to his friend Gilly (Allen Williamson), who thinks they are suspicious. He confronts his mother (Maria Bello), who fortunately gets killed by operatives before she can explain. His father (Jason Isaacs) fights off one operative, but is killed as well, and Nathan runs away. He comes back to save Karen and defeats the armed operative, who tells him there's a bomb in the kitchen. Naturally, Nathan goes to look, and there's 7 seconds left! He and Karen run outside and leap into the pool as the house and operative are destroyed.Karen is hurt, so Nathan takes her to the hospital. We see Mr. Kozlow arrive in country, and he gets undressed in a car. In the hospital, Nathan calls 911 about his parents murdered but the operator told him to hold the line and the call connects to Frank Burton (Alfred Molina) of CIA, who tells him to stay put, and Kozlow's goons apparently have the pay phone tapped! His shrink, Dr. Bennett, uses balloons to hide Nathan from the hospital cameras, which everyone has tapped into as well. In a car escaping, Dr. Bennett explains that she's with the CIA, and Burton can't be trusted. She tells him it's ok to trust Martin Price or Paul Rasmus, but doesn't explain why. She also gives him keys to a safe house in Virginia. They leap from the car and Dr. Bennett's car is destroyed. By this time, if you're not completely dazed, you realize Nathan is some kind of important kid, with secret skills.Nathan and Karen wake up in the woods, completely refreshed and clean. Burton briefs a bunch of constipated agents about Martin Price, who is Nathan's real father, and has stolen data from Kozlow. Burton's boss tells him to get things under control. Nathan and Karen hitchhike to the safe house, where he finds a gun, a phone with encrypted text and some photos, who he recognizes as his mother. Karen makes a phone call, and apparently all of her relatives' phone lines are tapped too.Nathan's father left a BMW, and Nathan/Karen go looking for his mother, finding her grave. They find fresh flowers on the grave, and the cemetary operator tells them the flowers came from Paul Rasmus. The bad guys and the CIA intercept the cemetary computer query, even though it's not on the internet, and magically conjure an image of the BMW, apparently from the cemetary's high-resolution cameras. Nathan and Karen meet Gilly, who gets them fake IDs. They buy train tickets, but the bad guys have spotted the BMW and followed them to the train station.On the train, Karen asks if they are going to die, and Nathan says no. They kiss and start to grope, but stop because they're hungry? Karen goes to get food without him, and guess what happens next - the bad guys get her! Nathan, who has gone looking for Karen, meets the bad guy and they fight. Nathan manages to beat a grown, trained operative and Karen escapes her bondage with a piece of broken glass. Nathan shatters the train window and throws the bad guy out. The train stops, perhaps to investigate, and they exit the train. At this point, you're hoping the movie is over, but there's still 30 minutes left!Natah and Karen stroll through the woods, and the CIA chases them. Burton convinces them to trust him and buys them burgers, while about 100 agents protect them. Burton explains things, and Kozlow's bad guys start killing the CIA guys. Nathan realizes the phone has the text his father stole, and that Burton's name is on in the text. The bad guys attack the diner. During the attack, Nathan and Karen escape, and since Nathan doesn't trust Burton he tells Karen about the list. Of course, Kozlow can hear them and track them, so he calls the phone in the car and threatens all of Nathan's friends and arranges a meet. Meanwhile, the CIA raids Kozlow's hideout and kills his goons. They also find a recording of the conversation between Nathan and Kozlow, detailing the meet at PNC park in Pittsburgh.At the park, Martin calls Nathan and tells him not to go through with the meet. Nathan hangs up on him. Karen gets a photo of Kozlow and sends it to Nathan. They sit beside each other, and apparently, Gilly has taped a gun under Nathan's seat! Kozlow tells Nathan that his parents were awful people, and Nathan chooses to believe him. We relive Nathan's mother's death at the hands of Kozlow, and even at age 2, Nathan was a super-spy! Kozlow gets Nathan's gun, then chases him through the park. Nathan demonstrates his parkour abilities, and Martin calls him to tell him to lead Kozlow into a trap. Kozlow has time to see Martin hidden as a sniper about 500 yards away, and has time to yell before getting shot. Burton's boss arrives and take the phone, telling Burton he has lots to answer for. The CIA lets Nathan go, and Martin calls one last time to say goodbye. Karen and Nathan reunite, and Dr. Bennett arrives as well. She tells Nathan he can live with her, and Nathan/Karen stroll off, promising to go to Dr. Bennett's house (even though she never gave an address - apparently, Nathan can figure that out, too).Nathan and Karen sit in the now-empty stadium and make out. | suspenseful, action, murder, violence | train | imdb | But first, a disclaimer: despite my reasons, I want to assure you that none of my negative points will verbally lambast lead actor Taylor Lautner just because 'he's some guy from Twilight.' Nor will I make scalding reference to his gratuitous lack of upper body wear; the kind that one would hope comes off as witty commentary but ends up sounding more like an awkward combination of contempt and jealousy.
So, with that out of the way, let's get started.When the shy but short-tempered Nathan (Lautner) is paired up with girl next door Karen (Lily Collins) for a school research assignment, he is shocked to find an image of his younger self on a 'missing persons' website, prompting him to question everything he thought was normal about his life.
Naturally, his acting skills do need refinement, and I expect we're not looking at the next De Niro here, but his occasionally lackluster delivery is simply a branch of a much bigger problem- the script.As an unapologetic actioner, it should be expected that Abduction possesses some of the clunky dialogue clichés associated with the genre.
That was how long it took before Taylor Lautner took his shirt off in his purportedly gritty action thriller 'Abduction'- and depending on how you took to that fact, you may find yourself enjoying every minute of it or cringing in disbelief.
Rather, (and we may be risking our life and limb by saying this) it only demonstrates his limitations as an actor, especially since he practically recycles the same angsty broody expression throughout the film that he had already put forth umpteen times in the 'Twilight' movies.
That's the predicament Lautner's character Nathan finds himself in one day, after stumbling across a website with photos of missing children and using some software to approximate what one of those kids could look like as a teenager.
Though that's the very premise of the movie, the least we expected was for debut feature film screenwriter Shawn Christensen to come up with a better lead in than just some stupid research assignment Nathan and his girl next door Karen (Lily Collins, daughter of singer Phil) was assigned to work together on.
The fault doesn't lie with Lautner entirely- to appeal to the teenage demographic which the producers are relying on to turn up for this movie, they have decided to amp up the obligatory romance between Nathan and Karen, even to the extent of letting the two teenage characters engage in some heavy making-out that stops just before it crosses the PG13 boundary.
Not even veteran stars like Isaacs, Bello, Molina, Nyqvist and Sigourney Weaver (who plays Nathan's psychologist) can redeem this at-best made- for-TV thriller that tries to be the younger version of the Bourne series.
If you are a female fan of the "Twilight" series, there is probably only one thing you need to know about this movie: yes, lead star Taylor Lautner takes off his shirt at the slightest excuse to show off those washboard abs.For those who are not interested in Lautner, I am afraid there's ABSolutely nothing in "Abduction" for you - unless you like half-baked spy thrillers, lame acting and asinine script.The plot is about high school student Nathan Price (Taylor Lautner) who stumbles upon an image of himself as a little boy on a missing persons website.
But the truth could be that director John Singleton and the film-makers do not really care about the plot: they just want an excuse to show heart-throb Lautner and Collins on the run from some baddies (who included Swedish icon Michael Nyqvist of "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo") in order to film some action sequences.Indeed, many films have gotten away with idiotic plots - provided they have stars that audiences could root for.
In this time of economic crisis and people all around us loosing homes and jobs, i just wonder what type of salary this Taylor Lautner got for his role in this movie?
It's hard to believe that this is the same director that did Boyz n the hood 20 years ago is now director of this piece of terrible piece of trash called abduction, it starts Lautner who was so good in Twlight many years back is awful here as a teenage who's parents were kidnapped is trying to prove his innocence and finds the killers who kidnapped the parents, this is so bad on fronts, the acting is worthless, some talents like Weaver and Molina are wasted, the screenplay is a mess and the editing is useless, this is one of the worst movies of the year and a complete disappointment from john singleton.I Was so very disappointed in this, Thumbs Way Down on this one..
not everything makes sense" But comparing to big action-spy movie names like Bourne, Mission Impossible and Die Hard which have delivered an excellent movie experiences which leaves you at the edge of your seat, Abduction feels more like a chick-flick packed with more action, or maybe a budget action film.
It's very subtle.The parts I enjoyed in the movie was the presence of veterans like Sigourney Weaver, Mario Bello and my favourite, Jason Isaacs who plays Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter films.
This film is a prime example to why certain actors are very underrated in Hollywood....I call it "The Luke Skywalker Syndrome"....One hit franchise that wrecks a young actor's career before it can really get started....The Twilight franchise....Although successful....Isn't a franchise that is critically acclaimed or well liked by fans other than young people with out-of-control hormones....And because of this...Films like Abduction is either overlooked or totally panned by fans...Sitting down to watch this film with Twilight in mind is going to ensure that viewers will NOT have a good time....Which is why wonderful movies like "Welcome To The Rileys" and "The Runaways" both starring Kristen Stewart didn't get nearly enough attention....Now is this particular film original..??...No, it's not....I have seen the "My picture on the milk carton" routine used more than once....But is Abduction a fun movie..??...Yes it is...Abduction is a popcorn movie....It's meant to simply allow the audience to have a good time....If people go into this movie expecting Oscar-like performances and a beautifully written storyline...Then those people are setting themselves up for a big let down...But why put yourself through that when all that needs to be done is to simply sit back and enjoy the ride....And that's all there is too it....
Granted, I don't have strong feelings about either performer.With a strong budget of $30M, the film looked confident and solid by John Singleton, the film is a fairly easy watch as it goes along, & the supporting cast of admired actors (Weaver, Molina, Bello) were fine.Singleton isn't too flashy, and might just be cashing a check...
I didn't find any redeeming quality in it, Sigourney Weaver even looked like she was wincing at how terrible the whole thing was.It was so terrible, that even if Taylor Lautner had his shirt off through the whole movie, sweat dripping off his body, his marvelous abs glistening, it still would have sucked just as much.
However, the brainless and lame story has many flaws and despite the cast with Sigourney Weaver, Michael Nyqvist, Maria Bello and Alfred Molina, the lead actor Taylor Lautner is a reasonable and unconvincing athlete and ruins any chance that this flick might have had.
The premise of the movie, the veteran cast and a talented director were the reasons why I wanted to see this film, despite Taylor Lautner and that the trailer looked awful.
Alfred Molina is a good actor, but not given much to do, while Jason Isaacs is wasted and Sigourney Weaver tries her best but hindered by awful dialogue and a character, like everyone else in all fairness, that I didn't care for at the end of the day.Overall, a hopelessly bland, derivative, poorly acted and stilted film.
A corrupt government or body take on one guy who is pretty good at high kicks, and which typically ended in some mass chase-cum-action sequence, set in a massive public forum such as a football game or a crowded theatre.That is the standard of movie we're talking here.
In fact, this is the first time that I have watched a movie at the cinema and literally felt like I could input the director's comments at every appropriate moment."Taylor, hold her in your arms.
I'll admit it, I thought the trailer for this action-thriller looked pretty good and, despite it being a Taylor Lautner vehicle, was quietly excited about seeing it.
The aforementioned veteran cast are positively woeful, John Singleton's direction is stilted and lead star Lautner (you may know him as Jacob from Twilight) has a long way to go before he will make a decent headliner.
Yes, there may be some resemblance to the Bourne movies, but just enjoy Abduction for what it is, a solid thriller/action flick that was a lot of fun to watch.
But I expect more out of a film, There are so many good actors out there that could have done a much better job, They may not be the 'Sex Symbol" that comes with Taylor, but at least they can act.
Viewing this film is the cinematic equivalent of watching a car crash in slow-motion, the audience observes the disaster and devastation unfold on-screen, but the only way for them to avoid this horrifying event is to simply vacate their theatre seat and approach the box office for a welcome refund on the admission price of their ticket.Nathan Harper (Taylor Lautner) is your typical teenage boy, but when he is paired with his long-time crush Karen (Lily Collins) on a sociology project, his life begins to unravel as they find his picture on a missing children's website.
Expressions, emotions and acting in general seem to have been excluded from Singleton's reasoning during the direction of this film, because even the experienced Alfred Molina, Maria Bello, and Sigourney Weaver are shown to be seemingly 'phoning-in' performances as they no doubt realised what kind of production they had unfortunately become a part of.'Abduction' should be a film which is written about and praised alongside the likes of 'Airplane!' and 'Young Frankenstein,' because it is the perfect spoof of the action-thriller genre, encompassing every single cliché together with a laughable script and incredibly dubious acting, yet the sad thing is, this film is not a parody, but it is instead entirely serious motion picture.
He hulks where most would walk, and there's actually something about his gait that reminds me of a particular gentleman in my old gym who seemed to spend more time working on his quads than he did walking on them.Still, what would Taylor be without his hulking bulk
Nice to see Hollywood still like their identikit female companion to run holding hands, scream at the bad guys, hand Jacob (whoops, Nathan) weapons on cue, kiss-and-hold in the quiet moments, and ask that all important question: "are we going to die, Nathan?"Surrounding them are the appropriately menacing Russian bad guys, inept and untrustworthy CIA agents and Little Miss "I'll do a small cameo for a big cheque" Weaver.
At times, CIA chief Alfred Molina tries his hardest to channel Tommy Lee Jones' Fugitive lawman, but doesn't quite manage to be the put-upon man of experience.The story is a dippy mish-mash of the action-thriller genre and certainly doesn't give you any of those 'oh hell' moments that these films really need to make your heart beat fast.Abduction is just about good enough to make sure Taylor will get another crack at leading man; just next time, maybe try a couple more topless shots, son..
It was also nice to see some veteran actors who always deliver the goods like Agent Burton (Alfred Molina) as the task force lead for the CIA and Dr. Bennett (Sigourney Weaver) pulling off not just a heady shrink, but also some pretty fancy driving.
I think that the film did a good job of unfolding the background of how this whole thing came to pass, it had sufficient action and the teenagers had the intelligence level I expected, they weren't dumb as a bag of rocks but they made mistakes, in some cases the same kind of mistakes over and over, and they did not hold conversations like Harvard graduates.
This is really all I can say without ruining any major aspects in this tried and true plot.I'll start this review by saying that trailer was more action packed then the actual movie.
(Actually that would be too quick, they should be forced to sit down and watch this film on loop until they want to kill themselves, doubt any would make it past the 3 hour mark before tearing out their own eyes!) A special mention should also go to the producers, who have managed to spend $35000000 on a film with all the production value of a hallmark TV movie, good effort guys!!!AVOID THIS EXCREMENT!(Or buy as Christmas present on DVD for the person you hate most in the world).
If Taylor Lautner can keep getting parts like this and do them as well as he did this one (those kicks were impressive) I'm sure he'll be making movies into his 30s at least.
This is an action packed thriller with a touching love story and excellent performances from Taylor Lautner and Lily Collins.
I grew very bored of the bad action scenes.Like i said all in all a good plot and idea for a movie.
Like Cary Grant, he is thrust into a world of mystery, intrigue and government conspiracy when he is forced to flee from home with no one to trust, accompanied only by a contemporary Eva Marie Saint, in this case rising teen sensation Lily Collins.The film also draws inspiration from Tarantino's modern classic Kill Bill, through the inclusion of a David Carradine-like character in the guise of the Nathan's absent father.The dialogue alludes to modern conventions present in teen drama and escapist fantasy, for instance the Molly Ringwald 80's coming-of-age classics, the Chronicles of Narnia series and of course Stephanie Myers opus, the Twilight saga.
Sadly Bad. Sorry, Taylor Lautner, but your parody of a college look doesn't help very much to making this a good movie, even though your acting is some of the best in this show.
I thought this was an excellent film overall: well acted, well chosen cast, good story-line and a good balance of action and drama.I found the story-line was intriguing from early into the film and the actors felt convincing in their roles.There are some moments where the film lacks a little credibility, but not so much as to ruin the film in anyway.I believe there will be many more opportunities for Lautner to follow up with similar, action-type roles.
Seventeen year old Nathan(Taylor Lautner) lives pretty the good life, he has great parents (Maria Bello and Jason Issac), good friends, and everything.
The various action sequences and fight scenes were quite well done and not deja vu.Taylor Lautner's acting has been blasted in the past but here the movie doesn't rely too much on great acting so it's okay.
Sigourney Weaver, Alfred Molina Maria Bello and Jason Isaacs add stature to the movie.Overall quite good entertainment - worth a watch..
I found it to have a very good storyline, i particularity thought that Taylor Lautner (Nathan) and Lily Collins (Karen) acting was great.
The plot thickens, and takes turns for the wildly ridiculous, when bad guys show up at the house, his parents turn out to be CIA agents assigned to guard him, and Mr. Lautner and Miss Collins are forced to go on the run while they (and we, the audience) try to figure out just what the heck is going on.
If you like honest movies, with nice drama, decent action scene's, pretty good story telling, don't miss out on this movie.acting of lead characters is enjoyable and actually pretty good.
Conceived as an action vehicle for TWILIGHT star Taylor Lautner, ABDUCTION is an absolutely terrible film from start to finish; I mean, this goes beyond mere bad to become eye-poppingly, gratuitously awful.
The movie had about ten minutes of actually story strung together with bad acting (from Lautner) and action.
It is very fast paced, and I will say some of the fighting scenes are pretty good, but Taylor Lautner isn't made for this kind of action movie.
Lily Collins definitely wouldn't have been at the top of my list for the lead female role, I feel like she would do better in a love story, but i will say it did look like she tried her best to make this movie.
Taylor Lautner has proved his true talent as an actor who can carry a lead role -- not just a talented "pretty boy" camping off his good looks!
Well, teen heart-throb, Taylor Lautner, finally has his own feature film, and while the story sounded pretty good, I didn't expect much.
Twilight haters are being too harsh on the reviews, Taylor appears without his shirts as often as any leading character on any action movie.
The adults actors: Molina, Weaver, Isaacs and Bello do a good job, but since everything dances around Lautner, they are minimized by the script.Do yourself a favour and choose something else instead when deciding which film to watch..
~ 10/10 ~ but for a 36 year old it has all been seen before only much better~Much of the film was mediocre but watchable (with some pretty good action scenes) but the ending was just trite ~ painful to watch and mawkish dropping it from a 5 to 4~.
I think it did actually have potential and despite the bad reviews of Taylor Lautner, I do believe him capable of something a great deal better.
In this movie Nathan Harper (Taylor Lautner) is a regular teenage boy.
In this movie Nathan Harper (Taylor Lautner) is a regular teenage boy. |
tt0458352 | The Devil Wears Prada | Andy (Anne Hathaway) is an aspiring journalist fresh out of Northwestern University. Despite her ridicule for the shallowness of the fashion industry, she lands a job "a million girls would kill for", junior personal assistant to Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), the icy editor-in-chief of Runway fashion magazine. Andy plans to put up with Miranda's excessively demanding and humiliating treatment for one year in the hope of getting a job as a reporter or writer somewhere else.
At first, Andy fumbles with her job and fits in poorly with her gossipy, fashion-conscious co-workers, especially Miranda's senior assistant Emily Charlton (Emily Blunt). However, with the help of art director Nigel (Stanley Tucci), who lends her designer clothes, she gradually learns her responsibilities and begins to dress more stylishly to show her effort and commitment to the position. She also meets attractive young writer Christian Thompson (Simon Baker), who offers to help her with her career. As she spends increasing amounts of time at Miranda's beck and call, problems arise in her relationships with her college friends and her live-in boyfriend Nate (Adrian Grenier), a chef working his way up the career ladder.
Miranda is impressed by Andy and allows her to be the one to bring the treasured "Book", a mock-up of the upcoming edition, to her home, along with her dry cleaning. She is given instructions by Emily about where to leave the items and is told not to speak with anyone in the home. Andy arrives at Miranda's home only to discover that the instructions she received are vague. As she tries to figure out what to do, Andy begins to panic. Miranda's twins (Caroline and Cassidy, played by Colleen and Suzanne Dengel, respectively) falsely tell her she can leave the book at the top of the stairs just as Emily has done on many occasions. At the top of the stairs, Andy interrupts Miranda and her husband having an argument. Mortified, Andy leaves the book and runs out of the home.
The next day, Miranda tells her that she wants the new unpublished Harry Potter book for her daughters and, if Andy cannot find a copy, she will be fired. Andy desperately attempts to find the book, nearly gives up, but ultimately obtains it through Christian's contacts. She surprises Miranda by not only finding the book but having copies sent to the girls at the train station, leaving no doubt that she accomplished Miranda's "impossible" task, thus saving her job. Andy gradually begins to outperform Emily at her job, and slowly but surely becomes more glamorous and begins aligning herself, unwittingly at first, to the Runway philosophy.
One day, Andy saves Miranda from being embarrassed at a charity benefit, and Miranda rewards her by offering to take her to the fall fashion shows in Paris instead of Emily. Andy hesitates to take this privilege away from Emily but is forced to accept the offer after being told by Miranda that she will lose her job if she declines. Andy tries to tell Emily on her way to work. However, Emily is hit by a car and Andy has to break the bad news while visiting her in the hospital.
When Andy tells Nate she is going to Paris, he is angered by her refusal to admit that she's become what she once ridiculed, and they break up. Once there, Miranda, without makeup, opens up to Andy about the effect Miranda's impending divorce will have on her daughters. Later that night, Nigel tells Andy that he has accepted a job as Creative Director with rising fashion star James Holt (Daniel Sunjata) at Miranda's recommendation. Andy finally succumbs to Christian's charms and, after spending the night with him, learns from him about a plan to replace Miranda with Jacqueline Follet as editor of Runway. Despite the suffering she has endured at her boss's behest, she attempts to warn Miranda.
At a luncheon later that day, however, Miranda announces that it is Jacqueline instead of Nigel who will leave Runway for Holt. Nigel remarks to a stunned Andy that, though disappointed, he has to believe that his loyalty to Miranda will one day pay off. Later, when Miranda and Andy are being driven to a show, she explains to a still-stunned Andy that she was grateful for the warning but already knew of the plot to replace her and sacrificed Nigel to keep her own job. Pleased by this display of loyalty, she tells Andy that she sees a great deal of herself in her. Andy, repulsed, says she could never do that to anyone. Miranda replies that she already did, stepping over Emily when she agreed to go to Paris. When they stop, Andy gets out and throws her cell phone into the fountain of the Place de la Concorde, leaving Miranda, Runway, and fashion behind.
Some time later, Andy meets up with Nate, who is moving to Boston because he got a new job as the sous chef of a restaurant. They agree to start dating again and see what the future holds. The same day, Andy is interviewed and is accepted to work at a major New York publication company. The editor recounts how he called Runway for a reference on Andy, and got a response from Miranda herself. Miranda described Andy as "her biggest disappointment"- and said that the editor would be "an idiot" if he didn't hire her. Emily is offered her Paris wardrobe by Andy and the two leave on good terms. Andy passes the "Runway" office building and sees Miranda get into a car. Andy gives a wave, but Miranda does not acknowledge her. Andy is used to this and instead walks further into the crowd. Once inside the car, however, Miranda smiles and then orders her chauffeur to drive. | comedy, humor, satire, entertaining, flashback | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0078843 | The Bell Jar | Based on Sylvia Plath's novel, The Bell Jar Esther Greenwood (Marilyn Hassett) dances turning around and around. She speaks directly to the camera, saying that she has won a scholarship and that she is a "very proper New England girl". She arrives to college by bike, and a friend wishes her luck. All the teaching body have gathered to hear the announced of the winner. The head of the English Department announces the winner of the Mary Elizabeth Harrison Award because that person has proved consistently an ability to write poetry along the year. All heads to Esther Greenwood, the winner of the award, but she doesn't look happy or satisfied about it - she just ignores the stares and keeps on dribbling on a notebook. Finally, she reacts, stands up and smiles to everybody in acceptance of the award.Later, she goes to meet the boy she likes Buddy Willard (Jameson Parker); they are alone in a bedroom, presumably his at his parents'. He proposes to her instead of having sex - this is the 50's, and premarital sex is very much frowned upon. He says that his mother says that marriage is the only way, "living in sin" is unthinkable and his mother says that people who have sex out of marriage end up in hell. They kiss and seem to be about to have sex, but she stops him. He has plans to study Medicine, and Esther worries that in his plans, there is no education for her. He says that she may go to college as well, and goes back to the topic of what will happen when he will have his practice. She inquires about his previous love affairs - he has had several, a waitress, another woman. He says that for a guy it is different, and sex may not always lead to have an emotional attachment. He assumes that she is still a virgin, and she finds it offensive. She finally admits that she has never sex with any man; this secretly relieves and satisfies him. He asks whether she has ever seen a naked man, and she says she hasn't. He asks her whether she would like to see one - referring to himself, of course. She finally says she is interested in doing that. He starts to undress while she munches on something. She laughs when she sees him on his undies. When he takes his underwear off, the light goes off, so she has to make do with the weak light from the street lamp coming in from outside the window. It's pitch dark anyway, and we don't get to see his willy. She laughs and directs his positioning. Immediately, he tells her that it's her turn to strip - she wasn't expecting that and argues that he has already seen a naked woman. She tries to laugh it off but he presses on. He tells her that she is really beautiful. He kisses her and wants to have sex with her. She finally stops him, screaming and crying. He asks what the matter was, as it seems an exaggerated reaction. She says that she doesn't know what the matter is.Esther speaks with her afraid about the incident. She found particularly annoying that he put away his clothes very neatly when he undressed. Esther saw his dick and his balls, and he compares everything with a turkey.
Esther is very excited because she has won a four-week trip to New York to work at a women's magazine, all expenses paid, including the hotel. Mrs Greenwood (Julie Harris), her mother, doesn't like the idea and can't wait to tell her - New York is a dangerous and dirty place, which could be either very hot or very cold. Esther doesn't appreciate the comments and becomes serious and detached. Mrs Greenwood and Esther are walking while pushing their bikes - they are going to have a picnic by the banks of a small river - the day is glorious, and they choose an area close to the water to the shade of trees. The mother says that her father would have been really proud of her. Esther was an A-student, and once she arrived home crying because she thought the teacher would give her a B, something which didn't happen. Her mother only regrets that Esther didn't have more friends. Esther denies to have been a lonely child. The mother takes a photo of her, and tells her to stop fooling around putting an apple on her mouth. The mother tells her that Esther has become la créme of the world, but Esther regrets not having so much money and silk sweaters as her classmates; some of them even had horses that they would take to school. Her mother says something obvious - that happened because those girls' parents were rich. The mother changes the subject, and says that she has joined a folk dancing class. Both laugh about the ridiculous hand-made hat she has made. Esther asks why she hasn't married again, and her mother says it's complicated. Esther says that she may find somebody during the dancing lessons, but the mother says that it would have to be somebody her daughter likes. Esther thinks that quite a ridiculous notion, as she doesn't even live at home anymore, but Mother says that during the holidays she lives there. Esther asks why she didn't let her go to Dad's funeral. Mother says that Esther was too young and that he didn't suffer. Mother doesn't want to keep on talking about that, but Esther complains that she doesn't even know what he died from. Mother ends up saying that some things are better left alone. Esther would do anything her father wanted, although on some other occasions she used to have a temper as a child. Mother seems to be jealous of Esther and her father's close relationship. She wants to know if there was any blood - finally, her mother starts crying.They finally go to a restaurant with John Gilling (Scott McKay), a rich man who has invited them and will pay. He makes Joan (Donna Mitchell) uncomfortable, even mentioned her alcoholic mother. Gilling stands up and asks for an ovation - he drunkenly sings; everybody joins in, even Mrs Greenwood - not Esther and Joan. Joan and Esther walk hand in hand in the night. Joan thinks that in ten years she will be dead. Esther cuts Joan when she speaks about death the same as her mother cut her. She mentions that it's possible that she ends up doing the same things than her mother. She wonders if she should marry a nice boy and get over with all worries.Another night, her boyfriend is pressing her again about marrying before leaving. She mentions that she wants to be a writer, and he tells her that they would lead a comfortable life with plenty of kids and that she could write while the children are in bed; he promises that he will wash the dishes for her. Later, they drunkenly walk. Esther watches a fashion catwalk.Esther is going to an elite college. Her mother is already preparing her. Esther and Joan speak about Mrs Tenner, their expelled old teacher, while they drink. Joan seats close to Esther, who starts thinking about ways of committing suicide. It is suggested that Joan is a Lesbian who is attracted to her.The editor tells about her professional life and old jobs, and tells Esther that her A marks won't help her in a professional life. When Esther insists that she wants to be a poet, but the editor seems to mock her off. Later, Esther throws all her toys to the floor and stays awake staring at the ceiling. Joan hugs and consoles her. Finally, they go to a party. Buddy and her dance. They go out to a garden and he tries to have sex with her - she rejects him and bites his face. He ends up screaming "slut" while she runs away. She arrives home and throws all her clothes away. She screams on the window, naked except for her undies. A dog is barking in the distance. She seems to be having a breakdown.Her mother recommends her to go outside more. Dr Gordon starts treating Esther, as he thinks she's mentally disturbed. Mrs Greenwood wants to teach Esther shorthand, so that she may take a job in the future, but Esther wants to go to university. Esther spills milk all over her mother's notebook - there is a tug-of-war between them two, with Mrs Greenwood screaming "stop it!, stop it!" This time it is electroshock for Esther; she is forced to take them; afterwards, she can't even walk on her own - she becomes a zombie. Dr Gordon thinks that she's improving. She cries and laughs because her mother won't take her to Boston.She writes on a mirror with lipstick that she is visiting Daddy. She looks around for the tombstones until she finds the right one; she gives him his old bad. Coming back home, she tries to cut her wrists, but later she gives up and has plenty of pills. She puts on red lipstick which makes her look like a clown. Finally, she is saved in the nick of time and sent again to the mental hospital.Dr Nolan (Anne Jackson) is more helpful, although after two months she realises that she has not improved. Dr Nolan puts her again on shock treatment, but this time she does it the right way. She gives her anesthetics, and when she wakes up she is already in bed. She feels a little bit better and she can have a normal conversation with Dr. Nolan.Her mother visits her. Esther tells her other to knock on the door. Her mother says "I am your own other" and enters anyway. Mrs Greenwood talks about the terrible trip. She has even brought a bouquet of roses for her. Mrs Greenwood asks what she has done wrong. Esther says she is sorry if she disappoints / embarrashes her. Mrs Greenwood leaves. Dr Nolan asks Mrs Greenwood not to visit for a while. Esther admits to Dr Nolan that she hates her mother.Joan visits Esther, who's returning from a biking trip. Esther is actually happy to see her. Joan is also staying at the hospital as well, as she couldn't handle living in the real world. She spoke to some of the people of the ladies' magazine. It looks like Joan's father is a crossdresser. Esther is a little nervous, and can't believe that Joan has realy tried to kill herself.Buddy visits Esther. He has started Medicine and hasn't found it easy. She hasn't forgiven him for the attempted rape. Buddy wants her to follow him to an internship in New Jersey, and takes for granted she will go with him. But she refuses - she still wants to be a poet. Buddy can't believes what he hears.Joan and Esther take a long stroll. Joan admits that he used her crossdressing father's razor to try to commit suicide. Joan hugs and kisses her tummy. Esther finally realises Joan's feelings for her. Esther stays frozen and eventually runs away, leaving Joan on her own, crying.Dr Richards (Gil Rogers) asks Esther to locate Joan. She finds her body - Joan had hung herself. Dr Nollan hugs her.The treatment will finally work.---written by KrystelClaire | insanity, autobiographical | train | imdb | What could they possibly have been thinking?.
Jameson Parker And Marilyn Hassett are the screen's most unbelievable couple since John Travolta and Lily Tomlin.
Larry Peerce's direction wavers uncontrollably between black farce and Roman tragedy.
Robert Klein certainly think it's the former and his self-centered performance in a minor role underscores the total lack of balance and chemistry between the players in the film.
Normally, I don't like to let myself get so ascerbic, but The Bell Jar is one of my all-time favorite books, and to watch what they did with it makes me literally crazy..
Instead of "Sylvia" see this original movie about Plath.
This movie is one of the few I actually bought several copies of.
Though it is circa 1979, it is not dated, and so much more effective than the recent "Sylvia" film, which is dominated by Gwyneth Paltrow's persona.Marilyn Hassett plays the principal role, and does an excellent job.
She does not overshadow the personality of Sylvia Plath, who was an interesting, conflicted and brilliant individual.The story follows Sylvia at Smith College, where a young Donna Mitchell ("Mona Lisa Smile" mother to Kirsten Dunst), plays her best friend.
The scenery invokes New England autumn, promise and hope.
Julie Harris is perfect as Aurelia Plath, Sylvia's mother.
We can almost feel Sylvia's disdain, as her mother reminds Sylvia ...""you got nothing but straight A's....oh, except for deportment"...
Her mother is always at her, and this mirrors Sylvia's eventual faltering self-image.The story progresses as she wins a scholarship to NY where ..."ëvery one envied me that summer"...
However, there is the fateful backdrop of the Rosenbergs, the Eisenhower era, and Sylvia's doubts about her future.
We see fashion shows, jewelry, cosmetics, and the fear Sylvia has of what awaits her.
One should also read the book to get her true impressions, which are quite astute, reflecting women's roles in the late 1950's.Since it was the late 50's Sylvia was expected to marry, but does not see this as a viable solution, indeed it is a hindrance to her writing career.
She is on the brink of decision, when she has the ultimate breakdown; I will not delineate the detail, you must watch the brilliantly constructed story, which leads her to her decision.
The main issue I liked was that her life was shown, not in conjunction with a man (like the more recent movie) but how SHE was affected, and what life meant to her..
no, it's not the book, but...a flawed, intriguing interpretation nonetheless.
I saw this movie when it first came out, before I had read the book.
It's impossible to capture the immensity of Esther's pain as she staggers toward oblivion, but watching the movie gave me a definite sense of a life in utter chaos.
Yes, the film is flawed, but in my mind it stands alone as a separate entity.
Marilyn Hassett's portrayal of Esther is terrifying--I haven't empathized so completely with a character on the brink of dementia since Kathleen Quinlan as Deborah in "I Never Promised You A Rose Garden." The supporting cast is equally solid--it's not their fault that there's just too much ground for one little movie to cover.
Donna Mitchell stays in my mind as creating, in Joan's character, a young woman as doomed and in as much mental disarray as Esther.
Mitchell is an amazingly underrated (and under-used) actress.
I'm not sure if our boys would have given it two thumbs up, but it remains one of my closet classics..
An Abomination.
This is one of the worst films I've ever seen.
I looked into it mainly out of a morbid curiosity since I loved the novel, and I wish I hadn't.
I turned it off after a little less than an hour, though I wanted to turn it off after five minutes.
I wish I had.
It disregards the novel a lot and changes all sorts of factors.
Unless the film managed to redeem itself in the last 50 or so minutes (which would be impossible) I would in no way recommend this.
Its an insult to one of the greatest writers of the 20th century.
I don't think, as many people say that it is, that "The Bell Jar" is necessarily unfilmable, but this particular rendition could have been done without.
I'd almost like to see this one day in the hands of a director and screenwriter who can do it justice..
horrible in every way.
I rented this movie from the library (it's hard to find for good reason) purely out of curiosity.
I'm a huge Plath fan and this movie was a complete disappointment.
The Bell Jar (1979) is by far one of the worst movies I've ever seen.
The script is horrible, not because it strays from the original novel text, but because it strays without focus or intent.
The scenes are ill-constructed and don't lead the viewer anywhere.
What's with the hokey voice over of Plath's poetry?
Lady Lazarus has little do with Greenwood's situation; Plath's poetry was completely misused.
Marilyn Hassett is completely unbelievable as Esther Greenwood (or any 20 year old for that matter) partly due to casting (she was 32 during filming, the age Plath was when she DIED) and partly due to the fact that she can't act.
Hassett is all emotion, no craft, no skill.
The direction is mediocre; the director simply covers what's there, which isn't much.
The only reason I'm giving the film a 1 is because 0 isn't an option.
Sorry Sylvia, you'll have to wait for someone else to adapt your fine work into something more fitting..
Disappointing at best.
When they say that a book is always better than the film adaptation, "The Bell Jar" is a movie that can support that opinion to its highest degree.
Sylvia Plath`s American classic, "The Bell Jar", is a vivid, disturbing and brutally honest depiction of a young woman`s plunge towards insanity in the 1950`s, and it has become my favourite book of all time.
The film version, however, failed miserably in trying to tranfer the book onto the big screen.
The original story was cut up so badly for the film, you sometimes can`t even tell if they`re the same story.
The acting by the main character`s was mediocre at best, and worst of all, the movie completely lacked the poetic and evocative spirit that made the book special.
Watching "The Bell Jar" just isn`t the same as reading the book, trust me when I say the book is much better..
Didn't follow the book.
While Marilyn Hassett is a fine actress (she's absolutely wonderful as Jill Kinmont in the "Other Side of the Mountain" movies), she was totally miscast in "The Bell Jar".
According to the book, the character of Esther Greenwood was nineteen, and Ms. Hassett was almost thirty-two at the time of this filming.
Sylvia Plath's novel is a haunting, harrowing, timeless classic, and the film reflected none of that.
It was a mess.
Read the book instead..
Marilyn Hassett Gives A Great Performance!.
Remember seeing this film years ago and it had a lasting impression on me!
I remember the wonderful performance of Marilyn Hassett as Esther and Julie Harris as her mother!
The breakdown of the main character was horrorfing and so well acted!
I wish this was on video!
Whatever happened to Marilyn Hassett she had a real promising career and what beautiful hair!.
Almost Every Girl's Favorite at One Point.
Just as all boys who become readers as a result of CATCHER IN THE RYE and later are either discovering Phillip Roth or "rebel" types, the same goes for the adult woman emerging from the BELL JAR....EVERY sort of bright or pseudo intellectual girl is introduced to this book which becomes their stepping stone into the neurotic hormonal changes into WOMAN.
That is trite and will annoy most of you, but it has been true for a long time.
Even Liz Taylor once was going to do the film when young but could not get anyone to finance the "downer" aspect of this terrific work.
Of course, a film with a mental narrative is almost impossible to make into a good film.
Joan Didion's PLAY IT AS IT LAYS was a fantastic film of a very little known subject....filmmaking and the "biz", but a good portrait of a woman and Tuesday Weld was mind blowing in it.Just as the boys went on into the literary world to Mailer, Kesey, Tom Wolfe,and others went on to the political savants Vidal etc.;the women did the Virginia Woolf and offshoots of downer hood and independence and the intellectuals of both genders met in the middle with earlier mentioned Joan Didion and John Gregory Dunne, but the bump in the rug was when Erich Segal had such a hit with LOVE STORY and both sexes were now trapped by this silly little book and started reading together because they became "adult" enough to discuss each others' favorites.
Now, are new literary heroes are emerging through politics or trash and some heavy handed intellectuals or NO READING at all---compared to the days when one had up to three or four books going at once.There are so many writers from foreign lands who are doing better work because the world is so bizarrely transitioning into a heavy handed place to create and kids are using electronic communication devices which has played havoc with a lot of good storytellers who cannot get a publisher and we almost know what our old "favorites" are going to write about..There are a lot more books and writers than I make it appear....but, it is still frustrating to go into a store and come out empty handed because it is quite a luxury to spend $25-40 when you are having financial setbacks or one struggles to justify not reading a great book they have at their apartment or home bookshelves which are bursting.
Try Lorca or some Chinese writers by going to the public library first..
Vastly disappointing.
I greatly enjoy the novel and the poetry of Sylvia Plath, but this movie does a great disservice to the book.
I had seen the movie a number of years ago at the theater, and at this moment I am sort of half watching it on late night broadcast TV (which has done nothing to improve my opinion of the movie).
The lead character comes across as whiny and irritating.
The acting of the cast in general is pretty poor.
It seems a shame that such a fine novel by such a complex and tragic author received the mediocre treatment given it by this film.
Read the book!.
what a horrible movie...
i saw this a few months ago and i hope i never will have to again...i was not expecting something so hideously bad and corny....julie harris couldn't even save it...she was the only one who acted with some dignity...everything in the movie is jumbled and done wrong...the book is amazing, don't get me wrong, i love it to death..it's one of my all-time favourites, absolutely brilliant...but i find it sad how terrible the only movie it was made into is....i could've done a better job with the idea and i don't even know the first thing about moviemaking.
Moving adaptation (this review contains spoilers).
I read the book The Bell Jar when I was 17 a couple years ago, and enjoyed it even though I didn't fully understand it.
I understand it better just from the experiences I've had since then, putting myself in the context of my memories of reading it.
I had heard about the movie version and that it wasn't a satisfying adaptation, and after seeing it I only half agree with that assessment of it.Certainly, it had flaws, most notably it's continued attempts to identify Esther Greenwood as Sylvia Plath directly, even having Marilyn Hassett read narration that took excerpts directly from some of Plath's most famous poems, including "Daddy," "Lady Lazarus," and "Mad Girl's Love Song." While it's true that Plath based the book upon herself and her experiences, the book stands alone as a work of it's own.
We don't need to know anything about Plath to appreciate it, and that's how the movie should have presented it.
By connecting it directly to Plath, they sensationalize her and her death, and indeed the whole movie is guilty of oversensationalizing.I'm going from memory, but I don't remember the novel's Esther as going quite so crazy as Hassett's character does in this film.
I don't remember her writing "gone to see daddy, good bye" dramatically with lipstick on the mirror, and I don't remember her writing a note which implied Esther had dissociative personality disorder.
The screenwriters didn't seem to know what exactly Esther's problem was, so they inserted that ridiculous and inconsistent bit, as well as other dialogue that implied that Esther was schizophrenic, which she was not.However, despite the movie's flaws, it creates the atmosphere well.
Hassett turns in a believable and talented, if sometimes over-the-top performance as Esther, a brilliant university student in 1953, torn between following her dream of being a poet and becoming a traditional housewife, as girls were expected and expected themselves to become in the 50's.
She is treated as an object by men, critisized by bitter, self-rightous women for her intelligence, and her mother is in denial that her daughter is cracking under the pressure placed upon her.The other performances are excellent mostly, except for Julie Harris as Esther's mother who seems a little too weak and flaky.
Part of the blame lies with the screenwriters, who don't give her enough screen time to develop her character.
Barbara Barrie is convincing as the bitter magazine editor who urges Esther harshly and forcefully to update her tastes in novelists and write from the point of view of the average college student.Donna Mitchell is powerful as Esther's good friend who is spiraling downward at the same time as she.
Although they gleefully discuss the best methods of self-destruction in a bar, neither of them realizes that the other one is drowning at the same time as she.
Virtually every scene with Mitchell in it is haunting, and the lesbian overtones are convincingly subtle and not overstated.
I don't think the extra scene where she kills herself was necessary, but it was still effective.Finally, Mary Louise Weller is convincing in a small but important role as the stunning southern belle who befriends Esther but does not connect with her, and saves herself from Esther's problems by allowing herself to be pigeonholed into the same category as all the other young girls of the 50's, abandoning her dreams.Overall, the insertion of Plath's poetry borders on being insulting to her, and any attempt to translate her ingenious work will inevitably be imperfect and flawed, but this movie offers a powerful, moving effort and is a notable portrayal of a complex, brilliant girl's descent into madness and depression and her turbulent recovery. |
tt0077921 | The Medusa Touch | Chaos and destruction are all around as crews continue the clean up from an airliner crash city center last night. Tonight, we find ourselves in writer John Morlar's (Richard Burton) apartment, as he intently watches TV coverage of a NASA space mission going awry. As his intense eyes stare at the impending doom for the astronauts, his chair is suddenly spun around and his head is repeatedly and brutally beaten by an attacker from behind camera. Just prior to the beating, Morlar's eyes look right into the attacker's and he calmly says "a response at last".An investigation into the beating death has the detectives shocked to find that Morlar has survived barely, and they rush him to the hospital. He has his head totally bandaged (except for eyes and nose) and is plugged into multiple machines and monitors, hoses, tubes, etc. Obviously he is in the ICU, and here he stays for the rest of the movie.We follow the detectives' investigation into the beating at Morlar's apartment; how he lives, gets along with neighbors, his traits; his artwork, furnishings, his writings, etc. His writings are cryptic, obscure, dark and ominous, dealing with many past catastrophies and disasters. The detectives find that Morlar had been seeing a psychologist.They find the psychologist, Dr. Zonfeld (Lee Remmick) and try to discover what's up with Morlar. They find that he felt like he had some kind of power to create catastrophe. Zonfeld doesn't give much to the detectives other than to state he was delusional, so they go back to the apartment and hospital to dig up some more info.Morlar's hand trembles and he's given a pencil...he writes a warning about the old cathedral wall, which had been cracking lately, causing much worry about a collapse. Detectives think there is more to learn from Zonfeld.From this next visit to Zonfeld, the story is told through flashbacks from Zonfeld's and Morlar's points of view while she was interviewing, analyzing Morlar. She reveals that he felt he had caused the deaths of many people that had wronged him in the past. His nanny, his parents, his school professor, his estranged wife and her boyfriend. He felt that he learned that he could cause almost any type of catastrophe. She still claimed to the detectives that she felt it was all in his head, a delusion. She seems disinterested in his case and makes the police feel that there was no worry from her about the validity of his claims.Morlar's almost flatline brain activity ocasiionally gets a blip or two when his hand wants to warn of the collapse of the wall, so the detectives really watch him close. A bit more pressure on Zonfeld, and she accompanies the police to the hospital. Seing Morlar causes her to confess that Morlar's claims had begun to seem possible, and he had actually gotten her to come to his apartment. She witnessed him stare at the airliner as it took off, and watched it fly straight into the city center as he stared it to it's death.The detective believes now that Zonfeld has more to do with this, and goes back to her place the next day, to find her dead, from a self-induced injection. She left a taped confession that she had tried to kill him, to prevent the space disaster, but had failed. She has now convinced the detective that Morlar could cause these disasters.As police watch morlar in the hospital, the cathedral wall begins to crumble just as the Queen is arriving for a visit. Police rush all around trying to prevent death and destruction, but only our detective knows what is the cause. He rushes back to the hospital to remove the life support from Morlar. As Morlar's little jiggles and wiggles on the brain monitor fade, the falling cathedral catastrophe wanes and we sigh relief that it has all ended.The police look at Morlar's flatlined body, and are about to leave when the EEG monitor begins to make creepy squeaky sounds, and the flatline becomes very active. Then we look at Morlar's bandaged face, as his intense eyes open wide. | paranormal, murder | train | imdb | It's a slow burn type of story, and the filmmakers were much more concerned with building a creepy atmosphere than bombarding us with CGI effects, blood and gore, and whatever else passes for supernatural horror these days.Besides, Richard Burton on a bad day is better than most actors at their best.
The Medusa Touch is a methodically paced thriller, aimed at genre fans who enjoy a more thoughtful kind of horror film.
The late Richard Burton plays an obsessed psychic who tries to convince a psychiatrist (Lee Remick) of his demonic power to kill people and to cause disasters just by the strength of his thoughts.
French cop Lino Ventura, working as a guest policeman in London, tries to find out the mystery of Burton's dark life.Although there's not much action, this horror movie is thrilling and dominated by the convincing performances of the actors.
Burton was obviously intimately familiar with the text as his rendition of Morlar is, to say the least, riveting.The apocryphal elements added by the director, the cataclysmic disasters vastly improve the story's big-screen appeal, even if they were a bit of a departure from the text.
These things along with an excellent rendition of a sensational, compelling story make the Medusa Touch one of the best suspense films ever..
The build up to the film is superb as is the actual way the French investigator (Leo Ventura) goes about investigating Morlar's (Burton) death.
Back then it was really scary, but even today - when we're blessed (or cursed) with visual effects that are so convincing - it is still capable of sending a shiver up my spine.The film's pace is methodical, but Richard Burton admirably conveys a sense of quiet menace as he loses his grip on sanity during a series of flashbacks.
The Medusa Touch is the fantastic story of a middle age English man tormented by the terrifying revelation, he is responsible for the the world's disasters.
Richard Burton gives an impressive performance as writer John Morlar, who is brutally murdered and left for dead.
The case is investigated by French Inspector Brunel (Supurbly played by Lino Ventura) who is convinced, Morlar's personal psychiatrist, Doctor Zonfeld (Lee Remick in one of her finest roles), is harboring a horrifying secret which eventually engulfs them both.
This is the sort of movie that could only be British made.....with its cavalcade of great character actors, slightly dodgy special effects and bravura it's well worth watching.
Richard Burton has lots of fun as a man cursed with the power 'To create catastrophe 'and Lee Remick is the psychiatrist who has to convince him he's got a fertile imagination and that he should relax a little.After all how many horror films start with the main character getting his head bashed in, goes from there to the aftermath of a plane crash in central London, segues neatly through burning schools, failing space missions, goes back to the events leading upto the plane crash, quickly darts over to a cathedral collapsing and then builds to a crescendo where........nah, that'd ruin it for you.
Watch it , there's so much going on in this film it's like watching one of those Amicus compilation movies, with several stories within the main plot.
It'll never win any Oscars or credits from film luvvies but it is entertaining, it has a great soundtrack, all the cast give good performances and Lee Remick looks scared as only she could!.
An unusually rigid, dark and hazy telekinetic crossed disaster driven supernatural-thriller, predictably told and methodically directed, but the spectacle starts out like a cerebral murder-mystery before the bleak, schlocky mayhem bursts from the seams.
give or take.The story follows a French detective Brunel (Lino Ventura who's great here) on temporary assignment for Scotland yard, as he investigates the attempted murder of a writer, John Morlar, who now lays comatose in a hospital bed.
He learns from Morlar's psychiatrist Dr Zonfeld (a really cold Lee Remick), and Morlar's journals, he believed he could predict the future, and eventually cause disasters, or even death.This leads to a lot of red herrings, where motivations are unravelled through Brunel's consistent digging of the facts, although it's not hard to figure who was the attempted murderer.
Well, they're right, but he's positively wooden here compared to his histrionics in Exorcist II The Heretic.Burton was a superb actor, with the best speaking voice this side of Lee Marvin, who squandered his enormous talent on a string of second-rate movies and an awful lot of whisky.
But don't let that put you off watching The Medusa Touch, a thought-provoking, and thoughtful thriller that poses some uncomfortable questions about the nature of evil, and man's place in a world seemingly abandoned by God.
A bit of a curate's egg, this movie...common sense tells you that you should scoff at the ridiculous premise, overacting and clunky effects, but somehow, you don't.Burton is excellent as Morlar, and the supporting cast are interesting enough...save poor Lee Remick who just doesn't have the depth to flesh out her character.
His presence alone, like his character's terrible power, carries the film even when Morlar is lying in a coma for the entire duration of the movie.
Their dynamic throughout the movie forces you at the edge of your seat, making you think and feel what the characters are supposed to feel.I admit I saw this film as a child and, as such, my personality has been shaped by it.
I also feel the pain of missing actors like Richard Burton and even Lino Ventura and Lee Remick.
Lino Ventura (his presence on the British police force amusingly attributed to an exchange program with the French) comes in to investigate after Burton's Morlar is attacked in his home and left for dead - the film dramatizes the fruits of his investigation in flashback, interspersed with the growing anxiety as Morlar clings to life against all odds, his malicious capacities and intents possibly intact.
The extensive use of other establishment actors in small parts, the alertness to time and place, and the breadth of Morlar's fury (encompassing the family, the education system, the law, the church, etc.) gives the film an unlikely symbolic force, allowing the character to embody whatever undiagnosed or unaddressed ills are slowly poisoning us.
With an extraordinary stage presence and a baritone voice so pleasant he could read the phone book and get a standing ovation, RICHARD BURTON would make even the dullest movies interesting (the exception that proves the rule being the dreadful 1977 Exorcist-sequel, THE HERETIC).Legendary for his two turbulent marriages to Liz Taylor, this Welsh Wonder of the World ranks up there with the giants of British film and theatre, but sadly so did his health.
So what better part for this man, than the starring role in THE MEDUSA TOUCH, playing a writer living in horror convinced that he can murder people just by thinking about it!Most critics strongly dismissed this film upon its release in 1978.
In retrospect I guess it's easy to see why a movie like this would seem silly, almost archaic at the time, especially as it was following gritty classics like Deliverance, The French Connection, Mean Streets, Taxi Driver and beautiful spectacles like Close Encounters of the Third Kind.Seen with 21st Century goggles however it's near impossible not to enjoy what is going on here.
THE MEDUSA TOUCH starts out with a brutal murder, takes on the shape of a police procedural, then flirts more and more with the supernatural, before moving into possible Sci-Fi territory and finally punching you in the face with scenes of both Action and Horror!"Horror" in this case meaning closer to Hammer House than it does the cynical US horror movies of the era (just so I don't get any angry messages from people who were expecting ROSEMARY'S BABY or THE SHINING).THE MEDUSA TOUCH has plenty of quirks and odd twists along the way, even a suicide-scene sprinkled with comedy, but this just adds to the fun, the end result being a movie quite unlike anything else.
Other people might want to punch the screen, and I would pity them for taking their movies so seriously.Italian veteran actor Lino Ventura is a fun choice co-starring as the French (!) police detective who has to figure out what is real and what's not.
Richard Burton's voice is unsurpassed so it is quite a blow that he is for a loss of words after meeting Napoleon in the 3rd minute of this film.But than Lino Ventura steps in, the actor who can play any role without loosing his 'friendly-dog' look in his eyes.This is no horror-film, as a Halloween-parody shot clearly states, but a thriller which tries to creep under your skin.Richard Burton, after the Voice ('cos he does speak in this picture) and his Looks (no leading lady could resist him, as the legend goes, but did anyone tell Lee Remick that ?) now adds his Eyes to his capturing features.
The opening scene is compulsory, but some disaster footage later in the movie would have been even more effective if it had been implied, rather than shown.Overall, a fairly effective and relatively bloodless horror film..
Have just watched TMT (screened on talking pictures) for the first time in many years....like other reviewers...remember it from thirty or more years ago....an effective and chilling little psychological thriller that lingers in the mind....all performances are good but of course Burton's compelling performance as Morlar (although not on screen that long) carries the film........however one question on plot remains with me....on several occasions in Morlars notes he mentions 'L'.
Devilish, determined, destructive, manipulative, all these are descriptive of Richard Burton's character John Morlar who killed his parents, nanny and many others apparently by the force of his will.
The film was much better than I expected, for it kept my mind working along with that of the main character and the police inspector who was always a few steps behind and the doctor who was even further behind until the very end.
That is the power, the talent, the ham of The Medusa Touch, which smacks of The Pink Panther meets The French Connection -- it never knows how seriously it should take itself, it doesn't know if it's a drama or a parody, and the cheap thrills take so long to unfold that they end up costing quite a lot in terms of time and plot credibility.
But the final unavoidable sequence, in which Richard Burton does what his career could never do after this and fights to stave off death, makes the film worth the cold chicken and warm beer I found waiting for me -- and if that isn't the mark of a gloriously average movie, what is?.
Lee Remick makes for an attractive shrink though she lacks the depth and Leno Ventura is great as the French detective whose sympathies are suspect.It's all a kind of anthropological Sci-Fi, with Burton as the next step in the evolutionary process.
Sometimes when a movie is centered around only 1 or 2 characters it is hard to captivate the audience but Medusa Touch even though slow moving at times it keeps you on the edge wanting more especially as you close in on the finale.
John Morlar, a misanthropic writer played by Richard Burton, is a man who thinks he can create disasters.
the presence of a remarkable cast - Lee Remick, Richard Burton and Lino Ventura, the short presence of Michael Hordern and Derek Jacobi, the image and the dialog rhythm are perfect bricks for a story about a kind of Raskolnikoff and his new form of justice.
On investigating the attempted murder of a controversial author, a detective contemplates the possibility of supernatural forces at work.Over earnest psychic thriller that really pulls out all the stops, with some big stars and a great big climax.
I Don't Get The Hype Over It. I don't get what is so special about this film - other than the fact that Richard Burton is starring.
Ending is interesting but a pity the intrigue, mystery and menace could not be sustained throughout the movie.Great performance by Richard Burton in the lead role.
The movie is extremely slow, nothing happens, the story sucks(a man with the curse to do evil things just by the power of his mind!?), the actors are even worse, the script is ultra-lame, the direction is stiff and useless, the dialogue is useless.
I am not 100% why he thought this...it's not really good but it's not that bad either.The film begins with Morlar (Richard Burton) getting bludgeoned.
The trail takes them to the man's psychotherapist (Lee Remick) and she recounts a strange story about Morlar thinking he had the ability to use his mind to cause the deaths of folks he didn't like.
The man investigating the case (Lino Ventura) eventually comes to the determination that perhaps the man in the coma is actually a super- being...someone who does possess strange supernatural powers.This is a decent enough film but the premise itself seems better than the actual movie.
Richard Burton makes this film worth seeing..
"The Medusa Touch" has many effective scenes but the films rather modest budget works against the production.
That is the character Richard Burton plays and his performance is very good.
Lee Remick has a good part to play as the character who befriends Burton in the film.
That premise sounds like a potentially good thriller, but the vast majority of the movie is spent trying to convince the leads that Richard Burton really is responsible for the disasters he's claiming credit for.
However, it is far from clear to me if the movie succeeds thanks to or in spite of Richard Burton, who plays the role of Morlar.
That gruesome telekinetic man bent on destroying civilization gave me the creeps.Later (it's one of the mystery movies broadcast quite regularly on German TV) I discovered the (sometimes fine, sometimes crude) satirical humor of this picture.I believe this one of the best performances of Richard Burton - just look in his eyes while he rants against bigotry or starts his crusade against what he considers sick or decadent.
The film is perfectly cast: Richard Burton with his commanding voice and piercing eyes, the classy, beautiful, intelligent Lee Remick, the instantly likable Lino Ventura.
"I'm not terribly pro-establishment," says veteran TV and film director Jack Gold, and a glance at his CV confirms it; from 1973's The National Health to The Naked Civil Servant and the anti-Thatcherite Good And Bad At Games, Gold's output tends to reflect the nation's malaise during any given decade.Of Richard Burton's destructive nihilist John Morlar, Gold professes, "I agree with his opinions"; sentiments with which original audiences might also have concurred.
Nah. As the film ends, Morlar (whose very name suggests a cross between a decaying tooth and a subterranean cellar-dweller) falteringly scrawls the name of his next target on a notepad beside his bed: "Windscale." Ouch.Aside from the cultural anachronisms (""I was expecting a man!" a surprised Brunel tells Doctor Zonfeld), and a high-level conspiracy subplot that goes nowhere, The Medusa Touch feels surprisingly fresh, even contemporary, with its ghastly scene of a jet slamming into a tower block.
Richard Burton stars as an author of highly-controversial writings about the British government who gets bludgeoned to death by an unseen assailant in the film's opening scene (this is not a spoiler).
From there, the story of his life unfolds in flashback, some told by Burton's former psychiatrist (Lee Remick), and some gleamed by the French detective assigned to investigate the homicide.
The story-line of the high executives, who were interested in Morlar's case, almost pushed the movie to be a supernatural / political thriller, a la Brian De Palma's The Fury released in the same year.
His very best scene, however, is when he gave his wife and her lover a verbal pasting as they left his home: sharp, witty and deadly dialog, delivered as only Burton could.A good supporting cast helps to make things look and sound a lot better, though, beginning with Lino Ventura, whom I last saw in Garde A Vu (1981), as Inspector Brunel; Harry Andrews as Assistant Commissioner; the much under-rated Lee Remick as Dr Zonfeld; Derek Jacobi as a publisher, Towney, and a few other well known character actors.I liked the way the story was presented, as flashback within flashback to fill in the back story and thus solve the immediate mystery of the attempted murder of Morlar (Richard Burton), the writer with the killer disposition.
He had earlier demonstrated his destructive telekinesis power by causing a disastrous 9/11, 23 years before the real 9/11 terrorist attack happened, like plane crash into a high rise office building in downtown London that ended up killing over 700 people.
Now with him, or his brain, still alive and kicking Morlar is ready to cause far greater damage and destruction that's unless the life support system keeping him and his brain alive is shut off immediately!Very disturbing film with no happy ending with a both witty and sarcastic Richard Burton outstanding as the green eyed monster and "Master of Disaster" John Morlan.
I was happy to get clarification on that point which did serve to provide some small sense of personal closure.I can't recommend the movie itself, however, as explained below.MAJOR SPOILERS FOLLOW (but really, there's very little reason for most people to watch this, unless you're fatalistically inclined...)The movie itself started out promisingly-- a grim thriller involving a police investigation of an assault on a cynical, bitter, anti-religious writer, played by Richard Burton.
Alas, not even this cast of respectable character-actors can bring conviction to such far-fetched nonsense.Novelist John Morlar (Richard Burton) claims to have a gift for disaster.
Brunel finds himself racing against time to prevent yet another Morlar-inspired catastrophe.With a cast of this quality, you'd expect The Medusa Touch to be all about the acting. |
tt0032910 | Pinocchio | The story begins with an inventor named Geppetto making a robot, Pinocchio, as his son. Meanwhile, an evil mayor named Scamboli is building a technological city called "Scamboville" to get rid of nature. He also hates all children, except for his beloved daughter, Marlene. When Marlene expresses concerns to Scamboli about there being no space for children to have fun, he sets out to make a kids-only theme park called "Scamboland".
That night, Geppetto and Spencer the Penguin are preparing to make Pinocchio come to life. But Scamboli has seized control of the city mains to light up his theme park for the Grand Opening, so, Geppetto has no choice but to steal his electricity. Suddenly, Scamboland has a power outage and the children leave. After Pinocchio comes to life, much to his family's delight, Cyberina the fairy appears. She decides to grant Geppetto's wish to turn Pinocchio into a real boy if he learns about right and wrong.
The next morning, Pinocchio is walking his way to school with Spencer when he meets up with Zach, Cynthia and Marlene. Marlene challenges Pinocchio to an Imagination game, hosted by Cyberina. Marlene wins the game, but Pinocchio snatches the medal from her. As he runs away, he comes across Scamboli's robotic henchmen, Cabby and Rodo, who take Pinocchio to see Scamboli. While they talk to each other, Pinocchio says, "Life would be great if kids were more like us", sparking an idea in Scamboli's diabolical brain.
With the true opening of Scamboland, he makes Pinocchio into an attraction, but when Geppetto gets word of this, he tries to convince him to come home. While Pinocchio performs at a concert, Scamboli kidnaps Geppetto. Afterward, all the children board a roller coaster ride called "A Whale of a Change", which transforms all of them into "Scambobots". Meanwhile, Pinocchio gives Marlene her medal back and befriends her, and they spend the night together at Marlene's private garden.
As they awaken the next morning, Marlene is crestfallen to find that Scambobots have destroyed her garden. Hearing Pinocchio laughing at her dismay, she gives the medal to him and revokes her vow of friendship. But Pinocchio, realizing that he had accidentally helped Scamboli, leaves to find his Dad. He returns home, but finds that his father isn't there, but Spencer is. He tells Pinocchio that he went off to get him, so they head off to find him, only to find Scamboli turned Geppetto into a robot to kill Pinocchio. After Spencer blinds Scamboli with his camera and steals the remote that controls Geppetto and the other Scanbobots, Pinocchio and Spencer hide out in the "Tunnel of Danger" ride, where Scamboli manages to trap them. Marlene arrives and helps Pinocchio to avoid the tunnel's many dangers. However, Scamboli incapacitates Marlene, so he can kill Pinocchio with a laser gun. Pinocchio uses the medal to shield himself from the laser, causing the beam to reflect back at Scamboli and destroy his weapon. Meanwhile, Cabby accidentally gave Geppetto the remote that controls all Scambobots, getting them fired. Geppetto then commands the robots to get Scamboli.
Scamboli attempts to escape in Cabby's shuttle, but is caught by a Scambocop. It tosses Scamboli inside a shuttle and flies down to the Whale ride. Pinocchio, Geppetto, Marlene and Spencer go to turn the robots back into children. Soon it's Geppetto's turn, but Scamboli presses a button to stop the machines. Pinocchio goes inside the whale and tries to fix it. Pinocchio finds the out-of-reach button, so he begins to tell a lie about his personality . Once he reached it, Scamboli was caught on the cart. Pinocchio then realizes that everything was his fault. Cyberina appears, Pinocchio tells her that he has learned about Right and Wrong and turns Pinocchio into a real boy and Geppetto back into a human. Suddenly, Scamboli, turned into a robot, appears and Marlene was shocked. Cyberina borrows Cynthia's "Funbrella" to make sunshine and bring all the plants Scamboli has destroyed. It ends with Spencer taking a picture of Pinocchio, Geppetto and Marlene. | cute, fantasy, entertaining | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0829442 | The Wild Man of the Navidad | This movie is allegedly based on the real-life journals of Dale S. Rogers, a man who, in the 1970s, lived along the banks of the Navidad River in Sublime, Texas - the same area where the original legend of the Wild Man of the Navidad surfaced back in the late 1800s. The film follows Dale, his wheelchair-bound wife Jean, and her oft-shirtless, lazy-eyed caretaker Mario. Though their ranch sits on vast acres prime for paying hunters, Dale has resisted opening up the land because of the strange, Bigfoot like creatures supposedly inhabiting it. But after the prodding of some of the rifle-loving townsfolk and the loss of his welding job, Dale gives in and opens the gate to his compound. Then the hunters become the hunted. [D-Man2010]34 years ago, Kim Henkel produced arguably the single most influential horror movie of the modern age: THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE. Now he has teamed up with the young and talented Justin Meeks and Duane Graves for another frightening rural Texas tale.We've seen plenty of low-budget period films cross our desk in the years of doing the festival, and very few get it spot-on correct. THE WILD MAN nails it, down to every last detail. The look, feel, style and even the pacing of the film gives the impression that you are actually watching a forgotten classic from the Dixie drive-in circuit.Allegedly based on the diaries of Dale S. Rogers, the Wildman of the Navidad centers on a quiet, bookish man in a small Texas town. He keeps to himself, doesn't socialize much with his neighbors, and with the help of a Mexican handyman cares for his severely invalid wife. When he unexpectedly loses his job as a welder, he has no choice but to open up his virgin ranch land to deer hunters for the first time in decades. This seemingly innocent decision has dire, bloody consequences, however, as his property is also home to creatures who don't take kindly to the disruption of their way of life.With THE WILD MAN OF THE NAVIDAD, you have to attune yourself to a certain level of, let's call it, "naive" acting. I personally forgave that pretty quickly, chalking it up to the charm of this film. Clearly the filmmakers are using a LOT of non-actors and colorful Texas good-ol-boys, probably regulars of the actual watering hole in the actual town in which they shot. The makers of southern exploitation classics PSYCHO FROM TEXAS and POLK COUNTY POT PLANE followed the same philosophy. It worked for them, and it works for WILD MAN. A lot of it's cinematic texture actually comes from these guys despite their stiff delivery. Lines of dialogue, like a father showing his son how to make a "cactus pussy," feel genuine and almost improvised.It's the other end of the spectrum for co-director, co-writer and lead actor Justin Meeks. The range of emotions with which his character has to deal is vast and you read every nuance through subtle variations in his very reserved and introverted personality. Is he a monster himself, or simply an honest man backed in to a corner who will do anything to preserve his family? Watch WILD MAN OF THE NAVIDAD and judge for yourself. This one stuck with me for a while after watching, and you will enjoy it. [D-Man2010] | comedy, cult, avant garde, dark | train | imdb | Flawed old-school creature feature.
After a series of strange attacks and incidents in a small town, a group of friends get together to hunt down the malicious beast stalking the residents and put an end to it's reign of terror.This turned out to be a pretty disappointing Bigfoot entry, as this one really could've been quite good had it managed to keep attention and focus on the strange attacks afflicting the towns-members instead of the ungodly amount of time with the residents and their problems.
Not that a little info isn't bad on them, but they come at the expense of the creature attacks as it's mostly getting a complete history of the locals before stuff starts to happen, and the creature doesn't start getting in on things until just under the hour mark.
Those are really good, with some pretty brutal attacks getting in some pretty decent gore shots and the day-time setting for the whole film is rather pleasant, if only the creature's costume would've looked better.
Still, the lowered amount of time spent here on these sections of the film means it's quite a while before we get to the good stuff, flawed as it is by's low-budget nature that somewhat hurts it, but overall this is a throwback to the Grindhouse style of shockers so those who enjoy them will find a lot more here instead of more traditional creature-feature fans.Rated R: Graphic Language and Graphic Violence..
A fantastic modern update on the old 1970s Bigfoot shockers!.
Wild Man is a truly great flick for those of us who love the great horror films of the 1970s that often tried to add a nice hunk of realism and earthiness to their bloodshed.
In a day where the movie theaters are flooded with remakes and attempts at creating a nostalgic older quality while flooding us with Mickey Mouse Club rejects, this movie is a fresh breath of air.
I watched it, and I kept thinking, Wow, I know a lot of people like this.
Some, definitely not all, of Texas definitely has characters like it throughout..and the region of Sublime as portrayed in the film is spot-on for this group of folks.
Dale is a very realistic character as well, as actor and director Meeks carefully treads the line of guilt and despair Dale feels without being too in-your-face about it.
The music, close shots and the setting add to the sense of doom that pervades the film.
Definitely worth seeing!.
A perfect sequel for Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
The Wild Man of the Navidad is as authentic as a retro horror film can get.
Every detail from the garish 'Tenocolour' opening credits, down to the local yokels delivering their stilted dialogue, seems to have been deliberately crafted to give the impression that one is watching an old school slasher film/public television documentary from the early 80s.
The only reminder that one was watching a modern film was a hunter's wife wearing a noughties-style outfit halfway through the film.
If it weren't for that detail, I would have doubted that I was watching a film from the 21st century.Other reviewers critiqued the films flaws but to me it was obvious that these flaws are intentionally left in, because they add so much to the retro B-movie vibe.
That the film isn't technically perfect just shows the film makers expertise in making retro films.
I found the characters amusingly whacked-out and the Wild Man scenario a funny, bizarre variation on the Texan massacre theme.
It wasn't the scariest film ever but the wild man attacks kept the action moving along at a fast pace.So if you are in the mood for an twisted but fun little horror flick then The Wild Man of the Navidad is the movie for you..
Decent but Flawed 70's throwback.
Dale (Co-Director Justin Meeks) doesn't want to open his ranch to hunters, but has to because he needs the money.
Too bad for him (and them) that a bloodthirsty creature is not keen on trespassers.Produced by "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" writer Kim Henkel, "The Wild Man of the Navidad" doesn't owe a lot to that seminal classic.
Instead, this is more inspired by other 70's Horror/Exploitation fair such as "The Legend of Boggy Creek", "Creature From Black Lake" and "The Town That Dreaded Sundown", with a bit of slasher movie inspiration to match.
If the film has one thing going for it, it's that it genuinely feels like a Southern Drive-In Horror Flick from the 70's-the weird, off-kilter score, the bad acting from a cast mostly made up of locals and non-actors, the cheap monster costume, the grainy look, the ultra low budget, almost documentary like feel, the unconvincing gore(who knew intestines looked like cooked steak?)-I could go on and on.And it's watchable, decent stuff, but not without it's flaws.
While bad acting and long stretches of dialog are to be expected out of a movie like this, it really starts to get annoying.
The directors also reveal too much of the creature too soon, though it's cheap look has it's charm.
The conclusion is also something that needs some work-it just kind of ends, without any real sense of wrap up.
Finally, the slow burn style doesn't hurt for the large part, but it even tested my patience eventually, and I tend to be a patient man.Can I recommend "The Wild Man of the Navidad?" Well, it depends.
As a movie, it's decent but too flawed to be enjoyed by some, and those expecting a really fun movie will feel bored.
As I said though, the fact that it genuinely feels like an old Southern Grindhouse flick will certainly appeal to those who love such movies, and is worth a look to any curious horror fan..
What to expect from The Wild Man of the Navidad.
What would you expect from one of the producers of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre?
More of the same realistic butcherings?
A movie based on a true story?
It would take place in backwoods Texas?
It would have extremely hickish and super rednecks that are whacked out and just plain crazy?
If you answered yes to all of the above, then you know what to expect from this interesting character-driven tale.Kim Henkel produced this indie flick with director Duane Graves at the helm.
Graves most definitely is a student of the Chainsaw films and faux-documentary style the first film was shot in.
He puts it to good use here, making you feel like you are right there on location.
Now, I'm not talking faux-documentary like The Blair Witch Project, Cloverfield, or District 9.
It doesn't make you feel like you need an airplane barf bag to watch it.
It's like a documentarian shot it that has actually had some experience shooting film or video before.The film looks absolutely genuine.
There's no reason why it shouldn't.
It seems that most of it is shot on location in and around the rural areas of Austin, TX.
Every single whacked out and tobacco-spitting character and person in this film sounds and comes across as completely real.
Like Graves walked into a town hall meeting and asked regular townspeople to star in his movie..
Fantastically real 50's style horror film.
You have to love this for the characters.
The majority of the town where this event is supposed take place are drunks sipping moonshine all day.
They are more believable drunks then say the characters in the HBO series Deadwood.
I.E. they don't drink and seem sober they drink and look and act drunk.The man who owns the property where the wild man lives is not only believable but sympathetic.
His wife is barely able to move and lives in a wheelchair.
They have a loyal(?) male Mexican servant.
Who pulls his pants off and fondles the wife's underwear when the husband isn't home.
This servant even fondles the wife, who can't speak, by covering her mouth while he does whatever.
The husband must suspect something.
When the wild man carries the servant off the husband hides the wife rather than try to save the servant.
There are some good people in the story.
Two of the best, a man and his son go hunting in the river bottom which has been closed for years.
This is the place where the wild man dwells.
He has been kept at bay for years with a diet of skinned rabbit provided by the property owner.
But because the owner lost his job and the wife needs her medications, the property owner has opened the bottom land to hunters.
This pisses the wild man off and he kills both father and son.
In fact he kills a bunch of people by gutting them with antlers.
When a couple is attacked, the husband, stabbed through the ribs with an antler, runs, hitches a ride and goes not to the hospital but the bar where he tells everyone what happened.
A posse is formed.
This is a posse of drunks.
Why any sheriff would recruit these people is one of the least believable things in the movie.
The other is that these heavily armed drunks don't shoot each other.
But at least one of the posse (a drunk's son I think) gets killed.
But then the property owner finally uses the big shinny shotgun he has been polishing throughout the movie.
And only a bunch of drunks would string up a dead man who was just shot like he was a prize elk with razor-back tusks.
But there suspense is here.
The movie is engaging.
The acting so good these people seem like they are drunks in a documentary.
I highly recommend this, especially to independent filmmakers..
The Wild Man of the Navidad.
I'm one of those kind of horror fans who supports the efforts of dye-in-the-wool buffs living the dream, putting together whatever monetary funds they can scrape up in order to make a little homage to movies that inspired them.
That's not to say there hasn't been a fair share of rotten apples along the way, particularly within the slasher genre.
But in the past few years I've come across a number of flicks made by horror buffs on peanuts which have more enthusiasm, energy, and verve, while also containing elements hardcore horror fans can enjoy such as Gutterballs, Hatchet, Behind the Mask:The Rise of Leslie Vernon, among others, than most high-budget fare without a soul churned off the Hollywood machine these days.
I think The Wild Man of Navidad is such a film, and it pays loving homage to films like The Legend of Boggy Creek, with nods to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre(..in particular, the "room of bones" scene, except this time we see the remnants of the wilderness man-beast's meals over the past few days, the camera lens closing in tight showing buzzing flies entering gaping wounds in rotted flesh)as well.The movie focuses on the oddball trio of Dale S Rogers(Justin Meeks who also co-wrote / co-directed), his paraplegic wife(played by his relative, Stacy Meeks), confined to a wheel-chair after a devastating car crash, and pot-bellied Mexican hand, Mario(Alex Garcia)who keep the hostility of a carnivorous half-human / half-animal at bay through skinned rabbit meat each night at 9:00, while also containing 600 acres of prime hunting land off-limits to those who desire to use it for their leisure as deer season starts up.
Through mounting medical bills, Dale sees few alternatives to make some necessary quick-cash, opening the land for local hunters, resulting in one of them firing off a shot directed at the wild man of the woods, sparking a violent, bloody rampage resulting in humans being ripped apart and eaten.I think what made this work for me was using real areas in Texas and locals from nearby small towns who would act for little to nothing while tolerating demanding conditions.
Directors Duane Graves and Justin Meeks studied under the tutelage of Kim Henkel(who wrote the screenplay for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and directed The Texas Chainsaw Massacre:The New Generation)who was teaching at a Texas college they attended.
There's a good use of the rural setting and people who live there.
The southern "hick" accents are thick and unrestrained and these people actually look like those who would live in a small rural area where everyone knows each other.
The acting itself is often suspect because you are dealing with a great many non-actors who have never been in a film before.
Graves and Meeks accentuate a variety of stylistic shots, using any number of make-shift apparatus which could compliment the scenes and characters, giving them an extra boost due to their limitations in budget.
I believe an actor discusses a little buggy the duo rigged up as a rolling vehicle substituting for a dolly they couldn't afford..this is the same kind of motivation and ingenuity often elicited on Hooper's TCM.The gore scenes are shot in a way to obviously avoid confronting the fact that they had little in regards to effective make-up effects.
We see screaming victims, blood all over the place, the girth of the wild man(..always covered by skins)nearly engulfing the frame with animal guts tossed throughout from off screen.
Not every filmmaker has access to a Tom Savini or Greg Nicotero, so these young guys combat their restrictions any way they possibly can.
I think something has happened as the opportunities for obtaining cameras during the digital age have evolved..it seems that the attempt at developing and maintaining atmosphere and dread has dwindled.
I'm not sure what it was about low-budget film-making in the 70's that gave it an edge and power that seems hard / difficult to duplicate in this day and age where anyone can make a movie with the right kind of support in place.
I think Graves and Meeks give it everything they have in their being to establish dread and atmosphere, attempting to evoke that spirit the 70's had..but, again, it remains untouched.
This is 2009, not 1974, but filmmakers continue to strive for tapping into the "grindhouse wellspring".
Charlie Hurtin, as local back-stabbing moonshiner Karl Crabtree(..he practically took Rogers' steel welding job from him), also provided the very restrained, quietly moody score.
Seems the film is a sort of tribute to Charles B Pierce, the director of The Legend of Boggy Creek and The Town That Dreaded Sundown and The Wild Man of the Navidad almost succeeds.
It does have the eccentric, colorful sort of Texas citizenry one might find in a film made by Pierce or others during the 70's, lacking only that needed atmosphere that seemed to be in abundance during that decade..
A Family Friendly Funfest (Not!).
3 stars for this turgid little poop of a movie because it is competently photographed and edited.
Really, I'd like to rate it higher but it's hard for me to recommend a horror film where the people are more terrifying than the creature.
The setting for this exercise in revulsion is a little redneck town in Texas.
The director quickly makes you aware of the fact that all the crackers in the town are drunken bums and louts and it's all downhill from there because the drunken bums are going to be the focus of the flick.
The creature actually gets very little screen time.
Instead we're treated to a redneck daddy who takes his young 8 year old hunting.
As he's making the kid drag out the carcass of a boar they had just shot he stops and slices a cactus in two with his hunting knife.
He then has his son stick his little finger in the slit between the cactus pulp and tells him "That's what pu**y feels like"!
What a charmer!
There's also the sheriff who's in cahoots with the local moonshiner and the main character who knowingly sends the cracker men and gals to their deaths by allowing them to hunt on his bottom lands, the very place where the horrible creature lurks!
But topping all of the disgusting excuses for humanity that populate this cinematic dung heap is our hero's Hispanic ranch hand.
When we first meet this boil he is in the owner's bedroom with his pants around his ankles sniffing the wife's panties!
The wife is paraplegic, confined to a wheelchair and unable to speak so, naturally, the farm hand molests her when the boss man isn't looking.
As you might expect by now the director doesn't choose to simply imply that something disgusting is going on between them.
No, he's gonna show us some of the sick action, probably because that's all he's really got.
The monster isn't much when you finally see it and the quickness and ease with which the townspeople dispatch it once they set their minds to it simply makes you wonder why they didn't decide to do it decades ago and spare them all the loss of a few good drinking buddies and us this movie.
There's zero suspense to be had because all of the townsfolk are so completely unlikeable that you're glad when they get killed.
Minus any suspense the only possible use you could have for this movie is as a way to make yourself feel better about your life!
You might have problems but at least you're not an ignorant drunken inbred loser like the folks in this flick.
If this sounds like your kind of fare then Bon Appetit!
Everyone else should just avoid. |
tt0134847 | Pitch Black | The space transport vessel "Hunter-Gratzner" is carrying 40 people on board in cryo-sleep (suspended animation). Debris from a comet's tail pierces the ship, waking the crew and killing the captain. The ship is knocked into the atmosphere of a nearby planet, and docking pilot Carolyn Fry (Radha Mitchell) tries to control the descent, but the rear-heavy craft will not stabilize. She begins jettisoning aft sections sequentially, and navigator Greg Owens (Simon Burke) realizes she intends to jettison the passenger cabin as well, saying, "I'm not gonna die for them." He stops her by blocking the airlock, but in the sliding crash landing he is impaled by a metal shaft.Carolyn apologizes to Owens, whom she assumes is dead, but he screams after she uncovers him. She orders a passenger to fetch painkillers from the medical kit, but they are missing. With Owens in terrible pain, Carolyn orders everyone out of the ship, and alone attends to him as he dies.The planet is a barren and hot desert-scape lit by three suns, promising everlasting daylight. There are 11 survivors now: Carolyn Fry, dangerous convict and experienced escaper Richard B. Riddick (Vin Diesel) in the custody of the armed William J. Johns (Cole Hauser), Abu "Imam" al-Walid (Keith David) and three young men he is escorting on hajj (a religious pilgrimage), antiques dealer Paris P. Ogilvie (Lewis Fitz-Gerald), stowaway teenager Jack (Rhianna Griffith), settlers John 'Zeke' Ezekiel (John Moore) and his partner Sharon 'Shazza' Montgomery (Claudia Black).As Johns explores the wrecked ship, Riddick attacks him and must be rechained. Riddick dislocates his shoulders and escapes the ship. Zeke buries the dead as the survivors send out a search party. They find gigantic skeletons, and Carolyn confesses to Johns her attempt to drop the passenger section.The find a small settlement, clearly abandoned by humans. Carolyn finds a model of the planet's solar system, and to their delight, a small shuttle spacecraft.Back at the ship, the nervous group thinks that Riddick has returned. Zeke shoots and kills a man, who turns out to have been just a passenger. As Zeke continues grave detail, he is dragged screaming into a tunnel, leaving blood everywhere. Shazza runs to the grave and finds Riddick there looking as well. A brief chase ends when Johns tears off Riddick's protective goggles, blinding him with the sun, and Shazza knocks him out.Carolyn questions the re-chained Riddick, who hints that he is no longer the group's biggest problem. As Carolyn looks at Riddick's peculiarly sensitive shiny eyes, the admiring Jack comes in and asks how to get eyes like that, since Riddick can see in the dark. Tethered by a safety line to the outside, Carolyn investigates deep inside the tunnel where Zeke disappeared, and finds his severed ankle and boot. As the planet's alien inhabitants threaten her, she attempts to escape. The group pulls her out, and then grabs her again as her tether pulls her back down into the hole.Johns decides to unchain Riddick to labor for survival, promising him freedom. Riddick says Johns should kill him instead. The group packs up some belongings and heads to the settlement, bringing along a power cell from the wreckage for testing the spacecraft, while Riddick hauls a sled. At the settlement Carolyn calculates they will need 5 more power cells to operate the small ship. Shazza offers to repair the solar-powered sandcat to carry the heavy cells.Jack shaves his head and dons a pair of goggles in emulation of his idol, Riddick. They determine that the settlement's former residents were geologists who left the planet. They try to rationalize the many items left behind, but Riddick states baldly that the former occupants are all dead. One of the young pilgrims enters a room and stirs up a nest of the aliens. Hearing his screams, the adults come and startle the flock of flying creatures who fly down into the coring shaft. They find and bury the boy's body. Shazza tries to apologize to Riddick for thinking he killed Zeke.Carolyn finds a coring sample dated 22 years ago. She returns to the solar system model and they realise that every 22 years there is a total eclipse of all three suns, plunging the planet into complete darkness.Johns insists to Carolyn they not fetch the power cells for the small ship until the last minute. He wants to prevent Riddick escaping by flying the ship, like he did for his last escape, killing the pilot. He intends to break his freedom deal with Riddick. Next, Riddick gets Carolyn alone and talks to her about his promised freedom, explains that Johns is a bounty hunter and not a cop, and hints about Johns' drug problem.Carolyn finds Johns shooting morphine into his eyeball. He insists he never said he was a cop. She looks at his stash and is angry about Owens' painful death. He shows her the wounds he received from Riddick.They see that the suns are actually going down. They ride the sandcat back to the crash site and load the power cells on it. Darkness falls suddenly, rendering the solar-powered cat useless. In the twilight they can see thousands of the aliens flying up into the sky. The passengers flee to the shelter of the ship, but Shazza and Riddick have to drop to the ground before reaching the ship due to the flying creatures. Shazza panics, and is torn in two and then carried off by the flying creatures when she tries to make a run for it. Riddick survives by laying low until the flock flies off.As they explore inside the ship, which has now become a prison for them, Riddick finds aliens inside as well. Another young pilgrim stumbles into the room, runs in fear and dies. Johns shoots an alien, and they realize that the creatures' light-aversion is due to the fact that light actually burns them.Carolyn wants to return to the shuttle in the dark, while Johns would rather wait for the suns to rise again. Carolyn points out that strategy did not work for the geologists. She decides Riddick can lead them with his night vision. Bringing as much light as possible, including glow tubes connected to a central machine on a sled, they head out.Jack drops a flashlight and leaves the sled to get it, sparking an alien attack. Jack is saved, but Ogilvie panics and crawls away, breaking the entire glow tube system. They continue on and cross their own tracks, where Riddick states he needed time to think due to a canyon ahead, and states that "the girl" is bleeding. The group is stunned to discover that "Jack" is a girl masquerading as a boy to protect herself. In the subsequent argument Johns reveals Carolyn's treachery to the passengers.As they walk ahead of the group, Johns asks Riddick to kill "Jack" to be a bloody decoy for the rest of the group. As they begin to fight, Carolyn orders the group to leave the sled. The fight continues and then the light goes out. Johns' bleeding wounds and movement draw an alien who kills him. Riddick finds the group again.He studies an alien skeleton and realizes they have a blind spot. The Imam offers to pray with Riddick, and Riddick explains that he believes in god ... and hates him. He ties the power cells together to prepare to run the gauntlet through the canyon.As they run, blue ichor drips down on them from the aliens fighting each other overhead in midair. The last boy pilgrim gets hurt, earning a bloody leg. Riddick keeps walking as if he is abandoning them, but "Jack" is attacked by an alien and Riddick turns back to save her, fighting it hand to hand. Suddenly it starts to rain, threatening what little light they have left. The last boy pilgrim is snatched by the aliens. Riddick finds a crevice for them to hide in, preserving their remaining light from the rain. He has Carolyn, "Jack" and the Imam enter, then pushes a boulder across the opening instead of entering.Jack worries aloud that Riddick is leaving them, since he has the power cells. They find glowing slugs on the cave walls, and fill their empty bottles with them to make lamps. Carolyn leaves the cave and heads for the ship, which Riddick is preparing to launch. He opens the door for her, and then tries to persuade her to get on the ship and leave with him, abandoning the Imam and "Jack". She cries, saying that she can't. As she gets on the ship, an alien calls in the background, and she flashes back to visions of the passengers on the ship. She attacks Riddick and insists they go back for "Jack" and the Imam. He holds a knife to her neck and asks if she would die for them, and she says yes.Back at the cave, the rock moves aside and Carolyn and Riddick are there to get "Jack" and the Imam. They run to the settlement, with Riddick lagging behind. An alien suddenly blocks his way between the buildings, and he sways back and forth with it, staying in its blind spot. Unfortunately, as he draws away, a second alien appears behind him and he is "visible". The others have hesitated at the ship, thinking him dead, but then they hear him yell. As Carolyn rushes towards the sound, Riddick drops down on the ground in front of her, bloody, wounded, gasping, but still clutching his knife. She tries to lift him to his feet, to get to the ship, but he is too big and heavy. She says "I said I'd die for them, not you." He is finally vertical when she is suddenly stabbed from behind by an alien, then pulled away into the air as it flies away with her. He collapses to the ground and says "Not for me," then shouts it.The Imam and "Jack" chat as Riddick turns on switches, getting the ship ready to go, powering up the engines. Surprisingly, Riddick shuts the switches back off, prompting "Jack" to beg for take off as aliens are drawn to the now-dark area, menacing the ship. He explains they can't leave without saying goodnight. He powers up the ship's engines again and they take off, the bright light and the force of the engines kill aliens all around them as they exit the atmosphere. In space, "Jack" asks what they should tell the authorities about Riddick when they are questioned. Riddick tells her they should say he died on the planet. | murder, cult, violence, atmospheric, flashback, action, suspenseful, sci-fi | train | imdb | The task gets even more difficult when the nearest enemies can be found within your own surviving group.The plot of Pitch Black is quite usual and has been seen several times before in different variations.
But what makes this movie shine above others, is it's well-written characters.The group consists of very different people with few more interesting than the others: Jack, a boy with a secret; Fry, a pilot having hard time with her own conscience; Johns, a bounty- hunter with a drug-habit; Imam, a holy man facing the fact that God is sometimes cruel and Riddick, a convict and a murderer learning to value others, not only himself.
As for the story and how it plays out, the pace is good, not too encumbered with gratuitous special effects and all that, but where it does fit, the CGI is well done and appropriate.The one really glaring technical defect in this story is how everyone just gets out and starts walking around, breathing in the air without the slightest concern for differences in the atmosphere, microbes and so on, but this is a common flaw that is often somehow glossed over in many such stories, so I can't harp on that detail too much.As for Radha Mitchell, she is smokin' hot here, not in a ridiculous or frivolous way, but as her tough, seasoned interplanetary merchant marine ship's captain character "Fry", she nails it perfectly.
I've seen a number of sci-fi movies with great special effects but my roommate and I looked at each other after the opening sequence and he said plainly, "sensory overload." The plot of the movie is pretty simple but the nice thing about this sci-fi movie is that it lets the audience figure out most of the technology for themselves instead of wasting time to "subtly" explain it.
The actors are amazing, Radah Mitchell (High Art, Love and other..) as Fry is truly a joy to watch on screen, while Vin Diesel as Riddeck is so captivating that you are dying just to hear him speak again.The look of the movie is breath taking, the contrast of blues, yellows and oranges due to the three different suns is amazing.
I then became hooked on Farscape, in its 3rd or 4th season at the time, and found Pitch Black on cable one night around bed time - so I said "oh why not, at least it has Claudia Black in it." Soon, I recognized Keith David, and began to realize that Vin Diesel, Radha Mitchell and Cole Hauser could all act (why this should surprise me, I do not know).
I just watched the film for the 3rd or 4th time, and I still love it.This is not an art film, not an independent, and its not entirely original, but where it fails to break a lot of new ground, it utterly succeeds in providing interesting, realistic characters, hard-driving action in the medium of a compelling but simple plot, and non-stop entertainment; an absolutely beautiful environment with tastefully rendered special effects.
Checking out the DVD version of Pitch Black, with the audio comments on might just blow you away.The film is about the crew of an inter-system transport ship stranded on an unknown planet after a crash-landing in which their captain was killed.
The CGI and effects serve the plot, and not the other way around.The critters are fantastic (although I have to wonder what they eat when there are no hoomins around).As with all films like this, there are a couple of troubling plot holes, but far fewer per running foot of celluloid than the average George Lucas movie, and far, far fewer than average.
They conclude that it is not with Riddick that they have to be worried about.After sixteen years, "Pitch Black" is still a great B-movie that may be considered a new-classic in the present days.
"Pitch Black" brought the attention of the audiences to Vin Diesel in his first success; Radha Mitchell, from "Everything Put Together" of the same year, is perfect in the role of Carolyn Fry; and the always efficient Cole Hauser and Keith David have also great performances.
Now all that being said no film is without flaws and if you have watched enough sci fi or horror then the 'plot twist' at the end was lined up for us from the beginning but I for one didn't care in that I fell hook line and sinker for Riddick and wanted to find out what he would and wouldn't do and it was such a delicious way to get there.
A crippled spaceship lands on a planet with three suns that only experiences darkness once every 22 years, things come out in the dark, and the crew must fight for survival, or die - that pretty much sums up "Pitch Black".
The acting is what one would expect for this kind of movie, lots of gruff tough-guy posturing, semi-comic relief from the less-heroic characters, and the usual alien-chow that only live long enough to establish the threat.
Vin Diesel's 'Riddick' character was so popular that he front-lined a couple of less-than-stellar 'sequels', but I didn't find that he was any more interesting that the rest of the main cast.
A nice twist on the Alien formula, with a surprisingly good script and a great performance by Vin Diesel.
Vin Diesel brought the Riddick character to life and made you feel good and bad about him on different levels.I also saw Iron Giant and Vin is perfect.
Relatively simple as the premise may be, it is undeniably effective with the film's best moments coming from the crew and passengers scurrying about in fear of Vin Diesel's killer, accidentally shooting one another in the process.
Then there is the amazing coincidence of the characters crash landing just before the planet is about to plunge into several days of complete darkness - but this is a pretty decent film when one focuses on trust/mistrust themes and the portrait of diverse individuals all banded together in the name of a common goal to survive.
Diesel is very good too in the role that really kick-started his career; he has an awesome line towards the end about saying good night, and with his blacked-out contact lenses and designer goggles, his character leaves an indelible impression that lasts long after the movie has ended..
Seriously, I can't remember any others and I can only remember Babel because it was so boring and bad, and I watched it, which is time I cannot get back.This movie only has one flaw that I will not mention, because lefties will have a fit, but other than that, enjoy and appreciate this fine film..
Vin Diesel is not really my cup of tea as an actor, but in fact he put on a very good performance in this futuristic sci-fi drama as Richard Riddick, a convicted murderer who's being transported to prison on a spaceship that crashlands on a strange alien world.
They then discover, though, that the planet is about to go into an eclipse, plunging it into complete darkness for an unknown length of time, and releasing the creatures to hunt them down.Diesel's Riddick ends up as the hero of the movie, because he has surgically enhanced eyesight that allows him to see in the dark, and so he takes on the task of leading the others to safety.
The cutting in the movie is very good and emphasizes the mystique that shrouds around the anti-hero and male protagonist: "Riddick." The story in Pitch Black is, as already mentioned, to some extent very unoriginal and dissatisfied, but the clipping and cutting in the movie blended with some surprising elements which has been added to the story helps it to still support itself very well and one is afterward left behind with a hybrid feeling of satisfaction and hunger for more.
Vin Diesel acts really well in the role as Riddick and even though his character is a hardcore, tough survivor he still takes morale decisions almost on the verge of good, but that does not mean his decisions do not turn in his favor at the very end...
It could maybe be described as a cult movie and it is definitely a recommendation for people who wants a spiced up sci-fi story blended with some minor psychological moments and an intriguing protagonist, namely Riddick..
I went into the theater thinking that this movies would be another cheezy sci-fi film in the mould of ALIEN with 3rd rate actors.
"Finally found something worse than me, huh?."I'm somewhat of a rabid Radha Mitchell fan (the woman is gorgeous and talented; she should be a much bigger star), so seeing her in a solid, gritty sci-fi/horror flick like this is a pretty good use of two hours for me.The basic story is about a transport ship (piloted by Mitchell's character) that is forced to crash land on an unknown planet.
The rest of the crash survivors are forced to rely on Riddick because of his ability to see in the dark and his natural survival instincts, but will he ultimately help them escape, or leave them to their dark fates?Pitch Black isn't perfect.
On the other hand, the filmmakers did do a good job of using visual trickery to make the outback of Australia where the movie was filmed look a lot like a harsh, alien world, and on a small budget I'm assuming.
Mitchell was great as the flawed, conflicted pilot unceremoniously promoted to leader, and Diesel was well- suited for Riddick, who's really the main character of the movie.
I don't say surprisingly because I don't like SF movies; more because cheap SF movies tend to be kind of bad -- and they certainly never challenge social norms.But then comes Pitch Black: four Muslim characters who are not terrorists (I'm looking at you, True Lies, and any season of 24), plus, and this is the biggie, a movie that acknowledges that women menstruate!
I'm only human.Anyhoo, I'm sure that there are people who will compare this movie to Alien, but really, it's completely different, and it's well worth seeing if you enjoy the SF thriller genre, or, indeed, if you just enjoy your basic thriller that's well paced, has hot guys, chicks who kick arse.One small criticism: I felt that it was a little bit anti-Australian.
Its easy to call Pitch Black a dumb movie, because of the terrible sequels and the quick pace of the film.
When I first saw "Pitch Black" about seven years ago I didn't know what to think of it, I thought it was a very good Sci-Fi horror flick and that was pretty much it, But now seeing it again I has a whole new meaning.
But if you can over look that this Vin Diesel vehicle is pretty good.Pitch Black offers you a new insight to the creature feature genre.
While action at its core, with Vin Diesel as Riddick (as Bruce Willis was to John McClane, Ah-nold Schwarzenegger was to the Terminator, Sylvester Stallone was to Rambo, and (more notably) as Sigourney Weaver was to Ellen Ripley), this movie somehow take a generic spin on SCIFI and make it incredibly captivating.While I thought the beginning was kind of slow to start and a little "meh" considering the writers threw in Muslim stereotypes and other generic spaceship cadets, with Riddick being the only one who stood out as the more interesting one out of the bunch, that all changes 15 minutes into the film.
Johns), Keith David (Abu al-Walid), and Rhiana Griffith (Jackie) are the ones I grew to like over the course of the movie.The acting is not particularly strong thanks to the weak performances given by supporting cast members like Radha Mitchell (who's current claim to fame among fans is 'Rose Da Silva' in the 2006 Silent Hill movie) while Vin seems to come out okay and pop out the occasional 'one-liner' joke when he's not trying to be the "cold-as-steel" badass.One of the things that I liked were the different hues used to portray the different parts of the world (which is inhibited by three different suns).
But if you're going to copy a film, then copying one known for it's atmosphere of claustrophobic tension is not such a bad idea, and there's a lot of original detail in 'Pitch Black' as well, some of it good, other bits less so.
For example, the central idea is of a spaceship crashing on planet bathed in near-permanent light, thanks to three suns; but on which, like a desert in the rain, all sorts of things come alive when (every twenty years or so) there's a solar eclipse.
As for the characterisation, the dynamics of a group whose members have their own selfish agendas are well portrayed, but the film lets itself down by making clear its sympathies for two crew members over the others, especially as the two characters it favours are essentially the least believable: vin Diesel's super-criminal Riddick, and the unlikely babelicious ship's commander, played by Radha Mitchell.
Riddick's eyes could help the survivors, because he could see the dark and he could guide them through the darkness.Directed by David Twohy (The Arrival, Below, Disaster in Time) made a fascinating Sci-Fi/Horror/Action/Thriller that is nicely filmed by cinematographer:David Eggby (Mad Max).
Good Performances by Diesel, Mitchell, Hauser and Keith David (Who is no stranger to science fiction films like Armaggedon, They Live and The Thing-1982).DVD has an terrific anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1) transfer and an superb-Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound (Also in DTS).
I think that most people are better than that and it's time that movie makers recognised the f*ing fact!What the film really did have going for it - which impressed me very much - were three things.Firstly, it relied on the age old rule that what you *dont* see frightens you most.Secondly, the use of light (before the eclipse!) gave a more alien look to the planet than anything I have ever seen before.
Let me be specific why i called that disappointing movie because its story is quite boring n plain with no twist at-all.it could be ignored as there are many films with simple plot.but id film is carry star names like Vin Diesel etc then u expect a bit more.few people are stranded at some new planet after crash and only there hope is to escape through space craft abandoned by some early settlers.the alien predator are same like we have seen in some "crash and survive" type of alien movies.scenes were pretty bad directed some times.it does not have any interesting element.quite boring concept "person with no faith + person with faith" was repeated again.so if you guys are Sci-Fi fans you will be very very disappointed from this.so i will recommend you to avoid if you have some other option..
Very good special effects, decent sound an interesting Alien-ripoff sci-fi/horror story are the good points of this movie.
THIS MOVIE WAS ONE OF THE WORST I HAVE SEEN FOR A LONG TIME I LEFT HALF - WAY THROUGH AS IT WAS JUST SO TIRESOME.WHOEVER TOLD VIN DIESEL THAT HE COULD ACT WERE LYING.The film was slow and did not keep me interested at all.I very much enjoy Sci-fi films but this was not one of them and it shouldn't even be getting a 1 out of ten but a minus 10.
The crew's only hope of survival is one of the passengers a dangerous murderer with the ability to see in the dark.This film has the reputation as being Vin Diesel's breakthrough movie and I therefore expected it to be pretty good.
There are some exciting moments in the second half and the film manages to be enjoyable without being that good.I understood that Riddick can see in the dark, but didn't get why (at the start) he was walking round in daylight and the characters seemed unable to see him.
Bad bad bad.Wannabe Alien-like movie with wannabe sci-fi action, and a wannabe Schwarzenegger/Stallone #2 - Vin Diesel - who absolutely can't act to save his life.
The actors are all rock solid -- Vin Diesel's "Riddick" is by far the coolest movie character since Neo or Darth Maul.
Cheesy being what so many sci-fi movies have come to be.Up-and-coming Vin Diesel as Riddick quietly steals the scene.
Rated R for violence and gore, and language, this film is collectible for Vin Diesel fans and anyone who likes good science fiction..
I say this, because, the sun that shines is so hot that it will eat at your skin and the horrific pterodactyl/hammerhead like creatures will gobble you up at night.Good lord!The first time I watched Pitch Black I was so afraid, I couldn't turn the light off in my bedroom.
There's more to the story, mostly to do with the character of Riddick played by Vin Diesel, but I'm not interested in writing about that at the moment.
I think also the other film of Vin in this category is a must see for everyone who likes movies of this genre.
Riddick), who has shining eyes that allow him to see in the dark, has just been captured by a small group of bounty hunters.the ship crashes onto a desert planet that seems to have no life, no water and oddly...three suns.not all of the acting is A grade but that is not enough to spoil the movie.they find out something strange that happens every 22 years that to their horror could just mean the end of their lives.so people find this movie has too many coincidences but i reckon thats what makes this movie great entertainment..
Really good science fiction film made better by the character Riddick..
But the star of "Pitch Black" is undoubtedly Vin Diesel as Riddick, an escaped prisoner that the rest of the crash survivors rightfully fear.
Considering the amount of dreadful monster films that have come out in recent times, the grittiness, setting and Riddick make this movie a complete success. |
tt0076141 | High Anxiety | The story begins at the Los Angeles airport were Dr. Richard H Thorndyke (Mel Brooks) is introduced. Throughout the airport he encounters some strange characters, first a screaming woman running toward him with an umbrella, who turns out to just be excited to see her husband, and a gay man posed as a police officer (Fredric Franklyn), who tries to come on to him in the mens bathroom. Thorndyke then meets Brophy (Ron Carey), his driver and sidekick, who likes taking photographs of everything. They soon depart for PsychoNeurotic Institute for the Very, Very Nervous, where Thorndyke is to be appointed the new director position. The old director, Dr. Ashley, died of a sudden heart attack, however Brophy thinks he was a victim of foul play.Arriving at the institute, Thorndyke is greeted by the staff, Dr. Philip Wentworth (Dick van Patten), Dr. Charles Montague (Harvey Korman), Nurse Diesel (Cloris Leachman), and Professor Lilloman (Howard Morris), his old professor and mentor. The latter of which begins to treat Thorndyke for his high anxiety caused by his fear of heights.As the staff is having dinner, Thorndyke inquires about the changes that Dr. Ashley wanted. As Dr. Wentworth begins to answer he is interrupted by Nurse Diesel, which causes the others to become uncomfortable. After dinner the Thorndyke learns that the patients rarely recover. Later that night while Thorndyke is preparing himself for bed, he is startled when a large rock is thrown through his window with a note attached welcoming him to the Violent Ward. Soon after loud noises are heard from Nurse Diesels room, she claims it was the TV. We discover that she and Dr. Montague have a BDSM relationship and the screaming heard was from Dr. Montague.The next day Thorndyke is going over some of the patient files. One patient in particular, Zachary Cartwright III (Ron Clark) whose family is paying $12,000 a month for his recovery, files shows that he gets well then suffers again from another psychotic break. Thorndyke wants to examine Cartwright and while he is not looking Montague secretly hits and scares Zachery, causing him to have a psychotic break again. After Zachary is escorted away, Thorndyke is annoyed by light coming from the building opposite his office. He is told its Author Brisbane (Charlie Callas), a multi-millionaire industrialist, and has it arranged for him to meet Author after lunch.During a hypnotic session with Dr. Lilloman, Thorndyke has another case of high anxiety. Lilloman suggest Thorndyle to fight out the emotions, in his hypnotic state, Thorndyke gets up and starts boxing across the room striking Lilloman and the two begin to fight. Montague enters and begins refereeing the two before breaking up the fight. Lilloman reveals to Montague that Thorndyke has high anxiety, he leaves the office and begins telling everyone about Thorndykes anxiety. Thorndyke is then introduced to Brisbane, who believes he is a dog.Dr. Wentworth (Dick van Patten) and Nurse Diesel are talking, and Wentworth wants to stop mistreating the patients so Diesel gives him permission to leave. While driving Wentworth turns on his radio, which begins plays a song very loud, after several attempts he is unable to turn off the radio or escape his car due to all the handles break off. After failing to escape his car Wentworth dies from a cerebral hemorrhage from busted eardrums. Thorndyke is scheduled to attend a psychiatric conference in San Francisco, although hesitant due to the death of Dr Wentworth, he is convinced to go by Nurse Diesel and Dr. Montague.Thorndyke, along with Brophy, travels to San Francisco to attend the conference. Upon signing into their hotel, they are informed by the desk clerk (Jack Riley) that a "Mr. MacGuffin" changed his room reservation to the top floor of the hotel. After arriving to his room he repeatedly pesters the bellboy Dennis (Barry Levinson) for a newspaper, wanting to see if there was any information about Dr. Wentworths death. After several requests for a newspaper, Dennis is driven mad, and attacks Thorndyke while he is in the shower with the newspaper, in reference to the shower scene from the movie Psycho. Thorndyke is then shown laying in the shower, appearing to be dead as the paper's ink runs down the drain, the scene ends with him calmly saying That kid gets no tip.After showering Thorndyke hears repeated knocking on his door, in spite of him asking who it is, the knocking continues till he opens the door. He opens the door and is met by peculiar woman who is acting very paranoid.
She introduces herself as Victoria Brisbane (Madeline Kahn), the daughter of Author Brisbane. She inquires about her father; he informs her that her father thinks hes a dog. She then states that her father is as sane as she is, and that his life is in danger. Brophy then knocks on the door to inform the doctor that he will be late for the conference. Unbeknownst to the two, they are being watched by a mysterious stranger (Rudy De Luca), who is also a professional killer.After the conference Victoria and Thorndyke are having drinks at the hotel bar. Victoria asks what the H stands for. Thorndyke reveals that it stands for Harpo, due to his mothers love of the Marx Brothers. The pianist (Murphy Dunne) then asks Thorndyke to sing, first declining he is encouraged to sing the song High Anxiety. Victoria drops her pocket book when a picture falls out, revealing that the man he met at the institute was not her father. They are overheard by the stranger from earlier. We then see Diesel and Dr. Montague plotting to get rid of Thorndyke by framing him for murder. Back at the hotel, Brophy, after checking out early, begins to take pictures of the hotel. We then see Thorndyke approach a man and shoot him before walking away. He goes to the elevator and waits for it, as the elevator doors open, Thorndyke exits the elevator and sees an imposter Thorndyke. Confused at what is going on the imposter removes his masks to reveal the stranger who was watching him earlier. Walking to the lobby Thorndyke is pointed out as the one who shot the man. In a state of panic Thorndyke runs out of the hotel.After escaping to Golden Gate Park, he phones Victoria to inform her of what happened, and asks to meet him at the park. While reading the paper he notices a kit of pigeons forming, they proceed to crap all over his coat. Thorndyke runs as the birds chase him and continue crap all over him, in reference to the movie Birds. He finds shelter only to notice that there is a hole in the ceiling and the birds are there and continue to crap on him.Thorndyke meets up with Victoria, whos on the verge of a nervous breakdown. The two look at the paper showing Thorndyke shooting the man. He then remembers that he was coming down the elevator at the time, and asks Victoria to contact Brophy and have him blow up the negative to prove he is innocent.Back at the institute Brophy is developing the photo, which still turns out to be too small to see the figure in the elevator. He vows to keep enlarging the photo till they can see Thorndykes face. We then see Brophy examining several of the enlarged photos, he moves along the different size photos before coming upon a very large photo, which shows Thorndyke in the elevator. Nurse Diesel and Dr. Montague confront him, and proceed to lock him in the north wing to prevent him from exposing the truth. Nurse Diesel calls the killer and tells him to kill Thorndyke. While on the phone with Victoria, the killer attempts to kill him by strangling him, Victoria to misinterprets the sounds as a sleazy caller.Thorndyke and Victoria, dressed up in disguises from items from the Salvation Army, make a scene at the airport as an elderly couple to get through the security checkpoint. The two sneaks into the institute and find Dr. Lilloman, who appears to be dead, but is only sleeping. He informs Thorndyke that Brophy was taken to the north wing due to a nervous breakdown. The three proceed to the north wing to rescue Brophy who is tied up in a room. Brophy tells them that Norton (Lee Delano) has taken Brisbane to the tower. They run to the tower to see Norton carrying an unconscious Brisbane up the tower stairs. After a few mishaps with Brophy and Lilloman, Thorndyke proceeds up the stairs in spite of his fear of heights. After falling through a step, he has begins to panic, until Lilloman helps him overcome his fear by making him remember an accident from his childhood. Overcoming his fear he climbs up the remaining stairs to the top of the tower, just in time to stop Norton from dropping Brisbane over the edge. While pulling Brisbane to safety they are approached by a screaming Nurse Diesel who then falls over the ledge to her death. After a happy reunion, Thorndyke and Victoria decide to get married. | paranormal, murder | train | imdb | null |
tt0120912 | Men in Black II | The Columbia torch buzzes then flashes like a neuralizer.A video shows Mysteries in History: Episode 27 -- Men in Black (the host: Peter Graves narrates): "Although no one has been able to prove their existence, a quasi-government agency known as the Men in Black supposedly carries out secret operations here on Earth in order to keep us safe from aliens throughout the galaxies. Here is one of their stories that (making quotations marks with his fingers) 'never happened', from one of their files that doesn't exist." Crude props and effects accompany the story:"1978. Leaders of Zartha flee their planet in order to escape the clutches of the evil Kylothian Serleena." (Serleena is represented by a jumbled mass of hoses). "Arriving on Earth, the Zarthans bring with them their greatest treasure -- the Light of Zartha -- a cosmic force so powerful, that, in the wrong hands, it could spell the annihilation of Zartha. The Zarthans' princess, Lauranna (Paige Brooks), beseeched the Men in Black to hide the Light from Serleena. But they had no choice. Intervention would have meant the destruction of the Earth." (Serleena's space ship lands. It looks like an 8-ft tall metal ice cream drumstick with three landing legs.) "However, in an act of galactic bravery, the Men in Black subdued Serleena, allowing the Zarthans to escape so they might hide the Light on another planet. Serleena, released from her captors, vowed that the Light would be hers, and that she would destroy any planet that stood in her way." (The reenactment ends.)Peter Graves finishes: "And so, never knowing what happened, the people of Earth were once again saved by a secret society of protectors known as the Men in Black."Over the opening credits, Serleena's space ship flies through space, destroying planets it passes. It finally reaches Earth in July 2002.A dog in New York Central Park barks at the sky. The dog runs and gets away from the owner. Serleena's ship crash-lands in Central Park. The landing legs protrude and then extend to upright the ship. Out of the bottom opening, a tiny creature (Serleena) ejects onto the ground. The dog catches up to the ship (which is only a few inches tall) and barks at the creature, which looks like a strange mouthless serpent. The serpent's head opens up and roars loudly, scaring the dog away. The serpent slithers across the ground, coming across a magazine. Wind blows the pages open to an ad for Victoria's Secret; the female model wears black lingerie. The head opens wide and then hundreds of serpents come out, screeching and shrieking, forming a full-sized replica of the model in the magazine (Lara Flynn Boyle). Immediately after Serleena fully forms, a rapist dressed in leather grabs her and holds a knife to her neck. He licks her and tells her that she tastes good, and then drags her to a nearby bush. Hidden from view, Serleena roars and eats the man, his legs visible as she eats him upside down. Serleena says, "Yeah, you too." She walks back from the bush, her stuffed stomach sloshing and gurgling, and then looks at the ad again. She growls then walks back to the bush and vomits the rapist, then comes back out slim again, carrying his clothing, then walks away.Men in Black (MiB) Agent J, "Jay", (Will Smith) and his latest partner, Agent T, "Tee", (Patrick Warburton), encounter a flower protruding from a sidewalk grating. Jay tells Tee, "Nothing fancy, no heroics, by the book this time." Tee replies, "Got it," then kicks the flower. Jay talks into the grating, telling "Jeff" that they're wondering what he's doing here. Tee kicks the flower again, and Jay looks at him, irritated. Jay continues his rebuke of Jeff, reiterating their arrangement: as long as Jeff stays within the "E", "F", and "R" subway lines, he can eat all the inorganic matter he wants. Tee grabs the flower and pulls on it, asking "worm boy" what he's doing. The grating shakes and Jay tries to calm Jeff. Jeff, a giant worm hundreds of feet long, bursts through the grating. Jeff takes Tee screaming with it into the air, holding onto the flower on its head. As Jeff takes Tee up, Jay apologizes to Jeff for his partner, who is "new and kind of stupid." Jeff throws Tee onto the ground, and then withdraws back into the hole. Jeff's tail bursts out of the ground nearby and knocks Jay screaming into a fruit stand.Jay jumps into the first hole, landing on Jeff as it speeds through a subway tunnel. Jay bumps his head on the overhead, and then holds onto the flower. Jay's head knocks into some passing overhanging metal, and then he injects Jeff with the tranquilizer. After dodging more overhanging metal and some signals he pokes his hand and bumps his head again. Commuters are waiting by a station. They watch a subway train pass by, then watch Jeff pass by shrieking the other direction with Jay yelling. The commuters look back at their phones, magazines, and newspapers as if nothing abnormal happened. Jay has the hypo ready and raises it up to inject Jeff again, but it throws him screaming through the window of the subway car up ahead. Jay gets up and shows his MiB ID card to the passengers, telling them that he's from the Transit Authority. He tells them to move to the forward car because "there's a bug in the electrical system," but no one even notices him. Jay repeats his request, telling them that there's a bug in the electrical system, then looks back. On cue, Jeff takes a bite out of the rear of the subway car, then the passengers scream and run to the forward car. Jay sarcastically tells them to sit down because it's only a 600-foot worm. Jeff takes another bite of the subway car. Jay tells the motorman, Capt. Larry Bridgewater (Peter Spellos), to "put the hammer down," but he tells Jay that he decides what happens on the train. Jeff then takes a bite out of that subway car, and Capt. Bridgewater rushes to the control console. Jay walks to the rear of the subway car and threatens Jeff with his blaster, so Jeff closes its mouth and stops chasing them. Sparking as metal drags the ground, the shredded subway car limps into the 81st Street Station. Jay announces the arrival to the passengers. He steps out and zaps the passengers with his neuralizer, then sarcastically thanks them for participating in New York City's drill; had it been an actual emergency, they would have been eaten. He then lectures them about not listening, being ignorant and "seeing it all," and ignoring his request to move to the next car. They recover, and Jay zaps them with the neuralizer again. He thanks them for participating in a drill, and hopes they enjoy the new smaller, more energy efficient subway cars. Jay walks away and zaps the motorman too.Jay calls MiB headquarters to secure the perimeter and to send a clean up crew to 81st and Central Park West. He then orders MiB to revoke Jeff's movement privileges immediately and escort him back to the Chamber St. station. He finally requests a check of the expiration date on the unipod worm tranquilizer. When he climbs the stairs out of the station, he tells two men that the station is closed for a drill; they become indignant. Jay says, "You're welcome."Jay sits on a bench and Tee comes back to sit with him. Tee knows that he didn't go "by the book." Jay asks him when he last looked at the stars, and if he ever felt alone in the universe. Tee isn't much for conversation. Finally Jay takes Tee to eat some pie.Scrad (Johnny Knoxville), a two-headed humanoid alien, returns to his place after a night on the town. His other head grows out of his back on a tentacle -- it's his smaller twin Charlie (Johnny Knoxville) whom he keeps in a backpack; both are equally stupid. Scrad is scolding Charlie for "talking behind my back" and chasing away a woman at a bar. Scrad turns around and sees Serleena, but doesn't recognize her. Charlie tries his pick-up line on her. Serleena strangles them with her serpent tentacles, and Scrad finally recognizes her. She tells him that she got his message, and asks where the Light is. Charlie wants $50 million to tell her, but Serleena puts tentacles through their ears and noses. Scrad tells her that although they couldn't find the Light, they tracked it to a guy who might know where it is; he runs a pizza parlor on Spring St. They all leave.Jay and Tee eat pie at the Empire Diner. It has a flying saucer sticking out of the roof, as if it crashed. Tee starts blubbering because he knows that Jay's going to neuralize him. Jay tells him to stop making a scene, and then asks him why he joined MiB. Tee replies that after six years in the Marines, he likes to serve, likes the action, and likes to protect the planet. Jay tells him that since he likes being a hero, he joined the wrong organization. Jay asks Tee if he heard of James Edwards (himself), but Tee says no. Jay says that he saved the lives of 85 people on the subway, but no one knows that he exists; therefore, how can anyone ever love him. Tee sobs loudly some more. Jay zaps Tee with the neuralizer. Jay tells Tee to get married and have a bunch of kids. As Jay leaves, he tells a waitress that his buddy is kind of shy, but thinks that she is hot. The waitress and Tee smile at each other.At Famous Ben's Pizza of Soho, Ben (Jack Kehler) (Laura's boss) presents Laura Vasquez (Rosario Dawson) with the "Employee of the Month" plaque on the wall. She gets a case of Mountain Dew from the basement. When she returns to the parlor, Serleena is holding Ben in the air, and is demanding that he give her information about the Light of Zartha. Ben claims that he doesn't know anything. Laura calls on the phone to report a robbery, then the back door pops open. Serleena repeatedly orders the dense Scrad to check on the door, so Laura hides under the counter. Scrad reports that the wind blew the door open. Serleena tells Ben that although she traveled the universe for 25 years looking for the Light, it never left Earth; they (the Zarthans) kept it on Earth. Ben still claims that he doesn't know what she's talking about. Laura peeks over the counter. Serleena tells Ben that even though they hid the Light, she will find it, and then Zartha will be theirs (the Kylothians). Ben finally answers in a deep alien voice that she's too late; at midnight the Light will leave the 3rd planet and be back home. Serleena growls then slashes him with a tentacle, splitting him in two and killing him, and his skin (a rubber-like suit) falls to the floor. Charlie complains that Ben is dead, and they didn't get any information from him. Serleena reminds the idiot that Ben said "third planet." Serleena tells them that the Light is on Earth, and she knows who will tell her where it is. She takes a pan of pizza and they all leave. Laura cries silently while she sits on the floor behind the counter. Thunder rumbles then she looks up and it rains.Jay returns to MiB headquarters. The guard (Alpheus Merchant) wonders if Jay ever goes home and remarks that he neuralized another partner. When he goes to the customs bay, Jay immediately gives orders to various personnel how to do their jobs. He finally asks why a dead Tricrainasloph is going through passport control. (It looks like a giant pink blob with many tentacles.) Several men are trying to move it, including using a pallet jack. Jay goes to Zed's office, and Zed (Rip Torn) congratulates him on his work at the subway. Jay asks Zed what he has for him. Zed replies that others work at MiB too and can handle it. Jay asks again, but Zed refuses again. Jay tells Zed that he'll be in the gym if Zed needs him, so Zed finally tells him about the killing at the pizza parlor. Zed tells Jay to take Tee with him and make a report. Jay tries to tell Zed about Tee, but Frank (the alien talking pug) (voiced by Tim Blaney) comes in and interrupts them. Zed tells Jay to stop neuralizing MiB personnel, but Jay says that Tee was crying in the diner. Jay adds that Elle (Dr. Laurel Weaver, Linda Fiorentino, seen in Men in Black) doesn't count, because she wanted to go back to the morgue. Zed tells Jay that he needs a partner and Frank volunteers.In the garage, Frank, wearing a black suit, runs to keep up with Jay. Jay makes him remove the suit. Frank then talks endlessly as Jay brings his car out with a remote: a black 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class W211. A man (later revealed as the automatic pilot) is at the wheel. Jay drives down the street, and Frank hangs his head out the window while singing the song "I Will Survive". Jay makes Frank come back inside the car, but he hums the song instead. Finally Jay makes him be quiet.When they reach Famous Ben's Pizza, Frank wants to do the "good cop/bad cop" routine, but Jay tells him to just shut up. Jay meets two MiB agents in the parlor, who tell him that there's a phosphorous residue on the wall and floor, which they sent to MiB for analysis. Frank makes a joke about Ben, still on the floor: "Zero percent body fat." The two MiB agents laugh but stop when Jay stares at them. They tell Jay that there was a witness, Laura Vasquez, whose name they wrote on a napkin. The napkin shows a pizza slice pointing at the Statue of Liberty, whose torch points at a star in the sky. Another MiB agent in the kitchen is questioning Laura, who wants answers of her own. Jay goes to the kitchen to handle it, but makes Frank stay there and "sniff around." The agent in the kitchen is telling Laura that everything will be all right, but Jay counters that and makes him leave. When she describes what she saw, Jay tells her that Ben's skin isn't really skin, but is a protoplasma polymer chemically similar to material used in baseball card gum. He then takes her to eat pie.At Empire Diner, Laura tells Jay that Serleena kept asking Ben about a light, the Light of Zartha. He asks her if she's OK, but she sarcastically tells him that an hour ago a man she's known her entire life vanished in front of her eyes because of a woman with things coming out of her fingers and a two-headed guy with the "IQ of a cannoli", but everything is OK. Laura says that she knows what she saw, and asks Jay what she's supposed to believe. He tells her that he's a member of a secret organization that polices and monitors alien activity on Planet Earth; Ben was an alien, and so were the people who killed him. Jay says that he doesn't know why they killed Ben, but he will find out. Jay pulls out his neuralizer and points it at her, and she expects that he'll kill her. He tells her that it will flash and put everything back the way it was before. She wonders that after he "flashes" her, if she'll know it's him if she sees him again. He replies that he'll see her but she won't see him. He points the neuralizer at her, but she tells him that it must be hard and lonely. A bicycle bell rings, and Jay looks out the window to see two people riding a tandem bicycle again, their clothing and the bike covered with lights (as seen in Men in Black). One of Jay's devices beeps, and he puts away the neuralizer. She asks about the "flashy thing", and he tells her that he'll flash her some other time. Jay goes outside and finds Frank in the car barking rhythmically to the song, "Who Let the Dogs Out" (by Baha Men). Jay turns off the radio and then gets in and starts the car. Frank asks Jay if he told the girl that he loves her, but he replies that she's just a witness to a crime. Frank knows that Jay is attracted to her, but Jay refuses to take his advice.Jay and Frank arrive at the park where Serleena landed and killed the rapist. Many MiB personnel are there and have secured the area. When Jay and Frank get out, Frank tries to act important, telling everyone that he's Agent Eff, Agent Jay's new partner. An agent laughs at Frank, so Frank attacks him. Jay goes inside a tent and finds Serleena's spaceship, then calls Zed on a communicator, which looks like a cross between a videophone, a Game Boy, and a PDA. Jay tells Zed that the space ship is Kylothian, Class "C". Zed replies that it's Serleena's. Jay tells Zed that the witness said that the perps were looking for the Light of (Zed finishes) Zartha. Zed replies that it doesn't make sense, because the Light is not on Earth; they took care of that a long time ago. Jay retorts that obviously they didn't. Zed tells Jay that it's very bad news; 25 years ago the Zarthans came to Earth to hide the Light from Serleena. Jay says that they don't do that. Zed replies that it's why he ordered it off the planet. Jay asks Zed if he's sure the Light isn't still here, because of the Kylothian ship in the park. Zed replies that he's positive, because his best agent carried it out, just as if he ordered Jay to do it. Jay says that they should ask the agent, but Zed replies that they can't -- he's "dead" -- he works at the Post Office. Jay is shocked. Zed tells him that if Serleena gets to Kay before they do, he's dead; Earth's existence may depend on Kay's knowledge, but Jay wiped out Kay's memory of it. Zed orders Jay to bring Kay in.Jay and Frank go to retrieve Kay. Frank rambles on about how cool it is to get the great agent Kay, Jay's mentor. They arrive at the small town of Truro, Massachusetts, and Jay tells Frank to stay in the car. Inside the post office, Kay grins when he sees that the former Agent Kay, Kevin Brown (Tommy Lee Jones), is now the postmaster. Kevin is reminding customers to properly wrap their packages. Jay walks up and addresses Kevin as Kay, but he replies, "C, Express Mail, two-day air." Jay tells Kevin that although he doesn't remember Jay, they used to work together. Kevin replies that he never worked in a funeral home and asks "slick" how he can help him. Jay tells him that Kay is a former agent of a top-secret organization that monitors extraterrestrials on Earth; they are the Men in Black, have a situation, and need his help. Kevin tells him to go to the free mental health clinic. Kevin calls the next customer, a girl (Chloe Sonnenfeld) who wants to buy some "Rugrats" stamps. Jay picks up the girl and sets her back in line. He tells Kevin that there was no coma; it was a cover up. Kevin orders him to leave, but Jay calls him Kay again. Kevin walks to the back office and Jay follows him in. Kevin informs the postal employees that they've had a breach, then orders them to cordon off the area and do a full wipe down, and to escort nonessential civilian personnel off the site (acting like he still works at MiB). As Kevin looks on, Jay researches one of the employees on his communicator. Jay speaks to him in an alien language that sounds like beatboxing. The man (Biz Markie responds in the alien language. All the other employees (including one that looks like Howard Stern) stop work to observe the conversation. Kevin looks around in disbelief as the other employees reveal themselves to be aliens too. Jay tells Kevin that the reason why he's so comfortable there is that just about everybody who works in the Post Office is an alien. Jay opens the mail-sorting machine, revealing a eight-armed alien (Jeremy Howard) instead of machinery. (The song "Speed Demon" plays.) Kevin removes the alien's cigarette and tells him, "No smoking." When Kevin gets back up, the alien puts another cigarette in his mouth and continues sorting mail. Jay catches up to Kevin, who is trying unsuccessfully to start his Jeep. Kevin tells him that in Las Vegas he and his wife saw Siegfried and Roy fly a white tiger around a room; Jay's act is nothing special. Jay responds that when Kevin looks up at the stars he feels like he doesn't know who he is, like he knows more about what's going on out there than down here. Jay tells him that it's why his wife left him and Kevin punches Jay in the nose. Jay tells Kevin that if he wants to know who he really is, to come ride with him; otherwise he can give people their TV Guides. Kevin gets in the car and tells Jay that he's just going for a ride; if things don't add up he will leave. Frank asks Kevin, "How's it hanging," but he just stares at the dog.At MiB headquarters, the guard greets Kay, but he doesn't recognize the guard. In the main bay, two men and a flying device greet Kay. Agent Gee (Sid Hillman) is awestruck by Kay, "the legend, the most respected agent in the history of MiB, the most feared human in the universe -- in the flesh." He goes to get coffee for Kay, but runs away before Jay can give him his coffee request. Michael Jackson (Michael Jackson) calls Zed from amongst a flock of penguins in Antarctica. He reports that the Drolocks are gone and the treaty is signed. Zed tells him that it's good work. He asks Zed about the position at MiB that Zed promised him, but Zed replies that they're still working on the alien Affirmative Action program. He tells Zed that he wants to be Agent M, but Zed hangs up. Zed greets Kay and tells him that the Earth might be in trouble and he's the only one who can save it. Kay starts quoting the Post Office motto ("Neither rain nor sleet nor snow..."). Zed tells Jay to get Kay armed, up to speed, and to deneuralization. As Jay and Kay leave, Zed makes Frank stay behind because he needs Jay and Kay together on this assignment. Zed tells Frank that he's looking for a new assistant; although it's not fieldwork, it provides better dental coverage. Frank smiles appreciatively, showing his bad teeth.Jay takes Kay into the tech unit, which holds the most advanced technologies from all over the universe. Kay sees a blue globe on a stand and sticks a finger in the globe. The globe is actually a miniature planet full of tiny aliens, who scream at the finger coming from the sky and run away. Jay hears the screams and tells Kay not to touch it; he quickly removes his finger and says that he didn't do anything. Jay tells Kay to put his hands in his pockets. Jay opens the armory and gives Kay his "favorite weapon": the Noisy Cricket (the same weapon Kay issued Jay in Men in Black). Jay then takes Kay to put on the last suit he'll ever wear -- again.After Kay gets his suit, Jay takes Kay to a room with plain white walls. The deneuralizer hangs from the ceiling over a hole in the middle of the floor. Jay explains its operation to Kay: "In a few moments, transverse magneto energy will surge through your brain, unlocking information hidden deep and dormant that could hold the key to Earths very survival." Kay points to the deneuralizer (which is the only thing in the room) and asks what it is. Jay replies that it's the deneuralizer, then he sighs.At Earth customs, Scrad/Charlie wait while a customs agent (Peter Spruyt) asks for Serleena's name and planet of origin. She replies, "Sylona Gorth. Planet Gorn. Kaluth system." When the agent asks if she has any fruits or vegetables, she motions to Scrad/Charlie and replies, "Yeah, two heads of cabbage." The agent asks for her reason of visit, and she replies that it's for education, that she wants to learn how to be an underwear model. She unzips her vest and flashes her bra at the agent. Scrad/Charlie faint; Charlie recovers and yells for help, then attempts CPR on Scrad. Other MiB agents, who were watching Martha Stewart (Martha Stewart) on the big screen TV, run over to help. Serleena shoots her tentacles out and snares the agent who was waiting on her. The alarm sounds and a female voice announces "Lockdown. Code 101." on the P.A. system. When Frank hears the alarm he hides behind the tentacles of the dead Tricrainasloph, which has been stuffed into a corner. Serleena subdues the rest of the MiB agents with her tentacles.Jay hears the alarm and tells Kay that there is a breach, and that they're being firewalled and flushed. He helps Kay out of the deneuralizer before it starts. Jay tells Kay that being flushed is like going to a water park, but Kay doesn't know if he ever went to one. There is a loud flushing noise, then blue liquid floods the room. The overhead view shows that the room is shaped like a giant toilet bowl, complete with a seat (and the deneuralizer has retracted). The water swirls through the drain hole, taking Kay and Jay with it. They shoot through clear tubes and end up in two metal capsules in Times Square. The capsule doors open and the water pours out. Jay jokes with Kay, telling him that when Kay was an agent he loved to be flushed. He tells Kay not quit on him. Kay responds with, "I save the world, you tell me why I stare at the stars."Jay brings his car to the curb with the remote. He presses a button on the remote, and the automatic pilot gets sucked into the steering wheel. Kay asks if it's standard, and Jay replies that it came with a Black dude, but he kept getting pulled over.Serleena has stuffed the MiB agents in some offices, subdued by her writhing tentacles. As she walks away, she remarks that she could rule this silly little planet with the right set of mammary glands. While driving, Kay brings up MiB surveillance on the computer, which shows that MiB is deserted -- lockdown. He calls Frank on the communicator. Frank tells Jay that some "hot-looking biker chick" did it. Jay tells Frank to stay where he is, and that he'll keep in touch. Serleena asks Scrad/Charlie if they found Kay. They reply that he's a civilian; he was here to be deneuralized because his memory was erased, but he's gone. They assure Serleena that they will find Kay.Kay finds an old photo of himself in his coat pocket and shows it to Jay. It's the left half of a picture that was cut off, and Kay is smiling and pointing to his right. They both wonder what is means. Kay asks Jay if there is another deneuralizer besides the one at MiB. Jay replies that it's the only official one; the plans leaked out on the Internet a few years ago. Jay finds one for sale on eBay by Jack Jeebs (whom they went to in Men in Black).Jay and Kay arrive at Jeebs' pawnshop at night. Jeebs (Tony Shalhoub) greets Jay enthusiastically but is surprised to see Kay, because he thought Kay was retired. Jay tells Jeebs that they need the deneuralizer, but he looks at Kay and asks if Kay remembers him. Kay replies that he doesn't, that he's pretty good with faces, and would remember that (pointing to Jeebs nose). Jeebs laughs because Kay is "a neutral." Kay tells Jeebs that he's in the way of his memories, and asks Jeebs if he has the deneuralizer. Jeebs says that he doesn't have it. After a stare down by Kay and Jay, Jeebs remarks that even if he did have it, Jay would blow his head off if it doesn't work and Kay dies, and Kay would blow his head if it works. Jay holds a fission carbonizer to Jeebs' head, so he takes them downstairs to the deneuralizer.Serleena has released MiB's alien prisoners, "the scum of the universe", to help her get Kay: a guy with a funny chin and wearing a scarf; a White guy; a bald guy with pointy ears, a misshapen nose, and tendrils on his face; and a Black Guy. She tells them that she needs the Light of Zartha and Kay knows where it is; whoever brings Kay to her gets Earth. She tells Scrad/Charlie to find a deneuralizer because Kay needs it to get his memories back. She then greets Jarra (John Alexander), a very tall alien, who glides forward to meet her.Kay is seated and strapped down in the deneuralizer and Jeebs is giving him safety instructions. Jeebs sticks a tube in Kay's mouth. Jeebs delays by asking Kay irrelevant questions, but Jay shouts at him so he starts the deneuralizer (with an outboard motor). Jeebs tells Jay that he only used the deneuralizer once, to make hot air popcorn with the exhaust. Clamps come down against Kay's head. A strobe light flashes in Kay's face and a large fan spins above the chair, then the chair shakes. Jeebs presses a key on the keyboard, then some eggbeaters spin and a bowling ball goes down a ramp around the deneuralizer chair. A alarm sounds and flashes, then the deneuralizer stops, then all the power there and in New York City goes out. After a few seconds, the power comes back on and the deneuralizer starts back up. The chair shakes violently then tilts back, then ejects Kay gasping (with the seat back) onto the floor. Jay and Jeebs lean over Kay to check on him, and then Kay blows off Jeebs' head with the Noisy Cricket. Jay thinks that Kay is "back", but he says that he's not. Jay asks him how he knew that Jeebs' head would grow back, but he didn't know that it would. As his head grows back, Jeebs says that it's the last time he helps out a friend. Jay asks Kay if he remembers anything, but he just says goodbye. As Kay rushes up the stairs, Jeebs tells him that that he never got the updated software for the deneuralizer, and that Kay's brain needs to reboot.Jeebs apologizes to Jay, and hopes that it doesn't affect their friendship, "all those years of loyalty and trust, respect for one another." Immediately afterwards, Serleena's henchmen break through the walls, and Jeebs directs them to Jay. They shoot at Jay then ask for Kay, but Jay shoots Jeebs' head then tells them that Kay retired and he's his replacement. The alien with face tendrils jumps through the ceiling and they subdue Jay, throwing him to the floor. Scrad asks Jay where Kay is, but Jay feigns ignorance. The White alien grabs Jay but Jay punches his face, knocking the mask off. The alien looks like the Creature from the Black Lagoon with a lumpy face & head (Corn Face) (Michael Garvey). Jay tells him that he looks like crap, then another alien laughs (the one that looks like a dog with a poop-covered head) (Dog Poop) (Sonny Tipton). Jay corrects himself, saying that that the other alien looks like crap. The Black alien orders that they "bend him." Corn Face picks up Jay over his head and starts "bending" him. Kay walks outside and looks around. He sees: the two lighted guys on the tandem bike; a homeless man pushing a shopping cart, with a crab-like creature with lights for eyes peeking out from under a blanket; two hookers dressed for Halloween; and a USPS mail carrier with a tail hanging out from his shorts. Kay then sees a cockroach crawling on the ground and goes to step on it, but he changes his mind. The roach thanks him. Kay looks up at the stars for a while, and then finally smiles. Corn Face is still "bending" Jay. Scrad tells the thugs that he thinks Jay is telling the truth, so Corn Face says that he's no good to them. Kay comes in and shoots Dog Poop and Corn Face. He defeats the other thugs using Jay's advice on their weaknesses. The Black guy is Pineal Eye (Kevin Grevioux); Kay removes the hat and pokes his eye. The alien with tendrils on his face is Mosh Tendrils (Derek Mears); Kay pulls his tendrils and slingshots him into the ceiling. When Kay kicks the last thug between the legs, it makes a metallic clank. Jay tells Kay that he's a Ball-Chinnean (Michael Dahlen); Kay pulls down his scarf, revealing testicles, and kicks them, knocking him out. Kay has his memory back and is Jay's partner again. Jay asks Kay what's going on, and what is the Light of Zartha, but Kay doesn't know.Outside, Jay asks Kay why he doesn't remember what the Light of Zartha is. He replies that he must have neuralized himself to keep the information from himself. Kay goes to the driver's side of Jay's car, telling Jay that he always does the driving. Pointing to Kay and himself, Jay replies that Kay and his car are old and busted, and Jay and his car are new hotness. Kay stares at Jay until he gives him the remote.At MiB, Serleena is holding Zed in the air with her tentacles. She releases her tentacles and he falls to the floor, then she kicks him. She tells him that they both need the same thing, and then she kicks him again, knocking him into his chair. She shoves Zed's cell phone to him, but he refuses to bring Kay in. She reminds him that the Light will self-destruct if it's not off the Earth by midnight, annihilating the planet. She tells him that they can both lose or both win, because he doesn't want the Light on Earth any more than she does. Zed dials his phone and hands it to her, telling her that she wins. Michael Jackson answers, still asking Zed if he could be Agent M. Zed knocks Serleena over the head with his lamp then jumps and flips over her. He kicks her in the face several times, but nothing fazes her. She knocks him to the floor with a tentacle, then kicks him in the face and knocks him out. She then notices a tentacle of the dead Tricrainasloph move.Jay tells Kay what the fastest way to MiB is but he passes it. Jay tells him that they need to go to MiB because headquarters has been breached; they have to "bust in there, and peel some caps, and split some wigs up in that joint." Kay replies that he's not ready. Jay says that Kay's been gone for five years, which is a long time in this game; he understands if Kay is scared, because he is too. Kay replies that he's not scared, so Jay says that neither is he; he thought they were bonding. Kay tells him that after five years, he's still acting like a rookie by talking about splitting wigs and stepping on caps; it's no wonder Zed brought him back. Jay counters that Zed brought Kay back because he messed up. Kay says that Jay's attitude is creating a very stressful work environment. Jay says that MiB has a stressful work environment. Kay says that Serleena thinks that Kay knows where the Light is, so she broke into MiB to lure him back. Jay adds that it's a trap -- which is why they shouldn't bust into MiB. They go to the "scene of the crime": Famous Ben's pizza.Jay tells Kay that he's going to talk to the witness. Kay wonders why he didn't neuralize her, according to MiB procedures, which he quotes. Laura swings a pizza tray at Kay, but he ducks and she hits Jay's face instead. Jay introduces Kay to her. She thanks Jay for sending some agents to watch her last night. Kay rebukes Jay again, quoting MiB procedures. Jay talks about the crime, then Kay notices a photo of Ben holding a large fish. The clouds over the fish were removed, as if done by Photoshop. Jay takes Kay's picture and places it over the photo, matching it perfectly. Jay notices that Kay left himself clues. Kay is pointing at something, so Jay puts his head against the wall (bumping a green key & key ring hanging on the wall), and follows the direction across the room. Kay sees the key and sighs, and tries to stop Jay. Jay reaches a photo on the wall of an astronaut pointing, and repeats his procedure. Kay just shakes his head in disappointment. Jay reaches some pizza boxes stacked on their corners, and wonders who would stack pizza boxes like that. He deduces that the stacker was leaving clues, and that the pizza slice is an arrow. The camera zooms in on the photo then on the key, which is labeled "GCT". Kay again tries to stop Jay, but he says that Kay is slowing him down. Jay finally reaches a steel cabinet and takes out a can of anchovy fillets in virgin olive oil. Kay shakes the key and tells Jay that he hopes he's not slowing Jay down. Kay pulls out his deneuralizer but Jay stops him, saying that Laura could be important to him -- to them, and could help them later. Kay puts away his deneuralizer but says that she can't stay there because they (the aliens) will be back, then he walks out. Jay takes her to stay with some of his "friends".Jay takes Laura to the Worms' place, a large suite with a low ceiling, and he bumps his head. Jay tells them that MiB is Code 101, and introduces Laura. He stops their catcalls and apologizes for them, but Laura replies that she's dated worse. Jay tells her that the Worms are under suspension right now for stealing from the duty-free shop. Kay comes in and reminds Jay that the car is double-parked. Jay tells the Worms that Laura is very important to him, then adds to them (Jay and Kay), to the stuff they're doing. Kay then leaves. Jay asks them to watch Laura. They are very enthusiastic about it. Jay hands her his communicator in case she needs it and she kisses him. All the worms "wooo" and laugh. Jay tells her to watch out for Neeble, but has to ask them which one is Neeble; the Worm in the jacuzzi (voiced by Thom Fountain) answers. Jay tells her that it's safe but not to fall asleep, then leaves. The worms start a game of Twister, and Laura smiles.Jay catches up to Kay and reviews Kay's plan because it confuses him: since Kay neuralized himself and erased his memory of the Light of Zartha, he left himself clues; the photo from an old suit points to a key in a pizzeria; the key opens a locker at Grand Central Terminal, which will give them another clue. Kay replies that it's right, because he likes to keep his enemies confused. Jay says that they're all confused.At Grand Central Terminal, Kay tells Jay not to slow him down, and then sends him to get them coffee while he opens the locker. Jay becomes indignant, but Kay says that he doesn't know what's in there and Jay could get hurt. Kay opens the locker, revealing hundreds of tiny aliens in a tiny town. The town is full of discarded ordinary items from Earth, plus miniature buildings from a department store. The aliens hail Kay, and then start to sing the Star Spangle Banner, with Kay's name inserted. Kay asks them if he left anything there. They say that he did: the timekeeper (Kay's watch) -- to illuminate their streets and their hearts. Kay takes back his watch from the clock tower and puts it on, and they panic. Jay takes off his watch and puts it on the clock tower, so they now hail Jay. Kay starts to close the locker, but they tell him that he forgot the commandments on the tablet. They chant, "The tablet! The tablet!" The mayor (Peter Siragusa), an alien that looks like Moses, says that they have lived by its word, and peace has reigned throughout their world; pass it onto others, that they too may be enlightened. The others chant: "Be kind. Rewind." Kay takes the "tablet", which is a business card from Tapeworm Video Store. The mayor tells Kay to go back and reconcile his past so that he can move tranquilly into his future. The others chant "Two for one, every Wednesday", then "Large adult entertainment section in the back." All the aliens then turn around and laugh and rush into a XXX "fun zone". Jay says that it's just nasty, and closes the locker. Jay asks Kay what the video card is for, but he doesn't know. Jay then asks Kay what the watch is for. Kay replies that it's to remind him that they have until midnight, which according to his watch is less than an hour away.Kay and Jay arrive at Tapeworm Video. Jay wants to stop chasing ridiculous clues. He wants to get a couple of fission carbonizers and take back headquarters, but Kay tells him that it's all about to make sense. He gives his card to the clerk (Colombe Jacobsen-Derstine), but she says that it hasn't been used in years, before she was born. Kay tells her that he's been away on business. Jay adds, "billions of frequent flier miles." The clerk says that it's hard to use them, and then rambles on about wanting to go to Cambodia, how you can get a lobster dinner for a dollar. Kay stops her, so she tells him that he never checked out a video, but reserved one and didn't pick it up. She calls her boyfriend Newton (David Cross), the manager, who comes back from the bathroom. He's paranoid about aliens. He tells Kay that he reserved "Episode 27: Light of Zartha", and tells Kay that they've got it.At MiB HQ, Serleena asks Jarra why he was locked up. He replies that Agent Jay caught him siphoning the Earth's ozone to sell it on the black market. She tells him that she needs a spacecraft that can go 300 times the speed of light. He tells her to give him Jay and it will be even. She agrees and gives him until midnight, and then he glides away. Serleena calls Gatbot, which looks like a steel cylindrical trash can, for a special job.Newton takes Kay and Jay upstairs to his bedroom, which he has devoted to aliens. He lives with his mother. Newton's girlfriend tells him that she wants to have his baby. His mother yells to him offering him mini pizza, and he offers some to Kay and Jay. They just stare at him. Newton yells back that they don't want any, then gets the videotape. Jay is relieved that they finally have some hard evidence. Newton starts rambling about aliens and anal probing, but Jay prods him to play the tape.As the video plays, Jay remarks that it looks like Spielberg's work. Newton starts saying the words along with the video, but Kay and Jay stare at him so he stops. When the video talks about the Keeper of the Light, Kay says softly," Lauranna," and Jay looks at him. Kay also says, "No. It was night... and it was raining."The scene changes to a black-and-white flashback of the way it actually happened. Serleena tells Kay, "You've been very wise." Ambassador Lauranna (Linda Kim) says, "Kay, please, if Serleena gets the light, it's the end of our world." Kay replies, "Madame Ambassador, if we extend the protection of the light beyond the Earth, we put the Earth itself in jeopardy. We have no choice. We must remain neutral." Serleena asks, "Where is it?" Kay replies, "We're neutral, remember? You want it, go get it." He uses his watch to launch a spaceship. Serleena shouts "No!" She shoots Lauranna, killing her, and then chases after the spaceship with her own spaceship. Kay bends over Lauranna, and then opens his hand to reveal a bracelet.Back in the present, Kay is crying silently as the video finishes: "And so, never knowing it happened, the people of Earth were once again saved by a secret society of protectors..." Kay turns off the video and says that he "shouldn't have." Jay deduces correctly that they didn't send the Light off the planet and hid it on Earth. Kay says, "The Worm Guys," and goes downstairs; he neuralizes Newton's mother. Newton recognizes the neuralizer just before Jay neuralizes Newton and his girlfriend. Jay tells Newton to get contacts instead of his glasses, then to take his girlfriend to Cambodia for a lobster dinner (and to pay more than a dollar); when he gets back from Cambodia he should move out his mom's house. Jay finishes with saying that there are no such things as aliens or Men in Black. Newton takes off his glasses and asks his girlfriend if she wants to go to Cambodia, and she agrees. Newton picks up a shovel as they go downstairs and he calls his mother.While Kay drives, Jay calls Laura on his communicator. She tells him that they (she and the worms) are playing Twister. Jay asks her if she's wearing a bracelet. She replies that she is. Kay asks her if it's glowing, and she replies that it never did that before. (The bracelet is the same one that Kay held in the flashback; the triangle shape on it is glowing now.) Jay tells her that they're on the way. Jay calls Frank and tells him to deactivate the lockdown because they're on the way to the worm guys and they found the Light. Frank is tied up and Serleena acknowledges in Frank's voice. Serleena leaves Frank and calls for Scrad. Frank mumbles, "Bitch."Kay asks Jay why he didn't tell Laura that he loved her. Kay knows that Jay is in love with her, which is why he didn't neuralize her; he got emotionally involved. Jay retorts that Kay did the same with Lauranna. Kay tells Jay that he (Kay) put Earth in danger because he got involved, and doesn't want to see Jay make his mistakes.Kay and Jay arrive at the Worm Guys' place; it's wrecked and the Worms are seriously injured. Jay asks them where Laura is. They reply that some dumb two-headed guy took her to MiB headquarters. Kay says that they (Serleena and the others) have the bracelet, and that there's only 39 minutes left, so Kay and Jay leave. The Worm Guys chase after them. Jay asks Kay why she took Laura if she has the bracelet. Kay replies that she also wants him (Kay). They go get some "wig-splitting" weapons.A man, his wife, and their daughter are watching Martha Stewart on TV. Kay and Jay barge into their apartment. Kay tells them that he used to live there and came to pick up a few things, then moves the thermostat control left and right and left quickly. The back wall of the living room slides up, revealing walls and cabinets full of weapons. Mannix the Worm (voiced by Brad Abrell) remarks that it's a nice place. The Worm Guys, Jay, and Kay get some weapons. Kay closes the back wall with the thermostat then Jay neuralizes the family.Inside MiB headquarters, Jarra has completed constructing a spaceship; pieces of rockets and machinery litter the room. Laura is in the spaceship. A female voice announces on the P.A. that there's 4 minutes to launch. Jarra informs Serleena that her ship is ready, so she tells him to send it to Kyloth now.Outside MiB headquarters, Jay aims his weapon to shoot a hole in the building, but Kay tries to stop him. Jay fires anyway, and they get sucked in and lose their weapons. Kay rebukes Jay for shooting MiB because it's in Code 101 lockdown. A hot dog stand gets sucked in too, and the umbrella plugs up the hole. The guard calmly picks a hot dog off his suit and says that it's about time they got there, because "that pretty lady in there is causing all kinds of hell." He resumes reading The Weekly World News.The elevator opens to the MiB main bay, and Gatbot opens up, extending its rotary machine guns. It shoots the elevator full of holes, but Kay, Jay, and the Worms are hiding against the ceiling. Kay tells Jay to get to the launch pad on the roof; the bracelet shows the departure point. He also orders Jay not to come back for him. Kay hangs down and gives cover fire against Gatbot with his blasters while Jay runs to the other elevator, which leads to the roof. Kay then sends the worms through the elevator ceiling to shut off the power to the launch pad so that the spaceship can't take off. Gatbot enters the elevator and Kay throws a grenade down, and then jumps out of the elevator before the doors close and the grenade explodes. Serleena is waiting for him, and captures him with her tentacles.Jay reaches the spaceship, but Jarra blocks his way. Jarra has been locked up for 5 years and 42 days. Jarra drops his cloak to reveal that he's made up of four parts: one large flying ship and three smaller flying ships -- all with his head and torso, and metal tentacles hanging down. One of the smaller Jarras takes away Jay's blaster.Kay tells Serleena that he should have vaporized her when he had the chance. She remarks that he really loved Lauranna. She calls him a silly little man and sticks her tentacle tongue into his ear.Jay tries unsuccessfully to reach the larger Jarra because of the smaller ones. A female voice announces on the P.A. that there's two minutes to launch. Laura tells Jay to go and that she'll be fine, but Jay replies that he's winning. He tells Jarra that he's arresting him for being that ugly and making copies of himself. Jay picks up a scrap pipe and bats away one of the small Jarras, knocking it against a wall and destroying it. Another small Jarra takes Jay away and drops him, but he lands safely on some large clear tubing.The Worm Guys -- Mannix, Neeble, Sleeble (voiced by Greg Ballora), and Gleeble (voiced by Carl J. Johnson) -- walk down a passageway. They forgot Kay's instructions on where to shut off the power.Jay and the large Jarra charge at each other and collide, then Jarra takes Jay around the room. Jay punches a small Jarra and it hits a machine and gets destroyed. Jay covers large Jarra's eyes, then grabs the control lever, then large Jarra crashes into the remaining small Jarra, destroying them both. Jay jumps away in time and lands on the tubing. As Jay struggles to get off the tubing, a female voice announces on the P.A. that there's 30 seconds to launch. Jay finally gets off the tubing then turns off the countdown before it reaches zero. He releases Laura and tells her that he didn't leave her because he never runs out on a fight.Serleena has Kay in the air. She calls Kay an insignificant speck and tells him that he lost. She says that he wasted 25 years of her time for the complete and total annihilation of Zartha, because he went mushy. Kay tells her that she has one last chance to surrender. Serleena asks him how he can stop her, but Kay says that it's not him. Jay shoots her with a large weapon, telling her that her flight has been cancelled, and vaporizing her. Kay falls to the floor.Mannix lands in the control room and presses a random button, turning off all the power in MiB. Kay brings the car over with the remote. Jay tells Laura to give him the bracelet. She tells him that she's going with them, and Kay tells him that she should get in the car too. They drive away, revealing that Serleena was only stunned. The tiny creature sends out tentacles again.As they drive, Laura remarks that it's hard to believe that everyone is after her charm bracelet. Jay replies that she would be surprised how often it's something small like that. Kay tells him them that it's not the Light -- it shows the departure point; if they don't reach the departure point in 11 minutes & 15 seconds the bracelet will go nuclear and destroy all life on Earth. Suddenly Serleena rams the back of the car with her spaceship. Jay tries to stop him, but Kay presses the red button on the shift lever. The car transforms into a flying rocket car, slamming them against the seats. They fly through Times Square with Serleena chasing them. Jay tells Kay that the car is modified to hyper speed. Kay tells them to put on their seatbelts, but they don't. A handle-type steering wheel (with controls similar to that of a game console) comes out of the dash and Jay tells Kay that it's the navigational stalk; he has to use it during hyper speed. Kay grabs the navigational stalk and sends the car upside down; Jay and Laura didn't put on their seatbelts and fall to the ceiling. Serleena shoots the car several times as they fly over New York Harbor. Jay tells Kay how to use the controls and he rights the car; Laura and Jay fall onto the back seat. Jay climbs back into his seat and calls the worms at MiB. Frank and the Worm Guys are drinking martinis and smoking cigars, and Frank is telling them about one of his "chicks". Jay tells Frank to use the computer to lock onto Serleenas ship and destroy it. Serleena shoots the car, breaking the communication. Frank says that Jay was the best damn partner a Remoolian could ever have. Kay activates the automatic pilot, which pops up in front of him, but it doesn't work. Jay tells him that it doesn't operate at hyper speed and retracts the automatic pilot. Kay replies that he's used to a steering wheel, but Jay says that it's all they have. Jay asks Kay if his mother ever gave him a Game Boy, buy Kay asks what that is. Jay and Kay switch seats in mid flight. They fly into the subway with Serleena still shooting at them and she calls them idiots. Kay tells Jay that the subway is not the best place to lose her, but Jay shushes him and wonders where Jeff is. Kay asks who Jay is talking about and they see Jeff straight ahead. Jay lands the car at the last second and Serleena flies into Jeffs open mouth, who then chews and swallows her spaceship. The automatic pilot pops up in front of Jay.They land on the rooftop of a tall building. The car transforms back to normal and they get out. Jay tells Kay that they're running out of time and asks him where the Light is, and Kay says that Laura is the Light. Laura is incredulous. Kay tells her that she has a planet to save, but she replies that he has her confused with somebody else; she works part-time at a pizzeria. Kay tells her that two days ago he was running a post office in Truro, Massachusetts; you are who you are. While Kay explains Laura's purpose on Earth, Jay sees the triangular-shaped skylight, which matches the triangle shape on Laura's bracelet, and then pulls out the napkin from Famous Ben's Pizza. Kay is telling Laura that she is the Light; she's the leader of her people, their spirit and their hope; the power is within her to save the planet; "I protected you until it was your time. Your time is now. You were hidden on Earth 25 years ago to..." Jay looks at the Statue of Liberty then looks up and sees the star. "Kay continues: You are going to save a world. You know things before they happen." She replies that she can't; she's a Libra. Kay tells her that she is a Zarthan; when she gets sad it always seems to rain. She replies that lots of people get sad when it rains. Kay tells her that it rains because she's sad. The "star" emits a bright beam of light onto a large egg-shaped object on the roof, transforming it into a transport pod, and it opens up. Jay leans against the car dejectedly, and then he and Laura look sadly at each other. Even though they realize it's not fair, Jay and Laura accept her destiny. Suddenly Jeff bursts through the skylight, roaring and baring his teeth. Jay shouts at Jeff, saying that he's not in the mood for him, and orders him to get back in the subway. Jeff bursts apart, revealing a giant serpent: Serleena. As Kay takes Laura to the transport pod, Serleena shoots out tentacles toward Laura. Jay jumps in front of Laura, so the tentacles get him instead. Jay shouts at Laura that she has to go. Kay shoots at Serleena with his blaster and assures Laura that Jay is fine and does this all the time. As Jay struggles with the tentacles, he shouts at Laura that it's her destiny. Kay shoots at Serleena then tells Laura that if she doesn't go they will all die. He shoots at Serleena again without looking, and then tells Laura that she's just as beautiful as her mother. Laura gets into the transport pod and it closes. Kay shoots many times at Serleena and it finally retracts, releasing Jay. It rains in the transport pod as it takes her into the sky to the "star". Serleena flies after Laura, a giant face visible in the front of the tentacles, so Jay and Kay take two large weapons from the car's trunk. Kay thanks Jay for bringing him back. Jay asks Kay why he didn't tell him about Laura. Kay rhetorically asks if Jay would have let her go. They shoot at Serleena, hitting her/it just before she/it reaches the transport pod. Serleena explodes over the Statue of Liberty, creating a giant fireworks display lasting several seconds. Jay asks Kay what it's like on the outside, "you know, not doing this every day?" Kay answers, "It's nice. Sleep late on the weekends. Watch the weather channel." Kay sighs and says that he missed this city. The transport pod has disappeared into the "star" and the bright light fades. Jay asks Kay that if Laura is Princess Lauranna's daughter, did they...? (Jay surmises that Kay is Laura's father.) Kay ignores him and tells him that they have to go because MiB is a mess. They put the weapons back in the trunk. As they walk to the elevator, Jay asks Kay how they can go because thousands of people in New York and New Jersey just saw this event; they need a cool thought out plan. Kay puts on his sunglasses, prompting Jay to put on his. Kay presses a button on his watch, and then the torch on the Statue of Liberty buzzes and flashes: a giant neuralizer. Kay tells Jay that he'll get him trained yet. Jay gets jealous of Kay's watch.Back at MiB in the locker room, Kay sits down next to Jay, who is getting dressed. Kay tells Jay that they've all been there; the girl is gone and it hurts. He asks Jay if he wants to talk about it, because he can help. Jay replies, "No." Zed sits down opposite them and thinks that Jay is still sulking, but Jay says that he's not. Zed says that Jay misses her; it happens to all of them. Zed then starts talking about how he and his girlfriend were entwined in positions from the Kama Sutra, which grosses out Jay so he makes Zed stop. Frank comes in from the shower and tells Jay about "dames", about what they really want. Frank shakes off, forcing the others to stand. Frank asks Jay if he's "still sitting shiva." Jay tells Frank "No advice"; he tells Kay "No talking"; he tells Zed "Hell no." Jay swears that he's fine. He opens his locker; the tiny aliens are in it with their town, and they hail him; he quickly closes his locker. Kay tells Jay that he brought them over from Grand Central Terminal and put them in Jay's locker because he thought it would put things in perspective for Jay. Jay tells Kay that they need to let the aliens out of his locker so they will know that the world is a bigger place than that. Kay takes him to a black door marked: "DANGER! NO EXIT. DO NOT OPEN. NOT AN EXIT! UNAUTHORIZED USE WILL RESULT IN IMMEDIATE REVOCATION OF ALL M.I.B. ACCESS CLEARANCES. IN CASE OF EXTREME EMERGENCY DO NOT OPEN". Kay sighs and tells Jay that he's still a rookie. Kay kicks the door open, revealing to Jay and Frank a giant room full of aliens; their door is actually a door to a locker that contains Earth, among hundreds of lockers at an alien type of Grand Central Terminal.Will Smith sings "Black Suits Comin' (Nod Ya Head)" during the closing credits.Synopsis written by Mu_Ve_Watchr_89. | comedy, cult, flashback, humor, satire, entertaining | train | imdb | In 1997, the original `Men in Black' struck a nerve with movie audiences by showing that even a big budget blockbuster, heavily loaded down with state-of-the-art, computer-generated special effects, could still manage to seem light on its feet.
The makers of that film pulled off this feat of gravitational legerdemain by coming up with a concept and a script overflowing with creativity, wit, imagination and a cachet of `hipness' to go along with its tone of anarchic playfulness.Well, five years have passed and we now have `Men in Black II' to confirm what most of us suspected all along: that works that rely on `uniqueness' as their prime selling point are rarely ever able to duplicate their success a second time around.
Without that aura of cutting edge newness that defined the original, `Men in Black II' seems like just another loud, over-the-top summertime blockbuster.Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones are back playing Jay and Kay, agents for the government's top secret organization whose job it is to monitor the activities of the thousands of aliens who have secretly infiltrated earth's societies and to help protect the planet from any possible threat from interstellar space.
Smith and Jones still appear to be quite comfortable in their roles and they are aided by Lara Flynn Boyle, as Serleena, the baddest alien this side of Darth Vader, and Rip Torn, delightful as Zed, the slightly cracked head of the Men in Black agency.Although the special effects in this film are, as one would expect in this day and age, astonishing and virtually seamless, the same can definitely NOT be said for the film's screenplay.
Let me just start by saying that I normally like movies with Tommy Lee Jones and / or Will Smith in them.
But I'm afraid that's about the best thing I can say about them right now, because what they did in this movie was nothing but a hasty 'grab-as-much-money-as-you-can' job and I really don't like to see that."Men in Black II" starts four years later from where the first one ended.
It doesn't seem to have a lot to differentiate it from the first one, with the result that it's just not that interesting.Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones reprise their roles as Agents "Jay" and "Kay" respectively, and here was one element of the story that might have made this a fun adventure if it had been developed.
Men in Black II (2002)* 1/2 (out of 4) Boring and bland sequel has Earth coming under attack from a dangerous alien (Lara Flynn Boyle) so Agent Jay (Will Smith) must bring Agent Kay (Tommy Lee Jones) out of retirement.
MEN IN BLACK II even features some very poor CGI effects and in the end this is just a rather worthless movie that isn't worth the trouble..
It practically repeats the formula of the first film: Aliens are out again, J (Will Smith) and K (Tommy Lee Jones) are back as partners to fight against it and the whole lot.
Although most innovations are of special effects, MIIB provides some new fun moments in a somewhat formula approach.Like said, MIIB returns Smith and Jones as the dynamic duo out to stop an alien, a creature called the Kylothian, who takes the form of a lingerie model (Lara Flynn Boyle), who, guess what?
The expected result is that, like the two Austin Powers sequels, what we have here is little more than an extension of the same jokes that we saw in the original film.The entire cast has come back, of course, since this is guaranteed to be a hugely popular film (although at the same time guaranteed to be an artistic failure), and we also see a few more introductions to the cast of actors and artists with flailing careers like Lara Flynn Boyle and even Michael Jackson, who embarrasses himself in the film by playing the part of someone desperately trying to secure himself a position as one of the Men In Black (`I can be Agent M!
I thought it was really funny when K blows off Jeebs' head (feeding off of one of the more amusing scenes from the original during J's introduction to the aliens amongst whom he lives), and J asks him how he knew that Jeebs' head would grow back if his memory had not been restored, and K replies, `It grows back?' Not very creative, but certainly amusing.The movie has its strong points, I am not saying that it was a stone-faced bore, but the problem is that it completely feeds off of whatever was successful about the original film.
Things like this and the fact that the movie had nothing new to add to the Men In Black story bring the quality of MIIB way down, leaving it to tag along behind its predecessor like an annoying little sister.
We already know there is going to be a Men In Black III (hey, if they made a second sequel after the ridiculous Austin Powers 2
), so we can only hope that the producers and director will take a little more time in deciding how to entertain us and what kinds of life forms to focus on, because this was entirely overlooked in this sequel.
Even the enormously sexy Boyle was not comfortable on her role and therefore unconvincing as an alien villain in disguise (indeed, it was more convincing that the writers were so unconfident in their script that they felt the need to gloss it over with a sexy villain than it was that she was a threat to the MIB), and Mr. Smith and Mr. Jones had little to nothing to work with in their roles.
Aside from Tommie Lee Jones scene-stealing, the best thing that can be said about this film is that it's short enough so that you don't feel you've lost too much of your life watching it, but, seriously, don't waste your time..
Instead, we are treated to 89 minutes of contrived nonsense and an endless parade of references to the original film, in a sequel that truly feels written by committee in a studio-executive's office in order to be as unoffensive and broad as possible.Smith returns as Agent J.
While investigating an alien murder in New York City, J comes to realize that the perpetrator in this case (plant- creature Serleena, portrayed by Lara Flynn Boyle in an over-sexualized performance) has ties to his former partner, "Agent K." (Tommy Lee Jones) J is forced to bring K out of retirement and undo the process that wiped his memories, before they re- team to scour the city searching for clues to stop Serleena's dastardly plans.On paper that may not sound too bad, but in execution, it's pretty dreadful.The acting is far more mixed in this film.
The only silver linings here are the fact that it was able to re-introduce Agent K (though poorly) and the fact that the third film, released 10 years later, was actually pretty darned good and made up for this severe misstep.As it stands, "Men in Black II" gets and underwhelming 4 out of 10.
[3] The characters, new and old, were as full of stuffing as Laura Flynn Boyle's brassiere.Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones' agents should receive a good tongue-lashing for letting them act in this "movie".
With a film as popular as the original "Men in Black", a sequel of some sort was guaranteed, the only question would be when, and whether it would be any good.
Since no new aliens other than the villains are added, and there is little of the Men in Black headquarters expanded on, there isn't even the wonder of new dazzling summer blockbuster special effects or fun alien characters provided by the first film.
Were it not for Lara Flynn Boyle's Serleena, there'd be no laughs or interesting moments in the movie at all."Men in Black II" is just sad.
Last time the villain was a bug, this time it's a plant.The actors seem very bored (Rosario Dawson is the first person I've seen who can be described as a macguffin - she's got absolutely nothing to do in the entire film), the exception being Will Smith (reduced to doing slapstick) who appears to be so desperate to be having a good time that he overacts in the absurd.The editing sucks.
I can't exactly say why, but it's a feeling I couldn't get rid of.There is one scene in the film that perfectly sums up the whole movie - Jones and Smith being flushed down a huge toilet (yes, it's that bad)...
And why the director thought it would be a good idea to focus on the alien sub-characters from the last movie so deeply I have no idea : JarJar proved that less is better, so the worms and the dog could have given us the same courtesy.
It was 3/4 an attempt at a Mel Brooks-style parody of the original, and 1/4 an earnest sequel; it was impossible to take the result seriously within its own parameters because you were constantly hearing Sonnenberg screaming at you through the shots "this is a stupid ridiculous piece of nothing which I'm just doing for the dough." You would think that an actor like Tommy Lee Jones wouldn't put up with it; he shoulda just walked off the set.
Edit out the schtick which doesn't serve the plot and isn't funny and which just takes you out of the movie and reminds you that the director thinks it's all just a stupid joke.There was not a single decent moment in the whole stupid thing.This terrible terrible movie isn't even worth the time it took to tell you how stupid it was - but there's an obligation to try to get you the viewing public to save your precious few dollars...
Before I get started on MIB2 let me just say that I liked the first Men in Black movie (***/****) because it was fun and Smith and Jones had good chemistry together.
The argument from the defender's of this junk is that it's not about the story but it is about entertaining us and making us laugh, the thing is the movie does neither unless you consider asinging dog to be funny which I certainly don't.
Serleena's effects were annoyingly bad.This movie takes forever to get going, and when it does, it feels like more of the same, just regurgitated.When I'm done here, I'm going to go put a review down for the original, which I've seen many times, and will give an 8 out of 10 to.
Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones don't care if the movie is good or not, they can get off on the fact that the first film was something we had never seen before.
Not funny enough to be a comedy, not realistic enough to be a drama, not interesting enough to be a fantasy, Men In Black just may possibly be the worst movie I've seen in the last year.
While not a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, the original "Men in Black" was a lighthearted, entertaining vehicle smoothly carried by the repartee between Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones.
Well.....1 - It is extremely entertaining and just an hour-and-half long; 2 - It has a much softer edge to it with more humor than the original; 3 - the special effects with the variety of little aliens are excellent; 4 - it's easier on the profanity than the first film, making this more kid-friendly; 5 - at 90 minutes the length of the movie is just right.Yes, the story can be stupid at times, but so was the first one, and the good qualities listed above far outweigh that negative.
Tommy Lee Jones is fun to watch again and Will Smith isn't as arrogant as he was in the first movie.This is a no-brainer played strictly for laughs and it succeeds beautifully in that regard..
On one of the coolest looking sequels ever, Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones find themselves back in action as secret agents J and K, protecting the Earth from the scum of the Universe.
The movie is very simply and quite frankly it doesn't always make sense especially the horrible ending which I hate with a passion.However just like the first movie this one is also fun and has some good moments but unlike "Men in Black" it also has some very bad and unfunny moments.
This follow up to MIB has a familiar feel to it right from the off, and Jay (Will Smith) must find Kay (Tommy Lee Jones) and refresh his memory before the renegade Kylothian monster disguised as a supermodel (Lara-Flynn Boyle) wipes out the human race.There's plenty of familiar characters and also a few new ones, although the new ones aren't quite good enough to fill the void left by the characters who have been omitted (mainly the original bad guy) although Boyle is definitely sexier lol.Once again the special effects are outstanding and the pairing of Smith and Jones works like a charm.OK it's not quite as funny as the first film and at times it does feel a bit re-created, but it's not at all bad, and it still has the required elements to entertain.6/10.
I Have Literally seen this movie 15 times , never gets out of style or old , because it's timeless , eternal , perfect cast ,you could tell when watchin' it that the actors were havin' fun , and not just in it for the payment .It gets to you , and makes always smile and laugh, ended perfectly with the kick of the door .And Will Smith does it again with a great song for his movies , he really proves something with his music that he doesn't have to talk bad about anybody , be vial , or anything like that to sell records.
Barry Sonnenfeld, Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith return for the inevitable (money wise anyway) sequel to the 1997 hit, and it unfortunately falls flat all too many times to be ignored.
The film does contain impressive visual effects, such as the entire civilization in K's locker, or the worms and other aliens, and there is some fun in starting the film with K (Jones) working as a postmaster, and in having Johnny Knoxville with two heads, but it's overall dumbed down and Smith offers mostly lukewarm or generic jokes (ie on the car K and J go into after they get flushed into times square- actually, it came with a black dude, but he kept on getting pulled over).
I liked Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith as the Men in Black dudes.
While 'Men In Black II (2002)' will probably give you a couple of giggles and relies on the two same charismatic lead performances as the first, it is, essentially, just more of the same and is all the worse for it, a bland sequel that spends a lot of its run-time going back on its predecessor's pretty much pitch-perfect but sort of definitive ending.
Continuing my plan to watch every Will Smith movie in order, I come to Men In Black 2Plot In A Paragraph: Agent J (Will Smith) needs help so he is sent to find Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) and restore his memory.After two great performances, it's disappointing seeing Will Smith back to just playing himself.
I'm gonna say to that person, " I know Will Smith seemed like a good idea at the time, but now the guy kinda creeps me out, stop casting him in movies.".
MEN IN BLACK II came out a full five years after the first movie; it was plenty of time to develop a script that would do the franchise justice and keep the audience excited for further adventures with the MiB.
He was a funny little scene in the first movie and now he's joined the MiB, partnered up with Agent J, and singing Ba-Ha Men because
wait for it
he's a dog.
On that same note, the "worm guys" who were good for a laugh when introducing Agent J to aliens on Earth in the first movie are now back with quadruple the screen time.
Asmy good friend Jay pointed out, Tommy Lee Jones looks like he iscalculating how much money he is making for this film andwonder whether its worth it.
Lara Flynn Boyle is the new alien bent on destruction thistime around but the plot makes little to no sense (granted, theseare high concept movies to begin with but there should at least bea modicum of thought put into even a bubble gum film).
Men In Black II does nothing to make me want to watch it other than the chance to participate in a fun game of counting up how many different things Will Smith refers to as "joints" in the movie.
I loved the first one and was please to see the original Men in Black back in the movie.
Will Smith plays the exact same character from all of his movies, the Fresh Prince, with a dog as a partner this time around (Tommy Lee Jones comes in later after Will finally realizes he can't carry a film even if his life depended on it), and we get to see the powers of the Miracle Bra. Am I supposed to be entertained by this?
Great for a Men in Black sequel flick and expands the first movie's universe.
The script, this time, its signed by Robert Gordon.Like many sequels, this one failed to keep the original movie level.
Men In Black II is a good movie with a reasonably well developed plot and a great cast.
That's the disappointing part, however, the good part is that most of original elements are kept the same with some different features.Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones are back as the Men in Black, well at least they both are when half of the film is over. |
tt0044121 | The Thing from Another World | At an officers club Anchorage Alaska, Ned "Scotty" Scott (Douglas Spencer) meets with a group of air force officers playing cards. Amid the small talk Scott tells the men that he is a reporter looking for a story. One of the officers admits that a large number of scientists are at the North Pole. Scotty takes an interest on the matter but nothing more is said.Captain Patrick Hendry (Kenneth Tobey) is paged to General Fogarty's quarters. Fogarty explains that a strange aircraft has been found at the pole, Hendry is put in charge of the recovery mission. Remembering the earlier conversation he asks if Scott can fly up with the recovery team.Arriving at the pole they meet with the scientists who are excited about the potential of the find. Hendry catches up with a science assistant Nikki Nicholson (Margaret Sheridan). It is clear from their encounter they have an extensive social past.Nikki introduces Hendry to Dr. Arthur Carrington (Robert Cornthwaite) leader of the scientist based at the north pole. Carrington tells Hendry the crashed aircraft is located about 48 miles from the base. When the plane crashed instruments recorded an explosion and magnetic flux disturbance that indicates the plane weighs approximately 20,000 tons.Hendry suggests that, given the recorded weight of the vessel, they must be dealing with a meteor. Carrington, however, shows him a number of radar tracks that show the object change course and speed a number of times before crashing.The expedition flies to the location to begin to unravel the mystery, as they approach the reported location the aircraft's compass begins to malfunction then Geiger counters begin registering erratic levels of radiation. Finally they see a teardrop-shaped area in the snow.Arriving at the actual crash site they realize whatever landed was so hot that it melted enough snow to sink down so that only a stabilizer fin is protruding from the ice. To establish the actual size of the craft the team slowly spreads out over the object. After a few minutes it becomes obvious the craft is circular. "We finally got one" exclaims a scientist, believing they have just located a UFO.Thermite bombs are used to melt the ice around the craft, unfortunately something in the metal used to build the ship reacts to the Thermite and the scientist look on in horror as the whole vehicle disintegrates destroying all evidence of the ship and its origins. A minute later, second object is found in the ice near the remains of the spaceship and on closer investigation they believe it may have been the pilot of the ship. Not willing to risk Thermite's contamination, they cut the creature out of the ice and make plans to transport the complete block of ice back to base.At the base, Hendry refuses to allow the scientists to defrost the block. After the destruction of the ship he doesn't intend to take any more chances He also has a concern about potential disease that may be carried by the creature, or what could happen once the creature's body is exposed to Earth's atmosphere.To secure the block Hendry moves it to a storeroom then breaks the windows to stop any possibility of the ice melting. Hendry sets watches at 4 hour intervals. The first watch is stood by Lt. Ken "Mac" Macpherson (Robert Nichols). The base radioman, Corporal Barnes (William Self) reports that the weather has cut the base of from communication with the outside world. He cannot receive messages but thinks he might still be able to send.Hendry gives him a report on the situation, as well as a request from the scientists to examine the creature. Later that night Barnes reports he got through and has received instructions. Scott is frustrated that someone in Washington has leaked the story, and although he is the only reporter at the base, no one can hear his story. General Fogerty has also forwarded Hendry's report to the highest levels of government, and is waiting for further instructions.Everyone standing watch on the creature is becoming badly spooked. The ice block has become a little transparent and the creature's face can be seen. The eyes give the impression the creature is still alive, Hendry adjusts the watch from four to two hours.The base settles in for the night and Nikki confides in Hendry that she is unsure about what to make out of the situation. She also compliments Hendry on his handling of the situation; she then offers to buy him a drink. They retire to her office and the obvious attraction begins to flower, ending in a steamy kiss and admission of mutual attraction.Back at the storage room, Barnes has taken over the watch on the creature. The creature's appearance has him spooked and not thinking, he throws an electric blanket over the block of ice causing it to defrost unnoticed. Distracted by the novel he is reading, Barnes doesn't notice movement behind him before it is too late. Jumping to his feet he draws and fires his pistol as he retreats from the storage room.Somewhat hysterical, Barnes reports to Hendry and the scientists that the creature is alive and it chased him. Hendry and the group return to the room to find the hollowed out block of ice and creature is gone. Through a broken window they can hear a battle going on between the camp dogs and the creature. The men race to the aid of the dogs, but the creature escapes.The scientists discover an arm of the creature torn off during the attack. The scientists begin investigating the arm. First they discover the arm is made of chitin and laced with barbs and they suspect this makes the creature amazingly strong. The arm also appears to have no nerves and the cellular structure is identical to vegetable matter.Dr. Carrington, having found seed pods attached to the creature's arms, surmises that on its home planet, plants rather than animals evolved into intelligent beings. As the debate continues the arm begins to move by itself. Carrington theorizes that some of the frozen blood from one of the huskies had been absorbed into the arm, causing temporary re-animation. Although surprised, thinks this is caused by various parts of the creature being able to become independent organisms.Hendry is concerned the creature may re-enter the base. Everyone is armed with guns and axes and a search begins. At the greenhouse, Carrington notices something wrong with some molds near the back door of the greenhouse. After the soldiers leave, Carrington points out to some of the scientist that a number of the most temperature sensitive plants have died, probably from exposure to cold air. They conclude that the back door to the greenhouse had been open for a short time, allowing a blast of cold air inside. Searching the room they discover the body of a dog in a small storage container, drained of blood. The creature had been there and had fed on the dog. He asks the scientists to watch the room that night without telling Hendry.Having swept the base, Hendry searches outside. On returning he is greeted by Dr. Chapman, who badly injured he explains the scientists have been attacked and killed in the greenhouse. Chapman adds that he saw the bodies of his comrades hanging from rafters and appeared bled dry of blood.Hendry races to the greenhouse and orders the door opened. He is immediately attacked by the alien. Escaping Hendry closes the door then shores it up to stop the creature breaking into the rest of the base. Hendry scolds Carrington for sacrificing the lives of his comrades -- when the door was open, Hendry saw them hanging from the ceiling with their throats cut.Carrington later quietly gathers the remaining scientists and explains the situation. The alien is intelligent and he believes the creature intends to kill everyone at the base. He then shows them an experiment he's set up. Taking a number of seeds from the creatures arm, he's planted them and fed them a diet of blood from the stores in the infirmary. Within four hours the seeds had sprouted and were continuing to grow quickly. Using a stethoscope he believes he can hear the plants wailing like new born children looking for food. Some of the scientists are repulsed by Carrington's actions and try to convince him to tell Hendry. He refuses believing only the scientists can save the situation.Nikki finds Hendry and shows him Carrington's notes. Hendry realizes this explains a secondary issue they have had: to find the basic blood supply that is needed to treat Chapman for his injuries.Hendry confronts Carrington, who refuses to buckle and stop the experiment. Hendry wants the plants destroyed and the creature trapped and destroyed in the greenhouse. A message from Fogerty interrupts the exchange, he has instructed all efforts must be made to keep the alien alive. Carrington sees this as validation for his actions.Frustrated and deciding Fogarty is not in full understanding of what is happening at the base, Hendry decides to ignore the General's instructions. He gathers all the military personnel in the mess hall to consider options. They agree on an idea of dousing the creature with kerosene and lighting it, hopefully cooking the alien. Nikki points out one of the Geiger counters has begun to react. It means the creature is on the move and if the readings are correct, heading for the mess hall.Everyone scrambles to get ready as the alien bursts into the room. They successfully ignite the kerosene and set the Thing on fire, but the creature escapes back outside using the snow to douse the flames. Scotty, wanting to take a picture of the monster, fails to do so when he trips over a nearby bunk. Regrouping the men decide to repeat the attack, only this time using a lot more kerosene. However, the method proves to be more dangerous.The creature shows its intelligence by cutting the oil flow to the heating system. Hendry believes the creature is trying to set its own trap. Anyone who attempts to repair the oil line will be ambushed and killed. Hendry thinks if this fails the creature will next attack the power generators. One of the other scientists recommends a safer trap using electricity from wires strung from the rafters of the camp's main tunnel & a grating placed beneath the floor.Frantic preparations ensure as the men build barricades to force the creature to approach from a specific direction. Almost as soon as they are finished one of the men reports movement near his barricade. The creature moves off and then begins attacking in the direction needed to trigger the trap.Suddenly the lights go out and Nikki screams that Carrington has cut the power, Carrington is quickly overpowered and the all important power is restored.Furious Carrington rushes towards the creature and tries to explain to it that humans are intelligent and that both species could learn from each other. The creature seems completely unimpressed with the encounter and swats Carrington away before once again advancing menacingly. Hendry sees his chance and springs the trap as electrical bolts hit the Thing. The creature struggles briefly before being reduced to a small pile of ash. Nothing is recognizable; no evidence is left to show the threat from space ever existed.A little later, the men are gathered and going over what's been accomplished. Carrington is alive and only mildly injured. The men report that all Carrington's notes have been destroyed along with the alien arm and all the seedlings.With things settling down Nikki corners Hendry and discusses the possibility of taking their friendship a step further and would he consider settling down. He seems to suggest he might and they go to a corner to discuss their future.The radio is now transmitting and receiving clearly, Scott takes the opportunity to send his story to the assembled newsmen back in Anchorage. After recapping events he ends his broadcast with a chilling note. "Watch the skies, everywhere, keep looking, and keep watching the skies." | cult, horror, murder | train | imdb | THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD...the title conjures up lurid images from the countless 'B' SciFi flicks of the 50s, but as many SF, Howard Hawks, and Classic Cinema fans can attest, this is no sleazy schlockfest, but one of the most entertaining and exciting films ever made, by one of Hollywood's greatest directors.Yes, the credits list Christian Nyby as director, but Howard Hawks was on the set nearly every day, each scene has elements of style unique to Hawks, alone, and even the cast members, when interviewed, have said Hawks ran the entire show.
Unlike the benevolent 'visitors' of THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, this alien doesn't warn of total annihilation as the final option, should we carry our nuclear weapons into space; it's ONLY agenda is to kill!This is a truly amazing film, one that has aged little, and is every bit as enjoyable today as when it was released.As the tag line to the film warns us, "Look to the sky...".
He comes of snootish yet still likeable enough because you can see that deep down he really admires Captain Hendry (Tobey) though he can't see eye to eye with him on their situation or dealing of his "Thing From Another world."Every character in the movie is well played.
If you like innuendo, fast paced overlapped dialogue, great characters - and I don't use that word lightly - you'll love this movie.If you want more suspense, a lot more blood, and a much more gloomy setting, certainly John Carpenter's remake is better in these areas.
A Timeless Sci-Fi Classic Regardless of Era. The Thing From Another World is one of the top ten science fiction movies of all time.
It's a super vegetable that requires blood for sustenance, and it makes life very tense for the scientists and military personnel at an isolated Arctic outpost when it's thawed from an icy imprisonment.With an intrepid hero in the form of 1950s icon Kenneth Tobey on hand, it's a guarantee that "The Thing from Another World" is going to be a good time.
Unlike the 1982 version, where the characters had the means to destroy the creature but first had to *identify* who the creature was, our cast here have to improvise their survival.While any genre fan such as this viewer, who'd been brought up on the 1982 John Carpenter film, may be more inclined to favour that brand of horror, this is still very stylish fun.
There are solid shocks, moments of suspense, and atmosphere along the way, as well as a lively finish.This is a film very much of its time, with our military characters very much a dependable bunch of heroes, and the scientists (most of them) treated as highly suspect, especially the misguided Dr. Carrington, played delightfully by Robert Cornthwaite.A little too much time is devoted to the romantic subplot with Captain Hendry and his love interest (Margaret Sheridan), but the actors couldn't be more engaging.
A young James Arness, in his pre-'Gunsmoke' days, has great presence as The Thing.There are images here so striking that Carpenter was wise to pay homage to them in his film: the line of men encircling the buried UFO, and the sight of the burning creature crashing through the building into the snow.It's definitely a different beast, in more ways than one, than what we would see 31 years later, but it's solid entertainment for its own very good reasons.Eight out of 10..
The Thing, released in 1951, is the original hostile alien movie, a must-see for fans of sci-fi and horror.Major director Howard Hawks (Sergeant York, The Big Sleep, Red River, Rio Bravo) produced it but some sources (Leonard Maltin) credit him as co-director.
I have seen this movie many times and I still enjoy it.The fast paced action and strong dialogue make for interesting characters and it would have been great if this were a modern film with a big budget.I have it in black and white and color.I'm watching it now...It's too bad that many of the characters have gone on.I would have liked to have gotten all their autographs on a The Thing...Poster.It's a great movie and I highly recommend it.Kenny Piper.
One of the finest science fiction films of all time, this film, like the original Haunting of Hill House, maintains a sense of fear and mystery simply through the design of the set -- an isolated arctic research station.
Which unfortunately leaves them with the classic dilemma of being in a rock and a hard place.The characters are solid, there not exactly deep characters but you do get to know some of them enough to like the protagonists and care; their dialog is solid and memorable, it feels like the kind of things you'd talk and say in the real world (well sort of).
There is an inherent tendency to dismiss or discount vintage science fiction movies, with special effects now coming across as dated (despite being cutting edge during their time) and plot and dialogue often ridiculed as cheesy and melodramatic.
Yet the concept of the film being denied the same sort of plaudits and appreciation other highlights of its era enjoy comes across as nonsensical as well as unfair, as The Thing From Another World manages to work around its criticized genre conventions and deliver one of the most intelligent, sensibly constructed and effectively atmospheric science fiction films, or, debatably, films period of its era.Although Howard Hawks is not credited as director (the billed honour is given to debut director Christian Nyby), the film carries too many overtones of being a Hawks film (fast talking, overlapping dialogue, character complexity and a certain abrasive sense of simultaneous fun and seriousness) for his influence to be discarded.
But, regardless of whence the creative input came from, the film stands out as markedly more sensibly put together than the pulpy B-movie its premise could have suggested, turning a simple alien attack into a breathlessly atmospheric study of individuals and groups in an enclosed, isolated area, when beset by an adversary they cannot know or understand.
Robert Cornthwaite's measured calm makes his chief scientist all the more fascinating and, crucially, sympathetic and believable, and Douglas Spencer's bone dry wit perfectly makes for a surrogate comic relief figure as a wisecrack dropping reporter, while his seeming out of place feels entirely appropriate given the fish-out-of-water character.It is these uncommonly canny bits of cultural awareness and sophistication (which may or may not be attributable to the Hawks influence) which rise the film several cuts above the caliber of many of its pulpy followers, making The Thing From Another World not just a white-knuckled study in claustrophobia and interpersonal tension, but one of the more sophisticated, atmospheric and poignant films of its era, enough to keep viewers "watching the skies" for decades to come.
The military is also right in assessing just how dangerous a threat this plant creature is.Christian Nyby standing in for Howard Hawks who produced the film and closely supervised, directed this chilling in every sense of the word science fiction classic.
"Watch the skies",one of the many great lines from this movie.1950s science fiction films just do not get any better than this outstanding classic.Everything works in this film to perfection.The story,the acting,the characters,camera work,the sets.The remote atmosphere.Even the overlapping dialog with one person talking at the same time as another almost 20 years before the film MASH made it famous.Perfectly cast with Kenneth Tobey playing the lead and a number of character actors playing the supporting roles.It shows you do not need big names to make a great film.The Thing is a frightening film so don't view it late at night.The film is played so realistically making the film all the more effective.In some reviews people were trying to compare this film to the remake.Well there is NO comparison,this is the one to see.Not only one of the best sci-fi films made but one of the best movies period!.
This same group has fond memories of the "intelligent carrot" film, maybe even thinking it was one of the FINEST sci-fi movies of the era.Scientists, military guys, "You can tie my hands if you want to", "We finally got one!", "Watch the skies!!"So, last year, I was waiting for the 50th Anniversary edition on DVD with many extras; you know, the one with surviving cast members commentaries, trailers, the royal treatment.What we got was a VHS tape, a good quality tape, but...
Christian Nyby's (or should that be Howard Hawks?) "The Thing from Another World" (1951) is probably the best of the nineteen-fifties alien invasion films that went down a storm in America.
The Thing is the best of the 50s sci-fi films..the direction is taut and very coherent..there is an air of tension that sustains throughout while at the same time there is a calm, leisurely, non edgy 1950s old school feel to the production...the dialog is intelligent and focused and purposeful and moves the action along brilliantly..definitely a great 50s scifi experience that never gets tiresome or worn out!The actor playing Scotty the newspaper man absolutely nails the role with his pithy sometimes biting sarcasm dished out with a humanity and humor that is a great counterpart to the alpha male leadership qualities of Kenneth Toby's character Capt.
Kind of like the same way the tension in "Jaws" is build up.Another thing, which I thought was absolutely great about this movie was the dialog.
But as Scott´s movie is nothing but good Sci-Fi/horror, "The Thing from another World" is social criticsm and suspense-packed entertainment in one!
One of the all time great sci-fi movies, Howard Hawkes' "The Thing" is a real nail-biter of a movie.
The thing (no pun intended) that I like most about this film is that it scares you and entertains you without the blood, guts and gore of todays sci-fi/horror epics.
The only other thing I have come across like it is the book Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein, also a classic in the sci-fi genre.Every time I see it, I see more detail and realize how good a film this is, a period piece that compels me when I have the desire, to unplug the phone, pop popcorn and turn off the lights with a date to hold on to and become a child again, knowing that as bad as things get the good guys will always win..
No major effects work is needed here because one of the film's bright spots is only glimpsing the creature (James Arness) in little snippets, and this after we are made to wait for some time before things kick off.
As a dedicated fan of 50's B movies, sci-fi in general and a fan of all things weird, this has to be pretty much my top film of all time.
Don't let yourself be seduced by the colour and gore of Carpenters inferior 'The Thing', this movie doesn't need it to scare the socks off you, and the performances are top notch from a cast you actually care about.A super-strong, intelligent and highly belligerent alien being made of plant matter is hunting and killing the staff trapped in an Artic research station, using their blood to nurture an army!Freaky Theremin sounds?
The result is that the question of whether "The Thing" can be dispatched before it becomes a Real problem actually takes a back seat to the question of whether it SHOULD be dispatched (show me another "monster movie" which does that!) So it is small wonder the conflict here is resolved by average front-line airmen (those most glamorous of servicemen) of the United States armed forces (I would have thought Air Force, except that the script keeps saying "Army") relying on their own resources and their own initiative in spite of contradictory instructions from "the brass" back in the "rear area", an effect intensified by the use of competent, appealing but decidedly B-grade actors (there are no A-list actors, even character actors, in the piece) -- just "regular guys" pulling together with bravery, journeyman expertize, and teamwork to get the job done.
But lest the thing turn into too much of a war movie, here the civilian veteran war correspondent and the obligatory "love interest" roll up their sleeves and jump in, whether it is shoring up doors or reminding everybody that what you do with vegetables is to boil (or stew, or bake) them, all while keeping a pot of hot coffee on 24/7 (the liquid, after aviation gasoline and bunker oil, that won World War II).Howard Hawks (THE BIG SLEEP, TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT, RED RIVER, RIO BRAVO, HIS GIRL Friday, BRINGING UP BABY, and on and on and on) is credited as the producer of this effort, and is said to be an uncredited director as well, and his personal touch is all over the film.
Campbell's story 'Who Goes There?' I didn't come in to it with low expectations or anything like that, but one has to weigh the "It's a Classic" comments with the context of the time: there hadn't been many, if much at all, in the way of alien-invades-and-terrifies flicks; that same year Wise made The Day the Earth Stood Still, which took a different tact on how to look at the Men Coming to Earth scenario.
The Captain Hendry is just out to make sure his crew is safe, his orders go through, and when s*** starts to hit the fan that he has everyone in check and everyone knows what they're doing; on the flip-side the scientist Dr. Carrington is more about, well, the science, trying to study whatever this 'thing' is underneath the ice, that it's something humanity should preserve, regardless of the danger.
And the banter between Henry and the gal, Nikki, helps add maybe not levity but just a sense that these two know each other well, get along, and there's a richness to their relationship that heads off the plot around them.If there is something that hasn't particularly aged well it's in the last act where the scientist gets into that state of mind we've now seen so many times, especially if one's seen just a handful of science fiction films, where Dr. Carrington gets into a frenzy about not killing the Thing.
The most surprising or just suspenseful part comes with the Thing is set on fire; how quickly this escalates, and the realism (yes, realism, no CGI folks) of a guy getting set on fire, is rather extraordinary - it was the one moment of the film where I felt any sort of tension, mostly as I suddenly became anxious as to what would happen to the human characters in the room.But it's easy to make jokes about James Arness and how he is, in fact, a Carrot-Man of an alien (his head is more Frankenstein-monster-shaped, but the connections the scientist character makes to plant-life and vegetation makes this clearer.
The original Black & White version of the famous short science fiction story "Who Goes There?" stars Kenneth Tobey as the commander of an Antarctic research base that discovers an alien being encased in thick ice, that is brought back to the base where it is accidentally thawed out, and goes on a killing spree.
Obviously this is a bunch of nonsense from an ignorant time, but it cements the film as being historically and politically significant, as well as being extremely good fun.Little is seen of the 'Thing' itself (played by western legend James Arness - who passed away last year), which allows the film to build far more tension than the many rubber-suited creature-features that were churned out in the 1950's.
An un-involving romantic sub-plot between Hendry and Carrington's secretary Nikkie Nicholson (Margaret Sheridan) aside, the film breezes by and is very good fun, and if you can see past all the political nonsense, then this is one of the best of the B-movie sci-fi/horrors to come out of the era.www.the-wrath-of-blog.blogspot.com.
Every time I watch this movie, and it must be over 50 times now, I can't help but think that almost every aspect of the film could happen, just that way.I also really love the interplay of the army, the scientists and the media.
Considering all this, one must weigh the ominous backdrop of the Cold War at the time these movies were made---and the very grim shadow of suspicion cast upon anything "alien." Much has been written about the politics of the "adolescent monster movie culture of the 1950's." But real world conditions lent their psychological fears to even science fiction horror.
The fear and threat of Communism beginning in the late 1940's simply cannot be dismissed as an underlying paranoia in even the seemingly disconnected horror films of that time.Kenneth Toby gives perhaps his best screen performance as the chain-smoking, no-nonsense Captain Pat Hendry stationed in a remote military, arctic outpost.
Partially directed by uncredited Howard Hawks, "The Thing from another World" is undoubtedly one of the best early sci-fi classics.
The music adds a great deal to the overall feeling of the movie.I just bought the DVD version of "The Thing" and re-enjoyed it as the quality is much better (of course).This is the ONLY science fiction movie that I actually decided to turn off one night as I was watching it alone.
The Thing offers a great story, taut direction, good acting, and a chilling atmosphere all cooperating with one another to achieve the end product of one heck of a good film.
I have all the older sci fi movies and watch them a great deal but not like "The Thing.".
The first post-WWII major movie made about invaders, or visitors, from outer space that was released some five months before the similar "The Day the Earth Stood Still" that has become a Sci-Fi as well as cult classic over the years and stood the test of time that even now it still more then hold it's own against like-wises film today.
Great atmosphere and a good sense for story telling make "The Thing From Another World" well worth the watch. |
tt0052289 | The Thing That Couldn't Die | We open with a long shot of the McIntyre Ranch in California. Flavia McIntyre (Peggy Converse), and her ranch hands Boyd (James Anderson) and Mike (Charles Horvath) accompany her niece, Jessica (Carolyn Kearney) as she looks for water. Jessica is a water witch and with her divining stick is searching for a new vein of water for the ranch. Three guests arrive on horseback. Gordon (William Reynolds), Linda (Andra Martin) and Hank (Jeffrey Stone) express disbelief and disapproval at Jessica's superstition and childish behavior. Annoyed, Jessica resumes her search for water and finds something. No sooner have Boyd and Mike begun to dig, Jessica changes her mind and admonishes them not to dig as "there's something evil down there." Flavia overrules her niece and orders her ranch hands to continue to dig. Jessica leaves in a huff, but foretells dire consequences. "I hope a tree falls on you." No sooner has she made this pronouncement, when a bough of a nearby tree snaps off and almost kills Linda. They take Linda back to the guest cabins to recover. She wasn't seriously hurt, in her words, "more frightened than hurt." Jessica expresses remorse, but Linda assures her that it wasn't her fault. Jessica is convinced she caused it. Linda asks her about her gift, and Jessica explains she always had the gift to find things: not just water. Gordon, Hank and Linda continue to disbelieve her, so she directs them to where to find Linda's missing watch. She tells them they will find Linda's watch in a trade rat's nest at the base of the old oak tree near Linda's cabin.Gordon, Hank and Linda head for the tree and after a brief search find Linda's watch, which is still working, and something else. They find an old charm that had been buried hundreds of years before, as the tree roots grew around it. They now begin to believe in Jessica's gift. That evening Gordon apologizes to Jessica. Jessica tells him that the voices that direct her searches can sometimes be evil and are hard to resist. Gordon presents the cleaned charm they found to Jessica as a peace offering. Gordon explains the significance of the design and places it around her neck.Gordon goes up to watch Mike and Boyd dig for what they think is a well. They strike something and Mike finds an old chest. He hauls it out of the hole. Flavia is convinced that it contains gold and orders Mike to break it open. Gordon advises against such action. He explains that the chest may be more valuable than the contents, but only if it is not damaged. A preliminary examination shows a date: 1579 and the spelling and lettering is Old English. He can't read much more, and will need to clean it. He tells Flavia that only one Englishman visited that part of California around that date--Sir Francis Drake. Gordon suggests an expert witness be present and tells Flavia he will go over to Berkeley and get the chemicals and Julian Ash, the president of the Historical Society. Flavia is quite perturbed she'll have to wait to see the contents, but agrees. They take the unopened chest back to the main house.It is clear Boyd is in charge and Mike is a little slow witted. Linda invites Jessica to accompany her and Hank to a dance that evening, but Jessica expresses her reluctance. She is hoping Gordon will ask her. As Mike, Boyd and Aunt Flavia approach the house with the chest, Jessica is overcome with a sense of dread. Gordon informs her that he has to leave shortly, but will be back late. Flavia locks the chest in her sewing room and leaves Mike and Boyd to guard it. Jessica tells Aunt Flavia she doesn't want the chest in the house, and won't stay if it does. Linda invites her to stay in her guest cabin. Flavia retires for the night and Jessica goes over to Linda's cabin. Hank and Linda drive off for the dance. As Jessica is trying on some of Linda's clothes, Boyd does a little peeping.Boyd begins to get designs on the chest and its contents and steals the key from Flavia's purse. He talks Mike into tearing open the chest, but instead of gold Mike finds a dirty, withered head (Robin Hughes) that whispers to him. Meanwhile Boyd heads back over to stare at Jessica on the porch. When Boyd returns to check on Mike, he discovers the chest open and Mike behaving very strangely. Boyd pulls a knife on Mike, but is quickly disarmed by the stronger man and is killed. Mike returns to the sewing room to confer with the head, which tells him to hide Boyd's body and take the head outside. All the commotion wakes Flavia and she screams for Jessica to help her. Flavia and Jessica discover the sewing room door open and the chest empty. Jessica notices blood on the floor. Jessica tells Aunt Flavia to contact the police. Mike approaches the house and holds the head up to the window. It reacts to Jessica's charm. Jessica expresses the feeling of something trying to overpower her. Gordon walks in through the open door, accompanied by Julian Ash (Forrest Lewis). Gordon and Julian clean the chest. Gordon suggests that Jessica try to find the wounded ranch hand with her divining stick. They don't realize Boyd is dead and Mike is possessed by the spirit of Gideon Drew.Jessica sets out on her search for the wounded ranch hand. Mike tells Gideon Drew's head about Jessica's gift to find things. Jessica begins to go into a trance and sees the trial of Gideon Drew some 400 years earlier. The judge (Thomas Browne Henry) sentences Drew to death for Satanism. He further decrees that his head and body be buried separately. During the trial the charm or talisman keeps Gideon's power under control. Jessica wakes from her trance and heads back to the house, and finds Boyd's body in the hole dug earlier. The police arrive as Linda and Hank return from the dance. Gordon takes the police to Boyd's body. He suggests that Mike might be the culprit. Gideon's head realizes Mike's usefulness has come to an end and must transfer his influence and control over to Linda. He makes Mike attack the police with Boyd's knife. The police kill Mike. Linda takes the head back to her cabin and places in on a closet shelf. Linda tries to get the charm from Jessica, but is unsuccessful.Gordon, Julian and Flavia meet the next morning. Gordon tells Flavia that the chest only contained a head, and Julian tells Flavia that he believes the casket with the rest of the body is on the ranch property. He wants to find it and will pay Flavia if they can recover it. Linda joins them and suggests they ask Jessica for help. She knows that for Gideon Drew to return to life he needs his body. Jessica joins them. They ask her help, but she refuses. Julian Ash gets the idea that "the gift" is probably inherited and suggests Flavia give it a try. Jessica is angry and goes upstairs to pack. She intends to take the bus to a cousin's house to stay. But before she can leave, Gordon asks her if he can borrow the charm to have a copy made. Gordon removes it, and without her charm Jessica is now vulnerable to Gideon. Linda presents the head in a hat box to Jessica as a going away gift. Jessica is now possessed and her behavior changes radically. Jessica announces she has changed her mind about leaving and will help find the body. Of course, she finds it. They dig up the casket and return it to the house.Jessica retrieves Gideon's head and joins it to the headless body. Gideon Drew is now whole and can move, breathe, and speak. His first order of business is to sate his thirst for blood. He threatens the assembled cast. Gordon tries shooting him with a gun, but it has no effect. Drew can't decide who to kill first. He settles on Gordon, but Gordon has the talisman and repels him with its power. Gordon tosses the charm into the casket Gideon Drew has fallen back into and they close the lid. The spell is broken, and when they open the casket all they find is a skeleton. Gordon retrieves the charm and places it back around Jessica's neck. We close with a close up of the charm on Jessica's ample chest. | paranormal | train | imdb | Yes,the movie is not a piece of art but the first time I watched it I was 10 years old,my parents were out and I stayed home with my two brothers.It was May 1970(I know that because I found a note about the cycle of horror movies that one network had).It's one of the most vivid memories I have with the guys.We ended all in one bed and covered up to the head!
We kept talking about it for years and laughing about the moment.Those were horror movies.Nowadays horror movies are always the same.Or was it better when we were kids enjoying without analyzing the plot and the cast and the dialogs?
This 1950's B-flick falls under the "it's so bad that it's good" movie category.I watched this picture numerous times as a kid on t.v. and hadn't seen it in years when I lucked out and caught it on American Movie Classics a few years back.Time had not changed the cheesiness of the plot, or the terrible acting by most of the lead actors, but who cares?
This movie was made in the 1950's, when cheesy horror and sci-fi movies were all the rage.The plot revolves around a psychic young woman, Jessica, (portrayed by Carolyn Kearney, who wildly over acts in every scene she's in) who discovers an ancient chest buried on her Aunt's ranch.
The chest contains the severed head of Gideon Drew (Robin Hughes), who was put to death several centuries earlier for satanism.
The back & white film also establishes the feeling of cruelty of late 1500's justice..brought to the 20th century in the form of this brooding, evil headless character hell-bent to "get even" with humanity.
The premise is a good one, disembodied living head of centuries old warlock is dug up and exerts mind control over all, while looking for it's body.
Lacking the UFO - alien plot, The Thing the Couldn't Die relies on the supernatural (divination, a buried head looking for it's body, hypnosis, etc) to tell it's story.
On a California farm, folks uncover the served head of an evil colonial man which begins to possess people.A rather inventive story makes this old B film a stand out from the other monster flicks of its day.
Director Will Cowan gives this film some compact direction, making a nicely dark atmosphere for the movie, even creating some occasional eeriness and a few good shocks along the way.
Not a bad watch for those looking for a B flick that's a little different from the average rubber-monster movie.** 1/2 out of ****.
The film has a compelling plot, albeit familiar and simplistic, and the atmosphere and special effects are far more unsettling and spooky that I expected for a camp 50's flick like this.
Jessica is a shy but beautiful young girl with psychic powers who lives on the Californian guest ranch of her aunt.
Jessica feels that the content of the chest is evil, but her aunt and all the guests at the ranch insist on opening it anyway.
The head naturally wants to recover its body, which is buried elsewhere on the premises, in order to continue his evil Satan-worshiping activities.
Furthermore the film contains a couple of admirable footnotes, like for example a link with the famous naval commander Sir Francis Drake, and a reasonably good pacing.
When a group of people farming on their land stumble upon a mysterious crate buried in the ground, the removal of the object causes them to stumble onto the terrifying truth about it's contents when a body-less head starts running around the estate.This was a pretty entertaining effort that has some good things to it that make it feel a lot better than it really should.
The main thing here is the fact that the killer head is the main villain in this one, but rather than have him be the bloodthirsty creature he should be this one has him hypnotize those around him to do his dirty work so he can get his body back, and the film's decision to feature the hypnotized interacting with the unaffected others makes for some creepy scenes they attempt to manipulate them even further unwittingly towards the goal, and it's quite tense and creepy during these scenes.
Also quite creepy are the scenes out in the cemetery where they unearth the crate in the darkness which feel quite like typical Gothic set-pieces that drive the creepiness up some, as well as the finale which generate some rather intense action scenes with the reanimated body running around make for some great thrills.
It does take a while to start up here as the head doesn't get loose until quite late in the film for a quickie of this type, and some of the effects themselves look quite cheap, but the main problem is a rather disjointed storyline that never really makes a lot of sense overall as it careens between several different plot points that are interconnected through quite thin margins, making this somewhat flawed but overall enjoyable.Today's Rating-PG: Violence..
I saw this when I was watching an MST3K marathon, and even though it's prolly one of the better MST3K's their riffing couldn't disguise the fact that the film did have a great air or menace.
Its lines like this that make Dr. Evil's (Austin Powers) comments about evil petting zoos hilarious.This is one of those movies that will keep you laughing at all the classic horror cliches and poor special effects..
Better than the original 'Night Of The Living Dead'.It's a real shame they don't make films like this on anymore.
I can't say a lot without giving away the premise or the goodies in this film, but if you like classic 'b' horror, then this one is for you..
The Thing That Couldn't Die is a classic mind control movie.
The Thing (a severed head) uses its powers to control several people throughout the film, including two luscious ladies.
Jessica Burns (lovely Carolyn Kearney) is a young woman with strong psychic ability, living with others on her Aunt Flavias' (Peggy Converse) farm.
Alas, what is in the chest is not treasure, but the still living decapitated head of Gideon Drew (Robin Hughes), a 16th Century Satan worshipper.
Drew is able to malevolently control some of the characters, while enlisting them to search for the rest of his body, buried somewhere else on the property.You can really tell that this drive-in movie was done on the cheap, but that in itself is NOT a strike against it.
The sight of Drews' head in the hand of gargantuan, simpleton farmhand Mike (Charles Horvath) is amusing, and the climactic confrontation (which is resolved awfully quickly) is a hoot, as Drew surveys with contempt his determined human opponents.The acting is not great, but it's appropriate for this sort of thing.
William Reynolds, Andra Martin, Jeffrey Stone, Ms. Converse, James Anderson, Mr. Horvath, and Forrest Lewis are all okay, but it's easily Hughes who gives the best performance as the "thing" within this movie.It does kill roughly 70 minutes in painless enough fashion.Six out of 10..
Yes this movie features a gal named Jessica who says everything is evil and she causes trees to land on people too (well she only causes a tree to fall once, but she does say everything is evil).
This movie is about a farm that apparently rents out rooms to people, but offers little else in the way of entertainment.
Jessica can find things with a stick and she finds the head of an evil guy.
The head proceeds to hypnotize everyone it can so it can get to Jessica and use her powers to find stuff to help look for his body.
Not quite as awful as the 2.8 rating suggests but it's still not a good movie let alone a great one.
There are moments certainly, there's a spooky music score, Andra Martin is an appealing enough female lead, Robin Hughes is appropriately menacing and the head effects are okay.
The heads next target is Jessica a young innocent with special powers.
What would that head do?" Well, you create a little history, have people act in goofy ways, make the thing indestructible, and go from there.
The film concerns Satan worship and what Sir Francis Drake did about it on his round the world voyage which some have said made him the first European to see the coast of California.Where today Andra Martin resides on Aunt Peggy Converse's ranch with plans to marry boyfriend William Reynolds.
She's a girl with psychic gifts and feels something evil on the ranch.The evil is a head and body buried in separate places some 300 years earlier by Sir Francis Drake who discovered one of his crew Robin Hughes in league with the Devil and worshiping him on the ship.
He has Hughes executed by decapitation and as they do in these movies say if head and body are joined Hughes will rise again and lead the forces of darkness.Well the skull is found and the head of Hughes is intact and forcing several people on the ranch to his will once they see him.
Two deaths occur before Good does triumph over Evil.This is a decent horror film although the Seventies spawned a slew devil worship films and compared to those bloody things this one is mild.
His character was a rich one and I'll bet that since this film only runs 69 minutes a lot of him was left on the cutting room floor.Fans of the spooky horror genre will like The Thing That Couldn't Die..
There are a handful of odd people -- a money-grubbing spinster, a lunkhead ranch hand, a greedy ranch hand in a Little Joe Cartright hat and jacket, an artist who likes his wine and women, an elderly president of the California Historical Society, an earnest young (male) archeologist, a severed head, and two women (one blond, one brunette) who spend some time sharing a bed.
A lovely female psychic is being used by her aunt to divine water on her ranch, but she instead opens a box of trouble.
I remember watching, "The Thing That Couldn't Die" when I was about nine years of age and it did send shivers up my spine!
"The Thing That Couldn't Die" was, to me, one of the all- time great horror classics of all time!
I remember Robin Hughes role as the Devil worshiper Gideon Drew who stopped at nothing to find a way to rejoin his head with his body so that he could wreck havok on the local townfolk.
However, the treasure chest holds the severed head of a centuries dead satanist named Gideon Drew, whose powers are far stronger than Jessica's.
Will Jessica's powerful fleur de lis, combined with Gordon's love, ward the ancient evil off before it can destroy them all?This isn't a very interesting movie.
The Thing That COuldn't Die (1958)* 1/2 (out of 4) Laughably bad horror film from Universal about a group of people who find a mysterious case buried underneath an old tree.
THE THING THAT COULDN'T DIE has the reputation of being one of the studio's worst films and I'm not going to defend it too much, although I still think there are worse out there.
With that said, there's no doubt that this film is pretty awful at times but thankfully it gets bad enough to where you can actually just sit back and laugh at it.
Even worse is some of the dialogue she's given to say and just check out the scene where she has a breakdown about "evil" things and then starts screaming how she wants people to die before making a tree fall on a woman.
THE THING THAT COULDN'T DIE is a bad film.
But Jessica can find much more than fresh spring water with that divining rod buried "tray-shure," lost jewelry, dead bodies, even a talisman that will keep her from dressing like a slut and raising drinks with a phony beat and a Suzanne Pleshette look-alike while hypnotized by a disembodied head.
Seems some guy from the 1600's lost his head and is now trying to get his headless body back by using unsuspecting members of the farm who fall under his mumbling powers.
The silly storya very old head searching for its bodyis the only thing that may turn people off.The scene is an isolated guest ranch in California, where various beautiful people are spending a relaxing holiday, accompanied by the ranch's matronly owner, her slimy ranch foreman, and a dim-witted hired hand.
Naturally, the dopey hired hand opens the box, and there's a 400-year-old disembodied head of an evil sorcerer (Robin Hughes) inside.
After 400 years in a box, The Head only gets reunited with its body for about 60 seconds.
The acting is really quite good, particularly by the dumb hired hand (Charles Horvath) and The Head himself (Robin Hughes).
One film in particular is "The Thing That Couldn't Die." Jessica has a psychic skill that allows her to find things.
One thing that she finds is a box that contains the head of Gideon Drew.
As many moviegoers can figure out, the head is STILL alive, and wants Jessica to find his body.
Seems that Drew was a devil worshiper and was beheaded, his body buried separately from his head.The film has some interesting points, but it was strictly made for drive-in audiences: enough to keep the little ones quiet, and enough to push the teens into the back seat.
The Thing That Couldn't Die (1958) *Spoiler/plot- Devil worshiper head in box killed by Sir Francis Drake in northern California.
Looks for his body in present day time.*Special Stars- William Reynolds, Andra Martin, Jeffrey Stone, Carolyn Kearney, Peggy Converse, Robin Hughes, James Anderson, Charles HOrvath, Forest Lewis.*Theme- Evil can effect matters after death.*Trivia/location/goofs- Opening film credits re-used the music from the famous sci-fi film, 'This island Earth'.
This is the living head of a 16th century devil worshiper named Gideon Drew(Robin Hughes).
All if these people could have died, and I would have been cheering by the end of the movie, instead of shaking my head in disgust.
The 'tray-sure chest' turns out to contain a severed head ,which takes over Mike and forces him to run around carrying by the hair.
It wants the psychic girl to find its body, which had been buried in another chest somewhere on the property.
Finally, the head gets his wish, and takes over the psychic chick so that she can lead the rest of the idiots on the ranch to the other casket.
SO the movie trails off, and the evil guy doesn't murder ANY of the annoying characters, even though they're all in the room with him!
Boyd, the sleazy ranch hand is supposed to be unlikable and he does a good job, as does the big, Lenny like guy as a well meaning , but simple character.
The drunken artist is understandably P.O.'d at the way his model/fiancée Linda is acting.The characters and performances that really stand out for me are Andra Martin as Linda, doing a very good job as the nice model, who turns into a really sensuously sinister character, under the influence of sorceror Gideon Drew.
Considering he spends most of the movie as a disembodied head, Robin Hughes is very good as the undead magician.Once he's back in one piece, he delivers some effectively menacing lines quite well.The aforementioned are probably the best performances, but the third memorable one stands out as being one of the most presumably unintentionally dislikable characters in a movie.
Other posters have referred to her "dental drill voice" and that they hoped the bad guy would get her before the picture was over, or a tree would fall on her, and I concur.Ever since one poster referred to " the closet gay leading man", I've been forced to look at the movie differently.
As an adult, I couldn't stop laughing.I have not had the pleasure of watching this movie via MST3K.
I was wrong.The movie has some very good elements; a water-divining mystic, a beatnik painter, couple of idiot ranch hands, an elderly history buff, and an "evil wind." Um...I mean...evil head.
An evil head which will, as soon as the systematic hypnotism of each and every one present is complete, be looking for its evil body.The whole story takes place on an evil "ranch" which apparently neither grows crops, nor raises evil livestock.As everything is declared by their resident mystic to be "evil," you either roll your eyes horribly, or laugh til your sides split, depending on your mood.
If you're looking for a good story line, this movie has that.
Instead of the treasure her aunt is hoping for, the chest contains the head of Gideon Drew, a devil worshiper who was beheaded by Sir Francis Drake.
Telepathically controlling the hired-hand who opened the chest, Drew's head goes on a murderous spree in search of the rest of his body also buried on Jessica's aunt's farm.
While The Thing That Couldn't Die isn't what I would call a "good" movie, it does have a few things going for it.
Also, The Thing That Couldn't Die may have been a bit too ambitious for its own good.
Put this in the hands of a writer like Theodore Sturgeon or (if you prefer British perspective) Robert Bloch, or the guy who wrote "Day Of The Triffids", and you might have had a nasty, unsettling little spook story that was the best thing in an book anthology of horror and suspense stories.However, someone chose to tell this story as a feature length movie, and a cheap, 2nd rate at that, and so most of the potential is wasted.
They did do a good job with the head of the bad guy when he is unearthed, at least for back then when the special effects were suspect most of the time. |
tt0810988 | The Nines | "Part One - The Prisoner" tells of a troubled actor, Gary, who is wearing the green lace on his wrist. Gary is under house arrest living in another person's house because he burned down his own, the owner of the house is described as a TV writer away on work. While living in the house he is befriended by both a P.R. 'handler', Margaret, and the single mom next door, Sarah, who may or may not be interested in him romantically. Over the course of his house arrest, Gary becomes convinced that he is being haunted by the number nine, including finding a note saying "Look for the nines" in his handwriting. He also sees different versions of himself around the house, which freak him out causing him to break out of his house arrest barrier, which in turn causes a blip in reality."Part Two - Reality Television" tells of a television writer, Gavin, trying to get his pilot made. He leaves his house to go away and work on his TV show, "Knowing", about a mother and daughter who are lost, which stars his friend Melissa as the lead actress. In a conversation about reviews and critics Melissa tells Gavin to look for the nines which he then writes on a piece of paper, the same piece which Gary found in Part One, he also tells Melissa he thinks he is haunted by himself. During the process of post production, a television executive, Susan, pushes for Gavin to ditch his friend Melissa as the unconventional lead actress of his project, in favor of a more attractive, well-known accress. This causes an argument between him and Melissa, which leads to his telling the reality TV cameraman to leave him alone. A pedestrian then asks him who he is talking to, and it is shown that the reality television cameraman does not exist, and also that he has the number nine floating above his head.A flashback from Part One shows Gary's P.R. handler, Margaret, telling him he is a God-like being and that God is a 10, humans are a 7 and that he is a 9, therefore he can destroy the world with a single thought, and that he exists in many different forms and that none of them are real. Gary does not believe this and flips out, which is revealed to be the real reason for his breaking his house arrest barrier in Part One."Part Three - Knowing" tells of an acclaimed video game designer, Gabriel, whose car breaks down in the middle of nowhere. Gabriel leaves his wife, Mary, and young daughter, Noelle, to try to get a better signal on his phone. He meets a woman, Sierra, who leads him off into the woods to her car, so she can give him a lift to the gas station. Suddenly Gabriel feels weak and Sierra tell him she has poisoned him with the water she gave him. Meanwhile back at the car Noelle watches a video on a digital camera showing Gavin talking to Melissa from Part Two and Margaret talking to Gary in Part One. She is confused and shows her mom, who appears confused as well. Sierra then tells Gabriel about the three parallel universes he has created, and has been living in, and that he forgot who he was, and that he forgot it wasn't real. Sierra tells Gabriel to go back with her. Back at the car Noelle has gone missing. Gabriel then returns to the car with Noelle in his arms and the family goes home. Mary, who realises that he is not who he seems, tells Gabriel he needs to go and that the world is not real. Gabriel tells her that there were ninety different variations of the universe and this is the last one. Gabriel then realises he must go and removes the green lace from his wrist, at which point the universe peels away into nothing. The film ends with the woman from all three parts married to Ben, whom she is married to in Part Two, and Noelle as their daughter. Noelle tells her mother that "he's not coming back" and that "all the pieces have been put together" and that "this is the best of all possible words", Melissa then looks up and says "thank you", smiles and the credits roll. | paranormal, thought-provoking, psychedelic, alternate reality, stupid | train | imdb | null |
tt0255798 | The Animal | Marvin Mange (Rob Schneider) is an awkward, clumsy nice-guy who dreams of being a police officer like his dad was. He continuously attempts to pass the physical test to become a full-fledged police officer, but despite his repeated attempts, he is unable finish the obstacle course. Marvin gets constantly mistreated by heartless and sleazy Sgt. Sisk (John C. McGinley). He works in the police station as an evidence clerk.
One day, while alone at the station, he receives a robbery call. With no other officers responding to the call, he attempts to take it himself, but ends up driving off the road, tumbling down a mountain and seriously injuring himself. When the car finally comes to a stop, he passes out.
Days later, Marvin returns to his normal life with no memory of what had happened. Suddenly, he's full of life. He can outrun horses, mean dogs are now scared of him, and he does not need his asthma medicine. He thinks it is due to his late-night TV purchase of "Badger Milk", which is guaranteed in the ads to make him stronger.
One day at the park, Marvin meets Rianna (Colleen Haskell) while she's out walking dogs. His animal-like tendencies are slowly taking him over. When a frisbee is thrown in his direction, he cannot control himself, and he jumps to catch it in his mouth.
He goes to the airport to talk to his friend, Miles the security guard (Guy Torry) about his problem. While there, Marvin sniffs out a man trying to hide heroin in his rectum. For uncovering a drug smuggler, Marvin is declared a hero and is made a full-fledged police officer.
As days go by, Marvin's animal instincts are becoming stronger. He often wakes up in strange places, and subsequently, hears about animal attacks that occurred in the middle of the night. Because of these attacks, Dr. Wilder believes that Marvin is out of control. The mad scientist confronts him, takes him to his laboratory, and explains about the grafts and transplants that saved and changed Marvin's life, and gave him remarkable animal powers with certain problem side effects.
Later at a party thrown by the Mayor (Scott Wilson) Marvin chases after a cat and destroys everything around him and is fired on the spot. During his reprimand, he hears something, jumps into the nearby lake and rescues the mayor's son using powers derived from a sea lion and a dolphin. He is swiftly reinstated.
Chief Wilson (Ed Asner) questions Marvin about the late-night attacks on farm animals, because one of witnesses made a police sketch—and it looks like Marvin.
Rianna goes to Marvin's house, where he has barricaded himself inside. They spend the night together, but Marvin wants to be tied up so he cannot hurt anyone anymore. In the morning, he finds himself untied, courtesy of Rianna. Suddenly, the police show up outside. Another attack had happened that night, and the police have come for Marvin. Rianna convinces him to run.
Marvin escapes to the woods, where a huge chase ensues. The police have organized an angry mob into a search party to catch Marvin. While running through the woods, Marvin finds Dr. Wilder. The scientist tells him that there was another "patient" of his that is out of control, and he is in the woods looking for it.
Sergeant Sisk confronts Marvin, and is about to shoot him. Suddenly, the other "animal" jumps from a tree and attacks sisk. The beast is Rianna. Now, the crowd finds them both together but Miles is there, and takes the blame for everything. He has been claiming that there is reverse discrimination with him since he's black, and that no one wants to hold him accountable for anything. Sure enough, once the mob thinks a black man was responsible, they don't care anymore, and leave.
Marvin and Rianna get married, and have a litter of children that each look like Marvin. While watching television, they see Dr. Wilder win the Nobel Prize. He says he owes it all to his fiancée, who is the same woman from the Badger Milk commercial. When she turns around to kiss him, there are large scars shown on her back, implying that Wilder performed the experiment on her as well. | humor, stupid | train | wikipedia | I enjoyed Deuce Bigalow, and all (except for Big Daddy) of Adam Sandler's movies.
So I basically was expecting some (Ok, a lot) of low-brow humor, a decent plot to keep rolling through, and to laugh throughout the movie.
Rob Schneider, as "Marvin," lays his goofy Deuce Bigelow-type character on us, trying to get the pretty girl "Rianna" (Colleen Haskell).
I really thought this would be a stupid film but Schneider's animal imitations are hilarious and, overall, this a very fast-moving, silly-but-lots of laughs film..
I love Duece Bigalow and I liked this one even more....I took my Mom and she is now a big Rob Schneider fan.
Life is going great for Marvin until his the animals in his body start taking over his body and makes him do the strangest things like falling in love with animals and eating from bins.
The Animal is produced by the brilliant Adam Sandler, who also has a really funny cameo as a Townie in this movie, which stars Rob Schneider, who also wrote the screenplay here.
I liked this movie, even though I feel the trailer made it seem more funny than it actually is.
Still, its enjoyable, and has the type of unbelievable humor that I like, that goofy off-the-wall ingredient that really good comedies have.
Not only is Colleen Haskell a pretty good actress, but Rob Schneider was even funnier than in Deuce!!!
The Animal (2001)5 word summary Loser cop gets animal powerNow I don't wanna sit here and lie and say this is a good movie, because its not, and it deserves the low ratings that it has.
If you like Rob Schneider films such as Deuce Bigalow, The Hot Chick, Benchwarmers, then most likely you will enjoy this film, if you hated those films you will definitely hate this one because it is probably the worst out of those four.
So again it does have some good, cheap jokes and is humorous at times as long as you can look past the bad acting.
The question of police brutality in our society is dealt with on a Ciceronian level as older policemen are cast as blood mongrels and middle aged police officers are cast as muscle headed steroid-freaks -- a casting delight surprise from Office Space is in store for educated viewers.A dramatic tale from start to end, even the farm animals are in the winner's circle when the time come to roll the credits.
Much like his previous movie "Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigalow," "The Animal" has little artistic merit.
Of course, there many other jokes that aer too silly (and sometimes very disgusting), but overall, this movie is a good and highly entertaining one.
Being a big fan of Rob Schneider had me wanting to go to this movie from the time I first heard about it.
Colleen Haskell plays his love interest in the movie, and she comes off as the sweet, innocent she is supposed to be.
Nothing more, nothing less.Rob Schneider is in fact a really cool funny guy, he proved that with Deuce Bigalow, SNL and Men Behaving Badly.Some girls might not like his humor, but that's up to them.If you're cool, you love this movie, just like other Sandler/Schneider stuff..
And now every single star of SNL just has to have thier own movie.Aside from the not-so-good DEUCE BIGALOW: MALE GIGOLO, this is Schneider's big moment.
Director Luke Greenfield was also pretty unexperienced, as some of his only other film credits are attributed to a 'Swimsuit' video made for Sports Illustrated, I think.Edward Asner (the guy from HARD RAIN) was hardly in the movie at all.
Just like Deuce Bigalow before it, The Animal is a well-made, well-acted, and very funny film.
Best part is it doesn't feel like someone took the teeth out of it just to make it a PG-13, unlike two other movies recently released by two of Schneider's former SNL castmates..
I watched this movie over TV a few days ago and it did make me evoke a few laughs.Marvin is a human fitted by animal parts by a scientists.
"I'VE eaten out of the garbage, too..." (Not THE greatest line, I'll admit, but Ed Asner gets points for delivering it in an inspired way.) And there's the guy who asks a series of questions that reveal the shy delight and eagerness he feels to be part of a mob.I didn't know, before reading other people's comments, that Colleen Haskell was a star of one of those schlocky reality TV shows and that this was her first acting role; people who DID know this, it seemed, noticed all manner of deficiencies in her performance that simply weren't there.
This movie is not quite that good, but it starts to showcase Rob Schneider as truly one of America's best hopes for comedy superstardom (like Jim Carrey and Eddie Murphy before him).
See it many times and I'm sure you will agree, Rob is the next big thing in Hollywood comedic film.
The gags are spread throughout the movie, so you'll be laughing the whole time you're watching.
This is a great movie that deserves to be seen by anyone who loves comedies.
After receiving organ transplants from various animal donors, a man finds himself taking on the traits of those animals.To start, I am a pretty big fan of Rob Schneider and his competitor Adam Sandler.
In the Animal, frankly I wasn't expecting the best movie ever.
I expected a film with great laughs and a nice movie to chill back to and enjoy the little things.
Marvin Mange (SNL's alumnus, the very talented comedian/actor Rob Schneider) has an automobile accident which, under normal circumstances, would have surely killed him.
I didn't expect too much from the Rianna character (the fledgling actress coming straight out of the real-life television series "Survivor"), and I was nevertheless enchanted by her sincere/competent acting contributions.There are the occasional (and repetitive) nods to the television series "The Six Million Dollar Man" and the horror film "An American Werewolf in London" (among other classics), and the script is never too broadly (or desperately) 'painted' to escape proper and hilarious audience identification.
Adam Sandler and Norman MacDonald play mob townies, the proper 'village idiot' cameos one expects to see in truly funny SNL comedy movies such as this.
Predictable with some funny scenes and basically a good kids' movie..
The movie is about Marvin, a lonely nerd who is not great at his job at the Police Station who, after a car crash gets animal parts making him very skilled.
Overall this movie is funny and is a must watch for Rob Schneider fans and I personally think that if they need to make sequels they need to make a sequel of this movie.
I'm probably not the first person to say that I don't like Rob Schneider, the star from dreadful films such as "Duce Bigalow" and "The Hot Chick".
But "The Animal" is actually a pretty funny but also very dumb movie.Schnider's character get's badly hurt in an accident so a nice doctor puts organs from animals in him, in order to make him survive.
Schneider get's a lot of odd supernatural talents from the organs and starts to act very strange, but his way of helping people also makes him very popular.This movie is filled with the usual slapstick jokes but for some reason it does actually work.
The first half hour alone has more genuine, hearty laughs than most "average" comedies put together; in the second half the hilarity slows down a bit, but the movie still comes up with a bang of an unpredictable ending.
This may a stupid movie, but I laughed A LOT while watching it (it's not right to lie about such things).
It leaves you with a taste of the old classic Rob Schiender and Adam Sandler gross out comedies that rocked your world B, 7/10, **1/2 out of ****.
When I saw previews for "The Animal" I expected another slapstick, crude humorish SNL like movie.
Whenever I see Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider or David Spade in a movie preview I always know it's going to be like what I said above.
Now movies like Joe Dirt and Happy Gilmore I give 2 and a half stars usually, because the plot suffers as well as the comedy.
Rob Schneider was really hilarious and made himself really act like an animal.
We got exactly what we expected, and had a good time at it.There were quite a few parts which were just very funny, some gross, some that left me scratching my head.
The movie really sounds good for it's plot, scripts, characters and, even for it's soundtrack which have fit to create a better chemistry in making a wacky and funniest picture of the year.
Combine with the talent of soft speaking, amateur but promising Coleen Haskell of the Survivor fame ( well it was her film debut ), the movie astoundingly absorbs all the merits that a comedy picture could ever had.
The movie has Rob Schneider cast as Marvin, a not-so-lucky-guy who was deprived of all wits and agility to pursue his ambition of becoming a law enforcer.
Also in the cast are John C.McGinley, Cloris Leachman and cameos for funny men Norm Macdonald and Adam Sandler.This movie manages not to demean or gross out anyone.
Rob Schneider has become one of the best comics in hollywood and The Animal was as funny as a movie can be.
The Animal stars Rob Schneider who in the movie gets the antics going as he becomes an animal filled with many different animal organs (I counted dolphin, elephant, beaver, horse, dog, goat, cat, cheetah and possibly a bear somewhere among many).
I have been a big Rob Schneider fan ever since his SNL days, so that was one reason I went to see this movie.
When l watched this comedy for first time in 2003 on cable TV l'd rated 7/10 now revisiting movies l pick up Animal and after 14 years l'd change and didn't think the movie like before....Animal is a creative premise to a good comedy basically because this an original story but all others situations and the overkill of Schneider's action really spoiled the movie Apart Edward Asner the cast didn't help to much some cameo appearances is very funny like Norm MacDonald (which l like his work) as man with torch,so this movie is not bad and not so good,but different it really is!!!.
My favorite line comes at the end, spoken by Norm McDonald, "I'm not going to be part of mob who kills a black guy."Another great movie from Happy Madison..
Rob Schneider is outstanding, as is the rest of the cast, acting out some of the most ridiculous situations I've ever seen in movies.
There are lots of good laugh scenes, and the plot keeps moving at a fast enough pace.There were some cute quirks in the story line itself that made the movie and characters even more enjoyable, despite the rest of the plot being fairly predictable.Michael Caton, who played the mad animal doctor, was absolutely hilarious.
Rob Schneider does a really good portrayal of Marvin, the goofy wannabe police officer whose life is saved by getting rebuilt with animal parts after a big accident.
So just leave your brain at the door and come in and just enjoy this funny, stupid movie.Rob Schneider is, as always funny.
Though, once the movie really starts, strap yourself down, and get ready for some tummy exercises, as you'll be laughing none stop.On DVD, you can see the deleted scenes, and yes i agree that what they deleted was probably too much, and not that hilarious..The movie has the typical, love interest, bad guy, and interesting plot towards the end.There is also the Adam Sandler part which is interesting, as there is a role reversal to a previous film.Keep on laughing.Great movie from my personal experience, and from two other friends...so funny we've watched its three times already.
Rob Schneider is great in this movie.
So watch it for the monkey style Rob Schneider but it is definitely not one of the best comedies ever or one of the best movies that Schneider appears in.
nothing like the best comedy you'll see this year but it has some funny moments and you should enjoy without it taxing your brain.
The low point in the movie and turned my smile into a frown was when the 'i'm such a cool funny guy' norm macdonald popped up, his 45 seconds were far too much, just 5 seconds more and it would have knocked 3 stars off my rating.
I sat down prepared to watch another lamebrain, screwball comedy starring Rob Schneider, from the Adam Sandler production company that makes movies for old "SNL" pals who were on the show at the same time he was.
The movie was just what I expected from Sandler and Schneider.
for a while now with his work on SNL and appearances in adam sandler movies and i especially loved his work in Deuce Bigalow, so i thought this would be a maybe good as Deuce or even better.Well i was part-right.The Animal had its moments, a couple good laughs here and there, i especially loved Norm Macdonald's small cameo role and adam sandlers little cameo as the "u can do it" man.
All in all i would go with Deuce Bigalow over the animal but its up to u, if u want a low-brow, SNL type comedy i would go for it.5 out of 10 stars.
Rob schneider is a good actor but he should not do movies like this.
That's two strikes Schneider, DEUCE BIGALOW and now ANIMAL, two lame, unfunny, unoriginal, poorly made 'comedies'.
Take it from a Rob Schneider fan, this is movie stinks like a skunk.
I have been a big Rob Schneider fan up until this movie.It was totally juvenile.
My wife who likes him too said "What was he thinking, who would want to see his next movie?".Colleen Haskell of Survivor fans should be stranded on a deserted island.
But if you are over let's say 20 don't waste your time.Come on Rob, please make a good movie.
You can be very funny but this movie stinks and I am mad at you for taking my $8 and wasting an hour and a half of my time.
This movie would have been perfect for Rob Schneider...it's just his type of comedy, but it just sort of runs flat.
Yes. Just what I expected from a movie titled "The Animal" starring Rob Schneider.
The Animal is really just nothing special at all, Rob Schneider normally isn't known for the best work in all Hollywood, his most notable would have to be Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo and his cameo work with in Happy Madison movies.
Don't get me wrong because this movie does have it's moments that are funny and it will deliver some decent, yet small laughs.
By the end I felt like I was watching the same 15 minutes of movie over and over again.
The first time that I saw Rob Schneider try to carry a movie, it was in Deuce Bigalow.
I'll give Schneider some props for Deuce but the movie really wouldn't have been as funny as it is w/o the hilarious characters that steal the show from Deuce.
But in The Animal, the biggest problem with the movie was that there was no Eddie Griffin (just like Next Friday needed Chris Tucker).In The Animal, Schneider does have another black sidekick but he's just not as funny as E.G. That Survivor chick is alright, she's pretty cute, but she's still not much of an actress.
The movie relies way too much on Schneider for its laughs and helps him out by making him into The Animal so Schneider can get some by acting like a horny goat or a hungry seal.
This must have been Rob Schneider's line of thinking when he made semi-successful Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo and followed it with The Animal.
This movie is slightly more likable than other Schneider-starring flicks (such as another lame same-plot follow-up The Hot Chick), but it almost feels like they want audiences to hate it by casting a reality TV star as the romantic lead (Colleen Haskell from "Survivor") and inserting a cameo by Norm MacDonald.
However, I can easily say that he is the best person to play the loser.(See his part in Ally Mcbeal, quite funny actually).There are some good parts in the movie such as his flirting with the goat.
Rob Schneider is definitely one enormously talented individual and while his acting was fine in this, it just seemed like a real waste for him to star in.
I saw an interview with Rob Schneider (who plays the lead character, Marvin Mange, in this film.) He said in it that he wanted to emphasize physical comedy here so much that even if you had the volume turned off you'd be laughing at this movie.
There's a brief cameo at the end by Adam Sandler (who also served as Executive Producer of this.)Anyway, I chuckled twice: Mange playing with his squeaky toys in the police car, and the scene Schneider has with Haskell and the orangutan - the orangutan has more acting talent!
Rob Schneider acting like an animal isn't something I would pay to see.
It looked funny, but the bottom line: DON'T WASTE YOU'RE PRECIOUS TIME ON SUCH A RIDICULOUS AND STUPID MOVIE.I was wondering when it was going to end, even though it is a short movie.
There are two funny parts in the whole movie.
You are highly advised to watch this movie if you want to commit suicide but lack in your intent.The acting of Rob Schneider is perfect but the storyline has so much wrong in it that he can't make it up for that with even his best efforts. |
tt0102057 | Hook | It is the present day, and the boy who was once known as Peter Pan, has become Peter Banning (Robin Williams), a businessman who is more concerned with his work than with his family, including his wife Moira (Caroline Goodall), and his two children, Jack (Charlie Korsmo) and Maggie (Amber Scott). Peter is hardly able to hold his attention during Maggie's recital of 'Peter Pan' (of which she is cast in the role of Wendy), and misses Jack's baseball game, leading to Jack growing irritated at how his Dad never seems to keep his promises.The family then take a flight to London (much to Peter's dismay, as he hates flying), to visit Granny Wendy (Maggie Smith), who is being honored for her charitable work. While Peter and Moira accompany Wendy to the party, Maggie and Jack are abducted. Liza (Laurel Cronin) the housekeeper saw noone, but Tootles (Arthur Malet) who is a former Lost Boy, tells Peter that it was Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman).The police are called, but even they are unsure of the whole thing, as the ransom note could be someone pretending to be Hook, seeing the history of the house, and of Wendy. Afterwards, Wendy takes Peter aside, and explains that he must remember who he is, in order to save his children. Peter is still confused, thinking Wendy is maybe in shock over what has happened.Later that evening, sitting in the house's nursery, Peter is surprised when a star appears to fall through the nursery window. It turns out it's Tinkerbell (Julia Roberts), who has come to help Peter. However, since Peter won't go willingly, Tink kidnaps him and takes him to Neverland.Peter wakes up in Pirate Town, where he is quickly disguised. All around him, pirates are gathering at the Jolly Roger, as Mr Smee (Bob Hoskins) presents the illustrious Captain Hook with a newly-sharpened hook. Hook then revels in the pirates cheering, telling of how he killed the crocodile that had once sought to devour him, and turned it into a clock, and now, cheers at the triumph in capturing Peter Pan's children in hopes to lead him back to Neverland and to his doom.When Peter steps forward (still claiming to be 'Peter Banning'), Hook is saddened to see that his once 'great and worthy opponent' has become a middle-aged man. Still wanting to test him, Hook demands that Peter fly up the ship and touch the fingers of his children, promising they'll go home if he can do so. However, Peter reveals his fear of flying, and Smee deduces that being away from Neverland for so long, has caused Peter to forget.Hook decrees that Peter walk the plank and wanders away, angered at being denied the war against a worthy opponent. Just then, Tinkerbell appears, and promises Hook that given three days, she'll get Peter into shape.Peter and Tink then return to the Lost Boy's hideout, now under the leadership of a boy named Rufio (Dante Basco), who also has possession of Peter's sword from the olden days. At first no-one believes, until a little boy named Pockets (Isaiah Robinson) speaks out. Much to the displeasure of Rufio, the Lost Boys unite to help Peter get his children back.Back on the Jolly Roger, Hook is still upset over his lot in life, until Smee hits on a master plan to make life even more miserable for Peter: get his children to love Hook. Hook finds this idea ludicrous, but soon warms up to it, claiming it as 'his idea.'Back with the Lost Boys, Peter is put through his paces with various exercises, and even tries to fly but with no success. The Lost Boys prepare a 'Never-Feast,' which is a meal of make-believe food. Peter finds the whole thing ridiculous, and Rufio makes fun of him, which leads to a game of name-calling, that Peter soon ends up winning. Peter then pretends to scoop up some food and fling it at Rufio. However, this gesture soon causes Peter's imagination to take flight, and the make-believe food now becomes real!Meanwhile, Hook attempts to turn Maggie and Jack to his side, claiming that parents hate their children. Maggie refuses to believe this, and is dragged away, while she yells for Jack to not forget their Mom and Dad, and to find a way to run home. While Maggie is not easily swayed, Jack's ire towards his Dad allows Hook to turn him easily. Finding a watch on Jack that Peter had given him, Hook and Smee lead Jack to a shop full of smashed up clocks, letting Jack work out his aggressions about his Dad by smashing the clocks and Peter's watch.Sometime afterward, a ballgame is held with Hook in attendance. Peter and the Lost Boys have also snuck over to the game, with some of the boys feeling that if Peter steals Hook's 'hook,' it'll provide him with the happy thought to fly with. However, Peter sees Jack make a home run, and Hook embrace 'his' son, yelling, 'my Jack!' The vision of Hook cheering on and holding his son causes Peter to run back to the Lost Boys hideout, where he attempts in vain to try and fly. Looking around, Peter soon finds Hangman's tree, and the secret entrance inside. As he looks around, Tinkerbell appears, explaining that Hook had found the tree and burned it when he didn't come back. Peter's memory begins to come back, and he remembers his past.Peter remembers his mother, who when he was a baby, talked about grand plans for him. However, as a baby, Peter was afraid of dying, because everyone who grows up has to die someday. A gust of wind blew Peter away in his perambulator one day, and it was then that Tinkerbell found him, taking him to Neverland, where he learned how to fly.Even so, Peter missed his mother, and returned to London, only to find that he'd been 'replaced' by another baby that his parents had. Peter then wandered in and out of open windows, where he eventually lost his shadow in the Darling's nursery, leading to him finding Wendy. Peter would continue to visit Wendy after their first adventure, but as she aged, Peter grew sad, as soon she was too old to accompany him. On his last 'visit' to the nursery, Wendy showed him her granddaughter Moira, asleep in a nearby bed. Upon seeing her, Peter proclaimed he would give her a kiss...but not like the thimble Wendy had once given him, but a real kiss. It is with this revelation that Peter suddenly remembers why he left Neverland behind and grew up: he wanted to be a father.Finding his 'happy thought,' Peter is able to fly again, to the joy of the Lost Boys. Rufio returns Peter's sword, and stands by him as they prepare to go to war with Hook.Hook meanwhile, has managed to make Jack forget Peter, and now consider him (Hook) as his father. Peter appears, and is at first taken aback that Jack does not recognize him, but then goes to work, battling Hook's pirates, as the Lost Boys launch their attack.Rufio appears, and fights off Hook, as Peter goes to rescue Maggie. Returning to the Jolly Roger, Peter arrives just in time to see Hook run Rufio through with his sword. With his dying words, Rufio tells Peter that he wishes he had a Dad like him. These words seem to break the hold that Hook had on Jack, who looks to Peter, asking to be taken home. Peter then reunites with the Lost Boys and Maggie, and they begin to leave...but not before Hook vows to continue to threaten Peter's family forever.Peter then jumps back into battle against Hook. After some time, it appears as if Peter has the upper hand, but instead of killing Hook, Peter listens to his children, who beg him not to kill Hook. Peter then tells Hook to leave. Hook then pulls a dagger on Peter, pushing him against the carcass of the once killer crocodile. However, Hook misses, and ends up puncturing the crocodile, who seems to return to life, and ends up eating Hook.With Hook gone, Peter decides to return home, but leaves one of the Lost Boys named Thudbutt (Raushan Hammond) in charge, as he fought courageously in the battle.While Maggie and Jack return to the nursery, Peter ends up in Kensington Gardens, at the base of a statue bearing his likeness. Also nearby is Tinkerbell, who says her farewells to Peter. Peter then returns to Wendy's place, and greets his family, throwing his cellphone out the window when it rings regarding more business matters. | fantasy, whimsical, cult, violence, good versus evil, action, revenge, entertaining, storytelling | train | imdb | Peter Pan was meant to be 'the boy who never grew up', so to have a tale of his adult life and to show how he forgot Neverland is a special and unique take on the story, one that won't be forgotten.There have also been many complaints about the scene where Tink becomes human-size and expresses some kind of love for Peter.
This movie is a continuation of the classic tale of the boy who wouldn't grow up, Peter Pan. Here, the infamous Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman) kidnaps the children of Peter Banning (Robin Williams) and takes them to Neverland.
Banning must regain his youthful spirit as Peter Pan and return to Neverland to reunite with his old gang, including Tinker Bell (Julia Roberts), and rescue his children.It's a pretty good story filled with unending adventures and spectacular sceneries of the magical Neverland what is filled with colorful characters, played by a group of fun-loving, bratty but loyal boys.
Comedic and quirky Williams was a good choice to play the grown-up Peter Pan; it was fun seeing his character looking bizarre and confused in Neverland, forgetting his roots and adventures with the Lost Boys in the magical place.
And, Julia Roberts played a good Tinkerbell and she had some touching chemistry with Williams' character.Although it's not Disney, this movie does capture the magic and essence of the original animated classic Peter Pan from Disney.
This is because if you are looking for fun movie that really does pull at the kid inside you, then this is definitely it.Robin Williams is just the right kind of goofy for my tastes, and makes an excellent Pan. Captain Hook was perfectly fit by Dustin Hoffman.
All of these things that I'm sure you did as a child, as I did.As far as I'm concerned, all of the people who have written bad reviews for this movie, saying things like "The characters weren't believable", and "Spielberg tried to answer a question that didn't need an answer" have lost sight of the kid in themselves, have become pirates, and should have their hands fed to crocodiles.
But he left one nasty enemy there in Captain Hook and Hook captures his children to lure him back to Never Never Land where Hook can take vengeance upon him.Spielberg got some great performances out of his cast which also includes Julia Roberts as the elfin Tinkerbell and Maggie Smith as the aged Wendy.
I'm surprised that one of Arnold Schwarzenegger's Terminator films beat Hook out for Best Visual Effects, this one is clearly superior in that department if anything.Robin Williams has his innings as well, trying to remember his past as Peter Pan and get back into Pan like behavior to defeat Captain Hook.
There were points in the film where I even started weeping and getting emotional.Hook tells a great story about A grumpy lawyer named Peter Banning who takes life too serious who has forgotten about his childhood as Peter Pan. Captain Hook kidnaps his children and takes them to Neverland to lure him in for one last battle, the only chance he has of saving them is to remember his forgotten past as Peter Pan and do battle with Captain Hook.
The film is a huge reminder that I should always keep in touch with my inner child and never let go.Acting wise Robin Williams brings his A game as does Dustin Hoffman, Bob Hoskins and the rest, Julia Roberts is in it too but she's nothing to write home about.If you've never seen it then you should watch it, whether your a child or adult it doesn't matter, the film is one of the best adventure tales ever.
The Lost Boys try their best to make Peter bang-or-aign once again with them and that he'll get his kids back while learning the importance of youth.Hook is over all a good film that I would recommend to people.
The actors all turn in decent performances, the best being Robin William's uptight Peter Banning and childlike Peter Pan, Dustin Hoffman's deliciously evil Captain Hook, and Bob Hoskins.
Nothing to say about Bob Hoskins; if he's on screen, he's giving it his all.I deduct points from the film do to the third act with the war, not because the Lost Boys use incredibly implausible weapons to fight the pirates but because Peter stops being savvy about Hook, there's a rather unnecessary dark moment during an otherwise cartoony climax, and about a half dozen inconsistencies appear in the span of five minutes.
take the wonderful parts and acting and visuals and music and whatever aspects of the film you like, and ENJOY THEM.there are wonderful bits and pieces of Hook, and whole scenes, and the notion that people can change and try to make life better for those they may have hurt, and so on.this film, if you have a heart, and some of you don't, speaks to that heart and moves it and makes you thankful for those in your life who really do need you.am i a sentimentalist?
I enjoyed "Hook" a lot; Dustin Hoffman and Julia Roberts really stood out in this film.My only complaint is that there was too much silly playing between the lost boys and Peter in the middle of the film, and I feel that this became rather monotonous.
But I never once saw an Indian.Maggie Smith was a fine actress and it is always great to see her on screen.I thought that the end of the film, with the old man flying out of the house, was kind of nutty and really unnecessary, a la the all-too literal ending of "Cocoon", in which the senior citizens are shown flying away in an alien spaceship.My problems with this movie, though, are minor, and I generally consider this a very good fantasy film for kids and adults--at least those of us who never quite grew up--alike..
I am not the biggest fan of Robin Williams but I do like his portrayal of Peter Pan.A magical movie for the entire family.Granny included !!.
They're made so the next time your best friend comes up to you and says, "Boy, I just saw the worst movie ever!" You can say, "Oh yeah...have you seen "Hook?" All kidding aside this is a perfectly dreadful, awful film and a betrayal of everything James Barrie's "Peter Pan" is about.
If Director Spielberg and his collaborators had simply taken the time to actually read the story, (now there's a concept) and understand some of it's most basic themes, they might have ditched the silly, "What if Peter Pan grew up?" concept and made a decent straightforward film of the book.
It is visually stunning; straight out of a fairy-tale with mermaids, pirates, and flying lost boys.Robin Williams is kind of an odd choice for Pan, but the film plays out well, and the other cast members interact with him in a charming and satisfying way.
When Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman) kidnaps his children, an adult Peter Pan (Robin Williams) must return to Neverland and reclaim his youthful spirit in order to challenge his old enemy.This film is a bit divisive, with some loving it and others not being very impressed.
Hook is perfectly creepy but also kind of strangely likable.The puns in this movie provide a lot of laughs (perhaps more now, watching as an adult: see the dinner scene when Peter and Rufio get into an argument) and the film is just a joy to watch throughout.Okay, so it's not a completely Oscar-worthy masterpiece.
It is true that it was made at a period in Spielberg's life when he really should have been growing up himself (his next two features were Jurassic Park and Schindler's List, made back to back), but take this film at face value and you find a warm, sentimental piece of American culture.The cast all play out their roles superbly, especially Dustin Hoffman as the inimitable Captain Hook.
The cast is good; Dustin Hoffman was a goofy Captain Hook but a good one; Robin Williams is brilliant as always and clearly enjoys his character; Julia Roberts is gorgeous and has nice legs.
Steven Spielberg's distinctly nonmagical rendering of J.M. Barrie's tale of "Peter Pan", the flying, fun-loving boy who battled pirates and never grew up, casts Robin Williams as a crotchety adult who discovers his true origin as Pan. He returns to his island home and eventually takes on old nemesis Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman) after his own children are kidnapped.
I met friends, shared incredible moments but most of all we used the power of performance in a drama about 'women empowerment' bridging the gap between two classes of society through art.This is what Steven Spielberg clearly does throughout this film, he captivates you and makes you want to believe even when there is doubt.After my life changing experience I started acting, I landed a lead role in a music video for a company based in Manchester called Video Ink. Whilst not in shot or on screen I was actively aiding people's performances, little did I know I was naturally Directing I clicked with the super lad's Adam and Oliver.
Thank you to Dustin Hoffman as 'Hook', and Julia Roberts as 'Tinkerbell' both amazing professionals.To conclude, this film still has so much importance to me to this day and will always be my favourite movie until I die...I thank all the cast and crew for helping me realise a journey, see you on the red carpet sometime soon...
The positives outweigh the negatives: The fantastical music score by John Williams will pull at your heartstrings, the premise of Peter Pan leaving Neverland and growing up is an interesting one, and I'd say Dustin Hoffman (who is totally unrecognizable) and Robin Williams are outstanding as Captain Hook and Peter Pan.This was a childhood favorite of mine, I grew up with it, and even when I'm about to turn 25 in the next couple months, I STILL LOVE this movie.
Right now I'm watching it after so long and I had shed tears during the "There you are Peter" scene, man does time fly.But still, I say this is one of Spielberg's most underrated films, and if you need a big reason to watch it, watch it for John Williams' music score, it will take you into the film on an emotional level.
We like seeing Robin Williams as Peter Pan, Dustin Hoffman as Hook, Bob Hoskins as Smee, Julia Roberts as Tinkerbell, and Maggie Smith as Wendy.
The Lost Boys, while not the ones we are familiar with in the novel or from the original story do a great job playing the Lost Boys, showing their feelings toward a grown up Peter Pan. Basically, these characters are all good to make the fictional Neverland, a real place again without CGI effects.
Hook is a brilliant movie with a very well developed storyline and an outstanding cast.The movie gave me great joy and wonder all the way through,Robin Williams was perfect casting as Peter Pan as he has a childlike sensibility but can also deliver more dramatic acting when it is needed,Dustin Hoffman also did a great job as Captain Hook,it seemed like a strange choice to me but he really became the character,this is certainly the best acting I've seen in a Peter Pan film.Steven Spielberg did a great job making this movie,the sets are absolutely beautiful,if it was made just a few years later this would have been mostly special effects,but luckily it didn't and this movie is all props and real locations which makes it look some much better and you can see the hard work everyone put in to this film.The only casting choice I didn't appreciate was Julia Roberts,I think she's a brilliant actress but she just didn't seem interested in playing Tinkerbell and didn't get sucked in to the childlike wonder of this film like everyone else clearly did.Very underrated film,I don't see why it gets treated so harshly,I loved Hook from start to finish and would recommend it to anyone looking for a good family film.
The tale of a grown-up Peter Pan (Williams) who has forgotten his childhood past and must return to Neverland and reclaim his youthful spirit in order to save his kidnapped children (Korsmo and Scott) from Captain Hook (Hoffman).
You can call it a sequel to Barrie's 1911 novel PETER AND WENDY, but the genius of this particular story is all contained within this film, from the spot-on cast to the sets of Sony Pictures Studios bringing Neverland to screen in live-action, this movie is magical to anyone who grew up in the 1990s despite critics' panning.
I myself try to maintain a "kid at heart" approach to living life - it keeps me happy and youngish - and, maybe, that's why I've always loved the story of Peter Pan.And Captain Hook...
Quite an interesting pirate that could learn a lot about love, life and laughter from Peter Pan.This is a great family film but even those of us who are single and/or childless can still enjoy this interpretation of the story.9/10.
Until about three hours ago, I had never seen 'Hook' (1991), which is surprising considering that Steven Spielberg is one of my favourite directors of all time and I grew up watching some of the old Peter Pan films on the floor in my grandparents living room.However, I kept hearing mixed reactions to the film.
He was menacing and threatening, but oddly charming all at the same time.Whilst 'Hook' is not one of Spielberg's best films, it has a lot going for it and I would reccomend that people check it out, especially when looking for an film to sit down and marvel at with the family.I think you'll have a good time.And remember, in the words of Robin Williams: "To die would be a great adventure"..
Movie Review: "Hook" (1991)Based on James Matthew Barrie (1860-1937) books, director Steven Spielberg fulfills himself another childhood picture dream by telling the classic story of a sword-fighting 10-year-old boy called "Peter Pan" in the imaginative land of "Neverland", firstly brought to wide U.S. audiences with the animation classic from Walt Disney Pictures, releasing inn February 1953, before presenting abroad to a European Premiere audience at the Cannes Film Festival, out-of-competition, in its 6th edition in May 1953.Director Steven Spielberg must have been that enchanted to risk the highest budget of his career to that date of holiday season 1991/1992 with fellow producers Kathleen Kennedy & Frank Marshall handling 70 Milion U.S. Dollars, when Spielberg's own production company Amblin Entertainment, founded in 1981, teams up for one-time world-wide motion picture presentation with Columbia affiliate TriStar Pictures, bringing in Holywood stars as Dustin Hoffmann in heavy as splendid costume as "Captain Hook" in his 60s, when leading character Peter Banning, growing to be a successful, non-stop broker in London's financial center, given face by star-power as comic-talent indulging Robin Williams (1951-2014), armed with a cellular phone, whose character finds himself back in "Neverland" as a 40-years-old adult going back in dark-green costume to fight nemesis Captain Hook, meeting lovable characters portrayed by professional as moments of magic-sharing Julia Roberts as Tinkerbell and Bob Hoskins (1942-2014) as match-making "Hook" side-kicking first boatsman "Smee", all presented in extraordinary sound-stage construction work and visual effects orchestrated by Academy-Award-nominated supervisor Eric Brevig and associates alongside with first steps into digital image integration at Lucasfilm Ltd. affiliate "Industrial, Light and Magic" (ILM), when John Williams' fantasy-intriguing score compositions seem to rescue the slightly-dust-spreading movie of being an emotional fall-out especially for Internet-spoiled children, who suffer under out-of-balanced sensualities these days.Nevertheless, this enjoyable no-offense nor emotionally-challenging motion picture prevails after an enduring 135-Minute-Final-Cut by thanks to Spielberg's fellow editor Michael Kahn seems the intended target group of 8 to 12 year-old boys-less-girls, who want to come to the movie houses with their parents, in reminiscence of seemingly one in a life-time Spielberg-Movie-Experience with "E.T.-the Extra-Terrestrial" of presumingly 148,000,000 reprising U.S. moviegoers in one of the greatest attendance in motion picture history against 30,000,000 ten years later to modest attendance with ticket prices up to 43 % raised in average worldwide box office reception against season 1981/1982.Copyright 2018 Cinemajesty Entertainments LLC.
Let me start by saying what I did and like the casting is pretty spot on, I love Robin Williams as Pan, Dustin Hoffman is amazing as Hook, Maggie Smith was a perfect choice for Wendy (and wow that makeup job was great), and Bob Hoskins was also great as Smee.
The classic childrens story is updated with Robin Williams as Peter Pan, now a Lawyer who must return to Never Never Land.The problem with the film however is that there are too many American accents in what I always imagined was a typically English story.D Hoffman is not nearly nasty enough as Captain Hook.This is one for the younger members of the family, and while the film does have it's moments, overall it was a disappointing effort..
oh, and Julia Roberts' performance as Tinkerbell is so out-of-place and ridiculous that I remember finding it off even when I saw this movie for the first time as a young boy."Hook" proves that sometimes, all the right elements needed to make an unforgettable classic sometimes turn into...
sure robin williams wasn't the best for the role of a peter pan, but as the movie was not meant to be serious and was meant to be as a "what if" film.
Robin Williams and Dustin Hoffman are well-matched as, respectively, Peter Pan and Captain Hook.
And some also feel that it get's way too "smaultsy." Personally I think it has a nice balance, but at some points, yeah, it can be trying a little too hard.Robin Williams and the lost boys are all funny and likable, but by far the best parts of the movie are the ones with Captain Hook and Smee, Dustin Hoffman and Anthony Hopkins are absolutely hilarious, and their plan to steal Peter's children away from him is a great villainous scheme. |
tt0076740 | Sorcerer | The film opens with a prologue that consists of four segments described by critics as "vignettes". They show the principal characters in different parts of the world and provide their backstories.
=== Part I: Prologue ===
==== Vignette #1: Veracruz, Mexico ====
Nilo (Rabal), an elegantly dressed man, enters a flat in Veracruz. Nilo immediately executes the unassuming tenant with a silenced revolver and proceeds to casually walk out onto the square.
==== Vignette #2: Jerusalem, Israel ====
A group of Arab terrorists disguised as Jews cause an explosion in Jerusalem and take shelter at their hideout, where they assemble weaponry and plan their escape. After getting surrounded by the military, they split up; two are killed and one is apprehended. The only one who manages to escape is Kassem (Amidou). The segment finishes as he helplessly stares from a crowd at his captured companion.
==== Vignette #3: Paris, France ====
While discussing a book his wife is editing, Victor Manzon (Cremer) discovers an anniversary gift from her: a watch with a special dedication. After meeting with the president of the Paris Stock Exchange, where he is accused of fraud, Victor is given 24 hours to make amends. Victor meets his business partner, Pascal, and they quarrel; Victor insists that Pascal contact his father for assistance. Victor dines with his wife and her friend in a glamorous restaurant; he later receives a message from a butler that Pascal is waiting outside. When he learns that Pascal's father has refused to help, Victor is adamant that they try again. He walks his partner to a car, but Pascal flabbergasts Victor by committing suicide. Faced with impending doom, Victor leaves both his country and wife.
==== Vignette #4: Elizabeth, New Jersey, USA ====
An Irish gang robs a church with rival connections in Elizabeth that organizes bingo games, and they shoot one of the priests. Back in their car, the gang members engage in a heated argument that causes Jackie Scanlon (Scheider), the driver, to lose concentration and collide with a truck. Everyone is killed but Scanlon, escaping with serious injuries. The wounded priest turns out to be the brother of Carlo Ricci, a Mafia director who also controlled the flow of money in the church and is persistent to kill Scanlon at all costs. Jackie meets with his friend Vinnie, who reveals his fate and finds a suitable place to escape. The one option Jackie has is to agree.
=== Part II: Life in Porvenir ===
Kassem, Victor, and Jackie all assume fake identities and end up in Porvenir, a remote village in Latin America. Its conditions provide a stark contrast to their previous lives. The village economy is heavily reliant on an American oil company. Kassem befriends a man called 'Marquez' (John), presumably a Nazi war veteran. They all live in extreme poverty and earn meager salaries. All want out, but their savings are inadequate for emigration. After some time, Nilo arrives in the village, raising suspicions. In the meantime, an oil well over 200 miles (320 km) away explodes, and the only way to extinguish the fire is to use dynamite. Since the only available dynamite has been improperly stored in a remote depot, the nitroglycerin contained inside has become highly unstable; the faintest vibration could cause an explosion. With all other means ruled out, the only way to transport it is to use trucks. The company seeks four drivers to man two of the vehicles. Kassem, Victor, Jackie and 'Marquez' are offered the job, but they have to assemble the trucks using scrap parts. Shortly before their departure, Nilo kills and replaces 'Marquez', which angers Kassem.
=== Part III: Journey ===
The four drivers embark upon a perilous journey of over 200 miles, facing many hazards and internal conflicts. Despite their differences, they are forced to co-operate. Eventually, after some setbacks, only Scanlon survives the ordeal and towards the end, struggles to stay sane, overwhelmed by hallucinations and flashbacks. When his truck's engine dies just two miles short of the destination, he is forced to carry the remaining nitroglycerin on foot.
=== Epilogue ===
At the bar back in Porvenir, Jackie is given legal citizenship and payment for the job by the oil company, as well an offer of another job; before he leaves, he asks a scrub woman for a dance. As the two dance, Carlo Ricci's henchmen, along with his old friend Vinnie, emerge from a taxi outside. They walk into the bar, and, after a gravid pause, and the sound of a gunshot, the screen cuts to the end credits. | neo noir, murder, cult, violence, flashback, psychedelic | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0446013 | Pathfinder | The boy who would come to be named Ghost was with a group of Viking colonizers who planned to exterminate the local population. Their dragon ship was somehow destroyed with the passengers brutally killed, leaving Ghost as the traumatized sole survivor. A native woman finds Ghost in the wreckage and adopts him as her own son.In his dreams Ghost recalls the Vikings massacring some Indians. Ghost tried to stop his father from killing an infant, and refused to kill anyone. His father then beat him cruelly, disowning him.The truth of his dream can be seen by the scars on his back.Years later, Ghost remains tormented by his dreams, which along with his different appearance, interfere with his ability to fully assimilate into the community. He has feelings for a young woman from an allied tribe named Starfire, the daughter of Pathfinder, a man searching for a worthy successor.Later, while hunting and gathering with the group, a young girl from Ghost's tribe wanders off, encounters a Viking and is attacked. She escapes back to the village, but is followed by the Vikings. They raze the village and slaughter nearly everyone, except a few men whom they want to murder individually in "duels." Ghost arrives back at the village too late. The Vikings decide to make Ghost duel; he maims his opponent and escapes. Injured during the pursuit, he hides in a cave where he is found by a hunting party from Pathfinder's tribe. They bring him home, and the warriors discuss taking the initiative against the Viking invaders. Ghost, however, warns them that their wood and stone weapons are no match for the Vikings' metal armour and blades. He demonstrates this by using his sword to easily cut a bow in half. Ghost advises the villagers that their only chance of survival is to flee, and he departs to take on the Vikings alone. Pathfinder instructs his people which route to take.Ghost finds that he has been covertly followed by a mute admirer. In an abandoned village, they set a series of traps. Starfire, meanwhile, has chosen to leave the tribe and finds Ghost and his colleague. The three use traps and deception to pick off Vikings one by one, looting armor and weapons. Pathfinder, like his daughter, also finds Ghost and joins the fight. When his tribe realizes Pathfinder is missing, a group decides to go back and fight. Unfortunately, they arrive just as Ghost's group is springing their largest trap. The war party hurries down a slope and falls into a huge pit with stakes at the bottom.Eventually, the mute is killed, and Pathfinder, Ghost and Starfire are captured. Ghost is recognized as the son of a Viking and is able to speak their language. The Vikings torture Pathfinder but he refuses to reveal his tribe's location, so they kill him. The Vikings next threaten to torture Starfire if Ghost will not betray the location of other villages, so Ghost agrees to help the Vikings. Starfire is furious that he would betray the Indians.First Ghost leads them to the most recently abandoned campsite. He covertly picks up an abandoned doll, then promises to lead the Vikings in pursuit of the tribe. When they come to a crossroads, he plants the doll as evidence of the path.When they come to a large lake, he points out the mountain path, but several Vikings dismiss that and insist on crossing the ice. The weight of the men, armor and horses quickly breaks through the ice. The mountain path is the only choice.Ghost leads them on the mountain, which becomes a dangerous cliffside path. He insists that everyone be tied together to reduce the risk of men falling off the high cliff, and the Vikings do as he says. Clever Ghost then creates a domino effect so the entire string of Vikings falls over the cliff, all tied together. However, the Viking leader saves himself. After unsuccessfully dueling on the mountainside with the Viking leader, Ghost shouts to start an avalanche. He eventually shoves the invader off the edge of the cliff, ending his life.Ghost returns to Starfire with Pathfinder's necklace, thus making Starfire the new Pathfinder after her father. Ghost assumes his position as the Coast Watcher, bravest of their tribe. | violence, murder | train | imdb | null |
tt0120890 | Wild Things | Brittney Havers (Susan Ward), a South Florida high school senior, lives with her wealthy stepfather, Niles Dunlap (Anthony John Denison), after her mother ran her car off the road in "Gator Alley" and was presumably eaten by alligators a year earlier. When Dunlap is killed in a private plane crash, his will calls for Brittney to receive a small stipend until she finishes college, after which she will receive only $25,000 a year for life from the estate. The rest of Dunlap's assets, totaling $70 million, are to be left to a corporate trust, unless a blood heir can be found.
Brittney's brash, relatively poor classmate Maya (Leila Arcieri) suddenly claims to be Dunlap's illegitimate daughter as the result of her mother's extramarital affair. She is ordered by a judge to submit to a DNA test, the result of which proves she is Dunlap's child.
At the Dunlap home, Brittney hears a noise on her way to the wine cellar but it turns out to just be rats. Suddenly Maya appears and the girls reveal they are lovers before being joined by Dr. Julian Haynes (Joe Michael Burke), who had arranged the DNA test. The trio are in cahoots, running a scam to secure and share Dunlap's fortune.
Insurance investigator Terence Bridge (Isaiah Washington), investigating the circumstances of the plane crash, finds out from Dunlap's medical records that Dunlap had scarlet fever as a child, one of the side effects of which can be sterility, and asks Dr. Haynes how Dunlap could have fathered a child. Dr. Haynes gets nervous about the plot unraveling and contacts Maya. He agrees to meet her and Brittney that night at the docks, where Maya shoots him. The two girls dispose of his body in Gator Alley.
After Bridge learns the entire affair was planned, he shows up at the Dunlap home and demands half the money in return for not going to the police. Brittney, refusing to give up any of the money, gets a gun and points it at Bridge, but instead kills Maya. She tells Bridge that he has to earn his half. He loads Maya's body into the trunk of his car and he and Brittney drive off to dispose of it.
When they stop at a traffic light, Brittney gets out of the car and walks away as a police car pulls up behind them. Bridge can do nothing but drive away when the traffic light turns green and the police car honks at him to get moving. Brittney phones in an anonymous tip that Bridge's car trunk has a girl's dead body in it. He is soon arrested and jailed. A videotape from the Dunlap home security system shows Bridge demanding half of the inheritance money from Brittney and Maya.
Later, Brittney flies off in a private plane with the very much alive Dunlap, who had faked his own death to escape prosecution for misappropriating millions of dollars of corporate funds to pay his gambling debts, and also to avoid the Cuban gambler to whom he still owed millions. Brittney and Dunlap don parachutes, planning to bail out over swampland and disappear together. As Dunlap is poised to bail out, Brittney reveals that she packed his chute with newspaper and pushes him from the plane to his death. She then bails out, landing safely in the swamp, where her mother (Kathy Neff), also very much alive, is waiting for her in a swamp boat.
It is revealed that Brittney and her mother orchestrated everything, including the deaths of Brittney's co-conspirators, in order to steal Dunlap's fortune, and they relax in the sun on a tropical island. Brittney comes down the stairs of their villa overlooking the ocean with two drinks and hands one to her mother. As Brittney watches intently, her mother takes a sip and remarks that the drink is strong. Brittney replies "They do make them strong here, don't they?" with a wry smile, the implication being that she has poisoned the drink. | neo noir, gothic, murder, dramatic, cult, plot twist, romantic, revenge | train | wikipedia | Of course, Wild Things doesn't always come across very realistically and, at times even, it's downright ridiculous; but it's done in such a way that it doesn't matter, and because of that we have a film that can do what it wants.
It has to be said that the scene setting and way that the plot moves is somewhat ham-fisted, as sometimes it's painfully obvious that certain sections of the film exist only to give it another selling point; the argument that starts out between Denise Richards and Neve Campbell beside a swimming pool being a case in point.
However, McNaughton makes good of these selling points, and for every three way sex scene and absurd plot twist, the film gains an extra point for trashy entertainment value.It's not immediately obvious what Wild Things is going to be about, as the first twenty minutes serve only in setting the scene and from that base, the film could easily turn into any teenage school flick.
However, it turns out that this time is well used; as by nulling the audience into a false sense of security, the film is able to make sure that every twist comes as a surprise.
And yes, if you're the sort of person who specialises in spotting plot twists, then you're probably going to do well here.But if you haven't seen this film before, and you're prepared for something a bit on the lurid and trashy side, and you can manage to steer clear of the many spoilers among the reviews here, then you just might find that Wild Things is a fun ride.Because there are, it's true, a number of twists and turns, and not everyone sees them coming.
Neve Campbell, Denise Richards (surprisingly), and especially Matt Dillion turn in very good performances.
But overall the sexuality of this film is moderate at best.Why i really liked it is because all of the twists in the plots actually come together.
In Blue Bay's elite beach communities and into the murky waters of the Everglades, you would expect nothing beyond this venture until a guidance counselor (Matt Dillon) is accused of raping two high school students (Neve Campbell and Denise Richards).
While they are two detectives on the cast (Kevin Bacon and Daphne Rubin-Vega), they find out there's more than meets the eye in the mystery of deceit, sex and greed.Directed by John Mc Naughton (Herny:Portrait of a Serial Killer, Lansky, Normal Life) made an entertaining trashy noir that has an unique blend of sex, suspense, comedy and a twisted story.
Although I did not own the movie, you know that I went back to rent it a couple of more times because it was just so wonderful, and finally when I got the chance to buy it, I did, and now I have watched it numerous times on numerous occasions because it truly is an excellent movie that I can enjoy with every watch.Each actor and actress had a amazing role and they performed it with excellent expertise; I loved all the performances and they were all so fun and precise with the character they were given that in the long run they make the characters that would normally have been dull and uninteresting awesome and unable to look away from.
I thought the way each and every twist and turn in the plot was just so great that my eyes lingered on for more after it was over, which is why of course I watched it a second time, and the only problem I had with this movie is that it was not long enough, though if it had have been longer I do not think it would have worked out for the better or anything, if you understand what I am trying to say.
This movie is simply great, so wonderful; I would watch it over and over again if I had to simply because it is so fantastic and I really got into the way there was a major turning point at the ending that blows your mind, as well as the twist halfway through the film.
The whole thing is seemingly a conspiracy between Sam, Suzie, and Kelly, but we are never shown whose idea it is until the very end.This next passage will ruin a key surprise the film has in store, so don't read it if you haven't seen it.
Sure enough, this "straight" drama is wrapped up, only to subside into a larger thriller; a thriller in which twists and turns of the plot come at an ever faster rate, until in the end the film's aim is clearly to make you gasp rather than care (this is particularly evident when the missing holes in the plot are explained through the perfunctory insertion of extra scenes into the closing credits).
One might suggest that one is meant to smell a rat as a lead in to the film's later development; but it's not just the details of the situation that ring false, but the portrayal of the whole world (when the girl, for example, first gives a statement, one policewoman suspects her of lying from the start, but never tells her colleagues (or us) why - indeed, all police work seems to proceed by arbitrary pronouncement at all points).The twistier second half doesn't work either, in part because the first part proved so shallow; as none of the characters are likely or believable, who the hell cares if they aren't what they seem?
As the twists mount, the whole thing feels more like a parody of a David Mamet film; one can only suppose that it's meant to be humourous, but there's no humour beyond the outlines of the plot.
Matt Dillon, Kevin Bacon and Neve Campbell have all proven that they can act, but with "Wild Things" McNaughton could have saved himself a lot of money by employing monkeys or, better still, full-size cardboard cut-outs.The oft-mentioned nudity is tame in the extreme - you see Richards' assets briefly and there is a needless shot of Kevin Bacon's member, but beyond that, if you're looking for cheap titillation, you may want to look elsewhere.Ok, so you do get to see Denise Richards with very few clothes on.
He appears for a mere fraction of the running time, and still struggles under the cliché-ridden screenplay.Overall, this movie feels like a sort of extended episode of "Baywatch" or "Sunset Beach", with more violence and some nudity added in to try and appeal to randy adolescents; the only audience, surely, who could possibly be interested.
Prior to viewing this film, all I ever heard about it was the fact that Denise Richards, Neve Campbell and Matt Dillon engaged in a steamy threesome at some point in the movie.
It is difficult to go much further without giving the movie away, but unfortunately the added surprise plot twists ultimately don't save the film.
It is a shame he only played a minor role in the movie.To sum things up, even though this movie wasn't exactly what I expected of it, the actual story-line was so unmemorable that it will only be a matter of time before I begin referring it to "the movie where Denise Richards, Neve Campbell and Matt Dillon engage in a steamy threesome."
But when you get to the final twist in "Wild Things", instead of being genuinely amazed and delighted, you end up thinking "you've got to be kidding!" You're ready for it to come to a merciful conclusion.
Apart from some stylish visuals and a flavourful musical score, there is nothing to recommend about this turkey: a plot with twists and turns which are about as inspired as those of a typical "Road Runner" cartoon, ludicrous situations and dialogue, kinky sex (though the filmmakers shy away from showing anything truly(!) sexy, thus protecting the film's "R" rating) and one-dimensional characters.
Despite being surrounded with an overrated Matt Dillon, a pitiful Denise Richards, and perhaps washed-up(although still effective) Kevin Bacon, Neve and Bill both put in quality performances.This movie is definitely worth the rent...if you're of the male gender..
There are certain movies, like Wild Things, Body Heat and others, that just revel in pure sexuality, not of just nubile young bodies, but the sexiness of mystery and deceit and suspense and conspiracy and swampy locales.Anyone can find sexy actors and throw them up on screen and let them writhe around.
I liked "Wild Things" (1998) when I saw it first time - the tricks and turns of the plot were interesting to keep me entertained for two hours even after the words "The End" because they kept explaining the movie after it was over.
A high school guidance counselor (Matt Dillon) is accused of rape by 2 of his students (Denise Richards & Neve Campbell)...
The twist are silly but may do you if you want something trashy while the sexy stuff is pretty well done but does feel like the film is exploiting it's audience by delivering nudity to cover the plot holes.
Now my friend Eric Wilson, long-time subscriber to "Sight & Sound", accomplished scholar specializing in 19th century German idealism, resident of Shady Avenue and sometime Loyola intramural cycling champion, Eric tells me you can see Kevin Bacon's "schlong" if you freeze-frame through the comely, yet over-hyped threesome scene featuring Neve Campbell and Denise Richards.
WILD THINGS (1998) *** Matt Dillon, Kevin Bacon, Neve Campbell, Denise Richards, Theresa Russell, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Jeff East, Carrie Snodgrass, Robert Wagner, Bill Murray.
Scintillating neo-noir flick with the soul of an overheated soap opera with hunky high school guidance counselor Dillon accused of rape by student tag team vixens Campbell and Richards with some hairpin turns and corkscrew plotting devices that make overall a guilty pleasure to watch the vipers turn on each other (and a naughty glimpse of a topless and often wet Richards Yeah Baby!!) Murray is in fine form as the much needed comic relief in Stephen Peter's nasty screenplay.
That way the audience doesn't feel like everything it should have known about the plot happened before the film took up the story of the characters.
It's not immediately obvious what Wild Things is going to be about, as the first twenty minutes serve only in setting the scene and from that base, the film could easily turn into any teenage school flick.
The plot twists were pretty good at first, but I lost track after the first six, the next twelve or so had me begging for the damn movie to end.
'Wild Things' is a different type of film for a different type of audience.It's a twisty-turny thriller where you can't really say too much about the plot without giving away important information that is best left kept secret until you actually watch it.
Matt Dillon, Kevin Bacon, Neve Campbell are all great, but, for me, the stand-out performances come from Denise Richards and Bill Murray.
I can tell you though she shines here (and I'm not just talking 'visually!') and even gets what I would say is the best line of the film – something about 'taking the car,' but you'll have to watch the film to see the context she uses it in.If you're not offended by plenty of sex in a film and you like your films with more plot twists in than a filmic corkscrew, then give Wild Things a go.
Wild things: A movie for frustrated nerds who don't care about a good plot.The director only did his best to make the actors look as good as possible.
and with stars such as Denise Richards and Neve Campbell, "Wild Things" was the offer we couldn't refuse.Watching it again at almost twice the age I was the first time, I'm surprised by how much I enjoyed it.
Still, if the plot is utterly ridiculous, it's intense, sensual and perfectly executed.There is Matt Dillon as Sam Lombardo the high school counselor and the rich, sexy, spoiled and manipulative Denise Richards as Kelly Van Ryan, daughter of Theresa Russell, who waves at Sam from the balcony wearing an open gown and a bikini...
In the opposite end of the spectrum, there's Neve Campbell as Suzie Toller, the trailer trash punk whose establishing moment consists on leaving a conference about sex crimes when Sam had just introduced Ray and his partner (Daphne Rubin Vega).It's interesting that the first scene introduces every single player of the game, and the only hint it leaves will be useless by the time the plot starts with its pivotal point: an accusation of rape.
This film could be described as a memorable erotic thriller, and I should say that is Matt Dillon's best performance yet, His character: Sam Lombardo, it's a twisted, pervert and it has style.
The Jeffrey Kimball cinematography is pure, detailed and natural, the night scenes are great too, but is the score that makes Wild Things a true five stars movie.
Fortunately, I was very wrong: Although the film has many of the so-called "teenage movie" elements, it is actually what we should call a film-noire, and a good one in fact.The story involves two beatiful young girls, rich and spoiled Kelly (Richards), and weirdo and freaky Suzie (Campbell).
So numerous in fact, that every now and then the viewer has to alter his perception of what he/she thought had been happenning up to that point: Actually, some plot hints are even given after the "The End" screen, as we are shown additional explanatory shots between the credits!The acting is generally satisfactory, with the first-league actors (Bacon and Murray) definitely standing well ahead of the rest; Rubin-Vega is also very good in her role, while Dillon is simply OK.
The two young female protagonists (Richards and Cambell), while not bad in their acting at all, get the prime attention for their hot and promiscuous looks...The scenery is also good, with the glades and the swamps giving a special color to the film.In brief, "Wild Things" wins you, and the prime reason for this, is its clever plot.
Neve and Denise go at it in the pool,but why show Kevin Bacon nude in the shower?I lost my erection for 3 days.Beware of this scene and turn your head.You'll thank me later!!!The story has so many turns that the sexiness is nearly lost and Bill Murray looks like an idiot and way out of place in this movie..
Matt Dillon is a good looking boy but he absolutely cant convince as playing Mr Evil, Denise Richards (remember her rol in Starship Troopers) is like some barbiedoll who can better be located in some yuppiecomedies with Alicia Silverstone and Bill Murray is just laughable as an advocate.
However the film is far too short to include quite as many plot 'twists' as it does, and in the end it becomes a confusing mess with several unlikely and, frankly, unbelievable turns of events.If the script was sharper, the editing and directing less rushed and more stylish then this film could have done much better.The cast list is impressive, with Kevin Bacon and Neve Campbell in particular giving strong performances.
This movie is a very sexy thriller with twists and turns you where you look.The plot is a young high school teacher is accused of raping a beautiful young student.
This movie will keep you guessing until the last second!!It stars today's hottest stars Denise Richards,Neve Campbell, Matt Dillon, Kevin Bacon and Robert Wagner.
Good performances, especially from Richards and Campbell, and the mixture of sex, suspense, comedy, and the plot that is as twisted as a country back road makes "Wild Things" worth watching again and again.
Let's be honest: the only reason why men watch this movie is because Denise Richards and Neve Campbell are in it.
Wild Things is about Kelly Van Ryan (Denise Richards), a rich snob, who accuses the school guidance counselor, Sam Lombardo (Matt Dillon) of raping her.
So far so good, but then the movie starts to twist and turn so often that it makes it very hard to keep understanding what is actually happening.
The rich Denise Richards and the very poor Neve Campbell each accuse high school teacher Matt Dillon of rape, but there is something that is not quite right.
I will admit, yes, this is primarily what cause me to rent the film besides my interest in all three main actors= Neve Campbell, Denise Richards, and Matt Dillon.
Wild Things, or How To Put Too Many Plot Twists Into a Movie.
Plot twists are usually a good thing to have in thrillers, but when they come in such ridiculous amounts as in this movie it becomes really painful.Things start out promising, though.
Absolutely fantastic in every sense of the words.Sexy, devious and crafty all at the same time.Rich girl Kelly Van Ryan (Denise Richards) and outcast Suzie (Neve Campbell) accuse Sam Lombardo (matt Dillon) of rape.But Detective Ray Duquette (Kevin Bacon) is hot on their trail as he sets out to reveal the truth in the accusations of Susie and Kelly being raped.The investigation leads to court where it is made clear by Dillon's attorney (Bill Murray) that the case lacks any real evidence to convict Dillon to prosecutor Robert Wagner's despair.
It was cruising along, doing it's thing, when it comes to a scene with Denise Richards, Neve Campbell and Matt Dillon all in bed together.
It's so twisted, that you sometimes have a hard time on who to root for.Sam Lombardo (The incredibly oily Matt Dillon)is a guidance counselor that gets caught up in a scandal involving 2 students (Denise Richards and Neve Campbell),who accuses him of rape.
The course that the story takes from this point on is full of twists and double-crosses that keep on coming until the movie eventually ends with the most surprising development of them all.The characters in "Wild Things" include the very rich and the very poor as well as people who are employed in the legal profession, education and law enforcement. |
tt0039041 | Tomorrow Is Forever | At the end of World War I, on Armistice Day, Elizabeth MacDonald (Claudette Colbert) is waiting for her husband, John Andrew MacDonald (Orson Welles), to come home. However, she receives word of his death. Her boss, Lawrence Hamilton (George Brent), takes her home, where Elizabeth faints. He discovers she is pregnant with John's child. Already a little in love with her, Larry proposes to Elizabeth and she eventually agrees. They raise John Andrew Hamilton (Richard Long) as Larry's son, and have another son, Brian (Sonny Howe).However, John is not dead but severely injured and disfigured by an explosion. He refuses to reveal his name to the Viennese doctors, not wanting to be a burden to his wife or pitied. He agrees to experimental plastic surgery and re-establishes himself as a leading chemist, Erik Kessler. He remains friends with his surgeon, Dr. Ludwig (John Wengraf).Twenty years goes by. The Nazi's kill Dr. Ludwig and his wife, Erik adopts their daughter, Margaret (Natalie Wood) and flees to England. He obtains the chief chemist job at Larry's company and arrives back in Baltimore with Margaret in tow. On a visit, Erik discovers Elizabeth marriage to Larry; his son, Drew Hamilton, and their second son, Brian. But all is not quiet on the home front. Concerned about German aggression in Europe, Drew wants to join the Canadian RAF and fight the Nazis. Elizabeth refuses her consent, refusing to lose her son to another world war, even though Drew will turn 21 in a two months. Erik also disturbs her. She suspects he is John MacDonald, which he refuses to admit. He also brings an personal Nazi experience, undermining her objections to Drew joining the RAF.Drew decides to leave with his friends and join the RAF, anyway. He leaves a letter for this father (Larry) but does not tell his mother. In panic, Elizabeth calls the factory and asks to speak with Erik when she discovers Larry is in Washington, DC, on a business trip. Erik reads Drews' letter and hurries out into the rain storm, heading to the train station to stop Drew. He takes Drew home to his mother. Elizabeth tries one more time to get Erik to admit he is John MacDonald, but he tells her to forget the past, because it is beyond their reach to change. She should live for the future and her family. She finally accepts John's death and lets Erik go. Elizabeth helps Drew repack for a Canadian winter, letting him join the RAF with her consent. Erik goes home, but the cold, soaking rain and his already weakened health leads to his death. The next morning, Larry and Elizabeth arrives to thank Erik, but takes Margaret home with them upon hearing of his death. | melodrama, flashback | train | imdb | "Tomorrow is Forever" is interesting because of Orson Welles' appearance as the supposedly dead husband that returns under a different disguise.Today's audiences don't have patience to deal with what for the movie going public in the early days were able to allow in the reality department.
Some negative comments to this forum express that viewpoint, but in spite of them, films like this will always be immensely rewarding for those fans that feel comfortable with the plots created for this type of movies.Claudette Colbert makes a wonderful Elizabeth.
Orson Welles was the real surprise in the dramatic role that Ms. Colbert championed for him, at a time of his life that he wasn't recognized for his genius.
Natalie Wood as the young German girl, Margaret, showed a talent for stealing scenes from much established actors.This is a film to be cherished by people who love the genre..
For me, the performances by Claudette Colbert and Orson Welles are their most effective; hers ranks with her work in "Three Came Home" and "Since You Went Away," while his is even finer than in "The Stranger." Anyone who loves a good old-fashioned love story, sob story, multi-generational saga of the type Hollywood used to make so well should give this one a try..
Richard Long is likewise fine as an idealistic young man wanting to do his part to make this a better world.Max Steiner's score is unusually rich, complete with high voices mixed with strings, and a romantic main theme highlighting the essence of this sentimental script.
He, Claudette Colbert, George Brent and Richard Long provide some wonderful acting.Long, playing the elder son, presents a tremendous contrast of how a young man acted back in the 1940s compared to nowadays in terms of of respect and manners.
It is a wonderfully acted film, which makes the lost love of John and Elizabeth the most poignant I have ever shared as a movie viewer..
The story concerns a young husband (Welles) at the time of the First World War who 'surprises' his wife (Colbert) one day at their comfortable home in Baltimore by putting on a uniform and announcing that he is going off to War. As we all now know, this kind of behaviour was common at the time, when all the young men didn't have any idea what they were getting into and thought it would all be over by Christmas.
But before long he comes face to face with Colbert, who does not recognise him, as well as his 20 year-old son by her, who does not even know that Brent is not his father.
She suspects that he realizes his true identity now and he realizes that the son she bore is his.Both Colbert and Welles put on some very fine acting here in this film where you had better have plenty of handkerchiers available..
I would call it a very difficult lesson in life to be learned, about letting go of the past and thinking of present values and the future instead - reaching forward to the positive in life and releasing the past - something not everyone is prepared to do.It is of a young couple, Elizabeth and John (Claudette Colbert and Orson Welles), who are abruptly parted by the duty of John's service in the First War. He is injured badly, and while wrapped in facial bandages in hospital he makes the decision not to notify next of kin and drop out of his young wife's life because he feels he could never be the same man again, at least to her.
Lawrence (George Brent) steps into her life to assist then eventually they marry and create a reasonably happy life together.A weakness in the film that challenges us is that John's features were not altered so very much in the movie after his war injuries and the required facial surgery.
But now, after nineteen years of their estrangement, reality has set in for both: Elizabeth has a family to care for, a present obligation which takes precedence, and John too has the responsibility of a young adopted daughter, Margaret (Natalie Wood).So while every ensuing meeting brings them closer to the truth of their former relationship, it is a very thin line indeed that separates them from the possibility of true recognition of each other and the memories of bygone days.
WWI newlyweds Claudette Colbert and Orson Welles meet heartbreak when he goes missing in action and is written off as dead.
Brent brings over to work in his firm a Viennese chemist who turns out to be -- Orson Welles, bringing in tow a blonde, very young (her debut, in fact) Natalie Wood, speaking German.Ever the gemutlich gentleman, Welles keeps his cards close to his vest, even when talking about the "situation overseas" with the strapping lad he now realizes is his son, who wants to enlist in the Canadian Air Force.
Enjoyed this great classic film from 1946 starring Claudette Colbert as Elizabeth Hamilton who was a young woman very much in love with her husband, Orson Wells, (John MacDonald/Erik Kessler).
It just so happens that Elizabeth's first husband is not killed and has been severally wounded and finally returns to America with a little girl named Margaret Ludwig, (Natalie Wood).
Director Irving Pichel got so much out of Orson Welles and Claudette Colbert in this movie.
But it does make one have to work overtime to accept the rest of the plot.It does not help, by the way, that a few years before Colbert made a splendid little movie with John Payne called REMEMBER THE DAY, wherein they are teachers at a small town high school, who marry, and who are permanently separated when he is called to World War I by the draft.
More interesting is Richard Long, playing the grown up son of Welles, determined to fight for the U.S. in the coming war (despite Colbert's fears).
This film could easily have been nominated for multiple oscars, for Colbert, Welles, and Brent, screen play, and direction.
After only one year of marriage a soldier goes to war (WW-1) returning later, old and disfigured to find his wife re-married and his son looking to join the military..
The end is a real tear-jerker no matter how many times you watch it and this is one to keep in your permanent.The story is classic (man goes to war and returns later to find his wife re-married)but there are twists and turns leaving you to discuss later what you might have done or wanted.This is a great movie without having to rely on special effects, vulgar language, computer generated whatevers, it has survived all these years on the quality of the actors, story line and the ability to keep the viewer interested through the last scene.Highly recommended..
The plot of the film has been used in others in different ways, however one must acknowledge that acting of Orson Welles and Claudette Colbert added another quality to this drama.
If anyone wants to see what film acting is all about, watch Claudette Colbert's performance in this movie.
This is an astoundingly good movie.I'm neither a big Claudette Colbert fan nor one of Orson Welles -- I find her usually too cloying and chick-flickish and him too morose and self-important -- but they are fabulous together in this wonderful film.
The characters treat each other with great respect and dignity, the dialog is marvelous, sensitive subject matter like war is dealt with honestly and non-ideologically.The "triangle" of Welles, Colbert and Brent is very good.
It's about personal decisions and living after with the consequences.Great acting by that giant actor/director, Mr. Orson Wells and a very moving performance by Claudette Colbert, in a very difficult role.This film has all the elements of a good psychological thriller: someone coming back from the dead, a past that comes to haunt you after 20 years, exile in your own land, fighting the Nazis, and finally, leaving the past behind to join the living in the present.A great 1946 movie by Irving Pichel.
You will be surprised by it's quality.As a bonus, the third performance in film, by the then 8 year old Natalie Wood, as an adorable little blond Austrian exile girl..
This is one of the most sensitive films ever made, Orson Welles giving perhaps his life's most interesting performance as a war invalid surviving against his will.
George Brent as the second husband is perfectly alright as such as well, but his character lands in the shadow of the drama - he really doesn't understand much of it but does what he has to do as an honest man.Orson Welles is gutted in the first world war with a face that has to be remade, which is why he doesn't want to survive as he can't show himself to his newly wedded wife, who protested wildly against his going to war.
His doctor persuades him to give life an chance nonetheless, and twenty years later Orson returns as an Austrian fugitive to his home town Baltimore and finds his widow well and prosperous with a new family, but her son (and his) wants to go to war.It's a terrific drama, the whole suspense resting on how Claudette Colbert will recognize her former husband or not, and whether he will acknowledge his former identity or not.
I was 3 1/2 years old in 1942, and so during the war, while he was in the South Pacific, I heard my mother's stories about 'Brother Joe,' that she told so that I would understand that I had a brother and he would eventually come home and live with us.
Natalie Wood is a wonderful surprise as a tiny war orphan, perhaps eight years old; Orson Welles was at the top of his form, but Claudette Colbert was the brightest star of this film.This is not an anti-war film, it's much more a 'why we must go to war film.' There's a lot of philosophy buried in the script, but it never slows the film.
I found the whole film too far fetched.Colbert and Welles are excellent but in reality people just don't behave the way Welles behaves.He loves his wife but their is no yearning to comfort her ,tell her what happened,just a refusal to admit that he is her husband, because he wants his wife to live in the present and not the past .
Colbert is right in not wanting her son to go to war and after what happened to Welles you'd think he would support Colberts view .Instead he talks her into letting her son go - hard to believe a man who so horribly disfigured both mentally and physically (that he wanted to kill himself)would be so content with allowing his only son to war I get that people's lives change and Welles could not just sail back happily into Colberts but for Welles to close himself off from any chance of a happy reunion,especially after she tells him how much she loves him is taking his nobility too far.
Despite the movie's Harlequin-level romance novel title, the unlikely pairing of classic Hollywood leading lady Claudette Colbert and resident bad-boy Orson Welles actually works in this intriguing albeit far-fetched 1946 melodrama directed by the relatively undistinguished Irving Pichel.
Perennial also-ran George Brent is wooden as expected as Hamilton, but a couple of familiar faces shine as the children - Richard Long as the grown Drew and an eight-year old Natalie Wood, blonde and sporting a convincing Austrian accent, as Kessler's adopted daughter Margaret.
Tomorrow Is Forever finds Orson Welles and Claudette Colbert as a pair of young marrieds during World War I when Orson announces he's enlisted in the American Expeditionary Force.
Orson gets good support from Claudette Colbert, George Brent and the rest of the cast.Too bad he didn't get to do the whole film, direct as well as act..
Elizabeth (Claudette Colbert) sends her husband John MacDonald (Orson Welles) off to WWI.
Touching weeper about a man (Orson Welles) who goes off to fight in WWI, leaving his wife (Claudette Colbert) behind.
Family secrets at wartime, condensed into tidy soaper: Orson Welles plays Scottish-American soldier in WWI who is badly disfigured while in Germany and undergoes plastic surgery; back home in the States, pregnant wife Claudette Colbert is informed her husband was killed and she quickly remarries--but after many years pass, the two meet again.
Tiny, blonde Natalie Wood is wonderful as a youngster whom Welles has adopted; Richard Long (also quite young) plays Welles' and Colbert's son.
After one year of marriage John (Orson Welles) decides to alist and goes to Europe to fight on the war
Herein, Claudette Colbert (as Elizabeth MacDonald) is informed that husband Orson Welles (as John Andrew MacDonald) is a Great War causality.
After two decades, Welles goes home - but, he has a surgically altered face, and walks with a limp.Directed by Irving Pichel, Colbert and Welles are great fun to watch; with their fine performances, you can read some ambiguity into the film's ultimately flawed storyline (which has to do with recognition).
******* Tomorrow Is Forever (1/18/46) Irving Pichel ~ Claudette Colbert, Orson Welles, Richard Long.
This film features Claudette Colbert, Orson Welles, and an 8-year-old Natalie Wood in her first credited role, as well as a script written just after WWII ended which addresses the question of going off to war.
What first seems to be a story focusing on the pathos of seeing the love of one's life now living with someone else, quickly gives way to the stronger moments of the film, which center around their son (Richard Long) wanting to go off to war himself.
Reason must overcome emotionalism.That is made especially apparent in the scene where Kessler (Orson Welles) implicitly compares Mrs. Hamilton (Claudette Colbert) to his young charge, Margaret (Natalie Wood).
Claudette Colbert gives one of her most sincere performances as the loving wife who marries another (George Brent) when she is told her husband is dead, only to have him return years later, crippled and drastically changed, never revealing his true identity.The heartstrings are pulled rather heavily but it's all so well acted by Welles, Colbert and Brent that you can easily overlook some of the plot contrivances.
On the brink of World War II, a man believed killed in World War I returns in "Tomorrow is Forever," directed by Irving Pichel and starring Claudette Colbert, Orson Welles, George Brent, Richard Long, and Natalie Wood.
After her husband John's death in the first world war, Elizabeth (Colbert) finds out she's pregnant.
When "Dr. Kessler" (Welles), a scientist working with her husband, first appears at their home, Elizabeth doesn't realize it's John, who never returned to the U.S. because of his crippling, debilitating war wounds.
Wood, a blond here, is absolutely adorable and very accomplished, speaking German and then English with a German accent.Orson Welles is an actor whose magnificent presence, acting technique, and voice allowed him to basically phone in most roles - his whole purpose in movie acting was to make money for his film projects - but obviously Irving Pinchot didn't accept a phone-in from him.
It stars Claudette Colbert, George Brent and Orson Welles....so it's bound to be very good..
I always love films these folks are in--especially George Brent and Claudette Colbert.The film begins with a husband (Orson Welles) going off to fight in WWI.
Colbert has married a nice man (Brent) and the son she was expecting on Welles' death (Richard Long) thinks Brent is his actual father and they are a happy family.
She isn't a character actress and lacks the range of a Bette Davis, certainly, but her effortless portrayal of her own humanity always grounds the story, and she seems to catalyze and enhance the other performances (a rare and subtle talent).Rather than retell the story or cover similar ground, I will comment on a couple of points.I did feel that Colbert was convinced at the end by Welles that he was not her husband John, my only doubt being the denouement when her possession of his daughter, Natalie Wood, and her exit, is so perfunctory.
At the time I was on an Orson Welles kick and was interested in looking at films where he played lead roles but did not direct.
Elizabeth MacDonald (Claudette Colbert) is working there as a librarian for Lawrence Hamilton (George Brent) and his father.However, when she goes home that night to prepare for her husband's homecoming, she receives a telegram informing her that he had been killed in the war.
(It is as though John was acting as Drew's father in this ONE very important moment in Drew's life.)Orson Wells' performance in this movie is like discovering a hidden gem.
The richly textured story has to do with Colbert(Mrs. Hamilton/MacDonald) losing her husband (John MCDonald) in World War 1 and then having his son and marrying Lawrence Hamilton (George Brent) and having another son.
I quite agree with another poster who...going against the tide...said that his is not a typical tear jerker film, and that this film has many "layers" of depth.The plot involves husband (Orson Welles) who goes off to WWI, leaving behind wife (Claudette Colbert).
And Richard Long does well as the elder son (although, he seems quite different here than in most of his other roles).This is almost a great film...were it not for Colbert not recognizing the love of her live, I'd give it an "8" -- a rarity..
Of course, that's the point, he doesn't want his wife to recognize him, but one can't help thinking that his wife Elizabeth (Claudette Colbert) is better off with the smooth and sophisticated Lawrence Hamilton (George Brent).
Welles portrays John MacDonald, who dashes off to WWI, leaving behind his wife, Elizabeth (a teary Claudette Colbert).
Coffee screenplay, this heart tugging drama stars Claudette Colbert, Orson Welles (who gives the film's best, a most credible, acting performance), George Brent, Lucile Watson, Richard Long, Natalie Wood, and Ian Wolfe, among others.It's November 11, 1918 and "the Great War" has just ended. |
tt0038355 | The Big Sleep | (Because the film has a very complicated plot and features many characters, the events will be told mostly in chronological order to render the plot clearer, rather than strictly adhering to the order we see in the film.)General Sternwood has two daughters: the elder one is Vivian (Lauren Bacall) and the younger one is Carmen, who is a carefree, childish and problematic young woman.General Sternwood has a man named Sean Regan working for him. With the help of Sean, the general has made a man named Joe Brody leave Carmen alone, by giving him 5.000 Dollars.Carmen loves Sean but Sean loves the wife of a man named Eddie Mars, so he refuses Carmens advances. One day, Carmen kills Sean when she is drunk because of her unrequited love. Eddie hides Seans body. He then makes up the story that Sean and his wife have run away together and nobody sees Sean after that day. To support this story, he actually makes his own wife go away and start living in a remote place. Even the general doesnt know Seans whereabouts and wonders why he has left all of a sudden. Eddie then proceeds to blackmail Vivian for Carmens murder. As a way of eliciting money from Vivian, Eddie makes her win big money at his gambling house with cheats, and then he takes all the money from her.Carmens troublesome adventures are not over, though. A man named Arthur Gwynn Geiger blackmails General Sternwood to take the gambling debts of Carmen. The general hires Philip Marlowe (Humphrey Bogart) to get rid of Geigers blackmail. Vivian talks to Marlowe, thinking that her father has actually hired him to find Sean Regan. Afraid that Carmen may get into trouble, she tries to take words from Marlowes mouth about his inquiry. But she learns that her father has not actually hired Marlowe about Sean.Marlowe goes to Geigers so-called antique books shop and sees a woman named Agnes, who makes it impossible for him to talk to Geiger. Then Marlowe waits at the bookshop across the street until the evening and follows Geiger and his right arm Carol Lundgren to Geigers house. Before Marlowe gets in the house, however, important things happen. Owen Taylor, driver for the Sternwoods, is in love with Carmen. He goes to Geigers house with her and kills Geiger for her. A secret camera, however, takes Carmens photo just at the moment of the murder. Owen then takes the film from the hidden camera, gets in the car and goes away. Joe Brody, also present that night, follows Owen, takes the film from him to blackmail Carmen, (and most probably) kills Owen and pushes his car in the water.When Marlowe gets in Geigers house, he sees Carmen with the dead body of Gaiger lying on the ground. Marlowe takes Carmen home and tells Vivian to say that Carmen has been home all night if asked by anyone. When he goes back to Geigers house, he sees that his dead body has been taken away.Later, Owens dead body is found in the car in the water. He has been killed before falling into the water. Marlowe learns from Vivian that Owen was interested in Carmen. Vivian then tells Marlowe that somebody is blackmailing her for Carmens photo taken at the night of Geigers murder. The blackmailer, who wants 5.000 Dollars, is actually Agnes. It is Joe Brody that makes her blackmail Vivian. Vivian tells Marlowe that she can take the money from Eddie.When Marlowe meets with Carmen once again at Geigers house, she tells him that it was Joe who took her photo that night. Eddie comes along and tries to scare Marlowe out of his inquiries.Later, Marlowe finds Joe Brody and questions him about Geiger. Agnes and Vivian are also at his house. Carmen comes along with a gun and threatens to kill Joe if he doesnt give her the photo. Carmen takes the photo and she leaves with Vivian. Then the doorbell rings again and somebody kills Joe, then escapes. Marlowe catches the man, who turns out to be Carol (Geigers right arm), who thinks that it was Joe who killed Geiger. Marlowe and Carol then go to Geigers house. Marlowe calls his friend Bernie, who comes and takes Carol away for his murder.Marlowe meets Vivian, who gives him money to close the case, but Marlowe sees behind this and does not want to quit his inquiries. He has to solve the Sean Regan issue.A man named Harry Jones tries to sell Marlowe the name of the place where Sean can be found. The money is to be given to Agnes, who has seduced Harry before. Later, one of Eddies men, Canino, kills Harry, because the information he has given to Marlowe will reveal Eddies secret about Sean.Marlowe meets with Agnes. She tells him that she and Joe have seen Eddies wife and Canino together and followed them. She gives Marlowe the address for 200 Dollars.Marlowe goes to that address and is knocked unconscious by two men. When he wakes up, he is tied and Eddies wife is there. Marlowe learns the truth about Sean Regan: He did not run away with Eddies wife, he was already dead and it is only Eddies wife who is hiding away. The wife tries to defend Eddie, saying that it wasnt him who killed Sean. Marlowe tells her that Eddie is a blackmailer and she goes away. Vivian unties Marlowe and he kills Canino.Marlowe calls Eddie to meet with him at his house. Eddie comes with a lot of men but he enters the house alone. Marlowe confronts him with a gun and makes him confess his bad deeds. He drives him out of the house and Eddies men outside, thinking that the one getting out of the house is Marlowe, shoot Eddie. The men leave, thinking they have done their duty.Marlowe calls Bernie again and tells him that it was Eddie who killed Sean Regan. By saying this, he actually saves Carmen from arrestment. But he tells Vivian that she should take Carmen away from here and should try to reform her. Vivian understand that this means a separation between herself and Marlowe, who are by now very much interested in each other. The film ends vaguely about the future of the two lovers. | cult, mystery, murder, plot twist | train | imdb | There is a certain truth to this: like the Raymond Chandler novel on which it is based, the plot is extremely complicated, and it requires the viewer to mentally track an unexpected number of characters--including two characters that never appear on screen, a pivotal character who doesn't actually have any lines, and a character who is frequently mentioned but doesn't appear until near the film's conclusion.
Philip Marlowe would be played by a great many actors, but none of them ever bested Humphrey Bogart, who splendidly captures the feel of Chandler's original creation; with the role of Vivien Sternwood Lauren Bacall gives what might be the finest performance of her screen career; and the chemistry between the two is everything you've ever heard.
The pay's too small." - "She tried to sit in my lap while I was standing up." Bogie and Bacall get two of the best exchanges; they have a horse-racing discussion where racy double-entendres are dripping like savory sauce off of every word, and they also get a truly hilarious telephone conversation where Marlowe convinces Vivien not to call the police.But THE BIG SLEEP has a harder side that is also effective.
The movie is too unpredictable to generate much suspense (you can't dread something you don't know is going to happen), but the ending is one of the most intense, nailbiting scenes you'll ever see.The 1940s were not a great era for film music, which makes Max Steiner's brooding score all the more impressive.
With this movie a new kind of cinematic hero was created, the existential PI, a seemingly ordinary looking guy gifted with street smarts and easy courage, admired by men, and adored by women.Hawks fashioned this, part of the Bogart legend, with a noire script penned by William Faulkner, et al., adapted from Raymond Chandler's first novel, that sparkled with spiffy lines, intriguing characters, danger and a not entirely serious attention to plot detail.
Hawks surrounded Bogey with admiring dames, beginning with the sexy Martha Vickers who tries to jump into his lap while he's still standing (as Marlowe tells General Sternwood), and ending with the incomparable Lauren Bacall, looking beguiling, beautiful and mysteriously seductive.
In the book Marlowe seems to prefer whiskey to women.Most of the sharp dialogue comes right from Chandler's novel, including Bogart's grinning line, 'Such a lot of guns around town, and so few brains.' Interesting is the little joke on Bogart in the opening scene.
In the novel, Chandler's hero is greeted by the purring Carmen with the words, 'Tall, aren't you?' Well, the one thing Bogey ain't is tall, and so in the movie Carmen says, 'You're not very tall, are you?' Bogart comes back with, 'I try to be.' In the novel, Marlowe says, 'I didn't mean to be.'By the way, the film features Bacall singing a forties tune and looking mighty good doing it.(Note: Over 500 of my movie reviews are now available in my book "Cut to the Chaise Lounge or I Can't Believe I Swallowed the Remote!" Get it at Amazon!).
"The Big Sleep" is a story of blackmail, murder, multiple motives, lies, and all manner of general mayhem.Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall are certainly persuasive in their roles.
To some extent that vagueness and lack of precision are fairly common in 1940's pulp detective stories.The best approach to "The Big Sleep" is to engulf the relationship between Marlowe and Vivian, marvel at the acting of Bogie and Bacall, enjoy the witty dialogue, and ignore the discombobulated plot..
Seems as though a family chauffeur has gone missing a while back and the family is concerned on a number of levels.The plot glides into the question of the missing chauffeur and Bogart meets all kinds of interesting characters before all the mysteries are solved.The Big Sleep proved that the teaming on screen of Bogey and Bacall was no flash in the pan success that they had in Two Have and Have Not. They are surrounded with a great cast of players.
As he digs deeper Marlowe finds only corruption and deceit but also starts to fall for the General's eldest daughter, Vivian Rutledge.Despite the fact that this film is overly complicated at times, it still stands out as a classic bit of noir, even if aspects other than the plot are what really makes it as good as it is.
The support cast includes tough turns from Cook, Heydt and Ridgely all of whom convince as tough guys but not to the point where they threaten to eclipse the shining star of Bogart.Overall this is a classic film despite the fact that the plot is too difficult at times and doesn't always hang together.
The Big Sleep (1946)Even hardened film noir and Humphrey Bogart fans admit that this is one confusing movie.
It is, in fact, one of the great films of one of the screens greatest actors (for my personal top 10 actors list, click here), and most talented directors.It was directed by Howard Hawks fresh off of the successful pairing of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Becall in To Have and Have Not. The two star here again and it is easy to see why they made another two films together.
Marlowe connects the dots and is evolved by a complex network of blackmails and deaths while Vivian and he fall in love with each other."The Big Sleep" is a splendid film-noir, actually one of the best I have ever seen, directed by Howard Hawks with a magnificent story of blackmail and deaths and stunning performances.
Considered as a classic example of the film noir style, Howard Hawks' "The Big Sleep" is famous not only for the complexity of its convoluted plot, but for the high quality of its dialogs as well as the legendary coupling of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall.
This review of "The Big Sleep" is based on the 1946 final version, as personally I find it superior to the less convoluted original (but definitely less fun) cut.In "The Big Sleep", private detective Philip Marlowe (Bogart) makes a visit to Gen. Sternwood (Charles Waldron), an old handicapped man who has a mission for him.
But this death will only be the beginning.Based on Raymond Chandler's novel of the same name, "The Big Sleep" is definitely one wild ride to a dark world filled with gangsters, femme fatals, pornographers and drug addicts; in simple words, the epitome of Film Noir stories with the character of Philip Marlow as one of the genre's biggest icon.
It is in this series of dialogs where the magic of "The Big Sleep" is, as the focus on the relationship between the couple drives the movie and makes the complex ambiguity of the plot feel more accessible and enjoyable.As usual, Howard Hawks' direction is direct and straightforward, letting the dialogs to drive the movie but at the same keeping true to the Noir style of its hard boiled source novel.
Visually, the film is a textbook of how to make a movie in the Noir style, with the excellent cinematography by Sidney Hickox being a highlight of the movie, and the subtle yet appropriate score by Max Steiner creating the proper atmosphere of decadence that runs through the film as Marlowe gets deeper and deeper inside this dark world.Being that the screenplay makes the characters the main focus, the performances by the cast are essential for the film.
Bogart's portrayal of Raymond Chandler's best-known character, Phillip Marlowe, easily ranks as one of the icons of the Film Noir genre, in a legendary performance only equaled by Lauren Bacall's Vivan Sternwood.
It may seem at first that Hawks doesn't care too much for the plot (and on a second thought, maybe he really didn't), but in the end this overtly complex puzzle reflects what Marlowe himself is experiencing, and in many ways makes the audience to identify with the detective and his work trying to solve the mystery of who is blackmailing who.
Private detective Philip Marlowe (Humphrey Bogart) is hired by General Sternwood (Charles Waldron) to keep an eye on his youngest daughter Carmen (Martha Vickers) who has fallen into bad company.She has also got a mysterious and attractive sister called Vivian (Lauren Bacall).Soon there is some romance in the air and his life in danger.Howard Hawks' The Big Sleep (1946) does a fine job combining thriller with romantic feelings.The film is based on Raymond Chandler's novel from 1939).Humphrey Bogart does his detective role once again with style.He and Lauren Bacall had married each other the previous year.You can sense that in the amount of chemistry they share in their mutual scenes.Take them in the car for instance.They certainly were made for each other.John Ridgely plays Eddie Mars in the movie and he does a very nice job.And so does Peggy Knudsen as Mona Mars.Dorothy Malone is very pretty as Acme Bookstore proprietress.I enjoyed the scene between her and Bogie in the bookstore.Elisha Cook Jr. I remember from The Maltese Falcon and he does terrific job also here as Harry Jones.This really is a fine movie, a film-noir classic.Anybody who decides not to watch it because it's too old...It's your loss.
Although the movie includes impeccable dialogue and incredible acting by Bogart (Marlowe) and Bacall (Vivian Reagan) with a strong supporting cast, the scenes move so quickly it may take several watches to figure what is happening.
It could have helped me work out the complicated, mussy plot of 'The Big Sleep' better.But WHO CARES about plot when you have a super-stylish noir boasting shady, fascinating characters, Bogart and Bacall, a brilliant screenplay and a whole lot of humour.
Howard Hawks directed classic featuring Humphrey Bogart as Philip Marlowe, Lauren Bacall.
I've seen The Big Sleep a number of times over the years; it's a terrific movie with witty dialogue, a classic Bogie performance, and an unlikely number of hot women throwing themselves at the middle-aged detective.
The great flaw of the film is the story, which by the end is a jumbled, confused mess.I just watched the earlier version of the movie, before Lauren Bacall's agent begged the producer to add and re-shoot scenes because he was afraid the critics would trash her for her performance as they had in her previous film - or at ignore her in favor of Martha Tilton's flashy performance as the kid sister - and he wanted to see a replay of the magic of her first movie with Bogart, To Have and Have Not.The original version of the movie would, like the final version, have been a classic 40s detective movie with a great performance from Bogart and Howard Hawk's crackling direction.
The great thing about him was that he didn't seem like your typical heroic figure and that puts him right at home in the seedy environment of film noir where everybody seems kind of crooked, even the police.Though he played kind of heroic figures there was always a sinister quality to him and this is played out beautifully in this movie where he seems to be most comfortable with the villains rather than the more straight-laced characters.The plot of The Big Sleep is so complicated that you are often thinking that you are being put on.
Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall in this great Film-noir, with a magnificent direction by Howard Hawks!.
"The Big Sleep" is based on a novel by the greatest writer of the century, the lead role was given to the greatest and coolest actor of all-time and the director was one of the creators of noir films (remember "Scarface", 1932), together with John Huston and his "The Maltese Falcon".
With movies like "The Big Sleep" and "The Maltese Falcon", among others, private detective = Humphrey Bogart.
It really did.I mean, (with the hilarious way that all of the babes were literally falling into Bogart's arms, over and over again, and with so many of the bad guys being bumped off, left, right and centre, for no apparent reason) I certainly couldn't take this crime film's tale of drama at face value for even a minute.I clearly saw The Big Sleep as being played strictly for laughs.
Humphrey Bogart is Philip Marlowe, a private investigator called in to solve a blackmail case, and that's all you need to know because you just need to observe as Marlowe lurches from scene to scene, deeper and deeper into a convoluted mire that triumphs as each scene unfolds.One of the greatest detective films ever made, directed by a genius, starring another, and as dialogue goes it has few peers.
In this early Black and White the studio script written by equally famous William Faulkner, we have our hero Phillip Marlowe (Humphrey Bogart) contracted by rich, retired but concerned General Sternwood (Charles Waldron) to find his daughter Carmen's (Martha Vickers) missing boyfriend.
"The Big Sleep" begins with a plot setup that will bob and weave freely over its two hours: a millionaire is being blackmailed, and private eye Philip Marlowe (Humphrey Bogart) is called in to get to the bottom of it.
Ultimately, the best reasons to watch "The Big Sleep" have nothing to do with the plot--Bogart is well-cast as the quick-witted Marlowe, and Lauren Bacall (who was married to Bogart at the time) makes a fitting--albeit ice-cold--femme fatale, and Hawks skillfully directs a screenplay that seems confusing for its own sake.
Bogart's Marlowe is a far more realistic, less glamorized, version of the private eye: Ex-DA investigator; knowledgeable about things that only cops know; a lone wolf with his own code of morality; and the desire to do the right thing barely hidden under a veneer of cynicism and world weariness.Also, even though only 3 years elapsed between the making of the "Falcon" and "The Big Sleep," Bogie aged dramatically in those three years.This movie truly has it all: vintage 40's noir; the Bogart-Bacall mystique; superb supporting performers; an engrossing mystery populated with intriguing characters; and a marvelous capturing of the feel of old L.A.This one should be firmly ensconced in everyone's all time Top 10..
The truth is that Carman not Eddie Mars was responsible for Regan's murder when he left her for Eddie's wife Mora which drove the very mentally and emotionally unstable Carman to go off the deep end and murder him.P.S The remake of "The Big Sleep" in 1978 with Robert Mitchum playing Philip Marlow had a lot more cohesive plot and didn't confuse those watching the movie like the 1946 version did.
"The Big Sleep", a great film from great director Howard Hawks is complicated but good enough to be entertaining without understanding the plot.
This is one of the best movies Bogart ever did in the film-noir genre and in my opinion is a very close second-best Bogart-Bacall picture, the first one being "Key Largo".What was one of the best parts of this movie is that Howard Hawks shifts you over from one bad-guy to another making you believe he's the killer or the blackmailer but upon hearing the man's story, you can only be sure that he might be guilty of one act but not of another.Philip Marlowe (Bogart) is summoned by colonel Sternwood to investigate on a certain unknown person who has been blackmailing him and the whole story suddenly becomes a murder investigation.
i thought the movie would NEVER end.BIG SLEEP was actually better when Bacall was offscreen, and when other performers were the central focus of a scene rather than Bogart.
Good noire private eye film that does not concentrate on plot but more on a fantasy/artistic style of presentation via escapist flow and very comic book like dialgue.It's power is in it's serious presentation and snappy dialogue fans of the genre will truly enjoy.Also,the lead actors did a great job giving life to their characters.To be a masterpiece,this film could have had a better screenply though.Do not try too hard to understand the mystery.The art here is in the ATMOSPHERE which later (same genre) movies immitated.If not a fan of this genre,you will still be entertained if you are a big fan of the lead actors.......
Each character tends to his goal in the universal mysteries and permanent plots.Humphrey Bogart as Philip Marlowe is the element that makes this movie a lot better.
Despite its widely regarded convoluted plot, The Big Sleep ranks among the best film noirs of all-time.Private detective Philip Marlowe (Humphrey Bogart) is summoned to the Sternwood mansion.
A scene that explains the plot towards the end with two characters, the police commissioner and the district attorney, was removed completely from the final version of the film.Prior to The Big Sleep, Howard Hawks directed To Have and Not Have in 1944, starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall in her film debut.
Many of Martha Vickers' scenes were removed to boost Bacall's performance.The Big Sleep is a film noir well worth seeing.
A-list newlyweds Bogart and Bacall play detective Phillip Marlowe and mysterious lady 'Vivian Sternwood Rutledge' in this excellent adaption of Raymond Chandler's eponymous book.
Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall star in "The Big Sleep," a 1946 film which also features Martha Vickers, Regis Toomey, John Ridgeley, and Elisha Cook, Jr. Briskly directed by Howard Hawks, this film has more characters and more plots going on than can ever be described here.
But you have to think when watching the Big Sleep.The best part is Philip Marlowe, played by the legendary Humphrey Bogart.
Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall made screen history together more than once, but they were never more popular than in this 1946 adaptation of Raymond Chandler's novel, directed by Howard Hawks (To Have and Have Not).
"The Big Sleep" is a classic film noir that centres on P.I. Philip Marlowe (Humphrey Bogart).
I was able to follow it without any problems but you've been advised to pay close attention.In the end, "The Big Sleep" makes for an entertaining film noir with some excellent work from Humphrey Bogart. |
tt0414993 | The Fountain | At its core, The Fountain is the story of a 21st-century doctor, Tom Creo (Hugh Jackman), losing his wife Izzi (Rachel Weisz) to cancer in 2005. As she is dying, Izzi begs Tom to share what time they have left together, but he is focused on his quest to find a cure for her.
While he's working in the lab, she writes the story entitled the "fountain" about 16th century Queen Isabella losing her kingdom to the Inquisition while her betrothed, conquistador Tomás Verde, plunges through the Central America forest in Mayan territory, searching for the Tree of Life offering immortality for his Queen and their love.
As she does not expect to see it, Izzi asks Tom to finish the outcome of the story for her. As they look out to the star of a nebula, she imagines, as the mayans did, that their souls will meet there after life and when the star goes supernova. In the 26th century, future space traveler Tommy travels there for the event, in a spaceship made of an enclosed biosphere containing the Tree of Life he seeded above her grave.
The three story lines are told nonlinearly, each separated by five centuries. The three periods are interwoven with match cuts and recurring visual motifs; Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz play the main characters for all three narratives. Even within a given narrative, the elements of that particular story are not told in chronological order.
Whether the actions in these stories are actual events, or symbolic, is not clarified; and, director Darren Aronofsky emphasized that the storylines in their time periods and their respective convergences were open to interpretation. The director has said of The Fountain's intricacy and underlying message, "[The film is] very much like a Rubik's Cube, where you can solve it in several different ways, but ultimately there's only one solution at the end." In a 2012 interview outlining the path of life depicted, Aronofsky stated that "ultimately the film is about coming to terms with your own death" oftentimes driven by love.
=== Tomás the conquistador ===
The film opens with conquistador Tomás Verde in New Spain fighting a horde of Mayans to gain entry into a pyramid, where he is attacked by a Mayan priest with a flaming sword. Through flashbacks, it is revealed that the conquistador has been commissioned by Queen Isabella of Spain to travel to the New World in search of the fountain of youth or Biblical Tree of Life and immortality. If Tomás can find it, she is convinced that she can put an end to the struggle between herself and an influential cleric during the Spanish Inquisition who is attempting to stop her search and usurp the throne. Isabella vows to spend eternity with Tomás upon his return, citing a correlation with Adam and Eve. When Tomás arrives at his destination, he finds that his fellow knights are exhausted and refuse to continue searching for the Tree of Life. A Franciscan monk discovers the location of the temple, but is killed while Tomás represses the mutiny amongst his officers. As the priest dies, he gives Tomás a ceremonial dagger and directs him towards the pyramid. Once he arrives at the pyramid, Tomás and his men are ambushed and Tomás is captured. He is forcefully directed to the top of the pyramid, and engages in combat with a Mayan priest wielding a flaming sword. Tomás is stabbed in the stomach, but just as the priest is about to kill him, future Tommy appears before the figurehead. The priest believes Tomás is the "First Father", apologizes and asks Tomás to usher him down the path of awe by slitting his throat. Tomás sacrificially kills the priest and proceeds to a pool with a large tree; convinced this is the Tree of Life. Tomás applies some of its sap to his torso and is cured of his stab wound. He drinks the sap flowing from the bark. But in a reenactment of the Mayan creation myth told earlier in the film, flowers and grass burst forth from his body and he literally gives rise to new life.
=== Tom the neuroscientist ===
Tom Creo is a doctor working on a cure using samples of the "Tree of Life", found through exploration in Central America, which are being tested for medicinal use for degenerative brain diseases in his lab in 2005. He is motivated by his wife Izzi's brain tumor, which has caused a rapid decline in her health. Izzi has used this time to assess the implications of death and comes to terms with her mortality, but Tom refuses to accept that she might die and has increasingly resolved to find a cure. She has written a book which apparently tells the story of Tomás the conquistador, but when she collapses at a museum, she becomes convinced that she won't live long and asks Tom to write the final chapter and "finish it". She dies shortly thereafter and Tom dedicates himself to curing not only her disease, but death itself. His colleagues fear that this drive has made him reckless, but they support him scientifically and emotionally at Izzi's funeral. As a final inspiration of love and devotion, Tom plants a sweetgum seed at Izzi's grave in the manner of a story she told him relating how a Mayan guide's dead father lived on in a tree nourished by the organic nutrients of the buried body.
=== Tommy the space traveler ===
This narrative for Tommy is set in deep space in a small, self-contained biosphere bubble spaceship. Jackman's character in this plot is alone, flying in outer space toward the golden nebula of Xibalba with a large tree and a few personal effects comprising his ship. While traveling, he meditates, performs t'ai chi, grows mushrooms and cuts pieces of bark from the tree for nourishment. He also converses with apparitions of Izzi. It is implied that the tree within the biosphere also represents Izzi and that Tommy has been transporting it to Xibalba with the hope that she will be restored to him. Tommy is also shown to have applied extensive, incremental tattooed ring patterns to both of his arms similar to the tattoo of his engagement ring from Izzi in 2006; it is implied that the tattoos mark the passage of time on his journey in 2500.
At the climax of the film, to Tommy's horror the tree finally dies just before arrival, as Izzy had also died just before a cure. A final apparition of Izzi appears, comforting Tommy in the face of his accepted impending death and suggesting that they may share an afterlife now. He finally understands and embraces his death, moments before the star goes supernova, engulfing the ship and everything within. The traveler's body is absorbed, but the tree flourishes back to life being engulfed by the star dying inside the nebula. Izzi's apparition picks a fruit from the new tree of life and hands it to Tom, the present-day neuroscientist, who plants it in Izzi's grave. | murder, thought-provoking, violence, alternate reality, atmospheric, flashback, psychedelic, philosophical, inspiring, romantic, historical, sentimental | train | wikipedia | More movies should cut down their running times like this; because there is not a wasted moment in The Fountain from start to finish, despite the movie still moving at an gregariously slow pace.
Five hundred years later, Tom travels through space on a quest to reach the place of tranquility that Izzi spoke fondly of, using the Tree as a device to get him to the answers he needs to rest his weary mind....In performances that can only be described as exquisite, Jackman and Weisz assist their director in opening up this knotty story through their soulful and romantic interpretations of desperation and peace.
Weisz is the face of love in "The Fountain," lending the film a flowering emotional core of the film.The Fountain" is masterful on so many unique levels, presenting a demanding filmgoing experience that should elicit a grand sense of awe on an emotional and spiritual level unlike anything you've seen this year.Aronofsky has out done himself again.....
I see a purity in the representation of first man and first woman, a purity that allows me to see the characters as archetypes that resemble the spiritual forces that have driven us for our eternity.Ebert said that it is a standard critical practice not to create a fiction that was not implicit within the film; but with a film like The Fountain, there are so many interpretations and meanings...deep thoughts linger in me while I watch, an ocean of experiences that dwells inside me, calm and enveloping.
All I knew beforehand was that the film was a science fiction and that it starred Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz (actors whom I like).
It won't be liked by many as so many of it is left to interpretation with a lot of questions but for me it's fascinating and is all a movie-watching experience should be..
Cynical hacks might decry this as a mawkish, facile rumination of saccharine proportions, but despite the sentimental themes, the film is never cloying, opting instead for a (sur)realistic portrayal of the nuances of one of life's most powerful emotions.The casting was superb: Rachel Weisz and Hugh Jackman are outstanding in their roles, with both offering utterly believable performances.
In fact, the segment (not scene; the story is split across three time periods) using the bulk of the effects is probably the shortest.Aronofsky ambitiously tackles heavy themes and concepts and he does it in a little over 90 minutes.
I've only seen this film once.The Fountain has three story lines: one set in the past, one in the present, and one set ostensibly in the future.
But going into the film open-minded, and just taking it all in (the beautiful cinematography/visual effects, powerful writing, wonderful direction) you'll no doubt have the time of your life.
If I see either of them on the street I will feel compelled to offer a handshake.I am convinced Darren Aronofsky is going to be regarded as one of the elite directors of our time before his career comes to an end.Overall, this movie is layered in intriguing elements.
At the same time, two more stories unfold, one in ancient Spain and the other in space, all somehow linked, presenting the idea of a man who seeks eternal life with his beloved.It's an unique movie, one which presents three apparently different stories but which all have the same core concept.
It tries to present the spiritual part of the story, but it somehow left the feeling that it wasn't all that connected as it should have been.All in all, I really liked this movie.
The Fountain was not entertaining, and the only thought it provoked was "How did this get a 7.8 rating on IMDb(as of this writing) and why didn't we leave the theater half an hour into the movie like the three people behind us?" Contrasting modern characters against characters from 16th Century Spain, and then throwing in a bunch of Zen and psychedelic imagery does not make the movie "deep." Nor does it make up for a shoddy, disconnected plot.
I've read, with great interest, the various interpretations and comments on The Fountain and while I appreciate that the film was open to interpretation and probably deserves re-watching to appreciate its finer points, I can't help feeling that it was left so open as to be almost utterly incomprehensible (assuming one was watching it without the synopsis to hand).
Seriously, this movie tried to hard to be art-house intelligent, that at least 10 well read and emotionally retarded Starbucks baristas must have been consulted during filming.Anyhow, this movie is pretentious, obvious nonsense made for that part of society that likes to stretch 4 sentences of plot into 2 hours of ridiculous pseudo intellectual posturing.
I did enjoy parts of the "conquistador" storyline, but other than those 10 minutes, I spent the rest of the time, as did the other 4 movie buffs who watched it with me, in disbelief that projects like this get funded.
I've come to the conclusion that people who enjoy movies like these enjoy them strictly because A) They make you "think" (which granted, is a good thing, but I much prefer PBS, books, and the news for that type of programming also, this movie gets tagged as being "intellectual", but I'm having a hard time figuring out how the retelling of different ancient creation myths makes this film "smart"), and B) it's "cool" to like artsy garbage with little to no substance.
I regress.I had all the intentions in the world to write a nice long rant regarding why I disliked this film, with specific references, but I have just realized that I would lose more of my time with this horrible and egocentric "masterpiece".Unless you enjoy pretentious existential story lines and film-making, please avoid this thing like the plague.
(Okay, the visuals are pretty good, and I'd be okay with someone saying "great visuals, crap movie", but visuals alone do not make a film - not by half.)As for the story?
Trying to confuse your audience when you have the simplest of things to say does not make a film profound!) You will find yourself asking, 'Why couldn't this story have been told in ten minutes.' An agonizing watch..
There is something unique about this film in that not only does its plot and script not deliver, but the performances Jackman and Wiesz are completely and utterly uninteresting, despite their working overtime in the acting department - no matter how much Jackman weeps and smashes things up over the limp Weisz the film remains utterly uninteresting.Ultimately the overriding pseudo-intellectual pomposity wins over the powerful premise of the film and the terminal anti-climax left me absolutely unfulfilled.Trust me, folks, this film is not worth the money nor the time and effort - and I have found merit in The Toxic Avenger.
It is my belief that the modern section is real and that the other two exist within the book this explanation helped me as it allowed me to focus on the emotion and themes within these sections rather than trying figure out the exact narrative reason for a bald man inside a spaceship that looks like a bubble.By doing this I was left with a film that I found interesting from start to finish, with the theme of movement from life to death and perhaps rebirth being one that was explored visually as much as it was in the material.
The space sequences will catch the eye most but I was just as impressed with the use of light in the present-day scenes as the use of distant light, being just out of the light etc was an excellent visual extension of the theme.As I expected, on the surface of it this is not an easy film to crack and, although not inaccessible, it is understandable why it didn't rip in a massive mainstream audience.
My problem is that it's so laden with clumsy and pretentious transcendental metaphors, delivered in that non- linear style, that it just ended up annoying me by totally undermining my ability to immerse myself in the movie and connect with the characters.For me, this film is overrated and just isn't my cup of tea at all..
when he was in his 'meditative-ninja' pose, floating in a bubble or when he was making out with the hairy tree).I think that Hugh Jackman cried in every scene, and every time he kissed something there was a lot of spit and it was gross.After the movie was over, I looked at my friend, she looked at me, and we laughed for about five minutes in the theater.
I am an avid movie goer, and I have to say this is the worst film I've seen in a long time.
It was just feeling a part of something that I can't explain, and I think the movie is something quite remarkable for being able to do that.I don't particularly feel like commenting on the performances of this film or the visuals because that is all anyone has been talking about lately.
The Fountain is a film of its own narrative and a very original one at that, I would argue, so it is no wonder why audiences are divided, but the critics are people who should be used to this kind of thing if they are true movie critics.
At the end of The Fountain I was definitely left with more questions than answers, and not necessarily in the greatest grandiose '2001' way either (befuddlement does need a little more rhythm then what comes out towards the end).But, as I said, I really did get very much involved with the picture, and the struggle of Tommy (Hugh Jackman, in one of his best performances), to try in the present day to find a cure for tumors, in order to possibly save his wife Izzi (Rachel Weisz, very lovely if not as compelling overall as in something like Constant Gardener).
There's an element of the movie the Neverending Story, I felt, that came into the movie quite well, as Tommy starts to read a book Izzi is writing about a Spanish conquistador in a search for her Queen (also Jackman and Weisz respectfully), called the 'Tree of Life', as said in the Bible.
Even for whatever (I think) it was trying to accomplish, it was just cumbersome and felt sloppy.I have never used drugs, but I imagine the experience to be something like watching this film.
The story is about timeless topics like life, death, love, faith, hope, all which conjure big emotions that are brilliantly expressed by both Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz.
You most likely have read the reviews, and are aware of the lead characters and the 3 time-lines.And that's where the impossibility of reviewing a movie like this shows itself, everything in this film is intertwined, and has hard to grasp as some famous Escher (whose known for his mind boggling pieces) art works.
Their have been a lot of advances in technology in film over the past decade, this is the first movie I've ever seen that has used that technology to create an emotional and dramatic effect instead of just a shock and awe spectacle.
Also some person of non-film value would tell me, "You won't like it, it's a waste of time" Did I ask him for his review?
This is one of the best movies I've seen in a long time and I now understand why the manager at blockbuster didn't like it.
I don't believe you need to understand the movie first time round, (if anytime) but experience it, let it take you for the ride.Loved it, have now watched all of Aronofsky's work on the back of this..
Put simply, The Fountain isn't likely going to be in the top 10 worst movie list you've ever seen, but that doesn't mean it isn't bad.
Just when you think the film has given you all that it has to offer it surprises you with more and more amazing revelations.To deny yourself a movie like this would be a heinous act.
It may make it easier to understand, because before I first saw this movie, I saw the trailer, and it confused many people, including myself because it made it seem like Jackman and Weisz were traveling through time and space.
The director went out of his way to make Hugh as ugly as he could; not only physically, but as a shallow person.I can see this movie being redone with all of that in mind and make a true work of art in cinema by taking away the emptiness of this movie and filling it up with plot and acting that leaves you fulfilled instead of being left wanting for an actual story with some meat to it.
'The Fountain (2006)' comes close to pretentious portent, often feeling more like a collection of well-crafted images than a cohesive set of scenes in an actual narrative, but ultimately Aronofsky's personal yet eclectic tale of a man fighting back against the prospect of death is never dull nor meaningless.
I can't believe for a second that there weren't people around Aronofsky who thought this movie was completely indigestible bilge; unfortunately, none of them had the balls to tell him so.In "The Fountain," Hugh Jackman plays some sort of doctor in the near future who is engaged in research to slow the aging process (or something -- I was never entirely clear on this point).
So, while I see the great things in this film such as the acting and visuals I just can't get past the horribly drawn out story that in the end left me unfulfilled and confused.If you are looking for a deep and convoluted movie of romance with just a touch of action then you should check this out.
To top it all off, the movie absolutely REFUSES to end, so that even though it has a short running time (hardly over an hour and a half), it feels like Aronofsky was actually the one who found the formula for eternal life (and gave it to his movie!).
'The Fountain' really is a film that you have to think about to receive most rewarding movie experience, and multiple viewings are sure to be beneficial in understanding the intricacies of the plot and themes.
The message is clear, the story can be confusing at times, and it's almost open for interpretation by the end.This movie is truly visual poetry.
Anyone wanting twists and turns and an unexpected conclusion is going to be disappointed too, as above, you spend the film hoping for a good twist or original idea, and don't get any.Just because an awful lot of people are giving it 10/10 does not mean this is worth £6.99 of your money, all it means is they saw how pretty the visuals are and most likely didn't understand it (and how shallow and naive the plot was), ergo it must be amazing.
Very touching story and images.Another part of me felt the movie tried to spin way too much and at times seemed confusing.
to those who haven't watched it.....Don't BOTHER!Hugh Jackman is a good actor and i have watched most of his movies but WHAT THE HELL WAS HE THINKING THIS TIME?!i mean there was SOO much confusion!
While it is no doubt an excuse for some awe-inspiring visual creations, every time Aronofsky cuts to another storyline more distance is drawn between the audience and the characters in the movie.The plot, if you can follow this, involves a driven doctor (Jackman) trying to develop a cure for death.
Let me try to explain how good "the best movie of all times" is and put it like this: If I had to choose one movie to watch before I die, it would be "The Fountain".If You allow it, it will reach the deepest part of your heart and soul.
I'm having a hard time memorizing all the names of the reviewers here that think this is a wonderful movie, so I can avoid anything they recommend.The Fountain is one of the worst films I've ever seen.
This is easily the best movie I've ever seen.The Fountain takes the viewer on a journey though spiritual concepts, amazing scenarios and a very touching plot.Much of The Fountain touched my personal views and experiences in a very profound way and opened me to ways of thinking and visualization that I had never approached before.This has had a deep impact on me; anyone of such virtues as honor, love and coolness will appreciate The Fountain.
If you want a movie that makes you think and question life, death, and the journey for solace days after seeing it, then go see The Fountain.
Darren, in this movie was able to touch the feeling of everybody who was open minded enough to look at film-making in different way!
Because it's really very inspiring and touching.I'm learning film-making now, and I've watched this movie 3 times so far.
I find 2001 and Tree of Life perplexing movies, and like The Fountain they are not movies for everybody but I think important films.
There will be some people who will finish the movie trying to figure out what it all means, others like me will be rewarded by its effective scenes and ambitious themes.
Scenes such as Jackman trying to find a cure for his wife's cancer, saving the Spanish queen from destruction by searching for the Fountain of Youth and sitting like Buddha beneath his cosmic tree really stand out, and the film does much with the ambitious and difficult-to-define themes of life, death, love and immortality.The performances are excellent, with both Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz giving some of their best work of their careers here.
One of the most beautiful films about love and life I have ever seen. |
tt0419946 | The Marine | In Iraq, John Triton (John Cena) of the United States Marine Corps is closing in on an al-Qaeda hideout, where a group of terrorists are preparing to behead several hostages. Disregarding direct orders to wait for reinforcement, Triton attacks the extremists and rescues the hostages. The next morning, his colonel informs Triton that he is being honorably discharged for disobeying direct orders.
Home from Iraq, Triton finds it hard to settle back into normal life. He is fired from his job as a security guard for using excessive force on an employee's ex-boyfriend and his bodyguards. Triton's wife Kate (Kelly Carlson) decides the two need a vacation to help Triton adjust to his new life. Meanwhile, criminal Rome (Robert Patrick) robs a jewelry store with his gang: girlfriend Angela (Abigail Bianca), Morgan (Anthony Ray Parker), Vescera (Damon Gibson), and Bennett (Manu Bennett). Rome is in collusion with an anonymous partner, with whom he is planning on sharing the profits from the diamonds. On the run, the gang stops at a gas station where Triton and Kate have stopped. When two policemen arrive to buy gas, Morgan shoots and kills one of the officers, causing Rome to shoot the other officer while Angela kills the gas station attendant. When Triton reacts to Kate being kidnapped, Bennett knocks him out. Triton regains consciousness and gives chase in the policemen's car. The chase leads to a lake, where Triton falls out of the patrol car and into the lake, seemingly to his death.
Rome and his gang walk through a swamp to avoid the police. Kate tries to escape several times. Triton emerges from the lake to find Detective Van Buren, who is pursuing the gang. Van Buren denies Triton permission to pursue the gang, but Triton heads into the swamp anyway. After an altercation between Morgan and Vescera, Rome decides to kill Vescera. Rome gets a call from his anonymous partner, and Rome tells him that he intends to cut the partner out of the deal.
The gang arrives at a lodge and decide to rest there for the time being. Meanwhile, Triton is kidnapped by two fugitives who believe he is a police officer looking for them. He subdues them and tracks the gang to the lodge. He kills Morgan and Bennett then drags the bodies under the lodge, where he again meets Detective Van Buren.
Kate rushes out of the lodge, but Angela attacks and recaptures her. Meanwhile, Triton enters the lodge and finds himself face-to-face with Rome and his gun. Van Buren enters the room but points his gun at Triton, revealing himself to be the anonymous partner. Rome opens fire on Triton, who uses Van Buren as a human shield, killing him. Rome makes his escape and joins up with Angela and Kate before firing at a gasoline tank and blowing up the lodge. Triton makes a narrow escape, having been blown into the swamp.
Rome escapes in Van Buren's car, but abandons it due to a police tracking device. Angela seduces then kills a truck driver for his truck. Triton is arrested by a marine patrol officer, but steals the officer's vessel after handcuffing him. He races to the marina that is Rome's destination, jumping on Rome's truck, throwing Angela into the windshield of an oncoming bus, killing her and spilling the diamonds. Rome scrapes Triton off the truck by driving into the side of a building, careening through a warehouse, then leaps out just before the truck crashes into a lake. Triton then stumbles out, leaving Rome in the fiery warehouse, then rescues Kate, who is drowning in the truck. A badly-burned Rome returns and tries to choke Triton with a chain. Triton kills Rome by breaking his neck with the chain. The film ends with Triton and Kate kissing as the police arrive. | good versus evil, violence, comedy, action, murder | train | wikipedia | 1 for Kelly Carlson and her hair, 1 for Robert Patrick and his lines, 1 for the guns, fights and explosions, 1 for the cat-fight and 1 for giving me hope that one day someone will give me a multimillion dollar budget to make my own action movie..
I wouldn't have minded if the characters had simply begun shooting themselves, just so that we'd all be put out of our misery.I wanted this to be a fun movie - I like a fun, cheesy action film as much as the next person - but this movie didn't even try.
Cena's acting made the Marine hard to watch.Also, When a movie sucks, the only resort to try and win over people is to....yep, explosions.
The Marine is just a silly film by WWE simply to entertain it's fan base and further it's empire.For one to judge The Marine you need to take into account that this film was intended to entertain action fans with a no brainer,cheesy,action,popcorn flick and as a popcorn flick The Marine succeeds.John Cena is actually a good actor and he played his invincible,heroic,one man strike force character to perfection as did Robert Patrick with his absolutely hilarious character.The Marine has the most unbelievable stunts and at some times they are almost unbearably bad.The fight sequences are great,very intense,very hardcore, but the explosions and special effects are brutally unrealistic and cheesy.The film also has some of the most annoying,campy,corny, dialog ever captured on film.It's so bad you feel like you're re-watching 1997's Batman and Robin.As a follower of pro wrestling I'm aware that John Cena currently has a love/hate relationship with WWE fans.Females and Adolescents love Cena while Males hate him.My guess is that The Marine was made in order to change male fans opinions by making an action film that generally appeals to them.However judging by the overall IMDb rating WWE failed to do so.I wouldn't necessarily say THe Marine is a bad film but it is incomparable and can't compete with mainstream action films like The Transporter,Crank,or District B13 however if you enjoy direct to DVD action flicks that have a thin storyline but some great action scenes like Special Forces or Belly Of The Beast than The Marine is more suited to you.It's definitely not the worst film ever made and I think for the most part it's because it doesn't take itself seriously and admits it's a popcorn flick.Overall The Marine is just silly action much like wrestling and much like wrestling the characters are whacky and at times unbelievable..
First, the whole story line with the Marine Corps is very unrealistic (don't want to spoil anything here), there a lot of big explosions, but acting is just very wooden.
WWE champion John Cena makes his acting debut in WWE Films' "The Marine".
The Marine does what it was meant to, it entertains the audience with unrealistic action and explosions.John Cena can not act outside of the squared circle.
Everything in this movie is amazing from the acting to the directing to the special affects I think John Cena should win some type of award for this film.
There are a lot of muscular leading actors these days like Vin Diesel, The Rock, and Michael Clarke Duncan but none of them compare to John Cena.This movie has everything in it like some of the GREATEST fight scenes and it's even a good love movie.
Cue one semi-sex scene, at the start of which I was thinking, "Can this get any worse?" and then - as if by magic - we were spared the senseless soft porn and the film picked up.Cena takes a job as a security guard but things don't work out as planned (though they're certainly entertaining), and he and his wife decide to take some time away from it all.Cute.Oh, wait, because Cena - just coming back from a tour of duty in Afghanistan, which saw him being dismissed from the Core - has seen too much sand lately (or words to that effect) and they opt for a trip to the mountains instead - a decision which leads to his wife being taken hostage by a group of diamond smugglers with a penchant for killing people at random.It's all been fun up to this point (if only somebody would have re-edited the title and chopped off the opening scene) and the tongue-in-cheek, over-the-top action suddenly goes into over-drive - much to my complete satisfaction.Unrealistic?
Take it all with the extra pinch of salt it was intended to be seen with and you might just even find yourself enjoying it too.Oh, and in what other films does one hear terrific lines like, "Does everything have to be racial with you?"In order to know what I mean by that, you'll just have to watch it, but it's something I've expressed in the past to many a lip-kissing sound, so kudos for leaving the great satire in..
You know what you are going to get before you hit the play button and your not disappointed.I hope John Cena will struggle on and take the old school action back to the screen!.
As a fan of John Cena I was looking forward to seeing this movie, while its not a perfect 10 blockbuster it has lot of redeeming qualities that make it a joy to watch, one of which is the twisted humor shown by the robbers that makes you almost feel guilty for laughing.
Cena, much like Stallone or Schwarzanegger, isn't going to win any awards or dramatic leads, but as far as action films go his acting was solid.
Enormous potential for a funny trash movie.If you read some of the best reviews here you'll find a lot of hilarious comments like "John Cena is an excellent actor".
If this guy was serious, and the way he wrote it would imply so, then we're in dire need of some obligatory school lessons about funny action movies 2) Pure '80 fun.
Because "The Marine", an action movie starring John Cena, Robert Partick, Kelly Carlson and some other useless wannabe actors doesn't even try to be ironic or make fun of itself as it should; in fact, it tries to be a serious action movie.
It's wonderfully bad.The film stars WWE "Superstar" John Cena, portraying ex-Marine John Triton, who has recently been discharged following a messy mission in which he disobeyed direct orders.
And Robert Patrick makes for a deliciously hate-able villain whose just too much fun on-screen.But really, that's where the "quality" ends and the wonderful camp- factor begins.From the opening credits- a hilariously over-the-top "patriotic" bit of animation of Triton giving a superhuman-speed salute atop a massive American flag- you know this film is either trying way too hard or not hard enough...
The constant nature of the explosions becomes so hilarious, you could easily turn it into a drinking game and get well-and-plastered, because I'm not joking- just about ever other scene ends with a massive fireball explosion.Add to that cringe-worthy dialog (just wait till you hear the "Rock Candy" exhange), wonky CGI, bad effects work and some really laughably bad performances by supporting actors, and you have a recipe for disaster.But somehow (I'm guessing because of the entertainingly-bad explosions and action), that disaster becomes a beautiful visage of camp- awfulness.I give "The Marine" an 8 out of 10 just for the rampant laughs it supplies audiences.
if the last was what you expected then you where very lucky, This film is plain dumb popcorn entertainment, just as it should be, i really can enjoy a good movie, but at the times i like over the top action like this one here!
great fun too watch, it serves its purpose maximum, a brainless action movie for guys with lots of shooting.
The Marine is a perfect action film because the pulse-pounding sequences lean toward clarity, and keep up an exhilarating speed without letting things slow down and get boring.The Marine cranks the dial up to comic book proportions making the action much bigger and better then the average action flick.One of its defining characteristics is that it all looks very real and the acting feels very real and genuine.John Cena brings his trademark charisma and street thug antics to the film that wouldn't be nearly as entertaining without those characteristics.Basically this film is for people who want an adrenaline rush.It's a live-action video game that action fans who don't mind a few explosions will find entertaining..
Good old action movie, basic plot but not much time wasted on it, patriotic and above all FUN!
The acting was actually not so bad considering this was Cena's first movie he did a good job.
I mean really when you watch you'll notice that most of Cena's scene's are pretty short simply because of his limited acting experience on the big screen, but when he is there he's pretty darn good I thought.
John Cena and Robert Patrick perform admirably in their respective good guy, bad guy roles.
Maybe if you like pure action movies, just seeing stuff blow up and car chases, I'd tell you that you could find better things on YouTube.
I'll look for authenticity in high art films like Flags of our Fathers, but not in action flicks.I think The Marine is fun and highly entertaining.
Starting the charismatic John Cena who is perfect in his role, John Triton (or The Terminator you may call),with great supporting roles like Kelly Carlson and Robert Patrick.
The acting was great in this movie and john cena really surprised me with this debut effort.
I'm a WWE fan, but I rate the movies honestly, I give The Marine an 8 because it is a non-stop action movie, with a good storyline, and it has some really creative, original and awesome scenes...
Also, don't judge the movie on whether or not you like John Cena as a wrestler...it's definitely worth watching, WWE fan or not....
I M an action film enthusiast,and i v seen a lot of actions really go bad with all the action muddled up-and the action sequences tailgated by lack of decorum-example,how come john cena ,isn't fractured by the hail of bullets coming from the bad guys in front?and then how come,Robert Patrick isn't whipped to high heavens in the car bomb explosion?i rate it one of the best films for this year!it made no 6 on the box office America-despite the former criticism-and,who cares if they didn't use or utilize a real marine -to help keep the plot seamlessly flawless?i think Americans are beguiled by too much action-and this film is merely a representation of that violent-flick culture-the visual effects and the stunts,story line,acting,and the action-fight sequences are all merely symbolic of a culture that refuses to die hard-so,its one heck of a movie-really believable-and for both CENA,and Bonito-both first-timers-i give it an adrenaline charged thumbs up!.
I think that John Cena did a really great job in making this movie.
All of you people have no damn taste in movies the marine is one of the best movies i have seen in a long time storyline was good everyone was good in it and the action was awesome i don't know where you people come from talking about how this was a bad movie it was an awesome movie you don't know what its like trying to please a bunch of snotty nosed rednecks who think they know everything about everything try watching the whole movie before you start judging people scenes and story lines because personally john cena played a great role in the movie and people don't give him credit where credit is due because it takes a lot of guts to do what he does everyday in the ring and what he did in this movie to please ungrateful people so from now on keep ya negative comments to yourself.
My hubby and I were just floored by the bad lines and obvious jokes, and we kept saying "WHAT?!" We are not WWF fans, so we had no idea who John Cena was, and I am sorry to read so MANY posts by Marines of the inaccuracies in the portrayal of (stupidly simple things!!)stuff the writers/director got wrong.
(I love a good bad "B" movie) My big disappointment was that Robert Patrick did not utter this line when his men failed to kill our hero: "Do I have to turn myself into a knife and kill him myself?" or "I was once made of liquid metal.
This is an action thriller meant just for fun....not to convey social messages, except maybe - never join hands with criminals.WWE star John Cena plays John, ex marine fired from the army because he disobeys orders to save prisoners in Iraq.
On return, unemployed John soon gets hooked on a chase, going after ruthless diamond thieves who have taken his wife as hostage and will stop at nothing to save her.The story is very simple, acting is good, action scenes are well shot and very fast moving.
I have, perhaps sadly, seen far worse than The Marine in my time.John Cena seems a little ill at ease at first but grows into the character of John Triton(I have to admit that is a pretty cool name)in the latter two thirds of the film.
I personally like John Cena, but the movie itself really isn't that great.
If you like big fire balls you will love this movie..plus John doesn't look too bad either..
What makes this a great action movie is that it's so over the top, but acts like it's the most natural thing in the world.
Full of action I enjoyed this film by John Cena it shows how good of an actor he really it.
i went to see this movie on the day it started.it was the best movie i have seen in along time.i loved it with all the action.it was worth paying the high cost of the movie ticket.it is an must see movie once the movie starts you will not want to take your eyes off of it.when it comes out on DVD i am planning to buy it.that is how awesome it was.John Cena was an awesome actor with a lot of talent.with him doing most of his stunts he done himself.it was so unbelievable.i was shocked that the theater where the marine was playing wasn't packed like i thought it would be.but that doesn't matter i loved it.and planning to buy it when it comes out on DVD..
The fact that Rome's plans kept changing and becoming increasingly unjustifiable and more stupid as the movie progressed annoyed me (along with his unbelievable persistence to keep the wife alive despite her being the most detrimental thing to their plans since their moronic conception).I won't reveal anything but the ending was ludicrous to the point of hilarity, however I fear the writers intended us to accept it seriously (though it makes the fact that John Cena jumps (or unrealistically throws someone into) almost every prop imaginable seem almost plausible).The only reason I watched this movie in its entirety was because I wanted to see Robert Patrick play out this bad guy and I had already paid the 50c to rent the movie (in hindsight; not worth it).
Okay John Cena is not what call a great actor, but I do admire him for trying to give a somewhat descent performance in this movie, and not play the character has one dimensional, has most of these action heroes would be.
Former Marine John Triton(John Cena) is having trouble adjusting to civilian life, so he and his beautiful wife Kate(Kelly Carlson) decide to take a trip, but when stop at a gas station, they come across a group of thieves led by Rome(Robert Patrick).
The Marine starring John Cena, Robert Patrick and Kelly Carlson, is an absolutely brilliant film with awesome action, tension and excellent acting.
The film has absolutely brilliant acting by John Cena as John Triton, Robert Patrick (who acted as the T1000 in Terminator 2) as bad guy Rome and Kelly Carlson as Kate Triton, the wife of John Triton.
It kinda funny that i already watched all The Marine movies except the original starring John Cena when other fan says it the best of the series.When it come to the action this movie just as entertaining as you expected to be.The action scene is big and loud,John Cena as a action hero is bad-ass and the most important is the Robert Patrick is way more memorable than those mediocre villain later on in the sequels.The problem is this movie need to be rated-R.
Cena plays John Triton, a Marine, who begins the film on a mission.
However, the years have gone by and my tastes have matured, and I must say, this defines the word "overblown." It's not half-bad as a popcorn flick as long as you turn your brain COMPLETELY off.I really like John Cena the wrestler, but as an actor (at least in this movie), he isn't anything too special.
Patrick adds some humour here and there and Anthony Ray Parker gives a surreal explanation why he does not like rock candy.The film has some big explosions which are very well done, there are some good action scenes which I expect Cena to excel at but he brings actually no personality to the film.
One of those so-bad-its-awesome movies; action packed with thousands of bullets, big explosions, big hero and some funny lines from the bad guys, who ended up being very entertaining especially Robert Patrick.
During a shootout, they steal John's car and take his wife as a hostage.WWE is making action movies, and it delivers exactly what you'd expect.
Robert Patrick is just the man for the role of the "bad guy." John Cena is just what you would expect of a marine.
John Cena's MARINE revives cheesy old action flicks without a whole lot of fun.. |
tt0800003 | Delta Farce | An army general (Glenn Morshower) addressing a bunch of assembled troops and stating that real heroes are hard to find these days.Meanwhile, diner waiter Larry (Larry the Cable Guy) is serving sandwiches at a local diner. His girlfriend Karen (Christina Moore) comes up to him and quickly tells him she's pregnant, and before she can stop him, he announces to everybody that she is pregnant and proposes to her. She then tells him that it is not his baby.Meanwhile, Bill Little (Bill Engvall) is talking about marriage with his neighbor (Michael Papajohn). The neighbor points out that most marriages end in divorce, and Bill says that it takes a lot to make a marriage work, such as incriminating photos of him with a girl who was just a good listener and eager to please at the local nightclub.Elsewhere, a man opens up a storage shed to see the leotard-and-leopard-skirt (with a porn-star mustache) clad Everett (DJ Qualls) watching TV. He reprimands Everett for living here when he just works here and berates him for having been a cop for only four days.Sometime later, the three are getting set for their Monthly trip up to their deserted army recruitment camp; turns out these three are also army reservists and picking on Everett about his tendency to be trigger-happy is their form of entertainment.Meanwhile, on an army base somewhere, a Colonel gets a request for more troops for Fallujah and he pulls up the name of the base where the boys are staying and sends Sgt. Kilgore (Keith David) to assess the situation at the reserve base.Kilgore arrives there to find Bill and Larry eating chips and Everett out on a beer run. Pretty soon he has them going through an intense training regimen and not long after, they find themselves being shipped out. The day they leave, Everett and Bill are both making calls, Everett to his boss and Bill to his wife Connie (Lisa Lampinelli), but they are dragged off to a hangar by Kilgore. Once they're all gathered, Kilgore appoints Larry squad leader and marches them onto the plane.The plane is flying through a brutal thunderstorm. The trio, in search of comfort, sneak into a Humvee in the cargo area. Kilgore wakes up and sees them gone and tracks them down just as the pilots encounter heavy turbulence that forces them to drop some cargo. In a moment, the Humvee, some supply boxes, and Kilgore are all falling through the night sky.The next morning, the boys pull themselves from the Humvee, look at the surrounding sandy landscape, and conclude they're in Iraq. After Everett accidentally smashes the radio, they find Kilgore lying next to one of the supply crates and conclude that he died in the fall. They solemnly bury him and give him a brief eulogy that gets interrupted by the sound of Everett urinating into a canteen, claiming that urine's sterility makes it drinkable. Bill and Larry shake their heads and the three load up and move out, not noticing the sign they pass over that says, "Mexico City 500 km."They soon come to a gas station where they fill up, look at a map of Iraq, and have some MREs. Since Larry doesn't like his spaghetti and meatballs, he trades it with Bill for his beef stew, who immediately leaves the spaghetti on the pump when he realizes that Larry spit his chewing tobacco into it. As their getting ready to leave, Everett spots some "Iraqis" and after shooting their donkey, runs up to them and starts demanding to know if they're "Turds or Shi'tites", to which Bill corrects him with, "It's Kurds or Shi'ites, numbskull." Speaking in Spanish to each other, the two "Iraqis" realize these guys can help their village and take them to their town.Meanwhile, back at Kilgore's gravesite, the sergeant wakes up from being knocked unconscious, claws his way out of the dirt cairn he was buried in, staggers over to the left-behind canteen, drinks from it, retches, and screams in vengeance. Meanwhile, the trio hang outside the village of La Miranda where they see some insurgents abuse the locals. They drive the Humvee in and shoot the place up, but still manage to scare most of the "insurgents" off and capture one for questioning, to the delight of the villagers, who throw them a party featuring tacos, which Bill is surprised to find in Iraq. The mayor Tony Perez, who is hosting the party with his daughter Maria (Marisol Nichols), hears this and tries to correct him, but gets shouted out by the boisterous laughter of Larry.Meanwhile, Kilgore makes it to the gas station and after having a bite of Larry's tobacco-filled spaghetti -- and spitting it out -- finds two guys who offer to give him a ride, although secretly they tell each other that they'll take him back to their place and have fun with him there.Meanwhile, Everett is wearing a sniper ghillie suit he brought from home and interrogating the captured bandit. Larry comes in and sees this and sends Everett out to play with a cannon he found while he asks the guy if he is Al Qaeda. After a minute, the guy realizes what's going on and laughs at them and calls him a "gringo". Larry's eyes bulge and he runs outside to find a drunken Bill confirming they're in Mexico while on the arm of an attractive senorita named Magdalena (Danielle Hartnett), and Larry screams and faints.A little while later, Larry is up and freaking out to Bill who calmly -- and with the help of Everett the dictionary -- tells him that technically, according to the US governments definition of terrorists, they still are fighting terrorism and are doing exactly what the army would have them doing, just not in the same place. Larry calms down enough to accept their "mission". That night, while he's walking/flirting through the village with Maria, he learns the name of the leader of the bandits -- a name designed to strike fear (and confusion) into the hearts of all who hear it -- Carlos Santana.At the same time, Santana himself (Danny Trejo) heading things up at his bar by having The Amazing Ken (Jeff Dunham), a kidnapped comedian, perform a bad ventriloquism act and then shooting the dummy when he doesn't like it. At this point one of the banditos from before comes in and tells Santana about the hundreds of US soldiers who have shown up to offer aid to the village, and Santana accepts this news with dignity and grace....and then has two subordinates kill the guy. One of his assistants ask if they're going to La Miranda tonight, and he says, "No, I don't like to work on weekends. Tonight....we do KARAOKE!!!!"Over the next day or two, the trio continue to fix things up around town under what Bill calls "Operation: Sombrero". At the same time, Kilgore secures his freedom with violence, and steal a scooter with nothing on but a little red teddy. At some point, Bill tries to fix the radio to call his superior -- his wife -- and the bartender in front of him tells him about a nearby working phone. They drive out there without telling Larry or Everett but as Bill is getting chewed out for not having mowed the lawn yet and for being in Mexico instead of Iraq, Santana and his goons sneak up on Bill and take him hostage, using the threat of alone time with Santana's gay nephew Ruben (Joe Nunez) to get Bill to talk.Back in town, Everett is trying to get the cannon to work but his arm keeps getting stuck in it and Larry and Maria are talking about her dream to move to the coast and start a restaurant when Santana and troops roll in. They threaten to shoot Bill and Santana gloats that Larry can't shoot all of them until Larry points out that he can just shoot Santana. Bill gets released and suddenly out of nowhere Kilgore shows up and starts chewing out Bill and Larry, not realizing about Santana and the others until a gun is poking into his face. Suddenly, Everett comes charging in with his rifle and this sets off a big fight during which Everett tries to fire a Rocket Launcher at the bandits but instead hits the water fountain, which erupts in a magnificent geyser of water. Fortunately, the explosion scares off the bandits, and the boys are celebrating until they realize that the bandits have captured Kilgore. Left with no choice, the boys decide to go and break him out.That night, Santana is hosting a wrestling tournament between some luchadore and two of his lieutenants. As the luchadore trounces the other guys, Kilgore is tortured by being forced to sing a karaoke version of "I Got You Babe" with Reuben. Meanwhile, the boys have arrived and are steadily sneaking into the compound as Bill constantly changes disguises to manipulate things and Larry goes in to sneak around. Meanwhile, the luchadore has cleared the ring and is searching for a new combatant which he finds in Everett, disguised as a luchadore named "Carne Asada". As they start fighting, Larry breaks Kilgore out and goes to drop in on Santana. Meanwhile, Kilgore finds some dynamite which he and Bill use on the trucks. Just as Everett manages to win his match and rips off his mask in triumph (something a real luchadore would never do) and Larry gets the drop on Santana, the dynamite goes off and our boys make a quick exit as Santana swears revenge on La Miranda.Back in town the next day, Kilgore relents on his take-charge attitude and agrees to help the boys defend La Miranda, and just in time as the bandits pull up. The townspeople hide in the church just as an old Sherman tank rolls up and starts blasting everything. Kilgore yells that they need to stop that thing, and Larry screams for cover as he runs across to the cannon. He finally gets it to work by kicking it, and just then the cavalry arrives in the form of four army helicopters. The bandits scatter, and Santana makes for the church and takes Maria hostage. After making sure that the mayor doesn't have any other attractive daughters, Larry tracks Santana down, rescues Maria, and knocks Santana out with one punch. Once things calm down, a state secretary approaches Larry and Bill (who suffered a shot in his rear differential), and reveals that if they're willing to cooperate, they can make this look good for everybody.Soon, news reports are spreading across the globe about the humanitarian aid given by the army in "Operation: Sombrero" and its efforts to capture local crime lord and rock star Carlos Santana. From here, an award ceremony honors Kilgore and the boys for their actions, where they each get the silver star and Bill gets a purple heart.Days pass after these recent events. Sargeant Kilgore moved to Miami, Florida, where he opened up a private exercise camp where he uses his abuse for the good of mankind. Everett moved back to Mexico and officially became a luchadore using his persona of "Carne Asada". Bill sued the Mexican government for his injury and settled out-of-court, and is currently living off the payoff in Beverly Hills. Larry went back to Mexico, married Maria, and opened up a restaurant called "The Mess Hall" in Cabo San Lucas. As for Santana, he was jailed and put into a rehab program. After being released, he became a ventriloquist using the Amazing Ken's dummy he had shot earlier. | bleak, humor | train | imdb | Seriously, it was nothing but vague references to overdone jokes by both Larry the Cable Guy & Bill Engvall - two comedians who haven't changed their routines in nearly a decade, who by some fluke of nature, still have careers.
This movie is not exactly great but it was enough for me too be entertained through-out.DJ Qialls with his build is hilarious in this setting i haven't seen him in anything since The New guy.And well if you liked the blue comedy and more importantly Larry the cable guy you will get your fix "GET R'DONE".Nothing in this film is malicious or racist its just puns and dumb giggles.
In fact, it's almost as though they took the script for "Stripes", replaced Bill Murray with Larry the Cable Guy, Russia with Mexico, and cut out most of the humor and wit.
However seeing that the 3 leading comedians were Larry The Cable Guy, Bill Engvall, and D.J. Qualls, I still found the funniest guy in this movie to be Keith David.
None of the jokes were funny, Larry the Cable Guy was just as obnoxious as usual, the acting was terrible, the script stupid, and the premise no better.
The saddest thing is 680 people, 12.9% of voters, gave this movie a perfect 10.I give "Delta Farce" 1/10, avoid it like the plague.
I guess this is a film that Americans just don't get, because the Iraq issue is such a serious one to them (along with the Mexican issues i guess) As you can see, i have rated this 6 out of 10.No belly laughs, but i did find myself smiling at the jokes, and whats more, I didn't need to turn it off, or fall asleep, so its better than some Hollywood blockbusters I have seen recently (Rise of the Silver Surfer as one example).
That means it pleased only 3 percent of all the reviewers (critics would be a pretentious job description for most of these folks) who wrote it up.If you read the reviewsa proposition far more tedious than the film they seem to hateyou'll see why there's nearly universal disdain for the flick: (1) a premise based on military reservists going to fight in Iraq (see Bush Derangement Syndrome), (2) jokes predicated on homosexual panic (the despised "homophobia"), and (3) "idiot racist humor," e.g., "I hear them carpet fliers don't wipe their butts." Well!
They said the same things (with a bit less vitriolafter all, the premise didn't arise from the hated Iraq campaign, did it?) about Larry the Cable Guy's last movie.
I'm sure our troops are sleeping better at night in Iraq because Larry the Cable Guy made a movie depicting US soldiers as too stupid to know the difference between Iraq and Mexico.This whole movie is offensive and there is no way around it.
Next time someone tells me that delta farce was a good movie I will spit in their face..
There are so many funny lines and quips in this movie that we had to keep pausing to finish laughing.Just watch the movie, if you enjoy silly lame comedy.
Delta Farce is the newest comedy to come from Larry the Cable Guy. In this movie 3 army reservists (Guess) are all sent to Iraq but accidentally get shipped to Mexico.
The movie is funny with only 3 or 4 jokes not getting a laugh from me (Which is better then some of the other S@!t coming out nowadays.
As for who took Foxworthy's part, I assume that was D.J. Qualls...a super-skinny guy who I cannot remember having seen in films before this one.If you can believe it, 260 pound and 44 year-old Larry the Cable guy, 50 year-old Bill Engvall and D.J. Qualls (who appears less athletic and muscular than Wally Cox) are ALL supposed to be in the Army Reserves.
My attitude is that it's a brainless and occasionally funny time-passer....I just wish Engvall and Larry the Cable Guy had opted out of appearing in this one, as they were the worst thing about the film.
Larry was, quite simply, Larry (I think that is pretty self-explanatory) and as for Engvall he generally acts like he's nearly comatose during most of the film.*Their reserve station was in Georgia...how they had to fly over Mexico to get to Iraq is beyond me!!.
"Delta Farce" is a Blue Collar Comedy movie about the war in Iraq, but actually being set in Mexico.
You'll see what I mean in a minute.The film stars two of the Blu Collar Comedy actors, Larry the Cable Guy and Bill Engvall playing Larry and Bill, and a non member of the group, DJ Qualls who plays Everett Shackleford.
Larry is determined to continue the job in Mexico until Carlos Santana (Danny Trejo) the dictator is with thrown.This movie is full of slapstick and fart jokes throughout.
So this one is passable.Starring: Bill Engvall, Larry the Cable Guy, DJ Qualls, Marisol Nichols, and Danny Trejo.
I enjoyed Larry The Cable Guy's previous film, HEALTH INSPECTOR.
Larry, Bill, PLEASE stick with stand-up comedy and address the meaning of life from your Redneck point of view, that's more funny.But I guess everyone must have a bad day in his career and unfortunately, it was Larry and Bill's turn.
Like I said , this movie is satisfactory in the funny department, and even if it don't cause you to have roars of laughter, it will give you enough chuckles to make it worth watching..
"If you read the reviewsa proposition far more tedious than the film they seem to hateyou'll see why there's nearly universal disdain for the flick: (1) a premise based on military reservists going to fight in Iraq (see Bush Derangement Syndrome), (2) jokes predicated on homosexual panic (the despised "homophobia"), and (3) "idiot racist humor," e.g., "I hear them carpet fliers don't wipe their butts.""Wow, most people don't find gay and fart jokes funny beyond imagining!
I ignored the warnings of IMDb and the bottom 100, and decided to actually give a "Larry the Cable Guy" movie a shot.
It's just Larry the Cable Guy, Dj Quails, and 2 other actors doing a 4 man comedy show, who happen to be in the military and in Mexico.
I walked in late at the drop scene.I was the only person in the Theater.I guess these type of Movies don't appeal to Woodinville, Washington people?I was howling at times,the scene of the Big Sgt. riding a motor scooter in the middle of the desert in a red Nightie was worth the admission price.The skinny guy was one of the funniest characters I've ever seen in the movies.Danny Trejo was perfect as usual.It was a cross between "The Magnificent Seven meets Deliverence".This is a Movie where you get the guys together,have a few beers, and enjoy.No thinking allowed.They had a guy who looked like a Mexican "Dom Delouise" who was perfect,I don't think he even had a line in the movie other than singing a duet with the Sgt..
Larry the Cable Guy, Bill Engvall and DJ Qualls star as three imbecilic army reservists who are accidentally dropped off in Mexico on their way to Iraq.
B. Harding, "Delta Farce" is riddled with wheezy plot mechanics, tired lowbrow humor, and insulting stereotypes of gays and Mexicans, the latter of whom are portrayed as either gold-toothed, moustache-twirling banditos or backward children who not only cannot defend themselves against the bad guys but must rely on good old American ingenuity and know-how to get even the simplest menial task accomplished.
As it is, however, this is about as thoroughly witless and lame-brained a comedy as has come our way in a long long time.The movie makers end on a sobering note, dedicating the film to the real military men and women fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
I can at least say this is the worst or at least 2nd worst Larry the cable guy film I have seen
It was dumb enough to keep me somewhat interested and the Sgt was fine which says a lot for movies like this so it wasn't as bad as I thought it was gonna be..
Why anyone would go into a movie with Larry the Cable Guy thinking they are going to see a sophisticated Shakespearian play is way stupider than those who enjoy this kind of humor.
Next time, pay attention to who is in a movie and its title before you subject yourself to all the angst you suffered for watching a very funny, if lowbrow, comedy..
To be honest, anyone putting on a movie with Larry The Cable Guy, cannot expect to see an actor on the level of Paul Newman, or Charlton Heston (Both of which did a service comedy, I reviewed (In Newman's Ccase "The Secret War Of Harry Frigg: and Heston's "The Pigeon That Took Rome").
The blue collar Larry the cable guy isn't funny and just tries to make the audience laugh by making himself look stupid with his retarded squad.
First off, I LIKE Larry the Cable Guy(or whatever his real name is).I actually enjoyed the Health Inspector movie he did(or whatever exactly it was called)But this movie SUCKED....flat out, NO WAY around it.....period.Im sorry, but if you actually found this movie funny, you have the sense of humor of a 5 year old.The ONLY reason i gave this movie 2 Stars was because....first off because i don't think you can give a movie 0 Stars....maybe you can, maybe i didn't try hard enough.
(i realize this guy is a survivor of some kind of illness, but this guy SHOULD NOT be acting....period.)bill engvall was an innocent victim in this movie....he's a very funny guy, it's a shame he agreed to sign onto this movie.....he probably did it purely because they couldn't find ANYONE dumb enough to sign on, so jeff did it just because he's a good friend.....whatever.Keith David is AWESOME, i love this guy, he was actually the only funny guy IN the movie.....too bad he got suckered into signing onto this movie too.This is one of the few movies i've actually just STOPPED watching because it just sucked so bad, the plot was weaker than the rating I gave it.
The movie goes nowhere, the comedy was SO DUMB, yet they try to pull the plot off as real for a comedy movie, yet bombs out miserably.Trust me, I WANTED to like this movie, I TRIED to find the humor in it, but it just wasn't there.I'm the type of guy that will give any movie a chance, I am not picky at all.
I love Larry the Cable Guy and I thought that he was funny in this.
This movie had a funny cast of Larry the Cable Guy, Bill Engvall, DJ Qualls, Keith David, and Danny Trejo.
Delta Farce had nonstop laughs for me because I love Larry the Cable Guy. I thought that this movie would be stupid.
If it were a movie done by the Wayans Brothers or David Zucker and it didn't star Larry the Cable Guy, Bill Engvall or D.J. Qualls, it might have had some kind of chance.Delta Farce is one of those kinds of films that tries to make fun of a lot of movies where the military branch of the world needs a little mockery, since it's such a serious profession to work in.
This kind of recipe has been seen before: Take a couple of bumbling friends (Qualls, Engvall and Larry) give them some kind of crisis with their lives, and have them put into a situation where bumbling around actually means your doing a good job.This has been seen before in much better movies, and trust me, those movies are a hell of a lot better than what you could see in this movie.What could have made this movie funny is that these three friends are stuck in Mexico, but they haven't got a clue, they just assume the people living in the village are Iraqis.
Danny Trejo is a poor villain known as Carlos Santana (Not the singer, Carlos repeats) whose annoyance is that he's given many opportunities to shoot people, and he talks about it.There's also a very horrible slam to homosexuals that just disgusted me (He's gay, flamboyant and Hispanic, and no, I'm not against any of the three, it's just insulting to mock in distaste) and Keith David in this movie as the only real normal thinking man is rarely seen, probably to avoid being seen in this movie as much as possible.For someone else, this might actually be funny to someone.
Yes, I will place this film on a pedestal so high that movies like The Godfather, Citizen Kane and Gone With The Wind will suffer nosebleeds when gazing upward at it.Larry The Cable Guy's name should be engraved upon every best-actor Oscar given from now until the end of time.DJ Qualls should be the next Terminator should that movie line ever be expanded on.
This movie was so funny with Larry The Cable Guy, and I think that the plot is great.
Anyone who loves Larry The Cable guy should watch this movie!
If you thought Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector was funny, this movie is even funnier!
Delta Farce is another Larry the Cable Guy comedy in which he plays a down on his luck guy who becomes an Army member along with his two friends.
Larry the Cable Guy is the funniest by some of the scenes and Engvall throws in some giggles, but this really isn't worth checking out for a normal comedy fan.
I have watched it 1000000 times, and I'm going to watch it now that will make it 1000001.I love the humor the actors and everything about the movie.
In fact it's so stupid that of the three main characters, Larry the Cable Guy's character is the smart one.The movie starts off predictable, using jokes and setups from Bill Engvall's and Larry the Cable Guy's comedy acts.
I like Larry the Cable Guy and Bill Engvall.
I just do not like their movie Delta Farce.I put a spoiler warning on here, even though it doesn't really need it, as I doubt anyone will see this, and the plot is so predictable that there wouldn't even be a spoiler, yet there may be one or two people who might want the end kept secret until they see it.
Trust me, you'll be glad you didn't shell out 7 bucks for this clunker.As I said, Larry the Cable Guy and Bill Engvall are funny guys, or at least I think so.
They are both pretty intimidating guys in other movies, but not this one.Since I've got a spoiler warning, I'll give you an idea of the dumb sequences included in this film.
Trejo reminds me of George Lopez as that plug-in like villain in Sharkboy and Lavagirl (I was forced to watch that film, just as bad as Delta Farce).I had a couple laughs here and there, but I sat through the film mostly with my head resting in my hands, envying the woman next to me who was sleeping, because some 11 year old kid wouldn't stop braying like a retarded horse throughout the film.And of course, Larry lands the beautiful girl and makes out with her all the time at the end of the film.
It makes Kevin James and Leah Remini from the King of Queens look like Romeo and Juliet.This film was worse than Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector.
Haha, this might be the only time that Godfather and Citizen Kane will be mentioned with Health Inspector and Delta Farce ever.Larry (sorry, I mean Dan), if you're not going to release a good comedy, then just stick to stand up.I'm giving this film three for the possible three laughs I had watching this movie..
I laughed a lot through the movie and I wasn't expecting a top rate movie, but it was funny in parts.
Still these idiots defend a village in a country they should have left right away and go to rescue their sergeant (technically an act of war) and then stand to defend the village again against Carlos Santana and his men on horseback and a US Army Surplus Sherman Tank (which would unable to fire as Surplus military weapons are always rendered to a non-firing state before sale).Despite the amount of rounds that are fired during the battle against the tank in the village no-one is either hurt or killed (You'd expect the Sgt to at least have killed a few at such close range).The film ends as badly as it began with things working out well for everyone apart from those who wasted their time watching it.I had no idea who Larry The Cable Guy was before I watched this and I still have no idea who he is and don't want to know either.
The Larry the Cable Guy military service comedy "Delta Farce" (** out of ****) ranks as a lowbrow, redneck version of the 1981 Bill Murray classic "Stripes" with a dose of "The Magnificent Seven" tossed into this PG-13 potboiler.
As amusing as Larry the Cable Guy, his "Blue Collar Comedy" cohort Bill Engvall, and Pinocchio-like D.
Good casting, sympathetic heroes, an occasionally funny joke, and Trejo's surprising comic turn as a bandit don't 'Git-R-Done' as Larry the Cable Guy likes to say.
They put Larry the cable guy in a US army based comedy.
I gave it a 3 because it isn't the worst movie I've ever seen, but it was pretty bad.
p.s. the reason i gave this 2 stars is that this in not AS bad as larry the cable guys other "crapsterpiece" health inspector.. |
tt0049128 | Day the World Ended | It is TD day, total destruction day The day the world was destroyed by nuclear war.Tony Lamont (Mike Connors) and Ruby (Adele Jergens) drive to a concealed ranch house during a dust storm.Rick (Richard Denning) finds a victim of radiation sickness Radek (Paul Dubov) and tries to help
Inside the house Louise Maddison (Lori Nelson) watches anxiously as her father Jim (Paul Birch) tries to make contact with the outside world. Louise looks outside to see Tony and Ruby approaching the house. Jim resolves not to let them in; he only has supplies for three people. Louise expresses frustration with her father and believes her own conscious wont let her abandon them.Tony breaks into the house and is confronted by Jim who instructs them to change their clothes and wash in the special water provided to help get rid of any radiation. Rick carrying Radek arrive soon after. Jim declares Radek beyond help. He then instructs Rick to go to his room and change.Finally an old prospector and his mule arrive. Tony has another confrontation with Jim until Pete intervenes by knocking Tony out. The Prospector then asks if he can sleep out with the mule in the kitchenJim then begins to explain how the Geiger counter. It is discussed that the chances of surviving are slim, and so far there is no contact with the outside world. He then goes into the preparations hes made in expectation of the war.Rick goes out with Jim and they take a series of readings around the house. Pete explains he is a geologist and understands the true depth of the situation. Jin discusses what might happen as a consequence of the radiation on the wild life.During the night Radek wakes and considers the wildlife he can hear moving around outside. He expresses strong desire for meat, raw red meat. Rick explains their diet is controlled by the contamination.
Three weeks later Rick, Louise and Jim discuss the fact Radek is not eating, but seems to be thriving. Rick mentions that hes seen Radek sneaking out at night, and the man seems very detached almost in a world of his own.Seven weeks later Ruby and Tony have an argument about Tonys emotion for Louise and his jealousy over the attachment Rick and Louise have. Outside, the couple are having a quiet moment when Louise hears a strange high pitched whistling sound. Concerned she rushes into the house.On the hill side Radek is hunting when he encounters a strange mutant, he runs abandoning his kill. The next morning Jim and Rick explore the same hillside and come across the remains of a freshly killed rabbit. They discuss the potential that Radek exposed to so much radiation may be beginning to mutate. Otherwise there is no explanation to how he continues to live.That night Jim explains to the group the meaning of the approaching rain. Their chances of surviving will hinge on how intense the radiation absorbed by the water is. If they are still alive they will begin planting crops and planning for long term survivalThe next day the two girls bathe at a waterfall Jim has decided is safe. They discuss Tony and how feels about the attention being paid to Louise. Louise again hears the strange sound and is convinced they are being watched through the trees. Heading back to the house they find a set of strange tracksJim and Rick examine the tracks and realize Radek is not the only one mutant in the area. Jim decides at some stage he will have to kill Radek. Jim warns against that next course of action. He wants to study Radek so he can better understand the threat mutants may represent.That night Tony ambushes Louise outside and forces his affection before she breaks away and rushes inside. Ruby uses the moment to try and gain Tony back. He responds to a point but then hatches a plan to kill the other four plus Radek. He estimates there is only about a month worth of food, killing the others means they could extend their supplies to 12 weeksLater Jim describes his experience with the H bomb tests, and some of the animal mutations hed seen after a bomb detonated. Rick sees this as a fore warning to what might be happening in the valley. He sees a situation where a battle will be fought in the valley between life of the old world, and life of the new
While Jim is asleep, Tony tries to steal his gun, by chance Rick sees what he is up to and another fight breaks out. Rick wins, and when Ruby tries to consol Tony, she rebukes himThe next day Jim speaks to Louise about him marrying Rick, Jim wants the two girls to try and have children as soon as possible. Ruby is consulted about having children with Tony. Again he expresses he has no interest and in her and ultimately slaps her to drive her offWhile Rick and Jim explore the pass out of the valley they encounter a man who seems partially mutated in ways similar to things Jim had seen during the tests. The man tells the men there are more of his kind up the hill, stronger ones that had driven him off because he needed food. Before they can get any more information from the man, he dies.Ruby seeks out Peter the prospector and helps and tries to ease some of her pain with Petes moonshine. She yet again approaches Tony, who once again refuses her advanceOne night Rick stays awake and talks to Radek when he returns. Radek explains the only reason he comes back to the house is to shelter from the other mutant in the valley. He then warns Rick that they will all be dead in a couple of weeksNext morning they find mutant tracks closer to the house. Jim decides they need to start standing night watches. As the days pass Ruby turns more and more to Petes moonshine. One night after becoming drunk she begins to do a strip dance. She reminisces about her club days and breaks down cryingDuring one of the night watches Rick discovers the prospectors mule is gone. They go searching for the mule, assuming Radek has stolen it. As they search they find the cannibalized remains of the man who had died the night beforePete wakes in the night and realizes the mule is missing. Tony offers to help search. As they do, Radek is caught unawares by the mutant and killed. Moments later Rick finds the body, Tony and Pete then arrive. It is resolved that the mutant has to be stopped one way or the otherUnaware of the drama unfolding on the hill Louise again wakes in fright convinced she could hear the same whistling noise as she heard at the lake. Unseen by her a strange shape is seen lurking close to the house
A few days later Pete has had enough and decides to walk out of the valley. Jim gives chase but Pete enters the vapor cloud at the top of the ridge and is quickly overcome after he attacks Jim.Tony yet again confronts Louise. Threatening her with a knife he leads her away from the house. He reveals his plan to kill the others including Ruby. Ruby has been following the couple and overheard what was said. She confronts Tony and tries to stab him. He fends of the attack and stabs Ruby killing her.Back at the house Rick is aware what Tony did to Louise, he confronts Tony and threatens to kill. Tony faces him off then leaves thinking Rick is weak. Jim tells Rick to start carrying a gunAt the swimming hole Louise with Rick acting as a body guard again hears the mutant and thinks she saw it moving around the trees. Again panicked she stops Rick from searching for the creature and wants to be taken home.That night as Louise sleeps the house is invaded by the mutant. She seems to be taken by some hypnotic spell and leaves the house encountering the mutant but showing no fear. Jim wakes during the night, something has disturbed him and checks on Louise to find her missingJim seeks out Rick and arms him with a rifle and sends him to find Louise. He gives Rick instructions, if the situation is hopeless dont be afraid to kill LouiseBack at the house Tony finally gets the gun from Jim, and explains how he is going to take control. Jim thinks little of his plan and tells Tony he will be dead soon enough.The mutant drops Louise in the waterhole and seems to signal Louise to do something. Before she can understand Rick arrives and begins shooting without effect. Louise instinctively believes that the creature is afraid of waterBefore Rick can process this information it begins to rain, the creature rushes off in some sort of discomfort. Rick sends Louise back to the house and goes off to chase the creatureBack at the house Tony gets a sample of the rain so that Jim can determine how long they have to live. To Jims surprise the sample is clear of radiationRick continues tracking the creature as the downpour intensifies. Finally catching up with it in a stand of trees he watches as the mutant collapses in a smoking pile and diesTony sees them returning and decides to ambush Rick, as he is getting ready, Jim produces a second pistol and kills Tony. Louise arrives home to find her father is failing fast. He explains how the rain destroyed the mutants and that hed heard a voice on the radio. He declares there is a future out there for Louise and Rick, but not for him. With that he diesA few days later Rick and Louise begin to hike out of the valley to begin a new life in a new worldchapman_glen@yahoo.com | murder | train | imdb | null |
tt0053134 | Ohayô | The film takes place in suburban Tokyo, and begins with a group of boy students going home.
The film steers into a subplot concerning the local women's club monthly dues. Everyone in the neighborhood club believes that Mrs Hayashi, the treasurer, has given the dues to the chairwoman, Mrs Haraguchi (Haruko Sugimura), but Mrs Haraguchi denies it. They gossip amongst themselves who could have taken the money, and speculate that Mrs Haraguchi could have used the money to buy for herself a new washing machine. Later Mrs Haraguchi confronts Mrs Hayashi for starting the rumor and ruining her reputation, but Mrs Hayashi states that she has indeed handed the dues money to Haraguchi's mother. Only later does Mrs Haraguchi realize it was her mistake (her mother being quite senile and forgetful), and she goes to apologize.
The boys are all attracted to a neighbor's house because they have a television set, where they can watch their favorite sumo wrestling matches. (At the time of the film's release in Japan, the medium was rapidly gaining popularity.) However, their conservative parents forbid them to visit their bohemian neighbors because the wife is thought to be a cabaret singer.
As a result of this, the young boys of the Hayashi family, Minoru and Isamu, pressure their mother to buy them a television set, but their mother refuses. When their father (Chishū Ryū) comes to know about it, he asks the boys to keep quiet when they kick a tantrum. Minoru throws an anger fit, and states that adults always engage in pointless niceties like "good morning" and refuse to say exactly what they mean. Back in their room, Minoru and Isamu decide on a silence strike against all adults. The first neighbor to bear the brunt of this snub is Mrs Haraguchi.
Mrs Haraguchi, angered by this snub, speculates it is Mrs Hayashi who instigates this in revenge over their earlier misunderstanding, and tells this to busybody Mrs. Tomizawa (Teruko Nagaoka). Soon, everybody thinks Mrs Hayashi is a petty, vengeful person, and are all queueing up to return their loaned items to her.
Minoru and Isamu continue their strike in school, and even against their English tutor. Finally, their schoolteacher visits to find the root of their silence. The two boys run off from home with a pot of rice due to hunger, but are caught by a passing policeman. They disappear for hours into the evening, until their English tutor finds them outside a station watching television.
At the end of the film, the boys find out their parents have indeed purchased a television set to support a neighbour in his new job as a salesman. Jubilant, they stop their strike at once. Their English tutor and their aunt appear to be starting a fresh romance. | romantic, humor, satire | train | wikipedia | For viewers who have seen only one or two of Ozu's statelier films -- say, "Tokyo Story" or "Equinox Flower" -- "Good Morning" will be a surprise.
The family's authority structure is upended, with the all-powerful father crumbling against the stubborn silence of two little boys.What wins in the end is love -- or rather (Ozu must have found this particularly funny) love and television.
There may be greater Ozu films, but it's hard to think of one I actually like more than "Good Morning.".
"Good Morning," is one of my favorite's films.It means a lot to me personally, because -like all of Ozu's work- it demonstrates a brilliant understanding of the complexities of being human.
Ultimately though, it is the humour which makes "Good Morning" my favorite's Ozu picture, for it is a very funny movie.
I can hardly imagine an open-minded person not enjoying it.Because many North American viewers have a reluctance to watch films more than a few years old, or in languages other than English, Ozu's exposure here is still extremely limited.
Ozu said he wanted to make a film about people's inability to express the important things, but natter on about unimportant gossip.
If the material remains generally lightweight when compared to some of his other movies, it still has the same thoughtful, low-key touch and genuinely human characters.The young boys drive much of the story in this one, and they are very believable, whether in their petulant responses to parental authority or in their schoolboy fads.
The grandmother character and the aunt of the two brothers are probably the most interesting of the characters, yet all of them have a purpose.As is usually the case with Ozu's movies, you can watch it a second time and see additional detail in the characters' relationships and dialogue.
In a small community of workers in Japan, two brothers decide to not speak because they want to force their parents to buy a television.With this single storyline, Japanese director Yasujiro Ozu exposes a delightful and critical view of the behavior of the Japanese working class under the American influence in the post-WWII.
The situation of the retired people is magnificently pictured through the desperate men looking for a job; the domination of the USA in Japan is represented through the need of private English classes for the two brothers, and the translation of documents to English; superfluous consume of the American society is represented through the importance of the useless television for the younger generation, while their parents are concerned with have some savings for their retirement.
It may have the skimpiest of plots--two young brothers take a vow of silence until their parents buy them a television--but Yasujiro Ozu's 1959 picture is anything but slight, taking on the subject of language (ironic, considering the story) with attentiveness and intelligence.
In his deliberate, contemplative manner, Ozu presents a wry commentary on the ways even the most innocuous words can harm (gossip) or become the building blocks of a relationship (a budding romance is confirmed by a conversation about the weather); he also notes Japan's growing fascination with the English language (the older boy studies it) and the increasing obsession, now with fourteen years of distance from the war, with American technology--the suburban landscape is peppered with aerial antennas as television begins to permeate the culture.
It's subtly beautiful: each shot is perfectly framed (the camera never moves) with an excellent use of depth that highlights exactly what the director wants you to see and giving you plenty of space to focus; it's easy to see how a master of today's Asian cinema such as Wong Kar-Wai would be profoundly influenced by Ozu's languid yet carefully observed filmmaking.
"Good Morning" (Japanese, 1959): Directed by Ozu. As in all of his films, Tokyo is the stage, and he populates them with his usual team of actors.
Unlike the quiet, black and white drama "Tokyo Story", this later film (in color) is a gentle comedy about how people build the character of each and every day with the smallest of gestures which is this case is brought to our attention by two small brothers who decide to go "on strike" insisting that their Father get a television for the household.
Last year NHK (national broadcaster in Japan) were playing 2 Ozu movies a night and I tuned into this by accident.Maybe because I have lived in Japan for 10 years and was watching it in it's native language and could understand the subtle nuances in the day-to-day conversation, or maybe simply because I related to the children, having grown up in a household where getting things that you actually want was very rare - quite simply, this movie moved me tremendously, the final scene brought tears to my eyes just *remembering* it a week later.This movie is probably most effective for anybody who grew up in a poor household with parents who tried their best against all odds to keep their children happy..
This family drama is also a witty comedy dealing with the miscommunications that complicate modern life.This was Ozu's second color film (after Equinox Flower), but the cheerful music and bright colors make for different effects.
GOOD MORNING'S "gas" jokes are gentle and clever (the young boys fart on command, a minor character works for the gas company, while a husband farts in one room, and a wife answers, etc.) The film's famous static shots center around a gleaming refinery.
Especially in the absence of many lively or engrossing movies from Chekhov's works -- "An Unfinished Piece for Mechanical Piano" and "Country Life" are exceptions -- Yasujiro Ozu strikes me as an excellent representative of many of Chekhov's sensibilities.Dramas are on human scales: about love, relationships, work, day to day travail and pleasure, and desires to accomplish something in life.
One of Japanese master Yasujiro Ozu's latter movies (and among his few color films).
In a Japanese suburb in the late 1950s, two Japanese tykes (one about 10 years old, the other about 6) decide not to talk to anybody any more until their parents buy them a television set (this film was made in an era where many people in Japan were buying their first TVs).Shot in his traditional transcendental style, this charming comedy shows a more modern Japan than in other Ozu films of that era (at the same time, the cultural attitudes the movie reflects make it very much a film of the fifties).
In many ways, Good Morning is a movie about the many changes brought by the modernization and Americanization of Japanese society after World War II, Surprisingly for an Ozu film, this has even a number of gags involving human flatulence.A triumph for Ozu, even if it is probably not as moving as Tokyo Story, Late Spring or Early Summer.
Good Morning, or Ohayo (to give the film its native title) centres around two young brothers, Minoru (Koji Shitara) and Isamu (Masahiko Shimazu), who long to own a television set.
In a key sub-plot, the town gossips accuse the neighbourhood treasurer Mrs. Haraguchi (Haruko Sugimura) of embezzling their funds in order to buy herself a new washing machine, when in fact one of the gossips' mothers had forgot to pass the money on.Ozu's reputation as one of cinema's all-time greats and a director of elegance and sophistication is given a bit of a kick up the arse in this film.
Yes, fart jokes, from Ozu. The brothers and their friends have a strange obsession with forcing out little farts as they push each others foreheads, which causes one unfortunate to repeatedly soil himself as he tries to take part.The kids' accusations that grown-ups have nothing useful to say is as amusing as it is poignant.
Though it is somewhat different from other Ozu films that it is centered around kids rather than the parents and it is a light comedy film rather than a dramatic one, it is still as marvelous as Ozu's Tokyo Story.Though I have seen movies by other great directors that handle kids really well, Vittoria Di Sica and Satyajit Ray come to mind, they did in a more dramatic fashion.
This film is about the two boys wanting a television and their parents refusing.
The plot is simplicity itself; two young brothers stop speaking as a protest against their parents not buying a television set, leading to all kinds of complications with their grown-up neighbours.
I'll start off saying something about Good Morning that will sound like I'm putting it down, but I'm really not: the ingredients of the story (or stories if you want to get technical, there are sort of three running plot-lines here with characters all centered around several houses right below one of Ozu's quintessential small hills), in a lot of other's less imaginative or more hackneyed sensibilities, could have made for a sitcom.
That's the way I always come to Ozu's films, where it starts off and for at least the first twenty minutes to nearly half an hour, it feels like "nothing" is happening, but that's only because of expectations that come from seeing decades of movies where incident is supposed to happen, drama is supposed to escalate quickly, and those pesky lessons from screen writing classes get jammed down our throats.
Good Morning doesn't do that; this is the kind of story where what would seem to be a moment of high dramatic conflict comes when the door-to-door salesman, hocking his wares of rubber bands and pencils (yes, *pencils*), drops by and makes the mother of the two boys a little uncomfortable, saying "We don't need anything." As it turns out, he's probably one of the nicest salesmen in the history of cinema.But I hope you can see what I mean if you watch this, or even read the synopsis, how the stuff of this story could have been used as parts for a sitcom type of scenario (Leave it to Beaver, mayhap?) While it should go without saying that the idea of, you know, buying a television being the central conflict and driving force of the two boys who decide to stage a hunger-and-or-"talking" strike (farts are okay though) may appear dated in a world where if one finds a home that does *not* have a TV (or a decent laptop or home projection system or who knows what else), the idea of encroaching technology is something that is universal.
The distraction is part of it, maybe the key part for the mother (when will those pesky kids do their English homework?!), but it's also something a little deeper than that.Ozu's mastery here is to take parts that, again I must stress, seem not only like nothing extraordinary but precisely the stuff that families deal with day in and day out - down to one of those "life's little observation" things a stand-up like Seinfeld might point out, as in why people use those "good morning" "nice weather" observations as a way of masking how one really feels, say, to the woman that's a crush - but gives it a depth of feeling and subtlety that you grow to appreciate.
Like with Tokyo Story, and a few others by this director, it suddenly hits you about half an hour in what Ozu is really trying to do here (for me it's when the kids throw their tantrum and decide to go on their speaking-strike, but, again, the farts are okay), and it becomes a richer experience, one that has a uniqueness despite seeming on the surface to be the stuff that people deal with day in and day out.That the movie is also funny is a plus, but it's not like a 'LOL' sort of scenario, you're not going to bust a gut exactly through this (though I found some hearty laughs with the kid, the son of that actress who is in a lot of Ozu movies as the bitchiest of the characters, I believe the more ungrateful daughter on Tokyo Story actually).
It's such a realistically drawn film, even down to (yes, I must stress again) the fart jokes, that it may be lost on some, like those who would be fine with a typical sitcom for families, that there is commentary about how we live and adapt to changes, and the resistance is just as natural as the gradual acceptance of the change and how we use language (which I used to watch, a lot, I'm not kidding, this feels like something that could've been on Full House!).
It was undoubtedly a marvelous experience, and one that I'll never forget.I think the essential beauty of it lies precisely in its simplicity; unlike some directors, like Bergman or Tarkovsky, masters of visual and intellectual complexity on screen, making the canvas burst with extraordinary imagery, Ozu, on the other hand, finds that beauty and complexity in the utmost ordinary things: wanting a television (at a time when it was gaining mainstream popularity in Japan), eating rice with your brother, watching sumo wrestling, doing some English assignments and even...
Yasujiro Ozu's "Good Morning" is very lightweight, but is much more intelligent than most comedies of its type.It contains a fair amount of commentary on problems involving human communication in more ways than one.
The two brothers' petty vow of silence (in reaction to their parents not buying them a TV set) does just that as well.In the end, it's not a classic, it's not all that original (Ozu presented many of these same themes in his previous films), but it certainly is worth watching.8 out of 10..
I agree with a former submitter here, it is the, "skimpiest of plots" with "two young brothers taking a vow of silence until their parents buy them a television." Yet - it is mainly the subject of language, attentiveness, and intelligence.
Over the past several months, I've evolved into a full-blown devotee of the Japanese film director Yasujiro Ozu. Just when I was tiring of the phoniness, violence and excess of contemporary American movies, I discovered Ozu's quiet (but by no means boring) films and was deeply impressed by his insights into human emotion, family relationships and society.But while Ozu films like Late Spring and Tokyo Story are clearly masterpieces, Good Morning is not his usual fare.
Unlike Ozu's weightier dramas, this film focuses a lot on seemingly trivial matters like suburban gossip and, believe it or not, schoolboy farting competitions.
You see, while Good Morning appears to be a light comedy on the surface, it actually has a lot of perceptive things to say about materialism, envy and the unfortunate superficiality of most human communication.
As a viewer, I could both chuckle immaturely at the fart jokes and appreciate the film's deeper social commentary at the same time.
I often find Ozu's movies so quiet and boring, full of not very interesting lives of middle-class Japanese, whose social life is merely reduced to their homes, where they just find a not very exciting life and where there is no place for rebel souls.
I must say that the film keep the usual Ozu's vision about Japanese family, which seems to be the warmest, safest, happiest social environment, a place where never happens anything wrong.
A side-plot has two little boys enter a pact of silence in protest that their parents are "too cheap" to buy a TV set, so they need not watch Wrestling and Baseball at their neighbors house.
The film focuses on the relationship between generations, and seems to say that we need to respect our elders (as the absent-minded grandma points out, does her now-adult daughter think she raised herself?), but at the same time, tolerate our youngsters (as there is some serious defiance and misbehavior by a couple of boys who want their parents to buy them a television).
Two boys begin a silence strike to press their parents into buying them a television set.Despite Ozu's reputation in the West as an austere and refined director, "Good Morning" does not shy away from depicting many of the neighborhood boys' flatulence jokes!
This film is typical of the films of the Japanese director, Ozu, because it has to do with the conflict between traditions and modern life in this country.
It's slow and gentle--just like all of Ozu's films but with a sense of satire that makes some points about the hazards of post-war life.
In this film Ozu revisits again themes involving kids, but this time in a way more notorious modern Japan and the changes it has brought in society.It all starts as a usual day; the members of a family prepare themselves to confront their problems, dreams and realities.
The main characters (the kids), which are obsessed with having a television (back then it was an innovative device), agree to remain silent until their parents indulge their caprice.One aspect that I liked in this film was the misinterpretation of the kids' silence by one of the neighbors; the woman, who lives in the community, thought their gesture meant their mother was angry at her and other neighbors for having had the idea of her keeping the rent payments for herself.
In fact, his 1959 social comedy of manners, Good Morning (Ohayo), set in a modern Tokyo suburban subdivision, is in many ways far more relevant than the more famed period pieces the other directors made, for it has a definite Western sensibility.
It was also his third color film, and on the surface it would seem to narratively square very easily with the 1950s era American television comedies, as the central story of the film revolves around two brothers' silent protest over their clan's refusal to modernize and buy a TV like their friend's family has.
Director Yasujiro Ozu proves he can bore the viewer equally well when using color film to present mostly recycled trivia. |
tt1073664 | Fallout 3 | In a post apocalyptic world, a man/woman leaves the protection of the vault he/she was raised in to search for his/her missing father. He/She finds a world quite different from the one he/she experienced in the vault. His/Her experiences grow him/her physically, mentally, psychologically and morally. You ARE that man/woman, every action you take changes the world around you for good or evil. Play as a good guy/gal, an opportunist, a paragon or a villan. The choice is yours. There are multiple side quests and two or three "outlaw" radio stations, plus the "Officially recognizedZ" radio station of the "Enclave". Any actions you take are talked about on the outlaw stations, for good or for evil. This is the world as it might have been if the US got nuked.
You choose your alliance, you choose your fate, you make your future. The choice is yours.
This is the worthy successor of Elder Scrolls:Oblivion (same company, at least one of the voices is the same! )
Featuring superb graphics, visceral violence, gratuitous profanity, child endangerment, plots and sub-plots
and even a chance to meet "The president". You get to explore Raven Rock, the home of the "President" himself, Litttle Lamplight, a town of children ONLY, the adjoining town of BIG TOWN where the Lamplighter's go when they become adults.
The town of Megaton, complete with a bomb worshiping cult (a hommage to "Beneath the planet of the Apes")
The "Luxurious" highrise of Threepenney tower (No Ghouls allowed -- althought you MAY be able to change that situation! ). You'll meet misguided hero and villaness (respectively ) "The Mechanist" and the "ANTagonizer"
(She's a piece of work, trust me! ). You get to save a town from Giant Ants (A hommage to "THEM!"), if you wish!
Rescue slaves, or join the slavers for profit.
The choice is yours!Main plot outline:
BE WARNED SPOILERS BELOW!
Shortly after your 19th Birthday in the peace and luxury of Vault 101, your father vanishes and you are hunted by the Overseer's soldiers for helping him. You flee with help from your friends and enter the Capital Wasteland. You walk to the town of Megaton and speak to Colin Moriarty. From there, you learn that your father went to the Galaxy News Radio run by the enigmatic Three Dog. On arrival you fight, and hopefully kill, a Super Mutant Behemoth and proceed inside. Either by charming him or completing a quest you learn that your father left to find a Dr. Li at Rivet City. Once there Dr. Li tells you he has gone to Vault 112. Once there, you don a Vault 112 jumpsuit and enter a Tranquility Lounger. Inside, you encounter a virtual reality called Tranquility Lane. By completing a series of gruesome tasks for the sinister Betty (Stanislaus Braun) you discover that your Dad is actually the dog, Doc in Tranquility Lane. Braun allows you to leave and your father explains the purpose of his mission. He and Dr. Li along with a team of scientists were working on a 'Project Purity' a huge water purifier built inside the Jefferson Memorial in DC. The idea was to purify all the water in the DC basin at once, thus effectively saving the Capital Wasteland. However, after your birth, your father decided to leave the project and allow you to grow in a Vault, Vault 101, away from the dangers of the Wasteland. As a result, Project Purity has lain dormant, until now. You and your father return to Project Purity along with Li and her scientists. You help get it running again but then the mysterious Enclave arrive and attack the area. Your Dad sacrifices himself to kill the Colonel and you lead Dr. Li to safety at the Citadel, a Brotherhood of Steel stronghold. Inside, you learn you need a GECK (Garden of Eden Creation Kit) which was located in some vaults to restore the world when they opened. However, all have been lost but one, located in Vault 87. However, this has been overrun by Super Mutants and radiation means it is impossible to enter. You discover a passage through Little Lamplight caverns nearby and fight through Super Mutants and liberate a 'good' Super Mutant held prisoner called Fawkes. He helps you find the GECK and retrives it for you in the radiation filled corridors. Suddenly, the Enclave attacks and knock you unconscious. You awake in the Enclave stronghold of Raven Rock, help prisoner by the sinister Colonel Autumn. After refusing to answer his questions, you are taken to the President, John Henry Eden. Once there, you discover he is in fact a computer and asks you to infect the purifier with a poison that will kill everything infected with mutation in the Wasteland (everyone you know in the Wasteland), at this point, you can convince Eden to destroy himself and the Enclave but it is not cruical. After you fight your way out aided by Eden you encounter Fawkes again. He may join you as a follower but only if you have high enough Karma. If not he wanders off. After this you must travel to the Citadel where preparations are being made to assault the Purifier. You join the Brotherhood, and join them, and Liberty Prime (a giant kick-ass robot) in an assault on the purifier. After an epic battle against the whole Enclave you arrive at the purifier. You enter the Memorial (only if you want to END THE GAME as this is the point of no return) and fight down to the purifier with Sentinel Lyons. You either convince Colonel Autumn to stop or kill him and his bodyguards. Finally you have the ultimate decision. Save the wasteland. Or destroy it forever. You are suddenly told by Li that the facility is about explode under the pressure and have to act now. This means you, or Lyons braving the radiation infected chamber and turning on, or polluting the purifier. If Lyons goes in, you receive at bleak ending but the wasteland is saved. If you go in, you can save or destroy the wasteland or you can simply do nothing and let the facility explode. This does not end well.Whichever ending you choose, the game ends and you receive a suitable ending. Congratulations on beating Fallout 3! | violence, murder | train | imdb | null |
tt0106453 | Body of Evidence | An older man, Andrew Marsh, views a homemade pornographic tape. It is later revealed the man died from complications stemming from erotic asphyxiation. The main suspect is the woman who has sex with Marsh in the film, Rebecca Carlson, who after being charged with murder is represented by lawyer Frank Dulaney. The trial begins in Portland, Oregon, and it is not long before Carlson and Dulaney enter a sadomasochistic sexual relationship behind the back of Dulaney's unsuspecting wife.
During their first sexual encounter, Dulaney, overcome by lust, notices too late that Carlson is tying his arms behind his back using his own belt. Carlson pushes him onto the bed, removes his underwear, and while he is restrained, she humiliates him by pouring hot candle wax on his chest, stomach, and genitals, amused by the frustration and increasingly desperate reactions she is eliciting from Dulaney. The two then have sex with Carlson in complete control, an obvious counterpoint to their relationship in the courtoom, where Dulaney is the one in control.
Carlson proclaims her innocence to Dulaney in private and in court, but district attorney Robert Garrett seeks to prove that Carlson deliberately killed Marsh in bed to receive the $8 million he left her in his will. The testimony of Marsh's private secretary, Joanne Braslow, reveals that he had a sexual relationship with her that could have contributed to his death, casting a reasonable doubt as to Carlson's guilt.
Dulaney can not resist Carlson sexually but does not trust her. He maligns Carlson with accusations of her withholding information from him. She plays off timid and upset while he gets angry at her. He makes it clear their affair needs to end and implies he may drop her as a client. That night he goes to the restaurant where his wife works, and she appears clearly upset. She tells him Carlson called her and accuses him of sleeping with her. Dulaney initially plays it off as if she is paranoid, but when she reveals telltale evidence, it is clear he can no longer deny it. She storms off.
Dulaney goes to Carlson's home and angrily demands she tell him what she told his wife. At first she acts innocent, but then she taunts and teases him, which angers him even more, and throws her to the ground. They stare angrily at each other, but it quickly turns to excitement. The two have rough sex again. When Carlson pulls out handcuffs, it angers Delaney. He cuffs her hands to her bed post and roughly initiates sex her, though she enjoys it.
Carlson is shown in court to have had previous sexual relationships with a number of older rich men, including Jeffery Roston, in which her lovemaking was just as rough. Roston says that she abruptly ended their relationship when he got heart surgery and became healthier. Carlson's testimony convinces the jury, which acquits her. Before leaving court, she mockingly thanks her attorney for getting a guilty client off, fully aware that he cannot repeat what she said and that she can not be tried twice for the same crime.
That night, Dulaney visits Carlson's home, where he finds her with Marsh's doctor, Alan Payley, freely discussing the way they conspired to kill Marsh. She taunts Payley by telling him to lie low, as he could be convicted of perjury, and tells him to leave because she has already forgotten him. Carlson bluntly tells Dulaney that her sexual prowess is how she is able to make men do anything. An enraged Payley lashes out at Carlson physically and, after Dulaney pulls him off, Payley shoots her twice. She plunges from a window to her death. | neo noir, murder | train | wikipedia | Can someone literally be, umm, sexed to death?And why do people think Madonna did such a bad job in this film?
Who else could look so sexy as the mega bad girl delivering a line like "I f***--that's what I do." Madonna is superb and I think she really proved critics wrong when she won a golden globe for Evita a few years after Body of Evidence was released.The plot of this movie is one of the most interesting story lines I have ever known.
It was only a matter of time that by 1993 Modonna one of the worlds most recognized woman and #1 sex symbol was to showcase her enormous and natural talents on the big screen for all to see."Body of Evidence" is a story about greed lust murder and betrayal where Madonna, Rebecca Carlson, is accused of murdering her rich and elderly lover with the most potent and deadly weapon at her disposal, her body.
Attorney Frank Dulaney, Willam Dafoe, takes the case for Carlson's defense and it turned out the be the biggest mistake that he ever made in his entire life.The movie goes from the ridiculous to the sublime and every thing else in between and by the time the movie is over you feel like you went over Niagara Falls on a surf board.
You have to say one thing about "Body of Evidence" it's not at all boring and Madonna dose have acting talents with her very effective portrayal of the sexy and over the top Rebecca Carlson, even though she was obviously playing herself.
Willam Defoe was very good as Rebecca's lawyer who was manipulated by her like all the men that she manipulated in the movie; you couldn't fault him for that once she turned it on the poor man was a goner.
The movie has a number of shocking and explosive surprises that will keep you guessing until the final credits start to roll and is much better then you would expect from all the negative comments that it got at the time of it's release.
Madonna's acting surprisingly evoking sympathy as well as outrage during the entire movie, Madonna was very good in the scene where she was on the witness stand, that even rival her scenes in the buff, which was the real reason for most people seeing the film, that gives the audience and extra bonus..
Now, the problem lies not so much within Madonna's acting but timing...the film was released 3 months after her SEX book pictorial was released.
That and the nudity and strong sexual acts, Body of Evidence is a left over movie stolen from the Basic Instinct genre.
The storyline is tight and engaging, Madonna much better than usual, the sex scenes good, even if Willem Defoe appears more comfortable in the courtroom scenes, and the ending brilliant.
Willem Dafoe seems on auto-pilot throughout, cast as a defense attorney opposite Madonna, playing a woman who is suspected of killing her wealthy older lover with too much rough-housing in the bedroom.
(Note: Over 500 of my movie reviews are now available in my book "Cut to the Chaise Lounge or I Can't Believe I Swallowed the Remote!" Get it at Amazon.)Not that there is a TV version.We could also call this 'Madonna on top' or 'Madonna in charge' or maybe 'She can show you the power you can have from the prone position.' The one thing about Madonna, other than having no shame (and I admire her for that) is that she can crawl and not feel the slightest bit reduced.She's not especially bad in this mediocre thriller, nor especially good.
Strangely enough, Madonna is on trial for committing such a terrible act!I cannot completely hate the movie for some nice scenes between Dafoe and the 'Material Girl.' But if you can think of any other reason to watch this tripe, be it for pitying Julianne Moore as one of her earlier works or for just plain abusing your life, please do tell!
'Body of Evidence' should simply have been called 'Madonna's Sex Movie.' Could have done better with it..
It's so bad that other well respected actors like Archer , Moore , Defoe and Prochnow sink to her levelSimply one of the worst courtroom dramas ever made.
Willem Dafoe plays a lawyer who becomes involved with his client, Madonna, a woman accused of intentionally murdering her rich, elderly lover through strenuous, kinky sex.
Good actors like Dafoe, Joe Mantegna, Anne Archer, Juergen Prochnow and Frank Langella are totally wasted.
The question that i have to ask is why do good actors like Jullianne Moore and Willem Defoe take on movies like this?
perhaps it is hard to tell how bad a movie is going to be when you agree to make one but surely they must a read this silly script or perhaps Defoe agreed to make this because of the activities he gets up to with Madonna and lets face it who can blame him, she was in her prime in 1993 and she did look good, shame her acting was not good as her sexual activities .
goofy dialogue+implausible story+bad acting=typical madonna movie.
Julianne Moore, Willem Dafoe, Joe Mantegna are pretty respected actors and even Anne Archer and Frank Langella have done some good work in their careers, but this movie would have to be the low point of any of their careers.
I give this movie 10 out of 10 only for Madonna's incredible body, & her amazing performance in the sex scenes, which by the way i wonder how she made it while there are a lot of people behind the camera?!
The people who say that the plot is so dull don't get that body of evidence was made in the first place to satisfy Madonna's huge promotion to sex in the nineties..
It was like a really good 'Law & Order' episode...There was great suspense, strong sexual scenes, twist in the story line.and not a bad cast.
After she is accused of such a "crime" the lawyer she chooses to represent her is Willem defoe.OK, so it is not the most plausible plot line but this movie can still be enjoyed, not least for Madonnas hot body in numerous steamy scenes which although often criticised I found to be very well done and quite erotic.
It is true that Madonna and her body are the main reason to watch this thriller but there are some decent genuine performances by defoe and mantegna battling it out in the court room and Anne Archer as the deceased' embittered ex.
Think about it - replace the sex scenes (which are not that good) with some pies in the face, and this is almost as plausible as a Naked Gun Movie.
Who would have thought that anyone would buy this as a legitimate thriller.The lawyers in this film (Dafoe and Mategna) are two of my favourite actors, but they are so unbelievably incompetent that is flushes this movie down the toilet.
I think Madonna and her lawyer had a good on-screen chemistry and it was a fully valid chill-out film to watch.
I do not fancy Madonna, but I like her persona and her acting and I think she was good in this film..
I'm not a fan of Madonna's music, and her acting certainly doesn't present anything noteworthy.Further, I don't consider myself prurient (at least no more often or to a greater degree than the average person).However, there are occasionally scenes in movies, where two attractive persons are involved in romantic couplings which are in the upper portion of anyone's "list" for the "steam" provided.Examples would be scenes: between Mickey Rourke and Kim Basinger in "Nine 1/2 Weeks" (especially the one in the outdoor stairwell); and Michael Douglas and Glenn Close in the elevator and continuing towards, and in, the kitchen, in "Fatal Attraction."So it is with this film, most particularly the action between Willem Dafoe and Madonna in the parking garage.
No fast forwarding on this film.One way I rate a movie, is to take out the sex scenes, and see if the story still holds together.
Body Of Evidence is just another example of an interesting idea ruined by an attempt to fill a market void rather than create a solid story.The film, such as it is, was just one big part of an advertising campaign for another Madonna release.
Body of Evidence (1993) ** (out of 4)Rebecca Carlson (Madonna) is arrested for the murder of her lover.
Her lawyer Frank Dulaney (Willem Dafoe) takes the case and soon starts to fall for her sexual nature.After the huge success of BASIC INSTINCT there were all sorts of erotic thrillers being released.
Both films are rather poorly director and have screenplays that wouldn't cut it on a made-for-television film.As you watch the movie you're suddenly hitten with the fact that Madonna really can't act.
The star power is the strength of the feature and the makers use it wisely but Madonna needs some work on her acting skills, Willem Dafoe is brilliant enough for carrying around the almost 100 minutes of the feature where he is supported nicely by Julianne Moore.
After watching this movie the only thing i could think of is Madonna's ass.
But who cares.Willem Dafoe playing a lawyer who got sense of admiration for Madonna (more like for her ass) and trying to save her from electric chair.
It is a good movie starring this time Willem Dafoe.
The chemistry between him and Madonna is again really good, but this time,the movie looks way more professional compared to "Who is that girl", for instance.
Most of the public were fed up with Madonna and sex and people basically ignored this movie and one of her best CD's, Erotica.The plot involves Rebecca Carlson (Madonna) who has been accused of murdering her much older lover by deliberately having kinky sex with him despite his severe heart condition.
There's also the deceased man's secretary Joanne (Anne Archer) who is convinced that Madonna killed him to get his riches but it turns out that Joanne may have been much closer to her employer than just working for him.It's a murder mystery and a courtroom drama.
But put Madonna aside for a moment and note how terrible the movie's plot is, how laughably bad the dialogue is, how wretched the performances of the rest of the cast are.
It was nominated for six Golden Raspberries, although unaccountably lost the coveted "Worst Picture" award to "Indecent Proposal", to my mind a far better film.Given the film's low quality, I found myself wondering just why so major actors- Willem Dafoe, Joe Mantegna, Anne Archer, Julianne Moore, all of whom are capable of much better things than this- ever got involved with it.
Perhaps Dafoe couldn't resist the temptation of doing love scenes with two hot young actresses, Moore and the Queen of Sex, the Lady Madonna herself.
There is, of course, one school of thought which holds that she cannot act and that she should have stuck to her singing career, but in fact by the time this film came out in 1993 she had already given decent performances in films like "Desperately Seeking Susan", "Who's That Girl?" and "A League of Their Own", and was later to give a great one in "Evita".
"Body of Evidence" may have been a lousy film, but it was also a controversial one, and coming as it did just after the release of her pornographic coffee-table book "Sex" it helped to strengthen Madonna's hard-won reputation as somebody edgy and dangerous.
The script is relentlessly trashy, the highly touted sex scenes are both funny and wince-inducing, simultaneously, and Madonna proves once and for all that her vivid, multidimensional personality as a singer DOES NOT translate to movies!
Frank Langella is quite good in a small cameo, but Archer, Dafoe and the rest of the cast are forced into incessant overacting to deliver their characters when most of the time the only thing anyone is interested in is Madonna.
(Steal from legendary filmmakers...Put lots of unnecessary sex in your film...Hire actors who can't act...And you've got a movie!).
It tries to be "Basic Instinct" in many ways, but really doesn't hold water (even though Basic Instinct was primarily sex scenes put to a movie -- making it garbage as well.) Madonna's performance was REALLY bad in this one, delivering lines in a monotone voice, no facial expressions and literally looking like she has to "think" about the line before she delivers it.This movie was put out to promote (in my opinion,) Madonna's other financial projects which is why it is so bad.
Enter Dafoe on the case (another asset to the film-that raspberry award nomination was bogus) who takes Madonna as on a client, and that's not all, as seen in awesomely hot scenes with class, later on the film, that rival Basic Instict's.
It's got actors we love, some good lashings of sex, (a sexier movie than Basic Instinct, one scene even involving hot wax) involving courtroom scenes, some comedy scenes and Madonna's, you know what.
Willem Dafoe and Joe Mantegna are good enough as the rival lawyers to make the courtroom scenes very effective, and as a courtroom drama alone (paying as little mind as possible to Madonna's scenes) it's well written, well acted and quite entertaining.
The only possible way to approach a film like Body of Evidence is to treat it as what it is; a B movie, and even at that, its effectiveness is middling.
Now add the sex scenes with Madonna and it turns and ordinary movie into something a bit more special, puts Sharon Stone into the shade.
"Body of Evidence" is famous mostly as being the poor man's "Basic Instinct," and it probably wouldn't have made $10 except for the fascination people have with Madonna.
Madonna looks like a teenage boy compared with the lovely Ms. Moore.Anne Archer is plenty sexy too..
In "Body of Evidence", the consequences of sex games lead to the death of one partner and the other accused of murder.Briefly, the singer-actress Madonna plays a character that seems much like herself: a woman whose sexual appetite either matches or exceeds that of most males while simultaneously she likes to play dominant and engage in acts of bondage.
Rebecca Carlson (Madonna) is accused of murder, and Willem Dafoe plays her attorney Frank Dulaney who agrees to defend her in court.The trial and courtroom become the platform by which the realities of her relationship with the deceased, her sexual desires, and her previous relationships come to light.
people should like a movie for what it is and not who's in it...and i'm not saying this just because i'm madonna's #1 fan!
Both Madonna and Willem Dafoe convince in these scenes (as they should, since these scenes are the reason why BODY OF EVIDENCE got made in the first place!) The movie as a whole is boring and often bad acted.
It would be easy to comment on Madonna's and Willem Dafoe's acting, but in the end the problem is the movie itself.
Obviously made with the success of BASIC INSTINCT in mind(itself a highly overrated film), the film features shock queen Madonna as a sultry murder suspect who is on trial for killing her rich, weak-hearted older lover with too much rough sex(hey, it happens).
The sex scenes between Miss Madonna and Mr. Dafoe(which include hot candle wax, broken glass, and handcuffs), aren't sexy.
She had released her album, "Erotica," her book, "Sex" and this film, "Body Of Evidence.Watching this movie is like watching an incredibly brutal train wreck.
Lawyer Frank Dulaney comes to defend Miss Carlson but finds himself drawn into her sexual world as he tries to find out if she really did plan to kill him.This review contains spoilers - but it doesn't matter cause the plot's crap!At a time these erotic mainstream thriller things were all the rage - Basic Instinct, Colour of Night - everyone wanted in.
Acting as sex is a rather old idea.The selection of actors shows that the producers wanted people who know how to work with these ideas, at least in the case of Dafoe (see "Boondock", Moore ("End of Affair") and Archer.But as you almost certainly know, Madonna's persona proves vacant and the director's vision has no center.
but those of us who don't like pain and sex mixed will find it revolting.I think this movie would have been much better if there had been more time allowed on screen for genuine dialog between Madonna and William DeFoe's character.
My wife and I have a philosophy that one doesn't know a good movie until you've seen how bad it can get.wife: Madonna's not very pretty, is she?
Now, with a better script, including less lines for Madonna, and the switching of Joe Mantegna and Willem Dafoe, maybe we have something then.
Madonna is clearly loving playing a sexy femme fetal and she was not helped by the fact that the movie is just to over the top.
Madonna re-created her look from the film for the music video of her song "Bad Girl", released at the same time..
Madonna is a bad "actress" in this movie.This movie contains hardcore sex scenes and was nominated at the Razzies as Worst Movie.
The rest of the cast are obviously more used to acting well and do so fine, the story is obviously mostly remembered for the sex stuff, with Madonna getting her clothes off a lot and trying to be seductive, only sometimes doing it (the masturbation on the floor scene for example), but actually I found the courtroom drama plot really interesting, so all in all it isn't a bad erotic thriller.
Madonna plays the shagger, and Willem Dafoe her lawyer and shaggee.There is one glaring plot hole at the very start of this movie.
I watched this movie because I want to see Madonna getting jiggy.I don't see what Rebecca has done wrong. |
tt0070022 | Electra Glide in Blue | John Wintergreen (Robert Blake) is a motorcycle cop who patrols the rural Arizona highways with his partner Zipper (Billy "Green" Bush). Wintergreen is an experienced patrolman looking to be transferred to homicide. When he is informed by Crazy Willie (Elisha Cook, Jr.) of an apparent suicide via shotgun, Wintergreen believes the case is actually a murder. Detective Harve Poole (Mitchell Ryan) agrees it is a homicide, after a .22 bullet is found in the man's skull during the autopsy, as well hearing about a possible missing $5,000 from the man's home, and arranges for Wintergreen to be transferred to homicide to help with the case.
Wintergreen gets his wish, but his joy is short-lived. He begins increasingly to identify with the hippies whom the other officers, including Detective Poole, are endlessly harassing. The final straw comes when Poole discovers that Wintergreen has been sleeping with his girlfriend Jolene (Jeannine Riley). The hostile workplace politics cause him to be quickly demoted back to traffic enforcement.
Despite being demoted, Wintergreen is able to solve the murder. The killer turns out to be Willie, who confesses while Wintergreen goads him into talking about it. Wintergreen surmises Willie did it because he was jealous of the old man he killed, who frequently had young people over to his house to buy drugs. Shortly after, it is discovered that Zipper stole the $5,000, which he used to buy a fully dressed Electra Glide motorcycle. Wintergreen is forced to shoot Zipper after he becomes distressed and belligerent, and shoots at Wintergreen and in the direction of an innocent bystander while brandishing a gun.
As the film ends, Wintergreen is alone and back on his old beat, when he runs into a hippie that Zipper was needlessly harassing near the beginning of the film. Wintergreen lets him off with a warning but the hippie forgets his driver's license, and Wintergreen drives up behind his van to return it to him. The hippie's passenger points a shotgun out the back window and shoots Wintergreen, killing him. | cult, murder, violence | train | wikipedia | Do not mistake this existential parable for what may otherwise seem like a superficial counter-culture exploitation flickit is nothing of the sort.Record producer Guercio's first (and last) effort at film-making, captured beautifully by the late cinematographer Conrad Hall, leaves the viewer wondering "where have all the cowboys gone?" John Ford taught us that the hero rode a white horse and did the right thing, even if it killed himand in this Vietnam-era analogue, Blake is a five-foot four-inch leather-clad motorcycle cop writing speeding tickets along a lonely two-lane road cutting through monument valley.
And as American culture bled in the late 1960s and early 1970s, so too did the emotional lives of individuals, like the hodgepodge of aggrieved characters that come and go in this story.Seeing some of these people and listening to their individual stories of pain and suffering is John Wintergreen (Robert Blake), a by-the-book Arizona motorcycle cop, short on stature but tall on dreams.
However, Robert Blake does a fine job as America's everyday cop with his sense of principles.This film reminds me in some ways of "Zabriskie Point" (1970), a counter culture film which has a powerful ending that helps to make up for earlier plot problems.Based on a real-life event, "Electra Glide In Blue" gets off to a slow start.
Blake, as Big John Wintergreen, is the idealized American who is a Marine Corps veteran from Vietnam, comes back and wants to do the right thing: enforce the law fairly and not give favors to other cops nor hassle the hippies.
The seventies was a decade so overpopulated with great films that hundreds of truly great films went unheralded, and "Electra Glide in Blue" is one of these, sadly the singular film directed by the former Chicago manager, who penned the superb "Tell Me" sung by Terry Kath that plays at the end of the film.
Blake is great as Wintergreen and the Conrad Hall cinematography is simply stunning, with the haunting lyricism of the ending beholding one of the finest closing shots in the history of cinema.
Somewhere between the poetry of "Zabriskie Point " and "Easy Rider" (which it is frequently compared to but in many ways is the antithesis of) and the downbeat cop dramas that would follow during the decade like "The New Centurions" exists "Electra Glide in Blue", a gem certainly worthy of being rediscovered..
Before he found himself on the wrong side of a murder investigation, Blake was noted for playing an unconventional cop on the TV show "Baretta" (and also the flip side as a brutal killer in the film "In Cold Blood".) Here he is a square peg trying to fit into a round hole as a California Highway Patrolman with dreams of more.
Robert Blake's Character in "Electra Glide in Blue" was a motorcycle policeman in the fictional town of Stockman, Arizona, not California or the CHP.
Several references are given in the film, by Officer Wintergreen (Robert Blake), referring to areas around the Valley of the Sun, namely the Phoenix, Arizona area.
EGinB should be seen as an anthem to early 70's America, and the ringing messages of all road movies at the time.The film is unique as a tour de force from a director who knew precisely what he was doing.From the opening scene, with it's brilliant use of close-ups, to the final incredible draw-back, EGinB relentlessly drives home the message of post-Vietnam America, with themes of honesty,realization,ruthlessness and duty.As in other Road Movies, the Road is the conduit along which America travels for hope and redemption.The implication is that it is only in the expanse and purity of the Big Country that these ideals can be attained.Blake seizes his opportunity to wrest his character, Wintergreen, out of the Vietnam War and into a troubled American Society; not without a little resentment along the way.
His ideals of right and honesty give way eventually to acceptance of the system, with all it's failings.The photography is beautiful and skillful, lending a curious winsome nostalgia to the Great American Outback.Wintergreen's gleaming bike,( the Electra Glide of the title), deserves a credit of it's own.
From the opening suicide' montage and shot of a desert landscape cut in half by a narrow strip of road, you can tell that Electra Glide in Blue will be a simple film relying on striking visuals to tell the story just as much as the dialogue.
It may even be a tad too simple, since it sort of teeters out before the end and reaches its resolution rather abruptly, but its themes of dreams, loneliness, and obvious parallels to the death of 60's idealism, make it a very moving, worthwhile film.Blake is note perfect as `Big' John Wintergreen, an idealistic, pure-hearted, easygoing motorcycle cop, who just want to be a detective and `get paid for thinking, instead of sitting on my a** getting calluses.' He gets his chance when an old desert denizen appears to have been murdered and he is taken under the wing of Det Harve Poole, a right wing, bigoted, commanding man, who establishes his character by saying `My religion is myself.
There were parts of the movie that were downers, I guess I was looking for a feel good flick years ago.Our main character played by Robert Blake is a straight by-the-rules cop.
The movie can be boiled down to this: intro (murder); cop and girlfriend together; intro credits; cops going to work; crazy guy tells story; cop finds dead body; cop and chief and girlfriend at bar; chase scene; etc.
Then it tries to be a buddy film (Big John and Zipper) then a murder mystery; then a melodramatic love story; etc.
And thanks to Robert Blake's acting (of a really badly written character), the film maintains a certain level of realism, even though nothing else makes much sense.
This amazing sun drenched noir sleeper from the Easy Rider era stars attractive young Robert Blake, as a short motorcycle cop who dreams of becoming a detective and gets a chance to help solve a murder.Conrad Hall's cinematography is startling from the start - when you don't quite know if you're witnessing a suicide or a murder - to the breathtaking finish.
A stylish direction by James William Guercio--his only film!--and classy Conrad Hall cinematography cannot quite redeem wayward story about a motorcycle cop in Arizona, tired of busting hippies on the highway, chancing upon a corpse and seeing it as his ticket into the Homicide Division.
There are some good scenes, and I thought they would lead somewhere, but they didn't, it turned out to be an "anti-cop" "anti-buddy" "anti-hippie", pretty much "anti-everything movie", with an extremely confusing plot that also went nowhere.Robert Blake is great as the lead, well as great as someone could be with this bad movie, I am still a huge fan of Mr. Blake and love his acting even in crap like this...But this drug induced 70's tripe, well...
At the time there was some controversy over the film and some called it an "Ode To Fascism" citing the opening scenes where Blake works out, takes his health foods and dons his armor (Cop Uniform) I am not sure that it did not have those elements in it but I do think it was a very special film.
It stars Robert Blake as a motorcycle cop Johnny Wintergreen who patrols rural Arizona highways and aspires to be a homicidal officer.The movie opens with a promising panache hardly betrays that Guercio is a greenhorn, conjecturing through its voyeuristic close-ups, audience would soon realize a face-unshown man prepares to kill himself, yet, Guercio's camera also cunningly suggests that he is cooking beef streaks at the same time.
So the apparent-suicidal case becomes his stepping stone to be recruited by detective Harve Poole (Ryan) for his astute observation that it is indeed a murder underneath the hatched facade.But the ensuing police procedural dampens Johnny's driving enthusiasm, especially after witnessing Harve hectors physically abuses and a group of hippies to milk information about their prime suspect, a drug dealer Bob Zembo (a cameo of Peter Cetera, one of the four CHICAGO members who take on acting roles here apart from their contribution to the picture's soundtrack), and the final straw is an awkward confrontation between him, Harve and Jolene, the latter turns out to be Harve's lover, and spitefully lambastes Harve's incompetence to make her contented and laments her ill-fated destiny, working in a barrelhouse after a dashed Hollywood dream, Johnny and Harv fall out afterwards.Unambiguously Guercio conducts a half-hearted approach to solve the murder mystery, after trifling with a biker-chasing set piece to keep the action moving, the movie falls back on Johnny's "inner voice" for an expedient epiphany to realize who is the murderer at the end of a MADURA concert, with reasons unexplained, but that is not enough, ultimately there would be another revelation later, to further muddle the water and leave the opening scene ever so ambivalent when one retraces back, before reaching its chilling coda, completely hits viewers like a cold shower, willful but symbolic, overall, it is a loner's world against the canvas of a vast Arizona landscape, everyone in the story is either indolent, disillusioned or corrupt, only the hippies' community stands in as a getaway from the unpleasant reality, but their guarded world is defiant towards the mainstream values, Johnny represents a tragic hero who is doomed because of what he represents, an authority figure, cannot be saved by his amiable personality and all-too-well intentions.Performance-wise, everyone on board is on a par with excellence, Elisha Cook Jr. is heart-rending to watch in his committed lunacy, Mitchell Ryan expertly imbues a certain degree of passing diffidence in his bombast mannerism and Billy Green Bush is so organic as Johnny's shade- hogging partner and nails his big scene with a flourish, so is Jeannine Riley, manages to steal some limelight even with a role riddled with platitudes.
And our leading man Robert Blake, ever so self- reliant as a pipsqueak trying rather hard to chase his dream, only to get short-changed by a cynical world.ELECTRA GLIDE IN BLUE, also bolstered by a symphonic soundtrack produced by Guercio himself and its striking wide-screen landscape sensation shot by DP Conrad L.
Robert Blake has one of the best roles of his career as John Wintergreen, a dedicated motorcycle cop who yearns for more in life.
A revelation regarding his colleague and good friend "Zipper" (Billy Green Bush) only adds to his dismay."Electra Glide in Blue" marked the filmmaking debut for James William Guercio, a veteran of the music industry who, with the help of ace cinematographer Conrad Hall, brings a lot of visual poetry which is not the action-packed murder mystery that some viewers might expect, or hope, it to be.
The poster art for "Electra Glide in Blue," a photo of a row of motorcycle police with the diminutive Robert Blake conspicuous in that line because of his size, was framed on the office wall of Captain Frank Furillo (Daniel J.
Stuff like that...cool script...trippy music...strange characters...great locations...weird lighting...not too pretentious...very realistic while strange at the same time...you are laughing one minute, shocked the next...and usually very original...a lot of the music then was the same...let's see, Cinderella Liberty, Carnal Knowledge...I guess you could go on and on...but strange, cool little movies that you can't forget...and unlike many modern movies, not overdone...just right...usually has you walking away kinda scratching your head...Technically, I guess heavy duty film critics could find a million things wrong with them but even the flaws make the quality happen too...weird...I love movies like that...I guess because they don't spoon feed you like all too many of the movies of the last fifteen years or so do...again...just right...let's see, Serpico, The Lords of Flatbush...Midnight Cowboy ('69?)...on and on....
This is a 70s movie about a motorcycle cop who is bored with his job and dreams of moving to homicide because he thinks he will get more respect and excitement than his current role.
Electra Glide in Blue is a Palme D'Or nominated film and the only one directed by James William Guercio who used to be the manager of the rock group Chicago.
(The song was reused for the final episode of the television series, Miami Vice.)Recent accounts suggests that the filming was chaotic due to Guercio's inexperience and a lot of work was done by Cinematographer Conrad Hall and star Robert Blake.From the long opening shot you can see that this film benefits from Hall's cinematography who makes good use of the location in Monument Valley in Arizona.
Robert Blake deliver a wry, offbeat performance as John Wintergreen the diminutive by the book motorcycle cop who wants to be a detective.
The plot after a promising set up starts to meander, we even end up in a music concert at one point and I never really understood who really killed the victim and why.This is Blake's film, he plays Wintergreen in a low key way and brings out a lot of humour such as dancing with his cowboy hat, stetson but no pants or chatting up ladies who are much taller than him by likening himself to Alan Ladd.The Electra Glide is a motorcycle from Harley Davidson and there is a wild and violence chase scene when the cops chase a bunch of motorcyclists.Electra Glide in Blue is an uneven film that has acquired a cult reputation.
The nightclub scene is badly over the top (Riley), (wasn't there a less florid way of discrediting Harve); also, Zipper's (Bush) last scene appears a forced instance of violence for the sake of violence; while the movie's final scene comes across like a shameless rip-off of Easy Rider, foreshadowed by a picture of Fonda that John riddles with bullet holes.
Too bad, because the movie was promising in so many ways.Blake plays John Wintergreen's character beautifully.
"Electra Glide in Blue" is a slow moving B-flick in which Blake plays a desert motorcycle cop who wants to be a homicide detective and becomes embroiled in a murder investigation.
He then seemingly appears to tie string to his big toe, fastening the other end to the trigger of a shotgun, aiming the barrel to his heart and pulling the trigger.John Wintergreen is a short-a**e motorcycle cop with dreams of becoming a homicide detective.
even then, the film had a powerful effect.although it's hard to ever fully see robert blake and not think of his trial this film reminds you of when he was almost a movie star.
each scene is like its own movie.and yes, one of the great final shots in American film history..
Blake has a great role as Wintergreen (a short cop).
I saw this movie on the big screen while in boarding school and was nauseated by it.I wonder how it was received by anyone who bought a ticket.There is never any explanation for anything that happens.And then there's a nasty ending that has to speak to anyone who has ever been afraid for police officers making routine traffic stops.One additional note: how does any movie manage to make Robert Blake look shorter than 5'4"?Anyway, he kept my high school class mesmerized for more than a year on Baretta.
Electra Glide in Blue is the kind of movie I like: it makes you think.
Blake's character, John Wintergreen, takes a moving journey toward self-understanding and reaches a place where he can truly begin to "listen to himself." This is a lesson we all could learn.While it is undoubtedly fun to get lost in the hippie trappings of this film (and to play Identify the Chicago Band Member), Electra Glide in Blue is a film that's worth revisiting often as a reminder that we could all pay a little more attention to our own voices.
Electra Glide in Blue, a 1973 film notable for being director James William Guercio's debut film, stars Robert Blake and Billy "Green" Bush as two cops who attempt to fulfill their own dreams: John (Blake) - a promotion; Zipper (Bush) - a bike.
It's also notable for being the beginning of the short-lived acting careers of many Chicago members (all four of them play minor-role hippies).For the plot: in a nutshell, John wants to get a promotion while Zipper wants the best bike in the world.
The film (as I interpreted it today) would have even worked with a 'nothing special' ending wherein Wintergreen could have split the force, become a great detective, whatever.
The film follows 'Big' John Wintergreen (Robert Blake), a diminutively statured highway patrolman based in the deserts of Arizona.
From an era in which Hollywood was seemingly torn in half by rebellious counter-culture movies such as 'Easy Rider' and hard-boiled Cop dramas like 'Dirty Harry', Electra Glide In Blue makes a bold step in placing itself somewhere in between these two camps.
The film also uses some wonderfully stylised sequences to set up the scenario and the opening credit sequence, in which Wintergreen meticulously puts on his highway patrolman's uniform seems to fetishise the appearance of the motorcycle cop (surely referenced by the T-1000 in James Cameron's Terminator 2- Judgement Day?) I thoroughly enjoyed Electra Glide In Blue and can find only a handful of flaws with it.
It also features an exceptionally memorable final shot.9/10Now, I know James William Guercio has never made another film but has Robert Blake done anything interesting lately?........
Robert Blake plays Officer Wintergreen - a short, dedicated motorcycle cop out to become detective.
Is it a battle of integrity in Wintergreen(played rather decently by Robert Blake) versus corruption as in Zipper's character or Harve's police brutality.
Electra Glide in Blue is a strange film by a one-time director.
Unfortunately every time we see the "hippies" in the film you get a feeling about how dated this one is....they have the same kind of ambiance that the analogous scenes in "Easy Rider" have.
Where we see "Big John" Wintergreen (Robert Blake) following a van before being blown off his motorcycle by one of the van passengers. |
tt0203632 | Der Krieger und die Kaiserin | The first shot shows a lonely house by the ocean. Inside the house, a woman sits at a desk facing the ocean and writes a letter to Sissi Schmidt, Klinikum Birkenhof, Psych. Abt. Station 5. She goes outside and walks to the mailbox. The movie title appears. During the opening credits, you can see how the letter is sorted at the post office. Finally, the postman brings the letter to the Klinikum Birkenhof.Next scene: two people, a man and a woman, sit next to each other, holding hands. The woman puts an ice cube on her neck and asks if the man can feel it. She explains that these are goose bumps. Then she puts the ice cube on his neck. A woman in a nurses uniform looks trough the glass door before she enters, calling the woman Sissi (Franka Potente). She has mail and gives a letter to Sissi, who is very surprised about it, and to the man next to her. The man opens the letter immediately. The letter is written in Braille, which reveals that he is blind. Sissi doesnt open the letter immediately.In a big hall, a group of people gather together and sit in a big circle. Some of them are doctors and nurses, among them Sissi. The people are behaving strangely. They are patients of the psychiatric clinic. Two male patients agree to go for a walk with Sissi.Next scene: The camera focuses on a young man's (Bodo) face upside down. Then it circles around his head and shows that he is standing on the balustrade of the bridge over the freeway. He opens his arms. A boy approaching on a bicycle asks him what he is doing. He answers that he is engaged in sport, mainly flying, but the boy objects and the man answers that he is doing warm-up exercises. Bodo takes his bike and rides away.Bodo arrives at a funeral home, where he is applying for a job. The director hires him and asks him to start the same day. He walks away, leaving the young man alone in the chapel. There is an open coffin. An old lady is peacefully lying in the coffin. He goes to her and touches her cheeks.
The ceremony takes place. Bodo is helping to put the coffin in the grave. He cries silently while the priest prays by the open grave. A little girl sees his tears, as well as his boss, who is outraged and fires him right after the ceremony. Bodo is angry and chokes him.Next scene: Bodo pushes his bike to the top of a large hill in the countryside, at the top of which is a lonely house. The house is old. Another man, older than he (his brother Walter), is hanging clothes on a line. He asks how everything is going. The young man answers that he didnt get the job, though he would have liked to do it. His brother reassures him that they wont have to worry for long anymore. The two men go inside the house.
The house is dark and poorly furnished. Walter shows Bodo two different sets of blueprints of the same building. According to him, these plans show that the building must have another floor underneath it, unknown to other people. He also mentions that he is sitting right next to the safe, pointing to a spot on the blueprints. The two men look at a street sign hanging in their house showing a kangaroo. Walter asks if they really want it or not.Next scene, in the asylum: One of the patients, a young man (Steini), puts a disc on a old record player. A slow song starts. Sissi, still holding the letter, and her colleague (Maria) walk slowly along the corridor. Maria asks if the letter is from Maike. Sissi answers affirmatively. When Maria asks her if shes going to open it, she says that she will open it later. The two women arrive in the hall, where the music, which is a love song, is playing. Steini is waiting for Sissi. He flirts with her and begins to dance with her. Other patients also start dancing, as well as some of the nurses. One of the patients, however, leaves the room in madness.It is nighttime, and Sissi helps Steini prepare for bed. He asks her for a favor. At first, she doesnt want to, but finally, she agrees to masturbate him. Another patient (Werner) sees her doing this.Sissi goes back to the nurses room, where she picks up her jacket. Her colleague then accompanies her to her room in the nurses apartment building. Sissi walks into her room, the letter in her hand. She sits down on her bed and opens the letter. There is a picture of her friend by the house near the ocean.Off-screen, the voice of the friend explains that her mom died. She is not sad about this because her mom was very old, and she didnt have close contact with her. However, her mom has bequeathed her something. She asks Sissi to go to the bank with the documents enclosed within the letter. She also writes that the ocean is roaring like it does in Sissis big sea shell. Her friend reminds her that they always wanted to go to the ocean, and that she finally made it. Sissi holds the sea shell to her ear. In a CGI shot, the camera zooms into the mussel.The screen is black, aside from a wide, shiny spot. Sissi speaks. She say that she wanted to go to the bank immediately, but The voice cuts off. The shiny spot becomes larger and focuses on Bodo. He is running, holding a grocery basket, and he is being followed by two men. He appears to have stolen the food. The music is loud and fast. Bodo is running trough the streets of a big city. He tries to escape by hopping onto a passing big rig truck. Meanwhile, Sissi is standing at an intersection with the blind patient, waiting for the light to turn green. The surprised truck driver turns back to yell to the Bodo, preventing him from paying attention to where he is driving. He runs the red light at the moment Sissi and the blind patient are crossing the street. She has time to push the patient back so he wont be hurt, but she is then hit by the truck and run over. The screen turns black. Silent.Close-up view of Sissis face. She is lying down and explains through an off-screen voice what happened. First, she feels no fear but then she notices the deep silence that surrounds her. Something is missing: her own breathing.Next scene: Bodo is still running. He runs into a small shop through the rear door. The salesman, knowing him, calls him by name, asking where he has come from. Bodo doesnt have time to answer. He runs through the shop and exits through the main door. Little bells ring as the door closes. He then sees the truck standing in the middle of the street. Many people are standing around it. Bodo thinks that he can hide under the truck. After crawling under the truck, he sees Sissi lying there.In an off-screen voice Sissi says that the air wasnt coming back, but that the man was coming. Bodo realizes that she cant breath. He examines his mouth. He then asks her to wait for him and leaves, promising that he will come back.
After coming out from underneath the truck, Bodo sees that the two men who followed him are leaving. He also sees the blind young man holding a cup with a straw. Bodo runs away.Meanwhile Sissi is still lying under the truck. She is afraid that the man wont be coming back. In her thoughts she sees her mother sitting on a bathtub and saying that men never come back. But she also says that she wont play this game and that Sissi shouldnt be playing it either. The scene is black and white.Bodo runs to the blind man and steals the straw. He goes back to Sissi. He lies on top of her, takes a knife from his pocket, and explains that he will make an incision in her throat so that she is able to breathe. Bodo puts the knife into her throat. He puts the straw into the wound and sucks the blood out of it. Sissi starts breathing again. Bodo begins to cry again. Sissi thinks that it may be possible to be happy outside if you are not alone but with a guy like him.Sissi is brought to the hospital. She remembers being in a tunnel (the hall in the hospital), with Bodo still on her holding the straw and sucking the blood. A doctor counts until three, and Bodo jumps off the bed and the doctors put the intubation into Sissi. Bodo walks for a while alongside the bed, Sissi holding his hand. Then, their hands are separated, and Sissi has only a button of his jacket in her hand.The next scene follows Bodo as he enters a large business building. He goes to the basement where his brother sits at an enormous desk. Bodo asks him if he is about to have lunch. Walter, who says he will come in five minutes, gives him the keys to an elevator. Walter then meets Bodo on the roof of the building. He brings sandwiches and beverages. Bodo tells him that he saved someones life. Walter explains that Schmatt, the salesman from the little shop, called him. He advises Bodo to stop stealing at the gas station. He also tells Bodo that he has all the plans ready. Bodo seems uncertain, and from the roof, Walter shows him a certain location and explains that they will enter there and then walk along the sewers. Then they have to dig for another 10 or 20 meters. When Bodo asks him what they will do afterwards, Walter answers that they will be gone. Bodo asks if he means Sydney. Angry, Walter leaves.
Standing alone at the roofs edge, Bodo points to the ground and says that Sydney is on exactly the opposite side of the Earth.Next scene: Bodo and his brother ride a bike and stop at a gully. Bodo removes the manhole. They walk along the sewers wearing helmets and lamps.Sissi is in the hospital. She has a broken leg. The doctor removes her neck support (Halskrause zur Unterstützung bei Halswirbelbrüchen). He then cuts the cast on her leg. The whole scene is tinted green.Sissi sits in a car with her colleague Maria. She says that she was able to leave the hospital after 53 days. The doctor said it was a miracle. Sissi still holds the button from Bodos jacket in her hand. She says that the man was gone. They arrive at the asylum.Inside the asylum, the patients and doctors have prepared a small party for Sissis return. Everybody sits at a long table. One patient leaves the room in an inexplicable rage. Sissi and her colleague enter the asylum. There is a big round of applause from the patients and doctors. Sissi sits down on the end of the table. When one patient asks her why she isnt dead, she explains that she has been saved. She also appeases one of the patient by saying that she wont die. Suddenly, the conversation still on the topic of death, Sissi leaves the room.She goes to her room and writes a letter to Maike. She explains that she doesnt know what is going on with her. She also promises her friend that she will go to the bank the next morning. She says that she always thinks of the man.The next scene: Bodo and Walter lie in bed, the weather is stormy. Bodo is very nervous. Suddenly he sits up, his eyes closed. He goes to a stove and embraces it. His brother wakes up and sees him. He screams his name and goes to remove Bodo from the stove. Bodo is afraid and starts fighting. Finally, he opens his eyes and wakes up, surprised.Sissi is in her bed and wakes up suddenly. In her nightwear, she goes to see the blind patient, who is sitting in the first room as in the beginning. She sits next to him. The blind man says that Sissi is afraid of something. She answers that she is afraid that nothing will be the same anymore, but he says that she is afraid everything will remain the same. Sissi agrees and says that she should try to find him. She asks the patient for help.The next scene: Sissi stands in the middle of the street where she was hit by the truck. The blind man is with her. She makes the sound of her bodys impact with the truck and sits down. Then she asks the patient what happened next. He tries to remember. Suddenly, he points at something with his finger and says, There it is. A man is coming out of the little shop with the ringing bells. Sissi realizes that Bodo came out of that shop. She goes into the shop followed by the blind patient. The shop sells weapons. The salesman (Schmatt), who is cleaning a rifle, doesnt pay attention to Sissi and the blind patient. Sissi finally asks him if he was working on May 30th, and remembers the accident. She describes Bodo and asks the salesperson if he knows the man. The salesman is reluctant to give information and denies knowing the man, but Sissi sees a picture with Bodo on it. Bodo wears an army uniform where the name B. Riemer can be read. Because the salesperson is still reluctant, the blind patient feigns a seizure in front of his door. Sissi says that she will call the police if the man doesnt speak and will tell them that he hit a blind person.Sissi and the patient are going back to the asylum. Sissi has a piece of paper in her hand. In the next scene Sissi is sitting alone in an aerial railway car. She walks down a lonely street and finally climbs the hill to Bodos house. Bodo is with his brother behind the house, doing martial arts exercises. Sissi smiles because she recognizes Bodo as the man who saved her life. When she touches Bodo from behind, he is so afraid that he grabs her by the throat and pushes her over. His brother helps Sissi to stand up.Sissi asks Bodo if he remembers and he nods. She says that it hurt. Because Bodo is crying again, she asks him if he is sad. He asks her what she wants. Walter also asks her what she wants. She answers that she just wanted to see him again, but Bodo says he didnt want to see her. Walter tells her goodbye. Sissi leaves, sad. She is alone in the train. It is night. She goes back to the asylum.When she opens the door to the dormitory, one of the patients, Werner, comes from behind and hits her in the face when she turns around. She falls down. When she asks him why he did this, he looks to the ceiling and says that he had heard an order from above. Sissi suggests that he let her restrain him, and he agrees. She ties him down on an examination table. Werner suddenly asks her to loose the restraints again, and he says it is important. He has to knock out all her teeth. She doesnt open the strips and explains that he knows that he doesnt have to do this.Sissi sits on her bed watching a romantic movie. The weather is stormy again. Sissi stands up.Next scene: She goes back to Bodos house. It is raining hard, and she has a yellow raincoat on. Walter opens the door. She says that it isnt right. He closes the door, but she knocks again. When Walter says that Bodo isnt at home, she tells him she wont leave. He lets her in. He sits down on a table where a bottle of whisky is standing and offers her a chair next to him. He gives her a glass of whisky. She drinks it. He asks her what her name is. She introduces herself: Simone. He holds her hand and says his name: Walter. Then she tells him to call her Sissi. When she asks him where Bodo is, he tells her that he will be coming back soon. She wants to know if they are friends, and he tells her that they are brothers. She says that they dont resemble each other. Walter is smoking. When Sissi asks him what the matter is with his brother, Walter just answers that he isnt the right guy for her. She wants to know why. Walter explains that Bodo already has a lot of problems, and that she is one of them. Again she asks why. He answers that it is because she is a woman. She wants to know if Bodo has something against women. First Walter answers no, but then he says yes. Sissi asks him why, and he explains that Bodos wife is dead. She is surprised to hear that he was married. But then she asks why his wife is dead. Walter explains that she died in an accident at a gas station. Bodo was in the restroom, and she was putting gas in the car. Suddenly, a fire broke out and the gas station exploded. When Bodo came back from the restroom, everything was gone, burned, including his wife. Walter also says that Bodo is still sitting on the toilet at the gas station, waiting for all this not to be real, so that he can come back from the restroom and have everything okay like it was before. Thats why he must go away from here. Out of the restroom. Just as Walter is asking her why she is after Bodo, Bodo comes home. He isnt happy to see Sissi. Sissi stands up. Bodo asks her what she wants. She tells him that she dreams about him. She wants to know if they only met by chance or if she needs to change her life because of him. He grabs her and brings her outside the house. It is still raining. Bodo closes the door, but Sissi knocks on it. He comes out and steps forward, screaming for her to leave him alone. Finally, he punches her, and she falls into the mud. She starts crying and throws mud at him. His brother comes out and takes Bodo back inside the house. He also asks Sissi to leave. She goes leaves in the rain. Finally she lies down in the wet grass, looking at the stars.
Inside the house, Walter gives Bodo a towel and asks him why he acted this way. He doesnt answer.Next scene: Bodo takes a shower. Suddenly he hears something knocking. He thinks that it is his brother. But it is a young woman, his dead wife, who is sitting there. He asks her where Walter is, and she shakes her head. He kneels in front of her, crying. Suddenly the scene changes: Bodo is sleeping and crying, holding the stove. His brother sees him and wakes him up. The two brothers sit at the table, drinking whiskey. Bodo holds ice cubes to cool his burned hands.The next morning, Sissi, still in her raincoat, goes to the bank to deal with her friends papers. There she sees Walter. Once an armored car arrives, Walter goes to his office downstairs. Under his desk, he opens one tile in the floor. Beneath is a small tunnel where Bodo is waiting. The security men from the armored car head downstairs. Meanwhile, upstairs, Sissi is told that the papers allow her to open one of the deposit boxes. The security guys open the safe. Walter is with them. When they enter the safe, the masked Bodo comes out of the tunnel and threatens them with a gun. He asks his brother to press a cloth with what is presumably ether onto the mens faces. The security guys fall asleep. Bodo and Walter take the mens weapons and the suitcase with the money. They throw everything into the hole in the floor.Meanwhile Sissi gets the key to the deposit box. She finds a small box in it.One of the security men wakes up. He still has a gun hidden in his pants. First he wants to shoot the alarm button, but when Walter comes in again, he points the weapon at him. Quickly, the man shoots the alarm button and points the weapon again at Walter. The alarm system goes off, and everybody has to evacuate the building.
Downstairs, Bodo is coming out of the tunnel. He enters the safe with a gun, but when he sees the situation, he lays his weapon down and starts speaking to the guy. He tries to convince him not to shoot. He successfully takes the gun out of the hand of the security man.
Meanwhile, the bank manager comes downstairs. Sissi sees him and follows him. At the moment Bodo and Walter want to escape through the tunnel, the bank manager arrives. He shoots Walter. At this moment, Sissi is coming down the stairs. She sees the manager pointing the gun at Bodo. She walks in front of the gun and asks the manager to not shoot because its not the plan. After a while, the bank manager gives her the weapon, and Bodo runs to Walter First, he is holding his own gun against the manager, but Sissi asks him not to shoot, so he punches the man in the face.Meanwhile, Walter is feeling weaker and weaker. With Sissis help, Bodo is able to bring Walter down the tunnel. The three escape through the sewers. On the other side, Schmatt is waiting for them in his truck. They bring Walter to a hospital. At first, the hospital seems to be empty, but then a doctor is found. Before Walter is taken to the emergency room, he asks Bodo to come out of the restroom.On their way back, the truck gets stuck in traffic. The police are looking for the bank robbers. Bodo and Sissi get out of the truck and run away. Once they are far enough away to stop for a while, Sissi asks him what he wants to do now. He doesnt really know, but he has to hide.
Sissi takes him to her room in the nurses apartment building. They sit down, Bodo on the bed and Sissi on a chair. Suddenly Sissi remembers the little box she picked up in the bank deposit box. Inside is an locket with the picture of an old woman. She shows it to Bodo, who recognizes the person. It is the woman who was being buried when he was working at the cemetery.Next scene: the teapot is whistling, but Sissi doesnt react immediately. She seems to be lost in thoughts. After a while, she enters her room and wants to bring Bodo the tea, but he is asleep in her bed. She quietly puts the tray on the ground.Next scene: In the asylum, the patients, the nurses, and the doctor gather together in the hall and start talking. The doctor tells them that it is important to go outside, to walk a little bit and to breathe the fresh air. Sissi is also sitting with them.
Suddenly Bodo walks through the corridors of the asylum. He tries to find out where he is. When he enters the main hall, he sees the news on the TV. The reporter is reporting on the bank robbery, saying that Walter had been brought to an hospital but died soon thereafter from his wounds. Bodo starts screaming and destroys the TV. The patients are shocked, and the nurses try to calm Bodo down. Sissi is horrified. Bodo is restrained on a doctors couch and given medicine to calm him.The nurses and the doctor meet in the nurses room and discuss the situation. They dont know who Bodo is and suggest that he may be suicidal and want to get help. The doctor announces that he will ask him once he feels better. Maria suddenly asks Sissi if she knows this guy, but Sissi says she doesnt. The young patient Steini is shown looking at her.Sissi and a colleague go release Bodo from the couch. He is calm and weak. They bring him to the doctors office. All the patients are looking at them but the doctor asks them to go away. While the doctor is looking for papers in the next room, Sissi explains to Bodo that he shouldnt tell anything to the doctor, but rather should pretend to have lost his memory. The doctor comes back and gives Bodo a glass of water. Sissi remains with them in the office. He starts asking questions about Bodos name and how he found his way to the asylum, but Bodo doesnt answer. He closes his eyes and starts crying. When the doctor asks him why he is crying, Bodo explains that he has problem with his tear ducts, but the doctor doesnt believe him. He asks him if he had drunk alcohol, but Bodo shakes his head. He also asks Bodo why he destroyed the TV, and whether someone had commanded him to do so, if he had heard voices. The doctor also explains that he cant let Bodo out of the hospital without papers, and that he has to stay there until the patients care office takes care of him. He again asks him if he really wants to stay in the asylum.When the doctor and Sissi come out of the office with Bodo, everybody is staring at them. They bring him to a bedroom. Sissi stays in the room with Bodo and makes the bed. Once the doctor exits the room, the two are alone. Bodo lies down, and Sissi lies next to him. She comes really close to him, saying that he smells good. Bodo asks her what planet she is from, and she answers from here. Because he doesnt understand, she explains that she was born in the asylum. Her mom died when a hair dryer fell into the bathtub, and her dad is one of the patients. Suddenly, a patient knocks on the door, and Steini enters the room. He wants to speak to Sissi, but she is angry that she can never be alone. All the patients are standing in front of the door, starring at her. She tells them that she wants to be alone for a while. She also rejects the blind patient by pushing him away from her. When she closes the door, she puts her hands in front of her face in despair. Bodo watches her, still lying on the bed.Next scene: the blind patient is in his room and blocks the door with an armchair. He then stays on another chair and removes the bulb from a light.Meanwhile, still in the bedroom, Bodo says to Sissi that the patients rely on her. Then he also says that Walter is dead.The blind patient is shown eating the glass shards from the lightbulb. He is bleeding from his mouth. The nurses break into the room and call the ambulance. When Sissi sees what has happened, she is shocked and cries.Next scene: Off screen, the voice of the doctor says that all the dangerous patients have to be isolated during the night, including the new patient. Bodo is in a padded cell. He lies on the ground, sleeping. Sissi walks through the dark hall. The TV is on, and Sissi sees on the news that she and Bodo are wanted by the police for bank robbery. When she leaves, Steini is looking at her. She goes to the room where Bodo is lying. He sits up, and she kneels in front of him. She explains that she is going to go away, and that he has to decide whether he wants to come with her or not. When Bodo asks her why the two of them, she tells him that she dreamed they were brother and sister, wife and husband, mother and father. He answers that she is crazy, and she admits that maybe everything is wrong, but she thinks that it is luck. He answers that he doesnt believe in luck. When she says that he has just had too much bad luck, he asks what she knows about his bad luck. She tells him that she knows about his wife, the gas station, and the accident. Bodo answers that it wasnt an accident, but rather a fight, one of many.Next scene: Bodo and his wife are driving. Even though there is no sound, one can see that they are arguing. They stop at the gas station, and Bodo goes to the restroom while his wife stays by the car. She fills the tank and lights a cigarette. The gas overflows out of the tank and onto the ground. The gas station attendant tries to warn her but she just drops her cigarette, and everything explodes. Bodo, still in the restroom, hears the explosion. When he comes out of the restroom, nothing is left.Next scene: Steini is calling someone on the phone, telling them that the bank robber is in the asylum. He also says that Bodo is dead.
Steini sees Sissi and Bodo walking through the corridors.Sissi tells her colleague Maria that she needs her car immediately. The colleague gives her the keys to her car. She also asks Sissi where they want to go, and Sissi answers that they want to go somewhere very far away. Maria asks her if she is really sure about what she is doing. Sissi says yes, and that she wont be back.Steini steals some keys from the nurses room. He goes to the bathroom, where Bodo is taking a bath. When Steini first looks through the door, he sees Sissis mom sitting in the bathtub. He gets a toaster and turns it on.While Bodo is still sitting in the bath, Steini suddenly comes into the bathroom with the toaster in his hands. He tries to throw the toaster into the water, but Bodo catches it. The scene switches repeatedly back and forth between the mother sitting in the bathtub and dying because of the hair dryer that Steini throws into the water and the actual, current situation. Suddenly, Bodo stands up and starts chasing Steini throughout the whole building. Sissi, who is still standing in the hall with her colleague, sees them and follow them. Steini climbs a ladder to the attic. Just as Bodo tries to enter the attic, Sissi catches up to him and asks him what happened. He explains that Steini tried to throw a plugged-in toaster into the water in the bathtub. She suddenly understands.Meanwhile, her colleague worries. She sees the police cars coming and goes outside. Another nurse is already talking to the police officer. She says Steinis name. Suddenly, one of the police officers says that there is a person on the roof of the building. It is Steini. He goes to the edge of the roof and sits down. He is talking to himself, saying that things have to be put in order.Sissi and Bodo arrive on the roof. She goes directly to Steini and asks him why he did it. He gives a confusing answer and says that he can jump. The police also arrive on the roof and move slowly toward the three people at the edge of the roof. Steini tries to explain that he just has to jump and then everything would be okay, but Sissi answers that he wont jump. She goes back to Bodo, takes his hand, and walks a few steps away. Suddenly, they jump from the roof. Everybody is shocked. Sissi and Bodo land in a little lake that had been covered up with leaves. They escape and go back to the asylum where her colleague Maria gives her the car and some clothes. They drive away. The patient Werner sees them going.Sissi and Bodo are driving on a country road when the gas tank starts running low. They stop at a gas station. It is the same station where the accident with Bodos wife occurred. Bodo goes to the restroom. When he comes out, there is a doppelganger of him following him into the car. They drive away. His doppelganger watches him during the drive. Bodo is crying again. Sissi wants to wipe away his tears, but he doesnt want her to touch him. His doppelganger suddenly closes Bodos eyes and forces him to stop the car. The doppelganger then asks him to leave the car and sits down next to Sissi. He starts the car and drives away, leaving Bodo behind. The new Bodo in the car takes Sissis hand. He is smiling.The camera then focuses on the picture of Sissis friend Maike, which is hanging in the car. Suddenly, the picture comes alive, and Maike is shown walking toward Sissi and Bodo, who have arrived at her house by the ocean in their old car. Maike and Sissi are happy to see each other again.The camera zooms slowly away from the scene. Again you can see the lonely house by the sea, remembering the first scene. | insanity, flashback | train | imdb | null |
tt0272338 | Punch-Drunk Love | Barry Egan is a single man who owns a company that markets themed toilet plungers and other novelty items. He has seven overbearing sisters who ridicule and emotionally abuse him regularly and leads a lonely life punctuated by fits of rage and anguish. In the span of one morning, he witnesses an inexplicable car accident, picks up an abandoned harmonium from the street, and encounters Lena Leonard, a coworker of one of his sisters, Elizabeth. Lena had orchestrated this meeting after seeing him in a family picture belonging to Elizabeth.
Coping with his loneliness, Barry calls a phone-sex line, but the operator attempts to extort money and sends her four henchmen, who are brothers, to collect. This complicates his budding relationship with Lena, as well as his plan to exploit a loophole in a Healthy Choice promotion and amass a million frequent flyer miles by buying large quantities of pudding. After Lena leaves for Hawaii on a business trip, Barry decides to follow her. He arrives and calls one of his manipulative sisters to find out where Lena is staying. When his sister starts abusing him again, Barry snaps and demands she give him the information, which she does. Lena is overjoyed to see Barry, and they later have sex. At first, Barry explains that he is in Hawaii on a business trip by coincidence, but he soon admits that he came only for her. The romance develops further, and Barry finally feels some relief from the emotional isolation he has endured.
After they return home, the four brothers ram their car into Barry's, leaving Lena mildly injured. With his new-found freedom from loneliness in jeopardy, a surprisingly aggressive and poised Barry adeptly fights off all four of the goons in a matter of seconds, using a tire iron as a weapon. Suspecting that Lena will leave him if she finds out about the phone-sex fiasco, Barry leaves Lena at the hospital and tries to end the harassment by calling the phone-sex line back and speaking to the "supervisor", who turns out to be Dean Trumbell, who is also the owner of a mattress store. Barry travels to the mattress store in Provo, Utah, to confront Dean face to face. Dean, at first trying to intimidate Barry, finds Barry much more intimidating and Barry compels Dean to leave him alone.
Barry decides to tell Lena about his phone-sex episode and begs her for forgiveness, pledging his loyalty and to use his frequent-flier miles to accompany her on all future business trips. She readily agrees, and they embrace happily. Some time later, Lena approaches Barry in his office while he plays the harmonium. She puts her arms around him and says, "So, here we go." | comedy, suspenseful, bleak, whimsical, cult, absurd, psychedelic, romantic | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0084867 | Vigilante | Eddie Marino (Robert Foster) is a factory worker in New York City. He has a wife named Vickie (Rutanya Alda) and an eight-year-old son named Scott. Eddie's friend and co-worker, Nick (Fred Williamson), and two other co-workers, named Burke and Ramon, have formed a secret vigilante group because Nick and the group are fed up with the pimps, gangs, and drug dealers who keep taking over the neighborhoods. Nick and his group are also sick and tired of the police, because the police always fail to protect people who become victims. Nick's "group" has support of various residents of the neighborhood whom indirectly help them. In one example, a local thug stalks and chases a young woman to a rooftop of an apartment building where the thug robs and then kills her. An old lady who witnesses the thug says nothing to the police, but points out the thug to Nick and his group the next day. Nick and his friends forcibly grab the thug off the streets and place him in their van and drive away. The thug is later found dead in a vacant lot with all of his arms and legs broken and his head bashed in.One evening, Eddie returns home from work only to discover that Vickie has been stabbed, and Scott has been shot dead in a home invasion led by a street gang that Vickie encountered earlier. Frederico "Rico" Melendez (Willie Colón), the leader of a Puerto Rican street gang, is arrested for Vickie's stabbing and Scott's murder. Assistant District Attorney Mary Fletcher (Carol Lynley) plans to put Rico away for as long as possible, since New York doesn't have the death penalty. Nick tries to convince Eddie to join the vigilante group, but Eddie turns Nick down, preferring to let the courts handle Rico. Nick makes it clear that he has no faith whatsoever in the police and the judicial system. Nick turns out to be right; the case against Rico doesn't make it past the arraignment. After Rico's corrupt lawyer, Eisenburg (Joe Spinell), argues for the case to be dismissed after Rico pleads guilty to Vicki's assault, but not guilty to Scott's murder, the corrupt Judge Sinclair (Vincent Beck) sets Rico free with a two year suspended sentence. Eddie goes crazy and tries to strangle Judge Sinclair, who sentences Eddie to spend 30 days in jail. It was actually Rico's sadistic right hand man, Prago (Don Blakely), who had fired the shot that killed Scott while Rico was the one who stabbed Vickie. Prago also bribed Judge Sinclair, as well as Eisenburg, to set Rico free.With Eddie in prison, Nick and his group try to track down the source of drugs that have been sweeping their neighborhood. Nick chases after a small-time drug dealer named Blueboy (Frank Pesce) whom they rough up who points him to his supplier; a local Manhattan pimp. Nick and the group follow and confront the pimp and torture him to reveal his drug source and the pimp points them to a high-ranking member of the New York mayor's office. Nick and the team then assasinate the city counsulman as he leaves his office building the following night.In prison, Eddie befriends an inmate named Rake (Woody Strode) who saves him from being gang raped in the showers. As soon as Eddie is released from jail after serving his 30-day-sentence, he changes his mind about Nick's vigilante group. Eddie willingly joins the group so he can track down and kill Rico, Prago, as well as Judge Sinclair.Eddie, Nick, Burke and Ramon confront Rico in his seedy apartment where Rico denies killing Eddie's son and insists it was Prago. An unmoved Eddie shoots him dead, but narrowly escapes death when Rico's girlfriend attempts to shoot him, but wounds Burke instead, forcing Nick to shoot her dead in self defense. Upon hearing about Rico's murder, Prago takes over command of the gang and mistakenly assumes that dirty cops killed Rico. The following night, Prago and the gang ambush a police car and kill both cops in a hail of bullets.Another day or so later, Vickie is released from the hospital, but refuses to come home to Eddie and she leaves him, unable to be in the very house where their son was killed. Eddie decides to move away too, disgusted with himself over killing a man as well as in fear that the gang will track him down. Nick pays him a visit and persuades him to stay and help him and his group contine to fight against street crime in their own way. Eddie declines.As Eddie is driving through Brooklyn on his way out of town in his van, he spots Prago on the street and recognizes him from the courtroom that day of him being around Rico. Eddie parks his van and follows Prago on foot who soon spots Eddie and attemps to shoot him while Eddie returns fire. A climatic chase sequence begins where Prago hijacks a car and attempts to drive away while Eddie steals another car and chases after him through the streets, evading other cars and pedestrians alike. The chase leads to a local dockyard mill where both cars crash and Eddie chases Prago on foot again up a storage tower where he confronts him with being the person who killed his young son. Sadistic and insane to the last, Prago admits to killing Eddie's son and then dares Eddie to kill him, who responds by throwing Prago off the tower to his death without hesitating.In the final scene, Eddie targets the corrupt Judge Sinclair who sentenced him to jail by planting a bomb under the judge's car in the Brooklyn courthouse parking lot. That night, when Judge Sinclair gets in his car and starts the engine, it explodes, killing the judge. Watching from a distance in his van, Eddie drives away to an unknown destination and ending the movie on an ambiguous note. | neo noir, murder, violence, cult, flashback, tragedy, revenge, sadist | train | imdb | Directed by William Lustig in between his trash classic 'Maniac' and 'Maniac Cop', the movie greatly benefits from the strong performances of Robert Forster ('Medium Cool', 'Jackie Brown') and Fred Williamson ('Black Caesar'), two actors who unfortunately have generally been wasted in dull action movies and awful straight to video dreck.
Forster displays dignity and depth of character as a working class Joe pushed to his limit, and Fred Williamson gives possibly his most impressive performance ever, as his buddy who shows him a way to get closure.
Both Forster and Williamson are supported by an above average cast of character actors including Richard Bright and Joe Spinell (both of 'The Godfather' as well as countless other roles), and veteran Woody Strode.
Vigilante (1983) is a revenge flick in the style of 70's Italian Crime films (He even shot it in Scope).
Robert Forester plays Marino, an average working joe who's family is attacked by an inner city street gang.
Featuring Fred "The Hammer" Williamson, Joe Spinell, Woody Strode, Carol Lynley, Frank Pesce and Rutyana Alda.Highly Recommended.Old school ultra violence, Lustig style..
The film is essentially a revenge thriller, which tips an over sized Barbisio hat to the Italian Euro-Crime flicks of the 1970s: A bitter protagonist; middle-aged hoodlums(who should know better at their age); corrupt judges; a car chase(or three); clichéd dialogue; mindless- slaughter, and Fred "That Man Bolt" Williamson.
The film stars Robert Forster playing an unremarkable factory worker whose life is suddenly beset by an inconceivable tragedy and (without giving too much of the plot away) he finds himself requiring little encouragement in joining a group of vigilantes led by his co-workers Williamson and two other colleagues.
Some class acting from Forster and Williamson keeps the viewer interested throughout and the climactic fight scene at towards the end of the film, wouldn't look out of place in an Enzo Castellari or Umberto Lenzi flick.
This is a well paced, well acted and thoroughly engrossing '80s exploitation film, with a compelling soundtrack and a nice little cameo from Italian director's favourite Woody Strode.Watch at (almost) all costs!.
Fred Williamson is magnificent as the leader of a group of vigilantes, and Jackie Brown star Robert Forster also stars.
Man with a vision - a man of action.The things I like about this movie are the raw realism - one can identify with the pain and suffering and initial reluctance on the part of the lead actor to join with the visionary vigilantes - until something happens to them personally.The corruption and unrighteous judgments in the court system are legendary and this facet of life in America is not left out - to this film's credit and a rebuke to so many other movies that leave loose ends hanging around to do more damage.A classic vigilante movie, actually better than Death Wish I think.
When a sleazball defense attorney (Joe Spinell) gets a lenient sentence for the leader of the gang who cut up the wife and killed the son of Eddie Marino (Robert Forster) he decides to take matters into his own hand, after her gets out of jail himself for contempt of court.
Sure this film is a tad on the cheesy side, but I'm a sucker for vigilante movies and a fan of Fred Williamson, Robert Forster, and Director William Lustig all.
And this film may not as good as "Death Wish", it's still enjoyable enough for repeated viewings.My Grade: B+ DVD Extras: Commentary by William Lustig, Robert Forster, Fred Williamson, and Frank Pesce; 7 Theatrical Trailers from around the world; 4 TV spots; 4 radio spots; promotional reel; and still galleryEye Candy: Hyla Marrow provides both the T&A.
This is not Bronson-like stuff, since the "Vigilantes" doesn't seem to enjoy violence at all - they just do what seems to be right, even if they know it's wrong (Fred Williamson's magnificent, ambiguous attitude seems to sum it all - this is perhaps his best role.) And when it comes to action, Lustig delivers.
Robert Forster stars as a father and husband who gets driven to the point of vigilantism after his son is killed and his wife deformed.
Director William Lustig (who also directed the trashy and gory Maniac) adds a sense of realism and desperation to the film and the violence seems very authentic.
What Fred Williamson and company do in this movie is what a lot of people would like to do but can't because the law doesn't allow it.
Director William Lustig's stirring low-cost vigilante picture is something a little more than your exploitative gung-ho revenge story, as while the material is lank and far-fetched its still implodes with some minor goods.
On one side of the coin has a small group of local vigilante's led by Nick (an inspired Fred Williamson) cleaning up punks that the law doesn't seem to want to touch and on the other side of the coin follows that of Eddie Marino (Robert Forster), a working class New Yorker coming home to find his wife has been brutally beaten and toddler killed.
In brief, but welcoming inclusions are Woody Strode and Joe Spinell as a scummy lawyer.The material is quite heavy-handed in what it's got to say on a flawed justice system, as Williamson spits out speeches about not living in fear and eventually the line between right and wrong is blurred.
The main charachter Eddie Marino (Played by Robert Forster) was ordinary citizen, who believed in justice and never had touch wih police and crime through his whole life till the moment when the local gang kill his son and injured his wife, and than he sees that for ordinary citizen the system is not functioning, and that he must take justice in his hands, with the help from his work mates who are doing that kind of things for long time.
Fred Williamson is definetely the main star in this movie, this role for him is perfect, i really loved Fred in some Italian B-Movies and other exploitation stuff but in this one he takes the show, he is just fighting for the rights of ordinary people, i would really like to have one Fred in my neighboorhood to clean the streets of scum.
Cult Director William Lustig's Follow Up to Acclaimed B-Horror-Movie, Maniac (1980) is Another Welcomed Power to the People, Cathartic, Revenge Flick.
Unpretentiously Titled, this One Delivers What it is Selling in No Uncertain Terms.With Iconic Performances by Robert Forster and Fred Williamson, and a Gaggle of Gang Movie Favorites, Including Joe Spinell as a Sleazy, Slimeball Lawyer.
It has Lustig's Trademark Ultra-Violence and Striking Sound Stings, and is One of Genre's Best.The Director Takes All the Clichés of This Type of Thing and Makes it His Own. It is a Film, that Once Viewed Rises Above Expectations and Becomes a Never To Be Forgotten Experience.
Vigilante (1983) *** (out of 4) Working class Eddie Marino (Robert Forster) has his child killed and wife severely beaten by a group of thugs.
He believes in the law so he allows the courts to handle it but the criminal gets off without any time so Eddie joins a vigilante group led by his friend (Fred Williamson) and goes out for revenge.
If you're looking for art then I'd recommend staying away from this but if you like "B" exploitation movies and are a fan of the vigilante genre then you should eat this one up.
William Lustig delivers the goods again (I love the Maniac Cop movies, too) and Fred Williamson delivers The Hammer to the bad guys and the creeps who have taken over Our Neighbourhoods!
Fred Williamson plays Nick, a factory worker who was so fed up with criminals getting away with hurting people that he formed his own vigilante group to do what the law couldn't or wouldn't.
Robert Forster plays his friend Eddie who wants nothing to do with vigilantism, even after his young son is killed by a street gang led by Puerto Rican tough guy Rico (Willie Colón).
When it fails to do so, he realizes the only way to get justice is to take the law into his own hands.Movies like this were all over the '70s and '80s, most notably with Charles Bronson's Death Wish series.
An ordinary Joe called Eddie Marino disapproves but later changes his mind after a gang murder his son and assault his wife and then are subsequently let off by the courts.This William Lustig flick is a direct descendant of Death Wish and the Italian Poliziotteschis.
It's an exploitation crime thriller pure and simple, even if like the other vigilante movies from the time it clearly tapped into something relevant.
It also boasts a really good cast including Robert Forster, Fred Williamson and Woody Strode.
You have to admire that.This simple tale of vigilantism stars Robert Forster and Fred Williamson and feels like 70's exploitation.
In many ways, it is, because director Lustig is all over films of that era.Unlike the vigilante depicted in Michael Winner's masterpieces of sleaze cinema, these vigilantes are matter-of-fact about their murders and don't lie in wait for the next opportunity.Everything moves quickly and one of my all-time favorites Woody Strode even puts in an appearance.Several miles south of Lustig's classic MANIAC, so don't expect too much.
Robert Forster plays a man whose family was brutally assault by a street gang and the system lets him down.
He eventually joins Williamson's vigilante group to wipe out crime and revenge for what they did to his family.
So is Robert Forster, playing an ordinary working man.At the base, this is a good story: Guys who want to take back the neighborhood from pimps, punks and all sorts of criminals.
Judging from the sense of "deja vu" this film gave me, Lustig had watched "Death Wish" several times too many before making this!
You might demur that it is, after all, a little action flick snack, but the film won't let you get away with that: You can't have it both ways.It obviously attempts to cop some fire from the "hard" reality of urban crime.
Robert Forster, normally a very strong character actor, is lost at sea here cast as a New York family man seeking revenge on the thugs who murdered his son and attacked his wife in a home invasion.
It's still a great flick, especially for those who like the Bronson DEATHW WISH series or that other vigilante film from the same period that fell into obscurity, THE EXTERMINATOR.The film suffers a bit from the liberal lie syndrome, otherwise known as the transparent, rapidly dying cult of "political correctness." It tries to represent the street trash who go around wreaking havoc as some kind of equal opportunity delinquents: one is black, the other is white, the other is Asian.
Much more realistic would have been to have made the gang all black with a few Mexicans, that would've been the real world of early '80s crime-ridden New York City but, as we all know, we are supposed to pretend the so-called "civil rights" movement that ended segregation and brought a black wave of crime on the heads of every white American was a GOOD thing.Aside from this typical silliness, the movie is great.
After the murderers get off scot-free thanks to a corrupt judge and he himself is jailed for 30 days for contempt of court, he decides to take matters into his own hands by joining a group of vigilantes led by a grizzled looking Fred Williamson.
And while it's by no means perfect, this gritty revenge flick pleases those whom it was designed to please.Fred Williamson is at his best as the leader of a working class group of friends who just want a safe neighborhood.
Straight-laced Robert Forster reluctantly joins this crusade after a brutal (and hard to watch) attack on his family.Williamson is definitely the high point here, but Forster and the other vigilantes have their moments.
The eighties were the nadir of the seventh art.The ideology which was rampant at the time really sucked.Better than the average Bronson material,someone says.Not better,a shoestring budget when "death wish" and other despicable stuff had huge ones.That's no excuse for botching such a harrowing subject.It' s unforgivable that a child's death is only a detail in a story of violence.Robert Foster's performance is monolithic,in the grand tradition of the tough guys of this dreadful era.How can we believe that this man has lost his dear little boy and that his wife has been savagely tortured?And the trial!the judge and the lawyers (the good and the evil) are cardboard characters.The story is full of implausibilities:Foster gets a two-year jail sentence(the jail sequences are pure routine),and when he's released,his wife is still in the hospital!The unfortunate prisoner is just out of jail,and presto!he meets his criminals!
Robert Forster offers an interesting, low key portrayal of Eddie Marino, a blue collar guy whose wife and son are savagely attacked by loathsome punks.
When Eddie realizes that he cannot rely on the "justice" system - including a crooked defense attorney ("Maniac" star Joe Spinell, in an amusing cameo) and an incompetent judge (Vincent Beck), he finally takes a friend, Nick (Fred "The Hammer" Williamson), up on his offer to help clean up the streets.
The good supporting cast is also a big help, featuring such performers as Rutanya Alda as Eddie's wife Vickie, Don Blakely as despicable lowlife Prago, salsa music legend Willie Colon as gang leader Rico, Carol Lynley as the ineffective district attorney, the awesome Woody Strode as imposing convict Rake, Frank Pesce as drug dealing scum "Blueboy", Peter Savage (to whom the movie is dedicated) as big shot gangster Mr. Stokes, and busy 80's action movie regular Steve James as Patrolman Gibbons.
(Keep an eye out for the walk on by Lustig as he exits an elevator.) The Hammer is especially fun to watch in one of his best ever roles; overall, "Vigilante" is good of its kind and packs a pretty mean punch.
Eddie Marino (Forster) is a blue-collar guy who goes to his factory job, then goes to the local dive bar with his friends (Nick, Burke, and Ramon - Williamson, Bright and Carberry, respectively), then comes home to his loving wife (Alda) and son.
It's while he's inside that he meets Rake (Strode)...but when he gets out, he decides to join Nick's group after all and it's then that the truth that he initially denied comes out: if you want justice, you have to do it yourself.Why, oh why aren't there more movies like Vigilante?
Unfortunately for Marino the law is corrupt, the system doesn't work and the gang member gets off, you know what happens next.This movie could only have been made in this era really, New York in the late 70's and early 80's was a dirty crime ridden place.
Actually most of the prison scenes are slightly amusing really, its all so clichéd as I'm sure you can guess and seeing old man Strode beat up this gigantic inmate is both awesome and hilarious.The one thing I don't get is these vigilantes that clean the streets of scum and eventually end up killing off some people including a corrupt member of the mayor's office, don't get caught.
William Lustig, the director most famous for the gritty serial killer shocker "Maniac" (1980) and his "Maniac Cop" films, created a cult flick with this "Vigilante" (1983), a film that easily surpasses all the "Death Wish" sequels in political incorrectness and shamelessly legitimizes self administered-justice as the only possible way.
The film is outrageous in its promotion of vigilantism - and this is exactly what makes it such great fun to watch!
When his co-workers found a vigilante group lead by his buddy Nick (blaxploitation icon Fred Williamson), Eddie Marino (Robert Foster) does not approve at first.
Although the ending of the film can never be in doubt, Lustig makes some ponderous comments about justice and the handling of crime along the way.Robert Forster takes the lead role of Eddie Marino, forced to become a killer to get revenge for his family.
William Lustig's follow-up to MANIAC concerns a blue-collar worker (Robert Forster) whose wife and child are attacked by a gang of punks (right out of John Carpenter's ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13), with a crooked judge allowing one of them (the one who knifed the wife) off without time served.
Instead, Forster is sentenced to 30 days in prison (Rikers, presented as if Hell behind bars) for trying to strangle the judge (and rightfully so) while his co-workers (led by Fred "The Hammer" Williamson) have formed a vigilante trio after the head honcho behind the drugs trafficking to teenagers on his street.
When Forster gets out of prison he wants revenge on those who have wronged him, joining up with Williamson and his men.This movie is essentially Lustig's DEATH WISH; Forster stepping into the Bronson Paul Kersey role.
***SPOILERS*** One of the better "Death Wish" clones that came out of Hollywood in the 1970's & 1980's has hard working family man Eddie Marino, Robert Forster, take the law into his own hands and exact justice against those low lives who murdered his four year old son Scott, Dante Joseph, and brutally raped and put into a coma his wife Vickie,Rutanya Alda.
As things turned out it was Quinn and the degenerated prison guard who arraigned all this who ended up getting belted by Eddie's good friend and cell-mate Rake, woody Strode, who was there in the shower room, with his clothes on, watching Eddie's back.Now back home Eddie joins up with this local vigilante group headed by angry black man Nick, Fred "The Hammer" Williamson, to do the job on Rico and his gang together with Judge Sinclair who made his life a living hell. |
tt0485851 | The Air I Breathe | Each of the elements of life is portrayed using four different people in the urban streets of Los Angeles, with the gangster Fingers (Garcia) playing the character that intertwines all four individuals.
Happiness
Forest Whitaker plays a meek bank employee who loves butterflies. He accidentally overhears acquaintances discuss a fixed horse race, and decides to bet $50,000, borrowing from a bookie, Fingers. Unfortunately he loses the bet.
Fingers derives his name from his habit of cutting off the fingers of those who don’t pay back their debts. Fingers threatens Happiness, and Pleasure, Finger's enforcer, visits him to collect, but pities Happiness, so gives him a revolver and leaves. In desperation, Happiness robs the bank. While fleeing, he is slightly hit by a moving vehicle, then escapes to the top of a building. Surrounded, the police order him to drop his gun. He does not comply, throwing the money bag off the roof, and is killed by the police. When he hits the ground his coat is spread out making him look like a butterfly.
Pleasure
Brendan Fraser plays a man with a sad past and an ability to see the future of the people he meets, an ability that deprives him of the pleasure of enjoying the surprises in life. When he was young, he was forced to defend his younger brother in a street fight against two teenagers. Pleasure won the fight but found his brother lying dead. Pleasure often has flashbacks of this scene throughout the film. Later in life, Pleasure joins Fingers' gang and becomes one of his favorites due mostly to his ability. He, however, cannot see the future of Trista (Gellar).
He is assigned to look after Fingers' visiting nephew, Tony. He has a vision of Tony climbing a fence and falling back. To avoid trouble, he leaves Tony in a club while working (collecting protection money). Unfortunately, one of the girls that Tony is with, high on drugs, staggers into the next room. When Tony follows her, they struggle over a gun, and an older mobster gets shot. Pleasure rescues Tony, and they run from the henchmen, ending at the fence of the earlier vision. Tony gets away, and it is Pleasure who is caught by the henchmen, severely beaten, and then treated by Love (Bacon) in a hospital.
Sorrow
Sarah Michelle Gellar plays a somewhat morose up-and-coming pop singer/dancer with the stage name "Trista". In flashback, it's revealed that as a young child, she saw her father killed when he was accidentally hit by a moving car, immediately after promising to 'be there for her', and the loss affects her deeply. Trista's manager is deeply indebted to Fingers, and embezzles Trista's money to pay Fingers, but that is not enough, so he assigns Trista's contract to Fingers. Trista, incensed, escapes from Fingers and meets Pleasure. Fingers, naturally, has already ordered his team to find her. Pleasure, sympathetic to her, helps Trista by letting her stay with him, knowing that his house is the only place Fingers wouldn't search for her. They become lovers, but soon Fingers finds out about her location, and kills Pleasure, causing Trista even more sorrow. Her blood type is Kp(a-b-), which she reveals when a TV interviewer asks her what is special about her. This becomes hopeful information when Love hears it on the television, as he is searching for that blood type, the same as Gina's, when he is trying to save her life.
Love
Kevin Bacon plays a doctor who is in love with his longtime friend Gina (Julie Delpy). He never confessed his love and, so, she married his best friend. Gina gets bitten by a poisonous snake and needs a rare type of blood. Desperate, Love races to the location where Trista is filming the interview; however, Trista's assistant is in the process of trying to help Trista run away. Love runs to Trista. Her bodyguards, thinking he is a crazed fan, grab him while Trista is accidentally knocked down, hits her head and ends up in the hospital. When she awakens, Fingers informs her that she will have to abort the baby that she has just become aware that she is carrying. In her sorrow that the baby, the one thing she has left of the man she loved (Pleasure) will be lost, she sneaks out of her room and goes to the roof to jump off and commit suicide. Love, by circumstance, sees her and races up in time to see her step off the ledge. He grabs the bed sheet that she had wrapped around her like a cape and catches her. He tells her she will have to come up and grab his hand for him to be able to pull her up. After she does this, the movie flashes to Gina, saved, awakening from her coma. Love loans Trista his car as a gift for saving Gina and she leaves the hospital.
Ending
Fingers looks for Trista at the hospital, but his efforts to find her are in vain, as she has already left. As Trista escapes in Love's car, she slightly hits Happiness as he runs in front of her car in his dash from the bank (in the scene that we saw from his point of view earlier); as she sits at the intersection, as she's coming to grips with all that has happened, the money bag Happiness threw from the top of the building lands on her car's rooftop. The film closes with Trista at an airport traveling away, the money bag providing her with all the financial support she needs to escape from Fingers and start a new life for herself and her baby abroad. | neo noir, murder, paranormal, thought-provoking, violence, flashback, inspiring, romantic, sadist, home movie | train | wikipedia | And, after all, that is what art should aspire to do.The film is based on a Chinese proverb which says that life consists of four emotions: Happiness, Pleasure, Sorrow, and Love.
Forest Whitaker is Happiness, Brendan Fraser is Pleasure, Sarah Michelle Gellar is Sorrow, and Kevin Bacon is Love.
This is what sociologists study and discuss everyday.The script was performed sensationally, by a stellar cast (Brendan Frasier, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Andy Garcia, Kevin Bacon, Forest Whitaker), encompassing a gritty, fast paced storyline, with melancholic overtones.
Each performance is worth its weight in gold - Garcia is frightening as mafia boss "Fingers", Frasier pulls at your heart with his resignation to the terrible fates of the people around him and Bacon and Whitaker will surely gain your sympathy with the sheer level of their desperation.The only thing this film is guilty of is invoking emotion and thought from its viewers - and isn't that the reason to watch it in the first place?.
This is one of the movies that if you pay close attention to the story and what the message is you will find yourself profoundly stupid and clueless when it comes to basic human emotions and how everything is somehow connected.(chaos theory...?) the performances were absolutely amazing.I'd never seen Sarah Michelle Gellar portray such a role so well,she really moved me as Sorrow and Forest Whitaker as well.The roles fit the actors like a glove.the photography is beautiful.the story is very moving and the ending surprising.
loved it +++++++ Maybe it wont make it as one of the greatest films ever but it's the kind of movie i'd like to store and watch again sometime later in the future instead of some box office hit..
I began loving this movie from very first fifth minute- to the very end.The cast is amazing - both main and supporting actors gave me their best.
But then again, this film is not intended for the educated and demanding critics.It's rather intended for the oblivious Generation X who is lost in chaos and holds on to the little bit of hope that is left in a bleak future yet to come.(you know who you are)The Air I Breath tells a story of amazing yet globally recognizable incidences and displays numerous examples of clairvoyance, Deja-Vu, synchronicity and coincidence from a somewhat Zen/Jungian point of view, although far more pessimistic.The plot is told from various perspectives that all intervene in one way or the other a la Magnolia/Pulp Fiction/etc.
Lee's The Air I Breathe, based on an ancient Chinese proverb that life can be broken down into the four emotional cornerstones of Happiness, Pleasure, Sorrow, and Love, is not as good as Haggis' film, and I think even that one is overrated.
"The Air I Breathe" is perhaps one of the most tragically overlooked films of 2007.An ensemble cast featuring Brendan Fraser, Julie Delpy, Andy Garcia, Forest Whitaker and Sarah Michelle Gellar, among many others, is brought together perfectly in this study of the Six Degrees of Separation by relatively fresh director Jieho Lee.The story, which is apparently based upon an old Chinese proverb, unfolds in four acts, titled Happiness, Pleasure, Sorrow and Love.
Each of the acts focuses on a character representative of the suggested emotion, with Whitaker's Happiness and Fraser's Pleasure standing out as the strongest among a plethora of powerhouse performances.Like other ensemble dramas -- smash hit and Oscar winner Crash (2005) comes to mind -- the film weaves a tapestry with its players, connecting them all to one-another in ways which may seem unimaginable at the start, but wholly believable and even touching come the film's stunning conclusion.The film has it all, much akin to the proverb it seeks to replicate.
The film's saving grace (if it can be called that) is that it is broken down into 4 segments, based on a Chinese proverb regarding the emotions happiness, pleasure, sorrow, and love.
don't get these far-fetched absurd little uninteresting stories and then unite them all with the point that they (don't) have in common.the reason I gave it a 4/10 is simply because Forest, Garcia and Bacon delivered very very well otherwise the movie would have been even more hateful..
A doctor (Kevin Bacon) seeks a blood donor that might have a rare blood type to save the life of his passion (Julie Delpy).The weird and overrated "The Air that I Breath" uses four tales named "Happiness", "Pleasure", "Sorrow", "Love" - that entwines characters and situations around the powerful and omnipresent gangster Fingers.
PLUS, you've seen Andy Garcia in this exact same role at least a dozen times before.What makes a good film like this?
Emile Hirsch("Into The Wild") is particularly good as the young mafioso douche bag, Sarah Michele Gellar revises her Krista Now "Southland Tales" porn star character in to the tragic pop star Trista, Forest Whitaker plays an awkward accountant in over his head, Andy Garcia is as always a gangster(if a more vulnerable and desperate one than usual), Brendan Fraser is a stern faced thug who can see the future sometimes, and Kevin Bacon is a doctor trying to save the love of his life, his best friends wife played by Julie Delpy(who has the good sense to stay in a coma throughout the weakest portions of the movie).I respect the ambition of the project and enjoyed certain parts, and though part of me wants to like it, over all the emotional peaks and valleys just became flat, and predictable after awhile.
This 2008 movie actually makes the interconnecting contrivances of the 2005 omnibus film seem all the more plausible with an overstuffed storyline that hinges on an ancient Chinese proverb that breaks life down into four emotional cornerstones - happiness, pleasure, sorrow, and love.
The problem is that Lee is so caught up in his concept that the resulting screenplay (co-written with Bob DeRosa) feels like it's in a constant spin cycle of increasingly preposterous situations, all for the sake of illustrating how their paths are inextricably linked to each other.Lacking the confident finesse of obvious role model Robert Altman (think "Nashville" or "Short Cuts" as comparative works), Lee goes so far as subdividing the movie into four discrete chapters.
screen time.That's saved money!Lets get that black guy who won the Oscar..what was his name..oh yeah..Whitaker.OK, we need a mob guy so lets hire Andy Garcia...and...oh yeah..get me that guy from "Crash", B.Fraser.We can't make a Crash movie without him!Then we need a spoiled pop star character, something like Britney...get me that Buffy chick, she'll do the job.Then we'll make a story based on a Chinese proverb with stuff like love, happiness, sorrow and pleasure so the audience would have something to think about.And may be they wont notice that the plot is a complete mess...ha ha ha!!!But I'll rate this fair.
This just goes to show you that anything is possible and there is a desperate need for some good story lines, and if you are a writer there is a chance that your movie could get made into a Hollywood Film.
There seems to be a trend recently where,somehow,good to great actors wind up in god-awful films-has the price of monkey placentae gone up or somethin ?Residuals petered out?bored?In this category,two standout examples would be Harsh Times (makes Splinter look like Training Day) and this piece of crap-Forest Whittaker?Julie Delpy?Andy Garcia(Oceans series notwithstanding)?the always likable Brendan Fraser?I thought it would be at least a fun/enjoyable 90 mins:but nope,truly horrible.
Based on the old Chinese saying that moody lighting,a decent soundtrack&meaningless violence will lull viewers into a false sense of entertainment,this non-sequitur of a "thriller" could have been an interesting short film,or a great music video for some European dance DJ,or even the video equivalent of the kitten-on-a-branch "hang in there,baby!"poster for aspiring actors/directors/writers,as it shows that not only do good actors do bad movies,but bad movies get made,so why won't yours?If your looking for offbeat/moody thrillers with substance,checkout Underworld(1996),Lucky Number Slevin(if you haven't seen it already)or even the half good,half funny Tarantino ripoff,Things to do in Denver When you're dead-Island drinks!.
The tomato meter gave it just 10 percent
personally it should have been closer to 3
Below are just a few of the many comments from critics (and these were kind) Rex Reed: New York Observer - For rock-bottom nasty, with no social relevance, there is The Air I Breathe, a load of amateurish bilge so silly I thought I was watching a screening at Comedy Central.Carina Chocano: LA Times - stew of cheap irony, ponderous but meaningless allegory, violence and pretension, the movie is all borrowed style and calculated pandering.
Years ago this would've been new but the cross thread story lines of how the smallest things you do in your life can effect the outcome of others etc etc has been done so many times before and so much better.The film races from one situation to the next without building up any feeling for the characters involved to the point where when something happens where your supposed to concerned about you really don't care, all your concerned about is how it will effect the end of the film.Only Fraser and Garcia get a constant look in, one is cold and distant, the other you don't care for anyway, i was drawn by the list of people starring in this film, and was disappointed to feel that they'd done it for the paycheck and nothing else.
The background music that tried to convey all sort of emotions, but ended up being pretentious and out of place didn't help either.Bottom line: if not for the great cast, the movie would have sucked big time..
Similair to the movies such as Crash, 11:14, and Go, The air that I breathe also is told from different points of view.There are four stories told starting with Happiness (Forest Whitaker) who must find 50,000 dollars so Fingers (Andy Garcia) doesn't cut off his fingers or even kill him.
After the highly acclaimed film Crash (2004),the sub-genus of "interconnected stories by unique situations" experienced a boom.The Air I Breathe belongs to this sub-genus and,although it is not completely satisfactory,I found it interesting.Let's see the fails from the movie first.On many occasions,the screenplay believes it is more intelligent than what it really is,so there are moments which do not feel too natural.Plus,there are various moments which could have easily been deleted,because they do not add too much to the story.I would have preferred to see a less pretentious and more concise narrative.However,I liked this movie.It kept me entertained and interested,and the whole cast brings honest and credible performances.The ones who mostly stand out are Forest Whitaker and Kevin Bacon,by my humble point of view.The Air I Breathe is a good movie and although it is not memorable at all,it kept me entertained while I was watching it.If I had to compare it to other movies from this sub-genus,I liked it more than the forced (and overrated) Babel,but less than 11 : 14,which I still think it's the best one from this niche,for the fact that the story is the most compact and ingenious one.I recommend The Air I Breathe with the warning that you do not have to expect something special..
Some people claim this movie is a copy of "Pulp Fiction" I don't really think that is the case and the cross thread story line works pretty well although there really isn't much character development in each segment.
This movie is well worth your time...I loved that it flowed together 3 stories into 1 seamless movie and in doing so left me wondering exactly what to expect next.I have probably seen 75% of all the American movies made in the last 20 years and am willing to say that this movie stood out in a way few do.In fact this is the first time I have actually commented on a movie on IMDb,that in itself tells you that it is something of a rarity.The acting was Superb,the cast almost perfect and the plot was actually believable in a far off way.All in all I would give it a 9/10 because perfection is often sought and seldom reached..
the cast is great i really liked Brendan Frasers performance he plays a great street tough, and Forest Whitaker was really fun to watch in the beginning of the film, Andy Garcia and Emile Hirsch are great too.
Released on video in 2008 and overlooked by critics and the public this includes powerful performances by Brendan Fraser as a serious actor in a hardened but mystical, quietly loud role as a muscleman for a crime boss, together with Forest Whitaker, Sarah Michelle Geller, and Andy Garcia offer strong supporting performances while Kevin Bacon seems somehow under-utilized in the script.
When I started watching "The Air I Breathe", I knew nothing about it, let alone about the Chinese proverb that life consists of happiness, pleasure, sorrow and love.
There is Happiness (Forest Whitaker), who accidentally gets in debt to Fingers; Pleasure (Brendan Fraser), who can foresee the future of people whom he meets; Sorrow (Sarah Michelle Gellar), a pop singer indebted to Fingers to the point where her manager sells him her contract; and Love (Kevin Bacon), a physician whose unknown links to the other characters might help him in life.While I didn't understand the title, I should say that I liked the movie.
Novice director Jieho Lee has done a very good job in presenting a visually appealing and consistently interesting multi-layered interpretation of an ancient Chinese proverb dividing life into four emotions: Pleasure, Sorrow, Love and Happiness.Forest Whitaker's story - Happiness - opens the film, and is one of the film's weaker links.
The film across the board is visually effective, also loved Fraser's sometimes misleading (for the character) flashes of the future.Overall, this is a very strong first effort from a talented director who hopefully can produce more great dramas, even though this movie wasn't as much of a success as it should've been.
Until you have experienced it all, you haven't lived fully.As a gist of the story, our protagonists represent the four emotions, Whitaker (Happiness), Fraser (Pleasure), Gellar (Sorrow), Bacon (Love).
It has a very interesting story and a very convincing and well developed plot based on an ancient Chinese proverb that breaks life down into four emotional cornerstones: happiness, pleasure, sorrow and love.
A businessman (Whitaker) bets his life on a horse race; a gangster (Fraser) sees the future; a pop star (Gellar) falls prey to a crime boss (Garcia); a doctor (Bacon) must save the love of his life.
A businessman (Whitaker) bets his life on a horse race; a gangster (Fraser) sees the future; a pop star (Gellar) falls prey to a crime boss (Garcia); a doctor (Bacon) must save the love of his life.
The cast is formed by all-star actors, Brendan Frasier delivers an outstanding performance as a mobster who can see the future, Sarah Michelle Gellar's role as a singer that apparently is happy but lives in a deep sadness was very good and convincing, Forest Whitaker excellent as always, Andy Garcia as a cold heart gangster is amazing, Kevin Bacon's performance is great as a doctor capable of doing anything to save a life and Emile Hirsch was also very convincing and even funny at some moments.
The fact that he didn't is a pity because the standalone story lines are intriguing enough without being muddled in with such a gratuitous and improbable intertwining plot involving a bag of stolen money.I know 'The Air I Breathe' is highly concerned with the Chinese proverb about happiness, pleasure, sorrow and love.
I like any film that tries to be different & this movie gives it a good go, I love the whole interlinked cause and effect premise the film is built around & for once even felt this tittle was actually substance over style as it did not try to take the viewer any deeper into the characters or story than absolutely necessary, Brendon Frasiers performance was great, i was so glad to see him playing a more serious role than normal.
They are Happinness (Forest Whitaker), Sorrow (Sarah Michelle Gellar), Love (Kevin Bacon) and Pleasure (Brendan Fraser) but we can't positively say they really represent these values or look for them (but I guess we all do, in a way).
From this we meet new characters, and begin to see in more detail what they are like.Surrounding the life of someone nicknamed Fingers, an almost science fictional story unravels, telling a tale of coincidences, and nothing more.Being biased, I'm a fan of Sarah Michelle Gellar, and enjoy most of her work, and I found this an entertaining view, but the storyline was nothing more than a number of things.
This film was filled with clichés plot lines and events - with predictable outcomes from cartoon characters who are supposed to represent the four emotions: happiness, pleasure, sorrow and love.
I think it's becoming a cliché of sorts.What sets this movie apart, however, are two inappropriately hilarious scenes, both involving Sarah Michelle Gellar's character, namely SPOILER: Trista's father tap dancing to death and Trista's attempted suicide (I felt I'd been suddenly transported to a Harold Lloyd movie).I was very sad to see talent like Andy Garcia, Kevin Bacon, Julie Delpy and Forrest Whitaker wasted in this film..
THE AIR I BREATHE (2008) ** Kevin Bacon, Julie Delpy, Brendan Fraser, Andy Garcia, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Emile Hirsch, Forest Whitaker, Clark Gregg, Kelly Hu, Taylor Nichols, John Ho. Odd yet somewhat engaging interlinking character by fate set of four vignettes involving Happiness, Pleasure, Sorrow and Love in Los Angeles has echoes of "Crash" and "Twenty Bucks".
The movie breaks down human emotions into four cornerstones; Happiness (Forest Whitaker), Pleasure (Brendan Fraser), Sorrow (Sarah Michelle Gellar), and Love (Kevin Bacon). |
tt0063385 | Oliver! | === Act I ===
The musical opens in the workhouse, as the half-starved orphan boys are entering the enormous dining room for dinner . They are fed only gruel, but find some solace by imagining a richer menu, ("Food Glorious Food"). Oliver gathers up the courage to ask for more. He is immediately apprehended and is told to gather his belongings by Mr. Bumble and the Widow Corney, the heartless and greedy caretakers of the workhouse ("Oliver!"). Mr. Bumble and Widow Corney are left alone, and Mr. Bumble begins to make amorous advances. Mrs. Corney pretends to resent his attentions, but ends up on Mr. Bumble's lap, as he eventually proposes to her ("I Shall Scream!"). Mr. Bumble then takes Oliver and sells him as an apprentice to an undertaker, Mr. Sowerberry ("Boy for Sale"). He and his wife taunt Oliver and Mr. Bumble ("That's Your Funeral"), causing Mr. Bumble to become angry and storm out. Oliver is sent to sleep in the basement with the coffins ("Where is Love?").
The next morning Noah Claypole, another employee of Sowerberry, insults Oliver's dead mother, whereupon Oliver begins pummeling him. Mrs. Sowerberry and her maid, Charlotte, also Noah's girlfriend, run in, and Mr. Bumble is sent for. He and the Sowerberrys lock Oliver in a coffin, but during all the commotion Oliver escapes. After a week on the run, he ends up in the city of London and meets a boy about his age known as the Artful Dodger. Dodger seems a kindly boy, and invites Oliver to join him and his friends ("Consider Yourself"). Dodger is, unknown to Oliver, a boy pickpocket, and he invites Oliver to come and live in Fagin's lair. Fagin is an elderly criminal, now too old to thieve himself, who now teaches young boys to pick pockets. Oliver is completely unaware of any criminality, and believes that the boys make handkerchiefs rather than steal them. Oliver is introduced to Fagin and his boys, and is taught their ways ("You've Got to Pick a Pocket or Two").
The next day, Oliver meets Nancy, an older member of Fagin's gang, and the live-in wife of Fagin's terrifying associate Bill Sikes, a brutal house-burglar whose abuse she endures because she loves him. Nancy, along with her younger sister Bet and the boys, sing about how they don't mind a bit of danger ("It's a Fine Life"). Oliver bows deeply to Nancy and Bet, trying to be polite. All the boys laugh and mimic Oliver. Nancy singles out Dodger to demonstrate the way the rich people treat each other ("I'd Do Anything"). Nancy and Bet leave and Oliver is sent out with the other boys on his first pickpocketing job ("Be Back Soon"). Dodger, another boy named Charley Bates, and Oliver decide to stick together, and when Dodger and Charley rob Mr. Brownlow, a wealthy old man, they run off, leaving the horrified Oliver to be arrested for the crime ("The Robbery").
=== Act II ===
In the Three Cripples pub, to help take her mind off of Sikes's neglect towards her, Nancy strikes up an old tavern song with the low-life ruffians, ("Oom Pah Pah"). Bill Sikes makes his first appearance, and disperses the crowd ("My Name"). Dodger runs in and tells Fagin about Oliver's capture and removal to the Brownlow household. Scared he will betray the gang's whereabouts, Fagin and Bill decide to abduct Oliver and bring him back to the den, with Nancy's help. Nancy, who has come to care for Oliver, at first refuses to help, but Bill physically abuses her and forces her into obedience. In spite of this, Nancy still loves Bill, and believes he loves her too ("As Long As He Needs Me").
The next morning, at Mr. Brownlow's house in Bloomsbury, Mrs. Bedwin the housekeeper sings to Oliver ("Where Is Love? [Reprise]"), and Oliver wakes up. Mr. Brownlow and Dr. Grimwig decide that Oliver is well enough to go outside, so Brownlow sends Oliver to return some books to the library. Oliver sees a group of street vendors and joins them in song ("Who Will Buy?"). As the vendors leave, Nancy and Bill appear and grab Oliver. They bring him back to Fagin's den, where Nancy saves Oliver from a beating from Sikes after the boy tries to flee. Nancy remorsefully reviews their dreadful life, but Bill maintains that any living is better than none. Fagin tries to act as an intermediary ("It's A Fine Life [Reprise]"). Left alone, Fagin wonders what his life might be like if he left London and began an honest life ("Reviewing the Situation"), however, after thinking of various excuses, he elects to remain a thief.
Back at the workhouse, Mr. Bumble and the Widow Corney, now unhappily married, meet the dying pauper Old Sally and another old lady, who tell them that Oliver's mother, Agnes, left a gold locket when she died in childbirth. Old Sally stole the locket, which she gives to the Widow Corney. Mr. Bumble and Widow Corney, realizing that Oliver may have wealthy relatives, visit Mr. Brownlow, who has advertised in newspapers for news of him, hoping to profit from any reward given for information ("Oliver! [Reprise]"). Mr. Brownlow realises they are not interested in Oliver's welfare, but only money, and throws them out, but recognizes the picture inside the locket as a picture of his daughter, and realizes that Oliver is actually his grandson.
Nancy visits Mr. Brownlow, explains how she and Bill abducted Oliver, and remorsefully promises to deliver Oliver to him safely that night on London Bridge. She ponders again about Bill ("As Long As He Needs Me [Reprise]"). Suspecting that Nancy is up to something, Bill follows her as she sneaks Oliver out of Fagin's den. At London Bridge, he confronts them, knocks Oliver unconscious, and clubs Nancy to death. He then grabs Oliver and runs off. Mr. Brownlow arrives and discovers Nancy's body. A large crowd forms, among them the distraught Bet. Bullseye, Bill's terrier, turns on his master and returns to the scene of the crime and the crowd prepares to follow him to the hideout. Fagin and his boys leave their hideout in panic. Not finding Bill at the hideout, the crowd returns to the Thames Embankment. Bill appears at the top of the bridge, holding Oliver as hostage and threatening to kill him. Two policemen sneak up on him. One of them shoots Bill and the other grabs Oliver. After Oliver is reunited with Mr. Brownlow, the mob disperses offstage in order to track down Fagin. He appears and decides that the time has never looked better for him to straighten out his life ("Reviewing the Situation [Reprise]"). | romantic, murder, melodrama | train | wikipedia | Brimming with unforgettable songs and dances (that choreography by Onna White is timeless), it is so well cast--down to the smallest roles--and so faithful to the spirit of Dickens' work that you can no longer imagine that classic without the songs.Fagin is played to perfection by Ron Moody.
Later, during the summer of 1969, I was pleased to see this film was still playing at a prominent cinema in Leicester Square, London, after it had won the Academy Award for Best Picture of the previous year.Th success of "Oliver!" on both the stage and screen reminded me that not all talent begins on Broadway and ends in Hollywood.
This film introduced me to musicals at the age of 5 or 6, starting a trend which has lasted for over two decades since - it remains my favourite for a lot of reasons - the great treatment of Dickens' admittedly complicated book; memorable characters who do not sing, alongside those who do (stellar performances from everyone); fun and frolics, and a few heartbreaking moments; and Lionel Bart's tremendous score.
She was so good as the sweet, loving Nancy who took a shine to little Oliver and gave her life saving him (her murder scene still makes me shiver, even Charles Dickens said that bothered him when he wrote it!).
The list of classic tunes goes on and on, and if nothing else, young people today should watch the film purely for its educational value - to be introduced to the sweet music of yesteryear, and to see that a film's qualities extend beyond the realms of special effects."Oliver!" will rightfully go down as a classic film of its time, and with any luck will keep its place as a family favourite, for years to come.
Charles Dickens famous novel of an orphan boy, Oliver Twist, who escapes from his poor life to seek his fame and fortune in London, is adapted as a glossy musical.Who would have thought that a story from the brilliant Dickens could be so sweet and endearing?
The cast are uniformly strong, notably Ron Moody {Fagin}, Oliver Reed {who as Bill Sykes is probably playing himself!}, Mark Lester {Oliver} and the fabulous Jack Wild {The Artful Dodger}.
The leader of this gang is named Fagin, an older fellow who sells all the stolen goods.But all is not well in London town when Bill Sykes played by Oliver Reed and his loving girlfriend Nancy get tangled up with Oliver, Fagin and his young troops, and the law.
Ron Moody IS Fagin just as Jack Wilde makes an ideal Artful Dodger and seriously is it possible to imagine a more darker, more brooding more down-right nasty evil Bill Sykes than Oliver Reed?
He doesn't just act the role, he doesn't just sing it and dance it, he slips into the character's skin and he IS Fagin, in a way that makes it impossible to imagine anyone else in this role.Jack Wild as the Artful Dodger.
Oliver Reed really makes the movie work, because he brings genuine menance and sexuality to his role, which serves as a counterpoint for the sweetness of the musical as a whole.And finally, Mark Lester.
I just love looking at Mark Lester, he's such a beautiful and dreamy-looking child.This movie is about as good as a musical gets: it's visually stunning, in the sets and the cinematography and the costumes, and in the staging of the musical numbers.
The film which is based on Lionel Bart's musical adaptation of Charles Dickens's novel, Oliver Twist, had been produced for the stage in London before they decided to turn it into a film.
I am a huge fan of Charles Dickens and I really believe this film lived up to it although it was very loosely based on the novel because you just can't fit everything into the movie and some of the characters had to be left out (Monks, Mrs. Maylie, Henry and Rose for example), or they didn't have much screen time as is the case with Mr. Bumble.The movie begins in a workhouse several miles from London where several young orphans are forced to work and live under harsh conditions.
i'm really getting old,,am in the midst of watching this 40 year old flick,and wonder what my grandchildren will be watching 40 years from now,,its an old saying,,but they don't make em like that anymore..it's not only the story,its the music,the acting both by young and old..the cast ,it would seem,were born to play their roles,,young oliver,,old Fagin..too many to mention them all,the role played by the judge oliver stands before,i've seen in other roles over the years..the artful dodger,,Ron moody as Fagin,,Mr and Mrs bumble,,the movie not only won 5 Oscars,,but took a few golden globe awards too..if you decide to see this film..do yourself a favor,,take a few if not all the children,to see this masterpiece.
This was my favourite film as a child, and I have been in the stage production a few times so it will always remain my favourite muscical and I doubt anybody could ever re-make the story of Oliver Twist on screen, any better than this one did.My all-time favourite ''bad guy'' has to be Oliver Reed as Bill Sikes.
Not only did he scare the life out of my when I watched it as a 6 year old, but now as a woman I can empathize more with Nancys character, the bar maid/prostitute who helps Oliver get the life he deserves.Jack Wilde as the artful dodger, was fantastic, and I don't think anybody could ever out-do him, as the street-pocket picker, and best friend of Fagin.
The music is fantastic, especially Fagin's numbers, I'm also quite thankful they didn't give Bill Sikes a musical number, it wouldn't of worked with him being such a sinister character.I think Carol Reed did an excellent job of Nancy's sticky ending, keeping it a G rated movie by disguising her beating, but giving enough away to show the violence of Bill towards her.
is a fine movie and a good musical adaptation of the classic Dickens novel, Oliver Twist.
What is better than a movie adaptation of a Broadway musical based on a Charles Dickens novel that I saw as a child?
You probably know the plot of this tale but I will tell it anyway: After young orphan Oliver Twist dares to ask for more gruel at an English workhouse, he is punished, runs away, and finds himself among young pickpockets in the great city of London.
While renowned authors from Shakespeare to Hemingway have had inconsistent translations of their work filmed Dickens with his descriptive style and well defined characters (not to mention their unforgettable monikers) has a had some distinguished translations such as Leans Great Expectations and Oliver Twist.
With this musical version of Twist (adapted from the Lionel Bart play) Dicken's movie career continues to advance.Whether it be large chorus numbers (Consider Yourself, Who Will Buy) or solos ( Reviewing the Situation) Director Carol Reed and company energetically deliver this grim tale about homeless waifs in sumptuous and high spirited style.
Among the adults Harry Seecombe as Mr. Bumble and Oliver Reed as Bill Sykes display convincing child intimidation while Ron Moody as Fagin oozes criminal intent with such musical joviality it becomes impossible not to like the beak nosed miscreant as he contributes to the delinquency of minors en masse.The sets are lavish, the costumes lushly haute shanty and Reed's directorial eye just as sharp as his Odd Man Out, Third Man period though he does understandably restrain his angles.
This is one of my favourite musicals and still feels as fresh today although it was released many years ago.It is a film I have seen a few times now but it is still a firm family favourite and it is easy to see why.Firstly,the songs are terrific and many of them have become standards in their own right.'As Long As He Needs Me','Food Glorious Food','Pick A Pocket Or Two','I'd Do Anything',the list goes on and on.The dance numbers are equally impressive with the segments for 'Consider Yourself' and 'Who Will Buy?' a triumph in imagination and choreography.Then there is the cast which is excellent.Although Mark Lester can't really sing or dance he is a delight as Oliver.Jack Wild scores highly as Dodger,Shani Wallis is fine as Nancy and many of the supporting roles are very well played.I have always felt though that Ron Moody is the real standout here as Fagin.He is fabulous in the role.Charming,sly,corrupt and very entertaining.Special mention must also go to Oliver Reed as Bill Sikes.I do feel that his role sometimes gets overlooked but for me his is the best performance of the role I have seen.He exudes menace and most definitely looks like a man that would slit your throat in an instant.A very good and underrated performance.This is a very entertaining movie and a real treat for the whole family.The settings are brilliantly mounted and give a real feel to the world of Dickens that truly transport you back to the grime and dirt of the period.Very well directed and well worth a look..
You can tell, for example, that those boys really worked hard getting the routines down to perfection.TRAVIS: Three actors really stood out IMO; Nancy (Shani W.), Bill Sykes (Oliver Reed), and Artful Dodger (Jack Wild).
No matter how much it deviates from the Dickens story(and I will say I am very fond of David Lean's classic Oliver Twist) or how long it is, it is a timeless unforgettable musical gem.
Oscar-winning director Carol Reed helmed this expansive, expensive musical-adaptation of Charles Dickens' "Oliver Twist", which had been a stage hit and here is successfully opened up on the screen.
Good timing and some sympathy for director Carol Reed would be enough to lift this suspect musical to the top of the cinematic universe in 1968 as the year's Best Picture Oscar winner.
However, he's more than helped by Moody (who's exceptional), Jack Wild (as the Artful Dodger), Oliver Reed and Shani Wallis (Mr and Mrs Sykes).
My personal favorite is I'll Do Anything-and the ending is pretty humorous.Other fun songs include: You've Got to Pick a Pocket or Two, Oom-Pah, Pah,Food Glorious Food,Where Is Love(which is actually tear inducing rather than fun) and a few others.The movie also won Best Picture for 1968, and I think this was indeed one of the best choices the Academy ever made.
That's kind of a shame, and that proves my point in a way that Beauty and the Beast should have won Best Picture instead of The Silence of the Lambs!But anyways, Oliver!, as my title states, is a fun musical and it's a movie the whole family can enjoy.
And then, suddenly, along came "Oliver!"- an all-singing, all-dancing screen musical in the best Broadway/Hollywood tradition, made in Britain by a British studio with a British director and all-British cast.
This change was probably motivated by concerns over Dickens' perceived anti-Semitism; both Lionel Bart, who wrote the stage musical on which the film was based and Ron Moody, who created the character of Fagin, were Jewish.
I have never thought that Lester, who comes across as too well-scrubbed and middle-class to be credible as a workhouse boy, was the ideal choice to play Oliver, but with that caveat the acting is generally of a very high standard, with fine contributions from Reed, Moody, Secombe and the young Jack Wild as the Artful Dodger.
Her dilemma is expressed in the film's most heart-rending song "As Long as He Needs Me", although Nancy also gives expression to the lighter, fun-loving side of her nature in "It's a Fine Life" and "Oom-Pah-Pah".The musical numbers are nearly all tuneful and memorable, with some fine lyrics.
Besides those already mentioned the ones that stood out for me were "Food, Glorious Food", in which the workhouse boys sing of their hopes of a better (or at least better-fed) life, "You've Got to Pick a Pocket or Two" and "Reviewing the Situation", in both of which Fagin sets out his cynical philosophy of life, and screenplay directed by and "Consider Yourself" and "Who Will Buy?", both exuberant song-and-dance numbers set against a vividly recreated Victorian London.
I mostly liked the songs on the whole, although sometimes they seemed a little stuffy.Unlike the novel, the film focuses away from the main character of the story-Oliver, and focuses more on the villains and there are quite a few of them.
Great musical adaptation of Oliver Twist, the Charles Dickens novel.
Cute and beautiful as the handsome orphan boy from the dirty Work Houses of the period, he contains a spirited singing voice and a fresh face which is in great company when played against the enormous talent of Ron Moody who does a fantastic job as Fagin.
Therefore, the movie retains everything that made the musical good in the first place.Luckily, and smartly, the film also decided to retain Ron Moody in the central role of Fagin, recreating his Broadway performance, rather than wedge some big-shot movie star into the film who would look ridiculous mouthing the words to someone else's singing voice.
Some of the show-stopping highlights include the "Consider Yourself" number, Fagin's "You've Got to Pick a Pocket or Two," in which he teaches Oliver how to be a crack petty thief, the "Who Will Buy?" dance sequence, and Nancy's boozy song, "Oom-Pah-Pah," which serves a different and more effective purpose in the film than it did in the stage version.Carol Reed, known for his stylish Graham Greene screen adaptations "The Fallen Idol" and "The Third Man," does directing honors here, and he won the Best Director Oscar for his efforts, most likely because the Academy felt guilty for not awarding him for much worthier efforts (the exact same reasoning landed George Cukor an Oscar for "My Fair Lady" four years earlier).Grade: A.
Fagin is amazing, the music memorable, Dicken's story is faithfully treated and is also directed skillfully by Sir Carol Reed.
Oliver Reed is perfect as Bill Sykes, and though Fagin is treated lightly, his evil conniving clearly shows through because Sykes is the product of Fagin's teaching and schemes.Just simply a spectacular film, with memorable musical sequences and glorious, colourful imagery.
Sir Carol Reed, known primarily for directing British dramas of the 1940s and 1950s, hit the jackpot in this Oscar-winning 1968 musical based on "Oliver Twist," by Charles Dickens.A poor boy begs for food at an orphanage.
It is a musical to the core, with a song every two minutes and certainly these are the songs one often hears in school singing competitions.The choreography is enchanting, the performances gripping, especially of the young boys, Oliver and Dodge are amazing.This movie should be seen by children because it will enchant them and they will certainly enjoy it all through their lives..
Oliver Reed was a menacing Bill Sikes (who thankfully has no musical numbers, lol), and Mark Lester as Oliver and Jack Wild as the Dodger were great too.
Mark Lester is the lovely perfect Oliver Twist, Ron Moody is absolutely splendid as Fagin, Jack Wild so funny in the role of Artful Dodger and the rest of crew was simply perfect.
First class film adaptation of Lionel Bart musical based on the classic Dickens story.
In OLIVER!, Reed directed his nephew, the late Oliver Reed as Bill Sikes, the great Ron Moody as Fagin, the bewitching, pixie-like Shani Wallis as Nancy and newcomer Mark Lester as Oliver, the love-starved waif looking for a home of his own.
The set designer really knocked himself/herself out, and the costumes are all great- you can see this especially in the 'Consider Yourself' number..the attention to detail on the different trades at the time and how they went about their work is just phenomenal.AS for the adaptation, I have seen movies based on Oliver Twist, and this film,IMO, is dead on with the social commentary that more 'serious' films make.
The Best: the young boy who played Dodger and of course, Ron Moody as the lovably-crooked Fagin..just great performance.
Ron Moody is brilliant, not to mention hilarious, as Fagin, Oliver Reed is great too as Sikes, as is Shani Wallis.
Based on Charles Dickens' classic OLIVER TWIST, the film tells of a young orphan boy(Mark Lester) who escapes from his drab life of workhouse servitude, only to fall in with a band of young pick-pockets led by the incorrigible Fagin(Ron Moody, Oscar-nominated).
Sir Carol Reed's superlative direction rightly won him the Oscar for best director in 1968 for Oliver.Ron Moody's Fagin was a masterpiece of comedy and menace - I rewind the video just to see him performing "Be back soon" and " Reviewing the situation" The late Oliver Reed was perfect as the villainous Bill Sykes and Harry Secombe was a memorable Mr Bumble.The juveniles, Mark Lester as Oliver and Jack Wild as The Artful Dodger ( "Ain't yer never seen a toff before?") were excellent.Hugh Griffiths brief appearance as a drunken magistrate was a comedy gem.Add Onna White's wonderful choreography to Lionel Bart's music and you have a winning combination.
Fagin(Ron Moody) gives an excellent performance and is very beliveable as the back street thief who employs children to do his dirty work.As for Ollie Reed well i think he was born to play the roll of bill sykes and Shani Wallis played the best verson of Nancy that i've ever seen.I think that Mark Lester >played a weak Oliver but Jack Wild really is the Artful dodger.
Ron Moody's performance as Fagin is fantastic, though, and Oliver Reed makes a very good villain.
but i digress, Oliver is a great film and worth the watch if you like musicals, or for a school day.
Nancy was my role model, and I thought the fact that the Artful Dodger and Oliver himself were quite young when acting in this wonderful film, the talent is amazing. |
tt0109446 | The Client | Mark Sway (Brad Renfro), his mother (Mary-Louise Parker), and his younger brother (David Speck) live in a small trailer in Memphis, Tennessee. Mark, a young, street-smart kid, distracts his mother and steals two cigarettes from her purse while she rushes to get ready for her blue-collar job. After she leaves, Mark and Ricky play in the woods and Mark teaches Ricky to smoke. When they hear a car coming, they panic. They throw the cigarettes down and hide behind some bushes.A big man gets out of the car, runs a hose from the tailpipe into the window, and gets back in the car. Mark figures out he's trying to kill himself, tells his terrified brother to stay put. Mark pulls the hose from the tailpipe. When the man realizes that something is wrong, he gets out and replaces the hose in the tailpipe. Mark tries to remove it again but the drunk man catches him, hits him and throws him in his car.The man tells Mark that since he's so nosy, they should die together. The man says he is Jerome Clifford, Attorney at Law. But he says that since they're both pretty tight to just call him "Romy." As he's talking, Mark notices a gun lying between them. Mark asks Jerome why hes trying to kill himself. He responds that if he doesn't kill himself, his client Barry 'The Blade' Muldano will because Jerome knows where the body of Boyd Boyett, a man The Blade killed, is buried. He tells Mark where it is, but we can't hear what he says. He says the body is still there and no one will ever find it. Mark suddenly picks up the gun and points it at Jerome. Jerome encourages Mark to pull the trigger, but Jerome can't do it. Jerome takes the gun away and says "let's see if it works." He shoots the gun near Mark's head and Mark escapes from the car. He takes Ricky and runs as Jerome chases after them, yelling, "If The Blade finds out what you know, he's going to kill you anyway." He stops, puts the gun in his mouth, and pulls the trigger. Ricky sees the entire act and is severely traumatized. Mark takes Ricky home and returns to the scene.Mark watches from hiding while the police remove Jerome's body away but they discover him. Sergeant Hardy (Will Patton) brings Mark home where his mother is trying to get Ricky to respond, but Ricky won't talk. She asks Mark what happened. Mark says he and Ricky discovered Jerome dead with the gun in his mouth and that Ricky hasn't talked since. Sergeant Hardy returns and takes Mark to the hospital, asking him questions on the way. He asks Mark if he is telling the truth, and then asks him if the name Jerome Clifford means anything to him. Mark says no. The officer says that he found two cigarettes near the scene, the same brand his mother smokes. Mark tells the officer that he was walking through the woods when he found Romy dead. Hardy asks who Romy is. He says the only name he used was Jerome Clifford.We then see a Reverend Roy Foltrigg (Tommy Lee Jones) watching the story on the news. Roy also happens to be the D.A. in the case for Senator Boyd Boyett's murder and is running for governor. Without Boyd Boyett's body and Jerome dead, Mr. Foltrigg has no case. Back at the hospital, Sergeant Hardy gives Mark a Sprite. He says he thinks Mark is lying and that Mark was in Jerome's car. He even teases him for being so poor and tries to scare him by saying if he doesn't tell the truth, Ricky could end up in a dumpy institution with snakes and bugs. A nurse interrupts and takes Mark to Ricky's room. The doctor says Ricky has post traumatic stress disorder and is in a coma. As he continues to talk, Mark sees Sergeant Hardy putting Marks Sprite can in a plastic bag. Mark runs after him, but the officer is already in the elevator, smirking. Mark wanders into a waiting room, where he finds a flier for a law firm on the ground.Back with Roy Foltrigg, his people are telling him Marks story and they don't believe it because they found Marks fingerprints all over the car. Roy deduces that Jerome must have told Mark where the body is and that's why he's lying. He demands to speak with Mark right away. Mark goes to the law firm in his flier and finds lawyer Regina "Reggie" Love (Susan Sarandon). Hes reluctant to have her represent him before he has to talk with the FBI and Mr. Foltrigg because shes a woman, but shes interested in his case because she has a grudge against Roy. He says he doesn't know why hes being harassed just because he saw some sweaty, fat guy commit suicide. Reggie asks why he lied to the police and told them he just found Jerome. He says he didn't lie and Reggie tells him that dead men don't sweat. He admits that he did see Jerome alive before he killed himself, but doesn't tell her he talked to him. Reggie agrees to take his case and Mark pays her a dollar.Meanwhile in New Orleans, The Blade is getting scolded by his boss, Uncle Johnny for telling Jerome too much and says the kids might know too much now as well. So he tells The Blade to move the body just in case. Not able to trust Barry, Uncle Johnny sends another hit man, Rocky, to "take care of" the kids. Back with Mark, Roy and his people are interrogating Mark. He asks if he needs a lawyer before talking to him and they tell him no. He gives them the run around until Roy flat out asks him about the body, and to that Mark demands to go the the bathroom. Eventually, Reggie returns, accusing them of unlawful interrogation, which they deny, but Reggie plays a tape of their conversation, catching them all in a lie. Roy insists that he has proof Mark is lying and was in the car with Jerome, but Reggie accuses him of hypocrisy.When Reggie leaves, she begins speaking with Marks mother, who begins telling Reggie about her dreams and how all she ever wanted was a white house and walk-in closet. Later, Reggie is trying to get the truth out of Mark. But Mark insists he was not in Jerome's car. Reggie eventually leaves Mark in the waiting room, where a man hired by Rocky to get close to Mark gives Mark candy and begins to talk with him, prying for information. Mark notices something isn't right and leaves. Late that night, Mark goes to get something to eat, but is held at knife point by Rocky in the elevator. Rocky threatens Mark not to talk to the FBI or hell be killed. The next day, Mark goes to Reggie and refuses to talk to the FBI. Before Reggie can say much shes notified that Roy and the FBI are on their way. Mark hides while Reggie talks to them. They have proof that Marks story is not true. This flusters Reggie but she manages to stay calm by pointing out that they illegally obtained evidence and shell expose Mr. Foltrigg if they go near Mark again. His illegal actions wouldn't look good for a man running for governor of Louisiana. Mr. Foltrigg reveals that Reggie was once in rehab; this shocks Mark. Reggie manages to get rid of them and, infuriated, confronts Mark about his lies. Mark accuses her of being the liar, fires her, and storms out. She follows him and he jumps in her car upon seeing the media circus outside of the hospital.Reggie goes to her house, but Mark demands to be taken back the hospital. Reggie refuses to take him anywhere until he tells her the truth. He declines and tries, in vain, to hitchhike. A car drives up, but Mark sees that its the man he didnt feel right about in the waiting room. Afraid, he runs to Reggie's house. Hes angry at first, but Reggie gets him to talk to her. Mark reveals that his father used to get drunk and beat him and his mother which is why he was so mad when he found out about Reggie's past. Reggie begins talking about her children and ex-husband until Mark feels comfortable enough to tell her the whole truth, including Rocky's threat. Reggie, alarmed, begins to call to get Mark someplace safe. Outside, Rocky and two other hit men talk about going in, killing Reggie and kidnapping Mark. One of them has an idea and they burn Marks trailer as a warning instead. Marks mother hears the news at the hospital and, having lost her job as well, is devastated. She yells at Reggie and tells her Mark already has a mother and kicks her out of the room. After Reggie leaves the police come to take Mark into custody until he talks to the FBI. In custody, Mark asks for a phone to call his mother, and prank orders pizzas to the police department. Meanwhile Reggie is trying to get Mark out. She talks to a friend of hers about getting Mark to talk only if he and his family can get into the Witness Protection Program afterwards. Shes frustrated when they cant guarantee it to her, but gets Mark out to talk anyway. Mark says whatever he does he could get killed anyway and she cant let them ask any questions. She cant promise him anything but says he cant lie if they do get him on the stand.In court, Roy and the FBI brow beat Mark to talk but Reggie diverts them any way she can. Eventually they get Mark on the stand and struggle to get information, but he eventually pleads the fifth and decides he'd rather go back to jail until everything is sorted out than risk he and his family's life. Meanwhile The Blade is meeting with Uncle Johnny and they decide Mark has gotten too close to talking and he must be killed. Back at the jail, Mark is found on the ground, barely conscious, soaked in sweat, and heart beating extremely rapidly. They rush him to the hospital where he escapes from his gurney, only to find that Rocky has followed him there. A chase between Mark and Rocky ensues, but Mark manages to get away. He calls Reggie's home and tells her he faked a post traumatic stress attack in order to escape from jail. Reggie says shes coming to pick him up.Reggie manages to sneak Mark in her car and Mark says hes thinking about Witness Protection now. But Jerome was drunk so the body may not be where he said. Reggie says they have to know where the body is before Mark gets any protection. Mark convinces Reggie they have to go to New Orleans and make sure the body is where Romy said it was, under Romy's own boat in Romy's boat house. Reggie is very reluctant, but agrees. Meanwhile, The Blade is asking Uncle Johnny once again for permission to move the body now that Mark has escaped. Uncle Johnny agrees but says this is The Blades last chance. Reggie calls her brother from a hotel in New Orleans to tell him what shes up to, unaware that Mr. Foltrigg is tracking her call. They go after her.Later, Reggie and Mark find Romy's boat house which is located next to some rather paranoid and security-ridden neighbors. Mark manages to crawl through a high window into the boat house, leaving Reggie behind at the bottom. Little do they know that The Blade and Rocky have arrived at the same place. The hit men make their way into the boat house, while Mark hurriedly hides in Romy's covered boat. To get the body, the men raise the boat up. Reggie, scared for Mark climbs quietly to the open window to see if hes okay. Mark looks down from under the cover while the men uncover the body. Reggie gets Marks attention and begs him to sneak back out through the window. After a while, he sees the body and finally tries to climb up to the window where Reggie pulls him through. They make a noise, which The Blade hears, and when he looks up he sees Reggie and Mark looking trying to escape. They run and The Blade goes after them. He eventually catches Reggie and his gun goes flying in the struggle. Reggie tells Mark to run, but Mark picks up the gun and tells The Blade to let Reggie go. He holds The Blade at gunpoint, seriously considering shooting him, but Reggie convinces Mark to hand the gun over to her. The Blade teases Reggie saying she doesn't have the guts and should have let Mark shoot. Reggie scoffs and instead shoots a security box on the neighbors house, setting off alarms. The neighbors come out making a fuss, and Mark and Reggie get away while the neighbors shoot at The Blade and the other hit men. The hit men shoot back at the neighbors, who retreat. And the hit men leave before the police can arrive. Mark goes back to the boat house to find the garbage bag that's supposed to contain Boyd Boyett's body. He opens it to see if hes in there, and is assaulted with the sight of maggots, an awful smell, and the body.The next day, Reggie meets with Roy in a New Orleans diner. Roy is anxious to find out the whereabouts of the body, but Reggie will only tell him if he meets the conditions she wants of Mark and his family's Witness Protection Program first. She tells him she wants Marks mother to have some starting out money to have a nice little house. White, with a walk-in closet.Back with the hit men, Uncle Johnny makes it clear that the Blade is to be killed for screwing up his last chance so royally. Finally, back with the Sways, Ricky is airlifted to another hospital in a different location while Mark decides he wants them to be relocated to Phoenix. His mother agrees. She signs the papers and they start to get on the plane, until Mark sees Reggie again. He asks if she can come with them, but she says when entering Witness Protection he has to sever all ties with anyone back home. Mark will never see Reggie again. He gives her a hug and tells her he loves her, and she tells him the same. But before Mark gets on the plane, he turns to Reggie, smiles and says, "I'll call you." Reggie can do nothing but laugh.Immediately after the Sways take off, the FBI surround Reggie and she exasperatedly tells them where the body is. Roy, smiling, reminds Reggie that she should have included immunity from her illegal actions, but Reggie produces the tape of HIS illegal actions. They both silently agree to keep quiet. After Roy leaves, Reggie sees Marks plane disappearing as he and his family leave Louisiana forever, safely. | revenge, suspenseful, murder, prank | train | imdb | A decent film to have in your collection, and one of the better John Grisham book-turned-movie adaptations..
If it stayed like the beginning, this film would have been flawless.After a 11-year-old kid and his brother witnessed a suicide, the kid hires an attorney to help protect him and his family from threatening mafia members and a stubborn Federal District attorney.The acting is very good in this film.
I want to address some of the major holes in the plot, so if you haven't seen the movie yet you may want to skip this review.Why would the mob assume that this lawyer, who was about to commit suicide, would be telling the kid anything regarding the dead body?
Back in 1994, I read this book and just like other John Grisham's novels, with the exception of "The Pelican Brief", once I started reading, I couldn't put it down.Director Joel Schumacher and Screenwriter Akiva Goldsman did an excellent job keeping the movie within the storyline without doing a horrible "hatchet job" most do to novels.
I liked Susan Sarandon as Reggie Love, Brad Renfro as Mark Sway, Tommy Lee Jones was a perfect fit as the "Revered" Roy Foltrigg.
Mark Sway (Brad Renfro) and his little brother are witnesses to the suicide of a mob lawyer.
After his brother falls into a coma and he becomes the target of the mob and the federal prosecutor (Tommy Lee Jones) he is forced to hire Reggie Love (Susan Sarandon) who is an attorney with a chequered past and a courageous heart.The direction and story are both very strong, and i thought Jones and Saradon both put in great performances; and even if i did find new-comer Brad Renfro's character a little annoying at times, it wasn't at detriment to the film.The Client is a tense and dramatic thriller that has enough entertainment value to forgive it, its minor plot holes.7/10.
The only thing that i didn't liked much was the acting of the boy Brad Renfo, it was obvious that he is a rookie actor; he doesn't show any emotion during the film, even in the most tense situations, but i respect this, Grisham wanted to look this way; i simply didn't liked it.ABOUT THE MOVIE: Brad Renfo plays the role of Mark Sway, a boy who don't live in the best economical conditions, who liked to sneak outside his house, one day, with his brother Ricky (David Speck) they saw a man that wanted to commit suicide, an attorney, who before killing himself told Mark that he knew where Barry "The Blade" Muldano (Anthony LaPaglia) hide the corpse of a killed senator; later, he and his brother witnessed the suicide.
The story of Mark here became tense as the Police and the news describe him as witness, and the mafia of "The Blade" try to find him, thinking that he knows something; Mark don't wan't to declare what he knows to the police, leaded by Reverend Roy Foltrigg (Tommy Lee Jones) and he finds an attorney, Reggie Love (Susan Sarandon) who protect him.
Susan Sarandon has the role of a lawyer willing to risk her career for Ricky, the youth, and Tommy Lee Jones plays an ambitious federal prosecutor anxious to use Ricky's testimony to further his own career.
Ricky is determined to protect his family before doing anything to help the authorities.It's a superb suspense thriller, based on the John Grisham novel of the same name, and both Jones and Sarandon turn in great performances.
The movie also benefits from support cast members such as Ossie Davis, Anthony LaPaglia, and as "The Client", Brad Renfro.
An egotistical district attorney(Tommy Lee Jones), the FBI and the Mafia all suspect that the boy, found at the scene, knows the dead lawyer's secrets.
Watching Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones act Southern is painful.
The best one is that of Susan Sarandon, who is just great in this - especially in her early scenes, in which she wipes everyone else off the screen.Brad Renfro is also amazingly good as the boy.
Mark Sway (Brad Renfro) and little brother Ricky run across mob lawyer Jerome Clifford trying to commit suicide in his car.
From the novel by John Grisham comes this gripping thriller about an indigent southern boy whose life takes a shocking turn when he witnesses the suicide of an infamous mafia lawyer.
Imperfect but entertaining adaptation may not bear close scrutiny, but the story holds you from start to finish, director Schumacher does an excellent job of building suspense, and a strong cast is at work headlined by a rock solid Sarandon, a flamboyant Jones, and a real find in young Renfro.
Susan Sarandon (in an odd Oscar-nominated role) defends a young boy who witnessed the suicide of a high-class Louisiana lawyer who was defending a dangerous mafia syndicate in this terribly uneven and over-rated film that bores the audience from the word go.
Now, in conclusion, if you are a fan of Susan Sarandon or Tommy Lee Jones, or you enjoyed John Grisham's title novel, I highly recommend this movie.
The first time i saw this movie was a couple years ago on tv, it wasnt that bad, but the acting wasnt great either, the plot was good, it was very predictable though, so i gave it 6/10, if you havent seen it go watch it, its kinda good, but thats just my opinion..
Mark calls the police and ultimately lies to them, the way any kid would, but they know it and when the FBI comes into the investigation, the smart twelve year old decides it's time for him to go out and find a lawyer.
As Mark's lawyer, Reggie Love, Sarandon portrays one of her most interesting characters to date and gives a flawless performance.
I remember this as a great movie by Sarandon (Dead Man Walking), who got an Oscar nomination out of her performance in a year of great movies, the best being, of course, Four Weddings and a Funeral.Tommy Lee Jones (The Fugitive, JFK) was super as the Rev. Roy, and the lovely and talented Mary-Louise Parker ("Weeds", "Angels in America") was great as Mark's (Brad Renfro) mom.
Based on the novel of the same name by John Grisham, 'The Client', directed by Joel Schumacher, in an interesting thriller, that also packs in memorable performances by it's lead-cast.'The Client' tells the story of a eleven-year old boy, who, witnesses the suicide of a lawyer whose client is in the mob, and a female attorney, who, tries to protect him.
he was 12 at the time.I remember this as a great movie by Sarandon (Dead Man Walking), who got an Oscar nomination out of her performance in a year of great movies, the best being, of course, Four Weddings and a Funeral.Tommy Lee Jones (The Fugitive, JFK) was super as the Rev. Roy, and the lovely and talented Mary-Louise Parker ("Weeds", "Angels in America") was great as Mark's mom.
Jones is flashly as Sarandon's egotistical law adversary.Good performance from youngster Renfro, but shoddy direction by the always infuriating Schumacher who makes the film as a whole impossible to watch and insufferable to follow..
We all know Joel Grisham writes a great drama, but sometimes the movie adaptions just wear you down.The story is a bout a kid who witnesses a suicide of a lawyer entangled in a huge mafia case.
I further confess to having a penchant for political-legal-type dramas/thrillers, and I will even go so far as to say that movies with Southern lawyers have a special fascination to many (Atticus Finch, anyone?), perhaps because portraying Southern politics tackles greater sociological and civil issues that would otherwise carry less meaning.The Client is one such movie, and my favorite Susan Sarandon role.
Thriller about a young boy Mark Sway (Renfro) who witnesses the suicide of a man (Olkewicz) with ties to the mob.
The kid must hire his own lawyer (Sarandon) to protect his rights, since district attorney (Tommy Lee Jones) is fixated on taking down the mob and won't stop at anything--even willing to put the safety of Mark at risk.
Susan Sarandon plays Reggie Love, a attorney in Louisana who is hired by Mark Sway(Brad Renfro, 1982-2008) whom he and his brother Ricky(David Speck) witness the suicide of a mob lawyer.
It's an awesome story, with a great supporting cast.I also loved Susan Sarandon, her character was one of my favourite movie lawyers ever, she's wonderful.
The story has to do with a boy (Brad Renfro) who was at the scene when a lawyer for the Mafia committed suicide.
It seems as though organized crime put a hit on him and the discovery of said body will cinch an indictment against Anthony LaPaglia the number one contract killer in the New Orleans mob.So US Attorney Tommy Lee Jones wants Renfro.
Scumacher continues with this kind of character-driven drama with the second of his films that I have seen, both twice, in `The Client', with an as ever exceptional Susan Sarandon as a small-time lawyer and failed mother and wife, and introducing in his debut Brad Renfro, who has the bad luck to witness together with his younger brother how an important politician blows his brains out.
This is the best of the Grishem adaptations, chiefly because of the superior acting of then newcomer Brad Renfro, Tommy Lee Jones, and the always brilliant Susan Sarandon.True, the plot has some holes and the villains come across as uninspired, but the interplay between Sarandon and Jones is always fun to watch, and the sometimes tender scenes between Renfro and Sarandon are surprisingly believable (considering this was Renfro's first role, it is amazing how well he holds his own with Sarandon, one of the greatest talents in film history.)This movie grabs hold of you from the beginning and really never lets up, with wonderful and memorable scenes throughout--the first meeting between Jones and Sarandon being one of the many standouts.
John Grisham knew how to milk the most out of a situation that has a boy who knew too much (BRAD RENFRO) about a Mafia murder, relentlessly pursued by the killers while seeking the help of a female lawyer (SUSAN SARANDON in one of her better roles).
TOMMY LEE JONES is amusing as a crafty Southern lawyer (is there any other kind???), and seems to be modeling his role after the juicy role he had in THE FUGITIVE.Brad Renfro is impressive in his pivotal role as the boy on the run and it's all extremely well done up until its suspenseful climax.
Mark goes to rookie lawyer Reggie Love for help and the pair find themselves between a rock and a hard place as both the law and the mob try to reach Mark and get them to do what they want with no thought for him.I am not a fan of these legal thriller things never read a book by John Grisham (I've never been that bored on holiday!) and didn't find the glut of films from his work to be as inspiring as their box office success would suggest that they were.
It has just about enough going for it to be worth seeing once because the basic plot is OK and is interesting enough to watch but it does feel like a ponderous experience and not a slick, taut, exciting thriller which it should have at least partly been.The cast are not great on screen but, with time it has become an increasingly star-studded film.
Put this together with great acting by Tommy Lee Jones and Brad Renfro and you have one hell of a movie.
Tommy Lee Jones,, Susan Sarandon, do a wonderful job in the movie,, Will Patton plays a police officer who is really dislikeable.
One of Joel Schumacher's good movies - before he got into stuff like "Batman & Robin" - was "The Client", an adaptation of a John Grisham novel.
Meanwhile, prosecutor Roy Foltrigg (Tommy Lee Jones) hopes to use Mark's hidden information to bring down a New Orleans mafioso (Anthony LaPaglia), while Mark is tired of getting questioned, and so he hires novice lawyer Reggie Love (Susan Sarandon), who has been having to deal with her own demons.I found the really effective scenes to be the dialog between Foltrigg and Love, as they try their legal skills against each other.
I recently re-discovered the Grisham novels, and started 'The Client', recalling that I had detested the film back in 1994, despite great expectations, considering the presence of Tommy Lee Jones and Susan Sarandon.Lo and behold: it came on an obscure cable network and out came the VCR tape (low-tech, huh?)..
Joel Schumacher is pretty much my least favorite director of all time, and Grisham represents the kind of author whose books instantly give me a hankering for classic literature, so the chances that I was really going to think much of this film were slim from the get go.Good actors like Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones put a lot of effort into the material and give committed performances.
This is a well written, well directed movie with excellent acting from not only well-known Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee-Jones, but also by newcomer Brad Renfro.
Throw in Susan Sarandon & Tommy Lee Jones (he seemed to be in every movie in '94) and this is a fun ride.I like the Grisham movies because the one different thing about his works is you don't really know what it's all about.
Tommy Lee Jones and Susan Sarandon did a great job.
A gripping and action-packed film that you won't be able to switch off once you get started.Starring big-wigs Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones, 'The Client' is based upon the John Grisham novel of the same name, where two boys witness a Mafia spokesperson commit suicide, but can't tell anyone.Enter Susan Sarandon who the elder brother (Brad Renfro) hires for only $1 to protect him and his family.The plot is scorching, the acting is brilliant (too bad Brad's career didn't last long) and the film itself is genius..
Let's face it, John Grisham novels are excellent and with all their suspense and clever plots they always make exciting Hollywood movies.
It's hard to beat Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones in lead roles, throw in the rest of a great supporting cast and you have the makings of 2 hours of viewing enjoyment.
Call me shallow, but the thing that attracted me to this film when I first rented it were the names: Tommy Lee Jones and Brad Renfro.
Having read the book and thoroughly enjoyed it, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I loved the movie too!I'd recommend it to anyone who likes John Grisham or thrillers.
It's quite interesting, and the acting is universally good, but it's a strictly by-the-numbers legal thriller with the twist that the innocent on the run, as in all Grisham films, is a kid (very well played though).
Especially Tommy Lee Jones, a personal favorite, plays his part well, and his scenes with Sarandon are the best part of the film.
The story has a happy ending.The best things about this film are the 2 most tense scenes I mentioned, the happy ending and the amazing acting by Brad Renfro and the kid who plays his cute younger brother.
You get the point & feeling without the unnecessary graphic element most other directors would go for.I suspected it would be a great movie with Tommy Lee Jones and Susan Sarandon in it & I wasn't disappointed.
Susan Sarandon's Reggie is human and believable, and Tommy Lee Jones' Foltrigg is clever, annoying, and funny - both are terrific performances.But the young Brad Renfro in his first performance is magnetic, and the film is at its best when he's running rings round the adults.
Protecting the lad's rights is Attorney Reggie Love, and Susan Sarandon is most admirable in this strong yet vulnerable role, while finally newcomer Brad Renfro performs well his part as the young boy whose run in with the suicidal, and now late, Jerome Clifford, has turned his world upside down.The entire support cast (including Will Patton, Frank LaPaglia and Mary-Louise Parker) and technical team have helped fashion a most enjoyable film, but sadly, once the resolution begins to become clear, "The Client" peters off to a somewhat less than inspirational ending.
This Legal Thriller Is Worth It. A sterling cast headed by Oscar-nominated Susan Sarandon makes this slick thriller one of the better adaptations of a John Grisham bestseller,The Client.The film stars Susan Sarandon, Tommy Lee Jones and Brad Renfro together with Mary-Louise Parker,Anthony LaPaglia,Anthony Edwards and Ossie Davis.It was based on Grisham's bestselling novel about a street-wise kid, Mark Sway, sees the suicide of Jerome Clifford, a prominent Louisiana lawyer, whose current client is Barry 'The Blade' Muldano, a Mafia hit-man who killed Senator Boyd Boyette.It was written by Robert Getchell; together with Akiva Goldsman and it was directed by Joel Schumacher,both of whom worked in another Grisham adaptation, A Time To Kill.Mark Sway witnesses the suicide of a Mafia lawyer, who confesses that the Mob was behind the murder of a U.S. senator.
The relationship between Reggie Love and Mark Sway is the center of the film, adding considerable character development to plot's routine elements.This legal thriller isn't a masterpiece of suspense but it has its moments and is capable of providing entertainment.Susan Sarandon, the emotional center of the narrative, received a well-deserved Oscar nomination for playing a recovered alcoholic lawyer who interacts with the boy as a surrogate mother and a lawyer that holds the viewer's interest on the main characters of the story.
As typical of Grisham screen adaptations up to that point, the film version is a bit of a disappointment after the novel.Young Brad Renfro and his brother stumble across the attempted suicide of a Mafia attorney, who confides where a politician's body is buried before doing away with himself.
A female lawyer (Susan Sarandon) takes the case of a young boy (Brad Renfro), a witness to a Mob-related death. |
tt0417349 | North & South | North & South is a splendid, four-hour adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell's 19th century novel about an unlikely, and somewhat star-crossed, love between a middle-class young woman from England's cultivated south and an intemperate if misunderstood industrialist in a hardscrabble, northern city. Daniela Denby-Ashe plays Margaret Hale, forthright and strong-willed daughter of a former vicar (Tim Pigott-Smith) who relocates his family from a pastoral village outside London to unforgiving, largely illiterate Milton, a factory town where John Thornton (Richard Armitage) and his mother (Sinead Cusack), survivors of poverty, rule their cotton mill with an iron hand. Thornton befriends Margaret's father but incurs her wrath for his severity with his workers. What she doesn't notice is Thornton's core sense of responsibility for his employees' welfare. On the other hand, he misinterprets some of Margaret's own actions and intentions. Equally stubborn, the two drag out their obvious attraction over many painful months and events. North & South's two leads are both very good, though Armitage's brooding, penetrating performance may very well be considered a classic one day. There are other wonders in the cast: Cusack and Pigott-Smith are superb, and Brendan Coyle is memorable as a firebrand union organizer who ultimately becomes an ally to a softening Thornton. The miniseries script by Sandy Welch is a persuasive mix of historical context and character study. Brian Percival's direction is full of moments that linger in the imagination, such as the winter-dream look of a busy cotton mill, with thousands of snowy fibers floating in the air. | romantic, flashback | train | imdb | null |
tt1095217 | The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans | August 2005, New Orleans, Louisiana. Terence McDonagh (Nicolas Cage) is a New Orleans Police Sergeant. While cleaning out a locker after Hurricane Katrina, he notices that a prisoner may not have been transferred. When he finds the prisoner about to drown, he mocks him before eventually jumping in the water to save him. He is promoted to lieutenant and given a medal for his work, but has suffered a serious back injury because of the rescue. As a result, he is prescribed Vicodin which he will most likely need to take for the rest of his life to manage the pain.
Six months later, McDonagh is now not only addicted to painkillers, but is habitually using several other drugs including cocaine and cannabis. He has convinced a person that works in the police department to bring him drugs sent to the evidence room. His girlfriend Frankie Donnenfeld (Eva Mendes), a prostitute, also does cocaine and they often share drugs. He has also become estranged from his father Pat (Tom Bower), a recovering alcoholic who can only bring himself to attend to his Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and nothing else, and his alcoholic stepmother, Genevieve (Jennifer Coolidge). Over the course of the film, he uses his position as an officer to bully people and steal more drugs.
McDonagh has been assigned to investigate a murder scene, where five illegal immigrants from Senegal were executed. Information comes in that leads them to a delivery boy who was an auditory witness, and through his details and evidence they deduce the people were killed for selling drugs in a gang leader's neighborhood. The gang leader Big Fate (Alvin 'Xzibit' Joiner) has two associates: Midget (Lucius Baston) and G (Tim Bellow). They are both arrested, leading to Big Fate willingly coming to the police station with his lawyer. As they try to get enough evidence to convict Big Fate, McDonagh goes back to a hotel room where he finds Frankie beaten by one of her clients, a seemingly well-connected man named Justin (Shea Whigham). McDonagh threatens Justin and takes $10,000 from him. Later on, the auditory witness of the murder scene goes missing. McDonagh finds the witness's grandmother, who works at a nursing home, and threatens to kill an old woman who is the grandmother's patient to get the grandmother to tell where the witness has gone. The old woman has sent him to stay with her family in England, to prevent him from getting involved in gang affairs.
In addition to dealing with the murder investigation, McDonagh gets in trouble with his bookie Ned (Brad Dourif) for not paying his debts. What little money McDonagh has is given to a gangster who works for Justin. The gangster now requests five times the amount stolen from Justin, $50,000, as compensation, and gives McDonagh two days to get it. As a result of his treatment of the old woman, McDonagh is on modified duty and his gun placed in the evidence room. Now angry, McDonagh goes to Big Fate and they become partners, with McDonagh supplying Big Fate with police information. McDonagh now has enough money to pay off his debts to his bookie and uses his surplus earnings to place a new bet. During a celebration of the successful partnership between McDonagh and Big Fate, the gangster shows up, demanding his money. McDonagh offers him a cut worth more than $50,000 from a bag filled with pure heroin, but the gangster wants to take it all. Big Fate and his crew end up killing the gangsters.
To further celebrate their partnership, McDonagh implores Big Fate to smoke crack cocaine with his "lucky crack pipe". He does, and McDonagh later plants the pipe at the murder scene of the Senegal family. The department uses this new evidence to arrest Big Fate and his cronies, but when he and McDonagh are alone with Big Fate, McDonagh's partner, Stevie Pruit (Val Kilmer), threatens to kill Big Fate, as he doesn't want him to have the chance to escape conviction. McDonagh is outraged at this idea and arrests Big Fate, showing that despite his addictions he still performs his duties as an officer. McDonagh is later promoted to Captain.
One year later, McDonagh appears to be sober, as do Frankie (who is pregnant with McDonagh's child) and McDonagh's parents, but it turns out that McDonagh is still taking heroin. He encounters the prisoner whom he saved at the beginning of the film, and the man, recognizing McDonagh, exclaims that McDonagh saved his life. The man has been sober for almost a year and offers to help McDonagh finally escape his own addiction. McDonagh simply asks, "Do fish have dreams?" The film ends with the two men in an aquarium, sitting on the floor with their backs against a wall-sized fish tank. | comedy, neo noir, murder, stupid, cult, violence, psychedelic | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0452702 | Vacancy | On their way home from a family party, David (Luke Wilson) and Amy Fox (Kate Beckinsale), who are on the verge of divorce after a family tragedy drove them apart, take a wrong turn on a remote mountain road. And since their vehicle ceases working, they discover there is no cell phone reception and start walking back to a motel across the street from an auto repair garage where they had stopped because their car was making noises. Oddly, when they arrive, there are no cars in the parking lot. At the Office, they hear piercing screams coming from the back room. The motel manager, Mason (Frank Whaley), appears and explains that the noises are coming from the television. Then they book a room only for the night.
In their room, the couple hear loud and insistent banging on their door and on the door to the adjacent room. They also receive anonymous phone calls, despite being told by Mason they are the only people staying there. David notifies Mason of the situation, and he says he'll take care of it. Back in the room, David looks for recreation & takes a peek at the video tapes left on top of their rooms tv. At first, they appear to be horror movies; but, after careful observation, he realizes they are snuff films which were made in their motel room. David then searches the room, finding hidden security cameras, and concludes they are being watched by Mason from his office.
In the bathroom, the couple is amazed to find the apple Amy left in the car. They flee the room and head for the woods, but two men dressed in blue and wearing masks stop them, so they return to the room and lock the door. David runs to the motel's payphone and dials 9-1-1, but Mason answers. Soon within seconds, David escapes the phone booth with shock just before the men crash their car into it and chase him back to their room.
Back in the room, David and Amy hear a truck pull into the parking lot. From the window, they attract the driver's (Mark Casella) attention, but Mason and the men in masks appear behind him; and the couple realize he is a part of it and is there to buy the snuff films. David and Amy discover a tunnel from a trapdoor in the bathroom, which the men must have used to leave the apple. They follow it to the manager's office, where they find video monitors taping the entire motel. Amy then gets the cops, but suddenly gets interrupted by Mason before she can give the Dispatcher any useful information, leaving the phone with a lack of help to track them down.
Followed by two of the masked men, the couple sneak back into the tunnel and take a different route underground, ending up in the auto garage across the lot from the motel. They hold the trapdoor down with heavy items. Meanwhile, a Sheriff's Deputy (David Doty) responding to Amy's call arrives. Mason offers to show the officer around, but he leaves to fetch a different set of keys while the officer continues to search. He finds tapes in one of the rooms and, realizing the nature of the hotel, flees. David and Amy run to him, and they all get inside the police car. They find the engine wire has been cut; and, when the officer gets out to check under the hood, he is killed by the masked men and the couple flee into one of the other motel rooms.
David hides Amy inside the ceiling, and attempts to venture out alone to get a revolver gun that was in Mason's office, but the killers surprise and stab David before he can leave, and he ends up collapsing in the doorway, seen by Amy who breaks down in tears. In the morning, Amy comes down and finds the killers' car. As she drives away, a killer breaks into the car from the sun roof and, in her effort to fend him off while driving, crashes the car into the motel, killing her attacker as well as another one of the masked men, revealed to be the gas station attendant (Ethan Embry) who "helped" the couple earlier with their car troubles, as he is crushed against the front of the car. Amy runs into the reception area where she finds the revolver. In an effort to reach the revolver, a hot-headed Mason grabs her neck with a telephone cord from his office phone. And as they fight, Mason attacks, & assaults her severely. But in his effort to get a good final shot with his hand-held digital video camera, Amy fights back, and Mason ends up throwing her within reach of the revolver she had dropped, and she shoots him three times, fatally wounding. Amy immediately runs to David to find that he is still alive, but seriously in need of help. She searches Mason's corpse thoroughly for the telephone cord he used, gets 911 again, and finally returns to comfort poor David while they wait for the cops to arrive. | cult, murder, violence | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0107822 | The Piano | A mute Scotswoman named Ada McGrath is sold by her father into marriage to a New Zealand frontiersman named Alisdair Stewart, bringing her young daughter Flora with her. The voice that the audience hears in the opening narration is "not her speaking voice, but her mind's voice". Ada has not spoken a word since she was six years old and no one, including herself, knows why. She expresses herself through her piano playing and through sign language, for which her daughter has served as the interpreter. Flora later dramatically tells two women in New Zealand that her mother has not spoken since the death of her husband who died as a result of being struck by lightning. Ada cares little for the mundane world, occupying herself for hours every day with the piano. Flora, it is later learned, is the product of a relationship with a teacher with whom Ada believed she could communicate through her mind, but who "became frightened and stopped listening", and thus left her.
Ada, Flora, and their belongings, including a hand crafted piano, are deposited on a New Zealand beach by a ship's crew. As there is no one there to meet them, they spend the night alone on the beach amongst their crated belongings. The following day, the husband who has bought her, Alisdair, arrives with a Māori crew and his white friend, Baines, a fellow forester and retired sailor who has adopted many of the Maori customs, including tattooing his face. Alisdair proves to be a shy and diffident man, who is jokingly called "old dry balls" by his Māori neighbours. He tells Ada that there is no room in his small house for the piano and abandons the piano on the beach. Ada, in turn, is cold to him and is determined to be reunited with her piano.
Unable to communicate with Alisdair, Ada and Flora visit Baines with a note asking to be taken to the piano. He explains that he cannot read. When Flora translates her mother's wishes, he initially refuses, but the three ultimately spend the day on the beach with Ada playing music. Baines, whose wife is far away in England living a separate life, is taken by the transformation in Ada when she plays her piano. Baines soon suggests that Alisdair trade the instrument to him for some land. Alisdair consents, and agrees to his further request to receive lessons from Ada, oblivious to his attraction to her.
Ada is enraged when she learns that Alisdair has traded away her precious piano without consulting her and complains that she does not want a man with filthy hands and no ability to read, touching her piano. Alisdair shouts the finality of his decision and demands that she fulfill the contract of providing lessons. On the day she arrives at his hut, she attempts to make an excuse that she cannot play the piano because it is out of tune. She is stunned to find that Baines has had the piano put into perfect tune. She begins by asking him to play anything he knows, but he asks to simply listen rather than learn to play himself. It becomes clear that he procured the piano not for his own interest in music, but because he likes who Ada becomes when she plays. During one session, Baines proposes that Ada can earn her piano back at a rate of one piano key per "lesson", provided that he can observe her and do "things he likes" while she plays. She is not eager to accept the deal, but cannot turn down the opportunity to regain her piano. She agrees, but negotiates for a number of lessons equal to the number of black keys only.
While Ada and her husband Alisdair have had no sexual, nor even mildly affectionate, interaction, the lessons with Baines become a slow seduction for her affection. Baines requests gradually increased intimacy in exchange for greater numbers of keys. Ada reluctantly accepts but does not give herself to him the way he desires. Realizing that she only does what she has to in order to regain the piano, and that she has no romantic feelings for him, Baines gives up and simply returns the piano to Ada, saying that their arrangement "is making you a whore, and me wretched", and that what he really wants is for her to actually care for him.
Despite Ada having her piano back, she ultimately finds herself missing Baines watching her as she plays. She returns to him one afternoon, where they submit to their desire for one another. Alisdair, having become suspicious of their relationship, hears them making love as he walks by Baines' house, and then watches them through a crack in the wall. Outraged, he follows her the next day and confronts her in the forest, where he attempts to force himself on her, despite her intense resistance. He then boards up his home with Ada inside so she will not be able to visit Baines while Alisdair is working on his timberland. After this, Ada realizes she must show affection with Alisdair if she is ever to be released from her home prison, though her caresses only serve to frustrate him more because when he tries to touch her, she pulls away. Eventually resolving to trust her, he removes the barriers from the house, and exacts a promise from Ada that she will not see Baines.
Soon afterwards, Ada sends her daughter with a package for Baines, containing a single piano key with an inscribed love declaration reading "Dear George you have my heart Ada McGrath". Flora does not want to deliver the package and brings the piano key instead to Alisdair. After reading the love note burnt onto the piano key, Alisdair furiously returns home with an axe and cuts off Ada's index finger to deprive her of the ability to play the piano. He then sends Flora who witnessed this to Baines with the severed finger wrapped in cloth, with the message that if Baines ever attempts to see Ada again, he will chop off more fingers.
Later that night, while touching Ada in her sleep, Alisdair hears what he believes to be Ada's voice inside of his head, asking him to let Baines take her away. Deeply shaken, he goes to Baines' house and asks if she has ever spoken words to him. Baines assures him she has not. Ultimately, it is assumed that he decides to send Ada and Flora away with Baines and dissolve their marriage once she has recovered from her injuries. They depart from the same beach on which she first landed in New Zealand. While being rowed to the ship with her baggage and Ada's piano tied onto a Māori longboat, Ada asks Baines to throw the piano overboard. As it sinks, she deliberately tangles her foot in the rope trailing after it. She is pulled overboard but, deep under water, changes her mind and kicks free and is pulled to safety.
In an epilogue, Ada describes her new life with Baines and Flora in Nelson, where she has started to give piano lessons in their new home, and her severed finger has been replaced with a silver finger made by Baines. Ada has also started to take speech lessons in order to learn how to speak again. Ada says that she imagines her piano in its grave in the sea, and herself suspended above it, which "lulls me to sleep". The story closes with her remarking that "it is a weird lullaby, and so it is; it is mine", before reciting the first three lines of Thomas Hood's poem "Silence", which also opened the film: "There is a silence where hath been no sound. There is a silence where no sound may be—in the cold grave, under the deep deep sea". | romantic, atmospheric | train | wikipedia | But the sensuous portrayal of Harvey Keitel and Holly Hunter and the complex acting of a young Anna Paquin allow this story to ring true.
Holly Hunter received an Oscar for her fascinating performance as Ada, a mute woman who is forced into an arranged marriage with a New Zealand landowner, played convincingly by Sam Neill, a native Australian actor himself.
Ada journeys to New Zealand with her young daughter (Anna Paquin, also an Oscar-winner that year), few other possessions, and her treasured piano, a part of her that amplifies her voice that she cannot express through vocal communication.I believe it would be wrong to assume that any of the characters are martyrs in this tragic story, nor would it be right to think Sam Neill's character a villain.
The movie's heroine, wonderfully portrayed by Holly Hunter, is mute (symbolic of the fact that she has no say in her own life), with her daughter (the astonishing Anna Paquin) and her piano as her personal obsessions.
Jane Campion's Oscar-winning movie follows Ada (played by Holly Hunter), an immigrant to the New Zealand outback and an arranged marriage, who has not spoken for years and lives her life through the sound of her piano.
Her husband (played by Sam Neill) is a man without much understanding, who tries to break the connection between his new wife and her piano; in contrast to him is the wild illiterate Baines (played by Harvey Keitel), a tattooed loner, who reaches into Ada's soul and helps her to regain contact with her emotions and ultimately, her voice too.
Keitel and Hunter give excellent performances within a sensitive and sensual screenplay, while Anna Paquin is impressive as Ada's wise daughter, always watching and always aware.
Holly Hunter, who plays a mute piano goddess and manages with her not enough known acting skills to express more with her eyes,her grace and her tiny hands than 100 Gwyneth paltrows put together!!!(no offense,i much enjoyed Shakespeare in love,but,come on...)Harvey Keitel in this broken-hearted warrior/peasant role is more than touching;love embraces him as it embraces us,viewers.
where the hell are we??????) and lets the viewer flow on his own in this huge ocean of naked and oh so true feelings and respects the pain and/or the anger (Sam Neil,probably the only role in his carrier that shows his great talent) of her clearly beloved characters.Landscapes,seashores,humid forests,mud,rain: nature, as well as human nature, are captured by Campion's eyes and heart in the most sensitive and unartificial way.
. but even the beautiful cinematography and good cast can't rescue this over-wrought and over-rated film.Also: did anyone notice that Baines is repeatedly depicted as uneducated and illiterate, but yet Ada writes to him (on a piano key of all things).
And the annoying music Ada plays on the piano (and we hear over and over on the soundtrack) is out of place in a film set in the nineteenth century..
A New Zealand woman in the 1800s becomes a mail-order bride for an uninterested working man; she's a self-elected mute and communicates through her wizened little daughter (Oscar-winner Anna Pacquin, a bit over-the-top) and through her passion for playing the piano, which becomes a point of contention in her marriage.
The landscapes were nice, though.All in all, a model of all that is worst about art cinema and an argument for going to see blockbusters or reading a book or tapping out some hymns on a tinny piano, which is what the Holly Hunter character would have played had this film attempted to connect with reality on any level..
I feel like a certain famous comedian when I say, "...take the setting, characters, and plot...PLEASE!!The setting takes place in one of the more beautiful spots in the world - New Zealand, but who could see it through all the backwoods trees, rain, and thick, yucky knee-deep mud they tromped around in throughout the movie.The characters were developed before we even sat down so we were left in the dark as to who they really were and why.
Then, as the story progresses, he turns into a "Peeping Tom" and a few scenes later, performs a very shocking and brutal act that was very unbecoming of what we knew him to be at first.Ada (Holly Hunter) is a rigid, cold-hearted, selfish, unbecoming bride who only knows how to stomp her feet when she doesn't get her way and sell her body for her real true love, the piano.
Seeing far more through the cracks in Baine's hut than she should have, this little girl didn't have much of a role model in her mother.The plot...anything said here may give too much away...that's how little there was to it.The only real depth to this movie was in the ocean, as the most colorful character in the story, the Piano, took it's final plunge (in what seemed more like a suicide after all it had been through) to it's watery grave where it could finally have some peace.
Holly Hunter's heroine's silence is a ludicrously contrived conceit, presumedly invented by Campion to force down her unfortunate audience's throats the notion that the most eloquent form of communication in this film is through music; I think we could have worked that out without it being so unsubtly pinpointed.
Jane Campion's critically-acclaimed film is about a mute woman in the 1800s, Ada (Holly Hunter - Broadcast News) and her young daughter who narrates the film through her mother, Flora (Anna Paquin - X-Men) who journey to a small tribe town in New Zealand where Ada is arranged to marry a wealthy and stern man, Alisdair Stewart (Sam Neill - Dead Calm).
Ada is upset and finds a way to still be able to play her piano with the help of Alisdair's friend George (Harvey Keital - Bad Lieutenant) who begins taking lessons from Ida and ends up in a tangled love affair resulting in a powerful and sad climax.
'The Piano' scored eight Academy Award Nominations in 1993 including Best Director, Best Actress - Holly Hunter, Best Supporting Actress - Anna Paquin, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design and Best Picture, but was totally out-shadowed by Spielberg's masterpiece 'Schindler's List' which opened that same year.
Amidst a storm of publicity and hails as the new ultra-feminist zenith of masterpiece, The Piano hit international cinema like a plague, and suddenly it was "cool" to watch the thing, as well as talk everyone else into seeing it, whether the film suited them or not.
"The Piano", directed by Jane Campion, is a haunting film about love, passion, betrayal and refusal set in the 19th century.
Ada (Holly Hunter), sent to New Zealand on an arranged marriage, arrives with her daughter Flora (Anna Paquin) and her precious piano on a stormy gray beach.
Completely bewildered, Stewart asks Baines if had ever heard Ada speak a single word to him, claiming that he could hear her voice in his mind.The breathtaking, beautiful imagery as well as its stirring music (Michael Nyman) contribute to the romantic, mystifying atmosphere of the film.
"The Piano" won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and Oscars for Best Actress (Holly Hunt), Best Supporting Actress (Anna Paquin), and Campion's screenplay.
This film has it all, erotism, music, unrequited love, jealousy, bitterness, sadness.....and a totally selfish 'heroine' with a bratty daughter to match.Sam Neill beautifully plays the long-suffering 'husband' of the new bride.
She does, however, fall in love with the neighbor (after being carefully manipulated by the delightfully dark character of Harvey Keitel).The problem is: when it all comes to a head, we are asked to believe that the husband, who has never shown ANYTHING other than a kind, gentle and patient side, instantly rebels with an act of unspeakable and unconscionable violence against the wife.
How Holy Hunter, who silently grimaces and looks a bit like Julie Andrews in her worst role - the shrink in The Man who loved Women - got an award for this film, I do not know.
If someone should necessarily watch a love movie I suggest: "A room with a view", very poetic, beautiful filmed, more realistic passions and conflicts.
Holly Hunter, Anna Paquin, Sam Neill, and Harvey Keitel are in top form.
I desperately wanted to like 'The Piano', and yet, aided by this desperation I still found myself feeling cheated by a Director who was just as desperate to court the critics and, at the same time, carve her signature into her work, all to the detriment of the finished product.Why do I hate this film so?
I know that in real life people are inconsistent but in a movie consistency gives characters much more plausibility.The saddest thing about this film is that it won an Oscar for best Screenplay.
I've seen a lot of terrible comments about this movie, I'd just like to remind to these viewers that a film is made to create an emotion, to make a person's heart jump in it's place.Of course this kind of sensibility may be offensive for some machos but take it easy, the film it's really well achieved and the story is really beautiful to tell and to watch.A woman's point of view always deserve respect, she's a director, if you don't like her work it's because your mentality is from the 19th century and you think she belongs to the kitchen.This is just an advice, in order to enjoy movies an open mind in all matters (like a woman's feelings) will help you a lot and will make your taste for movies what is supposed to be, a pleasure..
WHile the cinematography and score are outstanding along with the acting, the story itself falls a bit flat as it progresses ever so slowly.Holly Hunter does her own piano playing.
In order for me to enjoy a character based film like this I must have some reason to like the characters.I loved Harvey Keitel, Anna Paquin, Sam Neill but even though I normally really like Holly Hunter and her acting was good, what is there to possibly like about her character.
I liked it the first time because it was refreshingly different, restrained in some parts, erotic to an extent, with some brilliant camerawork of Stuart Drybergh and choreography (beach scene with Holly Hunter, Keitel and Paquin, with the overhead shot and the imaginative designs of footprints in the sand).My second viewing had me reassessing if a viewer can be led to like a film without thinking rationally.
Jane Campion's third feature film, THE PIANO is a historical drama that tells of a Scottish woman, Ada McGrath (Holly Hunter), who is married off to a colonist in New Zealand that she has never met.
As Ada and her illegitimate daughter Flora (Anna Paquin) land on the shores of New Zealand's South Island sometime in the mid-19th century, her new husband Stewart (Sam Neill) ignores her sign-language entreaties to carry her piano inland along with their other belongings.
Feeling no love for this man she has been forced to marry, Ada is drawn into sexual bargaining with another colonist, Baines (Harvey Keitel) who offers to get her the piano back if she does what he wants.The first half of this film is an interesting study in sexual power and the tragedy of a woman's lot during this historical era.
One of the delights of Campion's feature debut SWEETIE was Genevieve Lemon, and here in a supporting role she turns in here a mildly comedic performance that adds some levity to the severe sexual drama.Seeing it again some two decades after it came out, THE PIANO feels like a rather slighter film than I remembered it, and it is difficult to understand what drew critics to the time to rave about it.
In the mid-nineteenth century, in a community in a New Zealand forest, a mute pianist from Scotland (Holly Hunter) and her young daughter (Anna Paquin) live with a settler (Sam Neill) as per an arranged marriage.
The story is boring, and the overall feeling I had having watched this film was that I had wasted time doing so.The acting is good, and no one can be faulted in that respect.
The problem is, when you're as bored as I was watching this, it's not easy to concentrate on all the factors all the way to the end.New Zealand looks beautiful in this movie, and the historical qualities of the film add slightly to the depth of the piece.
The only thing I can say is this was a great film and Holly Hunter, Anna Paquin, Harvey Keitel and Sam Neill were all great.
I came to the conclusion that the three main characters of "The Piano" are good hearted people, but with big mental issues
But that's just one of the layers of the film.Set in the 1850's, the story follows Ada (Holly Hunter) and her daughter (Anna Paquin) Flora, as they travel to New Zealand, where Alisdair Stewart (Sam Neil), an intended husband she hasn't met, is waiting for Ada to begin a life with her.
Campion, both in her direction and script, makes sure that every scene has total importance, without differentiating between a main character like Ada or an aboriginal from New Zealand.Every scene is so intense with the focus on the characters that you can't keep your eyes off the screen, even when the film is slow and depressing like no other.
This is Stuart Dryburgh's flawless achievement in cinematography; which includes close-ups so daring and compelling as the ones he uses now, more than ten years later, in films like "The Painted Veil".I can't forget about Michael Nyman's score, which is not the best thing in the world, but is perfectly combined with every piece Ada plays in her beloved Piano; in order to give a continuing musicality to the picture.
what a character we are privileged to see in this magnificent work of art.Holy Hunter plays her lifetime performance as a mute woman that is conquered by her own piano.this mute woman accompanied by her piano and daughter sets on a journey to meet her new husband.the relationship between this new married couple is moving very slow and in the first period of time over there she spends more time with her husband's good friend, Baines (played by Harvey Keitel) than she spends with her husband.when giving him (Baines) due to his request piano lessons.a special connection develops between those two and as expected in such situation's things are starting to get unpleasant and dangerous.this film is very symbolic and amazingly beautiful which made it really easy for me to fall in love with.we are witnessing a true triumph of a woman that is ahead of her time, a stranger to all that is surrounding her but yet when facing the crossroads between life and death she chooses life, a new life without her possessive and spoiled piano..
Definitely some of the best female performances I've seen in a long time and saying that means something since us cowpolk down here in the heat look at woman like cattle and these chics didn't act that way in the film.
If Ada is to experience orgasm, she will, as dozens of women's magazines and TV talk shows will tell you, have to do it herself.Set in an ill-defined period that resembles the 19th century (at least the way it is usually depicted on film), the movie's costumes, cinematography, and set designs are very pleasing to the eye, as is Holly Hunter as Ada and Anna Pacquin as her daughter.
This might be a little Oscar-friendly for some but that shouldn't detract from what is a haunting love story with the oddest of protagonists.Holly Hunter plays Ada McGrath, a Scottish mute living in the mid-1800's who is married by her father to landowner Alisdair Stewart (Sam Neill).
Hunter's in "The Piano" is another, giving a faultless performance as Ada, whose haunting looks stay with you some time after the film has finished.
In counted and rare occasions a masterpiece the size of The Piano is born: the original soundtrack composed by Michael Nyman transport you to a different Universe, Holly Hunter's brilliant performance of Ada and Anna Paquin's mature performance of her daughter, which led both of them to win an Oscar for their respective roles in the film, the cinematography and visual beauty literally immerses you in the muddy and dirty environment in New Zeland in the mid-19th century and the brilliant script which narrates one of the saddest and most wonderful stories ever told.
Or the mail-order man who doesn't care about pleasing his new wife even to the point of letting her communicate.The only redeeming quality in this film is Anna Paquin's performance.The Piano was shot in blue.
Until now l'd watched exactly 8.732 movies in my lifetime this is my 131 that l gave a high rating 10/10, as the numbers shows in fact just a few reach such number,The Piano is one's of them, powerful, haunting and touching...the plot is really original the casting is wonderful, Holly Hunter as mute Ada has a stunning performance mainly when she play the piano that spoke for her, Ana Pasquin as little child Flora is another unforgettable character and finally Harvey Keitel as neighbor Baines who has perhaps your best acting ever as an illiterate person...
The Piano a 1993 award-winning film was written and directed by Jane Campion and starred Holly Hunter, Harvey Keitel, Sam Neill and Anna Paquin.
Holly is a fine actress so it was only fitting that I watch the 1993 film "The Piano" that she starred in and won an Oscar for best actress.
Anyway her inspiration and sentimental feel make it a watch.Set in 1850's New Zeland Hunter is Ada a young woman who's mute and her biggest passion in life is playing the piano. |
tt0120794 | The Prince of Egypt | In ancient Egypt, Hebrew slaves are hard at work making bricks and setting up giant statues and other monuments. Through song, it is implied that they call on their God regularly, seeking deliverance from their slavery, under which they have labored for hundreds of years. On this particular day, while the men are toiling on one side of the Nile River, on the other side their homes are raided by soldiers in the Egyptian army. They take infant boys from their mothers by force and kill them. However, a Hebrew woman, Yocheved, steals away to the river with her baby and her two older children, where she sets the baby adrift in a reed basket--hoping and praying this will save her son. The reed basket makes a tumultuous journey down the river among both dangerous animals and large boats--with several close calls. Eventually it makes its way to the Pharaoh's palace, where his wife and young son, Rameses, play with a lotus flower. The Queen finds and opens the basket. She looks at the baby with love and compassion, chooses to keep him, and names him Moses. Moses' sister, Miriam, having followed the basket, sees this and prays that someday Moses will come back to deliver them from slavery.Many years later (about twenty years, give or take), Moses and Rameses have become rather reckless young men, much to the disdain of their father, Pharaoh Seti. Moses in particular has a tendency for trouble-making; Rameses in turn often finds himself entangled in his brothers tomfoolery, though he is generally more serious. After damaging a temple that was under renovation via an especially foolhardy chariot race, Pharaoh reprimands his sons--especially Rameses since he is next in line for the throne. When Rameses angrily says that one ruined temple won't undo centuries of tradition, Seti retorts, "But one weak link can break the chain of a mighty dynasty!" After he's dismissed, Rameses leaves in indignation and shame. Moses asks Pharaoh why he is so hard on Rameses, especially since he knows Moses is the most responsible for the damage. He replies that since Rameses is the next Pharaoh, he needs to be trained to never turn away from his responsibilities and traditions, even if Moses is the one trying to lead him astray. Moses declares his confidence in Rameses' seriousness and devotion, and tells Seti that he just needs an opportunity to prove himself.Moses finds Rameses sulking over his father's words. He tries to comfort him by sarcastically pointing out how it would be impossible for one man, even a Pharaoh, to ruin the Egyptian empire. Rameses resists his efforts at first, but eventually gives in. Moses points out in jest that Rameses' problem is that he cares too much. Without missing a beat, Rameses says Moses' problem is that he doesn't care at all. Moses replies, "Oh, so I suppose you care more than I do that we're... late for the banquet for example?" Panicking, Rameses runs to the banquet hall with Moses right behind. Moses assures him that no one will notice them enter... until everyone notices them enter. The large hall is filled with people. Fortunately their timing is perfect, because (as their mother, the Queen, whispers to them) Pharaoh Seti had just named Rameses as Prince Regent. Pharaoh had taken Moses advice to heart.Moses proposes to Seti that the high priests, Hotep and Huy (who dislike the two brothers), should offer tribute to their new regent. He agrees, and the two priests decide to offer a beautiful young woman named Tzipporah [the T is silent], a Midianite slave girl who had been captured recently. Though they refer to her as a "delicate, desert flower," she proves to be anything but gentle. Afraid (at first) and angry, she nearly bites Rameses' hand when he gets far too close--so he offers her to Moses instead. Though he tries to decline (as Rameses pushes him towards her), she defies him too and insults him. Rameses laughs and asks, "Are you going to let her talk to you like that?" Moses responds by telling her to show proper respect for a prince of Egypt. She replies, "But I am showing you all the respect you deserve... NONE!" She yanks the rope tied to her wrists from Hotep's hands, but Moses grabs the rope before she can try to escape. She pulls as hard as she can and demands to be set free. Noticing an indoor pond behind her, Moses says "As you wish" and lets go abruptly--causing her to trip and fall into it. The whole room erupts into laughter, except for the Queen who turns her face away in shame. Moses sees this and stops laughing, ashamed that he disappointed his mother.After telling a nearby servant to send Tzipporah to Moses' chambers, Rameses declares, "If it pleases you father, my first act as Regent is to appoint Moses as Royal Chief Architect!" As he says this, he takes a blue scarab ring from his hand and gives it to Moses. The hall congratulates him with cheers and applause, but as he inspects the ring with gratitude, he notices Tzipporah on her way out--glaring at him intensely. It is clear from his facial expression that Moses is not looking forward to that night with her.After the banquet ends, Moses nervously enters his room. Seeing someone seated on his bed behind a curtain, he composes himself and pulls it back. It turns out to be a servant; Tzipporah had tied him up thoroughly (and Moses' dogs too) and had escaped out the open balcony by using several bed-sheets tied together. He sees her sneaking out quietly with a camel and supplies. As he climbs down the sheet-rope, he notices a couple of guards about to cross paths with her. He calls to them, getting their attention, while Tzipporah stops in her tracks. However, instead of having the guards recapture her (he can see her standing behind them by this point), he tells them about the man tied up in his room and orders them to investigate. This surprises Tzipporah, but she runs while Moses watches the guards leave. He follows her as she leaves the palace and travels through the Hebrew settlements. She asks and is given water by a man and a woman at a well near the outer edge of the settlements. She thanks them and escapes into the desert on the camel.When Moses goes to watch Tzipporah leave (clearly captivated by her), the Hebrew woman recognizes him. She says that she is his sister, Miriam, and that the man (named Aaron) is his brother. She assumes that he knows they are his older siblings, and that he has come to see them at last. Aaron tries to prevent Miriam from speaking to Moses, because he can see that Moses has no idea who they are and would end up punishing them for these assertions. He does this by claiming that Miriam is delusional, first because of fatigue from their daily labors (not that it was too much; they quite enjoyed it), and then later because she is mentally ill. Miriam angrily denies these claims and insists that Moses is their brother. Moses is incensed at her words, but Miriam relates how their mother, Yocheved, set him adrift in a basket on the Nile to save his life. Confused, he asks from whom. She answers, "Ask the man that you call 'Father'!" Truly angered by this, he approaches her as she claims that God chose him to deliver the Hebrews out of slavery. He grabs her arm and throws her to the ground, saying, "You will regret this night."Despairing, Miriam starts to sing Yocheved's lullaby to Moses that she sang as she set him in the basket. Walking away, Moses stops because he begins to recognize the song (he had been whistling the tune the previous day). As he turns back around to look at Miriam, he realizes that she was telling the truth. Shocked, Moses runs back to the palace in denial. As he tries to convince himself that this is his true home, and it's all he ever wanted, he falls asleep. He has a nightmare (or possibly a vision) showing what happened the day of which Miriam spoke, including the deaths of the Hebrew infants--thrown into the Nile to drown and be eaten by crocodiles.When Moses wakes in horror, he searches the palace for evidence of this terrible event. It is still night. Eventually he finds a large relief mural with hieroglyphics showing and declaring the death of the Hebrew baby boys--by the command of the man he called "Father." Presumably having been awakened by the torchlight passing through the halls, Pharaoh Seti approaches him and explains that this was a reluctant precaution on his part to keep the slaves from over-multiplying and uprising. He says, "Moses, sometimes... for the greater good... sacrifices must be made." Because Moses is clearly saddened and disturbed, Seti tries to comfort him and justify himself, saying, "They were only slaves." However, due to his new-found knowledge of his Hebrew origins, this drives Moses away from him for good. He leaves Seti's embrace and runs out into the night.Early that morning, Moses' adopted mother finds him sitting by the river where she found him in the basket all those years ago. Confronting her about his origins, he says sadly, "So everything I thought... everything I am... is a lie." She responds, "No! You are our son, and we love you." Asking why she took him in, she says she didn't. She expresses her belief that he was truly sent by the gods, saying, "Here the river brought you, and it's here the river meant to be your home." She embraces him, hoping to comfort and reassure him of their love for him.However, as Rameses presents his new renovation plan to the high priests for the temple he and Moses ruined the previous day, Moses is still deeply unsettled. He is only paying attention to the Hebrews, as if noticing them and their sufferings for the first time. He is especially racked with guilt because they are cleaning up the destruction he caused. As he sadly watches them, he soon observes one of them being whipped violently and repeatedly. It is an old man who is having difficulty with his heavy burdens. He notices Miriam and Aaron working near the man, with Aaron holding her back from trying to interfere. Here Moses fully accepts who he is, and being moved with anger and pain, he runs to stop the cruel overseer from beating the man. But in the process, he ends up knocking the overseer off a high scaffold to his death. Horrified by what he has done, and being witnessed by many (including Rameses and the high priests), Moses starts to run. The Hebrews stand back in fear, except for Miriam who calls his name and takes his arm to calm him down--but he pulls it away and keeps running.He is intercepted by Rameses, who grabs him and asks him whats going on. However, he pushes him aside and continues to run. He nearly makes it out of the city before Rameses catches up to him on his chariot. Moses exclaims, "You saw what happened--I just killed a man!" Rameses claims he will "make it so it never happened." However, Moses refuses to accept any more lies about his life. Because of his disgust at both his killing of the overseer and his past indifference towards the slaves, and because he knew he has neither power nor moral authority to free the slaves, he ignores Rameses' pleas. He tells Rameses he can no longer stay in Egypt. When Rameses tries to stop him, Moses grabs his shoulders and yells, "No! Everything I've ever known to be true is a lie!...I'm not who you think I am." Asking what he means by that, Moses simply answers, "Go ask the man I once called 'Father'." Turning to leave, Moses stops when his brother pleads with him to stay. But Moses only says "Goodbye Brother," and runs--with Rameses calling his name.Moses wanders far into the desert. After several days, famished from lack of food and water, he stubs his toe and breaks his sandal. He angrily discards them and the rest of his royal ornaments, except for the ring given to him by Rameses. A sandstorm soon overtakes him, and he surrenders himself to it. However, he survives; a camel pulls his head out of the sand (thinking his hair was grass). He notices the camel is saddled and holds a water pouch. He digs himself out hastily and tries to take some of the water, but he only has enough energy to loop his arm around the pouch before passing out. Fortunately the camel drags him to a large well with some troughs, where he gorges himself on the liquid goodness within--much to the surprise of a nearby sheep. Soon after he arrives, Moses observes some bandits attempting to steal water from three young girls. Moses manages to drive the bandits away by sending their camels on the run, but in his exhaustion he accidentally falls down the well. The three girls turn out to be Tzipporah's younger sisters, who are unable to get Moses out of the well until she comes along. Thinking they're only playing around (after the youngest says they're "trying to get the funny man out of the well"), she's surprised to hear him struggling as they try to pull him up. She hurriedly tells him they'll get him out soon and pulls him up in a few seconds. However, once she realizes it's Moses, she drops him back down the well as retaliation for embarrassing her at the banquet several nights previous. (This is done in relatively good nature, though, as she is aware of his help in her escape; it is assumed that she pulls him back out shortly afterward.) As she swaggers away, her two youngest sisters look to the third one for an explanation; she answers, "This is why Papa says she'll never get married..."That evening, Tzipporah's father, Jethro the High Priest of Midian, holds a celebration in thanks for what Moses has done. Moses claims that his past actions (and inaction) make him unworthy of any honor (Tzipporah is surprised by his great change in attitude since they first met). However, Jethro refuses to believe his claim, referring to how Moses helped get all his daughters out of perilous situations. He tells Moses that if he wants to see what his life is worth, he needs to view his life "through heaven's eyes," which he eventually does. Moses grows to become a member of Jethro's tribe, working with Tzipporah and her sisters as a shepherd. Over time, he and Tzipporah become friends, fall in love, and get married.One day (probably about ten years, give or take, after Moses left Egypt), while chasing a stray lamb, Moses discovers a cavern with a bush that "burned" in a way he has never seen before, with an unusual fire that didn't scorch. The bush then speaks, revealing that it is the voice and presence of God, who has heard the cries of the Israelites. When Moses nervously asks what is wanted of him, the voice says that He has chosen Moses to deliver the Hebrews out of slavery (just as his sister, Miriam, had declared), by speaking to Pharoah the words which he will be taught to say. Moses is at first apprehensive, given that he was the son of Pharoah, the man who murdered the children of the slaves. However, the voice commands Moses to go forth, promising to smite Egypt with His "wonders" when Pharaoh will not listen. He promises to be with Moses. Afterwards, God's presence departs, leaving the bush no longer alight. During this conversation, Moses' attitude and feelings go from shame and fear, to peace, confidence, and joy.Moses returns to Tzipporah and excitedly tells her of what transpired in the cave, and what he has been asked to do. Since she is overcome at first by the immensity of the task given him, he tells of his desire to see his people free, like her family is free. She lays aside her fears for him and decides to accompany him back to his former home. Upon reaching the palace, Moses finds that his father (and mother, presumably) is dead, and Rameses has become the new Pharoah, married with a son of his own. The two brothers greet each other jovially, with Rameses eager to welcome Moses back, forgiving the events that drove him away (and seemingly ignoring his Hebrew origins). Moses hesitantly explains that things cannot return to how they once were, and requests that Rameses let the slaves go free, as requested by God. Moses then demonstrates God's power, as his wooden staff becomes a snake. Rameses smirks at this "trick," but is confused, thinking that Moses has something else he wants to talk about. However, he "plays along," and has Hotep and Huy conjure their own magic, which is consists of convincing showmanship. This impresses the rest of Rameses' court, but not Moses or Tzipporah.Rameses and Moses then meet in private, where they discuss the slaves, the duties of Pharaoh, and the actions of Seti. Frustrated by Rameses refusal to acknowledge the humanity of the slaves, Moses' relation to them, and the sins of Seti, Moses declares that he can no longer hide in the desert while his people suffer. He returns the royal ring that Rameses had given him so long ago. Rameses is saddened, then angered, that Moses came back for the Hebrews and not for him. He declares that he does not acknowledge his brother's God, and refuses to allow the Hebrews to leave. Moses pleads for his brother to reconsider, but Rameses claims he will not be the 'weak link' in his family's dynasty, showing that Seti was successful in setting Rameses on an unalterable path. He then orders the workload doubled for the slaves out of spite.Several of the slaves--including his brother Aaron--shun Moses because of the extra workload, and they doubt that God called Moses to deliver them (or even cares for them). Miriam however, harbors no ill will towards her brother, claiming that God saved Moses from all his trials and adversity for a purpose. This encourages Moses to not give up.On the Nile river near them, Moses sees Rameses, his son, Hotep, and Huy on a royal barge. Moses approaches them, and yells for Rameses to let his people go. Rameses scoffs at this, and sends his guards after him--until Moses places his staff in the water, turning the Nile to blood. Unsure how this is achieved, Rameses demands that Hotep and Huy duplicate or explain this. Using some red powder, they claim that the power of their gods can do the same, and Rameses just dismisses Moses' "trick" once again. Aaron claims that nothing will help them, but Moses promises that God will see to it that they are made free.A series of plagues then begin to befall Egypt. Locusts destroy crops, the Egyptians come down with terrible sores on their skin, and fire rains down from the sky. Even with all these events and several more, Rameses still refuses to give in to Moses' request. They are both frustrated with each other. Many monuments, statues, and structures become damaged or destroyed.Soon after, the land is covered in darkness (except for where the Hebrews live), and Moses goes to see his brother once again to convince him to let the Hebrews go. As they talk, Rameses eventually opens up, they reminisce on their past, and a flicker of mutual brotherly love seems almost rekindled, until Rameses' son comes in and demands to know if Moses is the reason for what has befallen Egypt. With his son close by, Rameses once again sheds his friendlier side and acts as Pharaoh. Moses explains that the plagues would end if Rameses would just fulfill his request, and says something even more terrifying will happen if he doesn't, pleading for Rameses to think of his son. Rameses says he does, and proposes that he will "finish the job" that his father was not able to do, promising a greater massacre among the slaves than ever before.Moses leaves sadly, and instructs the slaves to put lamb's blood above their doors for protection. He informs them that the firstborn of every household will die, unless the blood is upon the door. In the night, the angel of death comes, and passes over the protected doors. In the homes where there is no protective sign, the angel takes the lives of the firstborn children, including Rameses' son. Moses goes to his brother after this, amidst the mourning of the Egyptians, and is at last given permission to take the slaves. He tries to comfort Rameses, but he orders him to leave.Moses is at first distraught, because of all who have died (among many other things), but Miriam encourages him, saying (or singing, rather) how at long last, the Hebrews (and any who will go with them) are finally having their prayers answered, and their faith affirmed. Tzipporah also tells how her own faith has grown, and the three of them, with Aaron, lead the exodus of the slaves. Most of the people are still somewhat in shock, but as they make their way out of Egypt, their spirits lift. After they finally reach the Red Sea, the watchman's horn is sounded behind them, and they see that Rameses has gathered his army of chariots to kill the slaves out of revenge; there appears to be no place for them to run. Suddenly, a pillar of fire descends from the heavens, separating the Hebrews and Rameses' army. Moses then walks a short distance into the Red Sea, and with his staff, parts the waters. At first the people are afraid to pass through (and probably afraid of Moses also), but Aaron, having overcome all his previous doubts, goes forward--encouraging the others to do likewise.The slaves make their way through, but eventually the pillar of fire disappears, and Rameses and his men decide to ride through the parted sea, rather than turn back and acknowledge defeat. Moses is able to get everyone across just as the water descends, drowning Rameses army. Rameses, meanwhile, is washed back ashore on the other side. The people are shocked by what happened for several moments, but eventually they realize that they are finally free, and they begin to celebrate. Moses begins to celebrate with his family, but then turns back to look across the sea, and thinks of his brother Rameses. Knowing that they will never see each other again, he quietly says goodbye one last time. Rameses, meanwhile, is conscious, and crying out Moses' name in rage, despair, and regret.As the Hebrews continue on their way, Tzipporah declares to Moses that they are free, thus reminding him that he accomplished the seemingly impossible task that God had given him. He acknowledges this with joy. The final scene shows Moses descending from Mount Horeb (Sinai) holding two stone tablets containing the Ten Commandments which God has given them to live by. | tragedy, inspiring | train | imdb | With "The Prince of Egypt," DreamWorks makes good on its promise to deliver a state-of-the-art animated film that will compete favorably with the best Disney has to offer.
(I do wonder, though, if three soundtrack albums--the film's soundtrack, an "inspirational" album, and a "country" album--were really necessary.) The animation team has accomplished something truly spectacular; watching "The Prince of Egypt" is like seeing life breathed into a rich, luxurious tapestry.
The songs are powerful and moving, sometimes no more than one verse in length, sometimes full-blown seven-minute extravaganzas like "Let My People Go." The one weaker song, surprisingly, is the theme "When You Believe." Even freed from Mariah Carey/Whitney Houston R&B cheese as it is in the movie, it's a watery definition of faith at best.
That scene also sported the best sound in the 99-minute film.The songs in here were nothing special but they didn't detract from the story because they were all short.
I'd even say, the best animation feature ever produced in the USA (aside from Batman : Mask of the Phantasm).It is a real piece of art, aiming to entertain everybody, not only act as a baby-sitter movie for kids.
The only thing in the entire film I found difficult was the pronunciation of Aaron's name- but that is obviously minor, it just took me a while to 'get' if that makes sense.It's amazing, beautiful wonderful the art, music and sheer intelligence of the story will blow you away..
"The Prince of Egypt" has taken animated movies to a new level..
The beautifully animated has a great story and storytelling, beautiful songs and a great voice cast.Animated movies has been taken to a new level with this movie.
The movie has a serious undertone and some powerful moments, with the burning bush and the splitting of the red sea as the ultimate highlights of the movie.The characters in the movie are well developed, which is perhaps also thanks to the impressive voice cast that consists out of; Val Kilmer, Ralph Fiennes, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sandra Bullock, Jeff Goldblum, Danny Glover, Patrick Stewart, Helen Mirren, Steve Martin, Martin Short, Ofra Haza.
The character's movement and interacting is done really good and with eye for detail.Another wonderful about his movie is the music composed by Hans Zimmer and friends and songs and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz.
Before commenting on the film as a whole, I want to make that clear, because in the inevitable rush to pick this film apart (the plot, the voices, the religious significance, the literary accuracy, the moral issues, the music, the comparisons with Disney and de Mille, etc...) one might easily become distracted from the aesthetic and technical triumphs of The Prince of Egypt, and that would be unfortunate.
Even believing people, who swear by the bible found the movie excellent.'The Prince of Egypt' is a romantic drama, which draws you in and won't let you go...
As the author of THE WORLD OF ANIMATION, an Eastman Kodak book which won three international book festival awards and as an animation writer-director, I have for many years longed for the U.S. animation industry to remember that Walt Disney, nor any of the pioneers of animation limited their art to children's audiences.With THE PRINCE OF EGYPT, the DreamWorks animation team has finally taken us full circle and helped the United States join the rest of the world in offering us the first U.S. animated feature since, perhaps, FANTASIA, created for mature audiences while remaining child-friendly.
Disney was careful to avoid the existing Hollywood queens of song of the period, Judy Garland and Deanna Durbin, the latter, whose prodigious vocal talent actually saved Universal Pictures from going belly up a short time later.However, at the bottom line, THE PRINCE OF EGYPT will become a true classic and has taken the art of animation up to a new threshold, a model to which future animators will aspire.Raul daSilva, New Haven, CT, USA.
It's not every day that they make a animated movie about a story of the bible.
The first thing I would like to point out is that the Title of this Film is "The Prince of Egypt", NOT the "Ten Commandments." or "Exodus."I say this because I hear a lot of criticism claiming that Dreamworks skips over Moses' descent from Mt. Sinai, the Golden Calf, and his 40 years in the desert etc....
I don't think Dreamworks wanted to tell that part of the story with this movie.
What about the Risk of making an animated film about one of the most important stories in the Bible, knowing all the while that you could offend scores of people's religious faith?I would also like to say that the animation impressed me more than either of the "insect features" that came out shortly before this movie.
And the all-star cast lend their voice talents superbly without distracting from the story or the characterizations (though Ralph Fiennes' Welsh accent does seem a little out of place for Rameses).This movie is a must-see for all movie buffs and students of history, not just for families with a mini-van full of kids.
It tells a story of biblical proportions (literally!) about slave Mozes' life as The Prince of Egypt, and does it in a great way.
The classic tale of Moses freeing the Hebrew slaves in Egypt was one of favorite Bible stories when I was a kid - and still is.
Now, DreamWorks with stunning art, animation and music by Hans Zimmer, bought the story to a new level.Everything about this movie is so beautiful - the animation and the music.
The story was easey to follow and my children learned a lot from the movie and asked more questions about Moses and the slaves and slavery.
The telling of the Exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt, through animation, makes the story accessible to all ages.
Spectacular cartoon adaptation about known story , it focuses Moses , the Hebrew leader , leading the Jews out of Egypt and realized in musical style .
An Egyptian prince named Moses (Val Kilmer provides a voice for both Moses and God, Charlton Heston also played both parts in classic adaptation) who is adopted and brought up in the court learns of his identity as a Hebrew and later his destiny to become the chosen deliverer of his people .
This vivid storytelling although fairly standard follows appropriately the Moses'life , the son of a Jew slave, from birth and abandonment on a basket over river Nile , as when the Pharaoh Seti (voice by Patrick Stewart) ordered the killing of all newborn babies , being pick up by Egyptian princesses and he's raised in the royal court , becoming into Prince of Egypt .
Finally , Moses climbs the Mount of Sinai bringing the holy tablets , meanwhile Jewish people worshipping the golden calf .This is a monumental animated version of the Biblic book of ¨Exodus ¨ with drawings carried out in utter conviction and impressive special effects , including the computer generator parting of the Red Sea ; in spite of making by means of usual C.G.
Obviously changes were made to the story to make it work as an animated feature , in fact , there is a short list of differences between the movie and the Biblical account of the Exodus .
Fleeing from the city in despair, Moses finds himself being called by God. He is given the task of being the messenger in order to free the Hebrews and to lead them into a country where milk and honey flow.While Disney films only focused on fairy tales, myths and legends, this is the first non-Disney animated feature to take place in Egypt while telling a religious story about Moses, but not only that.
The animation, like all of Disney's films, is an example of pure beauty with astounding visuals including the look of Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, the river of blood, a whale in the Red Sea, and the Burning Bush (even the character animation is pretty good).The voice acting is excellent.
Even the songs in both the ending credits and music videos were pretty damn good.The Prince of Egypt became the start of Dreamworks Animation's attempt to make three more traditional animated films (1998-2003) before making successful computer animated flicks (1998-present) and will always be recommended to the animation industry as a masterpiece since the landmark of Disney.
I tend to worry about A Listers in animated films, but this, people, is a truly talented voice cast, who are truly excellent when they are given a good script, which was exactly what they got.
The Prince of Egypt is an excellently told, powerful story that anyone can love..
Better than the average Christian movie, but not worth recommending to anyone".And then I bought the soundtrack CD, and it's one of my top five favourite musicals of all time, a powerful story told in music that ranges from heart-wrenching to inspiring, right up there with Les Miserables and the rest.
(Well, maybe the fat lady who sings isn't exactly 2-D :-) ).A couple of points to note: it's not an evangelical Christian movie, it just retells the Old Testament story that stars Moses, Pharoah, and God, with a few embellishments such as a chariot race.
Somebody did a lot of studying on Hieroglyphics and Egyptian paintings, as several specific scenes in the movie can attest.I'd also like to say a few things about the meshing of music with the story.
In this way, the guys at Dreamworks got the nuts and bolts of the story compressed down in order to give themselves more time to develop characters and other things necessary to make a good movie.
I hope that its great success will allow the people at Dreamworks to make another Biblically based movie, hopefully as good as its predecessor.
Very elaborately thought, this movie is a must, I say, for every kid who has ever heard of Moses and the Red Sea, and for everyone who wants to see a state-of-the-art animation film.
Two scenes especially, cause gooseflesh: the slaughter of the firstborn and the opening of the Red Sea. With the Ten Commandments as the only movie before to depict these, it was eccentric to see an animation cause such emotions.
A standing ovation for Dreamworks, and pathetic remarks for Disney, for falling way behind their biggest rival.Lastly, for those who have doubts about Hebrews working as slaves in Egypt, well, both the Bible and Quran say so, "if you believe".Oh, and Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston are terrible performers with their song while Ofra Haza just beats them by herself.
In my opinion, the story of this movie is not like what most of people think: conflict between good and bad.
It tells the story of Moses in it's own beautiful artstyle and storyline depicted of his time before he was called to deliver the Hebrew People from the Egyptians.
The Prince of Egypt is not a perfect film and like any film telling a biblical story or anything religious at all, it never will be.
It is a religious movie-as Moses is the story being told, but many non-religious people like it and even starred in it!
The Prince of Egypt has always been one of my childhood favourites because I remember even seeing it in the cinema, and even back then I thought it was a great movie.
I mean sure, it might've been a hit when it first came out, but pretty much everything about it is just epic: the story (even though it's taken from the Bible), the animation, the characters, the music, the visuals, songs and even the voice-acting.
I mean a lot of big actors like Val Kilmer, Sandra Bullock, Ralph Fiennes, Michelle Pfeiffer and Patrick Stewart all starred in this movie.I think one of my favourite things about this movie is how the characters develop, particularly with Moses and Ramses.
The story is so strong, and the Moses and Rameses characters are so well developed, the animation is awesome, and the music..
And when you hear the music and experience the animation together, you have the movie that is called Prince of Egypt.Truly a wonderful movie!
Amazing animation, superb voice acting, and a fresh new look at the Moses story.
Not only did I find the animation several notches above par and all the big "production numbers" (parting of the Red Sea, plagues, etc.) as good as I'd heard, but I was also extremely impressed with Moses' hieroglyphic-inspired dream sequence.Several people have mentioned that the animated film is the last refuge of the American movie musical, and this movie shows why, on the whole, it will continue to be a safe refuge.
The music was inspired and often touching, and the person who decided to cast Ofra Haza as Yocheved (Moses' mother) gets a gold star from me.Perhaps best of all is one of the most positive portrayals of God I've seen come out of Hollywood in the last 50 years, neither overdone nor effete.
Patrick Stewart Helen Mirren, Val Kilmer, Ralph Fiennes, Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Sandra Bullock were all beautifully cast.The movie tells the story of the life and spiritual awakening of Moses and how he led the Israelites out of Egypt and into the Exodus.
But then, that's probably a good thing, because it means the film has served one part of its purpose - to draw attention to the nature of God, and His interaction with man."The Prince of Egypt" presents the story of Moses, taking some artistic/dramatic licenses but remaining true to the spirit of the original story, as stated in the beginning of the film.
It could be argued that the qualities which have made Disney animated movies such stereotypes (a musical with a coming-of-age story and talking animal comedy relief sidekicks) pop up in some degree here - the closest we come to that style of comic relief are in the Egyptian magicians, or in the opening chariot sequence - but nonetheless, "The Prince of Egypt" doesn't compromise in presenting the not-so-pleasant yet important aspects of Moses' story - the Plagues and their aftermath, in specific.
Moses's fear, awe, wonder, and excitement are completely understandable when presented to us in this sequence.My only disappointment with the story was the drastic reduction in Tzipporah's role in the second half of the movie, but, again, that wasn't really the point of the movie, and I'm pleased with the role she did play, as an active partner in their marriage, accompanying Moses on his trek rather than remaining behind and/or being a passive or reclusive subordinate (an unfortunate portrayal of marriage I've come to expect from most Hollywood productions).Musically, I find the original musical numbers superior to the pop renditions featured on the CD Soundtrack, especially "When You Believe" (which actually has Michelle Pfeiffer singing Tzipporah's part).
It seems that every year and a half or so, Disney brings to the big screen an animated feature film that although is very good, leaves adult audiences trembling in fear that they would have to take their kids to it again and again and again while not being entertained themselves.
"The Prince of Egypt" does make changes in the story for dramatic purposes, as is stated in a disclaimer at the beginning of the movie.
None of Disneys movies come close to the realistic graphics and movement of Prince of Egypt.
What kills "Prince of Egypt" is the story DreamWorks chooses to tell; that of the Book of Exodus of the Old Testament.
The story in The Prince of Egypt is one of the "good ol' Biblical histories", buy the movie is not the best animation I've seen.
The animation is excellent, the music is pretty good, especially the sequence with the plagues, and the voices are really well cast.
because this was the best movie, animated or otherwise, that I've seen in a really long time.
"The Prince of Egypt" isn't just for Sunday school, it's a well made animated epic with lush, detailed backgrounds, a story that's tight, an excellent soundtrack and performances that are just as good.
You would think that this movie is a Disney knockoff when you hear that there are several songs throughout, but this is a story that will appeal both to children and adults.
The voice acting is also very good and there are some subtle but interesting choices that will speak differently to you depending on your views of this biblical story (such as the casting of Val Kilmer as both Moses and God).
I feel like because of the spectacle of it, the well made animation, the acting, the soundtrack and the tried-and-true story of a Prince who must choose between his adopted family and his biological one, one to come to blows with his brother, that you can enjoy "The Prince of Egypt" even if the passage isn't a part of your faith.
I think reasons this movie would be appealing to people interested in religious films, especially children's, or musicals, or even just good movies in general.
The Prince of Egypt is a good attempt to bring the story of the Exodus to the screen in a fresh new way.
The movie focuses on the relationship between Moses and Ramses, and the other part of the story most of us are familiar with is told in a fresh way, the animation is as good as anything that has ever come out of Disney.
The Prince of Egypt is the story of Moses, savior of the Hebrews.
Following the Biblical story of Moses, "The Prince of Egypt" does take a few creative liberties, but compared to so much other Hollywood garbage based on Bible stories, this film is very true to its roots.
Good animation, an excellent basis for a story, and a great voice cast highlight this masterpiece.
Prince of Egypt is not one of these animated features.There was one tiny thing that kept throwing me out of the movie. |
tt2452042 | The Peanuts Movie | In the morning, the kids wake up and find out that school has been cancelled because of snow. They all get together at Charlie Brown's (Noah Schnapp) house to start a hockey game. By the time Charlie puts on his winter clothes and comes outside, everyone has already left for the pond. Charlie decides to try flying his kite, since the Kite-Eating Tree is in hibernation. He gets the kite to fly, but everyone else is playing hockey, and they don't see him. The string tangles around his feet, and he gets dragged onto the pond, stopping right in front of Linus (Alexander Garfin). A gust of wind catches the kite, and Charlie gets pulled across the pond, running into Lucy (Hadley Belle Miller), who was doing figure skating tricks. The wind carries the kite into the Tree, and Charlie gets tied up by the string.Snoopy (Bill Melendez) skates out and grabs Linus' blanket, whipping him around in circles. Reaching out, Linus grabs Sally's (Mariel Sheets) hand, and he sends her spinning into a snowbank. "Isn't he the cutest thing?" she sighs. Snoopy is still dragging Linus, and he grabs Peppermint Patty (Venus Schultheis), whose stick snags Marcie (Rebecca Bloom). Others join in, starting a game of crack-the-whip. Frieda, Shermy (William Wunsch), Schroeder (Noah Johnston), Lucy, Franklin (Marleik Mar Mar Walker) and Pigpen (A.J. Tecce) zoom across the ice, passing by Woodstock (Bill Melendez), who is driving a Zamboni. When the whip cracks, the kids are scattered across the pond. Charlie frees himself from the tree and walks to the baseball diamond, still untangling the kite string from his legs. When he's done, the string is the size of a baseball, and he decides to practice his pitching. He builds snowmen for a team and a batter, and then pitches a snowball. To his surprise, the ball comes right back at him, knocking him out of his clothes. "It's going to be a long winter," he groans.Charlie sees a moving truck pull up to the house across the street from his. Everyone runs up to see who is moving in, blocking Charlie's view. He rolls up a snow mound and stands on top of it to see, but then he loses his balance and crashes the fence. "He did it," say the other kids, pointing to Charlie, who runs back into his house.The next day, the snow is gone, and the kids go back to school. Snoopy tries to get into school, but he is stopped by Franklin. Everyone sits down for class, and Charlie sees Linus' show-and-tell project, a World War I diorama featuring the Red Baron. He spins the tiny propeller, causing the plane to start up and take the whole thing flying out the window. The teacher, Miss Othmar, tells everyone that the new kid will be joining the class. The Little Red-Haired Girl (Francesca Capaldi) walks in and takes a seat, causing Charlie to be mesmerized. Then Miss Othmar announces that the class will be taking a standardized test. Snoopy crawls through a vent and uses a yo-yo to rappel into a classroom chair. Smiling, he takes a binder and fills it with papers, but then he pinches his finger in the rings, letting out a howl. Lucy throws him out of the building, and he lands in the trash, finding an old typewriter. The Red-Haired Girl finishes her test and hands it in, and her pencil falls off her desk and rolls up to Charlie's feet. He picks it up and notices that she chews on it, just like he does with his pencils. Charlie and Peppermint Patty are the last ones to hand in their tests, and the teacher reminds them to put their names on the papers. When Charlie turns around, he's facing the Red-Haired Girl. "Hi, I'm Brown Charlie, I mean Barney Clown..." he blurts out, before running out of the room. On the bus, Charlie sees the Red-Haired Girl walking up to him, and at the last second, he scurries under the seat and crawls up to the front.Snoopy takes the typewriter back to his doghouse and starts typing a story, with Woodstock looking on. He starts writing a few times, and each time he tears out the paper and crumples it up. Then, Linus' plane goes flying by, and Snoopy is inspired. "It was a dark and stormy night. Thunder roared. Lightning flashed in the sky. High above the French countryside, the World War I Flying Ace had never been so close to his lifelong enemy, the Red Baron!" Snoopy puts on goggles and a scarf, and his doghouse becomes a plane, chasing after the Baron. Imagining that the Baron is on his tail, Snoopy does evasive maneuvers, losing his balance and falling off the doghouse and into his water dish. Woodstock laughs heartily, but Snoopy climbs back up, not to be deterred.Charlie quickly gets off the bus at his house, and hides behind the doghouse as the Red-Haired Girl walks home. Thinking that Charlie is being a spy, Snoopy follows behind her, staying out of sight. In his room, Charlie pulls down the blinds, then opens them a bit to watch her check the mailbox, and then walk to her door. Snoopy realizes that his story should be a love story."Chapter One: It Was the Greatest Story Ever Told.The Flying Ace emerged from the airport wearing his green cap, red scarf, and goggles. But when he saw his plane, he gasped. He couldn't believe his eyes. This was a disaster!The plane was in a shambles! Parts were scattered everywhere. He approached Woodstock, the leader of his flight crew. Woodstock started chirping orders to his team of mechanics--young birds loyal to the Flying Ace.There was a flurry of action as the crew quickly fixed the plane. The Flying Ace stood behind it, inspecting it, as Woodstock turned the propeller.POOF! A cloud of black smoke shot out, covering the Flying Ace. Woodstock glared at his team of mechanics.The sound of an airplane engine filled the air. It was coughing and sputtering. The Flying Ace looked up to see a white plane chugging across the sky. Black smoke trailed from the tail. The plane was in trouble, and was coming down for a landing.As it got closer, the Flying Ace saw that the plane was a White Albatross. A real beauty. The pilot flew her in for a safe, expert landing.The Flying Ace walked toward the plane. The pilot stepped out and removed her flying cap to reveal the lovely face of a French poodle. The Flying Ace's mouth dropped.Her name was Fifi. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.Fifi moved to the front of her plane and removed one of the panels. She pulled out a wrench and got to work fixing the engine. A smudge of grease appeared on her cheek, but the Flying Ace thought it only made her look more beautiful. She was gorgeous, and she could fix an engine!Suddenly, the Flying Ace felt self-conscious. He rubbed most of the grease spots (but not all) from his own fur. Then he ran to the grass and picked some purple flowers. He turned to go back to the plane, but Fifi was already taking off again.The Flying Ace watched in awe as Fifi flew off toward the horizon--right through a heart-shaped cloud.He was in love. But when would he ever see her again?"Charlie decides to bring the Red-Haired Girl a housewarming gift, and Snoopy hands him a flower. He walks up to the door, but turns away without ringing the bell. Snoopy rings it for him and bolts. The Red-Haired Girl opens the door and doesn't see anyone there. Charlie has hidden behind a plant. She shrugs and shuts the door. Charlie walks to Lucy's house, where she has a cardboard stand with a sign reading "Psychiatric Advice, 5 cents." Charlie asks her how he can impress the Red-Haired Girl, and she tells him that girls are impressed by a boy who is a winner. She hands him a book called "10 Ways to Become a Winner," then taps her cup. He drops in a coin, and she says, "Ah, nickels, nickels, nickels. What a beautiful sound!"The next day, Charlie is reading the book. "Congratulations, you're on your way to becoming a winner! Step One: Forget everything you know about yourself. Step Two: Project confidence!" Charlie tries to strike a confident pose, with Snoopy copying him. "Don't slouch!" Charlie straightens his back. "Maintain eye contact at all times." Charlie looks into the mirror and sees Snoopy, and they have a staring contest, which Snoopy wins. Charlie hears a crash downstairs and finds Sally practicing with a lasso for the school talent contest. Charlie decides that winning the contest will impress the Red-Haired Girl, so he and Snoopy put together a magic act.Schroeder starts off the contest playing Beethoven on the piano. Backstage, Charlie sees Lucy, who gets licked by Snoopy. "Ugh! I've been kissed by a dog! I have dog germs! Get some disinfectant! Get some iodine!" Onstage, Peppermint Patty is karate chopping some boards. It's Sally's turn to perform, and the audience laughs at her rodeo act. She freezes up, and Charlie comes out in a cow costume and tells her to rope him. She jumps on Snoopy's back and chases Charlie around the stage. The crowd goes wild and snaps pictures of a tied up Charlie in costume.The next day, Charlie's picture is on the front of the school newspaper. When he walks into the cafeteria, everyone says, "Moo!" Back at home, Charlie remembers a line from the book. "Number Six: Tell yourself 'I am worthy. I can do this. I have what it takes.'" Just then, he gets a phone call from Peppermint Patty. She tells him that she volunteered him to make cupcakes for the Winter Dance. From his window, he sees the Red-Haired Girl dancing in her room, and decides to learn how to dance himself, spending days practicing with Snoopy.At the dance, the boys are on one side of the gym, and the girls are on the other side. Sally drags Linus to the middle and dances with him, and the other kids join in. Outside, Charlie walks up to the door with a tray of cupcakes and steels himself for his entrance. He doesn't notice Snoopy gobbling up the cupcakes until they're gone. Marcie is struggling with a heavy punch bowl, and Charlie grabs it for her. Then, the door shuts on his shirt, trapping him with the bowl still in his hands. A contest starts to decide the best boy and girl dancer, with the two winners sharing a dance at the end. The girls start, and Charlie can't see the Red-Haired Girl's dance, but he hears everyone applaud for her. Then, it's the boys' turn. Charlie is still stuck in the door, until Snoopy bursts through wearing sunglasses and a "Joe Cool" shirt. Charlie spills most of the punch on the floor, but finally gets the bowl to the table. The other boys do their dance, and Charlie is the last one. He gracefully dances across the floor, and everyone claps for him. Then he slips on the spilled punch, causing his shoe to come off and hit the fire sprinkler. Water comes down and everyone runs out of the gym.Dripping wet, Charlie walks home with Snoopy. Moved by Charlie's sadness, Snoopy starts typing."The Flying Ace took to the air, in search of his long-lost love, Fifi.He flew across the sky, keeping his eyes peeled for her white plane. Finally, he spotted her! Fifi, piloting her White Albatross, was flying right toward him. Her eyes widened when she saw him.The Flying Ace steered his plane next to Fifi's. She looked over at him and smiled. He did a loop in the sky to impress her. When he finished, Fifi steered her plane into a DOUBLE loop.Then she took off in front of the Flying Ace, and he followed her. The two planes looped and dipped in the sky. Then they both dropped down and flew across a green valley below.Fifi held up a camera and started snapping photos of the Flying Ace in his plane. He hammed it up, striking poses for her--which is why he didn't see the old barn up ahead.WHOOSH! The Flying Ace zipped through the barn and came out the other side covered in hay. He flashed an embarrassed smile at Fifi, and she smiled back.Fifi steered up and grabbed a piece of cloud with her hand. Then she blew on it, and it formed the shape of a heart. It floated across the sky toward the Flying Ace.He responded by rolling his plane above the valley. When the plane was upright again, the Flying Ace held flowers in his hand. He flew up next to Fifi and extended them toward her.BOOM! The flowers exploded! Startled, Fifi and the Flying Ace looked behind them.A red plane circled them and then flew across their path. The Red Baron!He flew off into the distance, but the Flying Ace gave chase.Then the Red Baron set his sights on Fifi's plane.He steered right on top of the White Albatross. Then he dipped down and punctured her wing with his wheel. Fifi's damaged plane suddenly rolled over!Taken by surprise, Fifi fell out of the cockpit! The Flying Ace dove down with a shriek, determined to save her.Just before he reached her, Fifi pulled the string on her parachute. She shot up in the air as the chute blew open.The Flying Ace banked hard, flying straight up to try to reach Fifi. As she slowly began to float back toward the ground, the Red Baron zoomed toward her.Both pilots raced toward Fifi. At the last second the Red Baron's wing snagged the string of the parachute. Then he flew off, with Fifi dangling from his wing!The Flying Ace flew as fast as he could toward the Red Baron. The villain headed toward a large mountain. A long bridge with train tracks led into a dark tunnel inside the mountain. A train was chugging across the bridge, headed for the tunnel.ZOOM! The Red Baron zipped inside the tunnel just before the train. The Flying Ace followed him.Then Fifi's pink scarf flew out of the tunnel, covering the face of the Flying Ace! He ripped it off, but he was too late. The craggy face of the mountain was quickly approaching..."Woodstock tears the paper out of the typewriter, seeing the scared look on Snoopy's face. Snoopy takes another look at the last line he wrote."He thought he had lost her forever."The next day at school, the Red-Haired Girl's desk is empty. Linus tells Charlie that she went to take care of her grandmother. The teacher announces that she is assigning a team book report, and the partners will be drawn from a bag. Lucy keeps picking names until she ends up with Schroeder. Charlie walks up and picks the Red-Haired Girl from the bag. In the cafeteria, he panics and tells Linus that he can't handle being her partner. He decides to do the report himself while she's gone. Everyone leaves the cafeteria to look at the test scores that are just being posted. Charlie sees that he was the only one to get a perfect score. Over the PA, Franklin announces that there will be an assembly to honor Charlie.In art class, Charlie is supposed to be making a sculpture out of hangers, but it just becomes a big mess. Franklin compliments him on his "contemporary" piece. After school, the kids play hockey, and Charlie shoots the puck. It flies off the pond and bounces off a tree trunk, coming back onto the pond and landing in the net. His teammates cheer for him, except for Lucy, who knows something is wrong.In the morning, Sally gives the other kids a tour of Charlie's house. At the bus stop, a group of kids is waiting for him. Snoopy and Woodstock escort him onto the bus, wearing Secret Service uniforms. At school, a lot of kids are wearing his style of shirt. Pigpen reminds him that the book report is due on Monday, just a few days away. Charlie decides to ask Marcie for help. Marcie is at the pond, trying to get Peppermint Patty to decide on a book, but she just wants to shoot pucks. Frustrated, Marcie leaves for the library. Charlie shows up looking for her, and Peppermint Patty says that Marcie recommended the book "Leo's Toy Store" by Warren Peace.Charlie goes to the library and finds Marcie there. She points out "War and Peace" and Charlie is amazed at how long it is. Charlie checks out the book and puts it into a sled, dragging it home. He spends the whole weekend reading, finishing as the sun sets on Sunday. As he writes the report, the pen he's using breaks, covering everything with ink. He picks up the Red-Haired Girl's pencil and starts again. He finishes just before he has to get ready for school.At the assembly, Charlie sees the Red-Haired Girl in the audience. Lucy walks up and tells him she may have been wrong about him all along. Franklin calls him up to the stage, and Marcie reads a proclamation that it is Charlie Brown Day. Then she pins a gold medal to his shirt, and hands him his test paper. He realizes that he put his name at the top of Peppermint Patty's test. He decides to be honest and gives back the medal, and he walks out alone. Linus reminds him that things could go better when he hands in his book report. Charlie places the report on one side of a seesaw. Just then, the Red-Haired Girl walks up, and Linus tells her that Charlie did the report for both of them. She smiles at Charlie, who leans on the seesaw to steady himself. The report goes flying into the air, and then is ripped to shreds by Linus' plane. Charlie places a pile of confetti in the Red-Haired Girl's hands and runs off.Seeing Charlie's frustration, Snoopy goes back to the typewriter."Chapter Four: Curse You, Red Baron!Woodstock and his mechanics cranked a siren--the Red Baron had been spotted in the skies!The Flying Ace jumped into his plane and took off into the air. He chased the Red Baron all the way from the countryside to the city of Paris. He never lost sight of the red plane. He followed it past the Eiffel Tower and the cathedral at Notre-Dame.The Red Baron looped around and flew back to the Eiffel Tower. He pulled up at the last second, flying vertically up the side of the tower. The Flying Ace flew right beneath him. A drip of oil spilled from the Red Baron's plane, splashing the Flying Ace in the face. He shook his head, sending the droplets flying.The Red Baron looped and quickly flew back down along the Eiffel Tower, startling the Flying Ace. He tried to make the same sharp turn, but his plane got stuck on the point of the Eiffel Tower! He stood up and stomped on his plane, freeing it. His plane plummeted toward the ground, but he pulled up hard at the last minute.The Red Baron's plane was a red dot in the distance now, and it was growing dark as night fell and a fog set in. But the Flying Ace was not going to give up. He bravely flew into the gloomy fog, chasing the Red Baron.When the fog lifted, he realized he was behind enemy lines. He could see the barbed wire of the enemy camp below. Then he looked up--and realized he was flying right underneath the Red Baron! His enemy could not see him. It was the perfect cover!The Flying Ace and the Red Baron flew until they reached the Baron's aerodrome. Enemy planes patrolled the skies. Suddenly, spotlights shone on the Flying Ace's plane, and sirens began to wail.The Flying Ace began to descend to avoid the spotlights. Up ahead he saw a wooden tower. There, inside, was Fifi!Their eyes met. The Flying Ace circled the tower. Then Fifi pointed behind him, and he turned around to look.The Red Baron was on his tail!The Flying Ace gasped. His plane was hit! He was going down!He stood on top of his plane and saluted. She had served him well. Smoke poured from the engines as he landed in the middle of the enemy aerodrome.The Flying Ace took cover behind the plane as spotlights shone on him. Shading his eyes from the brightness, he saw a zeppelin flying overhead. Fifi sadly waved out the window of the airship. The Flying Ace watched helplessly as it soared away, accompanied by the Red Baron and his squadron of enemy planes, the Flying Circus.Things were grim. It looked like all was lost.But he would not give up. The Red Baron could not win! Fifi was counting on him.The Flying Ace stormed off into the dark night."Charlie goes to his room and shoves his kite, his baseball glove and Lucy's book underneath his bed. Then he takes the Red-Haired Girl's pencil and sticks it in a drawer. As the sun sets, Charlie sees a single star light up the sky. He imagines it to be his star, saying to him, "Don't give up, kid.""The Flying Ace knew he had to rescue Fifi."Snoopy strolls through the neighborhood, looking for inspiration to finish his story. He hears piano music coming from Schroeder's house, and howls along with it. He climbs across a string of Christmas lights outside of Peppermint Patty's house, but she chases him away. For the rest of the winter, Snoopy doesn't write, and Charlie doesn't try to talk to the Red-Haired Girl.In the spring, Charlie is walking past a tree when a kite lands at his feet. He sees a kid on a ladder trying to fly it. The kid asks him if he's ever flown one before. He tells the kid to get a good running start, keep the string tight, and never give up."Chapter Seven: Never Give Up!The Flying Ace knew he could never give up on her. He could never give up on himself.He repaired his plane and flew back to the aerodrome. Then he gathered his own squadron of Sopwith Camel planes. They took off in the darkness of night, headed for the ocean.Early the next morning the Flying Ace spotted the huge zeppelin up ahead, glinting in the sunlight. He zoomed toward it. The Red Baron's squadron turned and headed toward the Flying Ace and the Sopwith Camels.As the Flying Ace flew closer to the zeppelin, he could see Fifi staring out the window of the carriage of the airship. They locked eyes. He surged forward to rescue her.Then an enemy plane appeared behind him! The Flying Ace ducked to avoid it, but the plane was hot on his tail.CRASH!Fifi smashed a chair through the window. It hit the enemy plane, sending it crashing into one of the airship's big propellers.The Flying Ace flew back to Fifi, but her eyes were wide with fear. He looked behind him to see the Red Baron coming toward him at superspeed.The Red Baron fired. The Flying Ace dodged the spray, and the bullets hit the airship instead. The Flying Ace didn't notice.He flew away from the dogfight, hoping the Red Baron would follow him. The villain took the bait. He followed the Flying Ace away from the ocean, back to land...where another member of the Flying Ace's team was waiting.Then Woodstock leaped from the Flying Ace's plane and landed on a wing of the red plane. He quickly began to unhook the hinged panels on the wings that helped the plane remain steady in the air. The Red Baron's plane lurched.BONK!One of the panels hit Woodstock, sending him spiraling away. But he righted himself and gave the Flying Ace a thumbs-up before he flew away. The Flying Ace nodded, then dove toward the Red Baron's damaged plane.At the same time, Fifi noticed the damage to the airship. The envelope was swiftly deflating, and the broken propeller was sputtering and groaning. The zeppelin wouldn't stay aloft much longer. She looked for a way out and spotted an escape hatch on the ceiling. She opened it and poked out her head. The wind blew across her face.She grabbed on to a rope and climbed on top of the carriage, slowly making her way across the top. The damaged propeller broke loose, and she stumbled. She hung onto the rope, dangling over the side of the zeppelin!Meanwhile, the Flying Ace had the Red Baron in his sights. He closed in on him--and then he heard Fifi's scream. He looked over just as the carriage detached from the airship, and Fifi plummeted toward the ground.Finish off the Red Baron forever, or save his one true love? There was only one choice he could make. He sped off after Fifi as the Red Baron escaped.Fifi flailed her arms and legs as she fell through the clouds. Then suddenly the Flying Ace's plane was underneath her, and she fell right into his arms. The Flying Ace gazed into her eyes and then looked behind him to see the Red Baron's plane disappear, a cloud of black smoke trailing behind it.The Flying Ace and Fifi came in to land, setting down among the squad of Sopwith Camels. The pilots cheered for their hero. The battle was over--for now.And so, as our hero observed, he was destined to face the Red Baron another day."Charlie and Sally are walking to school on the last day. There's a carnival set up by the pond. Linus tells everyone that there will be a pen pal project over the summer. He picks names out, and people will call out if they want to be that person's pen pal. Linus calls Charlie's name, and there's silence in the room. "I will." Charlie looks up and sees the Red-Haired Girl. When school ends, everyone runs to the carnival. Charlie wonders why the Red-Haired Girl picked him. Linus tells him to go ask her. He goes to his room and grabs her pencil, and then walks over to her house and rings the doorbell. Her mom answers and tells him that she got on a bus to summer camp.Frantically, Charlie runs through the neighborhood to get to the bus. He makes it to a fence with a hole, but an ice cream truck surrounded by kids blocks off the hole. Desperately, he asks for a little help for once in his life. Just then, the Kite-Eating Tree lets go of a kite, and the string wraps around Charlie's leg. Then, the wind blows the kite upward, carrying Charlie over the fence. Charlie runs toward the bus, with the wind carrying the kite behind him. Everyone sees Charlie apparently flying the kite, and runs after him. He gets to the bus and finds the Red-Haired Girl. He asks her why she picked him, and she replies that she admires the type of person he is. "An insecure, wishy-washy boy?""That's not who you are at all. You showed compassion for your sister at the talent show. Honesty at the assembly. And at the dance, you were brave yet funny. And what you did for me, doing the book report while I was away, was so sweet of you."The other kids start to tear up. "So you see, when I look at you, I don't see an insecure, wishy-washy boy at all."The bus honks its horn. "Sorry, I have to go now.""Wait. I think this belongs to you." He pulls out her pencil."Oh, thank you. I've been looking everywhere for this." She climbs on the bus. "I'll write to you, pen pal!"As the bus pulls away, she waves goodbye from the window. The kids congratulate Charlie. Lucy walks up to him. "This time you've really gone and done it, you blockhead! You've shown a whole new side to yourself. Good ol' Charlie Brown." | romantic | train | imdb | After all, Charlie Brown and the rest of the characters created by Charles Schulz have been huge business for decades, and it makes sense that they would put something together if for no other reason than to keep the characters active in pop culture.Thankfully, it appears that the people behind "The Peanuts Movie" take the legacy of these characters very seriously, and the result is a gentle, charming movie that seems far less frantic than much of what is created for young audiences these days.
It's a cast of real kids here, but they sound like the "real" Charlie Brown, the "real" Lucy, the "real" Linus.Frequently very funny, undeniably aimed at younger audiences, and true to the source material, "The Peanuts Movie" is too mild-mannered to win over brand new audiences, but it's going to please people who were already fond of the underlying property, and it should be a big nostalgia-driven hit for the studio..
Schulz passed away in 2000, this movie is a tribute to his memory and the legacy that he left behind.While the members of the Peanuts Gang look and act like their lovable selves, there are many updates to this film.
The Peanuts Movie is about Charlie Brown trying to break his losing streak so the little Red Haired Girl (voiced by Disney's Francesca Capaldi) will view him differently than his friends do.
I have always appreciated the blend of childhood innocence with deep theology and philosophy that is present throughout the 65 years since the world was introduced to the lovable blockhead Charlie Brown (actually 68 years going back to 'Li'l Folks').This movie continues the blend: both modern and classic animation styles that I believe set Blue Sky Studios apart from and ahead of both Pixar and Dreamworks; a classic Vince Guraldi soundtrack with some tastefully and not overdone modern sound; but best of all nearly all the classic tropes and references to story lines blended together in a thoroughly entertaining story that might have come from Schulz himself.Without giving too much away, this movie has everything any and every super fan of Peanuts could want: kite eating tree; baseball; hockey; an epic battle with the Red Baron; Lucy's booth; Schroeder's toy piano and Beethoven; Snoopy sneaking into school; Leo Tolstoy's 'War and Peace'; and Charlie Brown pining away for the little red headed girl.As I said, ten out of ten is too low a rating..
As someone who grew up watching the Charlie Brown animated specials as well as reading the comic strip "Peanuts" in my local paper and also in various book compilations, I highly enjoyed this movie immensely.
In summary, The Peanuts Movie is a wonderful tribute to the comic strip and the animated specials produced by Lee Mendelson and Bill Melendez whose vintage voice tracks as Snoopy and Woodstock were provided here as well.
Watching this made me remember the Charlie Brown specials I use to watch when I was a kid, I believe kids and adults will find this movie charming.The plot centers around Charlie Brown trying to overcome his insecurities in hopes to talk to the new girl that lives across the street, and course you know what follows.The whole Peanuts gang really come alive here, I also love the subplot with Snoopy.
Over the past six decades, Peanuts had leapt from its comic strip medium and into the form of animated TV shows, holiday specials, and even a few movies, but rendering these well-known characters into CGI in this new animated feature turned out to be unique in its own right because it's basically channeling the essence of Schulz's original designs and humor that the older generation had gotten to know so well.For the littler crowd who are just getting to know Charlie Brown himself, his beloved dog Snoopy, and the rest of the Peanuts gang, they're in for a story that focuses on the insecurities of the former and how he manages to overcome it on a life-changing adventure with his friends along the way.The Peanuts Movie serves as a fitting comeback for the characters who have long been absent from the big screen.
I had of course read a few of the comic strips over the years, and I'm confident that I saw the TV specials a few times, but I was still a bit fuzzy on the details of things like Snoopy and his battles with the Red Barron, the names of certain characters, and the gist of how different aspects of the series fits together into a competent narrative.
Even though they revealed her unlike the comic strips, she's still really cute, and uses her very few lines in the movie to tell Charlie Brown about how she liked him for who he was, which was sweet.If you're a fan of Charlie Brown and Snoopy, go watch this film, Even people who never watched the Peanuts cartoons or read the comics should watch it.
You watch some of those movies and specials, which have stood the test of time due to the wit of the writing and the beautiful (yes, beautiful) animation that does simply to bring Charles Schulz's comic to life, and those shows and movies (i.e. the best, A Boy Named Charlie Brown, but also Snoopy Come Home and Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown) with issues that kids deal with, whether or not they directly relate to the hero.
And of course Snoopy as the super rascal/charmer/adventurer of the lot who tries to do things like sneak into school as a teacher ("No dogs allowed!" duh) and spends his part time writing stories about being an ace pilot with the "Red Baron" plane.With the exception of a couple of elements that, frankly, I could've taken or left, like some of the Red Baron bits (some are OK, some may drag unless you're a kid into the action-loaded visuals), and the inclusion of a couple of pop songs (not annoying ones, but they are of this time period) and a lack (not completely, but not enough) of Vince Guaraldi's irreplaceable jazz score, the movie really works.
It's just a classy adaptation of the classy source material we grew up loving--even featuring echoes of Vince Guaraldi's trademark compositions.The Peanuts Movie revolves around everyone's favorite underdog, Charlie Brown, and his quest to get the new girl to think of him as more than a klutz.
THE PEANUTS MOVIE wants to remind us that this is the dog that everybody would like to have, the ultimate man's best friend.As I said earlier, even though it's 3D CG animation, the film retains the essence of Charles Schulz's drawing-sale, this is not a re-imagining, it's an homage, and I think Schulz would be proud of how this film also conveys the good and moral things that his comic strip promoted all those years, because deep in the heart of its humor is the honesty, the courage, and the solidarity of Charlie Brown and his friends.
Basically, on one end Charlie Brown is trying to work up the courage to talk to and impress a new girl in town, known only as the Little Red-Haired Girl (more on her in a bit), while Snoopy gets his own story-line where his imagination runs wild, leading to a few clashes with his nemesis the Red Baron.
There are plenty of light-hearted moments that will have you laughing, and just about every trope you can associate with Peanuts is in the movie somewhere: Snoopy's typewriter, Lucy pulling the football away, Charlie Brown getting clobbered by a baseball, etc.
For those of you who aren't aware, in the comics the Little Red-Haired Girl is the object of Charlie Brown's affection, much like she is in the movie, but sadly he never got up the nerve to talk to her and so we never actually see her with the exception of a silhouette once.
On the sidelines, Charlie Brown's dog Snoopy gets caught up in his own imagination as he continues to fight the Red Baron in occasional plane dog fights.As a computer animated movie, I was worried that the simplicity of Peanuts would be compromised.
He's a bald kid with some serious hang ups he needs to get over if he's going to get to known the cute little red head that moved in next store.The Peanuts movie is jammed with trivial stuff, a little too jammed packed at times, like they're hitting us over the head trying to be everything everyone loves about the Peanuts gang, but I did like it when a certain scene would be ripped straight from the panels of the comic strip.The movie is really good at capturing the Child like innocence that can be missing in a lot of films when they try to favor everyone who may see this.
As I write this review I play the Rod Mckuen song A Boy Named Charlie Brown for it seems just appropriateIn 1969 my mother took myself and my older brother to see the first film Until I was able to see it on TV years later I did have fragmented memories of the film (particulary this song) and though loved it had some emotions from it even though I was not in Kindergarten yetToday I took one of my brother's children to see the new filmAnd despite the CGI as it unfolded I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED!!!As some else has posted Blue Sky nailed it and they sure did!!!!!From the most trite to the tiniest detail(see the film and you'll see what I am talking about) the film did NOT forget what the true spirit of the strip was From Charlie Browns pursuit of the Little Red Haired Girl(Heather) to Snoopy's Pursuit of the Red Baron it was just beautiful to watchBut No WW2 The Cat Next Door?
Overall I would highly recommend this movie to long time Peanuts fans for a fresh take on the series and to new fans who want to experience the charm that only Charlie Brown can have.
But when watching this movie you can tell that the source material was treated right and the characters and story was taken care of in order to pay respects to the original works but to also bring a new charm to audiences young and old.
Peppermint Patty informs him one of the greatest books of all time is a book called "Leo's Toystore" written by "some guy" named "Warren Peace," to which Charlie tracks down the book, reads the behemoth of a novel, and emerges determined to write one of the greatest book reports ever.This should give you some sort of idea of what you're in for with "The Peanuts Movie." Also thrown into this charming story are many scenes involving Snoopy flying on his airplane with two goals in mind - taking down the infamous Red Baron fighter jet and winning the heart of the gorgeous poodle Fifi.
However, the "Peanuts" strips and specials were always cut from a rather slight cloth, so perhaps these sequences do indeed work to serve the better part of the spirit.Nonetheless, I'm not one to complain when a product of the past gets its fair treatment on the big screen and that's precisely what "The Peanuts Movie" gets: a very fair, very funny, thoroughly charming revitalization of characters that, to many, feel like old friends, created with unique animation that effectively blends styles of the past and present thanks to Blue Sky Animation.
They did an amazing job reconstructing the Charlie Brown appeal both in spirit as more tangibly in the drawings: this here is a 3D rendition of the characters and backgrounds, only boosted with computer-generated virtual motion and it's absolutely superbly done: all the authenticity and pure Peanuts aesthetics preserved, but adapted into the modern mold carefully and most subtly and with excellent attention to detail.However, as mentioned the effect only lasts so long and this film needs to be critiqued as a film for adults, as millennial kids hardly know anything about it and it is obviously aimed at the then-children/now-adult portion of society.
So when this film rolled around it was fun to see the old gang again doing their thing.The director got the character nuances right for the animation, but the script, though having a good premise, was pretty vapid in terms of what gags and jokes made peanuts appealing.There was a bit of Lucas-Spielberg influence here in the form of Indy- Jones kind of stuff, which felt mildly out of place given the kind of emotionally-cerebral strip Peanuts is.When all was said and done I observed that the production team relied heavily on mining past glories of Peanuts, and then combining that with modern CGI-toon joke-convention.
Nor did I mind the film being in 3D, nor did I mind the use of 3-dimensional models as opposed to flat 2D cel animation.What I did mind was a script that had little originality to it in terms of giving these characters the intellect that we knew they had from the previous 50 or so years of the stip, books based on the strip, and the ABC specials that used to air.It's my conclusion that the production team relied a bit too heavily on the appeal of the Peanuts' gang, and then woefully invoked modern cartoon formulation in terms of jokes.
I know Snoopy is one of the most popular characters in the canon...but there is entirely too much of his "heroic journey" and far too little of Charlie Brown's growth and coping with life's travailsThere were also problems with characters being distorted almost out of recognition (Peppermint Pattie and Marcie are horribly treated...as is the subtle quirkiness of their interplay.If this serves as an introduction to the Schulz canon for a new generation...great...if they can go on to accept the subtlety and delicacy of the comic strips and earlier adaptations.My fear is that this over blown and over simplified treatment may make them expect nothing but over frenetic mischief and under wrought writing...neither of which Mr. Schulz would have approved of..
In this movie, there's a new character, The Little Red-Haired Girl AKA Frieda, Charlie loved her but cannot even speak to her, and it's funny in every ways...I waited 3 weeks before seeing this film in theaters, i should not have wait a minute.
Failing his mission of woo, Charlie struggles to define his self-worth, while Snoopy's imagination becomes all too real when he works on an adventure story featuring the feared WWI German fighter pilot, The Red Baron, while trying to save true love Fifi (Kristin Chenoweth) from harm."The Peanuts Movie" is in a hurry to remind audiences of what they love about the series, devoting the opening ten minutes of the film to a blast of callbacks that deliver the essentials when it comes to the personalities that populate the franchise.
It's funny and sweet with great voice work, nice animation, and a wonderful script that blends many key Peanuts moments while telling the timeless story of Charlie Brown's crush on the Little Red-Haired Girl.
'The Peanuts Movie' is a children's Animated Comedy following Charlie Brown and Snoopy as they each go on their own little adventure, one to defeat the evil 'Red Baron' and the other to try and win over the love of his life.
But beyond that, we get a lot of slap stick with Snoopy, Charlie Brown, and Woodstock that after a few minutes, I found very boring, and not in the least bit funny or even interesting.It was as if they wanted to fill time.I believe it is still worthwhile, in spite of that, and even if you have seen all of the Peanuts TV shows, as I have, just because of the ending.
Plot = new girl moves in across the road, Charlie Brown spends the entire movie trying to impress/talk to her!This director has form, with 'Horton Hears a Who!' and does well to keep things happening, especially when Snoopy's daydreaming and dogfighting in the European WWI skies against the Red Baron!
Some stories from the lives of these children, including Charlie Brown's infatuation with the Little Red Haired Girl and Snoopy vs The Red Baron.Sweet, fun movie.
It's also the most popular and influential comic strip of all time.Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus, Schroeder, Peppermint Patty, Marcy, Woodstock, and the rest of the Peanuts gang have all returned for their first theatrical adventure in 35 years.
I will say I did love the story and the classic little red haired girl that Charlie Brown has always liked.
When I heard that there WAS that "Cosmic Scrat-tastrophe" short at the beginning I decided to hold off on trying this movie about the iconic character Charlie Brown until it came out on DVD and Blu-Ray. I still haven't seen the entire film from start to finish yet, but I don't believe I'll give it a try for a few reasons.First of all, I'm an absolutely HUGE fan of the old "Peanuts" shorts created by Charles Schulz in the 1970's, and I also think that the dog Snoopy is so cute and lovable.
I was thinking that this was going to pull off the charm the originals have, with its new source of 'stop-motion' animation that keeps the spirit of the cartoons and its creativity.But instead, this wanted to be a cartoon quite like last year's Annie, where Charlie gets famous and appears on newspapers, not quite appropriate for a movie based on an old comic strip from the 50s.
For once, Charlie Brown makes good...and the film seems like an excellent way to cap off the wonderful work of Charles Schulz.
Charlie Brown will take the help of Snoopy to impress The Little Red-Haired Girl, because he really likes her.
Fans of our beloved Charlie Brown, Snoopy and their whole crew, you may watch The Peanuts Movie, as it will not disappoint you!
It's not like this film adds anything new to the franchise, but it's a good introduction for the up-and-coming generation to Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the rest of the gang.. |
tt1588173 | Warm Bodies | In a post-apocalyptic future, a male zombie still in the early stages of decay lives in a community of the Dead in an abandoned airport near the city. He refers to himself as “R” since he cannot remember his full name, among other details of his life. R reveals through first person narrative that human civilization has been destroyed by wars and disasters, resulting in a mysterious zombie plague. Now whole communities of zombies live in hives, and are separated into two categories based on the amount of decay: Fleshies, the Dead who still have flesh on them, and Boneys, the Dead who have been reduced to nothing more than skeletons with bits of muscle keeping them together. The Boneys are basically the leaders of the Dead, and are seemingly stronger and more intelligent than Fleshies. They can only be killed if their brains are destroyed. The zombies are very lethargic for the most part, have limited speech and short memories, and are notably illiterate. They live in what is a mere, twisted shadow of a normal society. One of the few times they are truly focused and animated is when they go hunting for the Living, their only food source, during which they spontaneously form a hunting party. The brain is the best part, because if they eat it, then they can relive the memories, feelings, and thoughts of their prey. Anything that’s left of the prey is brought back for the others to eat.
R is portrayed as unusual, since he not only contains more empathy and intuition than his fellow Dead, but is also able to express it better than most of them despite being Dead. He openly shows distaste for eating human flesh, and is the only zombie there who is able to form four, coherent syllables in one breath. After a hunt, he meets a zombie woman, and they quickly become girlfriend and boyfriend. She takes him to church where a Bony preacher sees them, and marries them on impulse. The next day, R and his new wife are presented with two Dead children. Seeing them try to play like Living children depresses R, and he is gripped with a feeding frenzy. He leads a hunting party to the city where they find a group of young adults scavenging supplies. Attacking with unusual energy, R feeds on the brain of a young man named Perry. After experiencing his memories, R sees Perry’s girlfriend Julie, and in a moment of mercy, saves her from the others. He disguises her scent with zombie blood, and takes her home where he hides her in a 747 airplane. The airplane is R’s “house” where he can have some privacy, and hoard the interesting objects he finds. He slowly gains Julie’s trust, and convinces her to stay for a while until the others forget about her (though in reality, he just really likes her). Throughout the week, R feeds her food from the airport’s restaurant, entertains her with his treasures, including a record player, and Julie tries to teach him to drive a car which R has managed to get started. She also tells him a little bit about her life. In time, R begins feeling guilty over killing Perry, which is made worse since Julie doesn’t know it was him, and is giving him the benefit of the doubt. Despite his guilt, R continues eating the remains of Perry’s brain, seeing it as a rare treasure.
One night, R eats the last of the brain, and experiences the last of Perry’s memories. When he begins to witness Perry’s death however, R’s thoughts interrupt the scene in an attempt to halt it. To his shock, memory pauses, and Perry scolds him, telling him to let Perry have this memory. R complies, and the memory plays through. After it ends, R falls asleep. When he awakens, Julie is being attacked by several zombies, including M, and R helps her fend them off. M is confused and angry by R’s behavior, but R holds his ground. Suddenly, some Boneys arrive. Although they do not attack, one of them shows R some old photos of Dead and Living fighting each other, telling him that they need to maintain the status quo. They leave along with the rest, and R takes Julie back to the airplane. In the morning, Julie convinces R to take her home, and they attempt to leave while the Dead watch them, half-fascinated and half-afraid. However, the Boneys attack and try to kill Julie, but with M’s help, they get away in R’s car.
On the way to the city, it starts raining, and they are forced to stop in the suburbs. They camp out in one of the houses, and Julie allows R to share a bed with her. To his surprise, R experiences some more of Perry’s memories, during which R has another conversation with “Perry”. The next morning, Julie calls her father, and sends R out for fuel. When he returns however, Julie is gone. R begins walking back to the airport in a heavy rainstorm, and feels cold for the first time since he “died”. On the road, R runs into M and some other zombies who have been chased out by the Boneys. The zombies have been changing like R, and experiencing things such as dreams and old memories. R decides to go after Julie, and recruits the other zombies’ help to get inside the stadium. Along the way, Perry shows R more of his memories, saying that he doesn’t want to leave yet. When R and the others arrive at the stadium, he impersonates a Living person, and has his friends “chase” him to its doors. The soldiers let him in, and R sneaks through the stadium following Julie’s scent to her house. R sees Julie on her balcony, and they reunite. R also meets Nora, Julie’s best friend. With no other options, the girls let him stay the night, and R has another Perry dream. The next morning, the girls give R a major make-over to make him look human, and take him on a tour of the city. They take him to the cemetery where they visit the grave of Julie’s mother, and Julie tells him how her mother died. While there, R finds Perry’s grave, and has a waking vision of Perry. By now, it’s become apparent that some form of Perry’s soul is living inside R, and has intertwined with R’s own. Perry warns him of the changes to come, saying R needs to take control or be swept away. The vision ends, and the three of them leave the cemetery. After a tense run-in with Julie’s father, Grigio, they take him to a pub where Julie spikes their drinks with real alcohol, and R gets drunk. He goes for a walk to clear his head, but runs into a soldier who realizes what he is, forcing R to attack him. As R begins eating him, he regains control and stops, causing the soldier to reanimate as a zombie. R runs back to Julie, and finally tells her that he killed Perry. The Dead soldier is found and killed, but Grigio orders a widespread search to find the second zombie. He arrives at the house, deduces what R really is, and attacks him despite Julie’s protests. Nora holds a gun to Grigio, and Julie and R escape from the stadium. Outside, the crowd of zombies has grown. What Julie and R have between them has infected many others, causing them to change.
As they deliberate on what to do next, the Boneys attack. R and Julie flee back to the stadium in the hopes that the Living will kill them off, but the Boneys quickly gather in huge numbers, more than any have ever seen. Julie is astounded by the siege, but Perry speaks to both of them inside their heads, and tells them that it’s because the Boneys are afraid of the change they represent. The couple meets up with Nora, and they flee to a roof where they see the battle between the Boneys and the Living. As they watch, Julie has an epiphany: the plague started because the human race crushed itself beneath the weight of its sins until it released a dark force that changed the humans so that everyone could see their evil. In the midst of the chaos and bloodshed, R and Julie do the only thing they can think of: they kiss. The strength of their love cures R of the plague completely and their eyes turn gold. Suddenly, the moment is interrupted by Grigio, who is quickly descending into madness. Grigio tries to kill them, but one of his soldiers intervenes, and Grigio nearly falls off the roof. A Boney appears, and begins eating Grigio, who has finally given up. Julie shoots it, and both fall off the roof as Grigio shrivels away into a pile of dust and bones. The fight on the roof somehow causes the Boneys to give up, and they disperse.
After the battle, the Living decide to give the reviving Dead a chance, and let them try to assimilate into their society. Those that haven’t started changing yet, either start to change or fade away into dust. In light of the new beginnings, R has decided to remain “R”. They still have a long way to go, but it’s a start. | comedy, murder, violence, flashback, psychedelic, romantic, entertaining | train | wikipedia | Yes, the movie could even be seen as an allegory on solitude, not fitting in, and how hard it is to truly connect to others in modern society.Zombie makeup was rather minimal, and they managed to make the protagonist kind of attractive, in a goth-like way, mostly because of his great hair and pale blue eyes.
'Warm Bodies' is a fantastic film about a zombie named 'R' who falls in love with a human and tries his best to protect her from the rest of the zombies.The plot is very strange but if you embrace its weirdness and eccentricity then it is brilliant.
A lot of people have described it as being like Twilight except with zombies but it is far better – there's depth to the characters, a lot of really funny and embarrassing scenes but there is also a lot of really frightening parts which I did not expect.
I am glad there were some scary moments, with zombies you expect a little scare here and there regardless of the genre but, I am surprised at the films' 12a rating.
The plot is well paced and you're not bored or waiting for something interesting to happen – the film entertains you from start to finish.Nicholas Hoult is brilliant in this; it must have been difficult to do this role – especially without blinking most of the time.
When I was going to see this movie, i was thinking that it gonna be another teen movie about a girl that's discover the natural identity of her boyfriend, but it wasn't like this, it was so much better, with alternative focus and interesting events this movie comes with a brand new type of history, a very well produced time line that will keep you with your eyes opened until the last second, it's simply awesome, great for family, adaptable for all ages, and will touch even the youngest and the oldest person that goes to see it, it's not a reflexive movie, that will be in your head for a long time, but it's a huge font of entertainment, i recommend it for all the people in the world.
If you liked the movie I highly suggest reading the book, by the way.Warm Bodies was well paced and acted, and one of the better zombie movies I have seen.
Don't be turned off by the premise of a zombie romantic comedy - it manages to parody human relationships on many levels the way "Shaun of the Dead" parodied zombie movies.
Among them, R (Nicholas Hoult), who is a young zombie without recollections but very introspective.R eats Perry's brain and revives his memories and sensations with Julie, and he falls in love with her.
But the fearful Bonies are seeking out Julie and R to eat them."Warm Bodies" is a movie that combines comedy with romance, horror and action genres.
But the delightful story in worthwhile; the zombie with existential crisis is adorable; Julie comparing R with the cover of Lucio Fulci's "Zombie" in Blu-Ray is cult; and in the end I loved this cute movie.
There are your typical shot to the head to kill the zombies but those quick scenes are nothing compared to watching 10 minutes of The Walking Dead or the like.
"Warm Bodies", directed by Jonathan Levine (of the delightful comedy-drama "50/50" and the incredibly wicked "The Wackness"), who also adapted the film from Isaac Marion's bestselling book for young adults, combines a mixture of 5 different genres (comedy, horror, romance, drama, even a little bit of sci-fi) that makes the film more smarter and even more better than "The Twilight Saga".
The supporting cast is also incredible, including Analeigh Tipton, who is hilarious as Julie's friend, Nora, Dave Franco (James's little brother from last year's "21 Jump Street") who gets a brief amount of screen time, but really sticks it out as Julie's ex-boyfriend, Perry, who (in order not to spoil this) gets called for a dinner date that includes brains on the menu and the great John Malkovich excels as a man who believes that the zombies are nothing more than just flesh-eating corpses looking forward to get shot in the head, but doesn't believe that his only daughter is in love with one.
Note: "Warm Bodies" is pretty tame, but pushing the envelope for a PG-13 film involving zombies who eats brains and Bonies who consumes hearts.
OK it is a bit predictable but the way it all developed is great and we are left with a great ending.I think this film will really surprise a few people, it is definitely worth watching.
The idea here is to have the zombie narrator as one of the target audience, a teenager baffled at the 'deadness' of modern life, a music geek and awkward with the girl he loves, stuttering every time.
There's even the inane visual bit, the equivalent of sparkly vampires, with the hearts of 'awakened' zombies beating red!You'll know the filmmaker is a dull mind, if you observe the scene, it's a small moment but very indicative, where 'good' zombies have decided to make a stand, rousing Scorpions music kicks in the soundtrack; instead of giving us say a flat, comedic side-shot where zombies simply limp along into the frame one by one, he has them coolly walk towards the camera...
It takes itself too seriously to poke fun at things like Julie's controlling father, or how awkward zombie kisses could be, and not seriously enough to give any kind of emotional depth to the characters.
The relationship between Julie and R reminded me much more of Tarzan and Jane than Romeo and Juliet.I suppose if you're looking for a fun date movie with the all the appeal of the word zombie and none of the gore, horror or anything relevant to the title, and you're still in high school, this movie has appeal.
The part of the movie that makes it more interesting is they made it to the way comedy/love/vampire gore and most of all action scenes to were they should be placed at the right moment.
I would have gone into the movie and murdered all of them, that would have made it more entertaining.Started with R saying that zombies can't walk fast, then later jumped into action trying to save human life!
Girlfriend being kidnapped by lover in a plane and felt so at home....reading books, listening to music....oh come On!And those white teeth R has after eating human brains.....Don't know if i miss a scene of R brushing his teeth after every meal.Lucky I walked out, would have gone mad seeing them kiss in the end.**warning** this movie murders the walking dead TV series...
So I'll start off by saying that this film does have Twilight themes to it but is 1000 times better and manages to tell a better film in one movie as opposed to four.The film starts straight away; there is no dwelling on how it all happened or even how far into the world it reaches.If you are expecting a Walking Dead, Dawn Of The Dead or Resident Evil level of zombie, flesh, blood and violence then you are going to be disappointed.
This is a different take on zombies; they still eat flesh but it's a lot more toned down than any of the previously mentioned titles.The film is narrated by 'R', as he spends his days hanging around an abandoned airport, on the outside he is sluggish and struggles to even get one word out but he seems intellectually capable and aware in his mind.
I did find it weird that these zombies are more functional than most, having the ability to open door and play records.It's also different to see that when the zombies eat a person's brain, they get their memories, feeling and emotions and there are also two types of zombies; the more human ones that can evolve or the 'bonies' that gave up on life and just become an empty shell.It has a really good cast with most of the focus on Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer and Rob Corddry but with Dave Franco, John Malkovich and Analeigh Tipton rounding out a good group of actors.The soundtrack is also worth a mention with songs by Bob Dylan, Bruce Springstein, Roy Orbison, Guns N' Roses and Bon Iver.An enjoyable movie that should at least be watched once but I wouldn't be against watching it again..
Production value is not bad, acting not bad, Ponies not bad, lol and idea wasn't bad but this movie had a strong way of annoyance with the humans and zombies working together due to a couple comprising of a boy zombie and a girl.
Warm Bodies, rated PG-13, is a hilarious look at what could be, a world in which humans are uncommon and zombies roam the land looking for fresh bodies to eat.This may not sound appealing, but according to 15-year-old KIDS FIRST!
When a zombie named R (Nicholas Hoult) meets a Human girl named Julie, he starts to feel like there is more to life than just being the walking dead.
Naturally the zombies eat people in this movie, but it is filmed in such a way that brought a sense of humor to the whole thing and the blood was very minimal.
A zombie named R (Nicholas Hoult) eats the brains of Perry (Dave Franco) and thereby falls in love with Perry's girlfriend, Julie (Teresa Palmer).
If you're looking for a funny zombie movie, check out "Shaun of the Dead," and "Zombieland." If you're looking for a fully realized romance between a living woman and a dead man, watch "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" and "Truly Madly Deeply." If you like romances between women and monsters, see Jean Cocteau's "Beauty and the Beast," or "King Kong." "Warm Bodies" isn't a bad movie.
Probably the best part about this movie was that it gave an honest try at an original idea, which is obviously more than we can say about the majority of movies.Nicholas Hoult and Teresa Palmer were the two main actors in the film.
John Malkovich plays the recognizable face that doesn't really need to be in the movie, but it's more marketable if he is character of Teresa Palmer's strict father.The main issue that I had with the film was that there were so many conveniences.
In fact, "Warm Bodies" is a clever take on the Romeo and Juliet story, spinning the zombie genre on its head.
All in all this one works much better than the similar-themed Twilight saga but it's not a big miracle considering that the latter doesn't work at all...I recommend it to those who wish to be entertained by a well-thought out, funny romantic comedy with a lot of action and originality considering it's genre.
However it should be clearly stated that this is a teen-romance love-story not a zombie film.
Having said all that however, this film is a rom-com, and as such is entertaining and quietly funny.In boy-meets-girl romance stories it is very difficult to make a film that entertains, holds the tension, keeps you wondering if the romantic interest can grow into love, and how it will end, all the while maintaining, and not breaking, genre rules.
Its about zombies changing and thinking instead of zombies being the bad ones and getting killed Nicholas Holt did a great job definitely going to recommend this movie to friends,family etc, anyone who rates this movie bad is wrong watch it, its a feel good romantic,comedy loved it...i am going to watch this again cause thought it was great, it was awesome 9/10 best romantic comedy I've seen in a while all films out now are just alright but when i saw this i knew i was going to love it, give it a go it was GREAT.
I watched it on good quality too wish i saw this in cinema would've been more amazing, john malokovich did a great job and so did the lead girl, never seen her in anything before, don't want to write any spoilers so better leave it at that overall feel good movie, lovely romance and comedy, leaves u smiling at the end, lovely movie..
Not much gore really and it is more of a love story but it is amusing, down right funny in places, and the characters are all likable."R" is not only charming and handsome, the inside of his plane is fabulous, a set that's little bit of paradise for "quirky stuff" mongers, like me.
"Warm Bodies" takes the notion of zombies that have a little heart, and hope, and turns it into a vaguely Romeo and Juliet story.The star, the zombie who shows signs of depth, is pretty amazing, and he makes the movie.
In the long annals of walking dead fiction, "Warm Bodies" is likely the first work to ever actually get inside the head of a zombie.
And it turns out his thinking process is not all that different from yours or mine - if you can just get past that whole "I want to eat your brains" thing, that is.Skillfully written and directed by Jonathan Levine, "Warm Bodies" may not be the first attempt at a zombie-movie parody - "Shaun of the Dead," "Zombieland" and "Fido" got there before it - but I'll bet it's the first to apply a "Romeo and Juliet" template to the genre (his name is "R" and hers is Julie, and there's even a charming balcony scene between the two to clinch the parallel).
The most refreshing part of the film is not the Zombies and the Land of the Dead-esque situation but the blossoming love story between the leads which is handled brilliantly and sets up the ending very well.
Finally an original zombie movie with a different plot to the normal run or get eaten and then more running.Acting and special affects were great what can i say i loved every minute of it and one of the first zombie love stories you ever watch.
They develop a strong bond and soon creates situation which will embark on new journey for lifeless and give zombies a chance to regain their life back.Based on popular novel of same name by Isaac Marion, Warm Bodies is directed by Jonathan Levine who gave riveting drama 50/50.
The glowing reviews and good box office collection of Warm Bodies made me watch the film and I loved it immediately.
When he sees Julie, there's an instantaneous connection that feels with her, causing him to want to protect her, instead of eating her, like the rest of the Dead would do in his position.It may be a bit surprising, given this movie's protagonist is a zombie...
The acting was good, even though acting as a Zombie does not take all that much work :-) It was an entertaining movie, the main characters Nicholas Hoult, and Teresa Palmer did a wonderful job of pulling you into the movie and getting you to feel for the Zombie.
Than you have even more plight when the humans have to fight off the zombies because now they can't judge by appearance alone, makes it a bit more gripping.Now don't get me wrong I enjoyed 40% of this film the stuff with the zombies was great, it was funny at times and the character R was charming.
Doesn't matter point being even in the flashback or dream sequences she yammers on about how life is so detrimental and we need to exhume humanity...ugh now you sound like a pretentious hipster who uses words like exhume to sound smart, I hate you.I'm pissing a lot on this movie I know, but its because they took a very charming short film concept and padded it out with pre-teen nonsense; driving a car real fast on an airport strip would be fun I don't want to watch that though, not in a zombie film.
Thanks to a complete lack of irony and a wonderfully gifted cast, this manages to be a feel good zom.-rom.-com.The story follows the 'life' of a zombie who's a little off, for example, he likes to collect things.After falling for a pretty girl during an attack, he starts to develop romantic feelings and more besides.Recommended for guys, recommended for girls and anyone who enjoys a good story..
On the face of it, 'Warm Bodies' is a very interesting film: one part zombie-action movie, one part comedy-romance, and one part whimsical science fiction.
Warm Bodies had some unique twists and turns not seen in other zombie movies that came before it as well as some good performances.
Warm Bodies could work as a gateway movie to get certain people to watch other, better zombie movies..
I personally believe that this movie should be up there in the 'classic zombie dramedy' list for anyone that enjoys light hearted humor along with a great and extremely well acted stories.
Warm Bodies is the story about a zombie called "R" which falls in love with a human.
It provides some original and fun concepts but nothing else.If you want a better zombie comedy I suggest you watch "Shaun of the Dead" or "Zombieland" which I absolutely love..
At which point the movie decides to become a romantic comedy as the boyfriend-eating zombie in question decides that he's in love with her and promptly takes her back home with him.After that the film can do pretty much anything and it would be acceptable because it has already veered so far off the beaten track.
I know a lot of people like this movie, but it didn't really win me over, the romance was the strongest part of the story, but I really didn't find Nicholas Hoult and Teresa Palmer believable, they didn't have a lot of chemistry and once Hoult's character became able to speak properly, their unconditional love became even less believable.
Warm Bodies is a good movie experience for people who not only appreciate this genre but also enjoy logical romances filled with thrills.Rating 7/10. |
tt0047904 | A Bullet for Joey | Montreal, Canada, sometime in the 50's. Outside the university, Doctor carl Maklin, a Professor, is seceretly photographed by someone dressed as an organ grinder, complete with monkey. A Mountie becomes suspicious. and is shot and killed for it by said Organ Grinder, who is obviously some sort of spy. When this is passed back to the boss, Erc Hartman, the organ grinder is himself killed.
Portugal. Joe Victor, obviously a down on his luck crook, is approached by Raphael Garcia, with the offer of a lot of money, and being smuggled back into Canada to kidnap Dr. Maklin.
Back in Canada, Maklin gathers a team to help him. This includes Joyce, with whom he obviously has a 'history', and smooth man Jack. Jack's job is to seduce Yvonne, Maklins secretary, whilst Joyce is to make a play for Maklin himself.
Jack succeeds in getting the required information from Yvonne, but is so obvious, she twigs she has been pumped for information and makes a run for it to tell. Jack shoots and kills her.
Detective Leduc, in a standard piece of police procedural, pieces together the 3 killings and finds Maklin is the link.
We gradualy come to realise Hartman's plan is to get Maklin, and some sort of apperatus out of the country to some un named, but fairly obviously the Russians, bad guys. Hartman gets everyone onto a ship leaving the country, but Leduc manages to undermine the trust between all concerned, and awaken Patriotic pride in Victor so all works out for the best. | murder | train | imdb | Robinson and George Raft team up for the second and last time in A Bullet for Joey, a cold war noir espionage thriller set in Montreal.Their first teaming as a memorable one.
Dietrich was involved with Raft at the time and Raft got jealous of Robinson who was a very cultured man and could talk to Dietrich about things that Raft knew little about.A whole lot of water went under the bridge in the interim and there was no reported friction between the co-stars.
Marlene had gone out of Raft's life and she was never in Robinson's at all.Robinson's a Canadian R.C.M.P. inspector and he gets drawn into an investigation that involves the kidnapping of an atomic scientist George Dolenz and the device he's working on.
A whole lot of dead bodies start turning up around Dolenz including a suspicious Mountie that starts the ball rolling.Raft is a deported American gangster, living in Lisbon, who is recruited by Communist spy Peter Van Eyck to pull off the kidnapping.
Raft sneaks into Canada, gets some of his old gang back together and proceeds on the job.A Bullet for Joey proceeds on a parallel plot track with Raft putting together the kidnapping and Robinson working on a multiple homicide investigation.
Both Robinson and Raft were now B picture players.
Robinson would make a big comeback the following year in The Ten Commandments.
There was not to be a comeback for George Raft however.Look for another good performance by Audrey Totter as the gang moll who Raft recruits to entice Dolenz.
Totter graced many a B film back in the day competing with Veda Ann Borg for brassiest moll.A Bullet for Joey is good noir film with a cast headed by two guys who knew their way around the genre.
It's a cold war relic of a film, but I think can still be enjoyed by today's audience..
An interesting Cold War gangster film that is VERY low on energy.
While there were quite a few gangster films made at the time as well as anti-Communism thrillers (such as MY SON, JOHN and I MARRIED A COMMUNIST), this is the only film I can think of that merges the two genres!
In a highly unusual move, the Communists enlist the aid of a deported American gangster (George Raft) to orchestrate the kidnapping of a nuclear scientist.
This makes the film's concept rather interesting, but the film itself is hampered by low-energy performances (particularly Edward G.
Robinson and Raft to a lesser extent) and poor casting (almost none of the people spoke with French-Canadian accents despite the film supposedly taking place in Montreal).
In fact, Robinson sounded pretty much like he was on sedatives!
A BULLET FOR JOEY (Lewis Allen, 1955) **1/2.
This lesser and curiously-titled noir re-unites two stars (who had previously been teamed in Raoul Walsh's MANPOWER [1941]) from the gangster heyday Edward G.
Robinson and George Raft.
Robinson, by now, was alternating between good-guy/authoritative roles and villainous types so it was Raft who got saddled with the obsolete hoodlum figure (albeit a mere cog in the wheel in the plot to kidnap a nuclear scientist, with Peter van Eyck as the true ring-leader).While I thoroughly enjoyed ILLEGAL (1955), also with Robinson and by director Allen and which actually preceded this viewing, I was less enthused with this one: tolerable in itself but not especially interesting as drama (though, again, it was concocted by two noir specialists OUT OF THE PAST [1947]'s Geoffrey Homes, a pseudonym for Daniel Mainwaring, and A.I. Bezzerides who, soon after, would contribute the far more significant KISS ME DEADLY [1955]); still, the hard-boiled dialogue (especially as delivered by the cynical Raft) is one of the main sources of entertainment throughout the film.For most of the duration, though, Robinson takes a back seat to the criminals' activities whose scheme is handled in a needlessly convoluted way that involves a couple of seductions (of the scientist by Raft's moll Audrey Totter, herself a noir staple, and of his prim female assistant by one of the gangster's lackeys) and, of course, leaves a trail of murder behind it!
A couple of twists late in the game see Totter really falling for the naïve scientist and Raft persuaded by Robinson into doing his patriotic duty and turning against van Eyck (atypically, the climax takes place aboard ship).For the record, I've six more Robinson films in my "To Watch" pile three vintage titles (the compendium TALES OF MANHATTAN [1942], the sentimental family saga OUR VINES HAVE TENDER GRAPES [1945], and the noir-ish melodrama THE RED HOUSE [1947]) and three minor outings, all of which happen to be capers, from his twilight period (OPERATION ST.
A Bullet for Joey (1955)There are some quirky oddball aspects to this film that keep it interesting--but only in spurts.
First of all, there's George Raft, who is past his best days, but it's interesting all the same to see an actor with some great movies in his past.
The whole strange premise of the movie, which gets a little lost in petty distractions, is about Communist spying, with a gangster (Raft) doing some gangstery things across the border--in Canada.
The good guy is the inimitable Edward G.
Robinson, who has a minor role despite his big billing.What drags the movie is the basics--the story, and the direction.
Lewis Allen has a couple of decent films to his credit--"Suddenly" is great, and so is "The Uninvited"--but the mundane settings and amorphous plot here are sometimes just dull.
As usual, the best scenes are good, but even the ending, with all its drama, doesn't quite click..
Bad film-noir, if you could call it that.
Its as if the stars involved were sedated through the whole film, and lets not talk about the plot.The worst performance Edward G.Robinson ever gave in a film, with his emoting over his partners death with as much passion as if a waitress served his coffee black instead of with cream.
And Geroge Raft-first he's sort of a good guy gangster, then he turns completely cold-blooded brushing off the death of a completely innocent 21year old woman by his partner, then he turns to be a good-guy again because the writers could'nt think of anything else.
I LOVE old black and white movies, but don't waster your time with this stinker..
this is NOT film noir.
I was drawn to this one, as many viewers were, by the presence of the great Edward G.
Robinson and the legendary George Raft.
First off, one thing must be made clear: there seems to be, in reviews of this flick, the idea that any crime drama in black & white is "film noir," a phrase which is widely overused.
This movie follows none of the conventions of film noir and cannot be called noir by any stretch of the imagination.
What a howler!Thirdly, anyone with any knowledge of espionage knows that, historically, neither the Nazis nor the Communists employed elements of the criminal underworld; such cannot be relied on.Fourthly, this is as great an assemblage of lousy actors as I have ever seen in one flick.
The level of acting is simply terrible, and that includes Robinson, who, as noted elsewhere here, phones in his performance.
And this flick also shows that Raft, despite his reputation, was no great actor.
Audrey Totter is a familiar face, but she's nothing to write home about either.Lastly, the concluding scene aboard the ship is so contrived, patched together and full of improbabilities as to defy belief.To summarize in two words, skip it..
After the FBI, the Post Office, and the NYPD, we travel north of the border to Montreal; where a police inspector (Edward G.
Robinson) is suspicious about several deaths and a possible attempt to kidnap a nuclear physicist.George Raft is the mobster doing a job for unknown masters to get money and back into the US.
Audrey Totter is tapped to seduce the scientist to make the job easier.Calling this noir is really stretching it.
It's more a straight police procedural.Trotter is the most interesting character in the film.
Edward Robinson and George Raft?
In Montreal, a police inspector (Edward G.
Robinson) slowly discovers a plot to kidnap a nuclear physicist.
American mobsters, foreign spies and a blonde seductress are all involved.John Howard Reid considered the movie dull.
He said a slow pace, one-dimensional characters, and an unconvincing climax plague the film.
I was all invested the first ten or fifteen minutes, but found myself less interested as the movie went on.I have a special fondness for George Raft, and an even bigger fondness for Edward G.
Robinson, so you simply cannot go wrong with a film that has both men.
And then adding all the film noir elements, along with spies and such, you have real potential.
Best line ever from George Raft.
Not bad, but rather formulaic 50's crime/spy movie.
However, it was redeemed by George Raft's delivery of one of the best and funniest lines I've ever heard.
No spoilers here, but pay attention during the scenes between Robinson and Raft..
"A Bullet for Joey" is pretty interesting as far as film noir goes, although it doesn't fit that neatly into the genre, being more of a straight crime drama with overtones of intrigue.
Two iconic tough guys headline the drama, Edward G.
Robinson as Police Inspector Leduc and George Raft as mobster Joe Victor.
It takes place largely in Montreal, Canada, which only adds to the appeal of this movie for this viewer.
Joe was run out of America and is now living in exile in Lisbon when dangerous men approach him with a job: kidnap a prominent nuclear physicist, Carl Macklin (George Dolenz).
Joe's just happy to be working again, content not to ask too many questions, and rounds up his old gang, including Joyce Geary (the striking Audrey Totter).
Trouble brews when, for one thing, Joyce, who's found some scruples, finds her task of diverting Macklin's attention compromised by the fact that she genuinely likes the guy.
"A Bullet for Joey" is one of those movies that may not be destined to become a classic, but is still perfectly acceptable of its kind, telling a good, straightforward story (concocted by James Benson Nablo, and scripted by Daniel Mainwaring and A.I. Bezzerides) with efficient direction by Lewis Allen (who also directed Edward G.
should know beforehand that there are chunks of the story without him, and if one is enticed by the prospect of seeing him and Raft face off, this doesn't happen until right near the end, when Edward G.
appeals to Raft's sense of not only patriotism but decency in the hopes that the mobster will see the light.
They're both great, as is Totter as the tough looking but ultimately soft hearted dame who really doesn't want to see any harm come to her new man.
Dolenz, Peter van Eyck as the nefarious "book dealer" Eric Hartman, William Bryant, Steven Geray, and Joseph Vitale are all good in support, with Toni Gerry extremely appealing in the role of the lovestruck secretary romanced by Bryant's scummy character as part of the plot.
"A Bullet for Joey" moves along well enough and with its final theme of redemption, is 88 minutes worth of good if not great entertainment.
Robinson and George Raft teamed up in a movie after many years, one would expect to see a reprise of their gangster roles from the earlier period.
Not so.This one has Joe Victor (Raft) being recruited in Lisbon, where he has been living - broke, to coordinate a planned kidnapping in Montreal of nuclear scientist Dr. Carl Macklin (George Dolenz).
Eric Hartman (Peter Van Eyck) is the brains behind the plot.When a Royal Canadian Mounted Police constable (RCMP) is murdered Inspector Leduc (Robinson) enters the case.
Meanwhile Victor assembles his old gang including former girl friend Joyce Geary (Audrey Totter) and Jack Allen (Bill Bryant).
Allen meanwhile courts Macklin's secretary Yvonne Tremblay (Toni Geary) with tragic results.After three murders the kidnapping takes place and.........................Robinson and Raft were both well past their respective "best before" dates at this time.
Robinson (and pipe) sleepwalk through the first three quarters of the film.
The ending is pure Hollywood especially where Raft's character is concerned.One has to wonder what Robinson, playing an RCMP inspector would look like in the force's dress uniform red tunic, breeches and wide brim hat.
**SPOILERS** Nowhere up to the standards you would have expected with actors Edward G.
Robinson and George Raft as Montreal Police Inspector Raoul LeDuc and kicked out of the the country American hoodlum Joey Victor in the movie.
The film "A Bullet for Joey" has to do with Joey Victor being hired by this shadowy rare book collector Eric Hartman, Peter Van Eyke, to do some work for him in kidnapping absent minded and a bit naive,in all the fuss about him in the movie, physics professor Dr. Carl Macklin, George Dolenz.Prof.
This is only a guess on my part in that not once in the entire movie are we told or made to understand just whom Hartman, whom we know for sure isn't a member of the Canadian Mounties, is actually working for!It's only later when Joey finally realizes that Hartman isn't a good guy, or hoodlum like himself, but a slime ball working for Evil Empire the Soviet Union that he change his mind and becomes for the first time in his criminal life patriotic!
That's after Joey's boys just about helped Commie master spy Hartman almost get everything, like Prof.
Joey also shows his good side by exonerating his old girl friend who wants nothing at all to do with him Joyce Geary, Andry Totter, in a letter to the Montreal Police Department.
The letter tells them that she knows nothing of what Joey and his boys,from Chicago Miami and L.A, were up to in kidnapping Prof.
Even though Joey forced, by paying the almost dead broke woman off, Joyce to get in good with the not all that interested in women Macklin, the only thing that he's interested in is his physics calculations, so she can make it possible for Joey and his friends to kidnap him!
That's by Macklin dropping his guard as well as his pants when, in him being romantically involved with Joyce, Joey and the boys grab him.***SPOILERS*** Somewhat touching final with Joey getting it, like the title of the movie suggests, in the gut from a dying Hartman whom he gunned down in the final moments of the film.
Macklin back to the USSR where his services in nuclear physics would be greatly appreciated but made Joey a hero in laying his life down for his country when it really needed him..
How often is one moved to tears by the great Edward G.
or George Raft???.
Spies, counter spies, a chess-playing atomic scientist, a beautiful femme fatale/former gang moll(in the process of turning her life around to match her pearl necklace mien), an adorable and bright(but naive)brunette, one consistently intuitive, equable, and unflappable detective all surrounding a self-serving and self-centered criminal named Joey (George Raft).
Watch this film with unwavering attention, stop the film 5 minutes before the end, jot down your conjecture, and THEN push play.
Representatives from some unnamed country, presumably the Soviet Union, hire a deported thug (Raft) to kidnap a physicist and they sneak the thug, Joe Victor, into Montreal, Canada which is where the physicist lives.
He immediately recruits members of his old gang including former moll (Audrey Totter).
Early in the movie a RCMP officer patrolling near where the physicist, Dr. Macklin, lives is murdered.
Robinson plays the Montreal police lieutenant investigating the murder.
The Totter character wants nothing to do with Victor and his plans but is blackmailed into helping.
Her actually falling for Dr. Macklin was not sappy but believable.
Robinson never gives a bad performance and he didn't in this one but he could have had a little more spark in his performance.
No matter what role he is in, Raft is just not likable - he always comes across sort of smarmy.
I flat out don't believe that a deported thug and killer would have been swayed by a cop's two minute appeal to his patriotism and love of freedom.
Almost forgotten film-noir with the pairing of George Raft and Edward G.
A communist spy concocts a plan to kidnap an important American atomic scientist.
An infamous tough guy is employed to do the actual kidnapping.
At the same time, a determined G-man plans to rescue the scientist; but as circumstances would have it, the communist spy sets into motion the interception of the detective to have him "bumped off".
Am not sure if Robinson or Raft knew who the real star was.
Other players in this drama: George Dolenz, Audrey Totter, Joseph Vitale and Toni Gerry.
Despite its fascinating writing and editing credits, this movie emerges as a surprisingly dull little "B"-grader, not only paced with the speed of a snail but full of more empty talk than a bag-pipe.
Certainly pros like Robinson and Van Eyck do manage to breath a bit of life into their portrayals, but insufficiently virile to overcome the inertia of Mr Allen's studiously slow, uninvolving handling.It's hard to believe tutor and text book author, Leon Barsha, had anything to do with the editing.
Other credits are likewise patently routine.Considerable pruning would definitely help the film, although Miss Totter is likely to remain a firm liability.
Yet, when MGM set this A-Bomb spy yarn in Canada in 1955, the studio bravely decided to be truthful in the body of their film (if not with its title).
So we learn in A BULLET FOR JOEY that: 1)Canadians are usually very boring.
2)There's a reason that the Beach Boys did not give a "shout out" to Montreal or Quebec gals before the chorus of "I Wish They All Could Be California Girls." Check. |
tt0062038 | The Night of the Generals | The murder of a prostitute in German-occupied Warsaw in 1942 causes Abwehr Major Grau (Omar Sharif) to start an investigation, as she was also a German agent. His evidence soon points to the killer being one of three German general officers: General von Seidlitz-Gabler (Charles Gray); General Kahlenberge (Donald Pleasence), his chief of staff; and General Tanz (Peter O'Toole). Grau's investigation, however, is cut short by his summary transfer to Paris at the instigation of these officers.
The case in Warsaw remains closed until all three officers meet in Paris in July 1944. Paris is then a hotbed of intrigue, with senior Wehrmacht officers plotting to assassinate Adolf Hitler. Kahlenberge is deeply involved in the plot, while von Seidlitz-Gabler is aware of its existence but is sitting on the fence, awaiting the outcome. Tanz is unaware of the plot and remains totally loyal to the Führer.
On the night of 19 July 1944, Tanz orders his driver, Kurt Hartmann (Tom Courtenay), to procure a prostitute; Tanz butchers her so as to implicate Hartmann, but offers Hartmann the chance to desert, which he accepts. When Grau, who is now a Lieutenant Colonel, learns of the murder, committed in the same manner as the first, he resumes his investigation and concludes that Tanz is the killer. However, his timing is unfortunate, because the very next day, the assassination attempt against Hitler takes place. So when Grau accuses Tanz face to face, the general kills Grau and labels him as one of the plot conspirators to cover his tracks.
Many years after the war, the murder of a prostitute in Hamburg in 1965 draws the attention of Interpol Inspector Morand (Philippe Noiret), who owes a debt of gratitude to Grau for not revealing his connection to the French Resistance during the war. Almost certain there is a connection to Grau's 1942 case, Morand reopens the cold case and the film begins to shift between the Europe of the 1960s and the Europe of the 1940s.
Years later, Morand begins to tie up the loose ends: he finds no criminal activity from Kahlenberge or Seidlitz-Gabler, but learns of one man who knew which man is the real killer. Morand confronts Tanz at a reunion dinner for Tanz's former panzer division. When Morand produces Hartmann as his witness, Tanz goes into a vacant room and shoots himself. | mystery, murder | train | wikipedia | Also nice to see French veteran actor Philippe Noiret in an ensemble that includes Omar Sharif, Tom Courtenay, Donald Pleasence and Christopher Plummer.It is tense all the way mostly thanks to the great use of first Warsaw (and the atrocities performed there) as a backdrop for the story and then we move to Paris where the plot to kill Hitler is nicely interwoven."The Night of the Generals" is at parts predictable, yes, (with the great exception of Omar Sharif's final scene) but I guess that's also what makes it kinda' enjoyable at times - at least in the very last scene - when you know what's coming (and boy does it feel good).Some may find it a bit tedious and yes it is long, but when it was over I knew I would definitely see it again sometime in the future so in short: it works!
Murder mystery set in the German Army during World War II, involving 3 generals who are suspects.
A colonel of the German army (Omar Sharif) investigates and suspects three generals -two of them (Charles Gray and Donald Pleasence) are involved in a plot to kill Hitler, the other one (Peter O'Toole) is the most crazy and dangerous-.
Twenty years later the same French inspector (Philippe Noiret) who helped Sharif in the inquiry faces another case of a murdered prostitute, the crime is executed in the same way as the previous ones...This film is excellent.
A cast of super-prestigious actors, including a reunion of Peter O'Toole and Omar Sharif from Lawrence of Arabia, is employed in a huge, unwieldy Euro-pudding of a production about Nazis, murderers and a Nazi murderer.This isn't an easy movie to summarize, since there are at least three major plot-lines going on at the same time.
Simple trick, but all in all detrimental to the momentum of the story.The film is brimming with exceptional acting - O'Toole turns in a particularly vicious and strong performance as General Tanz, but everyone holds their own.
Just enjoy Peter O'Toole as the nutcase Tanz, Donald Pleasance as the General-with-a-conscience, and especially Omar Sharif as the dogged, honorable military investigator.
He reports the murder to the authorities and the investigating officer Major Grau believes him and establishes that only 3 of the German generals in Warsaw were without alibi on that night - Generals Tanz, Kahlenberge and Gabler.
Two years later in July 1944, another prostitute is murdered and Major Grau establishes that once again all 3 generals - Tanz, Kahlenberge and Gabler are all in Paris on the night of the murder.
The hunt for the killer is on.....An excellent murder mystery full of intrigue and suspense set against the background of wartime Europe, The Night Of The Generals is one of few movies incorporating historical fact with fiction and succeeding admirably.
Anyone who likes war or murder mystery movies will not be disappointed by The Night Of The Generals..
Part of my curiosity to see it was due to the sheer weight of the cast:- Omar Sharif as Major Grau, Peter O'Toole, Donald Pleasence and Charles Gray as the Generals, plus Christopher Plummer, Tom Courtenay, Philip Noiret, Gordon Jackson, John Gregson, Harry Andrews, Nigel Stock and Patrick Allen - phew!
Usually, contemporary armour was used in war films of this vintage - I'm thinking particularly of 'Battle Of The Bulge', 'The Bridge At Remagen' and even 'Patton'.However, once the scene shifts to Paris in the summer of 1944, the film starts to lose focus, meandering off on sub-plots about the Hitler assassination conspiracy and Tom Courtenay's character's love life.
Several of the foreign volunteer units were brought into the SS as well.There were foreign volunteer units that were in the Leningrad area in 1941-42 and later became Waffen SS in whole or in part.The movie does a great job of making almost perfect copies of German material and when it gets to France even has a shot of tanks made up to look very much like Panthers, in addition to the many kubelwagons and schwimwaggons.Grau is one of the best characters in cinema and he should have had more screen time.
Franco-British co-production includes a phenomenal casting as Omar Sharif and Peter O'Toole stars this intense thriller set in WWII about a Nazi general who turns series-killer .
A Nazi intelligence official (Omar Sharif) goes after three Nazi generals (a formidable trio formed by Peter O'Toole, Donald Pleasence, Charles Gray) who can be involved in the grisly killing of a Polish whore .
Meanwhile , it happens historical facts as the Warsaw uprising and the 20th July Plot (1944) in which appears as collaborator Field Marshall Rommel (Christopher Plummer) .This terrifying and sinister story turns out to be a big budgeted whodunit set in Nazi-occupied Poland and Paris full of big stars , thrills , emotions and too tense at times.
The plot against Hitler's life - which is a well known historical fact, in no way detracts from the murder mystery at hand.The musical score associated with the film, composed by Maurice Jarre, is stirring and memorable.
Back to the occupation of Europe, there is the overall context in which the Germans are losing the war, but nothing much is made of this except to the extent that it generates a movement among (some of) the officers to eliminate Hitler, a movement about which Major Grau (Omar Sharif), investigating the slaughter of a prostitute, observes cynically that it took quite a while for the movement to develop since the army seemed satisfied enough as long as they were winning.
In addition, the story about a German officer who investigates the murder of a prostitute in Nazi occupied Poland, took a backseat to what was really a general look at army life amongst the Nazis.
Peter O' Toole - when he is in the film - gives an outstanding performance as the cold and ruthless killer in "Night of the Generals." His blue eyes look almost piercing.
I could let me follow the characters, especially the minor ones (Inspecteur Morand, Fraulein Seydlitz), I finally agreed with O'Toole's performance (more "homme au masque de cire" than ever), enjoy some great lines (some reminiscent of "Monsieur Verdoux"), I found the romance between Hartmann/Courtenay and Syedlitz's daughter tense, subtly told and played...I think the length of the movie is perfectly fit ; the last thirty minutes, in modern Germany, are very necessary and cynical in the right way.Apart from the musical score (much too heavy and useless in the Varsovian part) and the very end - conventional and contradictory with what we are supposed to understand of Morand's quest -, the whole thing is a very good surprise.Do not neglect this film.
While WW11 rages in Europe, German intelligence officer Major Grau (played splendidly by Omar Sharif) is involved in the investigation of the grisly murder of a prostitute in Warsaw in December 1942.
A German General is seen leaving her room beforehand and Grau proceeds to try to discover the perpetrator, targeting three likely suspects - General Tanz played by Peter O'Toole, General Kahelenberge played by the ever dependable Donald Pleasance and Charles Gray as General Von Seiditz - Gabler.
The final act is played out at an anniversary rally for an SS reunion, in which Inspector Morand confronts the accused and leads him to his demise.Great backup cast by John Gregson as Colonel Sandauer (Tanz's loyal assistant) and Tom Courtenay with Joanna Pettet who provide a sensual romantic interlude to the horror of war and feature prominently in the closing of this good drama.
Peter O'Toole gives a magnificent performance as the destructive, arrogant hard drinking, demanding General, with strange personal qualities (like exact bathwater temperature and unclean hands of his subordinates), amounting into somewhat of an obsessive compulsive disorder.Something definitely different from your standard WW11 movie and really well worth watching..
I would have hoped that Peter O'Toole and Omar Sharif who were so good together in Lawrence of Arabia could have found a better joint project than this.In my former working days at New York State Crime Victims Board, I got to learn first hand about the importance the police attach to murdered prostitutes.
I refuse to believe that in Nazi Germany at war, a Wehrmacht major like Omar Sharif, attached to their equivalent of the Judge Advocate's Office spends four years of World War II, trying to tie General Peter O'Toole to the murder of a prostitute.
Looking predatory and strangely vulnerable in the same time, only Peter O'Toole can make this possible.Donald Pleasence, Omar Sharif and Christopher Plummer are remarkable and they make unforgettable characters.
Major Grau, played by Omar Sharif, is brilliant as the tracker of the 3 Generals who are suspects in the murder of a Warsaw prostitute and then, years later, of a Parisian prostitute, who is brutally mutilated in the same manner.The Nazi Generals are all played by English actors in this film, but, oddly enough, it works.
Courtenay gives a brooding, emotional, sole-searching performance of a simple man caught up in the madness and terror of World War II.The story line just goes off in two many different directions: serial killer, murder mystery, plot-to-kill-Hitler, madness, love story, the horrors of war, hero worship, and survival.
All other aspects of the film were good as well, though I must admit that Peter O'Toole's routine in the art museum seemed an awful lot like how he played Lawrence of Arabia years earlier and some might think this was a tad overplayed.
In its length (over two and a half hours), its war/historical subject matter, its producer (Sam Spiegel, multi-Oscar-winner for 'Bridge on the River Kwai' and 'Lawrence of Arabia'), its astonishing cast of names (including three David Lean alumni), famous character actors and international stars, its prestigious creative personnel - d.p. Henri Decae, production designer Alexander Trauner, composer Maurice Jarre, and co-screenwriter, the novelist Joseph Kessel, all ask us to expect a massive historical epic of the kind very popular at the time, such as 'Doctor Zhivago'.Yet most epics offer vast, widescreen panoramas; 'Generals' is almost entirely set indoors, where the emphasis on talk and the machinations of power suggest its pretensions to a different kind of historical narrative, the Shakespearean vintage.
You have a uniformly excellent cast (Peter O'Toole, Omar Sharif, Tom Courtenay, Donald Pleasance, Charles Gray, Coral Browne and many others) doing some very fine acting, solid if not inspiring direction, brilliant cinematography and a music score by Maurice Jarre that almost atones for the blood-congealing treacle that was his earlier "Dr. Zhivago." Unfortunately you also have from my perspective a tome that loses focus once the story shifts from Warsaw to Paris.
It's strange that in the 1960's a film would pop up with the courage to tell a story set in Nazi Germany which stays politically neutral throughout, focusing more on a whodunit style plot where an investigating sympathetic German officer (Omar Sharif in an odd bit of casting) tries to find out which German General is murdering prostitutes.The bright spot in this picture (as with most bigger budget English WW2 films) is the acting, particularly the tour-de-force performance from Peter O'Toole as the unemotional yet power-crazed high ranking and universally reviled General Tanz.
The film has rather impressive production values for the time including a few action scenes involving partisan suppression in the streets of Warsaw (complete with some shockingly convincing Tiger Tank mock-ups) and recreation of historical events like the 20 July Plot to kill Hitler and surrounding conspiracy.What makes this film so unique is its (and Omar Sharif's) focus on a small-seeming stakes of solving a murder against the large-seeming backdrops of World War 2, the destruction of Warsaw, and the plot to kill Hitler.
The search for the killer, led by Major (later Lt. Col.) Grau (Omar Sharif), gets lost for a time and Valkyrie is inserted rather late in the film.
But the acting is superb, especially by Peter O'Toole as General Tanz, an utterly ruthless killing machine, Tom Courtnay as Corporal Hartman, who is assigned to show Tanz the sights of Paris, Donald Pleasance and Charles Gray as two other German generals who are suspects, along with General Tanz, in the murder of a Polish prostitute in Warsaw, and Phillipe Noiret as a high ranking French policeman who helps Lt. Col.
On one side the historically accurate intent leaded by Col. Von Sauffenberg to kill Hitler on July 20, 1944, and on the other the murders of prostitutes by an unrevealed German general in Warsaw and occupied Paris that are investigated by a German officer who believes that "any time is good to catch a murderer" (even war time).
Omar Shariff, Peter O'Toole, Donald Pleasance, Philippe Noiret, Joanna Pettet, Tom Courtenay, and Christoper Plummer star in "The Night of the Generals," a 1967 European film directed by Anatole Litvak.
The first hour is a standard WWII thriller, where good Nazi cop Omar Sharif (there's casting for you) suspects three Nazi generals of gruesomely murdering a woman.
Sharif is modestly intense as Major Grau to O'Toole's General Tanz (great names) with sub-plots that flow over each other like babbling brooks in Alice in Wonderland (during WWII) in Europe.
But what I most liked about the film was how it dealt with abstract issues as "justice." There were three layers to this portrayal: The first layer of course was the murder itself, and one of the things that makes this interesting is that although we don't know the identity of the killer, we know he is a German general.
I keep waiting for the story to get back to the murder mystery as the movie follows the generals in their war.
of course, it's just a background for a crime scene and some struggle between honour and ideals and a hunt of a german intelligence officer as a detective (funny looking omar sharif here) for a murderer, but sometimes it's better to stick to truth, otherwise you make a very funny movie.
The entire cast is populated by Nazi characters, nearly all of whom are played by western actors or in the most incongruous example, Omar Sharif (!) who is nonetheless completely convincing as the dedicated major on the trail of a man with a penchant for brutally killing prostitutes.This film was a flop on release and it's hard to see why.
It stars Peter O'Toole, Omar Sharif, Tom Courtenay, Donald Pleasence, Charles Gray, Joanna Pettet & Philippe Noiret.
The plot is basically three levels or intertwined murder.1) The organized murder (both normal and war crime) of World War II as practiced by the Nazi German Government.2) The activities of a select band of German Generals (led by Field Marshall Erwin Rommel) to assassinate Adolf Hitler during a conference at Raustenburg, in July 1944, seize the German Government, and negotiate an end to the war with the British and Americans (probably not with the Communist Russians).3) A series of apparently random prostitute killings across Europe (first in Warsaw) that appears to be linked to one of three leading German Generals: General Kallenberg (Donald Pleasance), Seydlitz-Gabler (Charles Gray), and Tanz (Peter O'Toole).
The movie is worth watching for the cast alone -- Peter O'Toole, Omar Sharif, Tom Courtenay, Donald Pleasance, Charles Gray; and with cameos by Harry Andrews, Christopher Plummer and Gordon Jackson.
Great acting from Peter O'Toole and Omar Sharif, a fascinating, if overly complex plot, and fine attention to detail make Night of the Generals a compelling film.
The sets are uniformly good, from the Warsaw Ghetto to the garrison of Tanz' division in occupied France (actual French fortifications of the period were used for the filming, just as they had actually been used by the occupying Germans during the war).Unlike many posters, I found the subplot involving the Hitler assassination attempt in 1944 to be the high-point of the movie, lifting it from a mere murder investigation of prostitutes into the realm of one of the most interesting and important events of WWII.
Obviously Inspector Morand couldn't do anything back in 1944 in Nazi-occupied France, so to have him solve all the murders (including Grau's) in "modern" times is a good final touch (though one may wonder why he waited so long to do it -- after all, the war had been over for 20 years...perhaps he had his suspicions of Tanz all along, but no proof, until the Hamburg murder.) At any rate, "The Night of the Generals" is good enough to qualify as MUST SEE cinema!.
Maj. Grau runs into the killer some two years later in Paris who commits the very same kind of crime and has his aid Lance Cpl. Kurt Hartmann, Tom Courter, set up and framed for it.It's during that fateful summer of 1944 that Maj. Grau ends up getting involved with the other two suspected generals, guess who, in a plot to assassinate German Dictator Adolph Hitler!
More about them in a moment.The three generals the then Major Grau (Omar Sharif) in Warsaw suspects of murder are General Tanz (Peter O'Toole), youngest division general in the Wehrmacht and a brutally effective general; General von Seidlitz-Gabler (Charles Gray), a senior officer in Warsaw who lives well, appreciates his lineage and who doesn't take chances.
Still, it's always good to see those who think they are our betters slip into the mud.As the lead suspect and star of the movie, Peter O'Toole playing General Tanz gives one of the weirdest and poorest performances in a career full of weird performances.
This movie essentially begins with a German Intelligence Officer by the name of "Major Grau" (Omar Sharif) conducting an investigation into the brutal murder of a prostitute in Warsaw during the Nazi occupation of that city in 1942.
Blofelds, Donald Pleasance and Charles Gray, feature as two of a trio of Nazi generals suspected by Wehrmacht major Omar Sharif of the murder of a prostitute in occupied Warsaw. |
tt0032258 | Black Friday | BLACK FRIDAY-synopsis Dr. Ernest Sovac (Boris Karloff) is being led to his execution in prison. Entering the viewing room, he gives his notes to a newspaper reporter (James Craig), telling him that his newspaper was the only one who treated him fairly. The reporter opens it and begins reading. From here we go back to flashback until the end.Prof. George Kingsley is teaching at Newcastle University. As class concludes, he announces that he may be taking a job at a major university next year. Jean Sovac (Anne Gwynne) talks to him and escorts him outside to a car driven by her father, Ernst, who is talking to Georges wife Margaret (Virginia Brissac) about her husbands interview with the university. They all go downtown where Kingsley asks to stop off for something forgotten. As he crosses the street, he is run down by two cars driven by gangsters Red Cannon (Stanley Ridges), Marnay (Bela Lugosi), Kane (Paul Fix), Devore (Raymond Bailey) and Miller (Edmund MacDonald) who are chasing each other. They crash into the building where George was going and he is knocked unconscious along with Cannon.At the hospital Dr. Sovac attends to both men. Kingsley has sustained brain damage while Cannon is paralyzed from the waist down. Sovac talks to Cannon, who promises to reward him if he helps him recover. Knowing that $500,000 is hidden somewhere by the gangster, Sovac agrees to help him. That night he performs a brain transplant: Cannons brain into Kingsleys body. When the police view the body of Cannon, now covered with a sheet, Dr. Sovac tells them the head wound along with a severed spine was the cause of death. Kingsley recovers.Sovac talks Kingsley into going to New York for a change of pace (Sovac is hoping to find out where the money is hidden so he can build his own clinic). They go to New York and check into the Midtown Hotel in the same suite Red Cannon used to hide out in. Kingsley seems to remember it but doesnt know why. Checking into the rooms, the bellhop remarks how the gangster formerly occupied this room and had a special knock which he used to wait on him. When Kingsley demonstrates this knock, the bellhop is surprised.They go to a nightclub where Cannons girlfriend, Sunny Rogers (Anne Nagel) is singing. When Kingsley gets a headache, they return to their rooms. Exhausted, Kingsley falls asleep. Sovac calls him Red Cannon until finally he responds. As Cannon, he takes on a different look and voice, remembering Sovac as the doctor who helped him. The doctor tells him he is now in the body of an English professor. Cannon looks himself over in a mirror, realizing that he will not be recognized. After strong-arming the bellhop, he escapes before Sovac realizes it. Next he is seen (in silhouette) strangling Devore. Later he returns to the hotel room by the fire escape and falls asleep on the bed. Sovac notices his bloody hands.Next morning the bellhop brings the freshly-laundered suit back to Sovac along with the morning paper, which states that Devore was killed. When Kingsley wakes up, Sovac mentions the killing to see his reaction. Later, as Kingsley is dressing, he hears a police siren and reverts to Cannon. He leaves by the fire escape. When there is no answer on the adjoining door, Sovac finds the door locked. He goes out in the hall to find Kingsleys door also locked. Getting in with the help of a maid, he finds the room empty.Sovac goes back to the nightclub and asks if Kingsley has been there. He is told that he was seen earlier but has left. At a table, Marnay, Kane and Miller discuss the murder. Marnay tells Kane to take care of Sunny as Red would. He enters her dressing room and presents her with a diamond-studded watch, promising it to her if she will meet them tonight at her apartment. Before Kane can do anything he is killed in his car by Cannon.That night, Sunny hears the familiar knock of Cannon and opens to find Kingsley who acts like Red and knows the secret bar and stash of weapons. He gives her the diamond watch which makes her nervous. The newspaper headline tells of the killing of Kane and the police discuss the case. They go to Marnays apartment where they find Cannon sitting at the desk. They are invited to wait for Marnay and ask who he is. He tells them he is Prof. Kingsley, whom they remember as the victim of the car crash involving Cannon. When they tell him to come down with them to the station, he shoots them both and escapes over the balcony. He is chased by more police over the rooftops and shot in the shoulder.Marnay and Miller enter Sunnys apartment, having given her the Cannon knock. She tries to convince them that someone came claiming to be Red Cannon. She tells them he knew things only Red would know. They promise to cut her in once the money is found.Dr. Sovac returns to the hotel, asking if Kingsley has been seen. When he goes to his room, he finds Margaret and Jean waiting (having already sent a telegram saying they were coming). He convinces them that Kingsley needed this trip and that Margaret was only spoiling him by waiting on him hand and foot. He tells them to return to Newcastle, saying they will come back when he is ready.When Cannon returns to his room, wounded, Sovac questions him and finds that he shot two cops after identifying himself as Kingsley. Sovac tells him he will be caught before the money is recovered. Suddenly Cannon knows Sovac knows about the money and threatens him. The doctor is able to convince him that he needs Sovac because otherwise he will revert to Kingsley permanently. He begins to dress the wound.Jean and Margaret discuss their suspicions and Jean says she will question her dad. Entering the room, she sees Cannon and calls out. Sovac takes her in the next room and confesses to the brain transplant. She tells him he has ruined his career and that they should return to Newcastle with them. He agrees and she leaves to tell Margaret.At the bar Cannon tells Sunny to pack so they can go to South America with the money. He is to return with it later and gets her car keys. In her dressing room she tells Marnay and Miller the plan. They agree to split the money three ways. She points him out as he is leaving the bar. They follow in their car. Cannon goes to a water reservoir and enters a door into a maintenance area that leads downstairs. Emerging from the door, Cannon carries a small metal box. He is confronted by Marnay and Miller who tell him to give up the box. When he tells them to come get it, Marnay approaches and a struggle ensues with Marnay thrown into the water. As he comes back up the stairs from the water, Marnay sneaks off with the box while Cannon struggles with Miller, killing him and dumping his body in the water.Sunny hears the knock on her door and opens up to find a wet Marnay who tells her the money split will now be two-way. He goes into the kitchen where she produces a screw driver to open the box. When a second knock comes, she tells Marnay to hide in the closet. He puts the box in the oven. Cannon enters and asks for Marnay. She tells him she hasnt seen him, but the wet tracks on the floor reveal that he is hiding in the closet. Locking the closet door, Marnay cries out to be released, telling Cannon where the money is. He gets the money and kills them both.Cannon hails a cab and tells the driver to take him to the airport. On the way he falls asleep and when they arrive, he wakes up as Kingsley, telling the driver to take him to the Midtown hotel. Paying the driver with a thousand dollar bill, he returns to the hotel with the box. Sovac gives him a sleeping powder, telling him they will talk to his wife in the morning.The next morning as they are checking out, the police arrest Kingsley and take him to the station. Sovac comes along, explaining that he has been recovering from a serious illness. At the police station it is revealed that the cab driver presented a thousand dollar bill which raised suspicion. When the cab driver is brought in to make an identification, he doesnt recognize Kingsley and they are released.Back in Newcastle, Kingsley is seen teaching class and announces that it will end early because his friend Dr. Sovac is leaving town. Suddenly a siren is heard and Cannon becomes upset, reverting to his gangster image. From the class he sees the vague images of Sunny and the gang members he killed all coming for him. The students crowd around but are upset as Cannon emerges and leaves.Sovac and his daughter are packing to leave when Cannon walks in, asking for him. He grabs Jean, demanding to see the doctor. She screams and calls for her dad. When Sovac comes in, he sees Cannon strangling his daughter. Forced to shoot, he kills Cannon, who falls and reverts back to Kingsley. Now the flashback returns to the present. Sovac is electrocuted but his journal will tell the story and what was learned so that mankind may benefit. | revenge, murder, flashback | train | imdb | null |
tt0110729 | Once Were Warriors | This film is about a Maori family living in Auckland, New Zealand. The parents, Beth and Jake Heke, moved to the city when their tribal elders disapproved of their relationship. Beth (Rena Owen) was descended from the tribal leadership, and seems to have been next in line for leadership when she ran away. Unfortunately Jake (Temuera Morrison) was descended from people who were considered slaves (captives of inter-tribal wars). Rather than be separated they ran away, moved to the city, and got married. They have five children.The film opens with Jake coming home with gifts for his wife and family. He then reveals that he has just been laid off and his wife, Beth, is less than pleased. The viewer almost feels sympathy for Jake at this point. He seems like a man who wants his family to be happy. The truth turns out to be different.Jake has a horrible temper, especially when he drinks. He gets angry easily, and after consuming alcohol he gets violent. Often after a night of drinking at the bar, Jake takes the party home where dozens of intoxicated people flood their home and drink into the early morning. They sing and carry on, even though the children are upstairs trying to sleep. Beth joins in with the drinking and it becomes quickly apparent that they both have a problem. Beth and Jake are very hospitable to their friends, feeding them and allowing them to spend the night. This proves to be problematic in several ways, especially since Jake is unemployed and has 5 children to feed. The children often do not have any food to eat the next day. Jake also savagely beats Beth when he is drunk, which seems to be often. While the physical violence seems to be mostly directed at Beth, it has obviously affected the children as well.The eldest son Nig (Julian Arahanga), is angry and rebellious. He soon joins a gang who sport traditional Maori facial tattoos and think of themselves as warriors. However they seem to have forgotten the honor of traditional Maori warriors, and are really just a gang of violent thugs. It is telling that Nig would rather be with them than his own family.The next oldest son, Mark nicknamed Boogie (Taungaroa Emile), is constantly getting arrested for breaking laws and has to go to court for his most recent encounter. Beth misses her sons court date because of how badly her husband Jake beat her up the night before. The court determines that Boogies parents are not capable of supervising him, and they send him to a boys group home. While Boogie initially resists being in the boy's home, the program director is a strong man who inspires Boogie to look within for inner strength and teaches him the old ways of the tribe, including their traditional chants and martial art: Mau rakau.The oldest daughter, 13 year old Grace (Mamaengaroa Kerr-Bell), has taken on a maternal role in the family. After her parents drunken parties she gets up and cleans up all the empty bottles and gets her two younger siblings ready for school. She even accompanies her brother Boogie to his court date. Her best friend Toot (Shannon Williams) is homeless and lives across town in a car. She goes to him for comfort and escape from her family's violent home. She loves him (platonically) and visits him often to read him stories she has written in her journal.Back at home, nothing has changed and the nightly loud drunken parties still continue. One night, one of Jake's best friends, sneaks into Grace's room and rapes her. He threatens her not to tell anyone. Traumatized about what happened and not knowing who she can turn to, she closes up inside, even pushes away her best friend. When her father disciplines her for not being respectful to the same friend who raped her, she hangs herself in the backyard.Beth knows that the violence in the family caused Grace to kill herself but she does not know about the rape. Devastated, she takes Grace back to the tribe to be buried traditionally. The funeral brings all of the kids back together in unity and in Grace's memory. After the funeral, Beth reads Grace's journal and finds out that Jake's friend raped Grace. Outraged, she goes to the bar to confront Jake and the friend. Jake doesn't believe Beth until she shows him the journal, and then he realizes what happens and commences to beat his friend to death.The movie ends with Beth leaving Jake for good, but unfortunately that will not bring Grace back. Beth closes the movie with the words "Our people once were warriors. But unlike you, Jake, they were people with mana (power), pride; people with spirit. If my spirit can survive living with you for eighteen years, then I can survive anything." | dramatic, violence | train | imdb | null |
tt0145487 | Spider-Man | Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) is a nerdy high school senior in New York City. His parents are dead and he lives with his Uncle Ben (Cliff Robertson) and Aunt May (Rosemary Harris). He has a crush on his next door neighbor, Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst), who is also one of the few classmates who is nice to him. Her boyfriend, Flash (Joe Manganiello) and his buddies pick on him. Peter's only friend is Harry Osborn (James Franco), who, though rich and good-looking, is similarly an outcast. Harry, however, is somewhat jealous of the affection his father, Norman (Willem Dafoe) shows Peter. Norman, the head of weapons contractor Oscorp, appreciates Peter's scientific aptitude and can barely conceal his desire that Peter was his own son.Peter's science class takes a field trip to a genetics laboratory at Columbia University. The lab works on spiders and has even managed to create new species of spiders through genetic manipulation and combination. While Peter is taking photographs of Mary Jane for the school newspaper, one of these new spiders lands on his hand and bites him. Peter comes home feeling ill and immediately goes to bed. At the genetic level, the venom injected by the spider bite begins to work strange magic on Peter. Meanwhile, General Slocum (Stanley Anderson) visits Oscorp to see the results of their new super soldier formula. When one of Norman's top scientists, Dr. Stromm (Ron Perkins) warns him the formula is unstable, General Slocum threatens to pull all of the military's funding from Oscorp. Later that night, Norman exposes himself to the formula. He gains superhuman strength and agility but is driven insane. He kills Stromm and steals two other Oscorp inventions, an exoskeleton and jet glider.Peter wakes up the next morning feeling better than ever. He also learns his scrawny physique now ripples with muscles and his eyesight is perfect. At school that day, he learns he can shoot webs out of spinnerettes in his wrists. He demonstrates his own new agility by catching Mary Jane and her food tray when she slips at lunch and then beating an enraged Flash in a fistfight. That night, he and Mary Jane casually flirt across the fence separating their backyards, although Flash breaks this up when he arrives with his new car. Peter believes he needs a car to impress Mary Jane but knows neither he nor the cash-strapped and retired Ben and May would be able to afford one.One night he spies an advertisement in the paper. A local professional wrestling league will pay $3000 to anyone who can survive three minutes in the ring with their champion, Bone Saw (Randy "Macho Man " Savage). Peter designs a suit and heads out to the arena, telling Ben and May he is going to the library. Ben and May are worried about the changes in Peter's personality and Ben insists on driving him to the library. He tries to explain his and May's concerns. He encourages Peter not to get into any more fights; he might have the power to beat the Flash Thompsons of the world, but "with great power comes great responsibility" -- the responsibility to know when and how best to use that power. Peter reacts badly. He tells Ben he is not Peter's father and should not act like he is. Peter not only survives the wrestling match, he defeats Bone Saw in two minutes. But the promoter pays Peter only $100. Angry at being gypped, Peter stands aside as an armed robber (Michael Papajohn) holds up the promoter. However, when he gets out to the street, he discovers the robber fatally wounded Ben and stole his car. In anguish, Peter chases down the robber and beats him. The robber falls out of a window where his body is recovered by the police. That same night, a menacing figure wearing the stolen Oscorp exoskeleton and riding the jet glider attacks a weapons test at Quest Aerospace, Oscorp's chief competitor. Their prototype is destroyed and General Slocum is killed.Peter is inspired by Ben's admonition to use his spider powers for the greater good. He designs a new costume and swings around New York, foiling petty robberies and muggings as the Amazing Spider-man, a name he borrows from the announcer at the wrestling match. This does not endear him to J. Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons), the editor and publisher of the Daily Bugle, New York's leading muckracking tabloid. However, when he learns Spider-man sells newspapers, he puts out a call to photographers for better photos for his front page. Peter, Harry and Mary Jane graduate from high school and move to Manhattan. Peter and Harry get a loft together and attend classes at Empire State. Mary Jane works as a waitress and struggles to get acting auditions. She and Harry also begin seeing one another. Harry apologizes to Peter but points out Peter was always too shy to make a move himself. Peter struggles to hold down a job. Norman offers to help him find one but respects Peter's desire to make his own way in the world. Peter sees Jameson's advertisement for good photos of Spider-man and, webbing his camera in convenient places, gets excellent photos of his own heroic actions. Although Jameson doesn't pay well, he agrees to buy more of Peter's photos.Norman is also happy; Quest has to reorganize after the debacle that killed Slocum, Oscorp has more government contracts and the company's stock is soaring. He is crestfallen to learn the Board of Directors has chosen this moment to accept a buyout offer from Quest. His insanity manifests itself in a split personality: the driven yet confused Norman, and the murderous, scheming villain who will soon become known as the Green Goblin. As the Goblin, he attacks Oscorp's annual Unity Day street fair and kills the Board of Directors. His attack also endangers Mary Jane. Spider-Man fights off the Goblin and rescues Mary Jane when she nearly falls to her death. Mary Jane finds herself falling in love with Spider-Man, a feeling only reinforced when he saves her from some rapists a few days later during a rainy night. This time, she thanks him with a deep kiss. She doesn't know he is really Peter.The Goblin decides he and Spider-Man should be partners. He attacks the Bugle office to lure Spider-Man into a trap, using knock-out gas to subdue him, and then gives Spider-Man a few days to think over his offer of partnership. He warns Spider-Man the city will eventually turn against him, and that they should rule it together. A few days later, on Thanksgiving, Goblin stages a fire in an apartment building to get an answer from Spider-Man. Spider-Man refuses to join with Goblin, and the two fight. Spider-Man receives a bad cut on his arm. As Norman and Peter, the Goblin and Spider-Man are due at the loft for Thanksgiving dinner. They each race back separately. When Peter arrives to dinner with fresh blood from the cut on his sleeve, Norman realizes Peter is Spider-Man and hastily leaves. On the way out, he insults Mary Jane and she leaves, hurt that Harry didn't defend her. That night, Goblin attacks Aunt May at home, sending her to the hospital. While visiting her, Mary Jane reveals her crush on Spider-man to Peter but they wind up having an intimate moment themselves. Harry sees this and knows his relationship with Mary Jane is over.Goblin decides to strike at Spider-man through Mary Jane. He kidnaps her, then sabotages a trolley car along the Roosevelt Bridge. When Spider-Man arrives, Goblin gives him the choice of saving Mary Jane or the trolley car, then drops them both from the bridge. Spider-Man manages to save both, with an assist from a passing barge and pedestrians on the bridge who pelt Goblin with debris and delay him from his attempts to kill Spider-man. Goblin instead grabs Spider-Man and throws him into an abandoned building.The two fight, and the Goblin overpowers Spider-Man, even throwing a pumpkin bomb directly at Spider-Man's face, heavily damaging Spider-Man's mask and wounding him. As the Goblin holds back Spider-Man and is about to kill him with dual blades, he makes the mistake of threatening Mary Jane. Enraged at this, Spider-Man beats Goblin senseless, overpowering him, but stops when the Goblin unmasks to reveal himself to be Norman. Peter is shocked that Norman is the Goblin. Norman then tries to reason to Peter that all of the actions that had occurred were from the influence of the Goblin's persona upon him. As Norman talks to Peter, asking for forgiveness, Goblin's jet glider appears behind Spider-Man, and the Goblin persona takes over Norman. Goblin tries to use his jet glider to kill Spider-Man, but he leaps out of the way just in time; Norman is impaled and killed. As he dies, Norman asks Peter not to tell Harry about the Green Goblin. Spider-Man takes Norman's body back to his penthouse apartment. Harry sees them and blames Spider-Man for Norman's death. At the funeral, he vows revenge and thanks Peter for being such a great friend.Peter goes to visit Uncle Ben's grave. Mary Jane finds him there and confesses her love for him. She kisses him tenderly, passionately. Peter wants to tell her the truth but can't. Instead, he tells her he can never be more than her friend. Mary Jane has an inkling that she might have kissed him before but Peter walks away, knowing both his blessing and his curse in life: "Who am I? I'm Spider-Man." | murder, stupid, cult, violence, flashback, insanity, humor, action, romantic | train | imdb | null |
tt1077258 | Planet Terror | Over the opening credits, Cherry Darling (Rose McGowan) works as a go-go dancer at a club. After crying onstage, she tells her boss Skip (Skip Reissig) that she needs to make a real change in her life and quits her job. While walking home, several military trucks pass her close enough that she throws herself into a bunch of trashcans. She also gets several splinters in her thigh for her trouble.At the military base a couple of miles away from town, scientist Abby (Naveen Andrews) is threatening his incompetent employee Romey (Julio Oscar Mechoso) for having lost three very valuable 'specimens'; the price of failure is Abby's henchmen cutting off Romey's testicles, which Abby keeps in a jar along with a collection of them from other victims. Lt. Muldoon (Bruce Willis) shows up, wearing a gas mask. He asks Abby where the "shit" is, and Abby says that its all there on the base, prompting a short gunfight. His men are shot to death by Muldoon's troops, and he again asks where the mysterious "shit" is. Muldoon's face starts to boil and Abby says that its all around them. He grabs a pistol and blasts a gas canister open, spreading gas everywhere. Some are unfortunately exposed instantly to the gas, melting into gooey messes. However, Muldoon and his men walk into the green gas and enjoy it while Abby escapes in a vehicle, not noticing one of Muldoon's soldiers is riding on top of the vehicle. The green mist spreads through the air.Meanwhile, Cherry stops at a rundown barbecue restaurant called 'The Bone Shack'. A young woman named Tammy (Fergie) arrives and asks the owner J.T. (Jeff Fahey) for some water for her car's overheated engine. Cherry goes to the dirty ladies room where she cleans her leg wound and sits down in the restaurant where she is the only customer. After Tammy drives away, Wray (Freddy Rodríguez), a local mechanic, arrives in his truck. J.T., obsessed with having the best barbecue in Texas and winning a local contest tells Wray that he is celebrating is restaurant's 25th anniversary. Wray sits at Cherry's table and the two converse, revealing Wray and Cherry have a history together, and she's wearing his jacket. They briefly talk about their past, and Cherry sardonically states that she is going to become a stand-up comedian. Their flame for each is other is clearly still there, and Cherry catches a lift with Wray.Dr. William Block (Josh Brolin) and Dr. Dakota Block (Marley Shelton) wake up at 8:00 PM for their late shift at the hospital where they work. Through their window, they can see the eerie green mist. Dakota makes breakfast for her husband and son, Tony (Rebel Rodriguez) and slyly texts her lover to pick up Tony, who will be with the babysitter.In the hospital where Bill and Dakota work, people with strange symptoms start arriving: the first one, Joe (Nicky Katt), has a bite supposedly half an hour old with an advanced stage of gangrene and bacterial infection. Dr. Felix (Felix Sabates) notes he has seen similar wounds before in Iraq soldiers, due to mustard gas. Joe's temperature is high, and when Block makes Joe open his mouth he is startled that his tongue is infected as well. Block squeezes a boil, making it burst and blood and fluid spurt onto his face. The infection on Joe's arm is spreading, so he calls in Dakota and tells Joe that he's going to amputate his arm. Dakota has three needles and injects Joe with all of them, making him pass out.On the road, Tammy is listening to a radio broadcast dedicated to the memory of someone named Jungle Julia when her car breaks down near the military base. While trying to hitch a ride she is attacked by the infected people (called "sickos"), who tear her apart and drag her body off the road. Wray and Cherry see them dragging the body, but think that it's just a dead deer. (Wray says that its best to run right through a deer if it's in front of you, because trying to swerve might cause you to crash.) He is immediately startled by a sicko in the road and swerves, losing control of his truck. The truck rolls over until its upside down, and Cherry gets after him for swerving; he replies that it wasn't just a deer in the road. Sickos suddenly grab Cherry and take her to the woods. Wray grabs a rifle and runs after her. By the time Wray catches up with them, the sickos have ripped off Cherry's right leg and have run off with it. Wray shoots the sickos, but they don't die. He puts Cherry in his truck and speeds off to the hospital.At the hospital, Cherry is barely awake when admitted. While Dr. Block asks Wray what happened, Sheriff Hague (Michael Biehn) arrives with Deputy Carlos (Carlos Gallardo) and Deputy Tolo (Tom Savini). Hague is startled to see Wray due to an unexplained secret in his past and asks why he's carrying a rifle. Hague arrests him as more sick people show up. Block calls Dakota over and shows her Tammy's corpse which also arrives. A doctor calls her a "no-brainer", since she's missing the back of her head and her brain. Dakota gets upset and cries in a room while Block follows her. He knows that Tammy and Dakota used to have a lesbian relationship, and that they were going to run off that night. Block grabs one of Dakota's needles and stabs her hands with it, causing her hands to become numb. Before he can kill her, Block is called away by another doctor, but he first locks Dakota in the room. The other doctor tells him that all the dead bodies have disappeared from the morgue, with a thick trail of blood leading away.At the police station, Wray is permitted to make one phone call where he has a coded conversation with someone on the other end; Wray asks about something called "DC-2", and asks more coded questions. Earl McGraw (Michael Parks), a local Texas Ranger, talks with Wray over his troubles, and leaves for home to care for his sick wife who's dying from lung cancer. Sheriff Hague keeps asking Wray who he really is when he gets a call from his brother J.T., who complains that there are two people loitering in front of his restaurant who aren't customers. Their conversation reveals that Hague owns the diner and is raising J.T.'s rent due to his brother's refusal to reveal his secret barbecue recipe. J.T. tells Hague not to bother coming over, since the people are coming in, but it turns out the people are sickos, and they presumably attack J.T...Back with the sheriff, Deputy Tolo arrives angry about some maniac that he arrested at Skip's club that bit off his finger. When the cops go outside to investigate, they see that the sicko has escaped from Tolos' cop car. Carlos finds Tolo's ring on the ground, but no finger. As he gives Tolo his ring back, Carlos is bitten on the arm and attacked by sickos. Before they react, Carlos is gruesomely torn apart and eaten by his attackers. Hague and Tolo shoot the sickos, but more show up. Hague and Tolo fight them off as Wray stays inside the station. Tolo is thrown hard against a car, but lives. More police officers, including an attractive female deputy, show up and blast away the sickos. Wray breaks free from his handcuffs after saving Hague's life, and tells him that he's going to the hospital to get Cherry. Hague tells him that they'll take his car. Hague's car explodes, and so the remaining cops get into the back of Wray's truck and head towards the hospital.At the home of Earl McGraw, he feeds his virtually catatonic cancer-stricken wife some soup. He looks away for a second, and when he looks back she's turned into a sicko; she attacks him almost instantly.Back at the hospital, more and more people are coming in with boils and infections. Dr. Felix and Dr. Block are unable to comprehend what's happening. As Dr. Block walks down a hallway, he looks into a room where Joe has turned into a sicko and walks towards him with a surgical saw. Joe cuts Block's glasses, but the saw shuts off when he walks too far away from the outlet, pulling out the plug. Instead, Joe bursts a boil on his face and smears his blood all over Blocks' face, infecting him. Also, Cherry wakes up in a hospital room, and is depressed over her severed leg.Dakota throws herself out of a window, landing in trash outside of the hospital. She goes to her car, but her hands are still numb. She puts her hand through the handle on her car door and kicks the door open, but loses her balance and falls, breaking her left wrist. Dakota gets into the car and puts her keys in with her mouth, then drives off and runs into a lot of cars. As she leaves, Wray and the cops show up. Wray tries to grab a gun, but is stopped by Hague. Instead, Wray grabs a couple of butterfly-knives out of the truck's glove compartment and runs into the hospital as the cops fight the sickos outside. Tolo accidentally shoots a hospital patient wondering around after mistaking him for a sicko.Wray enters the hospital and finds total mayhem has taken over; the infected corpses and injured are chasing and attacking both doctors and patients ripping them apart and eating them. With his two butterfly knives, Wray, like a professional fighter, charges into the carnage, brutally stabbing, slashing, slicing and dicing all the sickos in his path. He eventually makes it to Cherry's room where she's hiding under a sheet playing dead. He tells her to come with him as the hospital is now on fire from the mayhem, but she can't walk. Wray tells her to suck it up, and breaks a leg from a table, shoving it onto Cherry's stump. Cherry awkwardly walks with Wray through the hospital as he protects her from the sickos. They make it to his truck and drive off hoping to make it to J.T.'s place.Meanwhile at Dakota's house, the Crazy Babysitter Twins (Electra Avellan and Elise Avellan) talk on their cell phones with their boyfriends while Dakota's son plays with his pets which include a spider, scorpion, and turtle. Dakota, looking exhausted and dishevelled, comes home, and the babysitter twins get angry at her because her friend didn't show up to take her son on time. Dakota kicks them out of her house and tells her son that they have to leave, but before they do he takes every pet he has with them. While Dakota and her son, Tony, are in their car, the Crazy Babysitter Twins attack them with shovels and smash the windshield. She speeds off, causing one of the twins to land hard on the ground. Dakota drives to Earl McGraw's house, and gives her son a pistol. She tells him that if anyone other than her comes to the car, he must shoot them in the head like in his video games. He asks what if it's dad, and she tells him "especially if it's him." Before she leaves, Dakota tells him to be careful or he'll shoot his own face off. As Dakota walks to the house, she hears a gunshot. She runs to the car to find that her son accidentally shot himself in the head. Her grief is interrupted by Block showing up, having turned into a sicko. He holds her by the hair, but she rips herself away from him, grabs her dead son, and knocks on the front door. Earl, who is revealed to be Dakota's father, lets her in; it is apparent from an axe that he's holding and from blood splattered all over the inside walls, that he has killed his infected wife.Wray and Cherry meet up with Sheriff Hague at J.T.'s restaurant with other survivors from the town where the Sheriff makes them deputies, and they make their way up a hill to J.T.'s. When they get there, they see J.T. lying down on the floor behind the counter, allegedly with his intestines ripped out. Upon further inspection, though, it turns out J.T. was merely unconscious with some barbecued sausages on his stomach, having killed all the sickos by shooting them in the head. Wray tries the sausage, and says that it is the best he's ever had. J.T. tastes the sauce and agrees. His brother, the sheriff, points out that he's bleeding from the temple and it's probably his own blood that's given the sauce the perfect flavour. Afterward, J.T. shows the group some of his escape vehicles. One of which is a chopper motorcycle, while the other is cut and chopped 1950s convertible automobile. Sheriff Hague continues to ask Wray who is really is, but Wray refuses to answer.Cherry and Wray discuss their previous relationship in J.T.'s bedroom. We learn that Cherry left Wray because he couldn't commit. Wray has Cherry look in the pocket of his coat (that she took when she left). She finds an engagement ring. They have sex.What happens after this is unclear to us due to a "missing reel," which causes the film to stop abruptly and melt on screen. The theatre apologizes for the inconvenience.When we do get back to the movie, some 20 minutes of the story have passed. J.T.'s diner is engulfed in flames, besieged by dozens of sickos. A wounded Sheriff Hague is brought inside after he was accidentally shot in the neck by Tolo. More survivors have showed up at J.T.'s place (the babysitter twins, Cherry's boss Skip, Dakota, Earl, and several other people). Also, Wray has evidently told Hague who he really is, with both men hinting at some important dialogue that we would have heard if not for this "missing reel". Hague gives his pistol to Wray, whom he now calls "El Wray". Tolo is against it, but Hague wants Wray to have all the guns. Wray spins his pistols and becomes the leader of the group. Then Tolo is ripped apart and eaten by the sickos who break into the restaurant. The survivors, Wray, J.T., the wounded Hague, and the remaining survivors go outside and see that they're surrounded by the sickos. They unload all their pistols and rifles into them killing several of sickos, but more and more keep on coming. They retreat back inside the burning building and Wray says that someone needs to retrieve his truck so that they can leave. Cherry volunteers and hobbles out as Wray covers her by firing an assault rifle at the dozens of sickos outside. Cherry drives Wray's truck into the restaurant and Hague gets into the driver's seat. The others pile into the back while Skip gets into J.T.'s roofless convertible along with the babysitter twins and Dakota. Cherry rides the motorcycle, and Earl stays behind to provide cover for their escape. After they break through the sickos, the survivors stop at Dakota's car and pull out a minibike, Tony's Pocket Bike, out of the trunk. Dakota rides on the large motorcycle with Cherry as Wray leads the way on the tiny vehicle. They shoot more sickos on the road while Hague runs them over with the truck. J.T.'s dog unfortunately jumps out of the truck and is run over as well.Near the military base, they are blocked by a wall of sicko zombies on a bridge, which are killed by a bunch of soldiers coming up from behind. They are Muldoon and his men. Muldoon knows who Wray is, and has his men knock him out. When Wray wakes up, he finds himself locked up with the other survivors in the military base (Abby is there as well). We find out "El Wray" is actually a war veteran. The soldiers take survivors as prisoners. Abby reveals to Wray and the others that he is the scientist and businessman who has sold the virus, DC2, to the soldiers. They are infected, but can use the gas itself to control the symptoms.Two of the militants (one of them is played by a lecherous Quentin Tarantino) grab Cherry and Dakota. Wray tries to help, but is beaten up. On the elevator ride down, the lecherous soldier stops the elevator and takes off his gas mask. He threatens Cherry with his pistol while his face starts to boil. The other military guy tells him to put his mask back on, and when he does his face becomes normal again.Back in the cell, J.T. rambles on about the barbecue sauce recipe to distract the guard's attention. El Wray, J.T. and a sax playing prisoner (playing the movie's theme song) overpower the guards, but J.T. is shot. El Wray and Abby break out and find Lt. Muldoon who explains what it is actually happening. Lt. Muldoon and his soldiers were in Afghanistan; they'd accidentally found and killed Osama Bin Laden. But as this was against America's interest, so instead of medals they got gassed with DC2, a chemical weapon designed to wipe out entire cities. He figured that the best way to find a cure was to gas a whole town then take the survivors to extract a cure from them. While he talks he has not been wearing his gas mask, so he swells and blisters and finally is shot and killed by El Wray.Meanwhile, the rapist soldier tells Cherry to dance on her wooden leg, and takes off his gas mask. While she dances, Cherry hits him in the head with her wooden leg, splintering it to a sharp point which she then stabs him in the eye with. Furious, he drops his pants, and we see his crotch turn to mush melt away. Cherry is horrified and backs away. Dakota, finally getting some feeling back into her hands, shoots a dart-like needle in his other eye. Abby and El Wray arrive and shoot the rapist and his partner. They all go back to fetch the others. Sheriff Hague and J.T. are both near death from their gunshot wounds, so they are left behind, in control of a bomb. El Wray sticks a specially crafted custom-made M4A1 carbine assault rifle/M203 grenade launcher into Cherry's stump. She uses it to open the door to the command centre, shooting a grenade through the rapist, whose condition has worsened severely. She shoots all the men in the command centre with the rifle.The survivors force their way through the dying soldiers to a couple of helicopters using Cherry's new leg and their own guns. The fatally wounded J.T. and Sheriff Hague volunteer to stay behind and blow up the stash of DC-2 canisters with a remote control detonate that El Wray gives to J.T. After the survivors file out of the building, and engage in a gunfight with the soldiers outside, whom are starting to transform into sickos, J.T. finally tells Hague the secret to his rib recipe (canned tomatoes), then blows up the military base. Storming the helicopters, Abby gets killed and Dakota is attacked by Dr. Block in zombie state. Her father, Earl McGraw, suddenly appears and kills him. During the final battle, Cherry launches herself off the ground with her grenade launcher and blows up a bunch of sickos mid-air. When she lands, she spins around and blasts them away. The survivors make it behind the walls and fight the sickos. One of them shoots a rocket at Cherry, but she dodges it and blows him up. All looks well, and Cherry watches the base burn, but doesn't notice a sicko soldier behind her. Wray and the soldier unload into each other, and Cherry runs to the dying Wray.Everyone gets into the helicopter and Skip flies it, but not before he cuts through a group of sickos with the helicopter's rotary blades. The Crazy Babysitter Twins laugh with glee over the bloodbath and enjoy taking pot-shots themselves at the sickos on the ground, while one gets into the co-pilot seat and turns on the helicopter's windshield wipers to wash the blood splattered on the front windowsEl Wray tells Cherry to go to the ocean, turn her back to the sea, and fight. Cherry pleads with him, asking him not to forget his promise of "two against the world"; he says that the promise is still good, as he has made her pregnant ("I told you, I never miss"). Wray dies, and Cherry grabs onto a lowered rope from the helicopter as it flies away.Cut to Mexico one year later. Cherry tells us via voice-over that she's found other survivors, and that they took Wray's advice and settled down near the ocean in a remote part of Mexico. On the beach, Skip is enjoying this new lifestyle with the Crazy Babysitter Twins by his side, with several armed survivors, including Dakota, patrolling the area for sickos. A sicko pops out to attack a small child in the crowd of survivors when Cherry blasts him away with her new chain-machine gun attached to her leg. The final shot shows Cherry and her baby daughter, the product from her brief period of sex with El Wray, being happy... two against the world. | comedy, murder, cult, horror, violence, humor | train | imdb | Because of low box office returns in the USA (total gross: 25 million $; movie's budget: 100 million), that outrageously mouth-watering experiment known as Grindhouse was split in half for the European release: first came Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof, a masterful reinvention of the slasher flick, the main strength of which was focusing on characters and atmosphere rather than film references; and now comes Planet Terror, Robert Rodriguez's zombie opus which has "excessive" (read: fun) written all over it.That this is going to be a different cinematic experience is obvious before the movie's even started, as it is preceded by the RIP (Rodriguez International Pictures) logo and the fake trailer Machete (the other three are not included in the separate cut), starring Danny Trejo: a bona fide B-movie advert, so gloriously OTT the MPAA would never approve it in real life (swearing, nudity and explicit violence: not good).
And as the inevitable final battle approaches, the blood keeps flowing freely.At first sight, Planet Terror may seem like the lesser of the two Grindhouse halves, mainly because the director, unlike Tarantino who made the separate version of Death Proof longer and better-looking, hasn't modified his segment at all (aside from reinserting half an hour worth of excised material): the scratches and aging signs are still there, and the "missing reel" (a love scene between the two leads) is still missing.
have already done it), puts all his energy in the execution (pun not intended) and delivers exactly what the audience demands: from sexy start to gory finish, Planet Terror is a 105-minute long, shamelessly overblown money shot, a picture that dumps all pretensions and sets out to simply entertain.The focus on blood and guts (and there's plenty of them), however, does not make the film a mere exercise in style, because while he may not be as skilled a writer as his partner, RR manages to deliver some memorable lines (a satirical stab at Bin Laden being the standout) and craft excessive yet immediately likable characters, all played with almost puerile joy by a terrific cast: McGowan, who was killed off immediately in Death Proof, makes up for it here by giving flesh (and what flesh) to one of the toughest babes ever to hit a screen (the image of her with a machine gun instead of her missing leg is already iconic); Freddy Rodriguez, having stolen scenes for five years in Six Feet Under, is completely at ease in the role that should make him an A-lister; Naveen Andrews, best known for playing Sayid on Lost, has the fun of a lifetime shaking off his nice guy image as a testicle-collecting (!) scientist; and finally, people like Bruce Willis and Tarantino (whose part is ten times as crazy and hilarious as his Death Proof cameo) pop up briefly to memorable effect for one simple reason: they just want to have a good time.A good time: that is all Planet Terror has to offer, no more, no less.
While Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof seems to be a much more authentic representation of 1970s grindhouse pictures, Robert Rodriguez' Planet Terror is more of a loving caricature of 1980s zombie splatter films.
For Tarantino it's stylized long-shots, intellectual-cum-vapid dialog, and a penchant for bad-ass ladies and some sick violence.For Rodriguez, it's what we've come to see as a sort of mix between his Mariachi films and From Dusk till Dawn: slam-bang action, truly absurd twists with the occasional shock factor (in this case the "accidental" death of a child), and raucous humor from dialog that, in its own right, is probably just as self-consciously clever as QT's.
There isn't some big block of specific scenes stuffed back in from the original cut, however the bits that are noticeable for those who are aware of the original 90 minute version- i.e. waking up at night to see the green-tinted moon, the extra bit at the police station, some extras at the hospital- don't really add much at all to the proceedings to make it any better as it is.For what it's worth though, to those who will seek it out having not had the luck- as imposed by the what seems to be ironic monacher after the Machete trailer "Brought to you by your friends at the Weinstein Company!"- Planet Terror is a kick-ass, take-no-prisoners zombie flick, filled with enough ballsy attitude for two B-movies that deserve to get immediately dusted off and played to packed audiences of sick f***s who cant get enough of gruesome, over-the-top horror violence and tongue-in--so-deep-it's-breaking-the-cheek dialog.
We follow a few main characters, all of which are enigmatic and end up having connections that no one would have seen coming, which reminded me of the low budget films that used to come out back in the day, where the director would try to weave in so many subplots the whole thing becomes silly (and a lot of fun)...The movie is heavy on gore and there's a ton of beautiful women, therefore its a visually pleasing film to watch, especially with the premature aging effect they use to make the movie seem old.Another factor I was excited about was Micheal Biehn, I haven't seen him in an action oriented roll in a while and it was good to see him back in action (whatever happened to him anyway?).
The plot is fairly simple, a zombie outbreak in which the survivors are the cure for the zombie infection and have to survive.Its a really fun movie, and is the better half of Grindhouse (Death Proof seemed like a very ODD chick flick).
I reviewed this before as it was put together next to "Death Proof" (plus a number of inspired trailers for films that don't exist) for the grand experiment "Grindhouse",and I felt that while I still quite enjoyed the whole package, this probably should've been broken into halves to make this a little more viewer friendly (that is,assuming directors Quentin Tarrantino and Robert Rodriguez were EVER interested in trying to make a commercial hit out of their opus).The pulpy,weighted on action tale of a bio-chemical leakage at a rural Texas military outpost that turns people in zombies brings together a variety of disparate locals,among them a hardened and bitingly sardonic stripper (Rose McGowan,who has to work hard to NOT drip sexuality) and her sometime boyfriend and bad-ass fighter (Freddy Rodriguez).
Subplots involving a loveless and abusive marriage between wed doctors (MArley Shelton and Josh Brolin) and rival brothers--one a sheriff (Michael Biehn),the other a BBQ rib joint proprietor (Jeff Fahey,who was unrecognizable to me at first)--seem to be padding to build conflict toward a big,bloody,messy,fiery climax,and if there's anyone who understands those kinds of film finishes,it's director Robert Rodriguez,working the usual flourish and flair.On it's own or added to Tarantino's road menace pic,this is still quite a bit of non-brain-taxing fun!.
This reviewer at least found the results less pretentious, the trash origins not being made more of than they ever were - the sexist treatment of women for instance less insidious.The illusion of viewing much watched, much loved bad 70's junk cinema is extended even to the point of deliberately introducing blemishes to the film, also plot holes, as well as a whole 'missing reel' which interrupts the continuity, with suitable management apologies, half way through the action.
This exciting film packs tension, chills, thrills, terror, sadism, tongue in check and lots of blood and gore- including stabbing,slicing,stabbing,quartering- courtesy of Greg Nicotero and Howard Berger; they create a truly creepy make-up of horrible zombies cannibals.The flesh-eating mutants appearance deliver the goods with hair raising thrills and plenty of scares and eerie murders.The astonishing killings are gruesomely executed and grisly graphic.
for which he prolly got a lot of money...He did direct "Death Proof" which IS, so I too think, a good movie...But this one isn't.I'm feeling sorry for anyone who likes this movie, since it's nothing but a weak jointogether of every other bad zombie movie ever screened...
To me, it seemed that all the cast and crew had a wonderful time trying to recreate those cheesy moments, especially with the spouting of extremely cringeworthy lines of dialogue, and even more terrible acting, but this attitude of fun permeates through the movie, even having an essential reel (with I'm sure plenty more flesh you would want to see, and probably some major plot revelations as well) gone missing.
Look out too for a cameo appearance (and this guy seem to be making a lot of uncredited/cameo appearances too) and his dialogue regarding the war on terror.I'd highly recommend Planet Terror over Death Proof anytime (sorry Tarantino), and it is too bad their idea of kickstarting a slew of Grindhouse features seemed to have taken a backseat due to the lacklustre performance of their double bill.
Mr Rodrigues, please remove thyself from the movie business, you are ruining good film for reasons i will never comprehend, nor do i wish to, shame on you Quentin for even putting your name on this rubbish, this movie is a series of fragmented violence of blood and pure gore, how do the Weinstien sleep at night, if there was a minus score, i would willingly and gleefully give it, and by the average rating, i would suggest that your viewers get a real brain, omg, this movie and i use that term loosely, is a perfect example of the American healthcare systems, poor bastards, i am now willing to concede under protest that No Country For Old Men is a spectacle compared to this screwed up offering, Robert, please do us all a favour and squeeze a couple of rounds in thy mouth, quickly oh one last word, i do not need an American spelling count as an error, bloody savages!.
I think there running out of ideas, This was so bad and flawed it even made old grindhouse movies seem like they deserve an Oscar nomination.IF the directors and actors made money from this film i will be shocked and appalled, many movies that never made it onto the big screen that were 100 times better.Beware don't rent this movie, its quite embarrassing..
But at the same time, it contradicts itself as you wouldn't get big action stars such as Bruce Willis, making a cameo in b-movies.So other than contradicting itself, and showing the obvious reason b-movies are b-movies and not watched by many people, planet terror does well, although there's nothing left to do well n, so overall its poor.+ rose McGowan with a gun on her stump??
It was seen even in From Dusk Till Dawn, where the movie started brilliantly (with his pal Tarantino doing a good job as a psychotic killer)and then drifted to the Rodriguez favorite zombie theme.Planet Terror has all the ingredients that can disgust anyone - blood spilling, arms getting pulled out, stabbing in the eye ,etc,etc.
Planet Terror (2007)The first part of the B movie double feature 'Grindhouse' by Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino is intended to be something like a 1960s -70s B-movie, where the golden era of exploitation movie sprung such notable examples as George A Romero's 'Night of the Living Dead' and Joe Dante's ridiculous 'Piranha'.At 191 minutes of sleazy, gory, mouthy, gratuitous content whizzing around it is no surprise that 'Grindhouse' flopped at the box-office, which forced the studio to split the films separately to raise more revenue for outside the USA.
When the outbreak affects most of the local population, a group of people with immunity leaded by the mechanic Wray (Freddy Rodriguez), Sheriff Hague (Michael Biehn), the stripper Cherry (Rose McGowan) and the Dr. Dakota (Marley Shelton) fight to survive and become the last hope to save the world.The stylish, gore and hilarious "Planet Terror" has a great potential of cult-movie, with an immediate association with "Braindead" and "Night of the Living Dead".
I get it: the director's respected, he has a cult-following, and he apparently likes the kind of trashy films that cause the rest of us to change channel.I've seen really bad films on the sci-fi and horror channels and I've seen spoofs of them too, but since neither are entertaining nor can hold one's attention for 90 minutes, I have to wonder why such an esteemed director opted to make this ode to crapness.The beginning, with the girl who was hot in Scream and then made a series of bad films, did succeed in getting my red blood pumping somewhat, but unfortunately, this promptly turned into yet another of those awful flicks I've since seen her in.Hey, she's gorgeous, she's probably a good actress, but she makes crappy judgements on what to play.And sadly, three hot girls is about all I could find remotely interesting in this dire mess, which isn't even remotely funny, just plain bad.Watch gore comedy classics like Blood Diner or Bad Taste if you fancy some nasty laughs, but leave this rubbish well alone...
Just give them guns, and let them shoot every motherf***er Zombies."Planet Terror" is a crazy/serious pastiche and a beautiful homage to the Grinhouse Z-movies, with it's stupid situations, stereotype characters, out of the blues dialogs, extremely gore and fun action scenes, and beautiful woman with gun-legs.
It's a little bit like "From dusk 'till Dawn", only in better.Extremely funny and fun, the movie also manages to be a sincere homage to the genre as well as an experimental movie, that beats the Tarantino's one in its own field (the "mising reel" is a real post-modern sabotage of the movie, like the scratches on the film, that gives "Planet Terror" a magnificent vintage look).
After a strange gasa biological weapon developed by the militaryis deliberately released into the atmosphere, a group of survivors must do battle with hordes of bloodthirsty zombies, whilst also trying to stop the bad guys responsible for the epidemic.Planet Terror is Robert Rodriguez's half of the faux exploitation double-bill originally released in the States (along with Quentin Tarantion's Death Proof and some 'fake' trailers) as Grindhouse.
Whilst neither film is a particularly good example of either directors' work, at least Planet Terror isn't the major disappointment that QT's dull yakathon proved to be.Rodriguez begins his paean to the mindlessly violent drive-in flicks of yesteryear with a fun trailer for a trashy thriller entitled 'Machete', which, packed with OTT action, looks extremely impressive and certainly whets the appetite for the 'main feature'.
Fun but shallow.At the end of the day "Planet Terror" is the more entertaining out of the two "Grindhouse" films and it's also Robert Rodriguez' best movie so far.
Should viewers be ready for some surprise cameos and shameless gross-out gags?Oh, yes.Originally partnered with Quentin Tarantino's "Death Proof" under the title "Grindhouse," as a double-feature celebration of '70s Grade-B hardcore action movies, "Planet Terror" gives you a gripping story that features a diverse array of characters and several subplots, all of which mesh together very well while keeping the ultra-violent action flowing.Even when writer-director Robert Rodriguez doesn't have an idea completely worked out, he manages to cover for it cleverly by exploiting the exploitation genre itself, serving up a "missing reel" to fast-forward the film through what might well have been a tedious explanation phase."Thank you for telling me about
you know," says a sheriff (Michael Biehn) who had previously been suspicious about El Wray's true identity."Don't mention it," El Wray (Freddy Rodriquez) replies.
In 2007, Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez joined forces to create the Grindhouse film experience: a double feature intended to emulate the thrilling grittiness and distinctive roughness of 1970s exploitation cinema.Planet Terror is a sick, disgusting, schlocky, over-the-top and ridiculous zombie flick, and for a Grindhouse feature, it's perfect!
Robert Rodriguez's music score is pretty damn awesome too.Of the Grindhouse double-feature, Planet Terror is my favorite of the lot, for it is so full of crazy energy, crazy blood and gore, crazy characters, and crazy style.
Planet Terror is an excellent,Action-Packed,Bloody and Gory Zombie Horror film that is filled with amazing direction,wonderful cast,a well-written script,great special make-up effects and fantastic score and is Robert Rodriguez at his best.Set in Texas,Planet Terror tells the story of Cherry Darling(Rose McGowan),a Go-Go Dancer and inspiring stand-up comedian who along with her ex-boyfriend El Wray(Freddy Rodriguez)have to lead a group of survivors when a toxic chemical is released into the air and turning people into Zombie-like creatures.
The movie would be Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror,an Action-packed,gory and over the top Zombie film that was the best of the two Grindhouse double bill with the other film being Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof.
After watching Planet Terror for the first time, it instantly became one of my favorite films.It has lots of blood and gore, great well known cast with great performances and I loved the film grains and filters they used to make it look older than it actually is.There was really nothing about this film I didn't like apart from wishing Michael Biehn and Bruce Willis had bigger roles.A very interesting and entertaining take on zombie movies.
Among the survivors are Wray (Freddy Rodríguez), go-go dancer Cherry (Rose McGowan) and Sheriff Hague (Michael Biehn) who all fit perfectly into the bizarre setting as the stereotypes they are, the casting throughoutly is just right.The film looks good and is fun to watch; the deliberate improper cuts, sound distortions and visual filters all add up to the unorthodox movie experience.
And there's a drastic difference -- "Death Proof" has the dialogue and the superior music, but "Planet Terror" has the action, the blood, the humor and the pure campiness people were coming to see.The cast makes this film.
Rodriguez' "Planet Terror" is even more entertaining and especially more 'grindhouse' than Tarantino's "Death Proof".
And yes it is way better than Death proof witch i was a little disappointed after watching but i would have wanted to see the grindhouse double feature, This is still a very fun,action packed,zombie shooting movie ever! |
tt0109445 | Clerks | Dante Hicks (Brian O'Halloran) is a clerk at the Quick Stop, a local convenience store in Leonardo, New Jersey. On Dante's day off, his boss calls him in to cover a few hours for another employee who is sick. Arriving at the store, he finds that padlocks for the security shutters are jammed closed with chewing gum, so he hangs a sheet over them with a message in shoe polish: I ASSURE YOU; WE'RE OPEN. Dante is flustered at having to open the store at 6 AM when he'd just closed it the night before. He's also upset that he hasn't gotten enough sleep before having to play a street hockey game that afternoon.Dante's day is spent in the purgatory of serving a succession of clueless and oblivious customers while bemoaning the fact that "I'm not even supposed to be here today!" His earliest customer is a man who tries to convince customers buying cigarettes that they should choose chewing gum, Chewlies brand, instead of smoking. To emphasize his point, the man shows a customer what he claims is a diseased lung that he carries in a bag. Before long, a crowd has gathered at the checkout and turns hostile at the first customer's taunts and rantings, blaming Dante for the ills of smoking because he sells cigarettes. When they start pelting him with cigarettes, Dante's girlfriend, Veronica, sprays them all with a fire extinguisher, bringing them under control. She confronts the man who recommended the chewing gum, finding out he's a representative of the Chewlies brand trying to drum up sales. She orders him out along with the mob.Dante and Veronica also get into a fight over her sexual past when she tells him that she performed fellatio on 36 other guys before she dated Dante. Dante considers her past acts to be more severe than his own, which include having had sex with 11 other women before Veronica. Veronica storms out following a heated argument.Interspersed with the demands of his job, Dante passes time in wide-ranging conversations with his slacker friend, Randal Graves (Jeff Anderson). Randal ostensibly works at the RST Video Store right next door, although he spends almost the entire day at the Quick Stop and is not averse to treating customers with contempt.The two converse about many things to pass time, such as whether the independent contractors working on the second Death Star when it was destroyed at the end of Return of the Jedi were innocent victims or not.Veronica stops in again, bringing Dante lasagne for lunch. The two reconcile about their respective sexual pasts. She and Dante also talk about Dante's current disposition - in a rut with no motivation to change -- Dante had attended college for a short period and dropped out. Veronica had transferred to a university closer to home to be closer to Dante. Further contributing to Dante's misery is an announcement in the local newspaper that his unfaithful ex-girlfriend, Caitlin, is engaged to be married. For the previous several weeks Dante had been secretly talking to Caitlin on the phone, rekindling their relationship. Dante also talks to Randal about how Caitlin had frequently been unfaithful to Dante, once even mistaking him for another man at a party they'd both gone to separately.Learning that he's stuck working the store all day because his relief skipped out to go to Vermont on vacation and the owner of the store and building is nowhere to be found, Dante convinces his friends to play hockey on the store roof. The game is short; 12 minutes into the 1st period, an irate customer climbs the ladder to the roof, demanding that Dante open the store. When the guy criticizes Dante's playing, Dante angrily invites him to play in their game. The guy wastes no time knocking Dante over in the face off and shoots their only ball off the roof and into a storm drain.Reopening the store, Dante finds out one another of his ex-girlfriends has died and her memorial service is today. Randal talks him into closing the store again and going to the wake. The visit is disastrous, and the two are seen leaving the funeral home in a hurry and driving away, although the audience doesn't see what transpires during the memorial service. However, a conversation moments later between the two reveals that Randal knocked over the casket. Randal seems indifferent to the chaos he caused, callously saying that the dead friend didn't feel a thing.While talking to a couple of former high-school classmates, Dante finds out that the man he's talking to, Rick Derris, was one of Caitlin's flings while she was still dating Dante. Another man enters the store and asks Dante if he's been working there all day. After a few moments, he hands Dante a court summons; Dante had allegedly sold cigarettes to an underage girl, whose mother had called the authorities. However, Dante had not been at the counter at the time, Randal had and had sold the girl the cigarettes. Dante now faces incontestable charges and a $500 fine. While he chases after the official and Derris in protest, Caitlin (Lisa Spoonhauer) suddenly appears, a surprise visit.Dante takes her to the video store for a private conversation. After she assures Dante that the engagement announcement was premature and arranged by her overbearing and domineering mother, the two trade banter and Dante becomes torn between her and Veronica. He finally decides to take Caitlin on a date and slips home to change. He returns to discover that Caitlin has had sex with a dead man in the bathroom, having mistaken the man for Dante (the man had earlier entered the bathroom with a pornographic magazine and had suffered a fatal heart attack while masturbating). An ambulance takes Caitlin away in shock, along with the corpse.Meanwhile, Jay and Silent Bob (Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith), are pair of stoners who've spent all day hanging out (and dealing marijuana) outside the Quick Stop, enter the store to shoplift. Dante turns down Jay's offer to party with them. Knowing Dante's predicament, Silent Bob pauses before following Jay outside and offers the following wisdom: "You know, there's a million fine-looking women in the world, dude. But they don't all bring you lasagne at work. Most of 'em just cheat on you."Dante then realizes that he loves Veronica. When she returns to the Quick Stop, though, Randal complicates things by revealing that Dante was in love with Caitlin and is planning to date his ex again. Veronica angrily breaks up with Dante and reveals to him that Randal told her of his plans to be with Caitlin. Dante finally loses his temper and fights with Randal, making a mess of the store. While they sit in the mess they created, Dante continues to bemoan his station in life and being stuck in a dead end job, having a girlfriend who had sex with a dead man, and that Veronica had an active sex life before she and Dante began dating. Finally losing his own temper, Randall yells back at Dante and counters everything by telling Dante that he's sick of hearing him whine about how rotten his life is and that Dante needs to think about making serious changes in his life if he wants it to improve.The film ends with the two reconciling and cleaning up the store for the night. At Dante's request, Randal "rangles" out, popping back in briefly to toss Dante's sign at him stating, "You're closed!" | comedy, depressing, adult comedy, cult, psychedelic, humor, satire, philosophical, entertaining, home movie | train | imdb | null |
tt0450340 | Unknown | How would you feel if you were tied to a chair,
in a locked down warehouse,
in the middle of nowhere,
with no recollection whatsoever of what happened,
or what didn't.
To add to it, you're not alone. There are four others with you in the exact same state of mind.
Some of the group are responsible for putting the others there BUT no one knows who's who.
That's how this movie starts, getting grittier with every passing minute.
Five guys are asleep in an abandoned, run down warehouse. There has been some violence. One is handcuffed by one hand to a railing; one is tied up. "Blue jean shirt" wakes up first, and has no idea who or where he is. He has no memory. The other four are still asleep, but Blue Jean Shirt makes the handcuffed man more comfortable and wanders around. The phone rings and Blue Jean Shirt has no idea what to make of it; by this time it is obvious there has been violence. Blue Jean Shirt fakes his way through the phone conversation, including lying about a Glock being in the desk drawer. The plot unfolds slowly as the other four wake up and they try to find a way out of the warehouse. They get along sometimes, sometimes they argue violently; you know some of these five are bad guys and then you get the feeling that some are good guys as the clues continue coming and fall into place slowly, as the movie plot twists its way to the surprise at the end where it all falls together. | plot twist, psychological, murder, flashback | train | imdb | null |
tt0116282 | Fargo | The movie opens with a car towing a new tan Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera through a sub-freezing blizzard to a small inn in Fargo, North Dakota. It is 8:30 p.m. on a cold night in January 1987. When the driver goes inside, we see that it is Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy), and he uses the false name 'Jerry Anderson' to check in. He then goes to the inn's bar/restaurant to have a meeting with two men.Jerry has obviously never met them before. The short, bug-eyed, dark-haired, annoyed, talkative one, Carl Showalter (Steve Buscemi), tells him that Shep Proudfoot, a mutual acquaintance of theirs who set up the meeting, had said Jerry would be there at 7:30 rather than 8:30. The other man, a tall, blond Swede named Gaear Grimsrud (Peter Stormare), sits silently and smokes. They discuss the tan Ciera as part of a payment to them from Jerry, plus $40,000. Apparently, Jerry has hired the men to kidnap his wife in order to get a ransom from his wife's father. Jerry is a fast talker and doesn't want to say much about why he needs the money, but he reveals that his father-in-law is wealthy and that he plans on asking for $80,000 and keeping the other half for himself. Carl and Gaear accept the deal.The next day, Jerry returns to his home in Minneapolis, Minnesota where we see part of his impassive home life. Jerry awkwardly greets his laid-back, subservient wife Jean (Kristin Rudrüd), but he becomes uncomfortable when he sees his father-in-law, Wade Gustafson (Harve Presnell), sitting on the couch watching a hockey game on TV, visiting that night for supper. They all eat dinner, and Jerry and Jean's young teenage son, Scotty (Tony Denman), leaves early to go to McDonald's. Jerry and Wade start to argue about this; that Jerry seems to spoil Scotty and allows him to do whatever he wants, plus Jerry does not inflict much discipline on his son. To get out of the conversation, Jerry changes the subject by bringing up a deal he had apparently suggested earlier to Wade, in which he's asking for a loan of $750,000 to build a 40-acre parking lot in Wayzata. Wade tells Jerry that his associate, Stan Grossman, usually looks at those kinds of deals before he does. Jerry nervously urges him to accept it, saying he and his family are in desperate need of money soon. Wade, who clearly appears to have a condescending attitude toward Jerry, tells him that Jean and Scotty will never have to worry about money. (Wade clearly omits Jerry's name).Another day later, Carl and Gaear are driving the Cutlass Ciera towards Minneapolis. Gaear tells Carl he wants to stop at "pancakes house", and Carl complains that they just had pancakes for breakfast. Gaear looks at him and tells him coldly they will stop at pancakes house. Carl agrees, somewhat reluctantly, they will stop for the night in Brainerd where they will get pancakes, and "get laid."Back in Minneapolis, Jerry is the executive sales manager at the car lot Wade owns, a job which fits Jerry's talkative, weasely manner. He's arguing with a couple about the $500 "TruCoat" sealant on the couple's new $19,000 car, and now Jerry is clearly over-charging them for it when they had said they didn't want it. Jerry says he will talk to his manager about it, and leaves the room to have a conversation with another salesman about hockey tickets. He comes back and lies to the couple by stating that his manager has approved a $100 discount on the TruCoat, and the husband agrees but profanely accuses Jerry of being a liar.The story goes back briefly to a motel room at the Blue Ox, a motel in Brainerd that evening. Gaear and Carl are having enthusiastic sex with two women on separate beds in the same room. They watch 'The Tonight Show' with Johnny Carson on the TV afterwords.The next morning at the Lundegaards', Jean and Scotty are having an argument about his low grades in school. The phone rings, and it's Wade calling for Jerry. Wade tells him that Stan Grossman has looked at the parking lot deal and he says it's "pretty sweet." Jerry tries to restrain his excitement, as he apparently had thought Wade wouldn't want to go through with it. They schedule a meeting for 2:30 pm that afternoon.Jerry is optimistic about the future meeting with Wade, and is now considering calling off the kidnap/ransom plot. He makes his way to the dealership's large service garage to seek out a burly Native American mechanic, named Shep Proudfoot (Steve Reevis). A man of few words, Shep is apparently the middleman who set up Jerry's earlier meeting with Carl and Gaear. Surprisingly, Shep does not know who Carl is. He tells Jerry he'll only vouch for Grimsrud, not Carl. Regardless, Jerry tells him that's fine, but was just wondering if there was an alternate phone number to reach Carl and Gaear. Shep casually tells Jerry that he can't help him anymore, for he has no other means to get in contact with Gaear or Carl. Jerry is visibly nervous.In the next scene, Carl and Gaear are driving and the skyline of the Twin Cities is visible. Carl chats mindlessly to Gaear and asks him if he's ever been to the Twin Cities, to which Gaear responds with a short "nope." Carl goes on about how that's the most Gaear has said all day. He asks Gaear how much he'd like it if he stopped talking.Meanwhile, Jerry is sitting in his office at the car dealership talking on the phone. On the other end is a man named Reilly Diefenbach (voice of Warren Keith) from the banking loan company GMAC who tells Jerry that he can't read the serial numbers of a list of vehicles on a financing document Jerry sent by fax some time ago. Jerry is elusive, telling him there's no problem since the loans are in place already. The man tells him 'yes', and that Jerry got $320,000 last month from the insurance loans for the new set of cars sold, but there's an audit on the loan and that if Jerry cannot supply the serial numbers of the cars as proof of the sales to prove that the vehicles exist, GMAC will have to recall all of that money. Jerry clearly tries to get the man off the phone as quickly as he can while still being vague about the particulars. Jerry tells him that he'll fax him another copy. The man tells him a fax copy is no good, because he can't read the serial numbers of the cars from the fax he already has. Jerry tells him he'll send him another one as soon as possible and then hangs up.(Note: It is highly implied at this point that Jerry is secretly embezzling money from the car dealership bank accounts either for personal use or to pay off more anonymous debts. So, in order to cover up his crime, he replaced the money he stole by sending fake sales documents to acquire a $320,000 insurance loan from GMAC for a new batch of cars that he sold... cars which apparently don't exist, thus in some part explains why Jerry needs $320,000 to pay back GMAC when they come to recall their loan.)At the Lundegaards' house, at about the same time Jerry is on the phone, Jean sits alone watching a morning TV show. She hears a noise and looks up at the sliding-glass door in the back just as Carl comes up the steps to the back deck, wearing a ski mask and holding a crowbar. He peers through the window as if looking for someone, steps back, and smashes the glass door with the bar. Jean screams and tries to run for the front door, but Gaear suddenly barges in through the front door, also wearing a ski mask. He grabs her wrist and she bites his hand. She runs up the stairs as Carl enters. Gaear lifts up his mask, looks at the bite, and tells Carl he needs unguent. Jean takes a phone into the second floor bathroom and locks herself in, trying desperately to call 911. The cord is under the door. Carl and Gaear yank the phone out of her hands before she can finish dialing. The door frame starts to break as Carl uses the crowbar to get through. Sobbing hysterically, she frantically tries to pry the screen off the second-story window to escape before the men get in. The door busts open, and the two men stand there looking at an empty bathroom, the window open. Carl runs to go outside to look for her, and Gaear raids the medicine cabinet for some salve. As he is about to put it on his hand, he looks up into the mirror and sees the shower curtain drawn on the tub. He pauses for a moment and realizes where Jean is. Jean, hiding in the tub, begins thrashing and screaming and takes off, blindly hurtling through the bathroom and down the hall. She runs screaming, trying to throw off the curtain, and she trips and falls down the flight of stairs and lands hard at the bottom. Gaear calmly follows her down the stairs and nudges her body to see if she is alive.At the 2:30 p.m. business meeting, Stan Grossman (Larry Brandenburg) and Wade tell Jerry that the deal is looking good. They ask him what kind of finder's fee he is looking for. Jerry seems confused and tells Stan and Wade that they would be lending all the money to him to proceed with building the parking lot. They explain that while Jerry will get a finder's fee of around 10% of the $750,000, Wade and Stan will oversee the rest of the development of the parking lot with the rest of the money. Jerry (realizing that $75,000 is nowhere near what he needs to pay back his massive debit to GMAC), tries to convince them to give him all of the $750,000 so Jerry can invest it himself... with neither Wade nor Stan overseeing his work. Stan tells Jerry they thought his asking for $750,000 was merely an investment he brought to them, and states that they are not a bank. Jerry insists that Wade and Stan give him all of the 750 grand and he will pay them back the principal and interest when the deal starts paying, but Wade and Stan insist on running the deal themselves. Jerry desperately guarantees them their money back if they let Jerry run the deal and let him have all the money, but both Wade and Stan say they are not interested and that they would like to move on the deal independently. Jerry goes out to his car alone and vents his rage and frustration with the ice scraper on his frozen windshield.Jerry walks into his house later that day. He surveys his empty house, where there are obvious signs of a struggle during the kidnapping. He practices the fake desperate and sad phone call he will make to her father.Later that night, Carl and Gaear are driving with the sobbing Jean, now covered with a blanket in the back seat of the car. They pass a huge statue of Paul Bunyan and the welcome sign for Brainerd. Gaear, smoking and looking out the window as usual, is annoyed by Jean's whimpering and tells her to shut up or he'll throw her in the trunk."Geez, that's more than I've heard you say all week," Carl tells him. Gaear gives him a hard, cold stare and turns away. It is then that a Minnesota State Police cruiser behind them flips on its lights and pulls them over. Carl realizes they're being stopped because he failed to put temporary vehicle registration tags on the car, and he tells Gaear he'll take care of it. He tells Jean to keep quiet or they'll shoot her. Gaear stares at him expressionlessly. The trooper approaches Carl's window and asks for a driver's license and registration. Carl gives the trooper his driver's license, but does not have the car's vehicle registration or insurance. He then tries unsuccessfully to coolly bribe the trooper, who tells him to step out of the car. Nervously, Carl hesitates, and Jean makes a noise in the back seat. The trooper points his flashlight at Jean. Quickly, Gaear reaches across Carl, grabs the trooper's hair, slams his head onto the door, pulls a pistol from the glove box, and shoots him in the head, blowing his brains out. Carl sits stunned, the trooper's blood having splattered across his face, and an angry Gaear tells him to ditch the body.As Carl lifts the dead trooper by the arms, a pair of headlights starts towards them down the highway. He freezes in the lights, holding the obviously dead man in his arms by the police car. The two people in the car stare as they pass. Gaear quickly climbs into the driver's seat and takes off after the other car. He is briefly puzzled when its tail lights vanish in the dark, but quickly spots the car turned over in the snow on the roadside. Gaear stops and jumps out of the car. The driver is limping and trying to run across the snowy field. Gaear fires once, striking the man in the back. He falls face-first and dies. Gaear then walks over to the upside down car and looks inside, where a young woman is lying awkwardly in her upside-down seat. He leans back, aims his pistol, and the screen cuts to black as he shoots her.A little later, the phone rings at the home of a sleeping couple, Brainerd police chief Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand) and her husband Norm (John Carroll Lynch). As she gets out of bed we see she is very pregnant. Norm makes her some breakfast before she goes out to the scene of the shooting.That morning, Marge arrives at the scene of the overturned car driven by the collateral shooting victims. Marge is observant and quick-working, and she determines from the size of the footprints that the shooter was a heavyset individual. She surmises the events we've already seen - the trooper pulled over a motorist for a traffic violation, said motorist shot him. The second car came driving past, and the shooter, realizing they'd seen him, chased them down and shot them.Marge then looks at the trooper's unit, parked several hundred yards up the road and sees a set of smaller prints by the trooper's body, lying in the snow by the roadside. Here, Marge deduces that a second, smaller man was involved. From the fact that the trooper's car's lights were turned off, Marge deduces that the accomplice was warming up in the cruiser while the heavy person was chasing down the two witnesses. As Marge and the other officer, Lou (Bruce Bohne), drive away, Lou notes that the trooper's notebook was lying on the floor of his car, which the killers apparently overlooked, and they find their first clue: the officer had partially filled out a ticket at 2:18 am for a tan Cutlass Ciera with a license plate number starting with DLR. Marge realizes that this is not the beginning of a license plate number, but an abbreviation of the word "dealer" which is an indication that the car was stopped because it had dealer plates that hadn't been changed yet.At a restaurant in Minneapolis, Jerry, Wade, and Stan Grossman sit and discuss Jean's kidnapping. Jerry tells them that the kidnappers called him and expressly told him not to call the cops. Wade is angry and insists on calling the police. As a surprise to Jerry, Stan sides with Jerry and says they should not call the police or negotiate with the kidnappers and that they should give them the ransom. Jerry tells Wade the men asked for one million dollars (obviously planning to give Carl and Gaear their $40,000 and to keep the rest for himself to pay off his debits). Jerry also says he needs the money ready by tomorrow. Stan offers to stay with Jerry and wait for a phone call from the kidnappers, but Jerry tells him the men said they'd deal only with him. Stan asks Jerry if Scotty will be okay. It seems to suddenly dawn on Jerry that this will affect his son, and he seems visibly upset or at least surprised that he had never thought about his scheme affecting Scotty before.At home, Jerry tells Scotty about the kidnapping, and the boy cries and asks if Jean will be okay. Jerry nods and doesn't offer much comfort. He tells the boy that if anyone calls for Jean, he should just say she is visiting relatives in Florida.That afternoon, Carl and Gaear pull up to a cabin by a lake, and Gaear opens the back door to guide Jean inside. She is hooded and tied at the wrists. Jean squeals and tries to run away; Gaear reaches to catch her, but Carl stops him and watches her running blindly in the snow, laughing hysterically. She falls, and Carl laughs hysterically. Gaear, staring expressionlessly, goes to get her.Downtown in Brainerd, Marge goes to the police station to eat lunch, and her husband Norm is waiting there for her with food from Arby's. As they eat, Lou pokes his head into Marge's office and tells her that the night before the shootings, two men checked into the Blue Ox Motel with a tan Ciera with dealer plates; apparently, "they had company."Marge goes to a bar to interview the two women who Carl hired to have sex with him and Gaear in the motel. The two ditzy women, whom work as strippers at the bar during the evening hours, are not very helpful in describing the two men. The first one describes Carl, the "little fella," as funny-looking, and the other describes Gaear, the "big fella", as an older man who didn't talk much but smoked a lot. The women tell Marge that the men told them that they were headed to the Twin Cities.In the cabin, Carl is banging the top of the staticky TV, cursing at it. Jean is tied to a chair, the hood covering her head and her cold breath steaming through the fabric. Gaear sits with the same emotionless expression, watching silently as Carl screams and bangs on the TV, trying to improve the reception.Late at night at the Gundersons' house, they turn off the TV to go to sleep. The phone rings for Marge, and it's Mike Yanagita (Steve Park) calling; apparently an old acquaintance of hers from high school, he tells her that he's in the Twin Cities and that he saw her on the news in the story about the triple homicide in Brainerd. Marge makes brief but polite conversation as the man chatters.The next morning, Jerry is half-heartedly selling a car as he gets a phone call from Carl in his office. Carl tells him that he will be arriving tomorrow to pick up the ransom, but demands more money so he and Gaear can leave the country because of the shootings. He demands the entire ransom of $80,000, unaware that Jerry told Wade the ransom is $1 million. As soon as Carl hangs up, Jerry gets another phone call from the man at GMAC, telling him he never received the serial numbers for the vehicles in the mail as Jerry told him the previous day. Jerry, again being elusive about the subject, maintains that the documents are still in the mail. The man at GMAC sternly tells Jerry that he will refer the matter of the accounting irregularities to the company's legal department if he doesn't get the VIN numbers of the vehicles by the close of business the very next day. After the man at GMAC hangs up, Jerry flies into a rage as he realizes that his control over the situation is fading fast.In Brainerd, Marge and Norm sit in a buffet restaurant eating lunch together. An officer comes in with some papers, and tells Marge he found phone numbers from two phone calls that were made that night from the room at Blue Ox Motel where the killers stayed, both to Minneapolis. The first one was to a trucking company, and another to the residence of Shep Proudfoot. Marge tells the officer and Norm that she'll take a drive down to Minneapolis to investigate.At night at the Lundegaards' house, Jerry, Wade, and Stan are sitting around the kitchen table. Wade is telling Jerry he wants to deliver the $1 million himself to the kidnapper, and Jerry is upset, saying that they wanted to deal only with him. Wade (clearly distrustful of Jerry) says that if he can't deliver it, he'll go to the authorities.The next day, Carl leaves Gaear behind at the lakeside cabin to look after Jean, while he drives alone to Minneapolis to pick up the ransom money. Carl first drives to the Minneapolis airport. He drives the tan Ciera up to the roof of the parking garage and steals a Minnesota license plate off another snow-covered car so he can replace the dealer tags (to prevent him from being pulled over by the police again). At the exit booth of the garage, he tells the attendant that he has decided not to park there and that he doesn't want to pay. The friendly man explains that there's a flat four dollar fee. Carl doesn't want to pay, but the polite parking attendant insists that he pay. Carl gets upset and insults him by saying: "I guess you think, you know, you're an authority figure, with that stupid fucking uniform. Huh, buddy?" he sneers. However, he gives him the money anyway and drives off.At the dealership garage, Jerry goes to talk to Shep only to find Marge questioning him. Marge is questioning Shep about the phone call made to him from the Blue Ox Motel a few nights ago by one of the suspects of the three murders in her town. Shep claims that he doesn't remember receiving any phone call. She reminds him that he has a criminal record and currently is on parole, though nothing in his record suggests him capable of homicide, so if he had been talking to criminals and became an accessory to the Brainerd murders, that would land him back in prison. She then asks him cheerfully if he might remember anything now.Marge then goes to visit with Jerry in his office. He is clearly antsy as he nervously doodles on a notepad. She tells him that she is investigating three murders in her upstate town of Brainerd and asks him if there has been a tan Cutlass Ciera stolen from the lot lately, but he dances anxiously around her question by changing the subject. He eventually tells her there haven't been any stolen vehicles, and she leaves. When he sees Marge leave, Jerry pick up his office phone and tries to call Shep in the garage, but another mechanic tells Jerry that Shep has just left; he just walked out after talking with Marge.That evening, Marge goes to eat dinner at the Radisson Hotel restaurant; she apparently has spoken to Mike Yanagita, the man who called her late at night, and he meets her there. He is chatty and a little odd, and he is obviously and awkwardly trying to hit on her. He tries to change seats so as to sit next to her in the booth, but she politely tells him to sit back across from her, saying, "Just so I can see ya, ya know. Don't have to turn my neck." He apologizes awkwardly and clumsily launches into a story about his wife, whom he and Marge both knew from school but has since died of leukemia. He starts to cry, telling Marge he always liked her a lot. She comforts him politely.In the celebrity room at another hotel, Carl sits at a table with another prostitute. He hits on her awkwardly as they watch Jose Feliciano on a small stage. In the hotel room later, they are having sex. Suddenly, she is flung off from on top of him by Shep, who has somehow tracked Carl down and is angry at Carl for nearly getting him in trouble with Marge. He kicks the escort in the rear as she runs screaming and naked down the hall. Shep beats Carl, first punching him and then throwing him across the room and hitting him viciously with his belt.Sometime later, Carl, cut up and bruised from the beating, calls Jerry at his house. He is humiliated and extremely agitated. He tells Jerry to bring the ransom money to the Radisson Hotel parking garage roof in 30 minutes or he'll kill him and his family. Wade, listening on the other line in the house, immediately leaves with the briefcase full of the million dollars. Jerry almost asks Wade if he could come along, but being afraid of his antagonistic father-in-law, he chooses to say nothing. As he drives, Wade reveals he has brought a gun in his jacket and practices what he will say to the kidnapper. Jerry leaves soon after him to see what will happen.On the roof of the parking garage, Carl sits waiting in his idling Ciera as Wade pulls up. Carl demands to know where Jerry is, and Wade demands to see Jean. Carl demands that Wade give him the briefcase with the money in it, but Wade refuses unless he sees his daughter Jean. Surprised and angry by Wade's demands, Carl shoots Wade in the stomach without hesitating and goes to snatch the briefcase from his hands. Wade shoots Carl in the face as he leans over. Carl reels back and grabs his wounded right jaw after being gazed by the bullet. He quickly lethally shoots Wade multiple times. Clutching his bleeding jaw while screaming in agonizing pain, Carl grabs the briefcase, gets into his car, and drives away. As he speeds through the garage, he passes Jerry. Both of them take a quick notice of each other, but Carl continues driving on. He drives up to the garage attendant and, holding his bloody jaw, tells the man to open the gate. At the same time, Jerry continues up to the roof and finds Wade lying there, shot dead. Jerry casually pops open his car trunk (to put his father-in-law in the trunk of his car).As Jerry leaves the garage with Wade in his trunk, he sees that Carl has killed the attendant with a bullet to the head and smashed through the exit gate, breaking it off. A distraught Jerry goes home, and Scotty tells him Stan Grossman called for him. Jerry tells Scotty everything went fine, and he goes to bed without calling Stan back.In Brainerd the next morning, Officer Gerry Olson (Cliff Rakerd), one of Marge's deputies, stops by the house of a chatty older man, named Mr. Mohra (Bain Boehlke), who is shoveling snow off his driveway. The man had apparently reported an incident at his bar, and he tells Olson that a few days ago "a little funny-looking man" (obviously Carl) asked him where he could "get some action in the area" (hookers). When he refused, Carl had threatened the man and stupidly bragged about killing someone. He also says that Carl mentioned that he was staying out near a lake. The bar had been near Moose Lake, he tells the officer, so he believes that that is the place Carl was talking about. Officer Olson politely thanks the neighbor for the tip and leaves.Meanwhile, Carl is stopped on the side of a snowy road, a bloody rag pressed against his wounded jaw. He looks inside the briefcase and is astounded at how much is inside; he had expected $80,000 and instead got the million that Jerry had been planning to keep mostly for himself. After thinking for a minute, Carl takes out the $80,000 that Gaear apparently would still be expecting and throws it in the backseat. He closes the case, fixes his rag, and takes it out into the snow beside a fence. He looks right and left, seeing only fence and snow, and he buries the money. Carl sticks an ice scraper into the snow on top as the only marker besides the bloodied snow he'd dug aside (presumably to come back later for the rest of it), and he drives away.In Minneapolis, Marge sits next to her packed luggage in her hotel room talking on the phone to a female friend. She tells the friend that she saw Mike and that he was upset from his wife's death. The woman tells Marge that Mike never married that woman, that he had been bothering her for some time and that she is still alive. She tells Marge that Mike has been having life-long psychiatric problems and he has been living in an insane asylum for a few years now and that he is now living with his parents. Marge then checks out of the hotel, buys a breakfast sandwich from a Hardees restaurant, and silently ponders her next move and she contends driving back to Brainerd having gotten nowhere with her investigation. But then a thought pops into her head as she remembers something.Marge then goes to visit Jerry at the car dealership, obviously having picked up something from his nervous and elusive behavior on her first visit the day before. He sits in his office writing out a new sales form for GMAC, making sure the serial numbers for the non-existent vehicles are again smudged and illegible. He is irritated by her visit. He tries to get her out, but polite and insistent as usual, Marge tells him that the tan Ciera she's investigating had dealer plates and that someone who works at the dealership got a phone call from the perpetrators, which is too much of a coincidence. She asks if he's done a lot count recently, and rather than answer, Jerry yells at her by saying that the car is not from that lot. In a serious tone, Marge tells Jerry not to get snippy with her. Jerry tells her he is cooperating, but it's obvious to us that he is now clearly insane at realizing the depth of the mess he has created and how miserably all his assorted schemes have failed. He jumps up, puts on his hat and coat, and tells her he'll go inventory the lot right now. Marge waits at the desk, looking at his picture of Jean and at the GMAC loan form on his desk. From the window she sees him driving out of the lot. She hurriedly calls the Minneapolis state police from Jerry's desk phone.At the cabin, Gaear sits in his long johns eating a TV dinner as he watches a soap opera on the fuzzy television. Carl comes in with his bloodied face and the $80,000 he took from the briefcase before he buried it. Gaear looks unfazed by Carl's extensive wound. Carl asks what happened to Jean, who is lying on the kitchen floor motionless, still tied to the chair; there is blood on the stove behind her. Gaear tells Carl she started screaming and wouldn't stop. Carl shows him the money, takes his $40,000, and tells him he's keeping the Ciera and that Gaear can have his old truck and they must part ways. Gaear tells him they'll split the car."How do you split a fuckin' car, ya dummy?! With a fuckin' chainsaw?" Carl spits at him, his words slurred from his jaw wound. Gaear tells him one will pay the other for half, so Carl must pay half for the value of the car from his share money so he can take the car for himself. Carl refuses and screams that he got shot in the face and makes an implied threat that he will keep the Ciera as extra compensation. Carl storms out of the front door to the car to drive away. Seconds later, Gaear comes running out behind him wielding an ax. As Carl turns around, Gaear raises the ax and the scene cuts to black as the blade lands in Carl's neck.A little later, Marge is driving along an isolated road talking on the CB radio to Lou. They are discussing Jean's kidnapping; that a Minneapolis police detective learned from Stan and Jean's son Scotty, and the fact that her father, Wade, is missing. She tells Lou she is driving around Moose Lake, following the tip from the loudmouth bar owner Mr. Mohra. Their conversation reveals that the news has gotten word out on the wire for the public to keep an eye out for Jerry and Wade. She suddenly spots the tan Ciera parked in front of the cabin. Lou tells her he will send her back-up.When she gets out, she hears the loud roar of the motor of a power tool in the distance. She makes her way around the house towards the noise behind the cabin, and sees Gaear pushing Carl's dismembered foot down into a woodchipper, having chopped up his dead body and disposing of it. There is a huge puddle of blood and the rest of Carl's body in the snow. Gaear works at getting the rest of Carl into the chipper, using a small log to push it down. Marge pulls her gun and yells at him to put his hands up, but he doesn't hear over the machine. She yells again, and he turns around to see her. She points to the police crest on her hat, aiming her gun at him. He turns quickly, hurls the log at her, and takes off across the frozen lake behind the cabin. The log glances her leg, and she fires after him twice as he flees. One shot hits him in the back of his thigh. He falls in the snow, and she arrests him.Marge drives away with Gaear handcuffed in the backseat. "So that was Mrs. Lundegaard in there?" she asks, looking at him in the rear view mirror. He looks expressionlessly out the window."I guess that was your accomplice in the woodchipper. And those three people in Brainerd..." He does not react; she is talking mostly to herself. She tells him there is more to life than a little bit of money. "Don't you know that?" she asks. She pulls over to the side of the road as a fleet of cruisers and an ambulance drive toward them on their way to the cabin. "And here you are. And it's a beautiful day."Two days later, at a motel outside of Bismarck, North Dakota, two state policemen bang on a room door asking for a Mr. Anderson. The voice inside, Jerry's, tells them he'll be there in a sec. The owner unlocks the door, and Jerry is seen trying to escape out the bathroom window, wearing only a T-shirt and boxers. He screams and flails wildly and insanely as the police arrest him.That night at the Gundersons', Marge climbs into bed next to Norm. He tells her the mallard he painted for a stamp contest has been chosen to be on the three cent stamp, but another man he knows got the twenty-nine cent. Marge tells him she's proud of him and that people use the three cent stamp all the time. Norm rests his hand on her pregnant belly and says, "Two more months."She smiles and rests her hand on his, and repeats, "Two more months." | comedy, dark, neo noir, murder, boring, bleak, cult, violence, absurd, psychedelic, satire, entertaining | train | imdb | The two best scenes in the movie are the two occasions in which Marge questions Jerry about the Brainerd murders and a car from his lot being involved -- I couldn't imagine an actress doing a better job of seriously but comically exclaiming, "He's fleeing the interview!" Notable among the actors as well are Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare playing Carl and Gaear, the two hit men hired by Jerry to help him con his father-in-law out of money.
Things don't exactly goes as planned as they kill three people and get a pregnant Chief on their tail.The Coen brothers have does a terrific job on this movie.
Buscemi is great as a small, funny looking, constant talking bad guy and Stormare fits the big silent, violent, psychopath type really good and they act these characters all the way out.
It's used in a classical way between the action and that works very well, it makes the action seem more real and more close.Fargo is a original movie out of the ordinary.
It's nice to see a wonderful husband-wife relationship, too, as is shown here with her and husband "Norm" (John Lynch).You have this clean, old-fashioned lady cop (McDormand), a middle-of-the-road bungling car salesman (Macy) and two extreme low-life killers in "Carl Showalter" (Buscemi) and "Gaear Grimsrud" (Peter Stormare) all combining to make this story a mixture not only of people but genres.
Add to that some equally-bizarre music (slow violins) and you have this unusual story that brings out the morbid fascination in us viewers.So, I guess what I am saying is this movie truly is an original, the best film the Coen Brothers have ever made and maybe the rest roles ever for the three main actors, McDormand, Macy and Buscemi..
I love Fargo for its brilliant writing, its tragic musical score, its tragic plot, William H Macy, Harve Presnell and Steve Buscemi, its ignorance of political correctness (how many movies can you remember when the only two minority characters were both revealed to be creeps).I want to draw attention to an overlooked reason why the film works so well - how well the music suits the visuals in this movie.
With all the sorry films these days it is good to see a movie as funny, wicked, dramatic, and utterly demented as "Fargo".
The Coen brothers' 'Fargo' is nearly a great film: a beautifully shot, blackly comic thriller that quietly subverts every convention of the genre.
This is a film where the remote mid-western city of Minneapolis plays the same role as New York in a normal crime story, a hub of civilisation and vice; where the hero is a woman (and a heavily pregnant, happily married woman at that); and the chief villain a car salesman of absolutely no slickness whatsoever.
Their movies are always an excellent way to spend some time because they always manage to deliver, even in films that aren't popular with the public.A lot of what makes this film work is the amazing casting feat the Coen brothers achieved in giving Frances McDormand and William H.
Ms. McDormand and Mr. Macy have only one scene together, yet one wouldn't even think about other actors playing these roles.The supporting cast of "Fargo" is a joy to watch.
Nobody seems to know that Fargo is first and foremost a beautiful and very simple love story about two ordinary rural small town American people and secondly a superbly acted crime murder mayhem movie, probably the best that has ever been filmed.
Unlike so many "offbeat" movies, the quirkiness of FARGO's Oscar-winning screenplay never cancels out its warmth or suspense as the Coens deftly balance clever plotting (*not* really based on a true story, as a poor disturbed Japanese woman found out when she came to the U.S. to dig up the hidden ransom money only to freeze to death trying), engaging characters, scares, poignancy, and the brothers' trademark loopy humor.
Macy, and he sure deserved his Best Supporting Actor nomination for playing Jerry, who ought to have his picture in the dictionary next to the word "inept." Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare are letter-perfect as the loose-cannon wife-snatchers; if Buscemi isn't our generation's Peter Lorre, I don't know who is.
Looking a bit like a young brunette Carol Burnett, McDormand is beyond superb as Marge Gunderson, the pregnant sheriff (my husband always liked the fact that FARGO doesn't include the nigh-obligatory scene of The Pregnant Heroine Suddenly Going Into Labor At The Worst Possible Time) who runs circles around the bad guys *and* her own well-meaning police force.
Well, all goes to hell as the kidnappers end up on a killing spree with a cop questioning all possible leads, including the car salesman himself.If in fact this film was based on a true story (as indicated at the beginning), I would be horrified if I were close to one of the victims.
And even if this film is not based on a true story, it is so poorly directed that I just felt like I had wasted my time going around in circles.
Dark comic undertones and excellent character actor performances dominate this richly macabre crime story gone awry flick by the Coen brothers(Joel and Ethan) involving pathetic used car salesman Macy so hard up for money and respect (not necessarily in that order) that he hires a pair of dim-witted thugs to kidnap his wife for ransom from his father-in-law's vast wealth in a plot-line that unravels with nice little twists and snags.
Same goes for the abominable, hateful characters.If the movie Groundhog Day, arguably amongst the best comedies ever made, was made by the Coen brothers, they would have had the entire village reliving the same day over and over again.
Its result would be the a monstrosity of a caricature .This movie lacks everything what Groundhog Day makes a good comedy; namely finesse, subtlety and something which makes the viewer not being alienated from the characters and above all, something actually funny going on.
And the lack of means of time-travel aside, watching Fargo, I was expecting Jeff Bridges to walk onto the set looking for his stupid rug which would have been my longed for queue to press the eject button.So all in all it is not a comedy, it is not a crime/drama/thriller but simply a Coen production.
The whole thing feels like the directors had no confidence in the subject matter, so they slathered on layer after layer of quirks in the hope the audience wouldn't notice.In the end, it just becomes an exercise in frustration, as a movie that had everything going for it just turns you off after one wink and a poke in the ribs too many..
Any movie directed by the Coens is going to be severely warped in one way or another, either by approach ("No Country for Old Men") or by their sense of humor (everything else).By all accounts, "Fargo" is a murder mystery, though it is anything but straightforward.
From the character's stupidity or complete ineptitude, to the funny accents and way of speaking that everyone has, the Coens never take "Fargo" too seriously.The acting is the best part of the film.
Steve Buscemi and Harve Presnell are good as the brainless kidnappers, and even though they think they're smart, they're really, REALLY dumb.Joel Coen has a knack for twisting the story just enough so that it's funny without lampooning the genre.
It has its share of violence, including a scene that in any other movie would be completely sick and disturbing, but as told by the Coens, it's so shocking and absurd that it's laugh-out-loud hilarious.Roger Ebert heaped tons of praise on "Fargo," saying that "Movies like 'Fargo' are the reasons why I love movies." While I greatly enjoyed "Fargo," I can't heap that much praise on it.
McDormands character, the pregnant Marge, is the persistent pursuer but she is not obsessive like so many other movie clichéd 'good guys' are when it comes to catching their adversary.
The side stories add nothing to the main plot (if there is such a thing in this film), and they are added in such a way that make them look like editing mistakes.
Highly original and imaginative it is a depressing tale told in a dark comic style with flesh and blood characters intricately and smoothly connected with dialog and plot twists all brilliantly conceived by the brothers Coen.Sleazy car dealer Jerry Lundergaard hatches a plan to have his wife kidnapped so he can pocket some of the ransom his emasculating father in-law will have to fork over.
It is the best use of snow since Altman's McCabe and Mrs. Miller.William Macy as Jerry takes the car salesman stereotypes to new lows with one of the most memorable cloyingly unctuous characters in film history as he dismantles his family in pursuit of wealth.
As one of the blundering kidnappers Steve Buscemi is a motormouth of comic complaint while his taciturn, hypochondrial partner played by Peter Stomare (a lot more grounded in reality than the Frankenstein creation running amok in the Coen's No Country for Old Men) is icily terrifying.Fargo is the Coens' best film to date.
By this way, the Coen brothers wanted to underline their meanness of mind and the fact that they are firmly rooted in their land of the Minnesota.Apart from the characters and although the movie is based on a true story, I am obliged to recognize that the script and the way the movie is designed have nothing new.
This movie should not have been the staple for the Coen brothers, people hold this movie in such high regard it just makes me think they are just wanting to sound smart because they only had to watch it twice to understand it.
There are a great many reasons for the extraordinary success of "Fargo." One of the reasons is the uproar it caused upon release when nosy little reporters found out it was not really based on true events like the disclaimer says at the beginning of the film.
She had a death wish.And the other reason for success is, of course, because the movie is one of the best of all films--a true "story" if ever there was one.
And even when the worst things are happening to characters, you're smiling, because who doesn't love to hear, "Gee, golly, gee whiz," throughout a movie, and who doesn't think it's funny?"Fargo" is the type of film you can watch over and over.
With Jerry getting pressure from the kidnappers now that thing has gone sour and Officer Marge Gunderson making progress in her investigation, things are far from as straightforward as was originally planned.Getting past the whole `true story' nonsense, this is easily one of the Coen's most polished films as well as one of their most enjoyable.
It is a dark film but it is one that fans of the Coen brothers' universe will find funny.Of course it helps no end to have a great cast to deliver it.
The roundly great performances do great work with a deserved Oscar winner of a screen play that fills a solid crime storyline with all manner of characters that produce a gripping and funny film that is one of the best and most accessible of the Coen brother films..
"Films like "Fargo" are why I love the movies", said Roger Ebert.
"Films like "Fargo" are why I love the movies", said Roger Ebert.
The film-makers Joel and Ethan Coen, the writing/directing team also known as Two Headed Director, are the reason why I believe in the modern movie-making.
To take the story like the one Fargo is based on which has been told so many times before and, I am sure, will be told over and over again, to turn and twist it in the most in-anticipated ways, to create the characters so alive and three dimensional that you believe every word they say and every step they take, to provide them with some of the best quotes and dialogs I've ever had pleasure to hear, to mix dry humor and humanity, to make the film recognizable but uniquely beautiful, dark, dramatic, and funny - that's what Coens achieved in Fargo which has been supposedly the Best film they ever made.
What I especially love in Fargo - the perfect balance between the scenes of building suspense, graphic violence, humor, and the real drama from the lives of the real people.The visual palette of the film with color white dominating the screen is stunning, and the snow that covers American Midwest for what seems the eternal winter, is as important character for the film as the rest of them.
This is my first review about a movie which is not in my mother language and I chose this movie specifically because although I like many Coen brothers' movies, this film will be in my heart in its special place, kind of forever.This is a black comedy crime movie but even in its gory scenes, the humanitarian perspective intelligently mixed with unnerving humor has never lost on you.
You can also see that the actors disappear in their performances and you cannot even say they are acting even though you know because they seem to you as if they were the real people and you were watching a horribly dark story in actual life from the first row alive.
I especially fell in love with Frances McDormand's superb acting skills in this masterpiece, as I should call it since Coen Brothers' directing is peerless as well.The plot seems quite ordinary yet it reveals itself in no time with unexpected twists and turns throughout until you start to predict the next moves and fail each and every time.
Am i the only one that thinks/feels that this film sucks...???When i saw the film, ALL the "great" scenes had already been seen in trailers and review programs and the rest was pure s***.And how could Frances get an Academy Award for this?????She just waggled around like a pregnant duck and tried to speak english with a swedish accent.Check out "Murder on the Orient Express" and see how Ingrid Bergman did it.
Several parts of the movie seem dumb and unneeded, like a scene with the police officer meeting an old friend who wants to start a romance.All the people seem to have similar personalities and the dialog is annoying -- everyone is always ending sentences with "ya, ya".
I must say that I cannot for the life of me figure out why people think that the movies made by the Coen brothers are so great.
Well, my disbelief is the praise their movies get."Fargo" is about a kidnapping scheme that is badly bungled from beginning to end, but the real bungling is again the total artlessness of the way the story is put together and acted out.
I can't see why people liked this movie.Me and my wife both looked at each other,Said is this it?We wanted to turn it off but well might as well go all the way.It never got better,hi Marge, hi herb here's your worms herd.Oh god who wrote this stuff?A totally dumb boring slow movie.I see why the Minnesotans got offended at how stupid they were portrayed.I am having a hard time getting 10 lines to write about.Nothing good to say except that it finally ended.Give me a Columbo rerun or any Csi movie ,now thats a mystery cop show.I know tine daily won an Oscar for it also.I have such a hard time thinking not one other film was Worth while,Thats scary.I would love to have had talks with people than seen it to help me understand it?No action,No mystery,little comedy except for the normal dialog.Yuk. Faddish Cult film.
The best thing to do, as I did with my other two favorites in my personal cinematic trinity, is describe why this movie is, in my opinion, incredible.'Fargo' is, like many Coen brothers films, the story of a stupid crime gone horribly wrong.
Enter Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand) a small-town sheriff, who also happens to be seven months pregnant, who steps in to try to solve the case.'Fargo' has so many things going for it: Phenomenal acting (McDormand won a well-deserved Oscar for her role) by all players, supporting and lead and a brilliant script that is part mystery, part thriller and part drama, and all layered in a thin veneer of some of the darkest comedy seen in recent years, are just two of the outstanding elements.
The characters in the movie are incredibly stupid and talk in an absolutely annoying way.Seeing Fargo was a total waste of time and money..
The realistic dialogues and quirkiness do make the characters stand out, like all Coen Brothers films.
Fargo is a 1996 black comedy/crime drama film directed by Ethan and Joel Coen (The Coen Brothers) and stars William H.
And we also watch local super-sleuth Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand), the very pregnant police chief of the Minnesota town of Brainerd, as she relentlessly tracks them down.The characters in Fargo are what keep the film going.
There are no director that can turn a true-story of fargo into something as enjoyable as coen brother's did.
Then I tried really watching it, and I never looked back.The film is about a used car salesman named Jerry Lundengaard (Macy) who rigs his wife being kidnapped by two criminals be doesn't know (Buscemi, Stormare) as ransom so he can get needed money from his father-in-law (Presnell) he knows he would not get any other way.
Part of the brilliance of this and every Coens Brothers film is that even the small characters feel very well developed.
The Coen brothers always come up with hits (for instance, Raising Arizona) but this time, they bring us to the deep north (North Dakota that is) to showcase a very well made movie with suspenseful scenes, interesting acting and many other things, ya know.The film plot involves a car salesman who is very insecure (played very well by Macy) and who wants to snuff his wife out.
So, kudos to the Coen brothers for delivering what is most likely the best film of 1996.. |
tt0270846 | Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2 | The film starts with a group of babies in a day care centre...or something. Archie tells the others (Finkelman, Alex, and Rosita) a story about a super baby called Kahuna. Kahuna rescues kids all around the world. According to Archie, Kahuna rescued a group of children from an orphanage run by the evil (and unbelievably stereotypical) Kane. Kahuna and Kane are archnemesis' and hate each other, but Kahuna always wins their battles.Archie's father Stan, who seems to own the day care centre, is letting it be used as a television set by the evil Biscane (yes, in other words, Kane) who is starting up his own TV channel. Archie notices someone spying on the goings-on at the television set in the bushes, but he isn't sure who it is. However, he begins to believe Biscane is evil. Him and the other babies sneak into Stan's office and decide to check out Biscane, but are spammed. When they hear some of Biscane's cronies approaching, Rosita, Alex and Finkelman run away, leaving Archie by himself. Archie overhears the cronies talking about Biscane's plan, but he doesn't really understand it. However, he accidentally attracts their attention, but before they can get him, he is rescued by, you've guessed it, Kahuna, who is in fact REAL. (Of course.) But then Kahuna leaves and the other babies don't believe Archie.Kylie, Archie's older cousin and Stan's neice, takes them all out to the chidren's museum, but not before bumping into a cronie (who everyone thinks is the film crew) and a disc falls into the pushchair. On the way to the museum they are stopped by loads of Biscane's other cronies. But Kahuna rescues them all, and the babies realise that Archie was telling the truth. Kahuna takes them all to his base in Hollywood, where they meet Zack, whom Kahuna took in years ago. Kahuna's base is in fact a huge playground, and Kylie finds it...weird. (Which it is.) Kahuna transforms the babies into superbabies: Archie is brain boy, Alex is bounce boy, Rosita is Cupid Girl, and Finkelman is Courage boy. But they don't think these super alter-egos fit their personalities, and they tell Kahuna to change them back to normal. Which he does.After convincing Stan and Archie's mother that they (Kylie and all the baies) are okay, Archie asks Kahuna to tell him where he got his powers from. But he refuses...so Archie eavesdrops on Zack and Kylie. Zack tells Kylie that Kahuna's father was a scientist and developed a formula of some sort, which Kahuna drank, and he was transformed into a super baby, but he is stuck as a child forever. (In other words, he's about 70 but stuck in the body of a 7 year old.) Kahuna's brother didn't like it that everyone thought he and his family were freaks. When the father died, despite Kahuna being 18, he was put into an orphanage, but he escaped, and set out to rescue babies and children everywhere, and in the words of Zack, "a legend was born." (As you can see, not cheesy at all.)The next day, Zack and Kylie find the disc that magically managed to travel from the pushchair into Kylie's bag...(or at least that's what it looked like to me.) Zack gives it to Kahuna. Then Zack and Kylie go for a picnic on the hills and they kiss, when Zack gets a message from Kahuna. On the disc is a clip of the programme that is to be aired on Biscane's TV channel, followed by lots of seemingly random code. They FINALLY realise that Biscane is up to no good, and set out to see what is going on.Zack, posing as a policeman, and the babies, watch as Biscane counts down til his channel is to be aired on TV. But Kahuna, who has worked out his plan to control the world (there's a new one) stops him and destroys the satellites- before disappearing. (Oh no.) Archie and the other three don't know what to do- they think they can't go on without Kahuna. But in fact, all they need to do is believe in themselves. They all decide to go and become their super alter-egos-for Kahuna. (As I've said before, not cheesy in the slightest.) With Stan, Archie's mum, Kylie and Zack with them, they return to Kahuna's hideout and become Bounce Boy, Cupid Girl, Brain Boy and Courageous Boy.Then Kahuna arrives, followed by Biscane and his cronies. But after defeating all the cronies, Biscane still gets the disc he needs and begins to air the TV clip on TV. It's also revealed that he is Kahuna's older brother (plot twist of the century) and he hates Kahuna for being their dad's favourite. Now Kahuna and Biscane have always been fighting, ever since Kahuna escaped from the orphanage- Biscane always wanted to be young forever, that's why he hates children, and Kahuna needed to save all the children from his evil brother.Anyway, the babies kick Biscane into the...thing resembling a carousel that transformed them into their super selves and he, wanting to become everything he's ever wanted, presses a button that wasn't there before and becomes a baby, much to his despair. But "thankfully" his cronies promise to look after him.Kahuna reverses the transmission posing as the TV clip Biscane is airing and all the children decide to run outside and play tag. Yes, apparently every child in the world starts playing tag. Now that their work is done, Kahuna tells Archie that he must go and though they'll always be friends, Archie must stay with his family and Kahuna must go and save kids.In the ending scenes, Zack meets his mother (Kahuna had rescued him from...somewhere but Kahuna could never find Zack's parents, so that's why he took him in to live with him.) Zack and Kylie are dating, apparently, and Archie, running outside, sees Kahuna in the flying vehicle who waves at him and yells something about he'll always be a hero. The film ends (thankfully) with Archie waving at the sky and audience members crying in their seats. | good versus evil | train | imdb | I don't know why most people are so bigoted and prejudiced about a great funny movie like Baby Geniuses.I never forced anyone to speak positively about a movie they detest but to tell the truth to underestimate a family movie with a great actress like Kathleen Turner in it is quite unfair!.
My vote was fair in giving this masterpiece movie 10/10.I already bought The DVD and dying to see the 3rd part of Baby Geniuses..
Superbabies:Baby Geniuses 2 is a perfect movie for kids.
It is unfair to see some unjust critics harshly criticizing entertaining and good children movies because they are not paid from movie makers .Four genius babies play detectives and cleverly fighting evil.Media mogul Bill Biscane kidnaps innocent children everywhere and there is a cute and smart child called Kahuna who after drinking a special chemical he becomes a strong kid just like a superman, he changes into a super-baby to fight evil and rescue the lives of his friends.I have absolutely enjoyed watching this stunning movie.Alas it is too good to be under-rated!..
And she's right: Archie is telling the other toddlers about the legend of Kahuna, a 7-year-old überspy who prevented the evil Nazi-like commander Kane's plot to enslave orphaned East German children.The other babies dismiss Archie's tall tale.
Along the way, Kahuna empowers the babies to believe in themselves, revealing each one's superpower!.This movie is so great .I still do not know why it is heavily underrated.
The plot makes no sense and there's nothing holding the movie together, it's like the director made it terrible on purpose just to torture whoever sees it.
Before watching Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2, you need to ask yourself; "Am I ready for the most beautiful piece of artful wonder ever to be handed down through the vestiges of man's wisdom?".
Before I watched Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2, I would lay in my bed thinking to myself "All I want out of life is to watch a movie centered upon extremely smart toddlers saving people." You may be wondering "Is Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2, really as good as you say it is?" The only answer to this question is through watching this awesome achievement of writing and filmography.
Thank god people make movies like that !The plot is about babies.
The story is so deep it just brings you into this world the movie has made, every time I re watch this masterpiece I am always shocked at little things that I missed before.
This film is about a group of toddlers who hear the legend about the Kahuna, a Peter Pan-like kid and his nemesis (Jon Voigt.) Voigt is creating something attached to tvs that control people's minds and the group accidentally retrieve a disc of his for the tvs and are about to be ambushed when the Kahuna himself saves them.
Watch this incredible, flawless film and quit wasting your time with "Pulp Fiction", and "Taxi Driver", and other junk movies..
I understand its not exactly "the godfather" or the original "baby geniuses", however I think that the cinematography and the acting prowess of John Voight set this film apart as one that all children should see.
But don't worry though, the SUPER BABIES come in and stops the bad guy.This movie is perfect in every way possible.
This movie is quite possibly Scott Baio's best performance...Although he is ignored by the wonderful and delightful performances by John Voight and the babies, Scott Baio's performance could go right up their with Marlon Brando's performance in THE GODFATHER and Vivian Leigh's performance in GONE WITH THE WIND.
OK, so the plot Is a little silly and the effects aren't exactly top- notch, but come on all you detractors - this movie Is aimed at 6-YEAR- OLDS, for goodness sake!
This movie Is a laugh and a bit of imagination fun for the little-ones and It does It's job - the sets and effects are poor because they don't need to be any better and after all the whole thing Is pretty tongue-In-cheek!
this is one of the best films I've ever watched in my life when it was released i went to the cinema with my mum and we thought it was great i watched it week after week day after day i would rate it 10 out of 10.I'm not sure because i don't understand it but i think that its is about some well cool babies that get really clever and then they save the day.the reason that i think it is so good is because it has got a great plot.
But luckily there are the super babies, the defenders of all good.I'm sure you are beginning to understand that with this kind of elements this movie simply cannot be bad, it's just a victim of some immature teenage gang that tries to prevent it from achieving the glory it truly deserves.
Stop underrating movies like this and go put The Godfather where it belongs, because I can tell you this movie beats the heck out of godfather: I watch Superbabies 2 and The Godfather with my kids and we all fell asleep after 20 minutes from the beginning of The Godfather but even my kids understood the value of this masterpiece (though it's not actually made for children I think, there's some gore and fighting scenes that would surely shock even children over 16.) Of course Iunderstand that not everyone is capable to see the unlimited depths of the movie, it's just something so touching you can't describe it.
Well, considering that he's lending his name to "SuperBabies: Baby Geniuses 2," he clearly has a lot of time on his hands, doesn't consider any job too demeaning and probably won't charge too much.In case you're wondering why Voight would elect to appear in "SuperBabies," the follow-up to a movie he wasn't in, instead of "Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid" -- and don't pretend you don't remember the scene in the first "Anaconda" in which the gargantuan serpent swallows, then coughs up Voight -- here's a hint: Voight was an executive producer of the original "Baby Geniuses." Since that 1999 fiasco effectively torpedoed what was left of the screen careers of Christopher Lloyd and Kathleen Turner, it must have been a formidable challenge finding actors eager to strip themselves of every scintilla of dignity to perform alongside a bunch of feisty computer-generated toddlers (with the exception of Scott Baio and Vanessa Angel, of course).
It's a sad sight indeed.There are other four SuperBabies, too, and just prior to the climactic showdown with Biscane and his goons, this diaper-clad quartet jumps onto Kahuna's magic carousel, where they are transformed into Brain Boy (who wears a scaled-down cap and gown), Cupid Girl (who shoots arrows that cause grown men to stop fighting and hug each other instead), Bounce Baby (who is stuck inside an orange beach ball) and Baby Courageous (whose get-up proves that the only thing that looks worse than a grown man in a tacky hairpiece is a toddler in a bad toupee).Watching from the sidelines are Baio and Angel, as the dizzy owners of a highly questionable day care center in which most of the children parade around half-dressed, and Hilary Duff clone Skyler Shaye and Frankie Muniz lookalike Justin Chatwin, who attempt to provide a bit of squeaky-clean teen love interest -- not exactly what the target audience of 6-year-olds is itching to see.As was the case with "Baby Geniuses," the movie contains a surplus of awkward-looking digital effects that are supposed to convince us the wee ones are actually making wisecracks and running wild.
If "SuperBabies" is marginally better than the excruciating "Geniuses" -- and you sure wouldn't want to live on the difference -- it's because director Bob Clark and screenwriter Gregory Poppen don't shoehorn in nearly as much innuendo or smarminess this time around; they're equally stingy with charm and imagination as well.By the way, Voight's next project is called "The Karate Dog," in which he'll co-star with Simon Rex, Pat Morita and Chevy Chase, who'll provide "the voice of Cho-Cho," according to the Internet Movie Database.
"Baby Geniuses 2" is not one of them.I wasn't expecting Oscar material when I took my seven year old to see Bob Clark's latest film.
Thank goodness these don't come along that often.Other than a flatulence joke in the first 5 minutes of the film (now a requirement for children's cinema), the laughs were few and far between in the remaining 90 minutes of this movie.
Now I volunteer to watch bad movies, and I'm easily amused, but I had no idea it would be like this.
Yeah, the moral is children are idiots, parents are suckers, and you'll watch our brain-damaging movies and like them.
And I would rather be nailed to a chair and forced to watch those three films back to back for a week, than sit through this piece of s**t movie, ever again.For the record, I had a blinding headache after the first 20 minutes, the four year old threw up, and the nine year old fell asleep.
It may amuse Neo-Nazi's for Jon Voights portrayal of the head goof of a brainwashing enterprise or some such thing.I think that's the point but I'm not sure the script is so perfectly dreadful .I may have missed it.But that appears to be it though why they would experiment in a day care center run by Chachy(Scott Baio)I am unclear on.
Worst of all my 7 year old son didn't think it was bad so this film could actually make money and could be heading for your VCR (if you have kids) soon.
Okay, the first movie from this series "Baby Geniuses" was so poorly received that reviewers were beside themselves castigating the film.
Unlike the first horrible piece of garbage that is "Baby Geniuses", this film manages to be significantly worse for several important reasons: 1.
"Baby Geniuses 2" has some of the absolute worst computer work I've seen in a recent film.
It's like going to a movie with an annoying kid sitting next to you who thinks he's the host of Mystery Science Theater 3000 and talks throughout--but in reality, he is just an obnoxious child who won't shut up.
In many ways, "Baby Geniuses 2" is like the first film merged with "Spy Kids 2"--another bad kids film.
But Superbabies:Baby Geniuses 2 brings the phrase "terrible movie" to a new level.
All in all, Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2 was nothing more than a piece of garbage, that was the low point of Jon Voight's acting career.
I do not know why Jon voight would even want to star in this poor excuse for a movie.Saw this at thanksgiving and left the room after 5 minutes, Yes folks this movie is really that bad.The baby's' are unimaginative and poorly portrayed, Bounce Baby??
come on I could come up with a better idea that that if I was drunk.Then again you would have to be drunk to sit through this one.Just watch the way the voices sync up with the mouths and you will see what I am talking about, Remember to bring the eye soap!!This movie is garbage, Nuff Said!!.
And seriously, I think I actually repressed this movie deep into my subconscious, it was that traumatic.and I still carry the mental scars and I must live with the perpetual, everlasting shame of ever agreeing to watch it.I do remember one part that I found particularly excruciating, and I haven't been able to repress it:at the end when that kid finds his mother or whatever and introduced her to his girlfriend type person, and is like "this is my...m-mother"don't give me that fake dramatic "touching moment", dear lord.and I'm not putting the spoiler thing on for that because its not a spoiler because this turd sandwich has nothing to spoil..
The viewer is left unable to understand the script and unable to comprehend the plot.I can only guess that people thought looking at babies walking around in diapers, talking gibberish, would be sweet.
Did the writers actually believe this would get better ratings if people saw something from "The Great Escape" in this movie except with babies as prisoners?
(As of 10/17/05 it is #3.) To get an idea of how awful this abomination is, think of the worst five seconds of acting, cinematography, plot lines, lighting, directing, and so on, that you've ever seen in your life.
The only reason I went was because we had a group of about 15 film majors that thought it would be funny to all go see the late-night showing of this movie.
I had to sit through this garbage while watching some kids one day, and I knew this movie wasn't good when even the kids lost interest a few minutes in.
But when I see Voight perform in this movie, I wonder to myself "Why?" He's done some good work of late, notably in Holes and National Treasure, and then he plays some sort of super villain with a bad German accent who is derailed by 2 year-olds.
No Wonder Jon Voight got nominated for a Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actor, he was worse than Sylvester Stallone in Spy Kids 3-D Game Over.One more thing, for those of you who have never seen this movie, your lucky..
It is, quite simply, the worst movie ever made...it's worse than Glitter, it's worse than Battlefield Earth, it's even worse than the original Baby Geniuses.
Do not watch it...it truly is the worst movie ever made...and I've seen some pretty terrible films..
I am very very very sure this movie will go back and back to be at the bottom.Why they make a very bad bad movie like baby geniuses?.Do not buy this DVD!.
All you need to know about Baby Geniuses 2 is this:On IMDb's list of the lowest rated movies of all time, according to a user vote, this film comes in second place to a propaganda film for a fascist government run by a murderous dictator.So why did I bother reviewing it?
Okay, so, we bought this on DVD with the first Baby Geniuses, thought it would be good.Boy were we wrong.This is the first movie in which me and my family actually TURNED OFF a quarter of the way through.
It was awful, absolutely awful.Although, little (3 year olds) like this movie, so it's a nice thing to have on hand to waste two hours of your little kid's life...if you feel willing to pay $10 to get it.My advice: don't see, get or rent this movie.1/10.
I have never seen this film at the cinema or advertised on T.V so I have never watched it but it looks terrible The writers must have been high when they came up with secret agent babies, spy kids is OK but this is something ells.
Superbabies the sequel to the horrible Baby Geniuses is unbearable.The animation on the children's mouths are absolutely noticeable and the dialog is poor and poorly delivered.This film is full of awful one liners and the script makes Power Rangers look like Pulp Fiction.The acting is very bad and boring and the characters are paper thin,ridiculous,unbelievable,and at times stereotypical.Lines like "What kinda milk have you been drinkin" of course coming from the black baby are funny only if you're into Bob Sagets comedy routines.The effects are beyond brutal and storyline is ludicrous,cheesy,corny,generic,stupid,and unintentionally laughable.Superbabies pretty much took the cheesiest line from every children's movie and mushed it into a script.This sequel is bad to the bone and unbelievably stupid.This must have been written by a cat on weed because when you're wishing you were watching teletubbies instead you know something is wrong.The only way I'll watch this again is if I'm wearing a straight jacket and surrounded by men with guns..
We know they screwed Lemony Snickets' book but this...(which came out the same year) is just a bad excuse for a movie, it does belong in the trash dump...just like a diaper.
They win, hallelujah.Of course, we're not talking about that movie, we're talking about the ACTUAL SEQUEL "Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2".How this thing got green lit, I have no idea.
For an adult film, this lacks actors, a story, a plot, a writer, and for that matter, reason.Avoid this movie like the black plague..
There are only so many Disney and Dreamworks films you can rent so I occasionally take my chances on new releases that "look good enough".I should have looked closer, while Baby Geniuses (yes I rented that one as a new release as it came out) was a mediocre movie, it was cute and funny at times and my kids liked it.
i want my money back,who ever thought this movie upand those who made it should beashamed of themselves and their work.this is the worst garbage i have everseen for a film- my kids were fallingasleep!
If you think bad movies are watchable, don't watch this.Yes...like most people have warned.
DO NOT waste your time or money when there are plenty of other movies worth watching, this make House of the Dead look good..I was generous and gave this a 2/10....
So if anyone wants to check out a bad movie, then this is your textbook example of one of the worst films made..
Those babies are so annoying the plot makes no sense and the acting is so horrible you would think none of them(being the adults) had ever been on film before, but it turns out to just be a really horrible script.
The first BABY GENIUSES movie was pretty bad but I gave the filmmakers credit for at least trying to do something original even if the story itself was a bit too creepy to actually work.
SUPERBABIES: BABY GENIUSES 2 is a very bad movie but with that said I don't think I'd call it one of the worst ever, which is where it's reputation is at. |
tt0407621 | Calvaire | It's shortly before Christmas. Marc Stevens (Laurent Lucas) prepares his make-up for a performance. On stage in a hall lit by fluoerescent lights, he sings a love song to his elderly audience who appear captivated. At the end of the song, they applaud enthusiastically. He wishes them a happy new year whilst he is away.Returning to his dressing room, an old lady knocks at the door. He invites her in and he removes his make-up. She explains how much everyone loves him and asks if she may do something. He accepts and she takes his hand and places it between her legs. He pulls his hand away. She leaves in a hurry, saying how foolish she's been.As he loads his van, a woman (possibly the manager of the old-folks home, it's not clear) insists on a hug before he leaves. He does so, but the old woman from the dressing room appears at a window, so brushes her off before having trouble starting his van.He drives through the countryside on a main road and onto progressively narrower roads ending up on a track through some misty woods. He stops to check a map and sees a sign indicating "Bartel Inn, 3km". Continuing slowly through the heavy rain and the dark, a shadow runs in front of the van, he brakes suddenly and the engine stalls. The van will not restart. He checks under the bonnet and returns to the driver's seat to take his mobile telephone out of the glovebox. The pale face of a young man (Jean-Luc Couchard) appears at the window and asks where his dog, "Bella", is. Marc indicates the direction that the shadow moved. The young man heads off, but Marc calls him back and asks to be guided to the inn. They leave the van. As they head off, the young man, Boris, asks him to be quiet so he can listen out for Bella.Boris takes him to the inn and calls up to the owner, M.Bartel (Jackie Berroyer). When the old man's face appears at the window, Boris says that he has brought someone to stay then runs off into the night. M.Bartel says that nobody has stayed in ages, but the rooms are clean.The next morning, Marc is woken by the sound of a tractor. He looks out of the window of his room to see his van being towed into the courtyard. M.Bartel greets him as Marc comes outside. He offers to take a look at the van for him. Bartel explains that he used to be a comedian. Marc takes out his mobile phone but it appears not to be working. Bartel takes an interest in it. Marc asks to use Bartel's phone. Bartel makes a call to the local mechanic and appears to speak to the mechanic's wife. There will be a delay. Bartel makes a meal for Marc. Later, Marc sees Bartel working on his van. Marc offers to help, but Bartel says he'll be fine. Marc says he's going for a walk. Bartel warns him to stay away from the village. Marc asks why, but Martel stumbles over his words.Whilst Marc is out, Bartel breaks into the back of the van and takes a look at Marc possessions, ending up in the glovebox. He takes Marc's mobile phone. He comes across some documents and photographs in a jacket pocket. Some show a woman with an unbuttoned blouse with captions including "come back soon", "I'm pining for you". It appears to be the woman who hugged him at the beginning of the film.On his walk, Marc comes across a ramshackle barn. As he gets closer, he can hear voices. He then sees a group of men who are encouraging a younger man to have sex with a pig. Unseen by the men, Marc watches for a while before heading away.Returning to the inn, Bartel is on the telephone and in conversation with the mechanic's wife. There will be a further delay in getting a replacement battery for the van. Marc heads outside to investigate for himself, but Bartel persuades him not to try the van.Bartel cooks a meal and as Marc eats, talks about his wife ("Gloria") who left him and how he is unable to tell jokes like he used to. He tells one, but it lacks enthusiasm. He then asks Marc to sing. Marc says he is tired and sings half a song half-heartedly. Bartel insists he finish. Marc completes the song with more gusto. He asks for a wake-up call the next morning and Bartel thanks him for the song.Marc wakes the next morning and it's already light. Bartel is nowhere to be found. Boris appears and is no wiser about where Bartel is. Marc checks the van and discovers that the battery has been removed. He goes back inside to make a telephone call but discovers that the line is dead. In fact, it's not even wired up!Something attracts he attention to the building across the courtyard. He enters the shabby room and looks around, finding his phone and the photos of the woman on a table. Bartel enters, somewhat annoyed. He says he'd found the phone on the dinner table last night and was going to return it (this does not explain the photos, of course).Marc goes up to his room and finds it immaculate, but there are a woman's frocks in the wardrobe. He is distracted by smashing noises from outside. Bartel is taking a sledgehammer to his van. Marc goes back outside to find Bartel splashing petrol on the van. Bartel drops his matches, but as Marc remonstrates with him, Bartel asks why she came back, as if speaking to his wife and picks up the battery and slugs Marc with it. He then torches the van. Bartel drags Marc's unconscious body upstairs and dresses him in his wife's clothes. Next, Marc is struggling, tied to a chair and Bartel is using hand clippers to remove Marc's hair. He succeeds in cropping most of one side. That night, Marc is tied to the bed whilst Bartel prepares for bed. In underpants and a grubby vest, Bartel curls up next to Marc.The next morning, Marc is sat on the back of the tractor hitch wearing a dress and a windcheater jacket. Bartel is searching for an axe and talking about what a great Christmas they are going to have. In the forest, Bartel chops down a tree. Marc decides to make a run for it. When Bartel looks around again, Marc is gone. Curses!Marc runs some distance but gets caught in a snare. He falls on his face. With hands tied, he's stuck. At night, Bartel drives through the forest, calling out his wife's name. In the dark, torchlight finds Marc. It's Boris. Boris pets Marc's head like a dog's as Marc pleads to be untied. Marc bites Boris' thigh and Boris runs off. At first light, Boris removes the snare and drags Marc onto... ... Bartel's trailer. Two of the villagers, Robert Orton (Philippe Nahon) and his son Tomas Orton (Philippe Grand'Henry), see Bartel's tractor passing through the forest with Marc's unconscious body laid out. They watch at the door to Bartel's barn as Marc's wrists are nailed to a beam like a crucifix. Bartel realises somebody is outside. He shouts that he knows what 'Gloria' has been up to.Bartel passes some children (Borhan Du Welz, Maxime Dewitte, Alexis Dewitte, Liam Gilson, Raphaël Schmidt, Eliot Cahay and Farkhad Alekperov) in red hooded coats in the woods(!?!)Bartel goes to the village pub, and warns them to stay away from his place. It seems everyone knows what he is up to. He confronts the villager Robert and leaves saying, "it's my wife". One of the villagers (Vincent Cahay) takes to the piano, playing a dischordant dirge which turns into a frenzied beat. The villagers (Romain Protat, Damien Waselle, Viktor Mikol, Nedzad Kurtagic and Yves Vaucher) in the pub begin to dance a strange swaying dance to the music.Back at the inn, Bartel explains how he and 'Gloria' are going to reopen the inn with cabaret. There is a knock at the door. Boris has found his dog. The dog turns out to be a calf. Marc begins to wail. The room spins, picking out the faces of Bartel, Boris and Marc. Marc is going mad.A shot rings out and Boris spits blood, falling to the floor. Bartel picks out his rifle and smashes the lights out. Marc calls for help so Bartel clouts him with the butt of the gun. Shots ring out and in a dazed state, we see some of the villagers break in. Marc picks up an ornament to knock out Bartel, but Bartel is shot. The door is kicked through and a squealing pig is followed by Robert, Tomas and other villagers. Tomas picks up the calf and asks to leave, but Robert demands a song from Marc. The villagers join in the demand. Robert speaks to Marc as if he is Gloria, asking why she came back. One villager tries to rape Marc. In the mayhem that ensues, more shots ring out. Bartel and Boris are killed. Marc sneaks out. The villagers regroup outside the inn and use the pig as a bloodhound to track Marc's escape.The group persues Marc through rivers and woods. In the misty marsh, the pig and villagers give up, but Robert continues alone. Marc comes across a statue of Christ on the cross. Robert eventually catches sight of Marc in the boggy marshland. The chase continues at a snail's pace. Robert falls into soft peat and begins to sink in the bog.He calls out to Marc, who turns back. "Why did you come back Gloria? You love me, don't you? Say it". Kneeling by the hole, Marc replies "I loved you".We watch the frozen Belgian countryside shrouded in mist pass by. The piano melody is reprised on a violin before the titles appear. | insanity, psychedelic, horror | train | imdb | null |
tt3659388 | The Martian | At the landing site of the shuttle Ares III, Acidalia Planitia, Mars, at a time in the near future, the crew of the Hermes — including Commander Melissa Lewis (Jessica Chastain), botanist Mark Watney (Matt Damon), IT guru Beth Johanssen (Kate Mara), pilot Rick Martinez (Michael Peña), flight surgeon Chris Beck (Sebastian Stan), and navigator and chemist Alex Vogel (Aksel Hennie) — are gathering samples before re-entering their living facility, the HAB.The crew learns that a storm is approaching. The storm's intensity and high winds lead Commander Lewis to order a mission abort. Watney argues for waiting it out and brings up the rear as the crew heads toward the MAV (Mars Ascent Vehicle), the ship that will take them back to the orbiting Hermes, in their suits. Heavy winds and sand gusts surround them. A satellite dish breaks off and strikes Watney, knocking him out of sight of the rest of the crew. Lewis tries to guide the others to find Watney, but visibility is very poor and the storm is way too strong for them. They head back into the MAV without Watney and lift off. The pilot, Martinez, is barely able to keep the rocket from tipping over.Back on Earth, NASA Director Teddy Sanders (Jeff Daniels) holds a press conference to announce that while the Hermes crew succeeded in leaving Mars, Mark Watney was lost, and he is declared dead.Watney wakes up on Mars on what is Sol 21 (mission day 21) after the storm has passed. His oxygen is depleting rapidly, so he makes his way back to the habitat station. He's been impaled by part of an antenna, which still protrudes from his abdomen — the combination of the antenna and his own blood sealed the suit just enough to keep most of his air from leaking out. Watney pulls the antenna out, uses forceps to fish out a piece that broke off in the wound, then staples the wound shut.He sits down to make a video log, where he outlines the situation: he's alive, but he can't contact Earth or Hermes; it'll be four years before the next manned mission is launched; and with the food supply in the habitat meant for him and the other five crew members, he has almost a year's worth of food, or a little longer if he rations. Therefore, Watney determines that he has to grow three years' worth of food on a planet where nothing grows. Luckily for him, he's a botanist.At NASA in Houston, Texas, Sanders has just returned from a memorial service for Mark Watney, where he spoke about Watney's dedication to exploration. Mars Mission Director Vincent Kapoor (Chiwetel Ejiofor) talks to Sanders about getting satellite time to locate Watney's body. Sanders refuses on the grounds that the satellite feeds are public and broadcasting pictures of Watney's corpse would be a political and budgetary disaster for NASA. Later, engineer Mindy Park (Mackenzie Davis) meets with Kapoor after she discovers evidence of activity in satellite photos of the Ares III site (low-resolution images apparently taken in a routine fly-by): the solar panels have been cleaned and the rover has moved. They bring in Sanders and Director of Media Relations Annie Montrose (Kristen Wiig) to show them that Watney is still alive.A few sols (Martian days) later, inside the habitat, Watney has planted potatoes using Martian soil and vacuum-sealed packets of the crew's feces as fertilizer (to his disgust). Needing more water for the potato crop, he burns off hydrazine rocket fuel — a byproduct of the reaction is water. On his first attempt to ignite the hydrazine, he causes a moderate explosion, singeing his clothing and hair. Watney notes that this explosive tendency is the reason that NASA does not use pure hydrogen. As he continues to work on his food supply, he keeps going with the video logs and decides to use a rover to make it to the Schiaparelli crater that will be the landing site for Ares IV in four years. Since the battery-powered rover can't cover the whole distance, he modifies it, adding solar cells and an extra battery. To conserve battery power, the pod of plutonium used to get the crew to Mars in their original spacecraft serves as a heat source in the cabin.Watney uses the rover to find a Pathfinder probe that stopped transmitting in 1997; he hopes to use it to get in touch with NASA. He digs the old probe out of the sand, spreads its solar panels to charge the batteries, and discovers that it still works.Using hand-written signs for the Pathfinder's camera, he is able to send a message to NASA confirming that he is alive. Kapoor is able to receive the message because he and colleagues at the Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL), who built the Pathfinders, have pulled another Pathfinder out of storage, rounded up the engineers who worked on it, and got it working again. They manage to communicate with Watney, first by panning the Mars Pathfinder's camera to point at 'yes' or 'no' signs when Watney asks if his signal is being received, and then by panning around a hexadecimal clock that Watney has scratched out on the ground around his Pathfinder. NASA uses this system to tell him how to hack the rover's operating system so it can transmit text back to Earth. When Watney, finally able to type his messages chat-style, asks how the Hermes crew took the news that he wasn't dead, Kapoor regretfully tells him that the crew hasn't been told. Watney responds with obscenities (which are broadcast all over the world).Watney's story becomes a worldwide sensation. His communications with NASA are logged, and at the request of PR Director Annie Montrose he uses the Pathfinder's camera to take a spacesuited selfie (in a two-thumbs-up Fonzie pose) which Montrose doesn't like because she can't see his face.Meanwhile, the crew aboard Hermes has spent the last couple of months quietly flying back toward Earth while keeping in touch with their loved ones. The flight director of Ares III, Mitch Henderson (Sean Bean), contacts the crew and informs them that Watney is alive, and that NASA has kept it from them for the last two months so as to not distract them from their mission. The news only makes them angry and guilt-ridden, but Henderson tells them that Watney has stressed repeatedly that it wasn't their fault and they had reason to believe that he was dead.The folks at NASA determine that they can reach Watney by Sol 868. The food he's growing plus the rations in the hab will run out in a bit over 900 days. Sanders frets that the margin of error is too small.Back on Mars, things begin to go bad for Watney when the habitat's worn-out airlock explosively decompresses, throwing the airlock some distance while he's inside it and causing his helmet to crack and leak. He uses duct tape to seal the cracks and stumbles back to the habitat to discover his potato crop frozen and dead. With less food, he now figures he can last only a little more than 300 Sols, or slightly longer if he rations.NASA and JPL work overtime and quickly launch a probe to resupply Watney. To make their launch window they bypass routine inspections, and moments after launching, the probe explodes. Meanwhile in China, two directors from the Chinese National Space Administration, Zhu Tao (Chen Shu) and Guo Ming (Eddy Ko), witness the explosion and discuss helping NASA by offering their classified booster rocket technology to launch a supply craft. Guo Ming asks Zhu Tao why NASA has not already asked for their help and Zhu Tao reminds him that it is a top secret program that NASA would not have any knowledge of. They decide that in the interests of international scientific co-operation, they will contact NASA and offer their booster rocket.Rich Purnell (Donald Glover) an eccentric and absent-minded, but brilliant astrodynamicist, devises a plan to accelerate the returning Hermes around Earth, gaining a gravitational boost and sending it back to Mars to get Watney. The Chinese rocket will resupply the Hermes for its extended voyage. Sanders vetoes this plan because it risks the lives of the five Hermes crewmembers and will extend their mission by hundreds of days, but Henderson secretly sends the plan and Purnell's course calculations to the crew. The crew talks it over; they understand that the surreptitious arrival of the plan means that NASA brass have rejected the idea. They assume that if they go back to Mars, the two military members, Lewis and Martinez, will be court-martialed for mutiny and the three civilians will never be allowed to fly another mission. Lewis calls for a unanimous vote, and they all agree to go back for Watney. Johanssen hacks the Hermes computers to prevent NASA from taking control and they change course, sending a cryptic message to Houston: "Rich Purnell is a steely-eyed missile man."Sanders is angry with Henderson, who he assumes sent the plan to Hermes. Henderson doesn't deny, but will not confirm his actions either. Sanders explains that his priority is for NASA to keep flying, but Congress is very sensitive to public opinion and the bad publicity that would result if Purnell's plan failed would likely reduce NASA's budget for years to come. He asks for Henderson's resignation when the mission is over. Then he's forced to announce that NASA is sending Hermes back to Mars to rescue Watney.Seven months pass on Mars. Watney has lost a lot of weight, has grown a lot of facial hair, and his teeth are rotting. He's started losing hope in his survival and rescue. He records a video log asking Commander Lewis to let his parents know of his fate. He packs up the rover and leaves the Ares III site — having spent 461 sols there — and heads for the Ares IV MAV, which was dropped on Mars well head of the Ares IV mission. It's a 3200-kilometer drive across a trackless and inhospitable Martian landscape. He stops every day for 13 hours to sleep and re-charge the rover's batteries with solar panels. During his excursion, he reasons that Mars is legally international waters — that is, it's subject to the law of the sea because it can't be claimed by any country on Earth. As he has not gotten explicit permission from NASA to take the MAV, and cannot get permission until after taking off, commandeering the MAV will make him a space pirate. He would like to be called Captain Blondbeard.After the Hermes has swung around Earth and collected the supplies, they travel back to Mars. NASA and the rest of the world watch with anticipation; with 12 minutes' delay, no one on Earth can help by radio. Watney has to shed 5000 kg of weight from the MAV to make it light enough to reach Hermes' orbit. He jettisons most of the seats, all the navigation and control systems, and replaces the nose-cone airlock with a tarp.Martinez, flying the MAV by remote control, launches Watney into orbit. The MAV comes up too low to reach the Hermes spaceship. The crew uses a quickly-made sugar and oxygen explosive to blow the front hatch and cause escaping air to slow the huge ship down so they can match speeds and still get to Watney. Lewis herself decides to use the EVA MMA suit with a tether to reach Watney, but she can't get close enough. Watney punctures the finger of his glove to propel himself toward Lewis with the escaping air jet. ("Like Ironman!" he says gleefully.) He has very little control, so he misses her. However, he runs into the tether, which his momentum causes to wind around himself and Lewis, and the crew is able to reel them in. Lewis announces to NASA that they have Watney, and people all over the world cheer. (Crowds have gathered in Houston, Times Square, Beijing, and elsewhere, anxiously waiting to hear whether the rescue worked.) The crew hugs Watney and jokes about the stench resulting from his lack of showering for many months.Back on Earth about one year later, Watney begins Day 1 as an instructor to aspiring astronauts. He tells them of his struggle on Mars, confirming that he did in fact grow food using his own shit. He tells them that if things should go south for them, they can either accept their fate or start solving problems, because that's how you survive — by overcoming one problem after another.During the closing credits, we see the characters years later as they watch the launch of Ares V, in which Martinez is the commander. Kapoor, Montrose, Park, and Sanders watch from NASA along with Guo Ming & Zhu Tau. Henderson is retired and golfing with his son. Lewis watches at home with her husband, while Vogel is at home with his family. Beck and Johanssen have gotten married and watch from the hospital with their new baby. | humor | train | imdb | Technically it looks great and it impressive how convincing the surface of Mars looks.In the end we get to the fist-pumping mission control scenes that we all knew were coming, but along the way the film is slickly packaged and entertaining as a result; even if the oft-mentioned scientific validity of it all is not something it ever seems concerned with itself..
The Martian is a new Ridley Scott classic, featuring his best work in years, the best performance I've ever seen from Matt Damon, an outstanding supporting cast, a surprisingly funny screenplay from Daredevil creator Drew Goddard, and a great narrative that ties the film together beautifully.
The Martian is a science fiction film starring Matt Damon and directed by Ridley Scott.
Not since Interstellar have I seen a sci-fi movie this thought-provoking or cleverly written.After an intense sandstorm devastates a manned mission to Mars, the crew are forced to abandon the desolate planet and astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is presumed dead and left stranded.
Matt Damon is perfectly cast as the wisecracking, yet intelligent astronaut Mark Watney and his positive attitude toward his survival is what keeps us invested in the story.
Watney has to defy the odds in order to survive.Ridley Scott is responsible for so many wonderful films, and for many The Martian will sit among them.This is a beautifully made film, it looks incredible, I love the realisation of Mars's surface, truly brilliant, wasn't going to be otherwise with the budget they had.
It has been such a long time since I have been left with that wonderful sense of satisfaction after investing two hours in a really good movie, and this did it 100%I am usually left highly disappointed after watching this genre of film, so I wasn't expecting much.
Something like Gravity I thought, great special affects, dramatic scenes, and an average storyline, but The Martian was a whole different calibre of film and was perfectly constructed from start to finish.
Probably one of the best aspects of the film, is that the mood of the movie is quite optimistic, considering that the situation of being stuck on mars, is quite a scary one, that requires a lot of panic.
Exceptional sci-fi drama from Ridley Scott about an astronaut (Matt Damon) stranded on Mars and the efforts made to rescue him.
Stranded many light years from his home planet, Mark is forced to use his survival training (including fertilising faeces for food!) in order to survive, before managing to contact Earth and bring news of his survival to NASA president Teddy Sanders (Jeff Daniels), who desperately works on Earth with scientist Vincent Kapoor (Chiwetel Ejiofor) to get him home, while re-assuring a frantic public.Having made his name in a landmark sci-fi classic many decades ago, Ridley Scott returns to the genre for a film where the only alien appears to be in human form.
The director oversteps any meaningful character development, and plunges us straight into a story that serves as a lengthier rendition of 2013's Gravity, with elements of Tom Hanks's Cast Away chucked in for good measure.For a film stretching at nearly two and a half hours, it really needed not just an interesting story, but an effective screenplay to match it.
While the 'one man stranded in space' plot still has some life in it, Scott seems overly preoccupied with stuffing Damon's Watson character full of insightful technical jargon and waffle, to reassure us he's highly intelligent and 'NASA's finest', to the point of disconnection.
instead i watched a very dull,predictable and very safe movie,Matt Damon,i really love as an actor but he never got to me,i simply was not taken by his acting,it just did not come across,the surrounding characters were so predictable,the young and beautiful captain,another young chick and a science head...the happy Latino...a German...oh please give me a break,who wrote this,and sorry to say but the name Ridley Scott seems to disappoint me more and more the last years.The scene where his garden gets blown away i saw coming from a mile,the science well,that was nicely done for a 10year your kid,but for me it looked like a Sunday afternoon cable movie,safe and predictable.There were so many things they could have done differently,also the music did nothing good for it.the photography could have been done so much better...i am very disappointed..
'Apollo 13', for example, is a riveting film, but mainly because of its raw material: in 1971, a manned space mission suffered from an explosion and the astronauts were stranded, thousands of miles from help; amazingly, they managed to fix their stricken craft and make it home alive.'The Martian' is a fictional story, but is in some ways Apollo 13-redux.
Simply because the screenwriters wrote it that way.Yet in spite of its faults, the film's basic set up draws you in, and by the (admittedly melodramatic) rescue scenes, one can't help but watch on the edge of one's seat; and keeping an audience interested for over two hours is not such an easy thing to do.
Perhaps the fact that in the real world we've basically given up on manned space travel adds to the appeal: this may be a futuristic story, but at the same time, it also feels like a tale of something we used to do, to boldly go beyond the limits of our planet to see what we might find..
Matt Damon in the title role steals the show using much of wit to his role, avoiding sentimentality, and above all, tries something different than the desolation portrayed by Tom Hanks in Cast Away or Leonardo Di Caprio in "The Revenant." His role is pretty fun filled and amusing; a memorable performance he has given in recent years after 'The Departed." A superb narration, brilliant camera work, and a nice performance definitely make it a smart and entertaining movie of the year though the subject and treatment might not feel a regular Oscar worthy material.Rating: 2.5 stars out of 4.
With Ridley Scott's new film "The Martian" we have an almost identical plot, albeit without the alien involvement.Matt Damon plays astronaut Mark Watney who after a freak Martian storm is left for dead by his colleagues in the NASA crew of the "Hermes" (led by the excellent Jessica Chastain).
By chance, his presence is detected by NASA and the action switches to the NASA team – principally NASA Director Jeff Daniels, Mars mission director Chiwetel Ejiofor, PR lady Kirsten Wiig, JPL specialist Benedict Wong and "Hermes" flight director Sean Bean – and their struggle to save him given the logistical impossibilities involved.I loved this film.
(There's a nice nod and a wink to Bean's involvement in Lord of the Rings as well, which made me chuckle).The film also looks marvelous, with the Mars sets and special effects being spectacular, the Mars spacecraft being beautifully realized, and some very impressive long-duration zero-gravity scenes aboard the "Hermes" that boggle the mind.In retrospect, the film's success might be deemed to be assured given it is an amalgam of some notable film classics of recent times: the spectacle of "Interstellar"; the intrigue of "Moon"; the vacuum-based-perils of "Gravity"; the hopelessness of "Castaway" and the 'world holds its breath' tension of "Apollo 13".
A key factor in maintaining the tension for the running time is that this is a Ridley Scott film: whilst other directors might insist on a 'Hollywood' ending, with Scott at the helm you can never be sure which way the story might twist in the final reel.(And I'm not letting on here).Unlike last year's "Gravity", and the no-doubt accurate but mind-boggling "Interstellar", the science all holds up pretty well (although I did have serious reservations about the robustness of polythene sheeting and duct-tape replacing a door at one point).Harry Gregson-Willams' score apes Jerry Goldsmith's "Alien" a bit in places, but works well and is massively and joyfully supported by a wide range of disco classics, neatly incorporated into the plot.Go see this film, ideally at the cinema and in 3D: I doubt you will be disappointed.
It's a long movie, which manages to keep you on full alert the whole 2.5 hours.The 3D effects are nicely done: the scenes look razor-sharp and realistic: the Martian scenes make one really believe that you're on Mars, the space equipment is also very believable and the camera work is very good.The only thing I found missing was that there was no story at all about the family of the astronaut..
And while everyone does a great job in the movie, the man whose shoulders the film truly rests on is Matt Damon, and he excels in every scene he is in.
The entire cast excels at bringing the audience a fascinating trip not only of the inner-workings of NASA, but of a man's journey of survival as he is left on Mars."I admit it's fatally dangerous, but I'd get to fly around like Iron Man".
In the story, written by Drew Goddard and based on the 2011 novel by Andy Weir, science is the redeemed and the redeemer, the hero and the heroine, the beginning and the end.Shot in 3-D, the film's fictional aspect is established almost immediately when we find out that NASA is actually engaged in space exploration rather than tallying up its budget deficit.
Eventually, Watney finds a way to talk to NASA by using communications devices from the Pathfinder probe, dormant since 1997, but the film provides little insight into Watney's character and he seems to be emotionally unaffected by his plight, telling lame jokes as if he was planting potatoes in his back yard.The more interesting story takes place at Houston's Johnson Space Center where plans are underway to send a probe to Mars to resupply Watney so he can last another several years on the planet, then return to the spacecraft carrying colleagues Mitch Henderson (Sean Bean), Rick Martinez (Michael Peña), Beth Johanssen (Kate Mara), Chris Beck (Sebastian Stan) and Alex Vogel (Aksel Hennie).
As if Matt Damon's inherently vapid acting weren't bad enough, the makers of this film were so overtly focused on presenting an idyllic reality where no character behaves in any offensive way, to anybody, they produced an un-suspenseful, uninteresting, boring, vapid turd of a story.
Another day I read that the average IQ of the human population is falling....A rating of 8 for "The Martian" is proof of that.The Martian is a real bore fest, an uninspired politically correct film filled with the habitual clichés about scientists, race and everything else.I can even ignore the stupid things they showed in the movie (e.g, why remove the roof of a perfectly airtight, functioning Mars rover?) after all not everyone has a PhD in physics or engineering...
During a storm in Mars, the astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is hit by an antenna and presumed dead by his captain and crew that cannot find him.
It will over four years for another manned mission to rescue him, but NASA headquarters, comprised of Sanders and assistants like Vincent (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and Annie (Kristen Wiig), is determined to bring him back home in a timely fashion.Headquarters is also struggling with the idea of telling the surviving members of the Ares III mission that Watney is alive, which ignites a fiery ethical side to the film's story.
Scott's visual effects and grandscale directing usually never fail, but when these become the focus and human characters and the little touches (the science, the cause-and-effect relationships, and the narrative interest) become secondary or gravely shortchanged, then there's a real issue with his films on a macro level."The Martian," even with its nearly two and a half hour runtime, remains consistently interesting because it's a generally optimistic film, surprisingly enough.
Then there's the roundtable of rich performances here; aside from Damon, who does solid work being the only actor on-screen in his scenes for his sheer honesty mixed with vulnerability, Daniels and Ejiofor work off of each other incredibly well together here.Consider the scene following Ares III's escape from Mars during the storm, when Watney is still presumed dead; the two consult one another about what to do with Watney's remains whilst subsequently trying to find a way to turn it into a more positive, caring PR display by sending another mission out to recover his corpse.
This is a perfect scene in the way that it shows the way corporations and organizations balance humanity while considering their bottom-line, and who better to play figures in those pivotal positions of power than Daniels, who's work on "The Newsroom" has gone on to be acclaimed, and Ejiofor, who, much like David Oyelowo, will likely win an Oscar in the next ten years.Aside from a reliance on montages instead of actual exposition, "The Martian"'s biggest problem as a film is the fact that we simply do not get enough time with Watney alone.
We needed more scenes with Watney ostensibly helpless, trying to farm, or simply trying to get by on what little he has to surround himself and the film doesn't do that."The Martian" also makes fairly strong use of its 3D elements, using it as a tool of immersion rather than a gimmick that works to add a surcharge to already high movie ticket prices.
Consider the storm scene, which completely floods the screen with indiscernible debris and disarray; the scene is only emphasized with the benefit of 3D and makes the experience that much more horrifying, being that, like the characters, we can barely see a thing.Above all, this is a film destined to please a crowd; in addition, it also keeps its pathos down considerably, doesn't do a whole lot of pandering to a crowd anxious to see action, and never loses sight of its deeply human and remarkable story.
I don't know what this movie was supposed to be exactly, an experiment with how boring a one- man survival thing can become or something like that, but it didn't even get CLOSE to what a good movie "cast away" is.
The character development was atrocious - never going into any detail other than their position and title.Matt Damon should not have been casted as Watney as well, the joking and serious side shown in the novel didn't feel authentic in his performance.
The casting was bad, Matt Damon has made a few decent movies but he is no Christian bale, he has very little variance in his character, i mean being stuck out there on another planet you would expect someone to be freaking out,but instead happy clappy Damon is saying he is going to 'science it'.
The film excelled -- was perhaps groundbreaking -- in its look and feel of being in space."The Martian" presents itself as science that could really happen, almost a documentary of this guy's life on Mars.
The scientists who says some foolish things by TV, the another science guy who is making choice between food or his ideas every time, the crew which shows theirs heroism at a very low level, all this will make me not to watch this "masterpiece" again.And just Matt Damon is trying to pull the movie from the abyss.
In the end, you feel like you spend more time watching this movie than Matt Damon spends marooned on Mars.
The premise of the film sees astronaut mark watney stranded on Mars after his crew think he is dead, he has to survive and try to find a way off Mars.
The Martian is a 2015 science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott and stars Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain and Jeff Daniels.
Set in 2036, The Martian centres on the story of Mark Watney, an astronaut presumed dead and abandoned on Mars after a violent storm separates him from his crew, forcing him to survive for up to four years on the surface of Mars with limited food rations and contact to Earth.
I had some reluctance about sitting down to watch "The Martian" because it is a movie starring Matt Damon.
In my opinion, there are far better movies that revolve around the Red Planet compared to "The Martian".While Matt Damon had the majority of the screen time, then there was a handful of good casts to assist him as well.
-The Martian is a 2015 American science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Matt Damon.
As such, at times it almost feels like you've seen the movie before--Matt Damon and Jessica Chastain get lost in space, we get it.Still, the reality is that as much as I want to nitpick at this movie, I just can't really throw anything out there that really greatly takes away from the film.
Many times during this film, I legitimately believed that Mark Watney was a real, living person that was actually stranded on Mars for many months alone.
Many times during this film, I legitimately believed that Mark Watney was a real, living person that was actually stranded on Mars for many months alone.
Matt Damon is incredible in this movie with out a doubt the best performance in a Ridley Scott movie since Russell Crowe in Gladiator and in my opinion should have took home the Oscar for this movie he's amazing with the comedy and the emotion the little moments where his armour starts to crack no you think he wants to give up but he never does, that's what makes Mark Watney such a great protagonist he's easy to get behind and never bores the audience.
Fascinating and enthralling tale of resourcefulness, ingenuity and survival.After a massive storm forces his crew to leave the planet, an astronaut, Mark Watney (played by Matt Damon), is marooned on Mars, and presumed dead.
"The Martian" is a Sci-Fi movie in which we watch a manned mission to Mars trying to explore and study it.
We get to see how process works in a crisis, and that's always character-building and interesting (when written well) in a movie; that it's at this level of A-list makes The Martian a special film, and one of Scott's best.. |
tt0056142 | Kingu Kongu tai Gojira | Japanese/English Version:The Marketing Director (MD) of the Pacific Pharmaceutical company is not pleased with the science show they they are funding because the ratings stink. They need a change.Meanwhile: An American nuclear submarine, the Seahawk, is patrolling the Arctic when it discovers an iceberg that has a greenish glow emanating from it. The captain decides to submerge in order to discover the reason for the phenomenon. The Seahawk discovers there is some 'thing' inside the iceberg but becomes trapped in the iceberg field.The MD engages two explorers to search an island in the Pacific where rumours of a monster exists.The two explorers and an assistant reach the Pacific island which is in the Solomon Island chain but are soon captured by the local natives and taken to their village. The native Chief at first bans them from the island, but by offering him some trinkets, they manage to convince him to allow them to stay for a while longer. A thunderstorm begins and the natives begin a musical ritual to appease their god.In the Arctic, a helicopter continues its search for the Seahawk and eventually sights the yellow marker left by the submarine. Without sighting the sub they see Gojira (Godzilla) emerge from the iceberg. The falling pieces from the iceberg sink the sub in the process. Gojira (Godzilla) swims and wades to the Japanese shore under fire from an army base and being somewhat annoyed, destroys it.The MD is really upset about all the publicity regarding Gojira (Godzilla), with none about his monster, which has still not been found. He contacts the ship to discover how the search is progressing.The natives guide the explorers through the jungle finding what they were looking for; the only problem is that they are too frightened to remain, and return to the village. One of the explorers is hurt and a small boy is sent to fetch some medicine. While he's in the hut gathering the potion, a giant octopus approaches. The boy's mother is looking for him and enters the hut as the octopus attacks the village and they find themselves trapped within. The villagers attack the octopus, and the mother and child manage to escape. At that moment King Kong arrives and battles the giant octopus, sending the creature back to the sea. Feeling thirsty, he drinks the medicine the villagers have created for the explorer and falls asleep. The explorers build a raft and they capture King Kong to bring him back to Japan.Gojira (Godzilla), moving through the Japanese country, begins to cause havoc, destroying a train and many villages on the way. One woman barely manages to escape.Meanwhile at sea, King Kong, still strapped on the raft, begins to awaken before the ship can arrive. His struggles to free himself, and having the raft towed causes the ship to toss every which way. They have no choice but to blow up the raft, thus freeing Kong.The army builds a large pit for trapping Gojira (Godzilla).Kong Kong arrives in Japan and destroys a few villages in the process.King Kong and Gojira (Godzilla) eventuallly meet but when Gojira causes Kong's chest hair to burn, Kong decides the meeting is over and heads off in a different direction.When the trap is ready the army maneuvers Gojira (Godzilla) into it, but it fails to hold him. They release a million volts of electricity which manages to control Gojira (Godzilla). But Kong is unaffected by the electricity and passes through the high power cables without problem.King Kong stops a train and captures a woman (shades of Fay Wray) and takes her to a tall building, showing off his strength. The army is about to attack but is stopped by the woman's brother. They devise a plan to re-capture King Kong by making him sleep as the island natives did. The plan works and the woman is saved. Next they attach helium balloons to the ape intending to take him away toward Mount Fuji.However, once again King Kong wakes but this time he is flying instead of floating and when he looks around notices he is above Gojira (Godzilla). The ropes are cut and King Kong lands on him and a fight begins. At first Gojira (Godzilla) has the upper hand with his fiery breath and strength. But when a storm begins over them, King Kong becomes strong and the fight becomes fairer.Eventually, both King Kong and Gojira (Godzilla) fall into the ocean but only King Kong is seen swimming away. Hopefully this would be the last of Gojira (Godzilla).(Wow, did you notice the size of the mobile phones???) | satire | train | imdb | The King Kong suit is hopelessly phony to look at though.The American version is a travesty that serves merely as filler until the big finale, with a reporter who really makes you long for Raymond Burr's reporter man Steve Martin.
Director Ishiro Honda, who first brought The Big G to the screen in the brilliant 1954 film GOJIRA (re-edited in the US as Godzilla King of the Monsters) decided to scrap the heavy messages and themes of the original film when he made King Kong vs.
It's one of the most enjoyable giant monster movies Toho Studios ever made, and it's certainly one of the best Godzilla films of all.
It can be silly, it can be jokey, and it's also a hell of a lot of fun.I have seen both the U.S. Version and the Japanese Version, and I'll have to confess that while this review will be based on the proper Asian edition, I also have a nostalgic fondness for the American Cut, which actually benefits from some added jokes ("When you and the monster meet, be sure to tell him all about your corn problems!") and the exciting Universal stock music which compliments much of the action.Godzilla was still a bad guy at this point in time, and I'm among the group who considers his costume here my personal favorite (it was very much like the Aurora model kit, or maybe it was the other way around).
Before Freddy VS Jason, before Aliens VS Predator, even before the clash of the titans that is Puppet Master VS Demonic Toys (but after Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man, obviously), there was King Kong VS Godzilla.Before I proceed with this review, I should point out that the version I have seen is the American one, which is dubbed and had several scenes added featuring a United Nations news broadcast.
It is still enjoyable as a giant monster movie, though.This movie originally began life as a stop-motion feature entitled KIng Kong VS Frankenstein, and was conceived by Willis O'Brien as a sequel to the 1933 Kong, gradually turning into a Godzilla movie after Toho studios got involved.
While fans of O'Brien's still-impressive stop-motion work on the original King Kong may be irked by the idea of the big ape being played by a Japanese guy in a suit, I personally think Kong looks pretty cool (it's certainly more impressive than the suit Toho used for their second Kong film, King Kong Escapes).There are some inconsistencies, most notably the fact that King Kong and Godzilla were radically different sizes in their respective films, but Toho got around this by the simple expedient of ignoring it.
One point that bugs me a little is the fact that, although this is the third Godzilla film, and the second to feature King Kong, there seems to be no connection to the previous movies.
When the two monsters appear, the human characters act as though they have no prior knowledge of them, which seems odd when you take into account Godzilla had twice previously tried to destroy Tokyo, and King Kong did make kind of a mess of New York.
King Kong VS Frankenstein was intended as a sequel to the original, but this idea was obviously dropped from the movie it became.The climactic fight between the two monsters is great fun, sort of a giant sized version of a WWE match, only with more believable physiques and personalities.
King Kong VS Godzilla is an enjoyable example of this type of movie; if you're new to the kaiju ega genre, it's an excellent starting point.
King Kong versus Godzilla is truly the battle of the ages, between the two most famous monsters.
His presence adds continuity to the film since he was the real hero of the original Godzilla, King of the Monsters.
So, if you like the 'King Kong' and 'Godzilla' series, then I recommend this movie to YOU!.
King Kong, the legendary giant gorilla from the US versus Godzilla, Japan's own monster legend.
Kong gets in a lot of good action, fighting a giant Octopus, smashing through electrical cords, and of course going against Godzilla.
I always liked Godzilla better than King Kong but Kong is a great monster also.Godzilla is great in this film.
They've got the same quality feel to them, and the same incredible special effects - and here, "incredible" is meant literally.Some of the highlights of this movie for me: the toy plane a little boy sees hanging in a toystore and makes him stop because he badly wants it, is the same plane that flew in formation attacking Godzilla.
This being a Japanese production, the natives are played by Japanese, painted black and given curly wigs...So if you enjoy laughing at the ridiculous details in movies, love to see fights between people wearing halloween suits trying to make it look like the real thing, with some mediocre fireworks in between, you have to see this movie.
If you're looking for a credible classic, such as the original King Kong movie, or high-tech special effects and stunning visuals, this is not the one for you ;).
This is probably one of my favorite Godzilla Films this is where he really shines in this movie.Same goes for King Kong.Right now I'm going to review the Japanese version since I saw it a couple of days ago.It starts off with Mr. Tako who hates the fact he has a boring television show and is upset that he has the lowest rating in Japan.so he tries to find a way to boost up the rating.he hears about a professor that there's a monster on an island and Tako falls in love with the idea.so he sends his employees Sakurai and Furue to the to see if there really is a monster.Meanwhile in the Arctic ocean a submarine find a glowing iceberg and approaches it.Back in Japan Mr. Tako is throwing a going away party for Sakurai and Furue and tells them if they don't bring nothing they are fired.Back to the artier ocean The Submarine is close to the iceberg but it's then destroyed bursting into flames.soon enough a helicopter goes to check the site and find out not only the submarine is destroyed but that Godzilla is here.The return of Godzilla is all over Japan and Military defenses have thoughts about using the atom bomb on Godzilla.soon enough Godzilla Destroyes a military base and is all over the newspapers and television.Tako is furious that Godzilla is taking up all the media and wants a monster quickly.meanwhile Sakurai and Furue land on the island and are capture by natives but demand to find the monster.soon enough Godzilla heads to northern japan where Sakurai's sister Fumiko is looking for her boyfriend Fujita.Godzilla attack a train but Fumiko is saved by Fujita who is looking for her.back on the island Sakurai and Furue fight a giant octopus and is defeated by no other than King Kong soon enough after the fight King Kong drink a juice that will put you to sleep.after that King Kong is on a raft heading to Japan Tako is happy to the fact that King Kong is now more popular than Godzilla.soon King Kong is free from his raft heads to japan and fights Godzilla so who will win this fight King Kong Or Godzilla?
there a scene where Tako is talks to a guy and bets that King Kong will beat Godzilla and is about to fight this guy.there's scenes where he's on the ship and tries to pursed the other not to kill King Kong and hits the TNT Denantor.Tadao Takashima who plays Sakurai gives a solid performance but when around Furue it's funny when he's angry and yelling at him.Kenji Sahara who plays Fujita is given yet another Dead-Pan Role and gives a bland performance except when Fumiko is prated by Kong.Akihiko Hirata who plays the Dead-pan Scientist role and also gives a bland performance but not his fault really the acting is not all that bad but for those whose hasn't the Japanese version hurry up and go see it..
King Kong vs Godzilla was and still is one of the best Japanese monster movie ever.
He totally wants you to get the whole idea of the monster battle between King Kong and Godzilla.
Some movies like these never show good interaction.Except for my favorite scene being the battle between King Kong and Godzilla another was when the musical natives put King Kong to sleep.
We see our big lizard friend broken free of his icy tomb and head off towards Tokyo once more.But at the same time King Kong just happens to be headed there as well and a conflict between the two seems inevitable, but how much of Japan will be left afterwards?Now on paper this should have been a grand epic, the two biggest movie monsters facing off.
It's so bad and so unbelievable it forces the entire movie into the comedy genre, underlined further by the comedic fight scenes.The image of King Kong and the balloons will stick with me forever!With Godzilla flapping his arms around randomly like a bird and King Kong bouncing from walking like a gorrilla to upright as if consistency didn't exist in the 60's the whole thing is the very definition of silly.Don't get me wrong the film has its moments but this US/Japan collaboration fails on too many fronts and has a serious identity problem.Not the worst movie of the franchise but perhaps the silliest.The Good:The basic coneptThe Bad:Far too comedic in placesStupidly well groomed native folkPlot is bafflingly stupidNo consistency with the creatures sizesThings I Learnt From This Movie:VS movies are destined to underwhelmUnbreakable wires will also allow balloons to carry unrealistic weights.
Meanwhile, a giant ape named King Kong(not connected to the two famous films from 1933) is captured by a pharmaceutical company, with plans to broadcast on television, but that is thwarted when Kong escapes to Japan as well, and the two biggest monsters in the world will do battle.
king Kong verses Godzilla is a hilarious clash between two monster icons,the Japanese with their;Godzilla(aka;gojira)and for Americans; king Kong.even if its an actor in a monkey suit,originally i heard that in the Japanese version Godzilla wins the battle.not so after i've seen every Godzilla movie i notice the big g always returns.
and he did in the next sequel;Godzilla verses the thing(mothra) since universal had released the American version,they used the music from their monster films,like the wolfman,the creature,etc;early on Kong battles a giant octopus(they filmed a real octopus and also used a rubber stand in )Godzilla of course after surviving being buried in ice cubes from the previous,Godzilla raids again(aka;gigantis, the fire monster)an entertaining monster movie from the sixties.a classic from the abundant toho studios and the home of classic monsters,universal.7 out of 10..
Even though this is one of my favorite Godzilla films, its too bad that the original version without the added American scenes has never been released in this country and in all likelihood never will.
Yes, this film like GODZILLA KING OF THE MONSTERS, this film has footage of American actors and scenes bing shot into the movie.
(The kangaroo kick was later used by Gorosaurus in KING KONG ESCAPES (read my comment on that film) and brought up to a new level for the big G in GODZILLA VS MEGALON.) Originally they wanted Toho to invite Darlyne O'Brien (Willis O'Brien's wife) to the Japanese premiere of the film, but she kindly refused, because her husband was heartbroken when he found out about this movie on the newspaper, VARIETY.
Originally he wanted the film to be a stop-motion American film called KING KONG VS FRANKENSTEIN, where the monster was made up of animal parts, and after many rejections, he sent the script to producer John Beck and he sent it to Toho where they are doing FRANKENSTEIN VS GODZILLA.
That single joke is not enough to sustain an entire film!The original "Gojira" and "King Kong" are classic monster movies - probably the two best of their kind, in fact - so it's a real shame that they've been taped together so clumsily here.
Better entries in the series include the original Gojira (best seen in Japanese), Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (avoid the American DVD, the translation stinks), Godzilla vs.
I always just loved watching this film as a kid and I think I still do get a kick out of it.Godzilla is once again attacking the city, now obviously since Japan has pretty much tried everything to get rid of him, and they keep on failing, they call upon a bigger giant to help fight him off.
The showdown between King Kong and Godzilla takes place near Mount Fuji.This is it - the battle between the two most famous movie monsters of all time.
"King Kong Vs Godzilla" became the most successful Godzilla movie ever in Japan and the only one that was even more successful than the original eight years before.
I like how they threw in the giant Octopus (some Godzilla fans have dubbed it "Oodaku") to give that sense that Faro Island (the Japanese version of skull island I suppose) is much like it's American counterpart, with prehistoric or unknown creatures living with Kong side by side.
Godzilla is far from what I would call a great film (quelle surprise), with a preposterous storyline, dreadful performances, and woeful special effects (crappy men-in-suit monsters and lots of miniature model-work, none of which is very convincing).
It does, however, mark the only time to date that cinema's mightiest ape and its greatest mutated lizard have gone head to head, which makes it a must for monster movies fans, no matter how manky the creature suits are.In addition its legendary monster smack-down (which includes the unforgettable sight of Godzilla getting a tree shoved down his throat), this silly Japanese/US co-production also offers plenty of (unintentional?) laughs, including Japanese extras blacked up to play natives (who perform a prolonged dance routine to pad out the running time), Kong getting sloshed on berry juice, a giant octopus latching itself onto Kong's head, and the great ape taking a hot air balloon flight..
But I liked it, of course it's not the best movie ever (it's pretty far from it), it's a lot worse than the original King Kong (1933) and the original Godzila (1954), but I thought the movie was even fun, with good scenes, a good passage of history and good characters.
But for now, we can settle with King Kong and Godzilla hammering it out with Tokyo as their arena.This is the best of the Toho series, with the two most famous of all the giant monsters battling for domination.
Certainly not as gritty or thought-provoking as either King Kong or the first Godzilla, this film is still a great deal of fun.
King Kong vs Godzilla (1962) *** (out of 4)Do we really need a "story" in a film with a title like this?
I also don't think the goal of this film was to match the original GOJIRA or KING KONG movies.
Having Godzilla's storyline pick up from the iceberg after the movie Raids was I thought very necessary and the scenes when the main characters visit the savage island where King Kong lives might be the best in the movie.
A pharmaceutical company captures King Kong and brings him to Japan, where he escapes from captivity and battles a recently released Godzilla.I am still new to the world of Godzilla, but this film is something a little bit strange.
King Kong Vs Godzilla was the third Godzilla film and the first in colour.Gone was the serious intent of the first films.Instead we have a deliberately humourous and silly romp which set the tone for many of the Godzilla films to follow.And,despite it's reputation as a bad film,it's great fun.Atleast,in it's original Japanese version.As with most of it's successors,the first 20 or so minutes set up the characters,than the monsters begin to take over the film.This one is almost nonstop action from about a quarter of the way in,with the monsters almost constantly causing peril,climaxing in a battle between the two which really has to be seen to be believed,as Godzilla and King Kong behave like WWF wrestlers,it's not the best monster fight but may be the funniest.Yes,it's ridiculous,but it's supposed to be.Akira Ifikube's score pumps up the exitement,but sadly the effects are often quite poor,especially the gorilla suit which is simply atrocious.This and the imitations of a few scenes from the original King Kong sometimes horrify people,but as a all-action,light-hearted romp the film pretty much succeeds.Sadly most people in the west have probably only seen the 'Americanised' version,which is a mess.For some reason it was decided to cut much of the intentional humour including some surprising satire,add scenes of American reporters with a dinosaur book,add footage from previous Toho film The Mysterians,replace most of the Ifikube's score with inferior stock music,and so on.The US version is quite fun in it's silly way,but the Japanese version is far,far superior.and deserves a release in the west..
King Kong Vs. Godzilla (1962) is a great action film!.
I think it was the first Kong film I had seen other than clips from the original in a documentary about movie monsters.
I was always a huge Godzilla/King Kong fan and can't really decide which one I like better.
(1956), I am totally not surprised.Nevertheless, when you have those scenes without dialogue- the much-anticipated action scenes you expect with both King Kong and Godzilla films- this movie doesn't disappoint.
The question was who would be his competitor?Being fans and insipid to make Godzilla because of the original King Kong, Toho thought that the idea of bringing the two monsters together would make big money not just in Japan and America, but around the world.
Allot of scenes from the movie are memorable like Kong's encounters with Godzilla and a giant Octopus. |
tt0079635 | Nocturna | Hard times have fallen on the Transylvanian House of Dracula. To help pay the taxes, Castle Dracula has been converted into the Hotel Transylvania. Dracula [John Carradine] himself is aging and toothless, being cared for by his granddaughter Nocturna [Nai Bonet]. When Nocturna books a disco group (Moment of Truth) to play The Claret Room and winds up falling in love with one of the backup quitarists, a mortal named Jimmy [Antony Hamilton], she notices that she is able to see her reflection when she dances, so she decides to follow Jimmy to New York in search of mortality.Along with Jimmy, Nocturna falls in love with New York. She hasn't told Jimmy yet about her heritage, so she moves in with an old family friend, Dracula's ex-lover Jugula [Yvonne de Carlo], and meets Jimmy each night at the StarShip where they dance till sunup. However, New York does have its problems, Nocturna soon learns. The quality of the blood supply is being compromised by drugs, pollution, high-sugar diets, and preservatives so that the local vampires have formed a club, the BSA (Blood Suckers of America), in order to discuss possible solutions, such as the use of syringes instead of fangs and the opening of a blood bank that solicits donors from the public. At one of the BSA meetings, Nocturna meets Rh Factor [Sy Richardson], who has opened the Trickey Hickey Massage Parlor as another way of procuring a supply of blood. Nocturna is coming to realize, however, that she is losing her taste for blood. One night, after discoing hard and smoking a joint, she finally tells Jimmy about her background, even showing him how she can change into a bat. "Fantastic grass!" exclaims Jimmy.Back in Transylvania, Grandpa Drac isn't buying that Nocturna is feeling anything other than infatuation for Jimmy and decides to bring her back home. Accompanied by his renfield Theodore [Brother Theodore], Dracula flies to New York and pays a visit to Jugula in order to find Nocturna. While Dracula and Jugula stay behind to discuss old times, Theodore goes looking for Nocturna, for whom he has raging hots. Theodore ensnares both Jimmy and Nocturna. Just as Theodore is about to exsanguinate Jimmy, Nocturna overpowers Theodore, who returns to Dracula as a beaten failure. Jugula suggests to Dracula that they look for Nocturna at the StarShip. Jugula tries to loosen up Dracula, but he is intent on taking Nocturna home. When Dracula threatens to kill Jimmy, Nocturna agrees to go back, but Jimmy grabs the neon "T" from the "StarShip" sign and aims it at Dracula, who changes into a bat and flies away.Epilogue: Jugula and Dracula share a coffin on the return flight to Transylvania, while Jimmy and Nocturna watch the sun rise. Nocturna has gained mortality in Jimmy's arms. [Original synopsis by bj_kuehl.] | satire | train | imdb | null |
tt0325805 | Matchstick Men | Roy Waller (Nicolas Cage) is a con artist residing in Los Angeles with severe tourette's syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Alongside his partner and protégé Frank Mercer (Sam Rockwell), Roy operates a fake lottery, selling overpriced water filtration systems to unsuspecting customers. After Roy experiences a violent panic attack, Frank suggests he see a psychiatrist, Dr. Harris Klein (Bruce Altman).
Klein provides Roy with medication, and in therapy has Roy recall his past relationship with his ex-wife, Heather (Melora Walters), who was pregnant during the time of the divorce. At Roy's behest, Klein informs Roy that he called Heather and found out that Roy has a 14-year-old daughter, Angela (Alison Lohman). Roy and Angela meet, and her youthful energy rejuvenates him. Roy thus agrees to work with Frank on a long-term con: their target is Chuck Frechette (Bruce McGill), an arrogant businessman whom the pair plans to con with the Pigeon drop.
One night, Angela unexpectedly arrives at Roy's house, saying that she has had a fight with her mother, and decides to stay for the weekend before returning to school. She explores his belongings and causes him to rethink his life, which he mentions during therapy with Klein. Angela returns home late one night, leading to an argument between the two. During dinner, Roy admits that he is a con artist and reluctantly agrees to teach Angela a con. The two of them go to a local laundromat and con an older woman into believing she has won the lottery, and she shares half of her expected winnings with Angela; however, Roy then forces Angela to return the money.
Roy goes bowling with Angela but is interrupted when Frank reveals that Chuck's flight to the Caymans has been updated to that day instead of Friday as planned. With little time left, Roy reluctantly chooses to let Angela play the part of distracting Chuck midway through the con; however, after the con is finished, Chuck realizes what has happened and chases the two into a parking garage before they escape. Roy then learns that Angela was arrested a year earlier, and asks that she stop calling him.
Without Angela, Roy's myriad phobias resurface, and during another panic attack, he ultimately learns that the medication given to him by Klein is a placebo, proving that he doesn't actually need his pills to be happy. Roy proclaims that he needs Angela in his life but that he would have to change his lifestyle, much to Frank's disappointment. Roy and Angela return from dinner one night to find Chuck waiting for them with a gun, alongside a badly beaten Frank. Angela shoots Chuck and Roy sends her off with Frank into hiding until the matter can be sorted out. As Roy prepares to take care of Chuck's body, Chuck suddenly springs to life and knocks Roy unconscious.
Roy awakens in a hospital, where the police inform him that Chuck eventually died from the gunshot and Frank and Angela have disappeared. Klein appears and Roy gives him the password to his bank account, ordering him to give the money to Angela when she is found. Later, Roy awakens to find that the "police" have disappeared, his "hospital room" is actually a freight container on the roof of a parking garage, "Dr. Klein's" office is vacant, and essentially all of his money has been taken. As he begins to realize that Frank pulled a con on him, Roy drives over to Heather's (whom he hasn't seen for years) looking for Angela. While speaking with Heather, Roy learns the truth: Heather miscarried their child. There is no "Angela": the young girl he thought was his child was actually Frank's accomplice.
One year later, Roy has become a salesman at a local carpet store, which Angela and her boyfriend one day wander into. Roy confronts Angela but ultimately forgives her, realizing that he is much happier as an honest man. Angela reveals that she did not receive her fair share of the cut from Frank, and that it was the only con she ever pulled. Angela and her boyfriend depart and Roy returns home to his new wife Kathy, who is now pregnant with his child. | comedy, murder, dramatic, psychedelic, romantic, suspenseful | train | wikipedia | Ridley Scott and Nicolas Cage deliver some of their best and most intelligent work in a few years, even if Matchstick Men is not quite either's great contribution for this year in film.
Nicolas Cage, who plays Roy, part anxious/obsessive compulsive, part sly con man, and part father to a daughter he never knew he had, is a main reason to see this movie.
His performance is on par with someone like Jack Nicholson in As Good As It Gets for watch-ability of a truly sad lifestyle, and while Nicholson's performance was and still is funnier and more charming, Cage gets so into his character, the little mannerisms that pop up more often than expected, that we feel for the guy even as his eyes get twitchy and goes over certain spots in his house like a detective.
Add then an outgoing, occasionally sneaky daughter (Alison Lohman in a performance that skillfully balances sweetness and irritability, sorrow and playfulness in a teenage girl) to the mix, along with a protégé-cum-partner (a cool Sam Rockwell) who has a love/loathe relationship Roy, and there's the map work for an interesting, if here and there predictable, drama/comedy/crime film.
It is a nice and welcome change of pace for a master director, as CMIYC was to Spielberg.The film stars Nicholas Cage, who is making up for some lost years thanks to his role here and of course in Adaptation.
Anyone who thinks director Ridley Scott doesn't have a gentler side (after all, GLADIATOR, HANNIBAL, and BLACK HAWK DOWN are not exactly 'touchy-feely' movies) may be in for a surprise with his latest, MATCHSTICK MEN.
The story of extremely neurotic but brilliant con man Nicolas Cage ("I'm not a criminal," he explains to his shrink, "Criminals hurt people; I don't..."), discovering a daughter he never knew he had (Alison Lohman, of WHITE OLEANDER), on the eve of a big 'Sting', offers as much emphasis on his acceptance of his new parental responsibilities as on the caper he and his partner (the always watchable Sam Rockwell) are pulling off.
Cage plays the role brilliantly, making his quirky character sympathetic, and Scott proves again why he is one of Hollywood's premier directors.The success of a film like this depends on the chemistry between the leads, and Cage and Lohman are terrific together.
In one scene, he attempts to prove to her that he can cook by preparing a spaghetti dinner...after one bite, the scene shifts to the arrival of the Domino's delivery boy!Ultimately, however, MATCHSTICK MEN is a tale of 'The Con', and Cage and Rockwell's 'Sting' against 'fat cat' Bruce McGill, while appearing deceptively simple, has a series of twists and turns, leading to a climax that is both stunning and unexpected.
Roy, on the other hand, is turning into a complete nut, and after going to a recommended psychiatrist, he musters up the courage to confront his 14-year-old daughter, Angela (Alison Lohman), who is eager to escape her controlling mother and check out her long-lost big pop.The film has a lot of different stories going on -- the worry-wart who learns to put aside his nervous ticks, the long-lost father who reunites with his daughter, and the con artist who tries to give it up for a normal life.
Who would'a thunk it?Sam Rockwell ("Confessions of a Dangerous Mind") continues to impress, while Alison Lohman (a 20-something actress playing a teenager) shines and convincingly portrays exactly what the character needs.Ridley Scott ("Alien"), the infamous British director, uses some great camera techniques here -- filmed in a blue shade with lots of different camera flashes, he subtly forces the audience into Roy's head, especially during sequences when Roy is having little breakdowns and the people and objects around him start moving at warp-speed.I'll admit that I'm a big fan of con man movies because I find them amusing.
So, I'll just give a quick little synopsis of the plot, but really if you've seen any trailers for the movie, you know the plot pretty well.Nicolas Cage plays Roy, a con man (or, as he likes to say, a Con Artist!) who has a lot of problems.
I'm not sure if it was suppose to be played up for laughs or not, the tone was kind of hard to tell, but Roy spend the next day and a half cleaning his house, his ticks got worst and well it made me feel kind of bad for him.His partner Frank, played by Sam Rockwell provides him with the number for another psychologist who can help.
Later that night he gets a call from him and finds out that he has a daughter who wants to meet him.That's as far as I'll go with the plot because the movie really picks up from there as he bonds with his new daughter and sets up a really complex and dangerous con.Like I said, Nick Cage is great in the movie, but I also want to point out that his daughter, Angela (played by Alison Lohman) was just fantastic to watch.
It was just really funny.Matchstick Men isn't a fast paced movie, it's more of a character study between Roy and Angela and how she changes his life and makes him reprioritizes his values and the way he runs his life..
Roy Waller (Nicolas Cage) and Frank Mercer (Sam Rockwell) are con artists and the movie opens with showing how they collect some money.
All of this delivered in a very free-flowing and vibrant way, much like the majority of Scott's work.At its core the film is about con man Roy Waller who suffers from serve OCD which become even worse once he loses his pills, shown in a scene that is both funny and sad where he spends a day cleaning his entire house.
I also think that Sam Rockwell (who I swear has never put in a subpar performance) deserves some praise for his role as Roy's confident business partner.It is tough to reveal much more about the plot without giving away pieces of information that might spoil its ending.
I think the film would have been even stronger had it avoided said twist all together.Matchstick Men ends up feeling exactly like what Ridley Scott wants it to be.
But also Ram Rockwell and Alison Lohman were delivering good performances."Matchstick Men" is a very interesting movie that is quite good and should be seen, even if you, like me, are not particularly much of a Nicolas Cage fan..
Sam Rockwell does nice work as Frank, his mysterious protégé, and Alison Lohman is also terrific as the young girl who finds her way into Roy's life when she tells him she is his daughter.When looking to rent this, I was kind of excited because it looked to me like a Steven Soderbergh-type movie with plenty of twists and turns like the Ocean movies.
If you like con movies, stories about people with mental disorders, or you love the work of Nicolas Cage, Matchstick Men works on all those levels..
Sam Rockwell lends a convincing performance as Roy's partner, Frank, and Allison Lohman is equally entertaining as Angela, the daughter, who winds up wanting to be too much like her dad.
By the combination of seeing the advertising and reading reviews, it was clear that the film was at least partially trying to cross Ocean's Eleven with some lovey-dovey family angle.But no, it was worse.The film starts out fairly strong, with a lot of camera tricks to emphasize Roy's (the main character, played by Nicholas Cage) obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Matchstick Men tells the story of con artist Roy Waller (Nicolas Cage) and his protégé Frank Mercer (Sam Rockwell).
The status quo of their work is disrupted when Angela (Alison Lohman), the daughter that Roy never knew he had, bumps into his life.Cage's performance as Roy is definitely the reason why you would want to watch this movie.
I gave it a 10 because it is the best movie I've seen this year, I saw Seabiscuit and Lost in Translation and liked both, but this movie was far better(in my opinion) not sure why it didn't win any awards.It was so well thought out and had lots of twists and turns and had me rooting for Nick Cages character in the end of the movie, I also appreciated the ending it didn't have to be tied up in a nice red bow like a lot of movies try to do.I kind of got the impression that return of the King won for the entire saga and not just the 3rd movie.
And watching Nicholas Cage, an actor with many ticks and mannerisms, play a man with obsessive compulsive behavior was just too much.All in all, there was nothing interesting in this film: predictable, weak and boring..
A con man meets his daughter, who complicates his life in "Matchstick Men," a 2003 film starring Nicholas Cage, Sam Rockwell, and Alison Lohman, and directed by Ridley Scott.Cage plays an obsessive-compulsive con artist, Roy Waller, who works with a partner, Frank (Rockwell).
Angela and Roy take to one another, which leads to problems when Roy and Frank are working an important con.This is a really wonderful film with excellent performances by Cage, Rockwell, Lohman, Altman and Chuck Frechette as a con victim.
Roy Waller (Nicholas Cage) and Frank Mercer (Sam Rockwell) are two con artists.Roy is a man filled with problems.He has all sorts of phobias and compulsive behavior.His new shrink, Dr. Klein (Bruce Altman) tells him he has a 14-year old daughter.Roy looks up this girl, Angela (Alison Lohman).They become very close and Roy finds his fatherly feelings he thought never existed.Ridley Scott's Matchstick Men (2003) is a brilliant movie.It's especially great to watch Nick Cage work.You really start to care about the character with all his problems.Alison Lohman is a true find for the role of Angela.Sam Rockwell's great in his part.Bruce McGill does terrific job as Chuck Frechette.Everybody's just right for their parts.This is a fascinating crime drama that you really enjoy watching.And the twist in the end is something you really didn't expect..
I found "Matchstick Men" to be an enjoyable film, starring Nicolas Cage as an obsessive-compulsive con artist whose life is changed when his teenager daughter (Alison Lohman), whom he never knew existed, walks into his life.
Along the way Scott plays the audience in his own kind of con, and he pulls it off pretty well.Nicolas Cage plays Roy an obsessive compulsive grifter, who at the urging of his partner Frank, played by Sam Rockwell, visits a shrink who directs him to the now teenage daughter he left with his ex-wife.
With his partner in crime Frank (Sam Rockwell), at his side, a fourteen year old girl named Angie becomes the missing piece in his sad and confused life, that he never knew he needed or wanted.The story circles around a con that the two men are working on, and this young girl is in the picture now, for him to make some choices with which he is faced.I loved this film, and I've seen it twice now.
It's again, one of the better films, most people will have seen in a long time, and not only does Nick Cage give probably his best performance to date, in this, but Ridley Scott is a genius, and master at work with his photography, editing, and eye for wide angle shots.The imagination that went behind the story, screenplay and post production is very good, and I give it full credit for the job that they have accomplished.
Beside him, the actress who acts Angela (I can't remember her name) has no problem to put herself in a 14 year old teenager's place in spite of her age (she was 22 years old at the time!).So, "Matchstick Men" is a flick to watch for Nicols Cage but to forget in Ridley Scott's dense filmography..
Now both of these are actors I like, though I have to say that Sam Rockwell's career hasn't taken off like I hoped it would - I still think his best role was in Galaxy Quest - and they both carry the movie pretty well, especially Cage.The film is solid enough entertainment, but it is rather predictable, particularly towards the end.
There are many story lines for few characters, but they are all carefully sewn together by the master tailor Ridley Scott.As for acting, Nicholas Cage captures the inner turmoil of his character very well in the film, from the twitchy tics to the odd stuttering he is a big mess, but has that inherent, effortless hero-quality when cast in protagonist roles.
At last Nick Cage had a good character for redemption for such bad roles in late years,Ridley provides a great plot with a disturb leading role which is the best of the picture,the whole sting stay in backdrop or in second plane,this kind of disorder is very usual nowadays,the behavior obsessive compulsive reach around 20% of population,and how it is great bring it a movie as shown in this one,great approach by Ridley Scott and magnificent acting by Cage!!Resume:First watch: 2018 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 8.
It has a fine screenplay and Scott brings a nice balance between comedic moments and the tenser moments and of course they way he brings the surprise element without making a mockery of the film is simply outstanding.Cage Roy is brilliant as Roy, the con artist who tries to be a better father after discovering his teen daughter.
I enjoy con men movies very much, but this is one of the worst and has very serious script problems: 1) The big "twist" is way too predictable for any audience member that's actually paying attention and it's difficult to believe that Nicolas Cage, who is supposed to be very bright and good at what he does, would fall for it; 2) Said big twist is a major miscalculation because it completely invalidates the only part of the movie that was actually working--the blossoming father daughter relationship; 3) The attempt to wring a happy ending from the dark twists of the script's final act feels completely phony--in fact, if Nicolas Cage had turned into a werewolf at the end and eaten the rest of the cast it wouldn't have been any more implausible than what actually makes it to the screen.
While parts of the story are insanely contrived and hard to believe (like the fact that Roy doesn't call his ex-wife the entire time Angela is with him, especially when he comes home and she's gone), Matchstick Men is a really stylish and entertaining story of a unique form of con man.
After all, characters make a story, and this one has some good ones.In one of his best "crazy person" roles, Nicholas Cage does an incredible job portraying Roy, a con-artist with severe Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
The little tics and freak-outs Cage brings to this character make his disorder real to the audience.Sam Rockwell ends up portraying the same kind of character he always does in these types of films, but Alison Lohman ends up being the Yin to Cage's Yang with her role as Angela, Roy's 14-year old daughter.
I must confess that I was stunned to read that Ridley Scott directed this movie, because this director only minimally directs his actors, which makes the acting in "Matchstick Men" even more impressive.
Fun while it lasts, Matchstick Men certainly has its flaws, but its worth the watch if you are a fan of Cage or Rockwell.A neurotic con man and his partner are about to pull off a big job, until one of their daughters turns up.
But when you think about it, the ending begins to make sense.If you want a good, suspenseful, surprising movie with WONDERFUL acting, check out Matchstick Men.Two Thumbs up..
al., and my long-time personal favorite, House of Games, you will love Matchstick Men. Nicolas Cage gives his usual strong, slightly confused performance of a confidence man beset by nervous ticks and phobias whose world unravels when is 14-year old daughter from a failed marriage suddenly enters his life.
Director Ridley Scott adapts Eric Garcia's story of a quirky con artist (Nicolas Cage) whose relatively normal professional life is suddenly thrown off kilter by his introduction to his 14-year old daughter (Alison Lohman) and her desire to be a part of his criminal life.
As George Costanza would say, "Worlds are colliding!" (Following the story of the film is much of the fun, so that's all the plot you're getting.) The appeal of "Matchstick Men" is derived primarily from the appeal and solid work of its leads, Cage, Lohman, and Sam Rockwell, who is Cage's partner in crime.
The acting is very good, not only from the main actors Cage, Rockwell and a remarkable Lohman) but also from the supporting actors - I mention here just Altman, McGill and Kelley, but there are just no miscasts in this movie.I recommend taking your time to watch the DVD, whose Extra Features are very interesting - the elaborate 'Making of' and the commentary by director and script writers.8,5 out of 10..
The movie starts to feel like a good film of the relationship of a man and his daughter.
I am a big Fan of Nicholas Cage and havent really seen a bad Ridley Scott movie but I actually ended up switching this off half way through.
Nicholas Cage delivers another great performance in director Ridley Scott's Matchstick Men. Starring opposite Sam Rockwell and Alison Lohman Cage plays Roy Waller, a con man, who discovers that he has a fourteen-year-old daughter.
Ridley Scott did an amazing job transfering this movie from the novel and delivers a wonderfully entertaining and enjoyable film.Nicholas Cage's performance of a man riddled with tics and phobias deserves high praise as does Alison Lohman for being able to pull off being a 14 yr old despite actually being 10 years older. |
tt0327597 | Coraline | As the credits appear, a pair of metallic hands with spindly fingers summons a doll from the dark abyss outside a window. The hands dismantle the doll, which is wearing a pink dress and has curly brown hair, and reassemble it into a new doll with blue hair, a yellow raincoat, and galoshes. Then they send it back into the void.Coraline Jones (voice: Dakota Fanning), a girl of 11 or so, moves with her parents, Mel and Charlie (voices: Teri Hatcher and John Hodgman), from their house in Michigan to their new home at the Pink Palace Apartments in Oregon. It is a rather dilapidated pink Victorian house divided into three flats, surrounded by forest and shaded by an almost constantly overcast sky. While her parents assist the movers, Coraline goes exploring, taking a stick and using it as a dowsing rod. She lets it guide her along a trail beyond the house until she arrives at the top of the hill. A black cat emerges from the woods and studies her on its perch. Coraline asks if it knows where the old well is before she is startled by an air horn. A bicyclist wearing a skull-painted helmet appears and circles Coraline. After she knocks him off his bike, he removes his helmet and introduces himself as Wybie -- short for Wyborne -- Lovat (voice: Robert Bailey Jr.), grandson of the owner of the Pink Palace. He shows Coraline the location of the old well, right under her feet, and admits surprise that his grandmother would allow a family with a kid to move in; not even he is allowed near the Pink Palace, though he says he's not supposed to explain why. He pets the cat and explains that he cares for it despite the fact that it's feral before he hears his grandmother calling to him. He mounts his bike and informs Coraline that the stick she's holding is actually poison oak.Back at the house, as it starts to rain, Coraline attempts to gain the attention of her parents who are busy writing pieces for a gardening catalog (which Coraline finds absurdly ironic since her parents dislike handling dirt). Her mother gives Coraline a doll that looks just like her, telling her that it was left on their porch. Attached to the doll is a note from Wybie explaining that he found it in his grandmother's trunk and thought she would like it since it looks like her. Coraline takes the doll and goes to see her father who tells her to explore the house and write down what she sees ... as long as she will let him work. Doll in hand, Coraline takes note of everything in their flat, including a painting of a sullen-looking boy in blue clothes above the fireplace. Finishing her notes, she discovers that her doll, which she'd left on a nearby table in the drawing room, has mysteriously moved beneath a mattress leaning against the wall. Coraline moves the mattress to find the outline of a small door behind the wallpaper. Noticing a keyhole and no other way to open it, Coraline begs her mother to help her. They find a black skeleton key in a kitchen drawer with a button end and find that it fits the keyhole perfectly. However, when they open the door, they see nothing but a solid brick wall. Irritated, Coraline's mother tells her to let her finish her work.That evening, Coraline is sent to bed early after complaining about the grimy-looking dinner her father prepared. In the middle of the night, she is awoken by a squeaking sound and looks down to see a mouse in her room. She follows it out of her room and downstairs to the drawing room where it disappears behind the small door in the wall which has been cracked open. Coraline opens the door and discovers that a wide and colorful passage has opened up. She crawls through it and emerges out the other end to find herself in the drawing room again, however, this one is brighter and even the painting of the boy above the fireplace looks cheerful. She smells something from the kitchen and wanders over to find her mother cooking. When her mother turns to greet her, Coraline sees that she has black buttons for eyes. Coraline's shock subsides when her 'mother' explains that she's her Other Mother and that everyone has one. She tells Coraline to collect her Other Father in his study before dinner. Coraline obliges and finds her Other Father, looking lively and fun, playing piano with a pair of puppet hands protruding from it. He sings a song for Coraline, bringing a smile to her face, before they all sit down to dinner.The Other World food is delightful and served with plenty of flair. Coraline can hardly contain her excitement at finding that her Other parents are more fun than her real ones, showing their enjoyment for mud and explaining that it's a natural remedy for poison oak. When Other Mother offers to play a game, Coraline expresses concern that she'd better go back home and to bed. Other Mother takes Coraline up to her 'other' room, which is strewn with colored streamers and toys that speak, including a picture on her nightstand with her two best friends from Michigan (voices: Harry Selick and Marina Budovsky). Her Other Mother rubs mud on the poison oak on her hands before putting Coraline to bed. Coraline quickly falls asleep. She wakes up the next morning to find herself back in her old room. She is disappointed but sees that the poison oak has disappeared from her hands. When she tries to open the small door again, she finds that it's bricked up as before.She tries to tell her parents all about her adventures the previous night, but they dismiss it as a vivid dream. Her mother suggests she tell her dream to the actresses living downstairs, although she calls them ding-bats. Out on the porch, Coraline trips over a pile of mail addressed to a Mr. Bobinsky; the man who lives upstairs. She goes to his door but is prevented entry by the eccentric Bobinsky (voice: Ian McShane), a tall and acrobatic Russian man with a blue complexion; possibly due to his role in the Chernobyl cleanup which is indicated by the medal worn on his shirt. He accepts the packages which contain foul-smelling cheese. He tells Coraline (whom he misnames 'Caroline') that he is training circus mice and hopes the cheese will alleviate their apparent musical difficulties. Before Coraline leaves, he leaps down from his balcony to issue a warning from his mice: "They say, 'do not go through little door'."Halfway accepting her experiences as nothing but a dream, Coraline dismisses the message and heads to the lower flat to visit Miss Spink and Miss Forcible (voices: Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French), two retired burlesque actresses who clearly have not gotten over their past days. Coraline is offered tea as the actresses reminisce and tend to their many Scottie dogs, some of which are dead and stuffed on shelves on the wall, dressed in angel outfits. Miss Spink reads Coraline's tea leaves and predicts that she is in danger, seeing a gnarled hand in the leaves, while Miss Forcible sees a giraffe from her perspective.Coraline goes outside, where a thick fog has covered the ground. She discovers Wybie spying on her with a three-turret lens, although he insists he's hunting for banana slugs. The cat rests on Wybie's shoulders as he skulks around, inspiring Coraline to call him a 'wuss-puss' which insults the cat, though Wybie says he just doesn't like getting his feet wet. The two share laughs as Coraline takes pictures of Wybie holding a slug before he admits that he's never been inside the Pink Palace because his grandmother thinks it's dangerous. He says that his grandmother had a twin sister and, while they lived there as children, she disappeared. His grandmother seems to think she was stolen, but Coraline offers that maybe she just ran away. She asks Wybie about the doll's resemblance to her, but Wybie says that he found it as is and that it must be as old as the house. Coraline is skeptical: why would it look just like her?That night, Coraline leaves out bits of cheese in her bedroom and goes to sleep, hoping for another visit from the mice. Sure enough, she's woken later by their squeaking and follows them through the open portal. She finds her Other Mother cooking in the kitchen, using the very cheese Coraline laid out. She tells Coraline to fetch her Other Father, who is in the garden. Coraline finds him planting colorful, fluorescent flowers and snapdragons, using a tractor shaped like a praying mantis. Other Father takes Coraline for a ride on the mantis as it sprouts propellors and flies them above the gardens. Overhead, Coraline sees that the entire garden has been fashioned into her likeness. After another bountiful dinner, Other Mother opens the front door to introduce Other Wybie. She explains that she made this one so that he doesn't talk because she thought Coraline would like it. Coraline is pleased with her silent friend and they go to Mr. Bobinsky's flat together for a surprise. Inside, pedal-controlled cannons shoot cotton candy and popcorn machines line the walls. A circus tent is erected in the center of the apartment and Coraline and Other Wybie go in to see Bobinsky's mice put on a musical show, bouncing on circus balls. At the finale, Other Bobinsky appears, looking dapper in a ringmaster's coat and hat, and thanks them for their applause. Coraline is later led to bed, happily satisfied with the night's events, and falls asleep with Other Mother, Other Father, and Other Wybie sitting beside her.The next morning, Coraline grunts as she finds herself in her own bed once more. Her mother takes her into town the next day to shop for school clothes. They drop off her father at the train station so that he can deliver the latest edition of the catalog to the editor. At the store, Coraline approaches her mother with a pair of colorful gloves which Mel refuses to buy, looking instead at drab and grey uniform pieces. Coraline shuns her mother on the ride home, especially when Mel reveals that she locked the small door after finding rat excrement near it. Seeing that the fridge is nearly devoid of food, Mel offers to buy some groceries and asks Coraline to accompany her. Coraline refuses and Mel leaves, looking slightly saddened. Taking opportunity of her solitude, Coraline takes the skeleton key from its perch and investigates the small door, finding the passage surprisingly open. She eagerly crawls through as the feral cat watches her disapprovingly from outside. In Other World, Coraline finds the house seemingly empty, though the kitchen table is laden with treats and different foods along with a gift box containing a new outfit for her to wear. A note next to it from Other Mother explains that Other Spink and Other Forcible have something to show Coraline after lunch.Outside, Coraline comes upon the cat and remarks that he must be a copy but is missing the trademark button eyes. She is shocked when the cat speaks (voice: Keith David). He tells Coraline that he is the real world cat and has the ability to transverse the barriers between worlds, despite Other Mother's attempts to keep him out; she hates cats. He admits it's a type of game they play before warning Coraline of Other Mother's true intentions. He claims Other Wybie told him of the dangers and, when Coraline doesn't believe him, tells her that cats have superior senses. He then detects something in the distance and runs off. Coraline continues to Spink and Forcible's apartment which has been turned into a large auditorium occupied by hundreds of Scottie dogs. She finds Other Wybie in the front row and sits beside him as the show starts. The Spink and Forcible that we know, albeit with painted button eyes, perform individual skits in rather unflattering outfits before their competition for the spotlight brings the stage props crashing down. The curtain closes and the second act starts; Spink and Forcible appear on either end of the stage, standing on diving boards while a bucket of water is pushed to center stage. Then, they literally jump out of their skins as their older facades unzip and their youthful, skinny selves effortlessly swing on trapeze wires. They include Coraline in the act, swinging her around the auditorium and catching her as they land on the bucket, to much applause and barking.Coraline returns to Other Mother's apartment, raving about the show while Other Wybie stays behind looking sullen. As Other Mother ushers Coraline inside, she motions to Other Wybie to smile. She takes Coraline into the dining room and tells her that, if she wants to, she can stay forever but needs to perform one little thing. She places a box in front of Coraline who opens it to see two black buttons with sewing thread and a needle. Other Mother cheerfully tells Coraline that buttons are available in any color but Coraline vehemently refuses to sew buttons into her eyes. She requests to go to bed early to think things over and goes to her room where she stuffs her talking toys away and hides the picture of her button-eyed friends. She lies in bed and prays to go to sleep.When she wakes, she jumps out of bed, only to find that she's still in Other World. She goes downstairs and finds Other Father morosely playing the piano with his puppet hands. Coraline demands to see Other Mother because she wants to go home, but Other Father tells her they mustn't talk when 'mother's' not around. When Coraline says that she's going to look for Other Wybie, Other Father tells her there's no point; "Wybie pulled a looooong face and 'mother' didn't like it," his own face elongating horribly as he says so before he is silenced by the puppet hands. Coraline runs outside and begins to walk away from the house. The cat approaches her and they walk together as the Other World begins to deteriorate into nothing. The cat tells Coraline that the Other Mother only created what she knew Coraline would like and soon they find themselves walking straight back towards the house. "Small world," Coraline comments.The cat reveals that the Other Mother wants her, possibly for something to love ... or to eat. Suddenly, he lunges into a bush and comes out with a circus mouse in his mouth. As his jaws clamp down, the mouse transforms into an ugly sandbag rat. "I don't like rats at the best of times, but this one was sounding an alarm," the cat says before moving on. Coraline walks back into the house and enters the drawing room where the small door has been blocked by a beetle-shaped bureau. The other furniture comes to life, looking like insects, and seats Coraline in front of Other Mother, eating coco beetles. Coraline demands to be allowed to go home but Other Mother grows angry and tells Coraline to apologize as she counts to three. While she counts, her body begins to transform, growing grotesquely tall and elongated. (Eventually she is shown to be a spider.) At the count of three, the disfigured Other Mother grabs Coraline and throws her through a mirror into a dank room with a single bed. She tells Coraline she may come out when she 'learns to be a loving daughter.'Sensing someone in the room with her, Coraline turns to see three ghostly children, two girls and a boy (voices: Hannah Kaiser, Aankha Neal, and George Selick), who tell her to be quiet, for the Beldam might be listening. (Beldam means ugly old woman, but it has connotations of witchcraft and recalls characters from literature and folklore: the title character of John Keats's poem "La Belle Dame Sans Merci", in which a knight is enthralled by a fairy; and the witch who entices and captures Hansel and Gretel.) The ghosts reveal that they don't remember their names, but remember how the Beldam used dolls in their image to spy on them and see what made them unhappy. They tell how she lured them into Other World, giving them games and treats, telling them that she loved them. Wanting more, the children allowed the Beldam to sew the buttons into their eyes, but she ate up their lives and cast their souls aside, locking them inside the mirror. They say that their eyes were stolen and hidden and ask that, if Coraline escapes, she set their souls free by finding their eyes. Coraline says that she'll try before she's pulled through the mirror by Other Wybie, whose mouth has been sewn into a wide grin. Coraline pulls the thread out before Other Wybie brings her to the small door. He opens it and shoves her through. When she asks him to come with her, he pulls off one of his gloves, revealing that he's nothing inside but sand. He then shuts the door as the Beldam calls for Coraline. She crawls back to the real world and calls out for her real parents.However, she finds no one home. The groceries that her mother had gone out to get lie on the kitchen table, moldy and covered in flies. When a knock sounds at the door, Coraline eagerly opens it only to see the real Wybie, who tells her that he needs the doll back. His grandmother is angry because the doll once belonged to her missing sister, but Coraline tells him that the doll once looked like the three ghost children. She realizes that the third child, the girl with the braids and ribbons, was Grandma Lovat's missing sister. She brings Wybie upstairs to give him the doll, explaining everything along the way. Coraline describes to an incredulous Wybie how the doll is meant to spy on everything that's wrong with a child's life before the Other Mother gives false promises to trap them. When she can't find the doll, Wybie runs from the house screaming that Coraline is crazy. She throws her shoes at him and runs outside to see her parents' car, but no one is there. A phone call to her father brings no answers either.Coraline visits Spink and Forcible as Spink is sewing an angel outfit on her dog Angus, claiming that he hasn't been feeling well lately. When Coraline worries about her missing parents, Spink and Forcible break a ball of hard taffy candy to reveal a small triangular seeing stone with a hole in it. They give it to Coraline, saying that it's useful for bad or lost things (they can't agree on which one specifically). Coraline then returns home and creates likenesses of her parents out of pillows in their bed before crying herself to sleep. She wakes up in the middle of the night to see the cat sitting on her chest, looking at her closely. She asks him if he knows where her parents are. He pulls Coraline's doll out from under the bed but, instead of looking like her, the doll is two-faced, resembling each of her parents. In the hallway mirror, Coraline sees an image of her parents shivering in the cold and writing 'help us' on the frosted glass. She goes downstairs and lights a fire on the hearth, throwing the doll into the flames to curl up and burn. Knowing her parents can't return on their own, she resolves to rescue them and dons her favorite army hat, a vest, and puts the triangle stone, some tools, and the skeleton key in her pockets.As she and the cat go through the small door, the cat pipes up and tells her to challenge the Other Mother to a game; she never refuses games. Though the Beldam won't play fair, this gives Coraline the best chance. When Coraline emerges, she hears her mother calling to her and finds her in the drawing room. She goes to hug her mother, but the figure transforms into the Beldam. She takes the skeleton key from Coraline and, after locking the small door, swallows it. Other Father, reduced to a squat, blubbering mess, puts Coraline into a chair before he is dragged away by the furniture after the Beldam inquires about tending to the garden. The Beldam then takes Coraline into the kitchen to serve her breakfast, asking her again to stay. Coraline proposes a game: if she is able to find her real parents and the eyes of the ghost children, the Beldam must let them all go. If Coraline is unsuccessful, she will stay and let the Beldam sew the buttons into her eyes. Coraline then demands a clue, which the Beldam relents to give: "In each of three wonders I've made just for you, a ghost's eye is lost in plain sight."Coraline's search begins in the garden, where some hummingbird plants attempt to steal the triangular stone. Finding this curious, Coraline looks through the hole in the stone to see that the world appears grey, except for one colorful ball of light: the first eye. It is disguised as the shift knob on the praying mantis tractor. Other Father starts the tractor and chases Coraline with it. He apologizes, claiming that 'mother' is making him do it. As the mantis chases Coraline across the garden pond's bridge, it collapses, sending the tractor and Other Father into the water. Before he submerges, Other Father grabs the eye and hands it over to Coraline. With the eye in hand, the entire garden dies and turns to stone.Meanwhile the moon overhead is beginning to eclipse -- a time limit on Coraline's search. She makes her way to Spink and Forcible's place, which has deteriorated. The Scottie dogs now reside on the ceiling, looking more like bats, and the actresses have cocooned themselves in a taffy-like wrapper on the stage. Coraline sees one of them holding the second eye as a pearl ring and reaches into the wrapper to get it. However, she wakes the actresses, their tangled bodies resembling taffy, and they shriek and grab at her. Coraline shines her flashlight at the dogbats overhead, agitating them and inciting them to fly down at her. She ducks in time for the dogs to collide with the actresses and Coraline gains control of the eye. The auditorium turns to grey stone and Spink and Forcible disintegrate with the dogs.Next, Coraline goes to Other Bobinsky's apartment where she sees, dangling from a pole on the balcony, the empty clothes of Other Wybie. She shouts to the Beldam that she's not scared before entering the apartment. Bobinsky emerges from the shadows, reduced to only his ringmaster coat and hat, asking why Coraline would want to leave a perfect world. She answers that he couldn't understand since he's merely a copy of the real Bobinsky. Using the stone, she finds the third eye inside Other Bobinsky's hat. She removes his hat to retrieve it but his clothes fall away to reveal the circus rats within. The head rat shrieks at her and attempts to flee with the eye in its mouth. The others try to sabotage Coraline and, as a last resort, she throws the triangular seeing stone at the head rat as it exits the doggy door of Bobinsky's apartment. She misses. She chases the rat onto the balcony which begins to fall apart and collapses. Coraline falls to the ground below and begins to cry when she realizes that she's lost the rat, and the game. The eclipse of the moon completes, revealing the shadow to be that of a button.The cat then appears with the rat in its mouth and relinquishes the last eye. Coraline thanks him and then, together, they go back inside to find her real parents, the paint on the walls thinning and peeling off. She meets the Beldam in the drawing room, darker and filled with webbing. The Beldam herself has been reduced to her true form; a large, spidery figure with spindly fingers and cracked, white skin. She sneers at the cat and holds up the triangular stone before throwing it into the fire. Without her tool, Coraline is forced to use her wit to guess the location of her parents. She announces that her parents are behind the small door in the wall. The Beldam coughs up the key and as she goes to open the door, Coraline sees her parents miniaturized and trapped within a snowglobe on the mantle. With the door open, the Beldam turns to Coraline, chuckling and saying that she's now trapped in Other World forever. "No I'm not!" Coraline shouts, throwing the cat at the Beldam, grabbing the snowglobe and stuffing it in her pocket. The cat scratches out the Beldam's button eyes and the room falls apart, leaving nothing but a low net of webbing. The cat howls and runs through the small door as Coraline struggles to avoid falling into the center of the net. As she climbs, the vibrations are felt by the sightless Beldam who climbs after her. Coraline manages to get through the small door just in time as the Beldam shrieks and wails that she will die without her. Coraline slams the small door shut in the real world and locks it.Coraline's parents 'come home' and she runs over to embrace them, though they scold her for breaking the snowglobe and cutting her knee. Despite the snow melting off their shoulders, they have no recollection of what happened and announce that they're going out to eat that night in celebration of the published catalog. After discussing invitations for a garden party, Coraline's parents put her to bed. Her mother leaves a box on her bed; it contains the pair of colorful gloves she'd wanted. Coraline goes to sleep, happy to be home at last.She wakes in the middle of the night to see the cat outside her window. Though he is visibly upset with her, she apologizes for throwing him at the Beldam and he snuggles up beside her in bed as she places the three ghost children's eyes under her pillow. She dreams that they are finally free spirits and they thank her but warn her that the Beldam lives and will never stop looking for her. Coraline awakes to find that the eyes are broken beneath her pillow but realizes that the skeleton key is what the Beldam is after and she must hide it. She dresses and leaves, resolving to dump the key inside the well at the top of the hill. However, the Beldam's spindly hand, having escaped through the door, follows her. When it discovers her intent, it attacks her and attempts to take the key back. Coraline struggles with it until Wybie appears to help, riding his bike and blowing his air horn. He grabs at the key but the hand trips him up and he falls into the well, dangling as he holds onto some roots. Before the hand can stab at him, Coraline wraps it in her shawl which it quickly rips through. Before it can pounce again, Wybie, having gotten himself out of the well, drops a large rock on it, breaking it. He and Coraline wrap the hand and rock together in the shawl and tie it with the key string before dropping it into the well.Wybie apologizes for not believing Coraline and shows her a picture of his grandmother as a child...with her twin sister holding an identical doll. He then hears his grandmother calling for him again and Coraline tells him to bring her to the garden party the next day where they will tell her everything together. At the party, everyone gathers to help plant flowers in the garden and Coraline distributes cold drinks. Wybie escorts his grandmother to the party and Coraline offers her a drink, saying that she has so much to tell her.Just beyond the house, the cat sits on the sign post in front of the Pink Palace. He stretches and walks along the beam, passing the tip of the post and vanishing from sight. | dark, fantasy, boring, depressing, gothic, whimsical, cult, horror, alternate reality, psychedelic, storytelling | train | imdb | After discovering the odd neighbors all of whom are true characters, she is still bored somehow.All of this immense undertaking is courtesy writer and director Henry Selick, director of Nightmare Before Christmas, and the well crafted adaptation of Neil Gaiman's international best-selling children's novel.
is a masterful movie and an exciting tale of mystery and imagination.In the rotting nooks and crannies of Coraline's new home the real story begins and where she discovers a hidden doorway behind the wallpaper.
Only her parents' eyes now black buttons give a clue that something isn't quite right.Selick has created a world as much for adults as children as there are references dotted throughout that the young won't understand.
Hauntingly beautiful, well choreographed, and, plain and simple, a bit terrifying; it really hooked your attention and promised a good time.However, there were two problems throughout the movie that I could spot:One was that some scenes were a little choppy in the animation; almost like they hadn't quite taken enough pictures to make it run smoothly.
Life is not about getting it all right now, but instead a slow and steady climb built on love and trust, one whose benefits far outweigh the whirlwind romance that is never truly as it seems.Remember folks, this is a story that won the 2002 Bram Stoker Award for Best Work for Young Readers; it's not all sing-songy like Selick's masterpiece A Nightmare Before Christmas.
Less of a horror story than the novella and more of a dark fantasy, "Coraline" features a well-written and well-drawn lead character and brings the novel's bizarre world to life without compromise.
I missed the singing rats from the novella, but this was more than compensated for by the visual splendor of the garden scene, and there are numerous other examples of the changes from the novel making total sense as Selick's vision of the story differs from Gaiman, but doesn't betray the original work of art, only compliments it.
The strength is in three areas: visuals (scenery, characters, and little 'details'), style (this is movie is simply a work of art - a very dark and offbeat style) and emotional impact (the film visually evokes a lot of childhood feelings about growing up).The basic setup: A little girl and her parents move into a big, mysterious old home.
I had had tastes of the film from the trailers, but the general consensus was that Henry Selick had tarnished Gaiman's story, turning it into 'Disney fodder.' The truth is: the film manages to be both charming and creepy.For those not in the know, "Coraline" tells the tale of Coraline Jones, who moves to a new town and a house with several strange characters.
Seeing minute details such as Coraline's clothing made of actual material makes the world seem even more magical, where invisible giants manipulate the Lilliputians in this miniature world.Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, and a number of other vocal actors give voice to a number of wonderful characters, with Hatcher really doing double and triple-duty with her vocal talents.
The minor characters in this story, by the way: such as "Mr. Bobinsky," "Miss Forcible" and "Miss Spink" - are a real hoot.I'd say this film is more for adults than kid, especially if one appreciates great artwork and creativity..
so right away i knew i was in for a pretty great movie visually, if nothing else.as it turns out, the musical score was amazing, as well as the 3-D animation and the storyline.to those who think it won't be as creepy as the book.
That's great because there aren't many, and it must be difficult to display a colorful world with the right amount of frightening elements not to leave a child having bad dreams up to adulthood.Coraline is a girl who wishes she'd had more attention from her parents, a prettier place to live and better neighbors.
After she discovers the entrance to an apparently enhanced version of her reality, she'll soon find out that too much perfection can't be real.Good and imaginative story, delighting visuals, creepiness from the beginning and a couple scary scenes make this an enjoyable film..
That said, I'm sure that Coraline looks almost just as beautiful in 2D, as nearly all of the environments are just so incredibly lush, and the ones that aren't are bizarre and spooky.Ontop of being one of the best 3D films I've ever seen, this is also one of the scariest animated films - period - that I've watched.
When the Other Mother invites Coriline to stay in her world forever, the girl refuses and finds that the alternate reality where she is trapped is only a trick to lure her."Coraline" is a dark and creepy animation that follows the style of Tim Burton in "Corpse Bride" or "The Nightmare Before Christmas" with non- likable characters.
Of course, working from a story written by graphic novel wizard Neil Gaiman certainly has its advantages.The star and titular character of the story, Coraline, is the perfect imaginative kid for a perfect imaginative tale, set in a similar vein as the children from Narnia or even Dorothy Gale
if both were re-imagined by the aforementioned Tim Burton, even though Gaiman is absolutely no stranger to all things eerie as this tale clearly shows.
Meanwhile, the viewer is whisked away into yet another gorgeous world of stop-motion animation where Selick's imaginative realism borders on pop-art candy for kids and something more sinisterly macabre that would certainly induce nightmares for the under-10 crowd, which includes ghost children, a wanna-be mouse-circus ringleader, and retired actresses whose age could be counted like the rings of a tree.As it is easy enough to imagine, the promises and threats of the Other-world soon have real implications in the real one.
Aside from the goth-lite plot and a nearly-too convenient wrap-up, Selick does his very best to keep the craft of his animation at the peak of its form while also using it to benefit the story, something that Burton seemed to forget in the not- quite-as-hip CORPSE BRIDE (2005).Fun, beautiful to watch and perhaps mistargeted to a kiddie crowd that Pixar usually caters to, CORALINE is a winner.
If that's true, than Coraline is like a modern day Don Bluth movie.OK, negatives first, Whybie got annoying at times, it has a few immature moments that clash with the dark tone and it doesn't work, and it might be a little too dark for kids.This is a creepy flick, the colors and lighting really add to the dark atmosphere.
But soon a sinister essence begins to show itself and the young heroine must choose between this new world and the one she wishes to leave behind.Of the few problems that impede Coraline, one of the most detrimental is the somewhat solemn and depressing mood of the film which is sure to put off some children, even if not the accompanying adults.
But still, what truly makes this movie is the haunting story and that is probably what will hopefully make it memorable.I don't know if I would be bringing the babies into this film, but I did read the novel to my first graders last year and they enjoyed it.
Well, actually it turns out that, as well as countless other films, this is not a film for very young children – by which I mean children who are not yet old enough to be able to cope with a narrative and be able to take their heads into a story, there is not a specific age on that, which is why generally one expects parents to do the job of weighing that up on behalf of the humans they created.As I'm not a parent I'll not pretend to be able to advise others but I certainly know that the film will scare kids because it is dark enough to make me enjoy it on that level as an adult.
The three characters in peril are never really explained.The 3-D technology was wasted.The film carefully sets up a parallel universe, but then fails to make sense of the parallels, in that the parents are equally weighted in one world but wildly out of balance in the other, with no real reasoning for the discrepancy.Other reviewers praise this as a movie for "kids who think," but it's more likely to be tolerated by the kind of kids who will stare at anything that passes before them.
A step backward for animated film.I did enjoy the voice work of Teri Hatcher, whose acting I have never had cause to notice before, and Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French did their best to drag in some entertainment, though their characters' voices could hardly match the less-enjoyable grotesque images.I have nothing against Neil Gaiman; I am a huge fan of "Stardust." But I can't understand why so many people on IMDb are using phrases like "the best movie known to mankind." A little bit of goth style is enough to dazzle some people, I guess..
If Edward Gorey's American Gothic could be married to Tim Burton's ghoulishness, then what would emerge would be Caroline, a film with the demanding psychology of Neil Gaiman's prose married to the wild imagination of James and the Giant Peach's convoluted film director, Henry Selick.Yes, 3-D-stop animation Coraline is not for everyone, but aficionados of the eccentric should love the complicated story of a young girl, Caroline Jones (Dakota Fanning) thrust Alice-in-Wonderland style into a parallel universe where the mother ( Teri Hatcher) and father (John Hodgman) she might have thought she wanted are nightmarish knockoffs she needs to run from.Although the film shows how Caroline, and by extension all children, must have wit and courage to fight the forces of evil, it also emphasizes the need to accept the eccentricities and remoteness of nerdy, bright parents who may have their own demons to fight before the end of the day.
The Wizard of Oz in spirit influences this film with the parallel universe motif of characters patterned out of real life and the universal message about the goodness of going home.This sometimes macabre and challenging animation is mostly not for children and a puzzler for adults who may not want to be challenged at a time when they struggle with financial monsters threatening their real homes..
It's use of creepy imagery, it's groundbreaking animation and simple yet powerful plot trap you into its horrifying web of a message.I don't feel I need to explain the story, IMDB can do that for me, all I will say though is that the film is a phenomenal moral tale about parenting.
I was nine when I watched this film (yes guys, that does mean I'm only 18 now) but the effect of this film grew on me by each day I thought about it and to this day it still gets better.In the same way The Twilight Zone encapsulated kids of the 60s and Doctor Who had our parents hiding behind sofas, Coraline is an extremely important story psychologically for children and is thrilling to watch.
The moments of my childhood I remember with film feature things like the melting faces moment in Raiders of the Lost Arc, the Rabbit Massacre in Watership Down and of course, Coraline escaping from her Spider Mother.It's the buttons, it's the tapping of the needle legs, it's the screaming children who've lost their eyes, the rats made of sand and the stitched mouth of Wyborn (can't remember spelling) as the mother makes him smile.Every element of this film is designed to scare, thrill, entertain and push the boundaries of what is acceptable.
However, Coraline then finds that there is a magical world behind a small door where a woman, who looks like her mother with button eyes, gives her everything she could ever want and more.
Other characters like Wybie, Mr. Bobinsky, April & Miriam and the cat support Coraline to help confront her fears in the alternate world (especially compared to their heinous alternate forms), and they're memorable enough to leave an impression from their eccentricities alone.Even for a first time feature by a then brand new studio, the animation is very impressive.
The character designs are very good as well.The story follows Coraline Jones, an extremely bratty girl who discovers a small door in her new home that leads to a parallel universe.
The characters, story, animation, music, overall design, and little details in the world and between characters all come together to create one of the most unique movies that I have ever seen.
Coraline herself is a wonderful character, and we get to watch a bored girl with a poor attitude develop the strength to accept that while her world is not perfect, it is what she has, and she can love it for that.This film sets up its macabre and charming tone from the opening shots – under fairly creepy music a hand of needles empties a doll and builds a new one, before sending it floating out of a nearby window.
This is a return to the creepy morality tales of yore, and while young children may have nightmares from the unsettling mood and tone, older children and adults will likely delight in both its imagination and its message.Coraline's title character is a plucky and resilient child (expertly voiced by Dakota Fanning) who has moved to a dusty, lonely old house in Washington with her parents.
Both are neglectful in their own way: her father is caring enough, but is constantly aloof, while her mother (voiced by Teri Hatcher) is so busy that she hardly notices her daughter, and is often annoyed by her when she does.One night, Coraline discovers a portal into a parallel existence: same house, same parents, but here everything is exactly as she wishes it were in reality.
The dream world serves as a perfect metaphor for the cunningly disguised lies of harmful people, as well their tactics of using subtle counterfeits to grant people's wishes in the short run, while slowly entangling (and later chaining) them in the long run.As my mother always said: "If it seems too good to be true, it probably is." With regards to Coraline's dream parents, they may be seen as a practical warning against slick strangers who might lure children away by promising them exactly what they want (much like the "candy man" character in Chitty Chitty Bang-Bang).
Far from a mere gimmick, the 3D in this case actually brings more life to the story, revealing layers and depth that were actually created by hand and filmed, one meticulous frame at a time.Parents should be warned, that while the film contains no real violence, it is full of unsettling images and a creepy atmosphere that will doubtless give nightmares to little ones (much like the wicked witch from The Wizard of Oz, though this is a good deal scarier).
Overall Coraline sends great societal messages and a cute but creepy movie to its audiences and both children and adults with love the horror and thrill for a long time..
The expressions of characters are rich like a human being.The story starts off with an old house where Coraline moves in with her parents.
Adapted from Neil Gaimon's book, comes Coraline, a truly wonderful animated film with lots going for it.
"Coraline" is simply one of the best animated films ever made: The plots is brilliantly developed, the animation is detailed and beautiful to look at, the characters are fascinating and interesting, and the world created by Neil Gaiman and Henry Selick it's simply captivating, but mysterious and dangerous and well.Clearly influenced by "Alice in Wonderland", "Coraline" is charming and macabre at the same time: At first "The Other World" seems like a dream come true, but there is also a constant sense of danger in the air.Dakota Fanning makes a great work as the main character, and Teri Hatcher is flawless in her role of the Mother (And the Other Mother as well) of Coraline, not to mention the excellent performance of Keith David as the cat."Coraline" is one of the best movies of the recent years, and it is the best movie of Henry Selick as director since "The Nightmare before Christmas.".
"Coraline" is simply one of the best animated films ever made: The plots is brilliantly developed, the animation is detailed and beautiful to look at, the characters are fascinating and interesting, and the world created by Neil Gaiman and Henry Selick it's simply captivating, but mysterious and dangerous and well.Clearly influenced by "Alice in Wonderland", "Coraline" is charming and macabre at the same time: At first "The Other World" seems like a dream come true, but there is also a constant sense of danger in the air.Dakota Fanning makes a great work as the main character, and Teri Hatcher is flawless in her role of the Mother (And the Other Mother as well) of Coraline, not to mention the excellent performance of Keith David as the cat."Coraline" is one of the best movies of the recent years, and it is the best movie of Henry Selick as director since "The Nightmare before Christmas.".
From the mind of Neil Gaiman comes Coraline, a sweet and beautiful stop motion movie about a little girl who moves into a new home and discovers a secret world on the other side.
It is the visuals that make this movie so great, but the characters, plot and music are all top notch too, which add up to a fantastic film.Coraline (Dakota Fanning) and her family have just moved, and Coraline is bored.
Coraline moves into a new house with her parents and finds that she has other parents who love her through a small door in a wall.Neil Gaiman's neo-classic children's (YA?) book comes to the screen from Laika Studios and specifically Henry Selick as one of the rare stop motion animated features made these days. |
tt0418689 | Flags of Our Fathers | There were five Marines and one Navy Corpsman photographed raising the U.S. flag on Mt. Suribachi by Joe Rosenthal on February 23, 1945. "Flags of Our Fathers" is the story of three of the six surviving servicemen, John "Doc" Bradley (Ryan Phillippe), Pvt. Rene Gagnon (Jesse Bradford), and Pvt. Ira Hayes (Adam Beach), who fought in the battle to take Iwo Jima. The picture became one of the most famous images of the U.S. winning a battle during WWII. However, the battle for Iwo Jima raged on for another month with three of the marines being killed in action. The other three servicemen were taken out of battle and flown back to the states. The photo made these men heroes, and the government used these new heroes to promote the selling of war bonds on the War Bond Tour. The three men did not believe they were heroes, even though the American public did. Douglas Young (the-movie-guy) | violence, murder, flashback | train | imdb | I've always felt that when you fictionalize a story about war, you dishonor the memory of so many people who have a compelling story to tell by choosing to make something up instead *cough*privateryan*cough*.The problem with war movies about real people is that you have to deal with complexities of character and plot that the genre simply doesn't lend itself easily to.So when the story at hand aims to pose questions like "what does it mean to do the wrong things for the right reasons" and tries to debunk the popular myth of herodom, there's very little margin for error.Enter Clint Eastwood.
The film tells three stories: first it is the WW II battle of Iwo Jima where thousands of soldiers (Japanese and American) died 'conquering' that island.
"Flags of Our Fathers" is the story of three of the six surviving servicemen, John "Doc" Bradley (Ryan Phillippe), Pvt. Rene Gagnon (Jesse Bradford), and Pvt. Ira Hayes (Adam Beach), who fought in the battle to take Iwo Jima.
What do you get when you cross an Academy Award winning director whose movies tend to follow the lives of individuals and their consequences of the violence around them, an award winning writer that deals with racism and the map of the human spirit and a producer that has a penchant for World War II history who is a master of telling epic stories on the widescreen canvas?
Well, you get Clint Eastwood, Paul Haggis and Steven Spielberg who have teamed up for the first time to bring to the screen the new WWII story of the six soldiers who raised the American flag at Iwo Jima and became media heroes in the new film Flags of our Fathers.Based on the true (and relatively unknown) story of six regular soldiers that raised the flag atop the isle of Iwo Jima and whose picture of the effort became synonymous with an impending victory of the war, Flags of our Fathers will be one of the most talked about films of 2006.Flags of our Fathers follows the lives of three surviving members who raised the flag in 1945 atop Mount Suribachi and how the government used these three individuals and the media in an effort to spark interest in selling war bonds to the American public.Ryan Phillippe, Jesse Bradford and Adam Beach play John "Doc" Bradley, Rene Gagnon and Ira Hayes respectively.
In a time where America is fighting two separate wars in Afghanistan and Iraq with veterans of Vietnam still being paraded on CNN every evening news to discuss comparisons, Flags of our Fathers is important in that it shows how a single picture or event can change an entire opinion over an effort that will cost young men and women their lives.But where Eastwood fails is in his attempt to drum up any emotional attachment to the three characters.
Haggis does his Crash best to have us 'tisk' at the consistent barrage of racial epithets thrown towards Indian descent Ira Hayes, but Eastwood fails to weave this sympathy and the sympathy for those left behind on the beach into an emotional punch that will carry us to the voting polls in the awards season.The biggest disappointment with Flags of our Fathers comes with the expectation that the three major players in the production bring to the table.
Instead, we deal with waving veterans, moments of tenderness between the soldiers and the families of the dead they fought beside and the emotional burden of the horrors that surrounded them in combat without any tear tugging or tissue pulling on behalf of the experiencing movie watcher.Flags of our Fathers was shot back-to-back with Letters from Iwo Jima which will shows the Japanese perspective of the battle and is scheduled for release in February 2007.
He had no idea what he had just done.That one picture is said to be the most reproduced picture in the history of photography.I toured Iwo Jima in 2000 with my father, a private in the 5th Marine Division, who, along with the flag raisers, landed on Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945 -- the opening day of what would be the costliest battle in the history of the U.S. Marine Corps.I can't say enough good things about the realism of Clint Eastwood's "Flags of our Fathers." Visually, the movie made me think that I was back on Iwo Jima, and emotionally, I felt like I was witnessing what I had been told by Iwo survivors and what I had read in Richard E.
Overton's "God Isn't Here: A Young American's Entry into World War II and His Participation in the Battle for Iwo Jima." James Bradley's book "Flags of our Fathers," is wonderful, and this movie of the same name is very faithful to his book.But, the editing of the movie takes the viewer through so many flash-backs and flash-forwards that it's hard to keep things straight -- even if you have read the book!The movie opens with Harve Presnel (I think it was Harve) playing the role of what I thought was a narrator.
I was expecting some corny things in the movie, like seeing the flag raising picture taking up the full screen in the theater while the Marine Corps Hymn played.
like it was Howlin' Mad Smith who was demanding, and not getting, additional bombardment of the island; like it was Secretary of the Navy, James Forrestal, who told Howlin' Mad Smith that "...the raising of that flag on Suribachi means a Marine Corps for the next five hundred years." These events were in the movie, but the characters were neither introduced by name in the movie, nor were they described by "the narrator," who seemed to come and go at odd times.Ira Hayes is a tragic character.
I was not expecting the film makers to exaggerate certain scenes to make it more interesting or to make up stuff up that would add gore to the movie, but Flags was just as boring as the Da Vinci code at times.Then we have the trio who gets back to the states as heroes.
This movie is a set of flash-backs to the battle at Iwo Jima by the men who raised the US flag on the island and whose sacrifice was captured as one of the most famous and enduring photographs of the war.
The whole movie seems focused on the fact that the people captured in the photograph were not the first people to raise the flag, and this somehow makes what happened in Iwo Jima a great deception.
And the times I found myself even remotely interested in what was happening, the scenes looked like something right out of "Saving Private Ryan" (seriously, watch the beach landing and tell me you were shocked that Tom Hanks didn't come running out).
Haggis, Eastwood and Spielberg team up to tell a less known but poignant story about 6 soldiers who were the second flag-raisers of Iwo Jima and how an event that does not seem so significant is captured on photo and becomes one of the most crucial events in America during WWII.
Spectacular production design by Henry Bumstead in his last film , he worked for Alfred Hitchcock and Eastwood's habitual.Adding more details along with the largely described on the movie, the deeds happened of the following way: Iwo Jima battle was a hard-fought US operation, but like the navy, the Us army fought its way from island to island in the Pacific and was one of the most difficult campaign of the Pacific theater.
Especially as the same scenes (again) are re-used.I don't know how many times it's reiterated in this movie: "I never wanted to be a hero", but it's said as many times as many of the same shots are re-used.Clint Eastwood must think little of his audience, since he needs to repeat things so many times over.
Those looking for recreated battle scenes will probably not be disappointed with the level of detail shown in Flags, like the weapons, and the infamous use of flamethrowers to smoke out hidden troops in bunkers.But this movie is not an all out action film.
Not many can do that.Flags of Our Fathers is a must watch, and I'm already eagerly anticipating the companion movie, with viewpoints from the Japanese, fighting the same war, in Letters From Iwo Jima, and it should be equally powerful..
Shockingly Bad. It shouldn't be hard to create a good war movie about an epic battle to take a mountain like the mount on Iwo Jima.
Instead, Eastwood gives us a dull movie centered on nothing and with almost no drama.Hamburger Hill was a movie based around a difficult battle regarding a hill in the Vietnam war and gave viewers an entertaining and engaging film but Flags of Our Fathers was so awful that Hamburger Hill looks like one of the greatest war films ever made in comparison.This is not a movie - it is a collage of disjointed, non-linear, whoopy-doo scenes punctuated by redundant, maudlin moments and overwhelming PC preaching.
Ultimately, FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS is not about the war proceedings itself, but how the war affected the men who fought in it themselves, and how they refused to be seen as heroes.It's hard to dislike any of Clint Eastwood's films and with this one, and the follow-up LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA, he made two films of epic proportions, that will undoubtedly compete for the Oscars.
Clint Eastwood does a masterful job in capturing the immensity of the battle of Iwo Jima with the human drama of the six men who were thrust into immortality by the simple act of raising the American flag on the island.
I have to say that this film was eastwoods better works of history.The ability to bring out the real feelings in people about how we view the human race in general.I enjoyed this film for the simple reason that WWII was a turning point in how we see each other.How to come together in the highest need to overcome obstacles in the darkest hour.As the flag was raised and having a photographer just at that moment to take a picture of the flag being raised,coincidence flew out the door.But the film goes further as we see each one remembering the pain it created,from a simple misunderstanding about who gets what flag and why.If anything the flag should have went to the soldiers who fought there at iwogima.But like the narrations pointed out,it was a forgotten past and the hero's also forgotten.It's sad to think that the human race no longer sees why war is not necessary,just as long as money is made in the name of war is what it's all about.They were right though,without the money it would have been lost to the Japanese at least that part of the world.But in reality it would still be Japanese soil.This film impacted on all sorts of levels,financial gain through war,the soldiers dying because of money being made,artillery paid for by millions of people,and the suffering going home without so much as a thank you for keeping the world safe.In reality the soldiers who fought and died i would like to call real hero's.No matter what flag was planted,and why today most of the yesteryear men and women are nearly gone.I have to say this film gave me a bit more understanding why war is becoming a thing of the past.We don't need it and don't want it,flag or not we need this world safe and i think Mr. Eastwood gave us a good vision of it becoming a reality.So go ahead make his day..
Nothing this ugly can be worth watching - even if the musical score had been other than thin and banal (it isn't), if the story had been about anything (it isn't), if there'd been a single moment or idea or exchange that had been well conceived or energetic (there isn't), the colours alone ought to be enough to make any self-respecting critic or audience member to say: "Sorry, I'm not interested." The fact that this film had an audience is a sad comment on audiences.To make my point, Eastwood's companion piece, Letters from Iwo Jima, is in principle a much better film: it isn't a kind of dour flag-waving exercise (people, this film is about a flag!
After tackling issues of human guilt in "Mystic River" and delivering a poignant tale with "Million Dollar Baby", Clint Eastwood decides to revisit history and helm "Flags of Our Fathers," the guy's cinematic translation of the Battle of Iwo Jima and the famous "Raising the Flag" photograph by Joe Rosenthal.
The Iwo Jima Photo Op. Very few films have impressed me lately as much as Flags of Our Fathers about the real story concerning the famous photograph of the flag raising at Iwo Jima.Iwo Jima was the bloodiest battle of the Pacific war with Japan.
The "heroes" in the photograph felt far from heroic.Clint Eastwood juxtaposes memories of the preparation leading up to and in addition to the actual events at the Battle of Iwo Jima with ceremony after ceremony of War Bond fund-raising and the different effects it had on each man.
The most gruesome scene, though, was left to the imagination.This was the first depiction of the Battle of Iwo Jima I've seen that attempts to divulge the mostly unknown faces of the men made famous by a photograph and the problems they faced at home.It was also one of the only movies I've seen where all (save 1) of the audience stayed for all of the credits and when the credits ended, there was a long, silent moment shared by all.In summary: Powerful.I'm looking forward to Eastwood's "Letters from Iwo Jima" (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0498380/).
I like war movies, generally speaking, and this one is a disappointing dud.Wrong: The movie argues that the US was just about to give up in WWII when the picture of the second flag raising on Iwo Jima was published.
I was pleasantly surprised, Clint has managed to do a great job of retaining directorial integrity and Paul Haggis has managed to make the script reflect the fact that real heroes do not really accept that there is such a thing as a hero.The film is beautifully shot; using the actual island of Iwo Jima as well as the volcanic backdrop of Iceland makes the battlefield seem of another world, particularly when contrasted with the stadiums that our heroes go on to tour.
"Flags of our of Fathers" follows the amazing account of how the publics perception of war is manipulated by pictures(like the famous one the film examines) by showing us the actual event and that it was actually the 2nd flag erected on Iwo Jima in the beginning of the third act.
However, the traumatized trio has difficulties to deal with the image build by their superiors, sharing the heroism with their mates."Flag of Our Fathers" is a reasonable movie of war, entwining battle scenes with the personal drama of three privates that raised the American flag on the top of the Mount Suribachi, becoming one of the most famous picture of World War II.
Flags of Our Fathers showed what we are still living with to this day, with the war in Iraq, we are very quick to call every soldier a hero, but sort of like Ira said in the movie "I was just dodging bullets", I don't think we could ever understand what these men went through and what it must have been like coming home to everyone applauding them when they just lost their brother or best friend, then being forgot after a while.
Or the Sands of Iwo Jima.If you want a brilliantly told movie about image-making, hero-making, the effects of war on the human spirit and the price of man's inhumanity toward man, I cannot recommend 'Flags of Our Fathers' highly enough..
Whoever said "Truth is often the first casualty of war" must have had "Flags of Our Fathers" in mind, the powerful new film from director Clint Eastwood that vividly juxtaposes the reality of the battlefield with the fantasy of the home front.The movie tells the behind-the-scenes story of the picture-seen-round-the-world, the one showing the Marines raising the American flag triumphantly on Iwo Jima.
Clint Eastwood has fashioned a practically perfect film adaptation of James Bradley's and Ron Powers's best-selling book, "Flags of Our Fathers." Echoing the best epic moments from "The Longest Day," "Saving Private Ryan," and "Apocalypse Now," Eastwood avoids the flaws of those previous war films in his superb retelling of the story of "Doc" Bradley and two other soldiers who raised the American flag on Iwo Jima.
The story then continues to follow their lives after the war.Clint Eastwood did a great job of capturing the intense battle of Iwo Jima.
Interesting story of those service men during World War 11 who hoisted the American flag at Iwo Jima.Trouble is that some who deserved credit for this fete got it, while the opposite was true of others.The greater part of the film is the War Bond Tour that our alleged heroes made.There is a terrific supporting performance by Adam Beach.
The film is about the people in the photograph of the soldiers raising the American flag on Iwo Jima.
The rest of the flag raisers are dead but these three have been shipped back home to raise the morale of the American people and to above all, help sell war bonds.I feel that Eastwood has found a good balance between the different stories, by having just enough of each but not making either one very prominent (the third storyline, the one of one of the soldiers telling about his war days, is left quite in the background).
The movie summarizes the stories of the six men who were photographed raising the American flag over Iwo Jima near the end of WWII. |
tt0080149 | Woyzeck | The story of Woyzeck begins "in a small town, on a large, still pond." We are then introduced to Franz Woyzeck (Klaus Kinski) as he is performing a military drill in full uniform-running, pushups, etc. Immediately after, he is seen giving the Captain a shave (Wolfgang Reichmann). The Captain is thinking aloud to Woyzeck about what characterizes a "good person." He first comments that Woyzeck works too quickly, then criticizes Woyzeck for having a child without the church's blessing. Woyzeck defends himself by quoting Matthew 19:14 from The Bible. The Captain says then that he was referring to Woyzeck, not to his son. Woyzeck claims that poor people have no use for morals, and that their kind suffers in both this world and the next. "Even if poor people were to get into heaven, they would have to work the thunder." The Captain responds by telling Woyzeck that he has no virtue. Woyzeck explains that poor people have no virtue, and do only what comes naturally to them. The Captain complains about Woyzeck thinking too much and comments that he has a "hunted" disposition. He then explains that a good person does not behave as though he is being hunted. A good person is one of virtue. As the Captain stands to leave, he tells Woyzeck that he is a good person, but always seems so hunted. He dismisses him, telling him to go slowly. Woyzeck, however, leaves in a rush as usual.Next, we see him under a tree with his fellow soldier and friend, Andres (Paul Burian). The two are whittling sticks for the Captain as Woyzeck hears a noise. After looking around, he grabs Andres by the hand and the two crouch behind the tree branches. Andres asks Wozyeck if he can still hear the sound, and Woyzeck replies, "Still. Everything is still...as if the world were dead."In the next scene, Woyzeck's mistress, Marie (Eva Mattes), is watching a parade on the street below from her apartment window. As she stands there with her friend Margret (Irm Hermann) and her son, the band on the street approaches and the two women take notice of the attractive Drum Major (Josef Bierbichler). As the band passes their building, the Drum Major makes eye-contact with Marie and begins singing in an operatic style. Margret and Marie begin to discuss "what a man" he is-with the "paws of a lion." Margret comments about how the two noticed each other, saying that Marie looks at him as she looks at no other man, with glistening eyes. Marie becomes offended, and tells Margret that she should take her eyes to the Jew to have them polished, so they would glisten as well. Margret claims to be an honorable person, and claims that Marie "looks through leather pants." Moments later, Franz enters, carrying the sticks he was whittling, and Marie notices that he seems disturbed. She asks him if he was out collecting wood for the Captain again, and He explains to Marie that "it" was there again and it followed him. He tells her he cannot stay long because he must go to mass that evening. After he leaves, Marie comments that he seems absent, and Margret notices that he did not even acknowledge his son. Marie says that she believes his thoughts could drive him crazy. She then asks her son why he is so quiet, and if he is scared.Franz is then seen at the Doctor's (Willy Semmelrogge) office. The Doctor scolds Woyzeck for urinating on the wall outside "like a dog." Woyzeck explains that he was only answering the call of nature, but the Doctor tells him that mankind is free, and he has therefore committed an act of betrayal. The Doctor asks Woyzeck if he has been consistent in his peas-only diet. He tells him that they will add mutton to his diet the following week. The Doctor exclaims that they will revolutionize science, and asks Woyzeck for a urine sample. Woyzeck is unable to urinate, and begins telling of his apocalyptic visions to the Doctor. He says that a "frightful voice" spoke to him. He then says that the world will be completely dark when "nature is over." The Doctor comments on his beautiful fixed idea, and gives him a raise of an extra dime for the next week. Woyzeck stands, staring blankly into space.Next, we see Franz in his formal blue uniform with Marie and their son at the carnival. The two walk around, looking at the various attractions, Franz holding their son. The Drum Major is also their with a Lower Officer (Herbert Fux). Marie notices them as they stop near a man playing an organ grinder. She half-smiles at them, but says nothing to them or to Franz. They follow Woyzeck and his family into a show featuring a teachable horse. The man hosting the show draws their attention with a small monkey dressed as a soldier, claiming that he is the "lowest rank of soldier." He then invites them to see the horse, and the Drum Major and Lower Officer have a brief conversation about how attractive Marie is, saying that she is ideal for breeding young drum majors, as they follow her and Franz into the tent. The host presents an "astronomical horse" that can put any educated human to shame, and asks the horse a few questions. He asks first if there is a jackass present. The horse nods. He then asks the horse what 2x2 is, and the horse taps its hoof four times. Lastly, he says that the horse will tell the time, and asks the group for a watch so that he may verify the horse's guess. The Lower Officer offers his watch, and Marie asks to see it. He tells her that he is not going to give it to her, and she gets up to go to him. The Drum Major picks her up as she is walking over the benches, and lowers her down next to him, telling those around them, "This is a woman." Marie gazes into his eyes, giggling, and the next scene shows them alone in Marie's kitchen. Marie has him march around, and compliments his "bull-like chest" and "lion-like paws." She claims he is the epitome of manliness, and he tells her that she should see him on Sunday at the dance with his plume and gloves. He then begins touching her breasts while remarking what an amazing woman she is, and that they should make a brood of young drum majors together. She tells him to stop at first, but does not resist as he attempts to undress her a second time.There is an abrupt transition to the next scene in which Woyzeck is helping the Doctor with an experiment. The Doctor is attempting to demonstrate to a group of students how a cat reacts on instinct when dropped from a high window. The Doctor is lecturing a group of students on the street from a second story window, while Woyzeck is inattentively standing off to the left side of the screen. He commands Woyzeck to stand directly below the window as he throws the cat, and Woyzeck catches the cat. The cat deficates on Woyzeck, and he begins shaking uncontrollably. The Doctor has Woyzeck sit on a bench, and invites the students to feel his pulse and observe the various results of the pea-experiment as he explains the experiment to them. They notice his irregular pulse, and the Doctor tells him to wiggle his ears to demonstrate that he uses different muscle groups to do so. Woyzeck tells the doctor he is fainting, and the Doctor becomes upset. He explains to the audience that this is part of the "transformation to a donkey," and notices his hair loss.The story shifts back to Marie, who is sitting in front of her mirror with her son, admiring the shiny earrings the Drum Major gave her. She puts the boy to bed and sings him a lullaby before returning to the mirror to admire her earrings once more, saying how nice they will be for the dance. As she sits there, she compares her life to the lives of wealthier women. The boy wakes up, and Marie puts him back to sleep. Franz enters quietly and startles Marie as she is bent over the child's bed. She immediately covers her earrings, and Franz asks about them. Marie claims to have found them, and defends herself by saying that she is "only human." Franz tells her it is okay, gives her his pay for the day, and leaves. Marie says "God bless you" to him, and is left crying, claiming that she is a bad person and saying that she could stab herself.In the following scene, The Captain is walking down the sidewalk. The Doctor rushes past, and the Captain tries to stop him. The Doctor claims to be in a hurry, but the Captain tells him that good people are never in a hurry. Once the Doctor stops, the Captain explains that he feels melancholy. The Doctor observes the Captain is bloated and fat with a thick neck. He concludes that he has suffered a stroke, is already half-paralyzed, and will be a vegetable within four weeks. He will, however, make a fine subject for medical research. The Captain tells the Doctor to stop scaring him, and begins to imagine the sight of his own funeral. Just then, Woyzeck walks by, and the Captain invites him to stay and converse. He says that Woyzeck runs through life like a razor, and should be careful, lest he cut somebody. He asks Woyzeck if he has found any hair in his soup recently...particularly the hair of a drum major. Woyzeck turns pale and the Doctor begins making observations about his irregular pulse, angry facial expressions, and body tension. Woyzeck begins rambling about how cold hell is. He comments on the nice weather, saying that the sky is solid and gray. He says that it is so solid, one could drive a peg into it and hang himself from it. He finally leaves in a hurry, and the Doctor follows. The Captain is left saying that he does not like the fact that people confuse him. He says that a good man pays attention, loves his life, and has no courage. He says that he only joined the military to affirm his love of life, then walks away, laughing.When Woyzeck arrives at home, Marie is scrubbing the floor. As Franz approaches her, she freezes, and he picks her up slowly by the arm. As she stands, he looks at her, and says, "Ah, it's still you." She tells him that he is scaring her, and he begins to question her about the Drum Major. Franz asks how he touched her and where he stood. as he is doing so, he immitates the Drum Major's actions, standing closely to Marie, and groping her. He then places his head on Marie's shoulder and tells her that he wishes he were the Drum Major. The two begin to argue, and Franz raises his arm to hit Marie. She tells him she would rather have a knife in her body than be touched by his hand. Franz walks away from Marie, saying that there should be a sign on her.Franz then goes to talk with Andres. He sits nervously on a stool in an office as Andres is writing in a book. Woyzeck goes to the window, and tells Andres that they are dancing. Andres casually tells him that they are at The White Horse, and Woyzeck decides to go to Marie while she is at the dance. He arrives to find Marie dancing with the Drum Major and saying "Don't stop, don't stop." Franz thinks aloud outside, saying that they fornicate before his eyes like flies on his hand. He quickly runs away as a drunk sitting next to him wakes up. The man stands and delivers a soliloquy about a man thinking about the purpose of life. He says that everyone has been created by God. He says that soldiers were created to kill their own kind, and therefore, everything of the earth is evil. He ends by saying, "Let us piss a cross, so that a Jew dies." We then see Woyzeck running through a field, saying to himself "Don't stop, don't stop." He throws himself on the ground, listening to the earth, which is telling him to "stab dead." He slowly stands, thinking about it. He runs away, again reciting, "Don't stop, don't stop.In the next scene, Woyzeck is seated in a bar, with the Drum Major sitting behind him. The Drum Major begins bragging about how much of a man he is. He addresses Woyzeck, threatening to knock his nose into his ass. He approaches Woyzeck, insisting that he drink, because a man must drink. He grabs Woyzeck by the face, and attempts to pour the drink into his mouth. Woyzeck refuses and hits the Drum Major on the cheek. The Drum Major grabs Woyzeck, and squeezes the air out of Woyzeck before releasing him. He pats Woyzeck on the head, and sits back down. Woyzeck leaves the bar saying "One thing at a time."Woyzeck lies awake that night in the barracks, hallucinating. He hears voices in his head saying, "Don't stop, don't stop!" and "Stab, stab!" He awakens Andres, asking if he can hear it. Andres tells him to let them dance, and goes back to sleep. Franz says that he has a pain between his eyes like a knife, and Andres tells him to go back to sleep. Franz lies awake, shaking. Marie also sits awake in her kitchen reading from John 8 in the Bible. She reads the passage in which Jesus forgives the prostitute of her sins, and asks the Lord to not look at her. She comments that Franz did not come home that night or the night before.The next day, Woyzeck asks Andres if he had heard the voices the night before. After Andres says no, Woyzeck says that "She was a special girl," and hurries away and purchases a knife from a Jewish merchant. The merchant tells him that the knife is in good condition and straight. He brags that it is cheap, and would bring an "economic death." Woyzeck then returns to the barracks and gives his belongings away to Andres. He empties out a chest near his bed, giving him a ring, a crucifix, and other religious relics. Franz sits on the chest, and reads his birth certificate aloud. Andres remarks that Woyzeck does not look well, and should go to the infirmary. The scene then transitions to Marie, who sits, and tells a story to a group of children. She tells of a child who was completely alone in the world. The child went to the moon, but found it to be a piece of rotted wood. Then, the child went to the sun, which was only a wilted sunflower. The child then went to the stars, but found that they were only small golden bugs. Finally, the child returned to the earth, but found that it was only an overturned cauldron. The child sat, and began to cry. At the end of the story, Franz approaches Marie, and tells her it is time to go.The two walk down to the pond, and Marie tells Franz she wants to go home. Franz asks Marie how long they have been together, and how long she thinks their relationship will last. He then remarks that she has the breath of a whore. Marie notices how red the moon is, and also that Franz seems to be up to something. At that moment, he pulls out the knife and stabs her. She screams, and he stares into her eyes. Once she is on the ground, he continues to stab her. Franz sits, staring at her and weeping, and then panics and runs back toward the town. He runs into a bar, where he sits and talks with a woman. She sits on his lap, and he notices that she is also hot, like Marie. He tells her that she, too, will be cold in the end. Franz asks the woman to sing, and she notices the blood on his sleeve, and draws attention to it. Woyzeck claims that he cut himself, and wiped it off. The bartender notices that it covers his arm up to the elbow.Woyzeck runs away, and returns to the pond. Wanting to hide the evidence, he searches frantically for the knife. He pauses, and bends over Marie, touching her hair. He then finds the knife, and throws it into the water. Thinking it will be too easy to find, he goes into the stream to throw it into deeper water, and notices stains on his clothing. He goes even deeper into the water, trying to wash the blood off. The scene then shifts to the next day. Officials are investigating the scene of Marie's death. The film ends here, as the original was left unfinished at Georg Büchner's death. | insanity, violence, murder | train | imdb | I seriously need to re-watch *all* of Herzog's films, but in the flicker of memory this is my favorite.For me, the static camera-work fits the hothouse atmosphere of Buchner's play perfectly.
Klaus Kinski, as the title character, is driven insane by military routine and scientific over-analysis, and apparently the role had an irreversible effect on the already psychologically unstable actor.
Also, like his previous picture Nosferatu, it is another link between the German New Wave and the German Expressionist movement of the 1920s, as it shares that movement's obsessions with psychological analysis and social entrapment.In filming Woyzeck, Herzog creates an unusual mixture of obviously real locations and rather static, theatrical direction, with few cuts or camera moves.
Also worth a mention here are the excellent supporting performances from Eva Mattes and Josef Bierbichler, European actors who deserve far more recognition.Because of its theatrical origins Woyzeck is perhaps the one Herzog film in which the narrative takes precedence over the look of the thing.
If you find the following review annoying, and you feel as if you wasted time reading it - BY ALL MEANS - avoid seeing this film, you simply won't enjoy it.Another Herzog-Kinski masterwork, Woyzeck is one of the weirdest films of the 1970s.
Unlike some of the less surreal Herzog-Kinski collaborations, the amount of attention you pay to this film does not necessarily correspond to the amount of sense you will be able to make of it.
Such is the beauty of Herzog's artistic method - nothing is straightforward, much is hideous and beautiful, and in a peculiar metaphysical and aesthetic sense, it all makes perfect sense.Klaus Kinski gives a signature performance and the rest of the cast, though excellent, is barely noticeable with Kinski's intensity in the foreground.
Though less accessible than many of Kinski's more popular works (Aguirre, Fitzcarraldo, Nosferatu), this is nevertheless a unique and brilliant blend of one of the greatest actor-director teams of all time..
Its one of the best films by Werner Herzog that isn't as notorious as films like Fitzcarraldo(1982), Aguirre:The Wrath of God(1974), and The Mystery of Kaspar Hausar(1975).There is a murder in the movie that's worthy of the shower scene in Psycho(1960).
Klaus Kinski did such a great job at his realistic portrayal that the actor almost ended up like the main character..
This movie is far from perfect, but there are a few scenes here and there that are absolutly hair-raising : Kinski in a state of total exaustion at the begining, the scene in the woods when he starts to hear voices and the unbeleivable murder scene consisting of two shots disguised as one that last about 5 minutes in slow motion (it has to be seens to be beleived).
The Left Elbow Index considers seven specific elements of a film on a scale of 10 to 1, with 10 being highest, to help in deciding if a film is worth watching: acting, sets, dialogue, plot, character, continuity, and artistry.
I am a fan of Herzog so I'll cut to the chase---- There is a scene in the film where a cat is thrown out of a second story window--- right into the arms of Kinski--- after he catches the cat I believe he becomes hypnotized.
Kinski starts to shake and convulse (granted he is an excellent actor) but the fact that Herzog is always dealing with hypnotizing people and chickens (Heart of Glass, Even Dwarfs Started Small) i believe that he knew something about Kinski and his love for animals--- or maybe his hate for animals--- in any case he has strong feelings attached to these innocent creatures--- and I believe that Herzog exploits this to hypnotize Kinski.When I watched it (again) I did so without the subtitles, I wanted to concentrate on the imagery and the shots.
The sets are made and there is usually just one shot in a scene and from a direction that makes me feel like part of a theater audience--- granted some of these sets are on a location where there is little that needs to be done to get the imagery across.It also contains one of the best death scenes in film history..
For years, folks have gone practically insane extolling the virtues of the collaboration between director Werner Herzog and the actor Klaus Kinski.
It felt to me as a waste of time, as I had hoped to watch Woyzeck THE MOVIE, not another run of a theater play.
"Woyzeck" is a rather unusual and atypical installment in class-director Werner Herzog and class-actor Klaus Kinski's cinematic collaborations.
Other mutual accomplishments like "Aguirre, Wrath of God", "Cobra Verde" and "Fitzcarraldo" thrived on spectacular premises and featured massive set pieces, whereas "Woyzeck" is a rudimentary simple stage play adaptation relying on a solid script and another flawless acting performance by Klaus Kinski.
In the earliest scenes of the film, Woyzeck is a pitiable little servant but near the end and during one massively disturbing sequence in particular he's a petrifying madman with a legitimately maniacal glaze in his eyes.
Kinski was a demigod and an extraordinary acting genius, and only Werner Herzog was a competent enough director to 'exploit' him the fullest.
The use of music in a conspicuously sparing yet powerful and constructive way as a tool to drive both plot and emotion is a classic hallmark of Herzog's work that other directors would do well to employ instead of the modern tendency to add a complete musical background or pop music product placement throughout a film.
As "Beautiful a murder as you could hope for," remarks the Policeman in the final scene of Herzog's Woyzeck .
While most "murder films" focus on plot and atmosphere rather than character (i.e. Hitchcock's Psycho), Woyzeck takes us slowly and elegantly into the protagonist's psyche in such a way that the final murder scene is an explosion of cinematic poetry.
And yet Herzog's adaptation is not merely a filmed play.The acting, directing and cinematography are beautifully coordinated.
Kinsky's brilliant performance as Woyzeck makes us believe that there is no other actor that could pull off the role with such vigor and passion, and of course, in such a frighteningly convincing way.
There are a few scenes here that aren't brilliant, but this is a very good Herzog film.7/10..
Unfortunately, I saw it before I watched the film.After loving nearly every minute of the previous Herzog-Kinski collaborations, I was excited to dig my teeth into this one since I had the DVD laying around.Unfortunately, it turned out to be a step down in nearly every category.It's based on a stage play, so naturally, it feels more staged than its predecessors, and thus, it felt visually lacking for the most part.
I almost feel bad for revisiting Nosferatu in such close approximation as watching Woyzeck for the first time, because it only served to illuminate just how much worse the latter is.Kinski's presence in Aguirre and Nosferatu was extremely powerful; unforgettable, dare I say.
The final shot is of his dead wife covered up and about to be put into a coffin, with apparently some words from the play up on the screen.This has went on for too long, so I'm going to end this by saying that although this has become my least favorite feature length Herzog film, it had enough strengths for me to consider it above average, which says a lot about how much I admire Herzog as a director.
Despite being perhaps the shortest film length-wise of director Werner Herzog and actor (and one of his more frequent collaborators) Klaus Kinski, visually and thematically one may find 'Woyzeck' one of their least accessible.
Then again, some familiarity with the story/play does help, as was the case with me through the Berg opera 'Wozzeck'.Admittedly, for Herzog, 'Woyzeck' is somewhat weird and can be very disturbing and tense (like the story should be, particularly in the climactic moments), anyone looking for "entertainment" or "feel-good" (though research on the film and play should be enough to say not to expect either) are best looking elsewhere.
This is particularly true in the truly harrowing murder scene, with some of the most ingenious use of slow motion in film from personal perspective, all the climactic moments benefit but particularly this scene.The music, in mood and style, enhances the nerve-shredding intensity of the climactic scenes in particular.
The use of the lovely Marcello Adagio accompanying the murder could easily have come across as a big gimmick in how it was arranged to fit the images, however as it was once again crucial in mirroring the state of mind of the titular character it proved effective.Regarding the dialogue, there are many memorable lines that stays with one for a while, and the story has many dramatically riveting moments in particularly the final third, is rich in static but tense atmosphere and is interesting thematically.
Eva Mattes comes off best in support as sultry and feisty Marie, while Wolfgang Reichmann has fun with the Captain.Overall, not the best Herzog/Kinski film but a very good and under-appreciated one.
Franz Woyzeck (Klaus Kinski) is a hapless, hopeless soldier, alone and powerless in society, assaulted from all sides by forces he can not control.Filming for "Woyzeck" in Telč, Czechoslovakia, began just five days after work on Herzog's "Nosferatu the Vampyre" had ended.
This does not surprise me in the slightest given the huge body of work that Herzog has put out.This film really begins and ends with Klaus Kinski, one of the strangest actors who ever lived.
Klaus Kinski plays a soldier in a small German town who is constantly abused, both physically and psychologically.
Woyzeck, Herzog's interpretation of Büchner's dramatic fragment is not as similar,nor as good as his films that follow, notably Fitzcaraldo and Aguire: the wrath of God.
It is as if Herzog wanted to make a play and not a film, so faithful is he to Büchner, the dialogue has a theatrical quality, every line attempts to put the inner turmoil into words, the lack of camera movement enhancing the pervasive theatrical quality, we are almost seated in an auditorium watching from a distance as the drama unfolds.
I won't call it their best collaboration but it is a very interesting one.What really makes this movie is Klaus Kinski and his character.
Admitedly, I also felt that way at times but luckily the movie slowly but steadily manages to suck you in to its world and the main character's mind, making this movie a very compelling and effective one.I had really no idea what to expect from this movie beforehand but as it turned out it was one great and intriguing little movie to watch, greatly directed by Werner Herzog and acted out by Klaus Kinski!8/10http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/.
'Woyzeck' was a slow-moving but interesting film about a German soldier trying to control his nerves before he loses his mind.
Herzog cast Klaus Kinski as a conquistador in "Aguirre, the Wrath of God" and as Count Dracula in "Nosferatu the Vampyre" (probably the best adaptation of "Dracula" ever).
The next collaboration between Herzog and Kinski was "Woyzeck", based on Georg Büchner's plays.
Herzog later cast Kinski in "Fitzcarraldo" (which drew controversy for creating on the set the same conditions depicted in the movie).Anyway, a really good one..
What gives the scene a realistic touch is the fact the soldier was really kicking and physically abusing the actor because Klaus Kinski had told him to do it.
One thing positive about the direction of Werner Herzog here is he brings out the best acting in Klaus Kinski.
The main character in Woyzeck(1979) has many things in common with other main characters from the Herzog-Kinski collaborations.
Sets the mood and behavior for the main character played by Klaus Kinski.
One of the best musical scores in a Werner Herzog feature film.
the most heart-wrenching piece of film Herzog/Kinski did (or, at least, that I have seen yet).
Don't get me wrong, I thought Aguirre was a great movie, Fitzcarraldo was a wildly mad genius of an epic, and Nosferatu was a very respectable take on the legend, but watching Woyzeck is like getting an immense, harsh, and assuredly charged rush of poetic madness from a filmmaker and star who know exactly what they're doing.
But here is a case where the sense of forbidding fatalism is at an incredible high, and looking at Klaus Kinski's face at times is like looking into the soul of a truly tortured, insane form of a human being.What's interesting, and even quite tragic to an extent, in seeing the tale of Woyzeck is that he is basically an underling, who is fed a strict diet of peas and the occasional mutton, and is totally subservient to his fairly whacked out superior officers.
I didn't even notice how few cuts there are supposed to be (less than 30), but it gives the audience much more time to really feel and be enveloped by these characters, particularly Woyzeck and Marie.There have already been some great, powerhouse scenes- some with the tension stacked up incredibly, like when Woyzeck is stuck without an explanation, aside from crazy philosophy, as to why he urinated on a wall, or when Woyzeck makes the full-on accusation to Marie about the affair, with full Kinski-body-gyrations included- by the time the climax comes around.
At first we see the actual murder happen, with the film's main music title playing over slow-motion and Kinski with a face that would make Joe Pesci cringe.
But the power of director's aesthetic choice, which is spellbinding and fully dramatic, and Kinski's performance make it something comparable to Dreyer and Falconetti in Joan of Arc.While I would have recommended Woyzeck anyway, especially if you're just getting into Herzog's work, this scene alone makes it almost mandatory for many movie-buffs to seek it out.
Compared with the other films they made together in the Andes, the Amazon and West Africa this Herzog/Kinski version of 'Woyzeck' seems very small-scale indeed.
This ability to become new with every iteration has caused the work to become one of the most performed German plays ever and, as it is here from Werner Herzog, an often confusing yet captivating piece of art.Shot very theatrically, from the use of multiple static setupsdon't be surprised to view a scene from an unmoving position while the actors come close to the lens, distorting somewhat, before they move back into frameto the bombastic acting.
Even from the opening credits, watching Kinski's Woyzeck do push-ups while constantly being kicked for way too long, we experience some fantastic acting as a result.
I loved it and from what I have seen is not one of the most accessible films of Werner Herzog however I recommend Woyzeck to any film lover out there..
Such is the case in Werner Herzog's 1979 film Woyzeck, starring his friend and bane Klaus Kinski.
Not surprisingly, for a stagey film, the tale is claustrophobic, and was shot in just eighteen days, in 1978, in Czechoslovakia, less than a week after Herzog wrapped on his film Nosferatu, Phantom Of The Night, the remake of the F.W. Murnau silent film horror classic.The tale is a simple one, about a German soldier, Friedrich Johann Franz Woyzeck (Kinski), in the early 19th Century, who slowly goes mad and kills his faithless lover Marie (Eva Mattes), possibly an ex-prostitute, who is having sex with another military man.
Kinski's performance, as usual, is riveting, and even though nowhere near as mesmerizing as his titanic performance in Aguirre: The Wrath Of God, it is nonetheless brilliant.The most commented upon scene is the one where Woyzeck murders his lover near a pond.
It's the kind of odd thing that happens in reality that rarely occurs in film, and Kinski's portrayal of his reaction to it is every bit as wonderful as the murder scene.
Woyzeck is probably the most obscure of the celebrated Werner Herzog / Klaus Kinski collaborations.
All of this contributes to Woyzeck's ultimate descent into violent madness.The film is quite theatrical with most scenes consisting of single unbroken takes that last for several minutes at a time with no edits.
Nevertheless, Woyzeck is yet another impressive Herzog/Kinski collaboration and should offer something interesting to fans of either of these two men..
It is probably the most known version of the famous Georg Büchner play and the reason is probably that it was Werner Herzog who adapted Büchner's work for his movie here.
Kinski is always perfect for aggressive and violent characters and people may say Woyzeck was too nice early on here, but I don't think that.
Woyzeck was the third collaboration between filmmaker Werner Herzog and actor Klaus Kinski, following their initial brushes with madness on the masterpiece Aguirre, Wrath of God and their later re-imagining of Murnau's Nosferatu.
Throughout the film, Herzog has his camera remain fixed to Kinski's Woyzeck as he stalks around the bars, barbers and town-square, with a look of absolute torture etched into his face.
Here, Herzog is foreshadowing a later scene in the film, as well as visually illustrating the emotional distance and isolation that Woyzeck has to the other men in the bar.
In the second bar scene, which takes place after the film's most devastating sequence, a bloody and beleaguered Woyzeck goes to the bar in a state of emotional abandon, and is surrounded by a large group of patrons who are suspicious of the red stains on his uniform.Here, Herzog has the supporting-actors stand like statues, composed as if posing for a painting, whilst Kinski (all pent up emotion and staring eyes...
For me, Woyzeck is one of Herzog's greatest cinematic experiments, as relevant as Aguirre, Kasper Hauser and Stroszeck, and is easily the best performance Kinski has ever delivered.
Later I saw "Nosferatu", wich was way too conventional a vampire film to really interest me.Now here's "Woyzeck", another Herzog movie and another disappointment.
And the Klaus Kinski acting wich is always superb and almost unbelievable in all these films.SAY NO MORE |
tt0805570 | The Midnight Meat Train | The film opens with a bald man with a briefcase sitting in a moving subway car. As the lights flicker he hears a noise, causing him to stand up. As he walks towards the source of the sound, the next subway car, he slips and falls in a large pool of blood. He then peers through the window to the next car and sees a figure chopping up a bloody corpse.
Leon (Bradley Cooper) is a vegan amateur photographer who wants to capture unique, gritty shots of the city and the people who live in it, and at the advice of gallery owner Susan (Brooke Shields), he heads into the city's subway system at night. He is criticized constantly by other photographers for fleeing danger before shooting a full roll. One night, in a decision to break this trend, he saves a woman on the subway from two thugs threatening her with a knife. The next day, he discovers that the woman has gone missing. Leon is intrigued by the mystery, and begins to investigate reports of similar disappearances. His investigation leads him to a butcher named Mahogany (Vinnie Jones), whom he suspects has been killing subway passengers for the past three years.
Leon attempts to turn some of his photos of Mahogany in to the police, but they refuse to believe him and, instead, cast suspicion on his own motives in photographing the victims. Leon's involvement quickly turns into a dark obsession, upsetting his waitress girlfriend Maya (Leslie Bibb), who is as disbelieving of his story as the police chief. Leon takes matters into his own hands, boarding the last subway train of the night, only to witness a shocking bloodbath, as the butcher kills several passengers, then hangs their bodies on meat hooks. After a brief scuffle with Mahogany, Leon passes out on the train's floor, he awakes the next morning in a slaughterhouse with strange markings carved into his chest.
A concerned Maya and her friend Jurgis (Roger Bart) begin to examine the photos Leon has been taking of Mahogany, leading them to the killer's apartment. After breaking into the butcher's home, Jurgis is captured and brutally killed. Maya goes to the police, but finds that they are as skeptical of her story as they were of Leon's. A police officer then directs Maya to take the midnight train. Leon, unaware of Maya's involvement, finally decides to put an end to the butcher's crimes. Leon heads to a hidden subway entrance in the slaughterhouse, arming himself with several slaughterhouse knives, and wearing a butcher's apron.
Leon enters the train as Mahogany has completed his nightly massacre, and has cornered a helpless Maya. Leon attacks the murderer with a knife, beginning a climactic battle between the photographer and the butcher. They fight in between the swinging human flesh—Leon's knives against Mahogany's meat hammer—and human body parts are ripped, thrown, and used as weapons. Finally, Mahogany is thrown out of the train by Leon, but not long before it reaches its final stop, a cavernous abandoned station filled with skulls and decomposing bodies. The conductor steps into the car, advising Leon and Maya to "please step away from the meat." With these words, the true purpose of the abandoned station is revealed, as horrible reptilian creatures enter the car and consume the bodies of the murdered passengers. Leon and Maya flee the carriage and go into the cavern.
Mahogany - in a battered and bleeding state - returns, barely alive, and engages in a death struggle with Leon, who finishes the job at last by impaling the psychotic butcher's skull on a blade. Mahogany grins in his dying throes, speaking the single word "Welcome!"
The conductor appears and explains to Leon that the creatures have lived beneath the city since long before the subway was constructed, and that the butcher's job is to feed them each night to keep them from attacking subway riders during the day. He picks up Leon, and with the same supernatural strength as the deceased butcher, rips out Leon's tongue, throwing him to the ground and eating the tongue. The conductor brings Leon's attention to Maya, who has been knocked unconscious and is lying on a pile of bones (presumably this took place some time during Leon's fight with the butcher). The conductor then forces Leon to watch as he cuts Maya's chest open to remove her heart. When he is done, he tells Leon that, having killed the butcher, Leon must take his place.
Finally, the police chief hands the train schedule to the new butcher, who wears a ring with the eight pointed star on it, a symbol for the group that feeds the creatures. The killer walks onto the midnight train, and turns his head to reveal that the new butcher is Leon. | violence, horror, murder | train | wikipedia | Day after day, night after night he takes the 2 am train to hell, where unsuspecting passengers are massacred and then hung up like dead meat.Leon (Bradley Cooper) is an up and coming photograph, who is trying to make it critically, but so far his work has been unable to break it.
The moment you can't wait to know what will happen at the end of the movie or in the next scene for that matter and at the same time you have to fight with yourself to continue watching - that lets you know this horror flick is actually pretty good.Definitely full of flaws and the graphic gore isn't my kind of horror meal.
Adapted from Barker's seminal anthology, "Books of Blood", the similarly named "The Midnight Meat Train" is more than just an opportunity for some sophomoric snickering over its title but one of Barker's most revered short stories about a supernatural serial killer that ekes out fascination, fear and obsession from a lone photographer, Leon Kaufman (Bradley Cooper) stumbling upon the butcher's late night deliveries.Director Ryuhei Kitamura (of "Versus" and "Azumi" fame) offers up one of the year's most brutally alluring gore fests in his American debut.
Prepossessing the exactitude of traits essential to the character, Jones has the nasty glint in the eye, the mysterious swagger of indestructibility and the imperative of consuming evil, as well as having the benefit of looking like the quiet guy in the corner of the bar who could take out an entire gang of hoodlums without spilling his drink.Kitamura's modulation of the material's emotional stakes and his slow-burn style of ratcheting up tension gives the story further layers to plunge into, not withstanding Cooper's unlikely presence as the film's corruptible protagonist.
The gutsy murders are gruesomely executed and equally are ghastly graphic .The film is constituted by some well done horror set pieces with creepy and spooky atmosphere.The butcher-murderer appearance deliver the goods with hair raising chills, full scares and scary frames.The story is borrowing from the original short story by Clive Baker who has several cinematic adaptations, as ¨Nightbreed¨, ¨Lord of illusions¨, ¨Hellraiser¨ and ¨Candyman¨ with their uncountable sequels.
The Midnight Meat Train, as the title suggests, tells of the last train in the system where passengers inexplicably disappears, and I thought that Japanese director Ryuhei Kitamura managed to put a somewhat refreshing spin to the entire slasher and torture porn genre.Based on a short story by horror Meister Clive Barker, the story in parts looked like horror thrillers with recognizable moments like those in The Terminator, Shutter, and of course, Jeepers Creepers.
The payload for the movie comes at the back, and my, it's as satisfying a wrap as it can be, though again for those already familiar with some of the mentioned films, you'll more or less expect things to be done the way they did.As mentioned earlier, what was a refreshing spin, was how direct and to the point the acts of violence got, without dragging the scenes out with needless, extended cries of mercy or lingering on gratuitous scenes of gore and blood, which torture porn flicks seem to continuous bog their movies with, that it becomes boring (Yes, I think you can sense that I'm already de-sensitized to such scenes).
Rather than trying to craft creative ways to die in order to go one up against other movies that came before it, The Midnight Meat Train really went back to basics and simplicity, where killing blows are delivered swiftly, before proceeding with dismemberment.While it is disturbing in itself, the distributors decided to shield local audiences from such violence and gore, and hence we got a censored M18 rated version, instead of full regalia under the R21 rating.
The last time I remembered watching a major action sequence involving trains was in Batman Begins, and given that it has to live up to titular expectations, audiences were treated to some incredible all-out action scenes set in and around the train, with some really energetic camera movement and angles to complement the action on screen.But technicalities aside, what really worked and will possibly elevate this film to cult status, will be portrayal and fleshing out the character of Mahogany as the no-nonsense and swift executioner, adding to the list of memorable villains to have graced the screen amongst the likes of the Freddies, Jasons and the Michael Myers of the cinematic world..
If the disturbed denizens of 42nd Street have all but disappeared, scared away by the gloss and glitz of the cineplex and the popcorn munching crowd that inhabits it, perhaps the final bastion of grindhouse cinema can be found in watching a brutal, bloody shock horror film in an empty theater with row upon row of sticky floor and no one but a handful of genre enthusiasts there with you.There's also something deeply disturbing about the mentality of the movie-watching public.
Struggling photographer Leon Kauffman's obsessive pursuit of dark subject matter leads him into the path of a serial killer, Mahogany, the subway murderer who stalks late-night commuters -- ultimately butchering them in the most gruesome ways imaginable.I have no Idea how I missed this freaking awesome film #1.
Clive Barker's short story, The Midnight Meat Train (from his Books of Blood collection) is a brutal and unflinching look into such a world.What I loved about the original story was the ending and how Barker went from telling a pretty straight forward slasher tale (ala Jack the Ripper) to something that was otherworldly (ala H.P. Lovecraft).
Add Clive Barker's writing, and you have a fun ride through the twisted mind of a horror master...Solid performances by Bradley Cooper and Vinnie Jones, but the true allure of this gore-fest belongs solely to director Ryuhei Kitamura.
I've seen so many horror movies that are rated R with no reason to be.What The Midnight Meat Train got wrong: Beyond everything else, the plot has to be one of the most cliché, unoriginal things to hit a theatrical horror movie in a long time.
I don't know if they cut out parts of the scripts in order to make the movie, but it has so many loose ends and goofs that it makes you sick (not sick from the gore and constant stream of blood that is) I only felt like I wasted a couple of hours of my life a few times before, but sadly, this adds to the list.
I think it's just very weird that Bradley Cooper starred in some horror film because he doesn't looks like a guy who should be in type of movies lol.
Usually I don't waste time to even mention bad film I watched, much less to write a review about it, but this is special category...You can not say what is the worst in this movie: screenplay, directing, acting (?!) or anything else...What was in brain of Bradley Cooper when he agreed to be the part of this bulls**t, that is the question I won't ever get answer on...unfortunately...or luckily?Completely pointless...
Hop on board and hold on tight, 'cos The Midnight Meat Train is a wild ride through the twisted world of Clive Barker, and with splatterific Japanese horror/action director Ryûhei Kitamura at the controls it can only get messy.Based on a short story in Barker's Books of Blood, The Midnight Meat Train stars Bradley Cooper as NY photographer Leon, who stumbles upon the existence of a brutal killer called Mahogany (Vinnie jones) who roams the subway butchering those passengers unfortunate enough to ride the first train after 2.00am.
Leon tracks and photographs the murderous brute as he goes about his grisly work; in doing so he not only starts to lose his sanity, but exposes those he loves to mortal danger.I'll be the first to admit that The Midnight Meat Train isn't without its flaws: as far as the script goes it's a case of 'mind the gaps' with lapses in logic and loose plot threads galore, and Cooper is far from memorable in the lead.
A POV shot from a severed head is delightfully nasty, but the most breathtaking moment comes as Cooper fights Jones aboard a speeding train, the camera constantly revolving around the action, even leaving the confines of the carriage.Next, we have the spectacular gore, which is absolutely eye-popping (quite literally, in one particularly memorable scene featuring Ted Raimi): Mahogany brutally bludgeons his victims with a massive metal hammer, which results in some really nasty injuries (including one total decapitation), after which he prepares the body (shaves the hair, plucks out the eyeballs, removes teeth) and hoists it up using hooks through the ankles.
If anyone was born to play this role, it's Jones: he might not be the most accomplished actor ever to grace the silver screen, but he effortly exudes the menace and mental instability required to make the character a truly convincing figure of fear.As the film approaches its conclusion, The Midnight Meat Train switches track to travel down a more supernatural branch; this change in direction might prove too much for those who thought they were watching a straightforward serial killer flick, but I relished every weird and wonderful development (I haven't read the short story, but it was kinda what I expected from Barker).7.5 out of 10, rounded up to 8 for IMDb..
With a title like "Midnight Meat Train" you might want to run and that is only because you know that a stupid horror movie is on its way.
It's a movie that you can't believe even got by the writing stage, and by the time the ridiculously absurd final act rolls around you'll have wished you never bought the ticket in the first place.Starting off on relatively mediocre, straight forward ground, The Midnight Meat Train tells a story that goes from mildly intriguing to irksome to downright repelling.
Yet such aspects are notably missing, rendering the whole point of the feature (the dehumanisation of its characters) inconsequential to the viewer; these aren't people being cut up like cattle; they are cattle; cinematic cattle.Of course, even watching animals being slaughtered isn't a pretty sight, and Kitamura too well knows this, and so The Midnight Meat Train instead takes on a purely abstract form rather than a relevant, compelling one.
But at the same time there was a few things that I was disappointed with.The film has a great story line it follows a photographer played by Bradley Cooper who is taking pictures around New York and eventually comes across a man named Mahogony played by Vinnie Jones who he suspects is the subway train butcher, and finds out that he is right and tries to stop him.What I really liked was that during a few occasions when Mahogony is killing someone, it is shown through the victims point of view, that kind of made my heart pound because you can almost feel what the person is feeling.
Even though some of the killings are really brutal and gory, I was really disappointed at a few points because a lot of the blood that was used in the film was CGI and you can tell that some of the killings were fake, but at the same time there were a lot of killings that looked realistic and really grossed me out.Another thing that I really loved was that Vinnie Jones did a fantastic acting job in this film, even though he had no dialogue, he really proved that you don't need to say big long monologues to pull off a good acting job.In my opinion this film is good but not great, I think there could have been a few things that could have made it a lot better, i'm not going to go into the plot to much because you really need to sit down and watch it.
Approximately 20 years ago, writer Clive Barker melted my brain with The Books of Blood, collection on various volumes of his short stories, which came out of nowhere and were immediately acclaimed as a watershed on literary fantastic genre.In The Books of Blood, Barker showed that the brutal violence could perfectly be endorsed by brilliant stories and that the most grotesque descriptions of human and supernatural horrors are much more terrifying when they are expressed on an almost poetic language.I think that everyone is gonna have his/her favorite Barker's story from The Books of Blood; in my case, that one is In the Hills, The Cities, but The Midnight Meat Train is on a very close second position.Because of that, I had a bit of awe on its film adaptation, but the fact that Barker approved it and that it was directed by Ryuhei Kitamura (who made the very entertaining films Versus and Godzilla: Final Wars) made me have a bit of optimism on it.The result was an interesting and entertaining movie, but which is not very memorable and has some important fails.The best element from this film is definitely Vinnie Jones' performance, which is really brilliant.The intensity on his face and his body language bring perfect life to his character.In summary, Jones definitely increases the quality of the movie.In the leading role, Bradley Cooper feels a bit bland.I do not think he is a bad actor; he was adequate as a "sidekick" on the TV series Alias and he showed an excellent instinct for the comedy in The Hangover.However, he does not seem to be very interested in his character in The Midnight Meat Train.Besides of Cooper, there are some important fails on the screenplay.As it always happens when a short story is adapted to cinema, the screenwriter must "pump up" the story in order to get the average running time on contemporary cinema of 100-120 minutes.Some elements on the screenplay work well, like for example the discussions about the main character's career as a photographer, the relationship he has with his girlfriend Maya and some philosophical dialogs he has with his friend Jurgis.But I think the screenplay lost the main point from the short story.I will not reveal it in order not to say spoilers, but the historical and cultural punch with which Barker concluded the short story is reduced to some generic sequences of horror and violence, which lead us to a moderately satisfactory ending but which does not have enough substance to endorse the twist at the end.If I had to compare The Midnight Meat Train with other film adaptations of Barker's works, I would consider it superior to Nightbreed, at the same level of Lord of Illusions and very below of Hellraiser.It may not be highly memorable, but I can recommend The Midnight Meat Train because it made me have a good time in spite of its fails..
I expected a lot form a movie with Clive Barker's name attach and the movie delivers what I need.Vinne Jones plays Mahogany, a very Interesting slasher with no real background, but more importantly his face is well scene throughout the picture, no mask no nothing as he beats passengers of a New York City-like subway car to death for what seems to be no reason.
And of course the savage butchering of Mahogany's many victims all of which lean away from the typical victim stereotypes, and noticeably lean towards the type of people you want to kill when you come across them on the train.Bradly was great, and the motive of Mahogany turned out to be a real cool surprise that they try to lead you off the path of through the whole plot, but Vinnie Jones silent and mask less killer really put this movie on a different level than your average slasher horror movie.
I was in a mood for a bloody horror, but when the first 2 scenes rolled I was kind a: "ok maybe it's not going to be all that bloody, but looks like a good movie with bleak atmosphere, story and developed characters".I was right about the mood, story and characters, but I was hell of a wrong with the amount of blood and gore, since this is one of the scariest horrors I've seen.
Based upon Clive Barker's gruesome and grotesque short story "The Midnight Meat Train" is about an aspiring photographer named Leon who is on the track of The Butcher Mahogany,a cold-blooded serial killer who stalks his victims in the nearly-deserted subway trains and slaughters them via an enormous hammer.Pretty gruesome and very bloody flick with plenty of grim gore and surprisingly unsettling mood.Unfortunately some of the killings with digital blood are not realistic and as a result pretty cartoonish.However I liked the slow methodic movement that Vinnie Jones brought to the Mahogany character.The movie doesn't follow the short story word for word,but it does seem to adapt well to the screen.I have heard that "Pig Blood Blues" will be another film adaptation of Barker's story from "Books of Blood"..
THE MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN is certainly a weird but fascinating horror film, I admit of course there are leaner and meaner horror films out there but this film's aim is not to try and be overly scary, it actually tries to draw you in with an intriguing plot which it does, it sets a very dark mood and has an interesting atmosphere to it, the camera work has this sometime artistic subtlety about it, like the director was very precise about what he wanted from every shot.the acting is great all around, Vinnie Jones certainly makes the ideal scary bad guy and this is probably the second film where he virtually has no lines, of course he spoke two sentences in GONE IN 60 SECONDS, here he says less.Its not the leanest, meanest horror film out there but its good in its own way..
I had always overlooked watching 'The Midnight Meat Train' because Vinnie Jones featured prominently on the movie poster and I simply couldn't imagine a horror film with him in it being any good. |
tt0314197 | Imagining Argentina | A W Bergh, Stockholm:Heard about the green Ford Falcons of Buenos Aires? Death mobiles they was called and were doing the same dirty job for president Videla and a string of junta generals, in the 1970s mimicking their highly successful colleague dictator Pinochet across the border in Chile. Kids protesting against expensive school bus fares could be taken for a ride and never seen again. Disappearances, desaparecidos, was the name of the game and seems to the mayor training for the brave military men crushing the enemies of Argentina in their dirty war against opposition during the late 1970s and early 80s. Performing roughly 40 000 desaparecidos until they met real soldiers on the Falklands in 1982 and was beaten to pulp in a few days by the British. The military rule was toppled but their henchmen have to this day not even been brought to justice. Only leaving a trail of wailing crazy mothers circling the famous Plaza de Mayo Square in central Buenos Aires, flashing large pictures of their murdered sons and daughters. A pity Imagining Argentina is such bomb telling the story. Costa-Gavras took less than a decade to make Missing, to give us a fair shot of what Pinochets CIA-backed bloodstained fascist coup in Chile was all about. A heck of a better job than this quarter of a century late badly told yarn. While Jack Lemon tormented the American ambassador on site to find his missing son in Santiago and actually had the bastard to admit that eggs had to be broken in order to save dear American investments down here on their backyard clairvoyant Banderas use voodoo to figure out the whereabouts of his vanished wife (and later on his already lifeless daughter). To make it even worse, to no avail as it turns out. It chiefly brings him out on the huge Pampas only to meet an old Jewish couple, keeping exotic birds as a hobby(!), lecturing him on the horrors of Nazi Germany. Thats amazingly about all the politics to learn from decades of Latin America military violence in this story. Need I tell more? Not even Leonard Maltin bothered to include the film in his Movie Guide | murder, paranormal, violence, flashback, romantic, suspenseful | train | imdb | null |
tt0070707 | Sleeper | Miles Monroe, a jazz musician and owner of the Happy Carrot Health-Food store living in Greenwich Village in Manhattan, NY in 1973, is cryogenically frozen without his consent, and not revived for 200 years. The scientists who revive him are members of an underground movement: 22nd-century America seems to be a police state ruled by a dictator, about to implement a secret plan known as the "Aires Project" (sic). The underground movement hopes to use Miles as a spy to infiltrate the Aires Project, because he is the only member of this society without a known biometric identity.The authorities catch onto the scientists' project, and arrest them; Miles escapes by disguising himself as a robot. He goes to work as a butler in the house of socialite Luna Schlosser (Diane Keaton). When Luna decides to have her "robot"'s head replaced with something more "aesthetically pleasing," Miles has no choice but to reveal his true identity to her. Luna is shocked, frightened, and threatens to turn Miles in to the authorities. In response, he kidnaps her and goes on the run, searching for the Aires Project.Miles and Luna start to fall in love, but Miles is captured and forced to undergo brainwashing. He forgets that he comes from 1973, and becomes a complacent member of futuristic society. Meanwhile, Luna finds a group of commando-rebels and joins the underground movement. The rebels kidnap Miles and force him to undergo reverse-brainwashing, whereupon he remembers his past and joins their efforts.Miles and Luna successfully infiltrate the Aires Project: they learn that the Leader was killed by a rebel bomb ten months previously, and all that survives is his nose. The nose has been kept alive, and the members of the Aires Project, mistaking Miles and Luna for doctors, want them to clone the leader from this single remaining part. Instead, Miles steals the nose and "assassinates" it by squashing it under a steamroller.(Source: Wikipedia) | comedy, psychedelic, satire, brainwashing, entertaining, sci-fi | train | imdb | A futuristic comedy from Woody Allen in 1973 has him waking up from an operation 200 years later (in 2173) to find society has gone berserk.Clever, witty, and very funny.
Allen is hysterically funny as the "sleeper" who gets to give history lessons on the 1970s, pose as a robot, and become a revolutionary to be near Diane Keaton.Filled with sight gags galore and great one-liners.
No matter how different things are in the future, his perspective doesn't change, his wry sense of humor stays the same, happily misplaced ragtime music plays over the movie, and old-fashioned sight gags are employed complete with the occasional stepped-up film speed.Allen has always done well playing virtually the same character in all of his movies, but his talent as an on screen comedian is milestoned in this performance.
There is also a great amount of intellectualism and cultural knowledge in even the zaniest of humorous moments in Sleeper, and that is what makes it one of Woody Allen's funniest films and a work of true comic genius..
Before he became a "serious" filmmaker and gained the respect and admiration of film critics, Woody Allen was already entertaining millions of fans with such unashamedly silly comedies as 1973's 'Sleeper.' The science-fiction story concerns an unfortunate Miles Monroe (Allen), the 1970s owner of the Happy Carrot health-food store, who goes into St. Vincent's Hospital for a routine peptic ulcer operation and wakes up 200 years later in a terrifying police state.
Along the way, Miles enlists the help of the neurotic and exuberant Luna Schlosser (Diane Keaton, who collaborated with Allen on multiple occasions, most notably in 'Annie Hall (1977)' and 'Manhattan (1979)').A chaotic blend of razor-sharp satire and slapstick humour, 'Sleeper' contains enough of Allen's and co-writer Marshall Brickmann's trademark wit to remind us of what makes their later collaborations so brilliant.
For example, yes, Howard Cosell's sporting reports were used as punishment for criminals who had committed a crime against the state!The promotional posters for the film proclaimed: "Woody Allen Takes A Nostalgic Look At The Future." This, more than likely, refers to the style of comedy, which, aside from Allen's witty observations, very much evokes memories of the silent slapstick comedies of Lloyd, Keaton and Chaplin.
In this early comedy, Woody Allen plays Miles Monroe, a twentieth century healthfood restaurant owner and jazz clarinettist who is cryogenically frozen after surgery and awoken two centuries later.
Although I normally think of Woody as a master of verbal wit, much of the humour in "Sleeper" is physical slapstick, based upon (and no doubt deliberate homage to) the comedians of the silent era such as Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keaton.
The combination of a futuristic theme with a traditional style of comedy is doubtless why the film was advertised under the slogan "Woody Allen takes a nostalgic look at the future".This is not, however, simply a pastiche of silent humour like the one Mel Brooks was to attempt a few years later in "Silent Movie".
Besides the funny farcical scenes, Allen gets to perform his classic neurotic worrying routine that works fine and will amuse fans of his on-screen persona.A very notable aspect of the film is its visual style: the sets and props all look excellent.
Be it an orgasm-machine or nonsensical poetry, they seem to suggest we are moving towards times where ignorance revels and empty pleasure-hunting is celebrated as the only correct form of bliss; it can be said that the underlying themes of Sleeper are not unlike those of Aldous Huxley's classic novel Brave New World.Social commentary aside, Sleeper is also a very funny comedy that appeals not only to friends of Allen's neurotic shtick but also to slapstick fans and admirers of creative production design.
Slapstick combined with razor sharp dialogue.The film is pure magic, its my favourite comedy and I think it is in my top three Allen films of all time.See it if you like the Marx brothers, Woody is all of them rolled into one in this film, it's utter genius.
Perhaps taking a cue from a couple vignettes from his previous film, Everything You Wanted to Know about Sex * But Were Afraid to Ask, Allen develops an exploration of an "other" world, notably the future, and brings us into it using his protagonist character, Miles Monroe.Like Bananas, Sleeper has a bit of a rambling quality to it, almost seeming to haphazardly wander from one incident to the next incident.
A frothy cocktail of sometimes surreal, sometimes slapstick humour, the latter in particular accentuated by Allen's own perky Dixie jazz soundtrack.The gags roll (mostly) merrily along and besides Allen's usual foibles on sex and Jewishness, slipping occasionally, as he often did in his earlier work, to sexism, he still lands a good number of bulls-eyes, nailing life in Beverly Hills and even outing yet-to-be-disgraced Tricky Dicky Nixon before his soon-come Watergate Waterloo.Diane Keaton gets to amply demonstrate her kookiness but also shows her worth in some fast-patter exchanges with Allen.
The imagination of the script gives plenty of room for Allen's surreal humour - the orgasmatronic booths are good and the robot scene allows him to pay a slight homage to Keaton.Overall this is yet another example of an `early, funnier' Woody Allen film.
He soon finds out that the world is a dystopian society ruled by a single leader, where people have robot servants, get pleasure from a machine called the "orgasmatron" and the totalitarian police capture anyone suspect of being an alien and wipe their memory.Along the way of trying to defeat this evil plan, he runs into a self-important poet, Luna, played by the beautiful and charming Diane Keaton.
Allen's screenplay, co-written with Marshall Brickman, about an ulcerous health food fanatic frozen in 1973 and thawed out 200 years later, is a doodle that desperately has to work up new subplots just to keep going, and the entire brainwashing thread is wearing (although it does allow Diane Keaton to do an impersonation of Brando which is very funny).
The frantic music punctuated the madness effectively as there were numerous slapstick exaggerated chase scenes, a tribute once again to the silents.There is a plot: mostly a satire of negative utopia sci-fi's popular at the time, but it's just a vehicle for this mad ride through the world of the future; a universe of organized chaos abstracted from the uniquely warped perspective of Woody Allen..
Fact is, no one could make a more spot-on spoof on the future TODAY than Woody Allen did back in 1973.Diane Keaton is at her absolute best in the film, too.
And "Sleeper" is only one little step below "Love and Death", which doesn't make it any less enjoyable.So, Woody Allen is Miles Monroe, a jazz clarinetist and sympathetic owner of "Happy Carrot" Health Food shop, subjected to an unwanted cryopreservation, he's awakened 200 years later, in 2173 in the kind of future that would make anyone miss a year like 1973.
If the conclusion seems sentimental, it's still the wisest response to the whole non-sense brought-up by the world and the proof that besides comedy, Allen has also a talent to create great romances.And beyond the undeniable 'makes-you-think' merit of the film, it's also an opportunity to enjoy pure Allen's slapstick, something that goes on the same level than the pioneers such as Buster Keaton or Charlie Chaplin, with a daringness that only he can get way.
Sleeper is probably the best of Woody Allen's early 'funny' films.
This neurotic little man wakes up in the future 200 years from his own time, which is 1973.He's cryonically frozen without his consent.The year 2073 is slightly different from his own time.It is ruled by a totalitarian government and sex isn't done manually anymore.This man, who was the owner of the Happy Carrot Healt-Food store in Manhattan in his own time, now gets a new job as a spy.The underground movement uses him as one to infiltrate the Aires project.He also falls for a socialite girl called Luna Schlosser.The movie is a great parody of known works of science fiction, like H.G. Wells The Sleeper Awakes and George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four.Woody Allen's Sleeper (1973) does the greatest job mixing Sci-Fi with comedy.Allen and Diane Keaton also make a great comedy team.John Beck is great as Erno Windt.Mary Gregory is terrific as Dr. Melik.I saw this movie back in 1993 and now I saw it again last thursday (Sep 2).I remembered it being funny but I didn't remember it being this funny!
Rags the dog, who keeps saying "Hello, I'm Rags" is quite amusing.When Allen and Keaton pretend to be doctors who have to clone the dictator from a nose is absolutely hilarious.Sometimes the movie seems like a silent picture with the fast paced jazz music being played.Woody Allen shows us the future you've never seen before!.
This is my favorite of Woody Allen's zany 1970s comedies, and it's probably no coincidence that it's also the one to first pair him with one of his film muses, Diane Keaton.Allen plays a man who has been cryogenically frozen and wakes up years later in a much-altered future world.
Of course, much of the fun in watching this movie now comes from seeing a guess at what a future world would look like from a 1973 perspective (dig that Orgasmatron!) But aside from that, the film is filled with hilarious sight gags and one-liners.
By that I mean the idea that a government that practiced certain styles of "behavior modification" involving the treatment of its citizenry that ultimately required the help of "rebels" in order to set the records straight about the past and possible futures is a funny one, and apt, simply because of writer and director Woody Allen's comedic way of expressing the future's need for comic relief and societal criticism, by becoming the suffering "resurrected" or "reawakened" "sleeper" who needs nobody to tell him what is right and wrong about the society he wakes up in.His fellow actors, Diane Keaton and the assorted, gifted and hilariously funny crew that he leads through the turbulence of a society gone to machine and dictatorial control and the means to effect his capture and possible destruction if he does not comply with the new society's views are excellent in depicting a future that has inexplicably lost human-centered reasoning and common sense, and his addition of funny statements and movie scenes involving large vegetables and robots (including himself dressed up as one to escape authorities) who are created and dismantled in high-rise office buildings can be seen as nothing short of brilliant social awareness and pointed and timely expressions of dismay, doom and gloom.The scenes involving Diane Keaton as a "guerilla fighter" who takes the side of an anarchistic assistant to Woody Allen's character after he kidnaps her in a forest setting are on par with some of the newer Woody Allen and Diane Keaton comedy movies that came after "Sleeper" - notably Annie Hall.
Woody Allen is in top form combining sharp one liners, physical comedy and right on jabs at our view of science, sci-fi stories, politics and shallow pop culture.Starting out with making fun of the desire to freeze one's body to prolong life, Woody takes direct aim at health food fads and an oppressive police state as well as Marxist revolutionaries.
It's not until Love & Death do we begin to see a further development into Allen's psyche, that of neurosis & philosophical existentualism.But for Sleeper we have a decent combination of the visual over the verbal and it works very well, especially with his old sparring partner Keaton to bounce his gags off.Again, like a lot of early Allen films he fills the movie with many many jokes, some work some don't.
Perhaps he still didn't feel very confident to fully develop his more truer qualities of telling a funny story rather than simply rely on quick visual humour to move the film along and keep the audience happy.I doubt if anyone would have guessed back in the early 70s that Allen would eventually go full circle with his passion for film genres - from the middle-brow intellectualism of Annie Hall & Manhattan, to the sombre Bermanesque qualities of September, before returning to a more accessable light humour with Manhattan Murder Mystery and Mighty Aphrodite.In addition I suspect that even the most ardent Woody fan would be pushed to admit to liking every one of his films over the last 30 years since most of them fall into themes.
Like most Woody Allen movies, there is a love interest and this is film she is played by Diane Keaton, who cracked me up with her funny expressions and crazy lines.
It does get a bit out of hand near the end, but I liked the chemistry between Allen & Keaton and you can't say that it wasn't original for its time.Budget: $2million Worldwide Gross: $18.3millionI recommend this movie to people who are into there Woody Allen movies about a man who wakes up 200 years in the future after a operation that goes wrong.
On his adventure he meets a Luna Schlosser (Diane Keaton), discovers new technology, and disguises as a robot.My Critique: Don't get me wrong, I think Woody Allen is one of film's greatest directors.
Starring Woody Allen and Diane Keaton Sleeper is set in a future with government oppression.
He had tackled satire back in 1971 with Bananas, but really knew how make it work just two years later with Sleeper, one of his most popular films, and one of his last slapstick comedies before he moved on to maturer work like Annie Hall and Interiors, his love letter to Ingmar Bergman.
Revelations concerning his private life continue to concern, baffle and appal, but if you can put these uncomfortable allegations aside (which is understandably a big ask for some people), there is still plenty to admire about Allen's contribution to comedy and cinema as a whole.Sleeper concerns Miles Monroe (Allen), a jazz musician and owner of a health-food store who goes in for a routine surgical procedure only to be cryogenically frozen without his knowledge and revived some 200 years in the future.
For years the rhetoric has been something like "Woody Allen's early films are great--the funny ones".
Starring Allen as a health foods store owner in Greenwich Village who is cryogenically frozen and brought back 200 years into the future and forced to pass as a robot in the home of Diane Keaton in order to keep his life, Sleeper is a hilarious take on a sci-fi film and a standout in Allen's filmography.
I laughed then, and, watching it years later, I still laugh.200 years from now, Miles - owner of The Happy Carrot health food store in 'Green-witch village' is revived (well, they peel the tin foil off him - including his glasses).What happens next is what can best be described as George Orwell's future in 1984, meets Buster Keaton, Slapstick,and more - all encapsulated by the very funny Woody Allen.Co-starring a young, lovely Diane Keaton, Woody is revived as part of a futuristic underground's plot to overthrow their sedentary but dictatorial life.Keaton plays Luna Schlosser - poet, creator of greeting cards (she got a '...PhD in oral sex....', who Miles captures to help him when the security forces try to capture/reprogramme him.The movie's look - blacks & whites predominate the sets & wardrobes (including one gentleman at Luna's party, who's wearing a bowler hat reminiscent of Clockwork Orange, and a (backward) swastika - 'fashion'), make the film view of tomorrow see dated, but, hysterical too.Most of the film plays with little dialogue - just the jazz music of Woody Allen & Co.This - along with Annie Hall, are - to me - the bookends of Woody at his funniest (and best)..
There are a lot of funny quotes, but the one I loved the most was when Diane Keaton asked Woody Allen "you don't believe in science, you don't believe in political systems and you don't believe in God. What do you believe in?" "Sex and death.
Audiences loved Allen in his bumbling slapstick comedic roles and this may be the best of his early series of comedies with him as a modern Charlie Chaplin like star of those films.
There are other Woody Allen fantasy comedies I prefer, for instance "The Purple Rose of Cairo" and "Zelig." But "Sleeper" has memorable, brainy bits that I still find funny like the Volkswagen dug up after 200 years and starts the first time.
In contrast with Woody Allen's later films, "Sleeper" chooses to escape the New York of the present, and, in a similar way, it's rather differently funny to his later classics.The movie meticulously sets up lots of amusing situations and set-pieces (like the giant tape machine and the expanding instant pudding) and the humour lies in these and in physical comedy, rather than in the more typical wisecracks and one-liners, which often fall a little flat.Another extremely successful aspect of "Sleeper" is the tone of the movie: the enthusiastic cast, the excellent music and the carefully chosen locations and props combine to give the movie a fresh and upbeat feel (there are a few dramatic moments, but they're not taken too seriously).But, all things considered, it's not so much the unorthodox nature of "Sleeper" that makes it so great - it's just really funny!
Allen's films work best when the laughs come from the characters and the script, and I don't think that Allen is the right type of comic to make slapstick work.The plot follows the story of Miles Monroe; a jazz playing health store owner from 1973, who wakes up to find himself 200 years in the future.
Sleeper is a movie about Miles Monroe, played, of course, by Woody Allen.
You have to look at Sleeper on its own and understand that it is the work of a still learning Woody Allen who was still perfecting his wistful style of comedy and satire that we know and love today. |
tt0085415 | Death Screams | Ted and Angie are out kissing on a motorcycle, waiting for the train, which apparently arguments their dual orgasm, Unfortunately someone unseen shows up, kills the couple and kicks their bodies into the river.The next day, Sheriff Avery is at the general store looking for Ted, who has not shown up for work. Bob and Kathy are at the ball field, assisting baseball coach Neil Marshall. They see the slow and weird Casey watching them and he runs away when he realizes that he has been spotted. Neil takes the assistant out for a pitcher of beer, and Bob walks Kathy home. Bob asks her to the river, but Kathy says she has to work at the carnival tomorrow and she asks him along to help.The bodies of Ted and Angie continue to float down the river.The timid blond waitress Lily leaves work and heads home, continually looking around for anyone following her. She gets home to her grandmother.The next day at the carnival, Tom and Ramon hang around with Sheila, Walker, Sandy and the irrigating Diddle. At the booth, Bob tells Kathy that he think that he is in love with her and the two kiss.
Nearby, Lily is rolling her grandmother in her wheelchair; they speak with Agnes. Sheriff Avery asks the six friends if they have seen Ted or Angie recently. The group later tells Bob and Kathy about their bonfire party that night. Lily walks out with Neil, and he tells her that his mother used to live in the town when he was younger. Bob and Kathy tell Neil about the party, and Neil asks Lily to accompany him. She politely declines, but accepts his invitation to a potential movie in the future.Sara, upset that Neil seems more interest in Lily then her, covers his car in shaving cream, which Casey evidently witnesses. Later Sara, sitting by a fountain, is shot with an arrow. She runs to an abandoned merry-go-round and the ride starts moving. A plastic bag is thrown over her head and she is suffocated to death.At home, Casey's mother Agnes tells her son that it is wrong to steal things like ball field equipment (which Casey has been accused of).Bob is dropping Kathy off and they both tell Lily she should go to the party. At her house, Lily's grandmother expresses her skepticism of Neil and she calls his mother a common whore.Neil is in the shower when Ramona walks in and kisses him. Neil carries her to the shower and turns it on. He tells her to go home, and he lets her know that he does not like "cheap thrills" because he had a lifetime to that with his mother. Ramona storms out. The sheriff sees her outside and he mocks her for her flirty ways. Ramona says something about Avery's son and he becomes irate, but Ramona tells him that Casey was driving.Agnes cannot find her son, and she calls the police station to talk to the sheriff.Out in his garage, Neil sees a soccer ball fall from the upper level. He climbs the steps, and a machete is swung at him.Out at the bonfire, Ramona is upset and she tells Tom to leave her alone for a while, but she later hugs him and apologizes. Diddle is seen dancing with Sandy, but he passed out drunk right when Sandy wants to go for a swim.At Neil's house, Sheriff Avery sees something on the windshield of Neil's car, and something falls from above.At the lake, no one wants to swim with Sandy, so she goes off alone out in the water. She bumps into the floating corpses of Ted and Angie. She screams and gets to shore and gets chopped to death by the machete.A little later, Diddle want to go looking for Sandy so he, Tom and Walker look around. They meet Bob, Kathy and Lily and they all sit around the bonfire, deciding that is the time to go to the cemetery. Lily is reluctant, but Bob suggests laving a note by the fire in case Neil arrives afterwords.At the Sunset Cemetery, the group arrives and sits in a circle, each holding a lit candle, and Lily is chosen to tell a ghost story. She tells of a frightened girl staying alone during a storm and her dog constantly reassuring her by licking her hand in the dark. The girl hears a dripping sound and she checks her shower and find her dog hanging, bloody and dead and a message written on the mirror in the dog's blood saying "maniacs lick hands too."The group runs to an old house when it begins to rain. Diddle goes back out to occupy the outhouse. Tom suggests scaring Diddle, and after giving him some time, the group heads out tot he outhouse to find Diddle hanging, bloody and dead. Tom exclaims "somebody slit him from ear to ear". They carry his body inside. Walker heads for the truck followed by Sheila. When Sheila reaches the truck, Walker is there but his head falls off his body and Sheila is grabbed. Tom finds both of them in the truck dead and headless. He runs from the still-unseen killer but falls into an open grave. When he tries to climb out, the killer chops off both of his hands.Kathy hears someone approaching. Bob opens the front door in time to see a raised machete and quickly slams the door shut. The killer breaks the window, and Ramona heads for the stairs and falls through the unstable steps. Bob tries to pull her up, but Ramona's body gets sliced in half at the waist. The three remaining survivors of Bob, Lily and Kathy run upstairs with the killer close behind. They run into a room and barricade the door, and Bob it hit when leaning against it. Neil then bursts into the room and yells to Lily that he never wanted to hurt her but she is just like all the others.A flashback is shown with Neil's mother having sex with a stranger as a young Neil watches her.With Neil distracted by this flashback, Lily picks up a glass shard from the broken window and slices Neil's throat. Neil attacks again. Lily moves out of the way and Neil flies out of the window. Sheriff Avery arrives, sees Neil laying on the ground still alive, and shoots him several times until he is finally dead. Avery walks Lily to his squad car and lets her inside. | cult, murder, violence | train | imdb | The movie does a good job of establishing a bucolic small-town setting (perhaps, it's not a coincidence that the director is the grown-up David Nelson of "Ozzie and Harriet" fame).
Another victim wanders away from the town carnival and is struck by an arrow, but instead of screaming for help or anything, she staggers over to an abandoned carousel and sits down so the killer can (somehow) finish her off with a plastic bag.The actors are all ridiculously over-aged considering they're supposedly high school students, but this is actually a good thing considering the male protagonist is a "coach" who apparently both parties with and dates his students (which they tend to frown on in real high schools).
Kiger stays dressed, but there is some gratuitous nudity, of course, including the girl on the motorcycle, a girl who showers with her bra on (which quickly becomes so transparent you wonder why she bothered), and a pretty blonde girl who goes for a full-frontal skinny-dip (which ALMOST keeps you from contemplating the absurdity of why anyone would go skinny-dipping in a RIVER).I don't want to imply this movie is in anyway good, but it sure is weird..
(** out of *****) The titular `house' only appears in the last ten minutes or so of this overly familiar, early-'80s horror flick.
If you can make it past the interminably long carnival scene -- with a group of young, vacuous girls and hunky, meat-head guys walking around making jokes and playing games -- you'll get a few so-so chills and thrills (and mostly off-screen machete murders) once the gang winds up in the cemetary to tell ghost stories (the lead heroine tells a lousy version of the classic urban legend about the girl who's home alone and thinks that's her dog under the bed licking her hand.) Other than a decapitated head or two, there's more nudity than gore, including an interesting, role-reversal shower scene in which a man is stalked in his apartment while taking a shower.
There's some minor backplot and attempts at character development, but there are also gaping plot holes and a weak attempt to make the killer's identity a mystery (you should have no trouble figuring it out.) The film quality's pretty crummy, and the out-of-place, Sesame Street-sounding soundtrack is one of the worst I've ever heard.HIGHLIGHT: Speaking of the soundtrack, if you do happen to run across this movie at the video store, go ahead and rent it solely for the opening credits sequence -- the music that plays over this sequence is so hysterically over the top that you will not believe it.
This is by no means a good horror flick, and one too many times teeters on being an incoherent, stupid mess.
The story focuses on a small town festival and a group of "teens" who want to hang out in the local cemetery and tell ghost stories to celebrate the last day of the town carnival???
Slow moving at first with some ridiculous death scenes--example: a girl at the local carnival gets viciously attacked and shot with a bow and arrow by the killer, but instead of running back to carnival or to anywhere where people are at, the dumb broad seeks refuge on an old merry-go-round where she is prime meat for the killer!!
The redeeming qualities come at the end of the film when the group finally gathers at the old cemetery.
But like I said, not a total waste..if you like machete murders, the last 20 minutes of the films should satisfy you.
When I was very young I always caught this on tv, it showed up on A&E a lot for some reason (I honestly don't know why), but when I saw it for the first few times, it sent chills down my spine.
Today, after finally hunting down the long-gone video copy (under its more well-known title, "House of Death") of this eighties slasher thriller, it was fun to look back but this isn't really that great of a movie at all.
It's true, the people who created this movie could've made it a whole lot better if they had at least put a little, oh, I don't know, thought, into it.
First off it had a few good aspects of it that still impress me today, and this includes the way the director captures the eerie atmosphere of a small town with the killer lurking in the shadows.
There are effective shots of deep, dark, misty woods and wind-swept cemeteries which create an extremely unique atmosphere, and put together with a very scary, when he is at least hinted at or briefly onscreen, psychopathic killer who prowls around in bloodstained black "psycho gear" complete with his bloody machete at his side.
The plot, as I've mentioned, makes basically no sense and neither does the killer's "motive", which really isn't even explained when he shows his face in the last few minutes.
Even so, I still can't get over some of the aspects of this movie which still can send shivers down my spine, like the killer prowling through the cemetery while blonde Playboy Playmate Susan Kiger tells the "drip, drip" story to her wide-eyed friends, or the "double decapitation in the truck" sequence (this does have some pretty graphic deaths) as well as the scene where a girl falls through the stairs and has her belly violently ripped open by the machete-wielding killer who is waiting beneath.
It sounds like I love this movie a lot, doesn't it, but actually the finale of the film just holds a special place in my "slasher movie watching" history, it's basically the only good thing to watch in the whole film, which wastes too much time with teenagers at a carnival or at a bonfire.
Nothing really starts happening until about an hour into the film, when the always talked about "blonde skinny dipper gets her throat hacked out with a machete" sequence occurs, which is a definite must-see.
I saw this film under the title "House of Death".
Despite the mysterious disappearance of a teen couple, Ted and Angie at the riverside in north California a group of the nearby-town teenagers goes having ghost story in the local cemetery.
I think the only one uniqueness this post-Friday-the-13th-Part2 film has is its expressive way of the first and silliest two victims, Ted and Angie who originally tried to have a woodland-****-on-a-motorcycle in the middle of the cold night.
Although I find this coupled-bodies-with-their-coupled-expressiveness interesting I have to say the most of the elements of this film are nothing but those of a bad B-movie; Dee Barton's old-TV-movie-like easygoing music is entirely unsuited to the 1980's horror film especially to its horror scenes, and Worth Keeter's special effects are not only cheap but also unnatural, and so forth..
--Death Screams, or House of Death as it is known here, is one of the most absurd horror films I've seen next to Drive-In Massacre.
I had friends over while watching this movie, but afterwards I think they considered me their worst enemy after putting them through this trash.--The first 40 mins.
Before that, just some cheesy killings.--House of Death has the most funniest death scene that is the only "plus" side to this movie** IF you get pierced in the shoulder with an arrow, go and scream for help.
I know most characters in horror flicks don't think...
but c'mon!--I do not even know who the killer was, it was revealed, but House of Death has more holes than a fish net I was confused.
A group of teenagers attending a carnival are stalked by a mysterious, hidden in the shadows psycho who proceeds to stalk and kill them after they leave the carnival and party at an old run down farm house.The identity of the killer is very easy to figure out in this not very surprising slasher film that features an over the top finale that will produce unintentional chuckles instead of having you shiver in your seat.
"I don't know"?The above exchange between two characters are the last few lines of dialogue in the film, which might explain how you could feel after watching this one.One of the strangest and vaguest 1980's (although it looks more late 70s) low-budget slasher films I've ever witnessed.
At best very unconventional in its story threads.After the obligatory opening death scene, the thirst three quarters slowly plays focal point to small town atmospherics, carnival traditions and teen dramas/fooling around.
Like it was trying for a "Halloween" vibe, especially in how it was shot and early on it has the killer slowly stalking his victims in the background.
There's one or two more death scenes sprinkled throughout to remind that you are watching a horror film.
One of those needs to be seen, to be believed, because of how bizarre and stupidly it plays out.But it really doesn't come into its own until the confined hysteria-laced backend, as the teens (although they do look much older) start partying; boozing, skinny-dipping, making out by a lake late at night then moving onto a cemetery to tell spooky stories.
I just wished the carnival setting could have been put to better use.We only get to see the killer's arm and machete throughout, until the final reveal.
You know playing it safe, as if he's watched too many horror films.
Susan Kiger made an agreeable heroine of sorts and Susan Kiger added some life with her floozy character."Death Screams" aka "The House of Death" is an oddball, if at the same time unimaginative rough-around-the-edges slasher..
It spends a lot of its 90 minute run time with character development saving the action for the final 15 minutes.
"House of Death" is a totally sordid and fatigue effort, and the worst thing of all involves having to acknowledge that the whole premise actually had potential and a handful of sequences were even marvelously staged.
Too bad even granny can't save "House of Death" from complete boredom and irredeemable stupidity.
A group of obnoxious teenagers attending the town's carnival is stalked and viciously murdered by a machete-wielding killer."Death Screams" by David Nelson is an okay slasher flick.The script is highly unoriginal and the acting is weak,but who cares.The location sets including a town's carnival,a graveyard and finally an isolated house add a lot of creepiness to the overall atmosphere of a quiet little town.The pace is quite slow,but during the carnival bloody murders are set in motion.The gore effects are fairly effective with decapitations,throat slashings,stabbings and chopped off hands to boost.The score by Dee Barton is also surprisingly moody.Overall,I rather enjoyed this rare slasher flick and you should too,if you are a fan of hack 'em up movies.7 out of 10..
OK, so the film goes on with a boring carnival scene for like 35 minutes, the acting is pathetic, the soundtrack is garbage and the special effects are not too hot but it is still watchable.
This film is more commonly known as HOUSE OF DEATH.
Just when the flick starts a couple is being killed while making love on a motorbike.
And there's a bit of it in it, the first minute it's already bare naked breasts, there is even some full frontal nudity when one of the girls goes swimming in the noticed river...at night...without somebody watching...naked, guess what's coming next.
They become wet after a few seconds showing everything...The first killings are so strange, one with an arrow but watch the girl go running to a merry-go-round.
Death Screams or as i rented it under House Of Death has to be one of the worst horror movies ever made.
the movie is so boring like the 35 min carnival scene.
The movie takes over an hour to even get to the "House of Death", the characters are under-developed and not memorable, and - not to give away the ending - I was staring dumbfounded at the screen for a good six minutes after the credits rolled.
Former Playboy Playmate Susan Kiger was the star...you can't expect a big budget thrill knowing that :-P I gave it 8 stars for high 80's horror camp at it's best..
Rating- 3 *** out of 5DEATH SCREAMS or now called as HOUSE OF DEATH is not all that good.
I think I'll email Mr. Ebert with an entry for his Movie Glossary Guide: FAT COP SYNDROME -- A Dead Teenager/Slasher Horror film formula element that establishes a sense of hopelessness by casting an obscenely obese 'comic relief' character in the role of the small town sheriff.
I glommed onto most of the interesting looking/sounding horror videos and have been enjoying some vacation time just chilling and watching tapes.
Shelf space is a commodity around here, life is short, and some sucker out there will want NIGHTMARE HONEYMOON, I wager.We'll probably keep HOUSE OF DEATH though; Decent looking college aged women get utterly stark naked, there's some acceptable Hackage & Dismemberment, and I like the low budget settings of the carnival and spooky old rain shrouded house.
Depends on your point of view.But this is about the sixth slasher flick I have seen this week with a really FAT small town cop who is supposed to be "funny", and it got me thinking about how the role of the bumbling, inept small town lawman -- usually knocking back a half pint or slobbering down large sandwiches -- is so vital to making the audience feel as though the people in the story have absolutely zero hope of seeing daylight.
We are definitely onto something here.They all must go to the same Big & Tall Shops For Fat Movie Cops Outlet Store too, specializing in making you look utterly useless in an emergency.
I can live with that, and fans of 80's horror will be amused by this nasty little relic.But again and again, the bottom line with these movies seems to be that breasts will hopefully be bared and lives may be lost, but at least the fat sheriff will get to enjoy the rest of that sandwich..
I'll just echo and augment previous reviews warning that the juicy bits (here, there, everywhere) only occur in the last ten minutes of the movie, the identity of the killer is unclear (with his motivation irritatingly muddy), and quite frankly these 'teens' should've worn name tags, because I couldn't ID one from any of the others.
The name brings to mind a plot setting similar to EVIL LAUGH or HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY, but funnily enough the actual house of death' isn't featured until the last ten minutes!
A psychopathic killer with a very large machete seems like he has his own idea for a party
Although most of the acting in HOUSE OF DEATH was painfully rank amateur, I quite liked ex- Playboy playmate Susan Kiger and believed that she made a sufficient lead.
David Nelson gave us a pretty spooky atmosphere at times, along with some good photography from Darrell Cathcart (who also worked on FINAL EXAM).
And when the killer is finally revealed in the last few minutes I wasn't even sure at first if he was someone from the story or just some unknown psycho.
HOUSE OF DEATH also plays host to one of the dumbest ever slasher murders: a young girl gets shot in the shoulder with a sharp arrow.
When I saw a better version, well I actually kind of liked this movie, It's nothing spectacular and not as great and as a lot of the other 80's gems but In my opinion this movie falls somewhere in between.The spooky atmosphere is nicely done, and the forest scenes are nicely done and beautifully captured, although the night scenes are still really dark on my second viewing of this movie and the last ten minutes of this movie are really frantic and delivers thrills and excitement and the gore is nicely present and interesting.Okay like I said before this movie isn't quite up there with some of the other classics during this period, it starts off well with the double murder but then It takes way too long for another murder to happen, and there is also no attempt at characterization with the young cast, personally I couldn't tell some of them apart and the stupidity of the cast is unbelievable like when a girl gets shot with an arrow at a carnival, instead of running to the crowds, she runs to an abandoned carnival down the road and gets killed and the unmasking of the killer at the end was a bit of a letdown and way too rushed.All in all not a bad movie, just not a great movie, bad lighting and sub plots that never go anywhere, but the kills are decent and fast paced..
Even if you enjoy a good 'bad' movie (which I am partial to) this should be avoided.
After all, DEATH SCREAMS should be a pretty big deal to Paul C.
I read ALL of the comments (22) as of today, and about 50% of them say the killer's identity in DEATH SCREAMS is TOO EASY to figure out.
I know the killer's face is shown clearly during his killing orgy of victims #6-#10 during the final minutes of this film, before the sheriff (who is clearly the brain-damaged guy's dad) blows off the top half of his head with his service revolver.
I would prefer that explanation to the alternative that the killer is some previously not seen character who appears ONLY in the finale, and whose identity is NEVER revealed (or that he is the guy who got brain-damaged while driving with town slut Ramona-the-barmaid, since the killer definitely did not look brain-damaged at the close--until the guy who may or may not be his own dad blew off the top half of his face!).
So, c'mon Paul, now's the time to 'fess up--get this thing off your chest--please tell us who killed the first ten victims in your magnum opus, DEATH SCREAMS! |
tt0067093 | Fiddler on the Roof | === Act I ===
Tevye, a poor Jewish milkman with five daughters, explains the customs of the Jews in the Russian shtetl of Anatevka in 1905, where their lives are as precarious as the perch of a fiddler on a roof ("Tradition"). At Tevye's home, everyone is busy preparing for the Sabbath meal. His sharp-tongued wife, Golde, orders their daughters, Tzeitel, Hodel, Chava, Shprintze and Bielke, about their tasks. Yente, the village matchmaker, arrives to tell Golde that Lazar Wolf, the wealthy butcher, a widower older than Tevye, wants to wed Tzeitel, the eldest daughter. The next two daughters, Hodel and Chava, are excited about Yente's visit, but Tzeitel is unenthusiastic ("Matchmaker, Matchmaker"). A girl from a poor family must take whatever husband Yente brings, but Tzeitel wants to marry her childhood friend, Motel the tailor.
Tevye is delivering milk, pulling the cart himself, as his horse is lame. He asks God: Whom would it hurt "If I Were a Rich Man"? Avram, the bookseller, has news from the outside world about pogroms and expulsions. A stranger, Perchik, hears their conversation and scolds them for doing nothing more than talk. The men dismiss Perchik as a radical, but Tevye invites him home for the Sabbath meal and offers him food and a room in exchange for tutoring his two youngest daughters. Golde tells Tevye to meet Lazar after the Sabbath but does not tell him why, knowing that Tevye does not like Lazar. Tzeitel is afraid that Yente will find her a husband before Motel asks Tevye for her hand. But Motel resists: he is afraid of Tevye's temper, and tradition says that a matchmaker arranges marriages. Motel is also very poor and is saving up to buy a sewing machine before he approaches Tevye, to show that he can support a wife. The family gathers for the "Sabbath Prayer."
After the Sabbath, Tevye meets Lazar at Mordcha's inn, assuming mistakenly that Lazar wants to buy his cow. Once the misunderstanding is cleared up, Tevye agrees to let Lazar marry Tzeitel – with a rich butcher, his daughter will never want for anything. All join in the celebration of Lazar's good fortune; even the Russian youths at the inn join in the celebration and show off their dancing skills ("To Life"). Outside the inn, Tevye happens upon the Russian Constable, who has jurisdiction over the Jews in the town. The Constable warns him that there is going to be a "little unofficial demonstration" in the coming weeks (a euphemism for a minor pogrom). The Constable has sympathy for the Jewish community but is powerless to prevent the violence.
The next morning, after Perchik's lessons with her young sisters, Tevye's second daughter Hodel mocks Perchik's Marxist interpretation of a Bible story. He, in turn, criticizes her for hanging on to the old traditions of Judaism, noting that the world is changing. To illustrate this, he dances with her, defying the prohibition against opposite sexes dancing together. The two begin to fall in love. Later, a hungover Tevye announces that he has agreed that Tzeitel will marry Lazar Wolf. Golde is overjoyed, but Tzeitel is devastated and begs Tevye not to force her. Motel arrives and tells Tevye that he is the perfect match for Tzeitel and that he and Tzeitel gave each other a pledge to marry. He promises that Tzeitel will not starve as his wife. Tevye is stunned and outraged at this breach of tradition, but impressed at the timid tailor's display of backbone. After some soul-searching ("Tevye's Monologue"), Tevye agrees to let them marry, but he worries about how to break the news to Golde. An overjoyed Motel celebrates with Tzeitel ("Miracle of Miracles").
In bed with Golde, Tevye pretends to be waking from a nightmare. Golde offers to interpret his dream, and Tevye "describes" it ("Tevye's Dream"). Golde's grandmother Tzeitel returns from the grave to bless the marriage of her namesake, but to Motel, not to Lazar Wolf. Lazar's formidable late wife, Fruma-Sarah, rises from her grave to warn, in graphic terms, of severe retribution if Tzeitel marries Lazar. The superstitious Golde is terrified, and she quickly counsels that Tzeitel must marry Motel. While returning from town, Tevye's third daughter, the bookish Chava, is teased and intimidated by some gentile youths. One, Fyedka, protects her, dismissing the others. He offers Chava the loan of a book, and a secret relationship begins.
The wedding day of Tzeitel and Motel arrives, and all the Jews join the ceremony ("Sunrise, Sunset") and the celebration ("The Wedding Dance"). Lazar gives a fine gift, but an argument arises with Tevye over the broken agreement. Perchik ends the tiff by breaking another tradition: he crosses the barrier between the men and women to dance with Tevye's daughter Hodel. The celebration ends abruptly when a group of Russians rides into the village to perform the "demonstration". They disrupt the party, damaging the wedding gifts and wounding Perchik, who attempts to fight back, and wreak more destruction in the village. Tevye instructs his family to clean up the mess.
=== Act II ===
Months later, Perchik tells Hodel he must return to Kiev to work for the revolution. He proposes marriage, admitting that he loves her, and says that he will send for her. She agrees ("Now I Have Everything"). They tell Tevye that they are engaged, and he is appalled that they are flouting tradition by making their own match, especially as Perchik is leaving. When he forbids the marriage, Perchik and Hodel inform him that they do not seek his permission, only his blessing. After more soul searching, Tevye relents – the world is changing, and he must change with it ("Tevye's Rebuttal"). He informs the young couple that he gives them his blessing and his permission.
Tevye explains these events to an astonished Golde. "Love," he says, "it's the new style." Tevye asks Golde, despite their own arranged marriage, "Do You Love Me?" After dismissing Tevye's question as foolish, she eventually admits that, after 25 years of living and struggling together and raising five daughters, she does. Meanwhile, Yente tells Tzeitel that she saw Chava with Fyedka. News spreads quickly in Anatevka that Perchik has been arrested and exiled to Siberia ("The Rumor/I Just Heard"), and Hodel is determined to join him there. At the railway station, she explains to her father that her home is with her beloved, wherever he may be, although she will always love her family ("Far From the Home I Love").
Time passes. Motel has purchased a used sewing machine, and he and Tzeitel have had a baby. Chava finally gathers the courage to ask Tevye to allow her marriage to Fyedka. Again Tevye reaches deep into his soul, but marriage outside the Jewish faith is a line he will not cross. He forbids Chava to speak to Fyedka again. When Golde brings news that Chava has eloped with Fyedka, Tevye wonders where he went wrong ("Chavaleh Sequence"). Chava returns and tries to reason with him, but he refuses to speak to her and tells the rest of the family to consider her dead. Meanwhile, rumors are spreading of the Russians expelling Jews from their villages. While the villagers are gathered, the Constable arrives to tell everyone that they have three days to pack up and leave the town. In shock, they reminisce about "Anatevka" and how hard it will be to leave what has been their home for so long.
As the Jews leave Anatevka, Chava and Fyedka stop to tell her family that they are also leaving for Kraków, unwilling to remain among the people who could do such things to others. Tevye still will not talk to her, but when Tzeitel says goodbye to Chava, Tevye prompts her to add "God be with you." Motel and Tzeitel go to Poland as well but will join the rest of the family when they have saved up enough money. As Tevye, Golde and their two youngest daughters leave the village for America, the fiddler begins to play. Tevye beckons with a nod, and the fiddler follows them out of the village. | avant garde, flashback | train | wikipedia | It must have influenced him so that I can't believe it was a coincidence that when he created the story of Tevye the Milkman he had five daughters and he was just looking to get them off his hands just like Mr. Bennett was with his five.Of course the difference between Czarist Russia for Jews and being part of the landed gentry in early Victorian England is cultural light years.
Still fathers, mothers, daughters and prospective sons-in-law are the same wherever you go.Filling some very big shoes in the lead was Topol who to this day is still appearing in stage productions of Fiddler On The Roof.
In fact I liked him best in the film, a Yiddish version of Willie Mossop, the worm that turned from another English source, Hobson's Choice.The cultural divide is the thing about Fiddler On The Roof that does separate it from a Victorian novel to a story of a perennially persecuted people.
Bock in writing the music had as keen an ear for the folk music of the culture as Richard Rodgers did in writing an Oriental score for The King And I.If the role of Yente the matchmaker, a name as well as an occupation in Jewish tradition, wasn't in the original play, they'd have to have invented something to get Molly Picon in the film.
It wouldn't have been right to do Sholem Aleichem on the big screen without her in the film in some way.Fiddler On The Roof is one of the best adapted Broadway musicals to the big screen ever done.
Epic in plot, setting and length, Fiddler on the Roof tells a surprisingly tight and focused story that has "universal" poignancy--in a nutshell, it's about trying to maintain strong cultural traditions and identity in the face of a continually changing world, partially fueled by the youth, that doesn't necessarily share the culture's values or self-assessment of worth.The plot is based on short stories written around the turn of the 20th Century by Sholom Aleichem, who was often called the "Russian Mark Twain".
One of the prominent conflicts with tradition is a struggle with arranged marriages versus marriages for love, but of course, being set in pre-revolutionary Russia, there are also political changes brewing, some of which have a profound affect on Tevye's family and village.Aleichem's Tevye stories were first turned into a Broadway musical, which began its initial run in 1964 with Zero Mostel as Tevye.
Producer and director Norman Jewison, who had had success with films like In the Heat of the Night (1967) and The Thomas Crown Affair (1968), and who was experienced as a producer and director for musical-oriented televisions shows, including "Your Hit Parade" (1950) and "The Judy Garland Show" (1960), was asked around early 1970 by United Artists to helm the Fiddler on the Roof film.
He ended up getting a lot of pressure because the shoot went over time and over budget--this was one of the most expensive films of its time, which was an era of economic woes for Hollywood--but of course we know it paid off in the end.Zero Mostel was out as Tevye, and Israeli actor Chaim Topol, or just "Topol", was in, based largely on Jewison seeing him in the role of Tevye in the London stage production of Fiddler.
Of course, there are also a couple more surrealistic touches in the plot, my favorite being the Tevye's Dream sequence, which features traditionalist Jewish zombies in an operatic attitude.A musical couldn't be a 10 without great music, and Fiddler on the Roof has it.
Like no other movie I can think of, 'Fiddler' reaches deep into the heart and begs one to look at what things in life are worth living for and dying for..
This role is played by Topol, who played the character onstage in the London production of "Fiddler." We see him as a man mired in traditions, but struggling between his devout faith and the changing times when three of his daughters feel the urge to marry.
The movie is beautifully shot, and tempers the story, which deals with the harsh realities of Jewish life in pre-Revolutionary Russia, with classic musical numbers sure to put a smile on your face.
the film Fiddler on the Roof was immediately embraced b the public and received critical acclaim and received eight Academy Award nominations including Best Picture and Best Director and won three Oscars for Best Cinematography, Musical Score and Sound.
At three hours this runs a little long and it's hard to capture a successful musical stage play on film but this comes as close as you can get.
..."Fiddler on the Roof" stars Topol as Tevye, a Jewish milk man (and father of five) living in a small town in the time before WWII.
A man of faith with intelligence enough to accept change, compassion enough to love through difficult revelations/revolutions.Was a very significant film from my childhood, for some reason, for a nice Irish-catholic boy, but I remember it well, finding again in my fifties, with a better sense of history, aesthetics, morality, sentiment, religion, tradition, it touches me in a deeply emotional way.
In pre-revolutionary Russia, a poor Jewish peasant (Topol) must contend with marrying off his three daughters while antisemitic sentiment threatens his home.Let me say this right of the bat: while this film may focus on a Jewish family and their struggle to enter the modern world (which may be good or bad), you certainly do not need to be Jewish to enjoy it.
There is not a single weak song in the score, and the whole thing is perfectly structured, moving from the mighty "Tradition" to the delicate "Matchmaker", to the bombastic "If I Were a Rich Man" to the haunting "Sabbath Prayer" and so on.The director of this screen version is Norman Jewison, always a filmmaker of musical sensibilities.
But aside from this context, Fiddler on the Roof's warm humanity, larger-than-life characters and beautiful music make it one of the genre's greats, a movie that can be enjoyed today and by generations to come..
Much was made of director Norman Jewison's decision to cast Topol (instead of Broadway's Zero Mostel)as Tevye, but his performance is the single most important factor that makes this a great film.
What is the most important thing in our pursuit of happiness is love.The best musical movie I have ever seen..
In this setting a peasant farmer wants to marry off his three daughters - but he only gets trouble, trouble, trouble...The film musical is a strange fish in that it can be an absolutely brilliant way to tell a story or the worst.
It does move the plot along with enough songs to still be a good, if bulky, musical.A good number is after Tevye discovers that his eldest daughter and the tailor pledged their love a year prior, and he's struck a deal for her with the butcher.
Almost tradition (no pun intended), Fiddler on the Roof was viewed on nearly every Jewish holiday, giving me the reward of all the great songs and dances that this film had to offer.
Truly entertaining and fantastic, Fiddler on the Roof gives you enough good story, coupled with amazing characterisation that you could watch this endless amounts of time and never get bored..
The story of a man steeped in tradition living in a world where traditions are being thrown out the window ("Unheard of -- absurd!") As many times as I have seen this movie, I never fail to laugh and cry and sing along.
A popular film adaptation of the stage musical, although I think this has more to do with the fact that Jews run Hollywood than its quality as a movie.
For FIDDLER ON THE ROOF is a long, slow and extremely heavy-going movie, for which the lengthiness of its story is never offset by the quality of the music.Topol - the only actor in the film to give a notable performance - gives a solid performance as a poor Jewish man struggling to bring up five daughters in 19th century Russia.
The various sub-plots that follow involve him pairing off his daughters with varying suitors (along the lines of PRIDE & PREJUDICE) while a growing pogrom against the Jews is developing in the background.Some of the songs are very good, particularly "Tradition" and "If I Were a Rich Man", but in between these are simply lots of long, drawn out sequences of nothing much happening.
The story revolves around the highly sympathetic figure of Tevye the Dairyman, played marvelously by Topol, who with his cows and lame horse (a companion more than a helper) ekes out a grinding existence for his wife and five daughters while reflecting on God's mysterious ways and the dramatic changes underway in his world.
Set in 1905 Russia as the Bolshevik Revolution winds up, this movie offers an excellent introduction---not a detailed study, but an introduction---to Russia's fascinating history in this period, while giving a great flavor of traditional Jewish village culture in the Pale of Settlement, the age-old homelands of Jews in rural Russia.
With great music and a number of powerful, melodic and unforgettable songs, Fiddler on the Roof deserves its place in the canon of American classics..
Norman Jewison's adaptation of Jerry Bock's musical masterfully tells the story of poor Jewish milkman Tevye (Chaim Topol) having to deal with the dying out of traditions, as well as anti-Semitism in tsarist Russia.
Much like how young people across the world had little in common with the parents generation by 1971, Tevye's daughters want to find husbands on their own, rather than have a matchmaker do it.I once saw a stage production of "Fiddler on the Roof", and the movie equals it very well.
"Fiddler...", along with "The Russians are Coming, the Russians are Coming", "In the Heat of the Night", "Rollerball", "Other People's Money" and "The Hurricane" show him to be one of the greatest directors of all time.All in all, not only do I recommend this movie to everyone, but I would say that 1971 was possibly the best ever year for cinema: "Little Murders", "McCabe and Mrs. Miller", "Bananas", "Carnal Knowledge", "Shaft", "Willard", "The French Connection", "The Last Picture Show" and "A Clockwork Orange"..
To be fair some of the songs were good and a few of them became famous, thanks to this stage play-turned-movie, but not enough of them to suit me.Another thing that turned me off was the typical '60s-70s youth culture propaganda in which the message here was that the old traditions and the people who believed in them are shown to be of little value while the younger man with his new views is shown to be "enlightened." This is such typical Liberal baloney.
the movie starts with telling the importance of tradition in jewish community, and man who tells it has daughters that are in love and want to marry in non traditional way.
It's long, with an intermission ("Entre'acte" on the screen), but never dull or lagging.The music was conducted and adapted by a young and upcoming film musician named John Williams.Part of Tevye's story is how Tradition keeps their society intact, and how it keeps them stuck in the same roles year after year, and what happens when a younger generation breaks out of that tradition.I'd say that this is one you need to see on the big screen - but with today's giant home screens, that's not true any more.
I am not generally a fan of musicals that have been adapted to the screen, but "Fiddler on the Roof" remains as one of the notable exceptions, thanks largely to the genius of director Norman Jewison ("In the Heat of the Night", "Moonstruck", "The Thomas Crown Affair, "Jesus Christ Superstar"), the endearing charm, vitality, and humanity of (Chaim) Topol, the ability of the rest of the cast to meet the elevated standard set by the lead, the innovative cinematography of Oswald Morris ("Lolita", "Oliver!", "The Entertainer", "Guns of Navarone") and the wonderful music, originally written by Jerry Bock and so capably adapted to the screen by John Williams.As to the excellent cast, although there isn't one, single Hollywood "superstar" present, this remarkable team nevertheless succeeds in creating one of the best musicals ever adapted to film and a movie that still survives on my list of favorites after many viewings.
Topol stars as simple milkman Tevye, watching as three of his five daughters drift away into the arms of romantic suitors; he consults with God on matters of money and the heart, weighing each circumstance with even reasoning, and compares the attempt at living a common yet balanced life to that of a fiddler on a rooftop.
This beautiful story about a simple milkman in turn-of-the-century Russia who must come to terms with the loss of the safe and only world he has ever known, succeeds on screen largely due to the performance of Topol, who breathes body and soul into Tevye the milkman and creates one of those characters that for ever after you instantly associate with the actor who played him.
As the matchmaker suggests matches for his eldest daughters, Tevye has to deal with changing ways of life as his family attempts to break tradition.If you want to see a popular film that has a no-name cast, don't look further than this film.
The rest of the cast features unknown names such as Norma Crane as Golde, Tevye's wife and Leonard Frey as Motel, a lover of Tevye's eldest daughter.Overall, Fiddler on the Roof is an often entertaining musical filled with excellent songs and a score that puts the majestic John Williams on the map.
The masterfully composed tunes will stay in your mind to the point where you will find yourself humming selections from 'Fiddler' well after you've finished watching the movie.The serious tones of this story are well balanced with humour and music.
Without a doubt, Topol's portrayal of Tevye, the Jewish peasant desperate to find good Jewish husbands for his daughters, is one of the greatest performances captured on film.
The best include "Tradition" (with a superb montage that reflect the community's working and religious life); the title song, played by the title character, during the opening credits (with a sunset background to die for); "Matchmaker" (amusing and well choreographed); "If I Were a Rich Man" (where Tevye gets uncharacteristically lively); "To Life" (brilliant dancing); and "Sunrise, Sunset" mixed with a vigorous and lively wedding scene.In the second half, the mood changes significantly with the story.
Acting, music, and the story all are awesome and lead to this film being so good.Tevre is a great character.
This is a great opportunity to any musical, drama, performing arts lover and also a cultural experience on Jewish traditions and history.
I don't know how to begin, I've just finished watching "the fiddler" and I can't explain how magnificent this movie was, Good script, Superb acting, amazing music, wonderful editing...
Indeed, despite all the comedic asides by Topol, and the happiness of many scenes, there is also a vivid display of the plight of the Russian Jewish population of the time this movie is set, adding a darker tone, although not one that in any way damages the film, as light and dark sit well with each other.
Topol (in my opinion, better than Broadway actor Zero Mostel), excels as Tevye, a meager Jewish milk man trying to make a living and marry off his daughters while facing religious persecution in Czarist Russia.
Opening with the wonderful song "Tradition" which is the overriding theme of the entire musical, with its comedy and its pain, this film is a charming, sentimental telling of the lives and tribulations of a family.
Norman Jewison had a directorial triumph with the 1971 film version of the Broadway musical FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, a beautifully mounted screen version of the classic Sheldon Harnick-Jerry Bock musical about the Jewish milkman and father of five daughters, who has his entire belief system challenged and thrown back in his face during this turbulent period in Jewish history.
"Fiddler on the Roof" is one of the great adaptations of a stage musical.
Tevye is the prime role, he has the major songs, like "Tradition" and "If I Were A Rich Man", so having a so-so leading man here is fatal to the film.
The Russian dancing sequence, and Tevye singing If I were a rich man are done with finesse.As is depicted throughout Jewish life, the Jews have become wanderers but will never give up their heritage and musical traditions.
Based off the very famous stage play, this film takes place in a pre-revolutionary village in Russia where there is a mixture of the Jewish and Christian people whom each have their own traditions.
This is a symbol for the tolerance or the forbearance of the Jewish people in the movie.This film, which is well-directed by Norman Jewison, is a musical that takes place in pre-revolutionary Russia (just barely).
Meanwhile, revolution is spreading across the country forcing all Jewish people to leave their homes and their country.This film, just like the stage play, is a musical.
The songs are wonderful, mainly "Matchmaker, Matchmaker"; "Tradition" and "Far from the Home I Love." I can hardly recommend "Fiddler on the Roof" enough....but I will recommend it as much as I can; I think you should watch it..
Fiddler on the Roof is a moving musical about a Jewish milkman trying to cope with his daughters deciding to break the tradition of his ancestors.
"Sunrise, Sunset" and "If I Were a Rich Man") and Topol's outstanding performance as Reb Tevye, the film is a dazzling and spectacular telling of the harships of a Jewish family living in Russia during the Russian Revolution.
Topal plays the role of Tevye very well in the 1971 musical "Fiddler on the Roof".
"Fiddler on the Roof" is a great musical filmed as an endurance test. |
tt0460829 | Inland Empire | The film opens to the sound of a gramophone playing Axxon N, "the longest-running radio play in history". Meanwhile, a young prostitute, identified in the credits as the "Lost Girl", cries while watching television in a hotel room, following an unpleasant encounter with her client. The Lost Girl’s television displays a family of surrealistic anthropomorphic rabbits who speak in cryptic statements and questions. Occasionally, there are laugh track responses within these Rabbit scenes. These three elements become recurring motifs throughout Inland Empire.
The main plot follows an actress named Nikki Grace (Dern), who has applied for a comeback role as Sue in a film entitled On High in Blue Tomorrows. The day before the audition, Nikki is visited by an enigmatic old woman (Zabriskie) who says she is her neighbor; she predicts that Nikki will get the role, and recounts two folk tales. One tells of a boy who, sparking a reflection after passing through a doorway, "caused evil to be born." The other tells of a girl who, wandering through an alleyway behind a marketplace, "discovers a palace." The old woman presses Nikki for details on her new film, asking whether the story is about marriage and involves murder. Nikki denies both, but her neighbor disagrees. Disregarding Nikki's offended response, the old woman comments on the confusion of time, claiming that were this tomorrow, Nikki would be sitting on a couch adjacent to them. The film then pans to where the neighbor is pointing, and we see Nikki and two girlfriends sitting on the couch. Her butler (Ian Abercrombie) walks into the living room with a phone call from her agent, announcing that she has won the role. Ecstatic, Nikki and her friends celebrate while her husband Piotrek (Peter J. Lucas) ominously surveys them from atop a nearby staircase.
Some time later, Nikki and her co-star Devon Berk (Theroux) receive an interview on a talk show. The host (Ladd) asks them both whether they are having an affair, to which each of them respond negatively. Devon is warned by his entourage that Nikki is out of bounds, due to her husband's power and influence. Later, on the set being built for the film, Nikki and Devon rehearse a scene with the director, Kingsley Stewart (Irons). They are interrupted by a disturbance, but upon investigation Devon finds nothing. Shaken by the event, Kingsley confesses that they are shooting a remake of a German feature entitled 47. Production was abandoned after both leads were murdered, creating rumors of the film being cursed.
Immersed in her character, while the film is being shot, "Sue" / Nikki appears to begin an affair with Devon / "Billy". A strange scene follows based on what the old woman had described: Nikki appears in a mysterious alley walking to her car, carrying a bag of groceries, but then she notices a door in the alley marked Axxon N, and enters. It leads her back to soundstage where the earlier rehearsal took place. She witnesses that rehearsal from across the room—she herself was what had interrupted it earlier. This time, when Devon seeks to discover who's observing them, she disappears from the rehearsal scene, and flees among the half-built backgrounds and into the house of a character named Smithy (possibly her husband in the film's story, but this is never made clear). Despite the set being merely a wooden facade, Nikki enters to find an illuminated suburban house inside. Devon looks through the windows, but sees only darkness, not hearing her frantic cries of his character's name, "Billy."
At this point, the film takes a drastic stylistic turn. Various plotlines and scenes begin to entwine and complement each other. The chronological order is often confused or nonexistent. Inside the house, Nikki sees her husband (whether it's "Smithy" or Piotrek is unclear) in bed. Hiding from him, she enters a different room and encounters a troupe of prostitutes. One of the women advises her to burn a hole through silk with a cigarette and look through the hole. Nikki complies and witnesses several strange happenings, many of which seem to revolve around her, or alternate versions of herself.
Prior to these scenes, the woman who plays Billy’s wife tells a policeman that she had been hypnotised to murder someone with a screwdriver, but finds the screwdriver embedded in her own side. A mysterious organization claims to have captives from Inland Empire. A parallel plotline involves Polish circus artists in the present day, as well as Polish prostitutes in Łódź during the 1930s, who are confronted by strange pimps while murder permeates their city. Nikki, having become one of the group of present-day prostitutes, wanders the streets while her companions ask, "Who is she?" Both Nikki and her prostitutes frequently ask people to look at them and "say whether you've known me before." In a parallel plotline, Sue climbs the dark staircase behind a nightclub to deliver long monologues to an unidentified man touching upon her childhood sexual abuse, disastrous relationships, and retaliations. Her husband Smithy seems to be connected with both the pimps and the organization, and then is hired by a circus from Poland because he is said to be "good with animals." There is much talk of the Phantom, an elusive hypnotist. Convinced she’s being stalked by a red-lipped man, Sue arms herself with a screwdriver.
Finally, Sue walks down Hollywood Boulevard, and is startled to see her doppelgänger across the street. Before Sue can investigate, Doris arrives and attempts to kill her, having been hypnotized by The Phantom. Sue is brutally stabbed in the stomach with her own screwdriver, causing her to stagger down the street and eventually collapse next to some homeless people on the corner of Hollywood and Vine. One woman remarks that Sue is dying, then proceeds to debate with another, younger homeless woman about taking a bus to Pomona. Her companion talks at length about a friend named Niko, a prostitute whose blond wig makes her look like a movie star, thus allowing her to walk through the rich district without drawing attention. The older woman comforts Sue by holding a lighter in front of her face until she finally dies, promising her "no more blue tomorrows." Off-camera, Kingsley yells "Cut!" and the camera pans back to show this has merely been a film scene.
As the actors and film crew wrap for the next scene, Sue slowly arises, Nikki once more. Kingsley announces that her scenes for the film are complete. In a daze, Nikki wanders off set and into a nearby cinema, where she sees not only On High in Blue Tomorrows—encompassing some of the subplots of the film—but events that are currently occurring. She wanders to the projection room, but finds an apartment building marked "Axxon N". Eventually, Nikki confronts the red-lipped man from earlier, now known to be the Phantom. She shoots him, which causes his face to morph first into a distorted copy of Nikki's own face, and then an even more distorted face bleeding from its mouth.
Nikki flees into a nearby room—Room 47, which houses the rabbits on television, though she fails to see them. Elsewhere in the building, Nikki finds the Lost Girl, who has been watching and crying all along. The two women kiss, before Nikki fades away into the light along with the rabbits. The Lost Girl runs out of the hotel and into Smithy's house, where she happily embraces a man and child.
Nikki is then seen back home, smiling at the old woman from the beginning of the film. The concluding scene takes place at her house, where she sits with many other people, among them Laura Harring, Nastassja Kinski, and Ben Harper. A one-legged woman who was mentioned in Sue's monologue looks around and says, "Sweet!" Niko, the girl with the blonde wig and monkey, can also be seen. The end credits roll over a group of women dancing to Nina Simone's "Sinner Man" while a lumberjack saws a log to the beat. | avant garde, boring, murder, cult, alternate reality, violence, atmospheric, flashback, insanity, psychedelic, romantic, storytelling | train | wikipedia | His concern for the well being of actors is strong but this time instead of a new comer (Naomi Watts) he deals with one older actresses come back role and like Mulholland Dr. their are the evil producers behind the scenes and even the added possibility of a cursed set.I am a huge Lynch fan.
A lot of lynch's trademarks return, the dual personalities, time folding in on itself, gratuitous nudity, and another tragic murder mystery.While this film does feel like a retread of Mulholland Dr. it also stands on its own especially since it contains a much more upbeat ending and perhaps four layers of storytelling,good luck figuring out which is which.
Lynch's new film, INLAND EMPIRE, is similar to his other work, but unlike anything he's ever done, or I've ever seen before.
You can see how Lynch understands this because he quotes "The Saragossa Manuscript," a Polish film about interweaving of kabbalistic worlds and the causal confusion that it brings.The second thing is how he exploits this merger of folded narrative -- where actors write new worlds; layered emanations where worlds spawn others -- not parallel but linked in generative fate; geometric cosmology in which each act creates symmetries we encounter elsewhere.He does all this by elaborating on the symmetries of cause.
Inland Empire is Lynch at his best - funny, thoughtful, eerie, beautiful, dark, deeply disturbing, and terrifying in a way that few horror films have ever affected me.
The film is a slow burn, taking its time (about 3 hours), leaping through realities and bizarre encounters, continually keeping the audience asking themselves what reality they are experiencing, and what that reality means.Laura Dern gives an outstanding performance as the tagline's "girl in trouble." She goes to places I don't ever remember seeing her go, from the naive to the terrifying, truly exposed.
Funny then to watch Inland Empire and think that in the future, if it continues this way, that we will look back on Lynch's earlier films as his pre-weird period, which is strange when you watch Wild at Heart, Blue Velvet etc.
The funny thing is that both camps are right in their comments on this film because it is at once brilliant and terrible Jonathon Ross summed it up surprisingly well when he said it was a "work of genius I think" because the impression left on me was just this.On one hand the film is almost impossible to follow and it is not just a glib remark to say that this does make Mullholland Drive feel like an episode of Eastenders in regards accessibility.
It is ironic to praise the film for its freewheeling experience but yet criticise it for being undisciplined but yet here we are because it does feel very much like a film where Lynch needed someone to say "look, you need to make it as tight as it is exhilarating".Nobody said this I think and as a result it outstays its welcome at times and the dips are just that much more pronounced.
If Mulholland Drive was 25% a dark and surreal suspense thriller ghost story and journey into the nether regions of the mind and 75% classical, yet not necessarily structural or connected narrative, Inland Empire is 10% straight narrative and 90% raw psychological horror ghost story.The journey is long and hard but at the end you will be rewarded with the kind of peace and serenity that can only come from a meditation this long, deep, and powerful.
Mulholland Drive, Twin Peaks and Lost Highway all succeed very well in this but, with this film, the viewer is just left annoyed at having wasted three hours watching a film that went absolutely nowhere filmed painfully on a hand-held digital camera...Don't waste your time with this pointless film.
I've liked some of David Lynch's movies: Mulholland Drive was brilliant, Blue Velvet was good, Eraserhead was okay, and I've seen a couple of other of his movies that were not bad.
I was eager to see Inland Empire but by the time I saw it I was disappointed and quite frankly bored to tears.As I interpreted the story (if one wants to call it a story) it was about an attempted remake of an unfinished Polish film which allegedly was cursed, and the new leading lady now gets to the point where she can't discern the difference between her life and what is being filmed for the movie and what happened in the unfinished Polish film- and we, the viewers, are not intended to know the difference either.
I have followed David Lynch's work starting with Eraserhead and have kept watching because his films are strange and different.
Having covered this, I must say that this was one of the rare occasions where I was dying for the movie to (finally) end - I left the theater thinking "what the f***?" and quite honestly if I had to put a headline to the whole thing I would call it intellectual masturbation.Maybe Lynch is just having a laugh, viewing Inland Empire as an experiment to see how far he can go with audiences - or it is a revolutionary new concept in cinema where the director just supervises shooting and the audience explains what this is about in forums like this.One of my spontaneous thoughts after watching this was: had this been the debut film of a rookie director fresh out of film school, my guess would be that he/she would be continuing his/her career making movies at children's birthday parties or silver wedding anniversaries.Then on the other hand, maybe I belong to the minority of dim-wits who just don't get it - I can not rule this out.
However, looking at the majority of raving reviews here, there is one thing that I would really like to find out: how many of those reviews are based on a genuine appreciation of the movie, and how many were written because it's just so en vogue to celebrate Lynch films and you better not admit that you came out of the theater thinking "geez - I didn't get it ..." I would love to do an experiment: show 3 hours of CCTV or traffic cam material, taken randomly from a department store, office building or a traffic light on a deserted road, and add some opening titles stating "Directed by David Lynch" - my bet would be this film would earn an average vote of 7.8 here and lots of interpretations/explanations, all starting with the statement how great the lack of narrative helps the deeper meaning of the movie.But maybe this finally is the ultimate Alan Smithee film - and I must admit that it left a deep impression in urging me to write this long comment ;-).
Fact # 1: Lynch is a genius and one of the very few filmmakers who have reached the point of image-perfection (others include Terence Malick, Kim Ki-Duk, Herzog, but also Wong Kar- Wai and maybe Nic Roeg)Fact # 2: I found Mulholland Drive completely comprehensible; in fact it is my all time favourite film (together with Kim's Bin-Jip), with Blue Velvet close on its heels and Lost Highway a bit further down the top 30.
Emblematic to that problem is the fact that Rabbits-parts are included, which include Mulholland Dr actors, and which dates from 4 (four!) years earlier, filmed in his "moving painting" style.In short: I had the impression that Lynch has evolved, and that this would have been a great film if he'd been honest to himself and keep only the radically new bits, instead of keeping everything in, leading to an inconsistent hodgepodge.Maybe it's telling that in last year's DVD-issues of Lost Highway (or was it MDr?) he actually *explains* part of his storytelling technique.
Let me start by saying I've admired every single Lynch film to date, and I've seen all his feature filmsnot only all the original work, but also the non-auteur stuff (like "Elephant man," "Straight Story," and "Dune") as well.Moreover, "Mulholland Drive" is on my short list for best movie of all timea hands down perfect piece of art.
And I really liked "Lost Highway" and even found "Eraserhead" engaging.However, I must say the first 90 minutes of "Inland Empire" ranks as some of the most boring and pretentious film making in the short history of the art.
He seems to be utterly fascinated by all the new "gizmos" involved with digital film-making, and thus instead of a story we get a 3 hour film of Lynch having a good time with the new digital era.For a short while, INLAND EMPIRE almost ALMOST has a plot.
But, like a high school creative college student who claims his final project is great because everything stands for something else, Inland Empire offers us two choices: the first is to be accepted into the Cinema Illuminati and say you like the film and have seen it multiple times to appreciate its nuances.
Taking the murderous jealous husband theme of "Lost Highway" and melding it into the dreams of a tortured actress theme of "Mulholland Drive," David Lynch fluidly immerses his recurring dark fantasies into a story revolving around a Polish-Gypsy legend and a cursed movie production and delivers his most experimental film since "Eraserhead" with his epic three-hour "Inland Empire." The most experimental part of this is Lynch's use of a hand-held digital camera to shoot the entire film.
There are points, however, where Lynch so repeatedly shows Laura Dern walking down dark hallways and dimly lit staircases into moody savagely lit rooms decked out with weird lamps that I half expect the director's next project to be a home decor line for the film-noir enthusiast.There will be those who wish to discuss the plot of "Inland Empire" and insist on figuring it all out.
Lynch, however, gives many clues for those wanting to dissect the piece: 9:45, room number 47, a magic watch (similar to the ring from "Twin Peaks: FWWM "), the "LB" tattooed on Dern's hand, the letters "AXXONN" appearing repeatedly on walls and doorways, Grace Zabriskie's bizarre telling of an "old tale" when we first meet Laura Dern's character, and perhaps secrets hidden in the dialogue of the prostitutes, the rabbits, and Harry Dean Stanton.
The film is so long, and so jumbled, however, that I think it's better to digest it as is, unlike "Mulholland Drive" which was exhilarating to examine "between the scenes."Lynch, forever in love with Hollywood as a city of dreams, is again master of the disembodied scene.
Like Naomi Watt's mesmerizing audition scene in "Mulholland Drive" (which in no small non-ironic way launched Watt's career into the stratosphere) there's a killer line-reading about thirty minutes into the "Inland Empire" where you don't really care what Laura Dern is talking about or what film she is in, it's just you watching her playing an actress getting totally lost in her lines, and it's beautiful.
I mean he had already lost the plot to a certain extent in films like Lost Highway, maybe Mulholland Drive, definitely Twin Peaks, but at least there, there was something interesting going on in the background.Inland Empire, conversely, can only be described as, what one of my more eloquent companions said to me as he walked out after a whole gut-bleeding seventy minutes, 'utter w*nk'.
The digital camera-work (a significant way of cutting costs) is a disaster (too many close-ups) too much haziness, very unclear, jittery, unsteady, overly didactic (it is after all Lynch's first outing with the thing); the old repetitive accented 'room tone thing' and industrial drone in the background (c'mon David, we've been here before in practically every outing, let's shake it up a bit and move on shall we), the shifty pauses, the menacing eyes - the formula is done and dusted, and yet back he comes, derivative of himself (oh, what avant-garde wonders await us?) with what is arguably a cheaper nastier looking product of his previous (virtuous) Lost Highway, and at twice the length.
Insinuating his own shorts like 'Rabbits' into the flesh of the film for no obvious reason whatsoever is akin to admitting they were so utterly devoid of any cinematic quality in the first place that this was the only way he could have them published (apart of course from subscribing to his website where such wonders await in abundance).The problem with making plot less non-sense like this is that it fools or perhaps cheats the unknowing audience into thinking that it is they who are stupid, that it is they who 'don't get it', and yet somehow should, that in amongst it all there is an Ariadnic thread that if followed will lead to the exit and an understanding.
Instead, it should just be experienced - a jolt of pure cinema full of revelations about the power of film, but only because of what it is rather than what it says."Maybe this movie is delicacy for David Lynch lovers, but it will take some time for me to forgive myself for not giving up on it after first hour.
Some of them believe that their favorite director "lost it" and indulged himself in three hours of "Blatant narcissism", "Self-Indulgence or "Self Importance" while the others think his latest film is a unique amazing work of a master and transfixing movie watching experience.
David Lynch's mystery film, Inland Empire (2006), is like sitting through a chaotic nightmare that will never end.
Shot, in its entirety, with a simple digital video camera, Lynch's 'Inland Empire' isn't different from his other films but it is completely something else.
The lighting also works excellently, as it does in almost all Lynch films and 'Inland Empire' too is very colourful like 'Mulholland Drive' and 'Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me' but notice the different use in all three films.
Okay, so it's a true saying that you either love Lynch movies or hate them, but to make this easier on those of you out there still undecided on which camp you fall in, if "Mullholland Drive," was the kind of film you immediately wanted to see again and enjoyed thoroughly from beginning to end then Inland Empire might just be for you.It's good to see the wonderful Laura Dern back in a leading lady capacity even though her performance is a very twisted, dark and disturbing one it's still a pleasure to have her back in front of the camera.
A few sequences hit the jackpot, more notably the musical song and dance routine to the "Locomotion" of the prostitute elite, Dern running through her movie set into another time and place seemingly trapped inside her character, later on getting lost and going insane on the harsh streets of Hookersville, and a terrific dance number over the end credits to Nina Simone singing "Sinnerman." (the best part of the film is this time literally when the credits roll.) Okay, I can accept this art house drivel at just about two hours, but when this "Mullholland Drive" follow-up rambles on for an extra hour, rivalling "The Godfather Part II" in length, and lacking anything remotely resembling coherent substance to justify such a running time, I do weep quietly about the state of American 'artistic' cinema.
I saw Inland Empire in Seattle; David Lynch introduced the film (with a cellist playing an improvisation, followed by DL saying about 2 sentences) I knew only a few things about the film: it was shot all on digital video, and it was 3 hours long.
If you're able to watch Inland Empire in it's entirety it will be obvious that this is the movie David Lynch worked towards since Twin Peaks.
I just finished watching "Inland Empire", having long awaited a Lynch film since I was so completely awe-struck by "Mulholland Drive." Let's get one thing straight here.
For one, the shots and footage are so dark at times that the film feels like you're looking at a black box on the screen for a lot of the movie.
If you're not allergic to the experimental, the surreal and the avant-garde in cinema, you may well even think it's a masterpiece.Inland Empire is at once the most abstract of Lynch's films but also more accessible than Mulholland Drive or Lost Highway.
After the masterpiece that was Mullholland Drive, comes Inland Empire, David Lynch's worst film.
If you're familiar with Lynch's previous work, specifically his loose trilogy of psychological metamorphosis films - Fire Walk with Me (1992), Lost Highway (1997) and Mulholland Drive (2001) - then you'll already have a vague understanding of what to expect from Inland Empire and how to best interpret its seemingly formless and meandering plot.
Some films are like that.In my own opinion, Inland Empire wasn't something that I enjoyed quite as much as say, Eraserhead or Mulholland Drive, with my natural aversion to incredibly long films kicking in during the half-way point (this is almost three hours in length, half of which is in Polish and I watched without subtitles due to a problem with me DVD player - D'OH!).
I liked "Twin Peaks", tolerated "Mulholland" and "Lost Highways" but this thing (INLAND EMPIRE) is a mess.I get the feeling that he makes movies like this just to mess with our minds.
So when i got to watch Inland Empire i thought: OK, this time I won't understand it either, so let's enjoy the wild ride into the dark worlds of Lynch.Sadly it wasn't that way.
For those who felt Lynch's last film, Mulholland Dr., was too easy, I present to you Inland Empire.
It is disappointing, especially as we've waited five years since Mulholland Dr., probably his best film, but there are a few of Lynch's movies that I like less than this..
There are some similarities to those previous films, but Inland Empire is a new departure, or maybe a culmination, for David Lynch.Anyone who thinks they can write a spoiler for this movie doesn't have a clue what they saw. |
tt0183649 | Phone Booth | Stu Shepard (Colin Farrell) is an arrogant New York City publicist who is contemplating cheating on his wife Kelly (Radha Mitchell). He calls Pam (Katie Holmes), a young actress, from a phone booth on a side street. When a delivery man (Dell Yount) tries to deliver a free pizza to the booth, Stu rudely dismisses him. After the phone call with Pam, the phone rings and Stu answers it. The caller (voice of Kiefer Sutherland), says that Stu should have accepted the pizza as it would have "kept his strength up for what comes next". He warns Stu not to leave the booth. Stu, again dismissive, is skeptical toward the mystery caller. The caller says that he will say 'hi' to Kelly for him, then hangs up, leaving Stu visibly concerned.The unseen man calls back and reveals that he had previously setup two other dishonest individuals in a similar situation, where he gave them a chance to redeem themselves but since both refused he had to kill them. One was a pedophile, and the other was a business executive who used inside information to cash in his stock options before the company share price collapsed (and refused the caller's request to share the proceeds with regular investors who got burned on that stock). The caller tells Stu that he must tell Kelly and Pam the truth: that he is cheating. The man calls Pam, puts Stu on speakerphone, and he tells her that Stu is married and does not want anything with Pam except to sleep with her. He then tells Stu to call his wife and tell her the truth, or else he will. Angrily, Stu does so.Before he has a chance to tell Kelly the truth, Stu is distracted by three prostitutes who want to use the phone. The prostitutes become hostile due to Stu's refusal to leave the booth, and they start banging against the glass. Stu becomes agitated and finally hangs up on his wife and yells at the prostitutes to leave him alone. As the three girls leave, the man calls and warns Stu that if he hangs up again, he will shoot him. Stu does not believe him but is convinced when the man cocks his rifle. Stu gets scared, warning him that if he shoots, the cops will arrive. However, the sniper proves him to be wrong by shooting a toy robot next to the booth without anyone noticing. The caller continues to mock Stu's faith that the caller is not capable.The situation escalates further when the prostitutes and their pimp, Leon (John Enos III), approach the booth and demand that Stu leave. Terrified that he will be shot, Stu refuses. The impasse between Stu and Leon escalates to the point of Leon breaking into the booth with a bat and attacking Stu. The sniper tells Stu he can help him and Stu says "yes". Leon is shot in the back by the sniper, horrifying the prostitutes, who accuse Stu.The police arrive and Stu is instantly the suspect. He doubts that they will find any evidence to suggest his guilt to the murder, but later finds out the sniper has planted a gun in the phone booth's roof, on top of the light panel that could be used as evidence in Leon's murder. Captain Ed Ramey (Forest Whitaker) arrives tries to negotiate with Stu to exit the booth but he says he cannot get off the call and he is talking to his "psychiatrist". Multiple news vans arrive, and reporters begin filming the situation, putting pressure on the police to deal with the situation without appearing trigger-happy. The caller continues to taunt Stu by telling him to take hold of the planted gun, or he would "Blow him (Ramey) Away!" but Stu refuses, knowing the police will likely shoot him.Kelly arrives at the scene and the sniper makes Stu confess to her about his infidelity, which Stu does. The man asks Stu to choose between Pam and Kelly, threatening to kill one of them to eliminate further temptation. The unseen caller tells Stu that there are policemen right now trying to tap into the call, but will never succeed as the caller has taken precautions to avoid it.Stu pleads with the sniper while at the same time using his cell phone to call Kelly, who secretly informs Captain Ramey of the sniper's presence when Ramey hears the conversation. Stu confesses his bad character to the crowd, telling his unpaid assistant, Adam (Keith Nobbs), who looks up to Stu, not to become a publicist and admitting his $2,000 watch is a fake, like himself. Stu explains he grew up in the Bronx and he wanted to put his past behind him by buying expensive clothes. He is also not as rich as he seems.
The police finally track down the sniper by tracing the call the sniper made to Kelly, and Ramey tells Stu through a cryptic message that they have done so. Stu informs the sniper that the cops are coming to get him and the now enraged sniper chooses to take Kelly with him, seeing as she is the most important thing in his life. Panicked, Stu takes the planted gun, runs out of the booth and yells, "it's me you want!" Stu is shot and falls down just as police break into a hotel room, discovering a dead body, a phone, and a sniper rifle. It is then revealed that Stu had been hit by a rubber bullet from a police sniper, leaving him relatively unharmed. Kelly runs over and kisses Stu who is still on the ground. The police wheel the body they found in the hotel room down onto the street, and Kelly insists on seeing the sniper's body. Stu identifies the body as the pizza delivery man.Stu is recovering under morphine in an ambulance which makes him drowsy. A man carrying a large suitcase walks up to him, and compliments his shoes. The man says that he regrets killing the pizza deliverer and warns Stu that if his newfound honesty does not last, he will be hearing from him again. He walks away and smiles as he passes the phone booth, revealing himself to be the caller. Stu falls unconscious.The caller, now the narrator, says, "Isn't it funny? You hear a phone ring, and it could be anybody...but a ringing phone has to be answered, doesn't it?" The view goes from an aerial view of the city way into space with a satellite passing by turning to black with a ring once again, and the film ends with a man answering, "Hello?" The murderous caller has apparently resumed his crusade to rid the world of wrongdoers. | suspenseful, psychedelic, murder, flashback | train | imdb | With a sniper rifle aimed at Stu's head.When you take into account that `Phone Booth' was filmed in just ten days, on a limited budget with a dearth of special effects, one principle actor and a single venue you could be forgiven for questioning the potential success of this film.
Some things are worth the wait.While he stole the spotlight as the maniacal hit man in `Daredevil', Farrell is faced with a different animal in `Phone Booth', an 80-minute soliloquy which lives or dies on his performance (several A-list stars walked away from the project for this very reason).
Farrell also demonstrates a presence, beyond mere charisma - his good looks can only inspire interest for so long - that draw the viewer into the story.While the supporting cast - Katie Holmes as the naive ingenue and Forrest Whitaker as the good cop - fulfill their purpose, it is Keifer Sutherland who takes up what little slack there is.
A gaudy character stuck inside a phone booth in a busy locale, some good camera work, bunch of apartment windows, a psycho sniper and 10 days of excellent filming supported by a 'worth a mention' cast easily will manage to get into a good bundle of "top ten" lists.
The lead could have been played by any yuppie looking actor but Colin Farrell does a good job anyway in a role that puts you in his character's place.It's hard to make a movie work when it takes place in a confined space with few characters, but when those movies succeed, it shows.
You have to remember, almost the whole film takes place within a phone booth!Colin Farrell does a super job playing a sleazy guy held captive in the phone booth by a threatening sniper-caller.
I hope you have a surround sound system because the caller's (Keifer Sutherland) voice on the other end of the line is something to hear!There is a big moral message in this film, too, about doing the right thing and paying for your sins, which Farrell sure did.
The police arrive and surround Stu while the caller continues his game.Everyone knows that it had a small budget, a shooting window of just over a week and that it was made years ago and shelved as Farrell's star power increased and real life terrorist attacks and snipers came and went in the media and the mind of the American public.
It sounds simple but the simple ideas work best and, although low on action (sorry, teen boys!) it is driven by dialogue and simply not knowing what will come next.The direction helps the film by constantly moving and using split screens etc to give the impression that a lot is going on at once again making the film feel like it has a fast pace.
While these elements don't make up what a classic movie sounds like on paper, add director Joel Schumacher (Bad Company, 8mm) into the mix, along with screenwriter Larry Cohen, who had this story handed down to him by Alfred Hitchcock himself about 30 years ago, and you have the perfect blend of blackmail, violence and extortion: Phone Booth.
It's amazing that how they managed to make an 80 minute movie with just a guy in a phone booth but the full credit goes to Colin Farrell and Larry Cohen the writer not Joel Schumacher because he is a crappy director.
Joel Schumacher's films are rubbish especially The Number 23, Phone Booth was shot in 10 days with a budget of $10 million so it wasn't a hard job to make it, that's why Joel doesn't get any credit but the cast & crew did a fantastic job.
Forest Whitaker was very good.Kiefer Sutherland was excellent!The performances from Radha Mitchell,Katie Holmes,and Paula Jai Parker were good.I like how the film had the Hulk like split screens.I also like that fact that it focused on the victim and the killer almost the entire hour and twenty-one minutes!The end is just unbelievable!
Joel Schumacher is a very good director in My opinion and this movie deserves a lot of attention in My opinion.If you want a short film that keeps you going until the end and an ending that is very surprising then check out the Phone Booth!.
The film stars Colin Farrell, Forest Whitaker, Katie Holmes, and Radha Mitchell, and is about a man who is held hostage in a phone booth by a sniper.
I thought that Colin Farrell was great as the lead actor in the movie, and I'm sure that whoever is interested in solid thrillers will most likely like this flick.
Colin Farrel was great in his role while on the other hand kiefer Sutherland did the most best tremendous job as the unknown hidden caller who never showed up until the end comes.
The real movie starts at the time when Colin Farrel is held hostage at the phone booth by the unknown hidden kiefer Sutherland but before he also puts the curtain away from the secret life of Farrel on the other line by calling his girl friend and Farrel was listening but wasn't able to do any thing then he demonstrate to Farrel that he has got an eye on him , a telescopic view through a 50 caliber rifle and if he tries to walk away he ll be shot at point blank range.
for anyone to think that you could make a good movie out of a lousy plot such as a man being made to stay in a phone booth and such a quick film shoot can't believe in good film-making of any kind.
Overall I think Schumacher relied a little too much on the idea and didn't deliver fully on execution Still a great movie though, and one I've watched several times now mostly for Farrell's performance.
It is a thoroughly original idea - a publicist, who has been lying his way to success, is held inside the phone booth he has been using to cheat on his wife by an unseen sniper on the other end of the line, who wants him to confess to his wife.
The shots rotating 360 degrees, looking up at the tall buildings give you a feeling of claustrophobia, like you are also stuck in the phone booth with Stu. Interesting dialogue, a thrilling situation, a couple of nice twists and a completely fresh idea make this a top film, and is one of Joel Schumacher's best achievements..
At just 77min long, Phone Booth could not have been any longer anyway, but it's full of suspense from start to finish, and Colin Farrell can sure act!You don't feel anything for Farrell's Stu at the start of the movie, but as soon as he answers that phone and is forced to play a 'game' with a thoroughly convincing Kiefer Sutherland, you see his vulnerable and softer side, and actually want him to do whatever he can to survive!The tension simply builds and builds to an explosive ending, but has the culprit been nailed?
A terrific nail-biting film that will keep you hooked, Phone Booth is the ultimate in suspense and intrigue, and Farrell is superb, showcasing his talents as a serious actor rather than just being a 'bad boy'!.
It is a fast-paced, suspenseful thriller.While much of the success of the film rests firmly on the shoulders of Colin Farrell, who plays wonderfully against the disembodied voice of Kiefer Sutherland, the real star of the movie is screenwriter Larry Cohen.
Stu is trapped in a phone booth in Times Square by a sniper and by the New York police, under the command of Captain Ramey (Forest Whitaker), accused of killing a pimp who was shot by the sniper in front of the cabin a few minutes ago.
I think that this movie didn't take more than 3 days of filming but the result is amazing especially with the great acting of Colin Farrell and Radha Mitchell , the story is well written and the message of the movie is easily understood.i don't know why the movie didn't win a lot of awards or even nominations, especially the director of Batman forever Batman & Robin ,flawless,falling down a time to kill ,The Number 23 , Bad company or 8MM Joel Schumacher who deserve more than a nomination.
The movie is among my Top ten due to many reasons :the deep meaning of the story ,L.A as filming location while the story takes place in New york ,farrell faces and fights the evil in the phone booth which is almost the main filming piece and finally because it's 80 minutes of confession and nerve dialog..
Joel Schumacher's mercilessly overheated "suspense" drama has cocky publicist Colin Farrell trapped in a phone booth by a sniper who knows all his dirty secrets.
Beginning with the caveat this slick, smarmy player is actually married (to a clean-cut good girl!), none of the details in "Phone Booth" manage to convince, least of all the psychopath (voiced by Kiefer Sutherland) who turns out to be smarter than his victims and the entire New York City police department combined.
Colin Farrell stars in this great thriller as Stu Sheperd, a New York publicist, who answers the phone in a phone booth and is told that if he hangs up then he will be shot.
Stu slowly realises how dangerous the man calling is as proof of the sniper is shown and Stu begins to fear for his life.Phone Booth is a gripping thriller that will keep you hooked till the very end.
STAR RATING:*****Unmissable****Very Good***Okay**You Could Go Out For A Meal Instead*Avoid At All CostsStu Shepard (Colin Farrell) is a selfish,small-time New York publicist who lies to his wife and strings along those he feels he can manipulate.Until one day,however,his judgment day arrives when a mystery caller (Kiefer Sutherland) traps him in a soon to be demolished phone booth,aims a snipers rifle at his head and makes him confess and atone for all his sins.It is from here that he goes on a personal and psychological journey of redemption from which there will be no return...I have something of a confession to make.I had already seen and reviewed this film a year ago.But an element of jealousy was hindering my ability to review it in a professional manner.Namely,that I was going through a phase where I had a huge crush on Britney Spears (today,that's long evaporated though......eeeeew) and to see her snogging Mr Farrell in OK!
Magazine broke my heart somewhat.I've been man enough to admit to my mistake and I'm now well over it.In the back of my mind,I always knew I was kidding myself with regards to my ** rating which I dished out to it.But tonight,I've re-watched and re-reviewed it in a more honest and professional manner.Although touted as a revolutionary new concept for a thriller on it's release,there was a DTV film I saw that year (2002) called Liberty Stands Still starring Wesley Snipes that had a very similar storyline.Which film ripped which film off,I don't know,but in hindsight,I guess it doesn't really matter.Die Hard was a classic that got ripped off many times by other films,but that doesn't mean that I didn't thoroughly enjoy those films!As for the film itself,it's one of those ones where we are thrust straight into the throes of the action.This might mean it lacks things like character development and a focused storyline but on the other hand,it makes things move in 'real-time' and so it feels like we are right there in the midst of the action while everything's going on.It's a gambit that pays off well if you take the movie for what it is and helps it to roll by in no time at all.On the performances front,Sutherland is possibly the eeriest performance ever portrayed by an actor who only uses his voice for the duration of the movie as he quite literally phones his performance in.Farrell (bast*rd!-only joking!) manages the lead role very well,his emotional timing spot on and with a brilliant Brooklyn accent that only occasionally wavers back into Irish brogue.Together,they provide wonderful dialogue between each other as they verbally duke it out in the booth.Forest Whitaker adds good support as the police sergeant trying to talk Farrell out of the booth.Overall,this is a film that magnetizes our attention right through to the end.I promise I'll try not to do what I did with my original review too often,but at least you have my honest thoughts and feelings on the movie now.****.
I got used to the look but, cringed as the story just went nowhere.It was 81 minutes of Colin Farrell in a phone booth...and even he cannot make that interesting.
Music is scored by Harry Gregson-Williams and cinematography by Matthew Libatique.New York City publicist Stu Shepard (Farrell) is a liar, a cheat and an all round weasel, but that is about to change when he enters a phone booth and finds himself at the mercy of a long range sniper who has him in his sights.In real time and set in practically one location, Phone Booth is not your standard thriller.
Publicist Stu Shepherd (Farrell) becomes the target of an anonymous caller (Sutherland) when he enters a Phone Booth in a busy New York street.The claustrophobic thriller genre has taken a wild swing in formation over the past few decades.
When reading descriptions I personally sounded sceptical that this film would not maintain a level of thrilling for over an hour, but somehow it has not only maintained it, but taken the concept of isolation even further.Schumacher's real life shots and exterior portrayals of the location with fast moving hand held cameras help create a feeling of adrenaline and action, with an ounce of drama thrown in to make gripping entertainment.Farrell's character Stu is the subject of a mysterious caller.
Captivating director Joel Schumacher imprisons cocky publicist Colin Farrell (as Stu Shepard) in a Manhattan "Phone Booth" for almost the entire length of this eighty minute movie - and, the result approaches amazing.
Still, Schumacher, cast, and crew keep you on the line.******** Phone Booth (9/10/02) Joel Schumacher ~ Colin Farrell, Kiefer Sutherland, Forest Whitaker.
This film is about a young guy who gets trapped in a public phone booth where he is menaced by a maniac sniper on the line who is watching him.
But in reality, far from gripping me as I thought it would, I found my mind wandering a bit by half-way through - and it's the kind of film where that shouldn't really happen.Colin Farrell is good, as is the disembodied voice of Keifer Sutherland.
But, instead of getting a call from her one day, he gets one from a mysterious man who demands he comes clean with his wife and admit his dishonest attitudes with the people he interacts with through work - his life depends on it.I was turned off by the arrogance of Colin Farrell's character and the overly excessive amount of profanity in the film, but, have to say that the plot with Farrell pleading for his life and the lives of those he loves while stuck in the phone booth is quite riveting.
Phone Booth is a terrific movie with a very well developed storyline and breathtaking performance's from Colin Farrell,Forest Whitaker,Radha Mitchell and especially Kiefer Sutherland,I know we only hear him and can't see him,but his creepy voice was done so well and it was really convincing,I didn't even know it was him until the end credits,and I was very impressed with that.I was also really impressed that this movie was so thrilling all the way through,even though the entire movie is just Colin Farrell in a phone booth,I found it very impressive that it managed to be so entertaining.Fans of thrillers will really enjoy this movie.Stu Shepard (Colin Farrell) is forced to remain in a phone booth by a mysterious man talking to him on the phone that knows everything about him,and while shoot him the minute he walks out of the phone booth..
Thanks to the great job of the actors: Colin Farrell, whose performance is so intense that it makes you feel like you share the space of the phone booth with him (one should be so lucky!); Forest Whitaker, who brilliantly gives life to a troubled character who saves the day; Radha Mitchell, the poor unaware main character's wife; last but not least, the screen-filling voice of the sniper: the actor's ability to keep it warm and ice-cold at the same time makes it impossible to turn your eyes away from the screen.
Colin Farrell is terrific as an obnoxious New York publicist whose sins finally catch up with him when he finds himself trapped in a phone booth by a sniper, (voiced to perfection by Kiefer Sutherland), who threatens to kill him if he hangs up.
What develops is a stand-off situation with Farrell caught between the sniper and the police and although the action is confined almost entirely to the phone booth and the street around it, director Joel Schumacher makes brilliant use of that once much over-used and now hardly ever seen technique of splitting the screen to show the action from various viewpoints.The premise isn't particularly new but Larry Cohen's script is a model of its kind and once upon a time would have made one hell of a B-movie, (it clocks in at around eighty minutes).
"Phone Booth" is an action suspense movie that stands head and shoulders above all the big budgeted films with multi-million dollar stars that Hollywood has made through the years.
Now I realize that this is no original idea, Hitchcock wanted to make a movie like this in the past but funny enough, was unable to come up with a reason to have the main character have to stay in a phone booth.
I'd recommend this movie to anyone who likes exciting thrillers (or Colin Farrell :))..
The result is a "real time" movie, where we never leave the phone booth. |
tt0145653 | Angela's Ashes | Five-year-old Francis "Frankie" McCourt (Joe Breen) is the eldest son of Irish immigrants Malachy (Robert Carlyle) and Angela (Emily Watson). Frankie and his brothers (Malachy Jr., a year younger, and two-year-old twins Oliver and Eugene) were all American-born, and the family resides in a small apartment in Brooklyn. In 1935, Angela gives birth to a daughter, Margaret, who survives only a few days. Angela becomes depressed and sick, and the boys start to rely on neighbors for food. Angela's relatives visit and arrange for the family to move back to Angela's hometown of Limerick, Ireland. They make the trip, although Angela's family does not approve of Malachy and generally shun him.Money is scarce in Limerick and the living conditions are nearly squalid. The McCourts move into their new house, in which they encounter problems such as flea-ridden mattresses. The nearby Shannon River, combined with constant rain and unsanitary conditions, cause disease to be rampant. Little Oliver suddenly becomes ill and dies. The family, still recovering from Margaret's death, is forced to bury another child. Frankie and Malachy Jr. spend extra time with the remaining twin, Eugene, but he soon succumbs as well.Angela, who has lost three children in five months and is pregnant again, cannot bear the memories that linger in their current house. The family moves, though their new home is no improvement. Their house is right next to the lavatory used by the whole block, which provides a constant stink. Frankie and young Malachy (Shane Murray-Cocoran) are sent to school, where they receive strict religious lessons and frequent corporal punishment from their teachers. Frankie begins to prepare for his first communion.Malachy, though a loving husband and father, is an alcoholic and cannot control his vices. He eventually finds a job at a cement factory, and his family's hopes are high. After his first day he goes to the pub, spends all his wages on liquor, comes stumbling home late, misses work the next morning, and is fired. Though his sons love him, they are dismayed and angered by his behavior.Angela has another son, Michael. Frankie endures a comically fussy first communion, due to his grandmother's religious superstitions. He and Malachy Jr. begin to make friends with other boys in the lane, who teach them about "girls bodies, and dirty things in general."When Frankie is ten (now played by Ciaran Owens), his mother enrolls him in Irish dancing class, which he despises. Eventually, he and his friend Paddy simply go to the movies instead, and Frankie makes up dance routines when he gets home, making his parents think he went to class. The boys often skip school, running around the countryside and wreaking havoc on nearby farms. Angela has her final child, another son called Alphonsus, or "Alphie." Frankie develops typhoid, and is given a blood transfusion and hospitalized for two months. While in the hospital, he develops a love for reading Shakespeare.When he is well enough to return to school, Frankie is held back a year because of the time he missed. He is miserable and ashamed to be in the same class as his younger brother, and he prays for a miracle to move him up a grade. He is given a special assignment to write an essay about how Jesus Christ might have grown up if he had been born in Limerick. Frankie writes a paper explaining that the cold, wet climate would have given Jesus consumption and he would have died much younger, leading to no crucifixion and no Catholic church, and no one having to write papers about him in school. The teachers, impressed with his creativity and writing skills, return him to the sixth form.Malachy, along with many other Limerick men, goes to England to find work. However, he sends money to his family only once. Desperate, Angela joins crowds of women in begging outside the church for the priests' leftovers. Frankie gets a job helping an elderly man deliver coal, but the coal dust gives Frankie severe conjunctivitis and his mother forces him to quit.Several years later, Malachy has not returned from England. Angela and her sons break down a wall in their apartment for firewood, and are evicted for the damage. They move in with a distant cousin, Laman Griffin, who is cruel and disgusting, and soon forces a sexual relationship on Angela. Frankie (Michael Legge), now fifteen, refuses to live under Griffin's roof, and moves in with Angela's brother Pat. Frankie gets a job as a telegram boy for the post office, and his irritable Aunt Aggie surprises him by buying him a suit of new clothes for his first day. At one of his telegram stops, Frankie meets a teenage girl named Theresa who suffers from consumption. Despite her condition, they begin to make love whenever Frankie stops by with a telegram. When Theresa finally succumbs, Frankie fears his actions have sent her to hell.Though racked with guilt over Theresa, Frankie goes with his uncle to the pub for his fist pint on his sixteenth birthday. Frankie comes home drunk (just as his father had done for so many years), and gets into a heated argument with the visiting Angela. In a drunken rage, he slaps her. The next day, Frankie goes to church to pray for forgiveness, admitting to the priest that he had hit his mother and had sent Theresa to hell because of his sins. The priest comforts him by saying that the nuns at the hospital would not have let Theresa die without her last rites, and so she was surely sent to heaven. Frankie knows he must keep his wits about him if he does not want to end up like his father.Frankie is hired by the town moneylender to write threatening letters to customers with overdue payments. He hates the stingy old woman, but is determined to earn enough money to travel to America. Soon afterward the moneylender dies (of natural causes, while Frankie is out doing her shopping), and he takes cash and her logbook from her house. The logbook, which contains the names of everyone in the vicinity who owed money, lists everyone that Frankie knows. He throws the book into the Shannon, erasing their debts. With the new found money, he now has enough to book a spot on a ship bound for America.The night before Frankie's departure, he visits with his family to say goodbye. His aunt and uncle usher everyone outside to see the rare lunar eclipse. There is silence as the alley is flooded in darkness for a moment, and Frankie sees images of his childhood self. They disappear as the moonlight returns. Frankie finally leaves his childhood behind and arrives in New York, achieving his dream. | storytelling, flashback | train | imdb | He was the most hopeful person in the film, giving him character and determination, without losing his idealistic innocence.Emily Watson is a great dramatic actress and rose to the occasion to endow Angela with superhuman strength, courage and persistence in the face of crushing hardship and sorrow.
Frank McCourt's best-seller is so good, and this movie is so true to it, that if you liked one, you'll like this because rarely has film been so close to a book.
He should do more movies.The book, "Angela's Ashes," is a biography of McCourt and his extremely poor Irish family.
In the very opening scene of Alan Parker's `Angela's Ashes,' we are informed by the narrator and main character, Frankie McCourt, in a phrase that turns out to be a masterpiece of understatement, that he had a `miserable childhood' but just how miserable we may not be quite adequately prepared to see.
Based on the author's Pulitzer Prize winning autobiographical memoir, this compelling film plunges us directly into the wretchedness and squalor of life in Depression-ridden Ireland, a setting overflowing with disease, starvation, joblessness and despair.
The film, like the novel on which it is based, never flinches from portraying the brutal reality of the life the people of this dreary town must endure.Yet, the film is also, at times, rich in humor and a sense of that unquenchable optimism that somehow exists in even the most hopeless of circumstances.
Frankie, despite the harsh conditions of his life, remains a boy focused on the good things that come his way, enduring even a loving but utterly irresponsible ne'er-do-well father (beautifully played by `The Full Monty's Robert Carlyle) with an indulgence and tolerance borne of filial devotion.
And the three boys who portray Frankie at various stages of the drama are utterly perfect in their wide-eyed naturalism, as they look upon a world often incomprehensible in its drabness and cruelty.It seems to be becoming a truism lately that, if you want to see the bleakest portrayal of life imaginable, go to see a film set in Ireland.
`Angela's Ashes' is rather, from beginning to end, a moving story about goodhearted, ordinary people learning to cope with the immense hardships life throws their way.
More than a period piece, this film works as a dramatic rendering of social history.Unlike the book, this film depicts Frank's childhood from a disembodied third person perspective, though it is liberally complemented by an effective voice-over narrative drawn almost directly from McCourt's own prose.
I've read both Angela's Ashes, and 'Tis (the sequal also by McCourt), and I think that really helped get a good perspective of what's going on.
But reading the book provides you with a little more background- more insight as to WHY the family is in the situation it is (the mother was "knocked up" and the two were forced into marriage and family life that probably NEITHER were ready for), and especially the impact of the death of the little baby girl had- most notable in the father.All in all, it was a great film...
The reason that it is unique, I think, is that if the viewer is open enough, they can get beneath the obvious misery that we're pelted with and really see the innocence of a child through out the story.I get really irritated with those that brush it off as "been there, done that", or "Woe is me, I was a poor Irish child." I think that shows ignorance and disgusting apathy- go watch a movie where stuff explodes to keep your feeble mind occupied, because you obviously are too shallow to understand what you're seeing.
That's pretty much exactly where the book ends- read (horror of HORRORS!) the sequal, 'Tis, to find out the rest.Either way- very touching film.
Like Frankie he was able to get out of the country when he was 19-- This movie captures both the good and the bad of McCourt's book.
The acting is superb, mainly by Emily Watson as the loving mother Angela McCout and Robert carlyle who gives his best performance since Trainspotting here as the father with almost three different personalities.
By rights, 'Angela's Ashes', Alan Parker's film of Frank McCourt's account of growing up in astonishingly deprived conditions in the impoverished theocracy of inter-war Ireland, should be unwatchable: just how much misery can a viewer be expected to take?
And while it doesn't quite have the emotional impact of the work, say, of Ken Loach, our foremost chronicler of contemporary poverty, there are still fine performances from all of the cast, most especially from the luminous Emily Watson (playing the eponymous Angela, whose ashes, however, appear to have disappeared from the screenplay).
Reading/watching `Angela's Ashes' makes it quite clear why that was so: the Irish emigrated to North America and Australia, and indeed as a lad trying to grow up in post-war London I could hear comments like `there are more Irish in Islington than in Ireland'.
But the 1930's in poor suburbs of New York in the Great Depression was hardly a friendly environment lurking behind the awesome sight of the lady with the torch in the harbour (a present of the French Government).`Angela's Ashes' records those grim years for a poor family, based on hard autobiographical facts; but Frank McCourt's book better conveys that curiously Irish sense of fatalistic humour combined with that strangely abject Catholicism so pervasive in life of those times.
A movie of Frank McCourt's bestselling memoir was always going to be a box office smash and that is the only reason I can see that Alan Parker had to be associated with this project.
When I went to the theater last night to see "Angela's Ashes" I was prepared to fall in love with the story again.I'm sad to say that I was a slightly disappointed.Watching the film version to this wonderful story was like reading Cliff Notes to a novel: the main points are covered, but small details that made the story so touching are left out.
There's a famous sketch with several men gathered round a table and one ejaculates :" When I were a lad we didn't get anything to eat six years and we were grateful to get nothing " Put out by this type of inverted snobbery another exclaims " You had things easy , when I were a lad I worked twenty seven hours down a pit every single day " The impromptu urinating contest continues with other members claiming " You had things soft , when I were a lad my dad would make us drink sulphuric acid then he'd chop our heads off and stick them on a pole " You do find yourself reminded of this sketch while watching Alan Parker's ANGELA ASHE'S the film version of Frank McCourt's autobiography .
Some people have criticised Alan Parker's interpretation of THE WALL as being so depressing as to be unwatchable , but compared to this Pink Floyd's rock opera is a musical comedy This doesn't mean that ANGELA'S ASHES should be viewed as being a bad film .
Far from it since it's the best movie Parker had made for many years and much of it is down to casting two of Britain's most consistent thespians from that era namely Emily Watson and Robert Carlyle .
Although I attended a very good school, I was disillusioned by Catholicism and couldn't wait to grow up and leave, and haven't had any regrets in doing so.None of us can choose when to be born, but I'll guarantee anyone who watches "Angela's Ashes" will be thankful to God, or "whoever" (?) that their childhood wasn't like Frank McCourt's..
For anyone who read the novel by Frank McCourt, `Angela's Ashes' would've been one of the most anticipated movies of the year.
The movie, however, directed by Alan Parker and starring Robert Carlyle and Emily Watson, unfortunately doesn't come close to capturing the desperation, hopelessness and pathos of the book.
His father, Malachy McCourt Sr., (played by Carlyle in the movie), wasn't a bad man, in an evil sense; he was just no good.
But otherwise, the movie was a worthy effort, showing the poverty in Limerick and how the father (Robert Carlyle) spent his earned money on alcohol, and the mother (Emily Watson) felt like she couldn't do anything about it.
An interesting device that the movie does use is that the soundtrack is mostly American jazz (which Frank probably heard a lot on the radio) rather than Irish jigs.So, the book is better - especially how he indicts the Catholic Church for keeping his family in poverty - but the movie is passable.
A penniless and hard drinking man (Robert Carlyle)and his wife (Emily Watson)try to raise a family in Depression-ridden 1930's Ireland.
Young Frank(Joe Breen)endures the deaths of siblings; the lack of compassion from his drunken irresponsible father; the sadness and desperation of his overwrought mother; his imposed parental role in raising his younger brothers; and the hopes and dreams of leaving a world of starvation and little opportunity.
The movie tells the story of an Irish boy growing up and trying to find hope and love amidst despair and abject poverty.
The father uses every bit of money he ever earns to drink "pints." (More like gallons.) The film shows slices of life in the growing up process, and details how Frank finally gets the money to leave Ireland and come to America.
The photography does a beautiful job of capturing the essence of poor and working-class Ireland in the '40s, with lots of rain and grayscale tones.The film ends sooner than the book, but leaves ample room for a sequel ('Tis?).
Angela's Ashes is a moving drama by long time and now retired director Alan Parker adapted from Frank McCourts Pulitzer Prize winning book about his childhood.
In the very same opening we are introduced to most of the main characters, the mother Angela McCourt (played by Oscar Nominee Emily Watson) and the somewhat loser father Malachy McCourt (played by Robert Carlyle), as well as his younger brother Malachy (jr.), the twins and his little baby sister.
In the film Frank McCourt is played by three different actors (Joe Breen, Ciaran Owens, and Michael Legge) without counting the narrator voiced by Andrew Bennett and contains for the most part different peaces of his life kept together by the wonderful narration.
Personally I think the film works beautifully in making a harsh and true look at the events and Frank McCourt himself has apparently praised the movie for a correct portrayal of his life.
A distraught young family make the long journey from America back to Ireland to discover it is much worse than when they left.Starring Emily Watson and Robert Carlyle.Written by Frank McCourt ( Book ), Laura Jones (Screenplay) and Alan Parker (Screenplay).Directed by Alan Parker.This is an incredibly touching and well acted movie.
The movie makes me like the book more, there are sections in the film that people would not understand if they have not read the book.
The reason that many of the parts were not very well clarified is because the producers had to cut many of the parts from the book because the movie was too long.In this production, the actors are excellent, especially the actors that played the role of Frank McCourt.
Maybe too late to speak about film produced on 1999 ,but for Iraqi people there are lovely chance to see film like Angela s ashes which based on memories of Irish writer McCourt who captured people around the world by scenes of poor family failed to live like others for different reasons.But the writer and the director had transporting to magic situation ignoring all these difficulties after the scene of moon set for awhile just like the scene of his childhood which had gone forever.Mr.McCourt as I think make the life so little like this moment and so big like the universe .When you spoke about things like these,you approached to Humanity.Atlast,I saw nice film and very genuine actress ..
Sure, maybe Mr Parker tried to put too much of the book's twists into the movie, so that it felt a little bit erratic from time to time, but still it may be the best film adaption of a successful novel I have ever seen..
It's almost like a black and white film.Emily Watson is sensational as Angela and likewise Robert Carlyle.
I haven't read the book, but I can say that the film did nothing to endear me to Frank's troubles the way the book appears to have for its readers.The photography and the performances were fine, if overwrought, but that's part of the balancing act of drama.
Alan Parker makes Frank McCourt's Pulitzer prize winning book into a long, fairly good, sometimes depressing movie.The story sees the young Frank McCourt attempting to survive his troubled life in Ireland in the 1930s and 40s.
Robert Carlyle stars as his alcoholic father and Emily Watson plays very well, Frank's troubled mother, Angela.The movie is meant to seem depressing, with a few hints of laughter occasionally popping up, but there is the idea that the movie just doesn't hit us the way it's supposed to.
The story being the true story of Frank's McCourt childhood, clearly limited the film makers, as we have such a heart breaking tale that it is close to difficult to watch at times.
Having read the Frank McCourt novel before seeing the film, I can say that it is a very faithful adaptation, but does it translate successfully from prose to screen, in my opinion I would say No. The film does however look good and some of the performances are very well acted but the film just seams to un-involving.
Another problem is that some of the segments of the book that are very important, Frank going to work for the first time is a deeply important part in the boy's life, in the film it gets about five minutes.
This first part of the film is too long by 20 minutes brightened only by a fine performance by Robert Carlyle as Frankie's loving but no-good father.
Angela's Ashes is quite a good movie that brings you back to the poor and dark Ireland of the fifties.
Angela's Ashes- born poor, Irish, and Catholic, Frank McCourt entered the world with three strikes against him.
Alan Parker does a masterful job of translating Frank McCourt's "Angela's Ashes" to the screen.
This film is very faithful to the book, with uniform superb acting, and authentic scenes of Limerick, Ireland in the 1930's, 40's.Every character, from the three actors who play Frank at various ages, to the downtrodden but indomitable mother, to the tormented, pathetic father, and to all the other relatives and schoolmates, lovers, and friends who make up this time and place is absolutely superb.
Poverty and hard times abounded, and this movie makes no bones about it.The acting in this film was spectacular.
From the portrayal of Malachy Sr., to Angela, to Frank and the rest of his family, along with the other characters in the film, this is one of the best casts I have seen in a while.
At times, the McCourt family seem less like humans and more like animals seeking the necessities to maintain their meager existence.Although the movie was long, I would have liked a few more school episodes, as they were the most humorous parts of the book.I also would have liked an update at the end letting us know how Frank is in America.Very worth-while movie..
It is the story of a dirt-poor family struggling for survival in 1930's Ireland.I must admit that, going into it, I was afraid it would be a stereotypically depressing, slow moving odyssey (like, for instance, "Ironweed") but decided to give it a try it on the strength of Alan Parker's past films, many of which I love.
I believe that the movie has remained true to the book and is a tribute to Frank McCourt, his family and of course, the heroine, his mother, Angela..
In the film it rains all the time and everyone is miserable, even the relatively well-off, and there is little light relief.I thought Robert Carlyle was terrific as Dad, the lively, useless drunk it was hard to dislike, and Emily Watson as Angela the put upon mother was equally effective.
At the end of this film, Frank is back in America, like millions before him, to make a new life in a new land but probably would have succeeded in Ireland, if he had stayed.
Struck by the Frank Mccourts life, by his struggle through extreme poverty--I belive this is a film anyone who is not afraid to view something more captivatiing then what they think their lives are like, should see.
I suggest that if you want to truly identify with the story, then read the book.I will attempt to briefly describe this movie for you...it's a story of an Irish Catholic family who comes to America only to turn around and go home when things don't turn out well for them.
It is the true story of Frank McCourt and his family as they face the troubles of being poor.
This movie will be liked and enjoyed by many regardless if you have read the book or not.The acting in Angela's Ashes is strong especially by the two lead actors.
Emily Watson plays Angela McCourt the somber and dreary wife and mother of the family.
The three young men who play Frank McCourt are impressive but the best performance in this movie definitely comes from Robert Carlyle.
Angelas ashes gives examples of some of the best acting you are likely to see in a movie this year (2000).
I also am glad that a man like Frank McCourt was able to write a story about his life and that Laura Jones(II), saw the potential to make it into a film with the help of Alan Parker.. |
tt0212235 | Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday the Thirteenth | A girl named Screw is on the phone and a call beeps in. The caller ID says "The Killer" and it's on a private line, and Screw answers saying "Dad?" The Killer asks her about scary movies and asks to play a game involving an intricate math problem. Screw hangs up and puts more icing on a giant cake behind her in the kitchen. She answers the phone again and gets a collect call from The Killer, who is now in the house. He tells her if she does not get the next question, she is dead. He asks her "who is buried in Grant's tomb?" She incorrectly answers Hugh Grant, and The Killer jumps out of the cake and chases her around the kitchen until the phone rings again. The Killer answers it and tells Screw "it's Stacy". Screw is then chased outside and runs to a bug zapper. The Killer then lights himself a cigarette and accidentally sets fire to his hockey mask. When the Killer puts out the fire by placing it in a bird bath filled with water, the melts into a 'scream' ghostface mask.The next day, Dawson is registering for classes at Bulmia Falls High School, and "new kid" is taped to his back. Dawson then meets Martina, a goth girl; Slab, a dumb jock, Barbara, a mean girl, and Boner, the local geek who keeps telling people that his name is pronounced Bonner; "the 'o' is short". Martina tells the others about Screw's murder last night. Outside the school, the group sees local reporter Hagitha from Empty V News, who has written a book titled 'Dawson Is A Murderer', inspired by Dawson's family being murdered under mysterious circumstances while Dawson was at band camp the previous year. Dawson punches Hagitha when she wants to interview him about Screw's murder. Doughy, a mall security guard and Barbara's older half-brother, arrives and helps Hagitha up. Doughy briefly argues with Barbara and the others before they walk off to return to their classes. The janitor is seen sweeping up dead bodies off the floor (one of many silly sight gags throughout the movie).In class, Martina gets a note (from the desk of The Killer) which says "I no what you did last summer." She corrects the typo on the note and thinks back to "last summer" when she and Barbara, Slab and Boner were out for a drive after Barbara won the junior prom queen crown when they hit a deer and they hid it in the woods. Martina remembers seeing a No Dumping sign and remembers that she forgot to give her grandmother her laxative.In swimming class, the swimming instructor, Mr. Hasselhoff, has Boner act like the victim. The group makes fun of Boner and he passes out. He wakes up a few minutes later and receives a note in his swim trunks that reads: "I know what you did last semester". Boner recalls the hit-and-run of the deer that night with his friends and recalls as they were disposing of the deer in the woods, he remembers that he forgot to deliver a letter for his older brother who is on death row at the state prison about to be executed.Between classes, Slab finds a note in his locker which reads: "I know what you did last Chanukah". He recalls the hit-and-run of the deer and remembers seeing a No Smoking sign in the woods and also recalls inadvertently smoking the ashes of his dead uncle on Chanukah.Barbara finds a note in her bra which reads "I know what you did last period". She remembers the hit-and-run of the deer and then removed a tag from her rented prom dress that was not supposed to be removed.The group is next seen having lunch in the school picnic area where Dawson finally gets his note (in his hamburger) which reads that "he may already be the victim". Dawson then thinks back to Labor Day weekend months earlier when, dressed as a deer, was pummeled by the four friends and dumped in the creek in the woods. Dawson reminds everyone that it is Halloween, and after coming up with possible reasons as to why anyone from the group would want to kill their friend, they agree to stay together and go to Slab's house that night.A little later, Barbara is attacked by the masked Killer in the girls room, but gets away.Slab is seen working on a car in the school garage. The Killer drives towards him in a red 1958 Plymouth Valmont as he screams against a wall, but the Killer is pulled over by a cop and given a ticket.Martina is running around a track when the Killer appears behind her. He gets the lead over her and wins the track race.Boner drills a hole in a wall to the girls locker room and peaks through to watch other schoolgirls showering when he instead sees the Killer showering. The Killer shoves a knife through the peak hole and Boner runs away.In Sex Education class, Dawson goes to put fuel in the film projector. The Killer appears in the room, and jumps on him, but Dawson gets away.Meanwhile, the Administrator-Formerly-Known-As-Principal is in his office enjoying soaking in a hot tub when The Killer arrives. The Administrator stands and is hit by something thrown though the window. He falls into the tub and is electrocuted.That evening, Dawson, his friends, and a large group of people congregate at "the Deserted Location". Doughy is outside in a golf cart and Hagitha shows up in her news van with her new cameraman (after the last two were apparently murdered by The Killer).While Martina gives the rules on how to survivor a "parody situation" The Killer arrives and heads upstairs where Boner is in a room with a drunk, sleeping female party guest. The Killer attacks with a chainsaw and chases Boner around the bedroom until Boner has a heart attack and flatlines.Barbara goes to the refrigerator in the garage to get more beer for the party when The Killer shows up. She throws beer bottles and other items at the Killer. Barbara tries to crawl out of the doggie door to escape from the garage and The Killer activates a remote control to close the door, but a man outside the garage door is trying to use his own garage door opener and is making the door go up and down with Barbara stuck inside. Barbara is forced to pull out her breast implants and manages to get through. She runs with the Killer chasing her through a garden with a weed-whacker machine until she gets stung by a bee and dies.In the house, the other people at the party leave after learning about the Administrator being found in his office dead. Alone, Dawson and Martina go to Slab's room to look for him where they see him overdosing after injecting himself she steroids and he explodes into tiny bloody pieces. The Killer arrives and chases Dawson and Martina around the house while Doughy, Hagitha, her cameraman, and a pizza delivery man play strip poker on a table outside. Martina finally punches the Killer and he falls down the stairs.Dawson begins pulling off numerous masks from The Killer. Doughy, having heard a noise from the inside the house, goes inside to investigate with Hagitha. Dawson gets to the last mask and the Killer is revealed to be Doughy's evil twin cousin Hardy (looking exactly like Doughy exempt for a small mustache on his face). Doughy tells his cousin that he is a "disgrace" to the family and goes to hug him. Hardy is shot and killed by Hagitha using a gun as a mirror, and she accidentally shoots her cameraman dead as well, and leaves with the pizza guy.The police arrive and take all the dead bodies away. Boner is revealed to be alive and taken away on a stretcher with an attractive nurse attending to him. The Killer is being taken away as well when he sits up only to be shot again by Doughy. Dawson asks Martina to go for "a walk in the dark scary woods" and she ignores her ringing phone. The Killer is seen on a nearby payphone and begins to follow the couple. | violence, comedy, murder, adult comedy | train | imdb | It was in production way before Scary Movie started filming and was slated to be released in theaters.
Knowing that people (especially now as I can see from the previous posts) were going to think it a rip-off if released right behind SM, the producers opted for a tv movie instead.
Unlike Scary Movie (which I also liked btw) not all the jokes are riddled with sex gags and toliet humor, so of it harken back to the days of Airplane.
That was just hilarous especially with the cameo by the dude who played J.J on Good Times and the Pop Up video chase.I'll admit some of it doesn't work but that how parody goes, its hit or miss and Scary Movie had the same type of problems.
Because they know them so well, they've put in gags about pretty much everything related to them, instead of having to resort to being one-gag wonders.But they don't stop with lots of in-jokes about dead teen movies--added on to that is an absurd collection of sight gags and parody-within-a- parody subplots (everything from the dance sequences in Grease to a few glimpses here and there of the Rocky Horror Picture Show).In fact, there are so many sly asides and one-liners that I couldn't help but think "Mel Brooks" all the way through it.
So if what you're looking for is a good time and a lot of laughs, you can't miss with Shriek..
Either you laugh at all the silliness and jokes at other movies' expense, or you sit there frustrated thinking it is far too stupid to be funny.
You have to be prepared for yet-another farcical Scream parody, if you go in expecting the finely-tuned humour of Billy Crystal or Woody Allen, you will be sorely disappointed.Watch the background for many, many film references.
You will definitely not see all of the jokes this movie has to offer in one viewing (of course, many of you will not be able to stomach watching it a second time).As with any parody, many of the jokes are predictable and somewhat lame.
There are a lot of scatological references (expected), even some scenes pretty well ripped-off from Scary Movie (the entire first sequence), but there are some original bits which tip the scale in it's favour.
From the cheerleader lapping Scotch in a water fountain in school to the surprise 'dastardly' ending, the film did what many thought impossible: parody a parody.And yes, even before (and after) 'Scary Movie' left its path of destruction throughout audiences all over the world..
Like any other parodies, it requires you to have a fairly extensive knowledge of horror movies, especially Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer.
It's a good parody of a lot of this bad teenage horror movies.
This one also manages quite a lot of fun actually going against the normal conventions found throughout most slashers, as the inept killer who can't kill anyone on his own merits, the taunting of the victims who manage to find the most obscure means of escape and the hysterical chase sequence here that's presented as a pop-up music video which is utterly hilarious and one of the film's most original gags.
It not only pokes fun at horror films but other films as well as current events, celebrities and the way teens are viewed in TV and movies.If you like to laugh, this movie is for you..
reviewers have said this was funnier and would have made more money than Scary Movie...huh, wrong...forcing us to think teen pregnancy, masturbation, alveoli and drugs are funny in teen movies, is just ignorant.
I will start this by saying that, Not Another Teen Movie was an intelligent and generally funny parody movie, Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday the 13th is completely and utterly devoid of anything resembling an effective joke (or anything of any worthwhile value, really).
There's not much to say about this one; every single gag falls completely flat - even though it's parodying a lot of the same flicks that Not Another Teen Movie went after.
Shriek is a movie so damn funny that you will not have much time to laugh.
The movie is funny start to finish and is a must watch for all fans of the Scary Movies.
The main problem is that the writers tried too hard, and don't even pay heed to a rule they give in the film itself.Many people would assume that it's easy to write a parody- throw in some goofy sight gags, one or two halfway decent jokes and you're done.
As these sort of parodies go, it's not a bad one, but not quite as good as, say, "A Haunted House", which was much along the same lines--it's not trying to be a "Scream" sort of meta-horror movie, but rather an all-out juvenile spoof, at which it succeeds decently.
First off, this isn't a rip off of Scary Movie, since they both were made at about the same time, and personally, I think it's better!
Despite having a FAR lower budget than Scary Movie, this film managed to work in a few stars and quite a bit of sight gags (i.e a cigarette machine in school and some coffins coming out of woodshop).
Even for those who hated Scary Movie, they still have to admit it's way better than the lame spoof 'Shriek...' is.
In fact, it's title probably is the best joke of the entire film.As Scary Movie, Shriek takes the teen slasher formula and makes fun of it, but the jokes are lame and the movie doesn't have any likable actors to make it worth while.
Worst of all, besides Scream there aren't many movies spoofed in this one, well not in a good way anyway.The fact that it went direct to video should've stopped me from watching it, but I thought 'why not'.
Another spoof of the Scream/I Know What You Did Last Summer horror gene involving a group of popular high school students stalked by a bumbling masked killer while a dogged reporter named Hagitha Utslay covers the story and of the plight of the prime suspect and transfer student Dawson.
While there are a few weak moments to be found here, most of the jokes are quite funny or hilarious and the fun, campy atmosphere make it way more enjoyable than scary movie.
Shriek if you know what i did last friday the thirteenth: If you like scary movie then you'll love this.
I thought that this movie was good but i still liked scary movie better.
I do like movie that copy off other scary movies and i think they are very funny.
It's not only a parody of dull teen-slasher horror movies, but also a parody of bad, taste&brainless "comedies" like "Scary Movie".
Having only just barely managed to sit through several of the movies this parodies (Final Destination, Cherry Falls, etc.) I would say that most of the time it is does a pretty good job of poking fun at them.
While it is very hit-and-miss in places it was a lot better than I expected and many, many times funnier than Scary Movie.
I sat and watched completely bored out of my skull waiting for the jokes and the comedy to begin, in fact the only smile this film got was when i pressed the eject button on my vcr.The cast were poor, the story un-original, the directing terrible and the jokes that never worked and if they did i must've missed them.
When I started to watch the film I expected another horror movie spoof, Scary Movie-esque, except maybe not as good.
Although there were a number of funny sight gags,this film looked like it was even cheaper to make than Blair witch.There was very little if any plot to it,and the fact that we had to see a chopped up version on USA as opposed to the REAL version wasn't too good.Scary Movie was MUCH MUCH better..
I knew this movie wouldn't be good, but I was utterly unprepared for the intense lack of either humor or horror.In one scene, in an attempt to parody SCREAM, a character describes the rules to survive a parody.
Ditto for guns in schools, teenage pregnancies, masturbation, and extremely unlikely names.This film is more a parody of what people who don't watch dead teenager movies think they're like than what they actually are.
I liked it, It not great not even that good and total over the top plot but it still a lot of fun.The plot It's your typical high school where a group of friends including Dawson (Harley), Slab (Rex) and Boner (Strong) are enjoying school life.
Will they finally unmask the killer before it's too late?If you didn't like the movie, a least you get to see Kelly from saved by the bell This movie spoofs are Scream, Friday 13th,Halloween, I know what you did last summer,Chucky, Christine and even Grease.This movie add anything to movie, when ever it wants, it not rip off of scary movie.
it just other good/bad spoof movieThis movie made me laugh 5/10.
my personal feeling is that this movie is better than any of the Scary Movie Films.i found it more relevant and clever.it is better paced,with no real spots that lag.the jokes do fly literally about every few seconds.i woudn't say it is funny,but there are some very amusing moments.i particularly liked the end stages of the film.to me,this film is lighter in tone than the Scary Movie franchise.it's also not as gross.the violence is also less graphic,and the language is much tamer.there is very little in the way of nudity,and most of the sexual situations are implied.the movie is rated R,but i'm not sure why.after watching it,i thought it would be PG-13,at most.i checked the rating after watching,and i'm really surprised.from my viewpoint, i think this movie would be suitable for most kids 13 or older,but parents should use their discretion,of course.either way,i thought this movie was pretty entertaining all the way through.it's no masterpiece,but i give this movie a 6/10.
Almost all the film's best moments involve The Killer and his confrontations with his potential victims; sadly, there are too many side trips that take the movie away from its basic horror-spoof line, and too many references to movies and TV shows that are not only irrelevant ("Reservoir Dogs", "Baywatch"), but often outdated as well ("Grease", "Home Alone", "Christine").
I noticed that this is a comedy and horror movie but the biggest problem is that I during the whole film didn't laugh or got "scared" even once.
If you wanted to see a "Friday The 13th" parody, don't watch this, even though it's title is "Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday The 13th", it has nothing to do with the movie.
It basically has the same spoofs as Scary Movie, but it's not even half as funny.
There really isn't much of a plot--it's as if they thought certain things would be funny to make fun of, but there was really no way to make a story out of them, so they filmed a bunch of random scenes and stuck them together to make a movie.
This has got to be one of the worst movies i have ever seen.Thank heavens there was Scary Movie to boost my confidence in spoofs, this movie is so dire it goes beyond belief.Every single one-liner and visual gag falls flat on it's feet, there is absolutely nothing in this movie to make you laugh - avoid at all costs..
I originaly hired this film in the belief that it would be funny.It turned out to be like a poor take off of Scary Movie , only much worse.It was unbelievabaly terrible!!The only good thing about it was that the bloke who played Jonathan in Buffy (Danny Strong) was in it!.
The first scene isn't funny or as good as the first scene of Scary Movie.
Following in the footsteps of the immensely popular horror-spoof Scary Movie, comes this, 'Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday The 13th'.OK, so it was never gonna be as good as SM, but this could've been a whole lot worse.
The ex-90210 vixen is great as the nosey reporter made famous by Courteney Cox.All in all, it's not as good as Scary Movie (when it's rated only an M, you'd half-expect it to, anyway) but defintely worth watching for SM fans!.
I thought that I was going to watch a second rate Scary Movie (which wasn't one of the best movies I've seen either).
Oh, and sure, we just had one of those parody films (Scary Movie).
This movie does the same kind of thing, and there are tons and tons of inside and subtle jokes that you might not see right off the bat - and when you do, you'll laugh your ass off.The basic story is that there are murders going on in a high school ("The Spring Break Massacre," the papers call it), five friends are united both by these murders and something they did the previous year (which they all remember differently), and an intrepid reporter who tries everything to get the scoop on the whole thing.This is real parody.
You know that feeling you get when you've just watched a movie for the first time and you absolutely loved it?
Well reverse that feeling and times it by a thousand, and that won't even come close to how bad i felt after watching this movie.It wasn't that the humour was bad, it's that it was SO bad that i think i saw a few clowns dying in the background.The film's biggest problem is that it tries to weave in too many parodies of films in a weakly based Scream plot line.
i've seen a lot of bad movies but there were times in this film (well most of it actually) that i found myself screaming out 'Why movie Gods, why!'If you liked Scream or Scary movie, for the love of God don't watch this film.
It isn't awe-inspiring or thoughtful, it is just a great movie to watch and really laugh.Certain other recent horror spoofs were grotesque and had to use gratuitous scenes and gross kid-humor jokes to make up for a lack of real material.This movie is a real gem.
While there are some genuinely funny (and laugh-out-loud) moments in this movie, the rest of the gags are REALLY bad.
Well,it's okay,the sight gags and metahumour are great,but some parodies were decent and some jokes were clever.Now,the cons,all of the jokes fell flat right on their face,they were either too lazy,or too outdated.Another flaw is that sometimes,the plot stops entirely just to make a stupid parody of something that was popular at the time.I didn't like the ending or the beginning,all of the jokes were way too obvious.My next problem,x,the killer,everything about him was lazy with the jokes,and who he turned out to be was stupid,they literally just introduced an entirely new character in the last five minutes for a cheap joke,come on.My last problem,the lack of kills throughout most of the film,yes people did die,but if they're parodying horror movies they should have more deaths,yeah I guess they're trying to develop the characters,but if they're making fun of the characters,then what's the point of developing them that much?All in all,Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday the 13th is exactly how I thought it would be,a lazy parody film that went straight to video for a reason,although it was funnier than I thought it would be..
this film is basically a spoof of "i know what you did last summer" and some other horror movies.
'Shriek' as i like to call it, is another one of those bad spoof movies, but this one has a very different feel to it than 'Scary Movie'.
The plot is basically the same than 'Scary Movie', when 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' is mixed with 'Scream'.
If you like spoof film, you should just watch this for fun.
Too bad this movie didn't come out first: it deserved to.If you like parody movies because they make fun of the originals, but also because they throw in some more universal jokes, then this one is just fine.However, if you NEED a "funny movie" to rely on lots of raunchy sex and bodily function jokes, perhaps you should stick with "Scary Movie.".
cause i thought i saw one similar to this WAY back long time ago...and i know it wasn't scary movie...but it didn't have the scene i thought of...
This is almost exactly as "Scary Movie" but takes place mostly in a high school.Yes, some scenes are flat-out-funny, but some scenes just uses the same jokes that gets tiring.
This is the same dumb teenager movie like "Scary Movie" but a lot less funny.
"Scary Movie" is a better and funnier film..
I liked lots of jokes in Scary Movie, if was a really great film, but some of the jokes (like the entire scene when the two had sex) were too gross-out to be funny for me.Now, let´s get back to Shriek.
As Scary Movie, Shriek pretty much follows the plot of Scream, so there´s really not much to say about it.Highlights were an insanely funny Menthos-spoof, the "Chop-up-video" (think Pop-up Video on MTV) and the "What happened to them" after the end credits, so be sure to wait until the credits have finished or you will miss out on one of the greatest jokes in the last couple of years - the fate of Barbara.
In fact, its twist on "I know what you did...", if it were introduced to the original movie, it would have made it even more interesting.It has a lot more variety of spoofs than Scary Movie.
I know that "Scream" and "Scary Movie" are a little bit of this, but not that much. |
tt3416742 | What We Do in the Shadows | The movie tells the daily lifeerrunlife of flatmate vampires Viago, Vladislav, Deacon and Petyr in New Zealand. Viago is the 16th century vampire, aristocratic and bossy often times. Vladislav is the medieval vampire, a noble vampire but also the most ruthless killer of them. Deacon is the youngest changed vampire from the World War II era, often acting out living like a bum in the flat. The last of them, Petyr, is the oldest of them, aging about 8000 years old. They live their everyday lives n the flat, still influenced by the cultures from their own times. The trio Viago, Vladislav and Deacon sometimes go out to the town and hang out. Deacon has a human familiar Jackie who does most of the blood cleaning related housework in the flat. She also lure in victims for the vampires. Deacon has promised vampirehood to Jackie but hasnt turned her yet. One night Jackie brings a couple Nick and Josephine as victims. Nick gets his blood drained by Petyr but he also turns him into a vampire. And then there were four. Nick brings in new cultural color to the group. Soon He brings his friend Stu, an IT guy, to the group. Stu introduces the modern information technology to the group and becomes a good friend to them. For this, and because hes Nicks best friend, the group form a pact not to eat Stu.Besides inviting Stu into the group, Nick is quite irresponsible of his newly gained vampirehood. He has been carelessly telling just about anybody that hes a vampire, even showing some of his abilities to complete human strangers. One day, a vampire hunter comes to the flats basement, Petyrs lair. Petyr easily kills the hunter but he dies of sunlight. The group blames Nick for this and banishes him from the flat. Alas, the night for the Unholy Masquerade comes. The masquerade is the once a year night where New Zealands undead community comes and mingles together. Vladislav doesnt go for knowing his nemesis is the events guest of honor. Viago and Deacon go there and find that Jackie has been turned by Nick. They also bring Stu there, still human. Soon the masquerade guests find out that Stu is human and they get eager to eat him. The group manages to get Stu out safely but on their way home they meet their nemesis werewolf pack who are transforming since its a full moon night. They eventually attack Stu and mangle his body. But it turns out that the attack turns Stu into a werewolf and that make the vampires and the werewolfs to be friends. | bleak, dark, comedy, humor | train | imdb | Lot's of people are disregarding this movie due to "Lack of plot" or "Poor cinematography".This isn't supposed to be that sort of movie, it's a mockumentary, done in the style of a documentary.They have nailed that look perfectly, and the plot doesn't matter in a comedy.The comedy is great, the deadpan nature of it is hilarious, the jokes are brilliant.Go in with the open mind that it's not your classic style of comedy.I think it's a great movie..
I was also surprised by the special effects which were really well done.At one point it did feel like the jokes were getting old, but just as I had finished that thought, the movie changes and ends brilliantly.
Just watching some of the hilarious chaos that ensues in their everyday life is enough.There are not many movies that make me actually laugh out loud, but this one did on several occasions (usually comedies, even great ones, just keep me grinning through out).
The premise of vampire flatmates is absurd, but it works great, because the movie takes its characters just serious enough for the audience to be somewhat emotionally invested in them.
If you like mockumentaries, dark comedy, vampires, or are just generally into humor, definitely go see this one.
The cast in this movie are well picked, and Stu was brilliantly played by...well Stu. Taiki Waititi & Jemaine Clement really get the whole dilemma of everyday life as a vampire!
Physical humour, plain old slapstick, facial expressions/body language (especially that camp vampire who always leads the doco crew around, his facial expressions and eye-movements when following the cameras cracked me up every time), and obviously sarcasm and satire are underlying themes.This thing felt that it was running on all cylinders for the entire movie.
It also manages to feel effortless; there was no sense of them trying too hard for laughs - the mockumentary setting helped the film in this sense, despite the plot being thin.
you'll probably love this- it follows the mockumentary format excellently but ups the ante because its following a cast of actual (in the worldof the movie) vampires.
I laughed and laughed and laughed.This is not a Vampire Movie, this is a mockumentary about some flatmates who happen to be vampires, just, y'know, incidentally.It is laugh-out-loud (LOL, young people) funny for extended periods.
The three lead vampires in this film were absolutely fantastic, especially Jonathon Brugh (His solo dance routine was one of the most awkwardly hilarious things I have ever seen!).
I loved all three of the main characters and their interactions with Stu. I was laughing the whole way through this film which is continuously funny.
Though it is about the undead, you can feel the warm heart beating below the surface of What we do in the Shadows, a film which will leave you thinking about vampires, and maybe about the world too, in a new way..
The movie addresses various aspects of being a vampire in New Zealand today:* sunlight leaking into your habitat* vampire wannabes hassling you* virgins can be incredibly hard to get by* Wellington itself feels so dead you constantly have to remind yourself that you're actually undead* discrimination is rife against immigrants (especially blood-sucking vampires from Transsylvania like yourself)* same goes doubly for Nazi vampires* feminist "familiars" (servants) constantly bickering while they're ironing your frills* werewolves and vampire hunters constantly riding your ass* mortal friends and chums frequently dieing off* flatmates refuse to do bloody dishesSo you don't have to be part and parcel of the vampire hype to dig this flick.
We both enjoyed this film equally.From the opening scene to the closing credits, it is laugh out loud funny.
It pokes fun at every part of the vampire mythology without resorting to simply being a parody of other movies.The film simply follows the life (if I can call it that) of four vampires of various ages sharing a run down flat in Wellington, New Zealand.
In this film you'll get to see how vampires do the vacuuming, how vampires eat chips and why vampires put newspaper down when entertaining a guest.All the cast look like they are having great fun, and I loved Rhys Darby as a very responsible werewolf, making sure all the members of his pack are wearing stretchy pants on the night of the full moon.Deducting one point for lack of originality, but other than that I can't fault this.
The "vampire mockumentary" plot is something that I don't think anyone eve dreamed of, but it's utterly devoted to making every comedy worth it and it succeeds.
Four vampires share a flat in New Zealand, and this mockumentary follows them!
They are flatmates in New Zealand and they invite a documentary crew to film their daily activities that are very similar to our lives but with a vampire twist, like bringing people home from nightclubs to suck their blood, or going to undead festivals..
The funniest moments only work with the expert delivery by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi who star in the movie as Viago and Vladislav as well as writing and directing it.
If you told most of the jokes to someone they probably wouldn't get it but with the awkward pauses and absurdity that you see and hear in the movie, it makes you laugh every time.What I dislike:
Writers/directors Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi wisely keep the focus tight and mine the mundane (a vampire chore wheel, the tensions of sharing a flat with others) for humor as much as they explore the more absurd elements of the premise, like how to get into a nightclub when you have to be invited in, tricky relationship management with familiars, and run-ins with a rival gang of werewolves.
If the best mockumentaries explore the social, cultural and political milieu of its subjects, this one has to make those things up out of pop culture depictions, so it isn't always as sharp and wickedly funny as the great examples of the genre.
What we do in the shadows was a witty and entertaining movie that covered a large amount of ground, and was filled with plenty of genuinely funny humor.
The satire found throughout was well executed, and it felt that no stone was left unturned in its analysis of the vampire mythos.Being a mockumentary, everything was done right and explained, and a feeling of realism emanated as the movie progressed.
A degree of true horror aspect was held throughout the main backdrop making the humorous aspects all the more enjoyable.Exceeded my expectations, and I highly recommend giving this one a watch for any fans of mockumentary films, vampire/horror movies and comedies.8/10.
Many jokes are taken from roommate/college-night-out situations and translated to vampires, with only a handful of laughing out loud moments in the entire movie.
What We Do in the Shadows is a low-budget, horror comedy about a small group of vampires that live in an apartment together in modern day New Zealand.
If you love comedies, you absolutely have to watch this bloody movie!.
The introduction of the werewolves was a nice break, but otherwise there is just too little material that has been stretched too far over the run time.In summary: a great idea, well executed for the most part, but a film that could possibly have benefited from being far more concise so as to not dilute the impact of the general concept.I want to rate it higher than 6, but 7 seems too generous.
Bloody Good Fun. Though gouts of blood shoot from necks at times, this "mockumentary" is hilarious.
If you've seen some of the scores of vampire movies from the past, you'll delight in getting the inside jokes.
However, you don't have to be an expert on bloodsuckers to enjoy watching this movie because it's bloody good fun..
From the team behind the hugely successful Flight of the Conchords and the fabulous indie hit, Eagle Vs Shark, What We Do in the Shadows is a comedy horror mockumentary with 'hilarious' stamped all the way through it.Except it isn't.
Hilarious, that is.Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi write, direct, produce and perform in this spoof documentary about a group of vampire flatmates trying to deal with life in modern times and each other's annoying traits.
Nor, it appears, does being several centuries old help one iota when it comes to deciding what to wear to the nightclub.There is plenty to like on display: the costumes are fabulously camp, there are references aplenty to the great vampires of film and literature, the sets are fun and there are one or two lovely, practical effects that splatter blood, but nothing too horrific or likely to raise the pulse.There are even a couple of surprising, and very welcome digital effects thrown in.
When they appear, they are amusing, but perhaps What We Do in the Shadows could have benefited from a matriarchal touch.For years Christopher Guest has delighted audiences with mockumentaries like Best in Show, A Mighty Wind and the peerless This is Spinal Tap, and my guess is this this is what Clement and Waititi were aiming for.
It's not.Instead of just expecting people to see you're kiwi and laugh, maybe try writing a good script or a funny joke?.
It was the worst movie I've seen this decade.If you love vampire movies, love bad B grade movies, and you know Wellington, you might enjoy this film.
What We Do in the Shadows is a comedy/horror focusing mainly on a group of vampires living together in modern New Zealand.
He expects the others to do the same.All of the actors have really done a great job getting into character; especially Taika Waititi as Viago and Jermaine Clement as Vladislav.For me the biggest problem with the movie is that there really is not much of a plot.
A fictional documentary exposes the day-to-day lives of four vampires sharing a home in Wellington, New Zealand.The movie begins awkwardly in an amateurish way.
If you like vampires or the concept of a comedy driven mockumentary about vampires I would say give it a watch..
Bat fight!" actually made me laugh out loud.If you're a fan of comedy, see this movie.
"What We Do in the Shadows" is a fantastic New Zealand vampire mockumentary, no surprise considering Taika Waititi ("Thor Ragnarok" director) and "Flight of the Conchords'" Jermaine Clement are involved."...Shadows" is about a vampire sharehouse in Wellington, New Zealand - Viago (Waititi), Vladislav (Clement), Deacon (Jonny Brugh) and the 800-year-old Petyr (Ben Fransham) - filmed for a documentary.
Other highlights are the werewolves, with Rhys Darby playing the alpha male Anton, and the clueless local police.Arguably the best vampire comedy since Leslie Nielsen's "Dracula: Dead and Loving It", "...Shadows" is a welcome contrast from the wave of more serious vampire-themed TV series and movies.With Waititi gaining recognition after "Thor Ragnarok", hopefully curious fans will check out "...Shadows".
There is nothing much else to talk about this film that is basically a bad and cringe-worthy execution.BOTTOM LINE: If it is streaks of laughter that you are expecting to do while watching this indie satire show, then I'll suggest you better wait till the time they start selling the DVDs for free, if that ever happens.
Maybe i didn't laugh really hard at every joke they had in movie but i kinda smiled every time.
This film is nothing less than hilarious and a definite must-see for people who like vampires AND funny movies.
Great movie, very funny - worth a watch.
This movie is truly hilarious, a unique humour that needs to be watched.
It is about a group of vampires who live together in Wellington, New Zealand, who have a documentary crew follow them around showing us the inner workings of the lives of vampires, unlike Interview with a Vampire (which i reviewed last month) it is hilarious.
The movie features them living life both as vampires and flatmates, trying to get into nightclubs, keeping up with the chore wheel and getting along all the time.
WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS is a fake documentary following a group of vampires who have a shared living arrangement in a worn-down mansion in New Zealand.
An adventure filled with magic, werewolves and vampires ensues.WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS is one of the funniest movies I've seen since quite a while.
It reminds me of Shaun of the Dead in that way.Recommended for any fan of vampires, comedies, and fringe-movies.This one really thinks outside the coffin..
This was something I stumbled across almost by accident and is one of the funniest films I have seen for years.The documentary style combines with absurd, macabre humour and brilliant comic acting performances to produce what I suspect will become a cult classic along the lines of Withnail & I and Spinal Tap.The story of a small group of vampires 'flatting' in the Wellington area of New Zealand, their back histories spoken to camera, and the lead up to the Unholy Masquerade result in some truly hilarious set- pieces and complications such as who is responsible for doing the dishes and how best to be 'invited' into the hottest nightclubs in the city on a night out.
Do you like to get drunk?Do you like to leave a mess?Do you like brainless humour?Do you have low expectation from life?If so, then this is the movie for you.It takes a basic concept of having a group of 'vampires' living together like student flatmates.
A Flight of the Conchords mockumentary inspecting the logistics of the vampire social scene in modern-day New Zealand.
Though I can certainly see some people having a problem with the deadpan humor, a lot of the comedy comes from the cultural differences from the extremely old vampires (some dating back to the Medieval Times) as they struggle to keep up with current times.
Basically the movie will mostly likely be a bust for you if you are someone who doesn't find the general idea of a bunch of vampires struggling to fit into today's society funny.
Not to mention the numerous jokes about todays current vampire movies, there are a few but they're pretty funny!
Viago (Taika Waititi), Deacon (Jonathan Brugh), Petyr (Ben Fransham) and Vladislav (Jemaine Clement) are those vampires, and we shall see how they struggle with issues like being flatmates, doing the house chores and cope with modern day lifestyle; all of this is an overwhelming, funny and bloody adventure.
Tongue in cheek kiwi humour combined with some hilarious "fight" and "feast" scenes make this movie a unique and original comedy masterpiece.
It is a ridiculously fun, original comedy film as we follow a group of vampires in a documentary style, getting to see what a regular week is like for them.
A complete riot, What We do in the Shadows is great fun, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good comedy.
The film is largely a 'big in-joke' and aficionados of the genre will recognise each of bloodsuckers from movies/books but even if vampires are not your cup of blood, it is still pretty funny.
After 10 minutes I was loving the sense of humour and style of jokes.Definitely a great mockumentary for old school horror fans as long as you know beforehand not to take this film seriously.
Waititi & Clement are just as brilliant in front of the camera as they are behind it, Brugh is equally devoted to his role, Fransham is a show-stealer as the 8000-years old vampire, Gonzales-Macuer does well with he's given while both Jackie & Stu play their human selves convincingly.On an overall scale, What We Do in the Shadows is one of the rare horror comedies that works on all levels, and is an extremely funny, wildly entertaining & thoroughly satisfying example of its kind.
Low budget comedy gold, this is one of the funniest movies I've seen in a long time.
Overall, this movie was creative , hilarious , genius , and Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi are still impressing with their ongoing works of true art.
Best vampire movie in years!.
I highly recommend this film to everyone who enjoys Vampires and Comedy!
It paints a believable portrait of modern-day vampires in a way that works even if you haven't seen a horror movie before - though, obviously the experience is infinitely enhanced if you have.
But teenagers and adults will love this movie; I recommend watching it in a group so you can have a barrel of laughs with all your friends, because it is just too good to watch alone..
From Taika Waititi, What We Do is a mockumentary of vampire flat-mates that is as funny as any film you'll see.
I loved this movie and have watched it several times.I laughed several times before the opening credits, and that type of humor is the humor throughout.
I will definitely be thinking about this movie the next time I see a vampire onscreen..
How can four vampires living in the same flat make everything look so funny?
Very original film about vampires sharing a flat (filmed like a documentary) .
What a great and funny movie!!.
I have seen it 20 more times, what a great movie.
What we do in the shadows is one of the most original films in the last several years, I enjoyed everything about this movie, the characters were funny, the story is gripping, and the overall idea is just spectacular!
This mockumentary about four vampires sharing a house in Wellington, NZ is one of the funniest films I've seen in years.
I think "What We Do in the Shadows" is to vampire movies what "Shaun of the Dead" is to zombie flicks.
A fantastically (no pun there) funny mocumentary made by the brilliant taika waititi, watch if you want to call yourself a fan of comedy. |
tt0223897 | Pay It Forward | A 12-year-old schoolboy in Las Vegas, Nevada named Trevor McKinney (Haley Joel Osment) is given a class project to complete by his social studies teacher Eugene Simonet (Kevin Spacey), a man with terrible burn scars on his face and neck. His task is to come up with a plan that will change the world through direct action. On his way home from school later that day, Trevor notices a homeless man, Jerry (James Caviezel) and decides to make a difference in Jerry's life. Trevor then comes up with the plan to "pay it forward" by doing a good deed for three people who must in turn each do good deeds for three other people, creating a charitable pyramid scheme. Trevor's plan is to help Jerry by feeding and housing him so he can "get on his feet."The next morning, Trevor's mother, Arlene McKinney (Helen Hunt), a single mother recovering from alcoholism, becomes angry with Trevor after finding Jerry in their house. She then accuses and confronts Eugene at the school about the reason Trevor has allowed Jerry into their home. Eugene is also intrigued by Trevor's response to the social studies project.Later that night back at their home, Trevor confronts his mother about her alcoholism, and in a fit of anger she slaps him across the face. Trevor runs away from home, and Arlene asks Eugene to help her find him. They find Trevor at a bus station, about to be molested. Trevor and Arlene embrace in relief after Arlene apologizes profusely.Meanwhile, Chris (Jay Mohr), a journalist, is trying to find out why a total stranger gave him a brand new Jaguar S-Type car after Chris' old 1965 Ford Mustang was damaged in a car accident. The stranger's only explanation is that he is simply "paying it forward". When Chris asks him for more information, the man explains that, when he recently visited a hospital while his daughter was suffering an asthma attack, a gang member suffering from a stab wound actually took up a gun to force the doctors to look at the man's daughter before she collapsed, prompting Chris to begin his search again.After Trevor's apparently unsuccessful attempt to help Jerry, he decides to help Eugene by setting him up with Arlene, Trevor's own mother. Their relationship grows in strength until Arlene's ex-husband, Ricky (Jon Bon Jovi), who claims he has "changed" and has quit drinking, shows up unannounced and Arlene decides to give him another chance.When Arlene later tries to explain her choice to Eugene, the audience learns how Eugene's burns were the result of terrible child abuse by his father. Eugene is concerned not just about the abusive and violent nature of Trevor's father, but that the simple absence of a loving father is detrimental to Trevor's well-being. He explains that his father was always abusive of him and his mother always took him back. At thirteen, Eugene ran away from home and returned home when he was 16, asking his mother to come with him but his father knocked him out and proceeded to burn him, resulting in a number of scars on his chest. Arlene feels that she must nevertheless give her ex-husband another chance, but shortly thereafter he becomes angry and violent and it appears that he has not in fact stopped drinking alcohol. Arlene realizes what a terrible mistake she has made. She feels that Eugene will never take her back, and Eugene for his part is not prepared to rekindle the relationship.At around this point, Jerry, who has moved on to another city, discovers a woman about to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge; even when she throws her purse at him and yells at him to get away, Jerry simply talks gently to her, encouraging her to come down and talk to him about her problems. Meanwhile, Chris discovers the gang member who helped the man's daughter, who reveals that he was brought into the 'pay it forward' movement when he was rescued from the police by a homeless woman in a car. Having located the woman (played by Angie Dickinson), she tells Chris that she herself was given the idea by her daughter--who turns out to be Arlene.Arlene seeks out her mother, Grace, whom she has not seen in three years. She says she wishes to say something to her and gives her mother the gift that enables Grace to have faith that she can become sober for a few days, long enough to visit the family and see her grandson: Arlene tells her mother that she forgives her for everything.Chris finally identifies Trevor as the originator of "pay it forward," and conducts a recorded interview at the school. Trevor explains his hopes for the concept, but voices his concerns that people may be too afraid to change their own lives in order to make the whole world a better place. Eugene and Arlene are both present during the interview. When Eugene hears Trevor's words, he realizes that he and Arlene should be together.As Eugene and Arlene reconcile with a passionate embrace, they hear shouts and scuffling outside. Trevor has come to the defense of a friend who is being attacked by bullies, and is trying to fight them off, although they are older and bigger. As Eugene and Arlene run down to stop the fight, the main bully who is a gangster-like boy impulsively pulls out a knife. Trevor is pushed onto the boy with the knife and is thus inadvertently stabbed in the abdomen. Trevor is rushed to hospital, where he dies from the stabbing.Terribly distraught, Arlene and Eugene are later watching a television news report about "pay it forward" and Trevor's death, and learn that the movement has grown nationwide. Venturing outside, they see hundreds of people gathering in a vigil to pay their respects to Trevor, with yet more people arriving in a stream of vehicles visible in the distance as the movie ends.(Source: WikiPedia. Bangs_McCoy) | thought-provoking, dramatic, comedy, inspiring | train | imdb | Pay It Forward is a prime example of what films are supposed to do: make you laugh a little, cry a lot, and profoundly affect you in a way that keeps you thinking about the movie for weeks afterwards.
The quasi-religious ending probably will appeal to many, but from an artistic viewpoint, it seems unnecessary and not entirely suited to the tone of the film up to that point.Kevin Spacey is effective as the suppressed, sensitive teacher, while Helen Hunt is terrific, despite the role being far too close for comfort with her "As Good As It Gets" character.
I doubt it, but it certainly would go a long way to making this condemned world a better place to live.I don't think this is one of the best movies that I have ever seen.
The kind of audience that expects to have their life changed as the minutes tick by.And as a film that provides profound, poignant and tear-jerking moments, Pay It Forward will be perfect for this manner of audience.
Good actors like Jim Caviezel go almost unnoticed and you can't help but feel that a few more juicy characters would help the story become a little more...cohesive.The ending is a reinforcement of the atmosphere of the whole film.
In short, see this film for three things; Haley Joel-Osment, Kevin Spacey and Helen Hunt.
The performances are excellent by all the cast members and the emotional tie you develop with the characters is so amazing that you start to feel what they are feeling and go through their good and bad times.
Helen Hunt and Kevin Spacey surely do not disappoint and Haley Joel Osment performs perfect, giving everything one could expect from such a young actor.
From the beginning until the very end, the movie manages to touch somewhere deep in your heart, and although I did not the book it was based on, the plot makes a lot of sense in its entirety and shines with its originality.
A film of surprising majesty mainly because of its sincerity to convey the tale of a young (American) high school student, touchingly and masterfully played by the then 12-year-old Haley Joel Osment, who, at the instigation of his new teacher's challenge to the class, comes up with a beautiful and simple plan to make a difference in the world, involving doing a good turn to not just one person but three, who then, in turn, return the gift themselves to three more people, thereby very quickly spreading goodness in both directions, in the giving and receiving, in the most unlikely places and ways.
How could a movie with Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt and Haley Joel Osment be this bad.
I wanted to feel good when I left this movie, like after watching Field of Dreams or The Shawshank Redemption.
I told three people not to see this movie i hope they pay it forward and tell three people not to see it and so on and so on until no one sees this awful film..
It is way too in the extreme, which makes the corny, sentimental and ridiculous movie, even more stupid.I personally thought that Haley Joel Osment was a terrific actor, till I saw him in this movie.
Osment also plays the role of the insignificant little boy who saves the world with his "Pay it forward" idea.
I know some people don't agree with the idea of "Pay It Forward", but thinking about the word "possible", and people who simply have never had a chance to think about what they can do for the world they live in, this movie may do something good for us..
This is the original concept, except in the film a young student named Trevor McKinney (Haley Joel Osment) designed it so a person who receives a favor, is then told to pay it forwards to three other people.
Pay It Forward is not as moving as a film like the Elephant Man and Fearless, but is still a solid and thoughtful account of a boy who wants to change the lives of those he loves.The subject matter was well-realised, and that alone made it genuinely poignant.
The real star is Haley Joel Osment, possibly the most talented child actor on film, who perfectly conveyed the 11 year old boy who wants to make a difference.
Maybe what that means is, when I'm having a bad day, I'm supposed to remember what the characters were put through here and feel better for myself?"Pay it Forward" gets three stars only because, I have to admit, it's got good intentions.
This will be ordered on my next sallery!I love the acting, Kevin Spacey and Helen Hunt are very good actors, and I can't stop being impressed by Haley Joel Osment.The story is great, the moral is right, the editing is flawless.
Besides being a big waste of talent and money , the movie have a ridiculous and poorly made script full of cheap sentimentalism ,horrible performances and the worst of all , a obscene excess of saccharine that goes to the limit in the forced and manipulative ending .
PAY IT FORWARD (2000) ***1/2 Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt, Haley Joel Osment, Jay Mohr, James Caviezel, Jon Bon Jovi, Angie Dickinson, Kathleen Wilhoite.
Well done and original drama about a grassroots movement inspired by education: new teacher and burn victim survivor Spacey (excellent as always) moves troubled seventh grade student (Osment, clearly not a fluke kid actor; he delivers a memorable performance) to pursue an extra-credit assignment: create an idea that will change the world.
Pleasantly set in and around Las Vegas, Kevin Spacey plays a physically burned middle school teacher whose class assignment prompts overreaching student Haley Joel Osment to make a difference in the world.
The alcoholic mother; the intelligent young boy screaming inside; the brilliant teacher who has a hurt perspective on the world and its people; and finally the thugly looking school boys who stab "Trevor" in the left side of this abdomen resulting in a William Shatner like death pose...
This movie was simply awful, and as someone who has always believed in random acts of kindness I felt that this did the idea more harm than good.From the word go the plotline revolving around Kevin Spacey's injuries was painfully obvious - telegraphed for the audience who may have left their imagination at home.An unashamed Hollywood attempt to prove that they can make positive moral statemtents...
It's been a long time since I'd seen "Pay It Forward" and the only thing I really remembered about it was the ending; which explains why I don't like this movie.To its credit, the performances are good, which takes the edge off of such a ham-fisted script.
I am still dreaming of a day where this movie inspires people and the idea of pay it forward will actually come to work.
And this one-way, narrow thinking of having to fix this world in order to confide to some (selfish) standard is just plain bad.The movie fails to "emotionally" manipulate, which was the whole point of what the producers were trying to do.
Why must they try so hard to make the audience cry, and in doing so, compromise the story.I thought the movie made Kevin Spacey (whom I love) look absolutely horrible!
Having just read the book upon which this film was based, I was very disappointed in seeing how much the movie changed the story.
Watching the commercials, I was intrigued about the "Pay it Forward" idea- you help 3 people, they help 3 more, in 45 days the whole world is fixed blah blah blah.
Unfortunately, this idea (and even its consequences to some degree) make up about 25 minutes (maybe less) of screentime.The rest of the movie forces you to endure lame examples of cliche societal problems (as if we didn't know there was injustice in the world): domestic abuse, drug addiction, homelessness, violence in schools, alcoholism, missing kids and even yes...
Why did Hunt's character have to be a single mother AND abused by her ex?Why can't everyone have just ONE thing wrong?This movie went WAY beyond what it needed to to establish the world is a bad bad place.
First off, I must admit that there were incredible performances from Haley Joel Osment, Helen Hunt, and Kevin Spacey.
The film can't decide if it wants to be a comedy or a drama and disappoints on both levels, with an ending more suited for a drama but ultimately feels completely wrong for this movie.
The acting is excellent - headed by Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt and the exquisite Haley Joel Osment.
If this story can't get your heart and head moving toward finding ways to make small, significant, positive changes in your life and those around you, then you may never understand there is more to this world than our micromanaged little, selfish existences.Surrounding the main trio of actors is a splendid array of character actors - Jim Caviezel, Angie Dickinson (in one of her last roles), Jon Bon Jovi, Jay Mohr...
When Spacey's teacher character comments how after giving out the same ridiculous assignment to classroom after classroom year after year with little to no results, the "Pay It Forward" idea actually had a chance to change the world...
Haley Joel Osment had a great career as a child-star, you should check some of his films if you love children's movies including this title on the top of that list.
Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt and finally, Haley Joel Osment - I think they fit their roles in the best way, it is possible.
PAY IT FORWARD the movie completely takes you into a very practical world where it makes it understand that how our world is in severe need of help from someone or others genuinely and if the cycle continues to help everyone how the problems will be solved easily.The most practical part ends with the last 10 minutes of the movie where we actually feels our heart broken because it actually narrates us only one simple thing and that is never SOME PEOPLE ARE TOO AFRAID OF CHANGING AND SOME WHO DOES THAN SEVERAL PEOPLE Doesn't LET THEM DO.At around with all the soberness and very gigantic display of movie an important plea can be made i.e THIS MOVIE CAN BE TAKEN INTO PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS WHICH WILL CHANGE THE FACE OF THE WORLD!!!!!!
It will probably make you a better movie watcher, though.RATING: 8/10 "The world is a ****hole; pardon my French and ****" "You do a good thing for three people.
Kevin Spacey was terrific, Haley Joel Osment was good, Helen Hunt...
Let me explain.I had never, ever heard anything about this movie, but I like Kevin Spacey and Helen Hunt, so when it came on, I sat back and watched it.
"Pay it Forward" is one of those "from the heart" movies - a nice story about social and personal transformations that, in this case, supposedly start with a 7th grade boy's homework assignment.
After watching the entire movie and thinking good thoughts about the filmmakers' efforts, I suddenly found myself sitting through the last 5 minutes completely bored and disgusted with a tear-jerking soap opera ending that was so contrived it looked like it was borrowed from Billy Jack..
Not to say that Kevin Spacey, Haley Joel Osment, and Helen Hunt aren't good in this movie, because they are.
How "Pay It Forward" misses the mark is hard to pin down, but it just does.That's not to say that Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt and Haley Joel Osment, batting .667 as a group recently against Oscar, don't give effective performances.
That would have paid it forward to the audience.Against the backdrop created by director Mimi Leder, the ending is deus ex machina, a way of extricating a mired plot and blithely refocusing on what was given short shrift for the previous 110 minutes -- the idea that a world-changing idea is certain to have its pitfalls, like life itself, but that it's worth exploring to the utmost.Rating: 6.5 of 10..
The film is worth seeing for Kevin Spacey's and Helen Hunt's performances.
Others who have dispraised "Pay it Forward" have softened their censure by speaking of its "heart in the right place" or its "good intentions." But as is betrayed by its hauling in of an audience-tested cliche from every successful movie it could think of, its only real intention was to make a pile of money (in which I believe it failed).
I mean it did have Haley Joel Osment, Kevin Spacey, and Helen Hunt in it.
I love the idea of paying it forward, and I love the actors in this movie.
Haley Joel Osment, Kevin Spacey and Helen Hunt shine in this terrific movie.
Young kid tries to change the world with the idea of doing someone a big big favour which they then have to "pay forward" to 3 other people.
There's a great cast, Kevin Spacey and Helen Hunt play the adult leads with the-then child actor Haley Joel Osment playing the 11-year-old protagonist of the story.
After all, Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt, and the young Haley Joel Osment all come with impressive pedigrees.
Kevin Spacey is Eugene Simonet, a physically scarred social studies teacher who inspires a particular 7th grader named Trevor McKinney (Haley Joel Osment) on the basis of a different kind of extra credit assignment.
Trevor's idea is to change the world with a particular system of paying it forward where you do a good deed for three people and it branches out.
Pay it forward is a great concept I love the beauty of how it works, it's the honor system like a bobble passing on to another making the world better just a little.
-something they can't do on their own- and doing it for them, thus creating a chain of benevolence, and goodwill which hopefully will be perpetuated:By the three people we've just helped, following our example.With this in mind, he finds an indigent man (Jim Caviezel), and decides to help him out, giving him some money, and letting him sleep in his house for one night without his mother's knowledge.When this first attempt seems to crash and burn, Trevor turns his attention to his diligent but but deeply sorrowful teacher Eugene Simonet (Kevin Spacey), who appears to have no one in his life who loves him, and who's face is tragically disfigured.Trevor's mother Arlene (Helen Hunt), is a struggling young cocktail waitress in Las Vegas who's recovering from a long bout of alcoholism, and having trouble coping with her child's disappointment in her.With a little maneuvering from Trevor, the two of them get together, and begin a relationship which, though great in the beginning, threatens to fall apart as obstacles block it's path.Meanwhile, in what appears to be the near future (and serving as a poignant opening to the movie), an L.A journalist named Chris Chandler (Jay Mohr) is given a brand new Jaguar by a complete stranger after his own car gets destroyed.Struck by this out of the blue event, he decides to investigate the matter further, which uncovers a chain of events eventually leading to Trevor himself.Pay It Forward is a terrific, and refreshing movie which manages to have a little humor despite it's dramatic premise.Everybody is good in it, and everybody seems committed to what the story has to say.I was particularly impressed that the director was a woman, since not too many women are good at directing movies.The ending is shocking, but is really the only good way to bring the story to a close.Those who don't agree should see the movie again.Originally, Review #75Posted On:
Kevin Spacey is excellent as always, Helen Hunt gives one of the best performances of her career, and Haley Joel Osment proves that he is, pound for pound, one of the best actors working.I liked the film overall, but I really wanted to like it more than I did.
The first half of the film sets up an interesting plot, then the second half focuses almost entirely on the developing romance between Trevor's mother and teacher and the actual story behind the film - a young boy attempting to make the world a better place - almost becomes a sub-plot.The ending also felt like an easy way out for the filmmakers and a cheap attempt at manipulating the audience's emotions.
Pay it forward is not really a good movie.
If the movie had focused all the way on the pay it forward thing, it would have worked much better.
Based on the novel by Catherine Ryan Hyde, the film, although perplexing at times, comes to life thanks to well played roles by a very gifted cast."Pay It Forward" is the name of an idea originated by a young 11-year-old, Trevor McKinney (Haley Joel Osment).
It is Trevor's first day of seventh grade and his intimidating social studies teacher, Mr. Simonet (Kevin Spacey), gives his class an abnormal and seemingly impossible yearlong assignment: Think of an idea to change our world, and put it into action.
The movie is about a sweet young man, so pure and innocent that when his social-studies teacher gives him an assignment to make the world a better place, he comes up with a model that he believes will change everything.
Kevin Spacy, Hellen Hunt and Haley Joel Osment are all good, and if the film had been limited to the drama between these three characters it would have been a satisfying story.
Cringeworthily trite.The characters are quite difficult to like: the irritating, whiny yet do-gooder kid (played by Haley Joel Osment), the smug, aloof, pretentious teacher (played by Kevin Spacey).
Cringeworthily trite.The characters are quite difficult to like: the irritating, whiny yet do-gooder kid (played by Haley Joel Osment), the smug, aloof, pretentious teacher (played by Kevin Spacey).
This act, known as pay it forward, is what Trevor does in the movie.
This is a heartwarming and touching movie where you can't help but wish ideas like this would work in the real world. |
tt0091064 | The Fly | Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum) is a brillliant and eccentric inventor. At a party thrown by his financier, Bartok Industries, for the press, Brundle meets Veronica Quaife (Geena Davis), a reporter for Particle Magazine. He invites her to come back to his apartment, where he shows her his latest invention: teleporter pods, or "telepods," that disintegrate matter, transmit it across space, and then reintegrate it. She realizes this could be the invention of the century, and, over Seth's objections, goes to her boss and ex-lover, Stathis Borans (John Getz), to convince him to publish the story. Borans is uninterested, believing the whole thing to be a magic trick. Brundle comes to see her at work, and is relieved that Stathis didn't want to publish the story, because his telepods are not ready to be made public yet. Although they can transmit inanimate matter, it can't handle living things. He offers to let Veronica track his progress as he tries to work out the kinks, if she will wait to write the story until he is finished. She agrees.Veronica ends up spending much of her time at Seth's apartment while he works, and the two of them become more and more attracted to each other. He attempts to send a baboon through the telepods, but it is re-integrated inside out. Soon Veronica falls in love with Seth, and they make love. During the act, she makes an offhand remark about "the flesh" driving women crazy. This gives Seth the inspiration he needs: he will teach the computer to be "driven crazy" by flesh. Seth continues to work on the telepods while Veronica goes shopping for a gift for him. While shopping, she runs into Stathis again, who now believes that Seth's project is genuine and should be published.Back at Seth's apartment, Veronica watches as Seth puts a second baboon through the telepods, and this time the baboon comes through unharmed. As they prepare to celebrate, however, Veronica finds a package from Stathis. Inside is a design for a cover story on Seth. She runs back to his office to stop him from publishing prematurely, leaving Seth to celebrate alone. He gets drunk and becomes convinced that Veronica is resuming her relationship with Stathis. He decides to teleport himself, as a way to spite Veronica. However, a housefly inadvertently gets into the telepod with him. He teleports to the other pod, and emerges seemingly normal.Veronica comes back to him that night and they reconcile, but his journey through the telepods begins to show
some strange side effects. Thick, coarse hairs begin to grow on his back. He develops a intense craving for sugar, his body develops an almost instantly more athletic build, and his sexual stamina is seemingly endless. The sex alone begins to wear out Veronica. Seth suddenly believes that Veronica should go through the teleportation herself, perhaps in a bid to make her as virile as himself. She refuses and, in a sudden burst of uncharacteristic anger, Seth leaves in search of a woman who can keep up with him.At a seedy bar, he meets a woman named Tawny, and arm wrestles with another man to compete over who gets to take her home. Seth wins by breaking the other man's arm with his superhuman strength and because of a white secretion from his hands. After a night of sex and a demonstration of his invention, Tawny pours champagne on his skin, which severely irritates him. He then tries to get her to go through the telepods, but she refuses. Seth tells her not to be afraid, but at that moment Veronica arrives, saying, "Be afraid. Be very afraid."Tawny leaves, and Veronica confronts Seth about the changes she has seen in him. Not only is his back growing more hairs, but his face is breaking out in blisters. She then informs him that she had some of his back hairs analyzed, and that that are most likely insect hairs. Seth refuses to believe anything is wrong with him, and he kicks Veronica out of his apartment, his thought processes having become more scattered and irrational.In the bathroom later on, though, Seth does notice more severe changes to himself: his fingernails are falling off and his fingers drip more fluid. His face has more blisters and more of the thick hairs are growing there. He concludes, like Veronica, that something must have gone wrong when he went through the telepods. He checks the record of his teleportation, and his computer tells him that there was a "secondary element" in the pod with him, which he recognizes as a housefly. When he asks the computer what happened to the fly, it tells him that he and the fly have been spliced together into a single organism at a genetic and molecular level.A month goes by in which Seth and Veronica do not speak, but finally he contacts her and asks her to see him. When she arrives, she sees that he is frightened and heavily deteriorating. His face is lined with pockmarks, and he needs canes to walk. He has to wear gloves to keep from biting his fingernails off. He eats by vomiting corrosive enzymes onto his food and sucking up the dissolved remains. As they talk, his ear falls off. He refuses to take help from any professional doctors, not wanting to be a lab rat.Veronica goes to Stathis, hoping to find some way to help Seth. He warns her not to go back to him, fearing contagion, but then he asks to go ahead and visit him again to document what is happening, so Stathis can see and find a way to help. She returns to his apartment to find him crawling on the walls and ceiling, as he now realizes what is happening: he is turning into a human-fly hybrid he calls "Brundlefly," and wants Veronica to document his metamorphosis. She records a video where Brundle demonstrates his new eating habits and brings it to Stathis, who watches it in horror. Veronica then shocks Stathis further by telling him she is pregnant with Seth's child.Stathis encourages her to talk to Seth before aborting the baby. When she sees him again, he has deteriorated even further. He no longer wears clothes, his skin has become swollen and lumpy, and more of his body parts have fallen off and he barely resembles his old self. He keeps the sloughed-off parts in a cabinet, dubbing it "The Brundle Museum of Natural History". He warns Veronica not to return, because his fly instincts are taking over and he will not be able to keep himself from hurting her. She leaves without telling him she is pregnant, and demands Stathis take her to a doctor for an immediate abortion. Seth overhears them talking, however, and follows them to the doctor's office, where he kidnaps her and takes her back home, asking her to have the baby as it may be the only thing left of his humanity. Veronica is too frightened, thinking there is some kind of monster growing inside her.Stathis follows them to Seth's apartment, armed with a shotgun, but Seth jumps down from the skylight, catching Stathis by surprise. Seeing that Stathis means to shoot him, Seth defends himself by vomiting his digestive enzyme on Stathis' left hand and right foot, melting both appendages and sending Stathis into a state of semi-conscious shock. He is about to vomit on Stathis' face and make him a meal when Veronica, who Seth has kept on the roof, intervenes. Seth lets Stathis live, but asks for Veronica's help to make him human again. When she asks him to explain, he shows her the plan he has created: he wants to use the telepods as a gene-splicer yet again, using them to fuse himself with Veronica and their unborn child, in the hopes that her untainted humanity will be enough to stop the metamorphosis. Veronica resists, but Seth tries to force her into it, saying, "We'll be the ultimate family." As she struggles to free herself from Seth's grip, she accidentally rips off his jaw, which sparks the final stages of Seth's transformation. His limbs shed the remainder of their human skin, revealing the insect body underneath. The rest of his face sloughs off to reveal a fly's head.The now completely transformed Brundlefly throws Veronica into one pod, activates the computer and steps into the other. As the countdown to teleportation ticks away, the wounded Stathis comes to his senses. With some effort, he uses his shotgun to shoot the cables connecting Veronica's telepod to the computer, forcing it offline and ensuring Veronica's safety. Brundlefly smashes the door to its telepod and attempts to escape, but the teleportation sequence begins as it is halfway out of the telepod. In a flash, a section of the telepod is transported to the third pod with Brundlefly, causing a shower of sparks. Stathis manages to crawl to Veronica's pod and let her out. The computer, in the meantime, fuses Brundlefly with the section of the telepod that it took. The receiving pod door opens, and Brundlefly collapses onto the floor. As a result of the fusion, most of its body is now a mangled, twisted mass of flesh and machinery.Brundlefly crawls toward Veronica, who arms herself with Stathis' shotgun. Rather than try to harm her, however, Brundlefly uses a claw to point the shotgun barrel at its own head, silently asking Veronica to end its life. She is unable to at first, but seeing that the creature which used to be her lover is horribly deformed and in excruciating pain, she gains enough strength to pull the trigger, blowing apart Brundlefly's head. She sobs, as the film fades out and the credits roll. | dark, suspenseful, gothic, sentimental, allegory, cult, violence, horror, tragedy, romantic, sci-fi | train | imdb | It greatly surpasses the original '58 version.The film focuses on the relationship between Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis at the top and once it takes its turn towards horror it really pays off.
The original movie, with Vincent Price, is "dullsville" compared to this re-make.Things can get really disgusting as Jeff Goldblum ('Seth Brundle") slowly turns into a huge fly.
Geena Davis gives a convincing performance in that roles as "Veronica Quiafe."The story is not just a dumb horror-creature movie, but an intelligent science fiction tale with both leading actors excellent.
At this point one of the girls in the room rather loudly asked of the tutor, jokingly but in something of a shaky voice, "Why are you doing this?" This question, I think, could well be the definitive mark of really effective horror, and it was certainly in the back of my mind nearly all of last night as I was watching David Cronenberg's "The Fly" for the first time.
Unfortunately, in the process of teleportation, his DNA is mixed up with that of a common housefly, and although not immediately transformed, as in the original, the two species soon begin to genetically merge and transform Brundle into a creature that has never existed before and for damned good reasons.Cronenberg, of course, never shortchanges his audience with graphic gore, and even viewed with the critical eye of Generation Y, the film's mid-eighties effects are still quite sickening, none more so than Goldblum's slow physical transformation.
Davis and Goldblum are the heroes in this regard their chemistry is palpable, and her affection for him struggling against her disgust at what he is becoming, coupled with his own struggle to keep the fly in check, create the kind of riveting discomfort usually only commanded by train-wrecks.I was, in fact, quite strongly reminded of Darren Aronofsky's 2000 film-adaptation of Hubert Selby's novel "Requiem for a Dream" although the subject matter differs greatly, both films derive their horror elements most strongly from a place that is completely removed from Horror and in both examples the source is basically Love.
My all time favorite creature horror film I have this movie in my video Blu-ray collection and I love 80's horror films to death.Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum) is a scientist working on a project which is a teleportation device that can teleport molecular structures until one day he experiments on himself with it accidentally lending a Fly into the machine with him being fused.
He seems normal after that but days later he is changing and even his sexy journalist girlfriend (Geena Davis) even starts to notice his weird changes he grows through each day like if he's decaying and that he will soon become a monster.Powerful and horrifying remake of the 1958 Vincient Price Science Fiction horror classic!
The performances are just flawless and the film also has emotional which makes this a great Sci-fi horror movie with pure though and disturbing images, this one isn't for weak stomaches but it is a brilliant movie that goes into our deepest fears and mind.
Score A+ 10/10 really recommend you to see this movie you want be disappointed you will be thrilled like I was.The Fly is a 1986 American science-fiction horror film directed and co-written by David Cronenberg.
It was nice reading the reviews for this film as so many people picked up the real elements of this movie and not just about the horror.This movie, as most great movies, is a subtle love story, where someone realises they are a burden and maybe even a danger to them, and so make the ultimate sacrifice.Cronenberg is probably my favourite director as he is able to take unusual film idea and turn it into something intense and believable.
David Cronenberg's version of "The Fly" has little in common with Kurt Neumann's 1958 film of the same title, one of the cheaply made 'creature-features' of the 1950s
Instead, it reveals many of the director's obsessions
Jeff Goldblum is Seth Brundle, a Mad Scientist who is working on 'teleporting', a means of transporting objects through space
Geena Davis is Veronica Quaife, a magazine writer who becomes interested in his work, and in him
They start an affair, but Seth believes Veronica is still seeing her former lover
In a rage he tries to transport himself, and his genes become caught up with a fly that gets into the machine
Slowly Seth takes on the features of an insect
As in other Cronenberg's films, sexuality is seen as a dangerous force that leads to disaster
Seth cannot get his amazing machine to transport living creatures until he has experienced the delights of sex with Veronica, but then almost immediately his jealousy leads more like a fly he develops a raging libido; the more physically repulsive he is, the more he wants sex
Like many successful films of the 1980s, "The Fly" is a hybrid, fusing elements of both horror and science fiction
Considering that the plot is from the latter genre, the elements of fear and disgust with the human body are traditional to horror
Both genres, as this film will illustrate, benefited greatly from the increasing sophistication of contemporary special effects technique, and the make-up abilities
The success of the film led to sequel in 1989, in which the son of Seth and Veronica begins to display familiar symptoms.
Things are further complicated when Seth and Veronica start to fall in love, after Veronica is forced to go and see her ex boyfriend, Seth, drunk and jealous, decides to go thru the Telepods, unbeknown to him a fly also went thru with him and the computer, confused to find two matters in the system, spliced the gene codes together, the result is the terrifying birth of Brundlefly.Remaking an old and much loved horror classic was something that director David Cronenberg tackled with relish, sensing the opportunity to update it with 80s set paranoia's, he managed to not only splice many meanings in his picture, but also to create one of the best horror films of the modern age.
What is a major plus in The Fly's favour is that there is no camp veneer to the story unfolding, Brundle's metamorphosis is slow and adroitly paced, we follow each step as Brundle's body and state of mind changes, and of course we have to witness Veronica clinging on to the love she has for Seth, even as he monstrously evolves into Brundlefly.Drink deep, or taste not the plasma springSome sequences are truly vile, I remember vividly people leaving the cinema during one particularly gross moment, the horror elements in the piece do not disappoint the genre faithful.
The best thing about the movie is that he didn't turn into a fly straight away after he left the machine; he was slowly throughout the whole film which really created the suspense & the tensive mood.It is a remake and a hi-tech update of the 1958 classic and is David Cronenberg's biggest hit to date, granting Jeff Goldblum his finest role as the teleported monster hybrid and granting an Oscar for its gruesomely icky special effects.
Geena Davis does well as the love interest (though I was never really a fan, she does a GREAT job here and is 100% believable in an underrated performance), but it's Goldblum's gradual metamorphosis into Brundlefly that makes THE FLY worth seeing.
In his remake, Cronenberg piles the eye popping, jaw-dropping, and stomach-churning effects on the top of each other as the body of the unfortunate, mad but brilliant scientist (Jeff Goldblum in the role of his life I've never seen him better) is hideously distorted and he is losing his humanity turning into the insect of the title.
While most of his films are marked by a cold, detached tone, Cronenberg finds a classical despair within the characters of Seth Brundle (Goldblum), a fidgety scientist who invents a teleportation device, and Veronica (Davis), a reporter for a scientific journal who follows his progress.
The chemistry he and Davis share is something truly rare in the horror genre, which gives "The Fly" its transcendent tone; Cronenberg offers a story with humanity, jelled with a metaphor of human decay, and brilliant special effects that assist in bringing this fantastic tale to life.
Movie Review: "The Fly" (1986)20th Century Fox and Director David Cronenberg present the ultimate Horror Film.
Based on a truly remarkable love story between inventor Seth Brundle, performed by down-to-every-beat actor Jeff Goldblum, and journalist Veronica Quaife in perfect-matching actress Geena Davis, create two reality-rooted believable characters in a terrifying scenario, recalling the brilliance of "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein", where the creator becomes literally the monster he has created in a further stake-raising triangle romance, supporting portrayal by actor John Getz as the journalist's boss Stathis Borans accompanied with an emotional underlining score by Howard Shore and crystal-clear sound design, which nobody will leave cold due to a constant suspense-triggering image system.This 90 minutes motion picture brings filmmaking to excellency, where any department has been thought through from detail-eyed production design by Carol Spier over highly disciplined cinematography by Mark Irwin to creature and special make-up effects by Chris Walas and his associates, who under David Cronenberg's relentless empathetic direction produce one of the best works of their careers, in congenial simplistic screenstory of the protagonist, developing a procedure to teleport firstly objects as the following more desirable organic subject as self-teleportation between to points in space, given the leading cast opportunities to follow their characters' arc of life-work-leisure-fulfillment to an uncompromised, shocking conclusion, which seeks its equal in motion picture history.© 2017 Felix Alexander Dausend (Cinemajesty Entertainment LLC).
This film places its focuses on eccentric scientist Seth Brundle (played by Jeff Goldblum) who hopes to revolutionize technology of his new teleportation machine, which he uses to grab the attention of a cute journalist Vanessa (played by Geena Davis).
The whole transformation from Seth Brundle to Brundlefly is just exceptional, and I mean that both in terms of the special effects and make-up applied to Jeff Goldblum, but also in the way that the character started to behave and the skills he acquired from the transformation.Then there are some outstanding performances to be witnessed in the movie.
I also felt that the movie's strongest point didn't lie in the special effects or reworked story, but the simple psychology of seeing "Brundle" not turned into a fly instantously, but fusing with it on a genetic level, to watch him slowly turn into a creature the world has never seen.
Chuck Russell's 1988 version of The Blob was a hugely entertaining romp from a director who clearly loved the genre; John Carpenter's The Thing oozed with atmosphere and pushed make-up FX to a new level; but it was David Cronenberg's re-imagining of The Fly which really proved that a skilled director blessed with a unique vision could turn a remake into a masterpiece.Cronenberg keeps the basic plot from the Vincent Price classic—a scientist experimenting with teleportation becomes horribly disfigured after his body is accidentally merged with that of a housefly—but discards the silly notion of a man sporting a massive fly head and arm.
Instead, the director once again indulges his obsession with 'the flesh', and has his protagonist suffer a much more gradual fate: in the days following his seemingly successful experiment, genius Seth Brundle (a wonderfully eccentric Jeff Goldblum) gradually transforms into a monstrous creature as his body struggles to fuse his own DNA with that of the fly.In addition to losing his looks, bits of his body, his ability to digest, and eventually his mind, Brundle also has to cope with the possibility of losing girlfriend Veronica Quaife (Geena Davis), who is pregnant with his child.
When madness finally takes control of Seth, and his transformation into 'Brundlefly' is almost complete, the scientist abducts Veronica as she attempts to abort her pregnancy, takes her home to his lab, and pushes her into one of his teleportation pods, his intention being to merge himself with Veronica and their unborn child, thus creating the ultimate family.A superb central performance from Goldblum, whose quirky, individualistic acting style is perfect for such an unusual role, is perfectly complemented by the equally unique Davis, and solid support is given from John Getz as Veronica's loathsome ex-boyfriend Stathis Borans.
Amongst the revolting sights on offer are a very painful looking broken arm inflicted by Seth during a show of strength in a bar, a quivering inside-out baboon (one of Seth's earlier mistakes), and the Brundlefly vomiting corrosive liquid onto Stathis' hand and foot.If I was going to nitpick, I might argue that baboons seem like an unnecessarily dangerous test animal for Brundle to work with (but then again, maybe they had a special on baboons at the pet store) and the scientist's uncanny ability to program a computer to recognise the poetry of flesh (as he puts it) comes a little too easy, but these are minor niggles and do very little to spoil the film as a whole.With Hollywood currently showing no sign of slowing down the remake production line, perhaps those responsible should take a look at The Fly to remind themselves how the job should be done properly..
The acting is in effect much better than anyone would expect (Jeff Goldblum's performance is truly remarkable, I personally started liking him after watching this one), plus director David Cronenberg managed to transform original film from 1958 by the same title from common sci-fi low-budgeted flick to well illustrated journey into human flesh (Kafka's influence is pretty evident).
From George Lagelaan's short story, David Cronenberg jettisonned all the characters,except the hero who is younger and a bachelor.Gone is the family,gone is the sheet on the monster's head,we had in the faithful Neumann version(1956).He only kept the "incident":the fly in the machine.Thanks to Jeff Goldblum's strange face,his remake is convincing ,focusing on the psychological aspect.The mutation is impressive,but does not sacrifice the emotion to special effects.
David Cronenberg's "The Fly" is the remake of 1958 Vincent Price semi-classic.It is actually better than the original.The film mixes love story with shocking horror.Geena Davis is amazing as the reporter Veronica Quaife,Jeff Goldblum's performance as the scientist Seth Brundle is also flawless.The make up effects are incredible and there are some great gross-outs throughout the film.Director Cronenberg has a small cameo in this film as the gynecologist who delivers a "baby".The film was followed by a pretty lame sequel "The Fly 2",which was directed by the man who won the best Make Up Oscar for this film,Chris Walas..
But this is all relative really, as The Fly remains a fantastic work and one of the very best horror or sci-fi films from the 80's.The story focuses for the most part on a research scientist called Seth Brundle and science magazine reporter.
This remake of the 1950's 'B' Movie horror classic concentrates on the character's and the science fiction storyline way more then the horror and it is a great film because of this.Jeff Goldblum stars as a brilliant scientist who is working on a machine that can teleport matter across space, and he invites a young female journalist (Geena Davis) to document the final stages as he tries to perfect it so it can transport living tissue.When he accidentally mixes his own DNA with that of a fly he begins to mutate into something far more vile and disgusting then your average house fly.8/10.
One of the most mainstream David Cronenberg films the Fly is considered a cult classic today and rightly so- featuring a stunning turn by Jeff Goldblum and ably supported by Geena Davis(who were married back then) the Fly is a remake of an earlier film but is a massive improvement.
One of the most mainstream David Cronenberg films the Fly is considered a cult classic today and rightly so- featuring a stunning turn by Jeff Goldblum and ably supported by Geena Davis(who were married back then) the Fly is a remake of an earlier film but is a massive improvement.
Jeff Goldblum as the crazy scientist who starts transforming into a fly is great here as is Geena Davies as the reporter turned lover.
Jeff Goldblum as the crazy scientist who starts transforming into a fly is great here as is Geena Davies as the reporter turned lover.
A great horror movie needs a great score and the Fly has a great score portraying the tone of the story perfectly.Jeff Goldblum gives one of the truly quintessential lead performances in his role of Seth Brundle- from his nerdy, awkward beginnings to his horrific demise in the final third.
All of those elements make The Fly one of the finest remakes of all-time that is David Cronenberg at his best.The Fly tells the story of an eccentric scientist Seth Brundle(Jeff Goldblum)who has made transportation pods that can transfer anyone and anything from one place to another.
While The Fly is a SCI-FI/Horror film it's other things too it's a character study,a love story(in it's own way)and a sad tragedy told in Cronenberg's style with claustrophobia and dread.
Fantastic Special Make-up Effects.In final word,if you love David Cronenberg,Jeff Goldblum,Horror or SCI-FI,I highly suggest you see The Fly,an excellent,terrifying and unforgettable Hrror classic that you will never forget.
The Fly (1986) *** 1/2 (out of 4)Reporter Veronica Quaife (Genna Davis) goes back to the lab of scientist Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum) who claims to be working on something that will change human kind.
But, as things start happening to his body, Seth discovers a fly was also in the teleporter when he tested it out which has resulted in him slowly turning into a human/fly hybrid.I'm not the biggest David Cronenberg fan but I do enjoy many of his films, none more so than this excellent remake of the 1950s classic The Fly. It's not as charming or colorful as the original due to the different eras in which they were made. |
tt1216487 | Flickan som lekte med elden | Note: this is the sequel to The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Repace) wakes up after having a violent dream about being raped by her guardian, Nils Bjurman (Peter Andersson) (from the previous movie). She is currently living in St. George in the Caribbean and then goes to a meeting with her accountant who discusses the inheritance Lisbeth received from her recently deceased mother after funeral costs and the purchase of a house in Stockholm. She hacks Bjurman's account and sees he has scheduled a doctors appointment. She flies home to Sweden.In Stockholm, a messenger working for an unnamed employer visits Bjurman looking for a police report on Lisbeth. He tells her he will make a copy of his files and tells the messenger that Lisbeth is still abroad. The messenger drives him home and tells Bjurman he will be in touch. Lisbeth is watching from the trees and prepares to break into his house. As he sleeps, Lisbeth goes to his desk and looks for something. She finds a gun in his desk and points it at him asking about the files. She tells him that as long as his reports say she's well behaved, she won't send their movie (of Bjurman raping her) to every newspaper in the country. She makes it clear that if she dies, the tape gets released. And if he tries to remove the tattoos she gave him for the rape, she will give him worse ones.Bjurman makes a deal: the DVD recording of the rape for files on her. Lisbeth goes to her new apartment and starts work on it.Meanwhile, reporter Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) is at meeting with a co-owner of Millenium and part time lover, Erika Berger (Lena Endre). She asks about Lisbeth but Blomkvist claims that he hasn't heard from her in over a year. He learns that a new journalist, named Dag Svensson, has been hired to write a piece on human sex trafficking. Dag's girlfriend, Mia, helps him come up with the subject through her work as a researcher on gender and criminology. Mia focuses on the girls and Dag focuses on customers. He has traced it to members of the government. He hasn't confronted the people the expose is on. Blomkvist warns him that they need to check facts and Dag assures him the documentation is water-proof. The editors are all in agreement and decide to take Dag on for two months. They are taking a risk but they all agree it's worth it.A man named Sandstrom is having sex with a woman tied to a bed. He walks out and finds himself surrounded by three men in leather jackets who have a job for him.Lisbeth visits her sometimes-girlfriend, Miriam 'Mimmi' Wu (whom was glimpsed briefly in the previous movie as the girl in bed with Lisbeth when Blomkvist met her for the first time). They talk and Lisbeth gives Mimmi her apartment to stay in. The two of them have lesbian sex. Afterwards Mimmi gives Lisbeth a birthday present: a silver plated cigarette case.A few days later, Dag meets up with Mia for coffee. She presents him with a published copy of her sex trafficking doctorate and he kisses her. He reads it and calls Blomkvist while he is at a family picnic with his sister. He wants to hold off publishing the story until he hunts down a lead named Zala that Mia refers to as Anton in her doctorate. Blomkvist doesnt want to incorporate new leads at the last minute but Dag offers to messenger the information to him. Blomkvist tells him he'll be right over and drives to meet him.When Blomkvist arrives he finds Dag and Mia dead. Both shot through the head. He calls the police and they find a weapon registered to Bjurman. The police go to his apartment and find the gun... along with Bjurman's body. The police find Lisbeth's fingerprints on the weapon and immediately make her suspect number one.Meanwhile, Lisbeth visits her former employer Dragan Armanskij at Merrin Security. He offers her a job but Lisbeth tells him that she's been travelling. She tells him that she doesn't know why she didn't say goodbye but Armanskij tells her that she doesn't really care about people at all. He tells her that Blomkvist has been calling the office and asking for her. Her former guardian, Holger Palmgren, has also been calling and Lisbeth is shocked to learn he is alive.Lisbeth visits Palmgren at the hospice where he is recovering and feeds him. He asks her how things are with the new guardian and she assures him that he's O.K. He tells her he feels like he has got old and silly. They joke around.The next day, Lisbeth sees the wanted posters of her and hides out in her new fancy apartment that nobody knows about, which she purchased with her stolen money (which she aquired in the Wennerström affair in the previous movie) and lists it under the shell corporation called Wasp Enterprises. She hacks into Blomkvist's computer and sends him a message to let him know that she is innocent. She urges him to find a man named 'Zala'. Blomkvist works to locate Lisbeth but only manages to find her former boxing trainer, Paulo.Lisbeth and Blomkvist track down their own leads to try and find Zala. As Blomkvist tracks down Dag's informants to confront them, Lisbeth hunts down Sandstrom at his house and threatens to kill him if he doesn't help her. He tells her that Zala makes sure all members are loyal and recounts a tale of how Niedermann and his men killed a man in front of him snapping his neck to teach Sandstrom a lesson. Lisbeth hears Sandstrom's daughter enter and leaves Sandstrom weeping with a noose around his neck.Paulo offers to pay Lisbeth's girlfriend and visit to help Blomkvist find Lisbeth. He goes to find Mimmi only to find her being strong armed into a car by a blonde thug named Niedermann. He follows Niedermann's car to the countryside and finds them in a barn. Niedermann is brutally beating Mimmi asking for Lisbeth's location. Paulo fights Niedermann to protect Mimmi. The two duke it out but Paulo's hits don't really do anything. Niedermann knocks Paulo out. Niedermann sets the barn on fire leaving the two to die. Paulo and Mimmi barely make it out alive.Lisbeth hears about Mimmi's attack and pays her a visit in the hospital. She apologizes to Mimmi and leaves but leaves her new apartment keys behind. Blomkvist visits Mimmi and she gives him the keys so that he can get into Lisbeth's apartment. Mimmi tells Blomkvist that the man who beat her was large and blonde, confirming a police sketch and then allows Blomkvist to leave. He goes straight to Lisbeth's apartment and sets off the alarm. Lisbeth remotely deactivates it and allows him to enter.Lisbeth watches Niedermann's post office box and sees who goes to collect the mail. She follows him to a small house in the rural village of Gossberga, several miles to the southwest of Stockholm. She prepares to sneak into the house, but is knocked out by Niedermann.Meanwhile, Blomkvist looks through Lisbeth's apartment but realizes she isn't there. He checks her laptop computer that she left behind and watches the video of Bjurman raping Lisbeth. He leaves the apartment and goes to the Millenium office where he meets up with Paulo. Paulo tells him about the fight with Niedermann and points out his conclusion: Niedermann is incapable of feeling pain. They research Niedermann and find out he works for a company owned by Karl Boden. They forward what they find to the police and go to find Lisbeth.When Lisbeth comes to, she is sitting on a sofa in front of a horribly disfigured old man. It is Zalachenko, Lisbeth's father. It is explained that Lisbeth set Zalachenko on fire when he beat her mother. He ridicules her rape at the hands of Bjurman and mocks Lisbeth's mother, calling her a common whore. Bjurman wanted to kill Lisbeth but he also knew some of Zalachenko's secrets, so he had Bjurman killed and Lisbeth framed for the murder as well as the two other killings of Dag and Mia. Since he's nothing but a poor old invalid, no one will prosecute him for the crimes committed. He then reveals that Niedermann is Lisbeth's half brother from a tryst he had with a Swedish woman while hiding out in netural Sweden after World War II.Niedermann and Zalachenko take her to a shallow grave. She tells him that the police will be on their way and that everything he said in the last hour has been published online. He takes her cell phone and looks at it and calls it a bluff. Lisbeth throws dirt in Niedermann's eyes and hits his gun hand with the shovel before running away. Zalachenko shoots Lisebeth in her right leg, then her right shoulder, and in the head as she runs away and then orders Niedermann to bury Lisbeth who is probally dead. They return to the house after burying her.The next morning, Blomkvist is looking at a map on the side of the road and changes course, realizing he is going the wrong way.Meanwhile, at the farm, Lisbeth (despite being critcially wounded with a bullet in her head) digs her way out of her own grave using the silver cigarette case Mimmi gave her. Zalachenko picks up a gun when he hears a noise outside and goes to see what is going on in his barn. He finds the door open and looks around for the source. As he looks around he is hit in the side of the head with an axe, splitting his skull. Lisbeth than rams the axe into his leg. Niedermann hears his father's screams and goes to find him. He sees his father with an axe in his leg and then sees Lisbeth with Zalachenko's gun in her hand. Niedermann turns and runs as Lisbeth shoots at him, missing each time.Blomkvist pulls into the house and sees Niedermann leaving the scene. Blomkvist runs to the bloodied Lisbeth who crawls out of the barn and collapses. He caresses the wound on her head and tells her that he's here for her. She passes out from blood loss.Police arrive at the scene as do ambulances. A helicopter arrives to med-evac Lisbeth and Zalachenko to the hospital. Blomkvist watches as she is taken away. The helicopter flies the injured away from the farm house. | mystery, murder, violence, flashback, action, revenge | train | imdb | Salander has lost some of her mysterious goth charm, and the sex trafficking theme is only touched very softly, turning the movie into a regular investigation with a familiar cast of characters.The movie is worth watching, but it's my impression that you should rather read the book first, to get a much deeper insight in the great novel..
There's an important detail about the film version of The Girl Who Played with Fire (in fact, of the whole Millennium trilogy) that needs to be known in order to understand why some (myself included) perceive this as the most flawed installment in the series: originally, all three adaptations were shot for Swedish television, with six 90-minute episodes condensing Stieg Larsson's remarkable prose.
In the case of the second film, 60 minutes went missing in the TV-to-cinema transition, and it shows.Picking up from the first episode, we catch up with Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) enjoying his newfound freedom and restored reputation, while troubled hacker Lisbeth Salander keeps mostly to herself.
Evidence points to Salander being the killer, and with no way to defend herself she ends up on the run, desperate to prove her innocence, while Mikael tries to help her as much as he can from the office, eventually realizing he's in much bigger trouble than last time.Based on the summary alone, The Girl Who played with Fire should be as great a thriller as its predecessor.
That it isn't is essentially up to a couple of factors: firstly, new director Daniel Alfredson (brother of Let the Right One In's Tomas), who replaced Niels Arden Oplev for the last two bits of the trilogy, occasionally fails to capture the same raw atmosphere as in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo; secondly, the aforementioned removal of one hour's worth of footage makes the whole thing feel a bit rushed, particularly in regards to new characters who are hastily introduced and then dispatched just as quickly.
There are rumors of a possible Oscar campaign for her work in the trilogy (though if they had to single out a specific installment, the logical choice would be The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), and she really deserves it, not least for her ability to show off her dramatic skills even in a moment as irrelevant as a gratuitous girl-on-girl scene (again, faithful to the book) that has clearly been added to compensate for occasional shaky plot points.In short, The Girl Who Played with Fire is a great acting lesson and a fun thriller, but little more.
The success of the first movie keeps us interested in these characters and their story, so the movie still works although some of the original magic is missing.The film picks up one year after the first one left us and Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) is back working at Millennium with his crew: Erika Berger (Lena Endre) and Malin Erikson (Sofia Ledarp).
Mikael knows Lisbeth is innocent and begins investigating some of the people involved in the ring, while she does some investigating of her own uncovering some dark secrets of her past while trying to stay hidden from the police.It is hard to review this movie on its own, unlike the first one because that one had a decent ending in itself, but this second part serves more as a bridge to the third film then it does on its own.
This is the Swedish-language film adaptation of the second of the three "Millennium" crime novels by the Swedish journalist Stieg Larsson and it's really essential that one sees "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" first because vital themes are continued.
Most middle segments of trilogies lack the bright originality of the first and the satisfying denouement of the last, but this one will certainly hold your attention until the girl kicks the hornet's nest.In this central segment, Lisbeth Salander (the mesmerising Noomi Rapace) is much more central to the narrative and indeed she and investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) are only physically together for moments, although often in electronic communication and always in emotional connection.The criminality being investigated by the "Millennium" team is more woman-hating in the form of sex trafficking and again the plot contains some surprises but this time the villains are reminiscent of Bond baddies like Blofeld and Jaws.
The whole movie feels like an expanded "Wallender" episode from the Swedish police-detective TV mystery series.* "The Girl Who Played With Fire" gave us seemingly straightforward 'facts' as the multiple characters uncover - likened to a 'treasure hunt' (or musical chairs, if you so inclined from the number game of the targets by the villains) vs.
Before the start of the GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE, we were introduced in the cinema (Cineworld, Haymarket) to the films Director DANIEL ALFREDSON - who was kind enough to give us a talk on the background to the film – which is the second film based on the late Steig Larsson's "Millennium" trilogy of books (the first being THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, and the third being THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET'S NEST).The director explained how the three films were made back-to-back over a year, and how it was he himself that directed the final two films – which are effectively the same mega-story split over two films.
He also told us of how it was working with the main actors and especially Noomi Rapace and how she had learnt kick-boxing, self defence and motorbike riding all to get in shape for the film.The director also mentioned a bit about the late author Steig Larsson – and his life, and the background to the Millennium trilogy of books.
and was much appreciated by the audience ...The GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE starts with a flashback sequence to the first movie THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, and the story then resumes, when Lisbeth Salander (NOOMI RAPACE) has just returned to Sweden after a year in exile.Meanwhile, Mikael Blomkvist (MICHAEL NYQVIST), the publisher of Millennium magazine, has made his living exposing the crooked and corrupt practise's of establishment Swedish figures.
Mikael's initial impetus to investigate one of the biggest breaking stories of sex trafficking trade in Sweden amongst those in high office is soon taking second place, when here hears of the accusations of Lisbeth being accused of murder – and he then embarks on a mission to clear her name.Mikael and Lisbeth are effectively after the same goal, but they are coming at the solution from two different directions, Mikael through dogged determination and legwork, and Lisbeth a very talented computer hacker, coming from a more "involved" viewpoint in a savage world where rules and boundaries don't apply.The more the intriguing story unfolds, the more you find out the secrets from Lisbeth's past – it's like unpeeling an onion only to find more and more hidden underneath – each additional layer building her into one of the most fascinating, multi-dimensional lead female characters for many years – a role brilliantly played by Noomi Rapace.The direction (DANIEL ALFREDSON) and narrative work really well and it is a strong cast throughout.
It is good to know that the same director is also responsible for part three of the trilogy – so we know it will be in good capable hands.Credit should also be given to the other actors especially Micke Spreitz as Ronald Niedermann – about as nasty a film goon as you are going to come across, Peter Andersson as Lisbeth's twisted evil guardian Nils Bjurman, and Georgi Staykov as the mysterious "Zala".If you liked The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (and many did), then you'll be sure to like The Girl Who Played With Fire.
It's a fast-paced, tough, smart and exciting movie and its living, breathing soul is the enticing character of Lisbeth Salander, played by the amazing Noomi Rapace.The movie picks up right where the last movie left off, so in order to understand and enjoy it fully, you either need to have read Men Who Hate Women (aka Girl With a Dragon Tattoo, aka Millennium 1)or seen the previous movie.
The Girl Who Played With FireTo be fair, the only time a girl ever plays with fire is when she's firebombing her cheating ex- boyfriend's vehicle.And while the girl in this mystery isn't exacting revenge on an old flame, she is lighting a fire under someone's ass.When computer hacker Lisbeth (Noomi Rapace) is accused of murdering a journalist covering a sex trafficking story, she finds herself eluding authorities and a cicatrized face from her past.Coming to her aid is her old lover Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist), a colleague of the deceased, who not only wants to help Lisbeth but also finish his associate's investigation.The sequel to The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire is as thrilling and unsettling as its predecessor.Despite the fact that Lisbeth and Blomkvist's relationship is hardly mentioned, much is revealed about the formers' traumatic upbringing.Besides, hackers aren't the ones killing journalists
bloggers are.
In case you're not already aware, the films based on Stieg Larsson's best-selling Millennium Trilogy books are released here in successive months, from The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo in August, followed by The Girl who Played with Fire this month, and then concluding with The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest in October.
While I had enjoyed the first installment tremendously, being a great introduction to fascinating characters, especially the titular girl Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace), and having an aged old mystery to solve, the same cannot be said of this one, which like most middle films of a trilogy, find it hard to live up to the first film's billing, and leaving things open for the third film to wrap up.The Girl Who Played with Fire picked up where the previous film left off, and had some fine touches to link elements back to its predecessor where Lisbeth revisits her corrupt guardian Nils Bjurman (Peter Andersson) to remind him that she's still keeping tabs, and threatening him with his own gun should he remove the tattoo she left on him.
However it is undeniable that the top draw for the Millennium Trilogy is the tattooed hacker Lisbeth, and Noomi Rapace gets a gorgeous amount of screen time to get to showcase her nuanced performance, as well as to delve deeper into her abused character, through a hidden past that will link up to the present day case, in some way.The villains here may not seem quite as menacing from those in the first installment, other than an extremely strong man who's impervious to pain (quite clichéd), and a handicapped senior citizen both of whom have links to Lisbeth's past.
Daniel Alfredson takes a more mainstream approach to filming and story telling and, of course, he loses the element of surprise we enjoyed in "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo".With Noomi Rapace and Michael Nyqvist back as Lisbeth and Mikael Blomkvist respectively, it certainly helps to have seen the first film to fill in the character development that this one assumes.
OK, I loved the first installment of the Millennium trilogy although I thought it was sometimes clumsy but this second episode is awful.Lisbeth is not as mysterious as before, the cinematography and the editing have the quality of a cheap soap opera (honestly have they been filming with a camcorder with their feet?), the mise en scene makes any Nollywood film (Nigerian cheap version of Hollywood for those who never seen those brilliant terrible films) looks like Citizen Kane, even the sets looks like they've been made by a class of 4 years old kids and the acting (well except for the two main protagonists who are clearly trying their best).I mean with a story like that, I could they get it so wrong?
Now that I know all about Larsson - he reported on slimy deeds in Sweden's high finance before dying of a heart attack at the age of fifty - "The Girl Who Played with Fire" ("Flickan som lekte med elden" in its native Swedish) doesn't have the same impact as the first installment, but it's still worth seeing.In this one, journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) has to clear Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) of murder, all in the midst of an investigation into human trafficking.
Michael Nyquist's character is slightly relegated to the role of the classical seeker of truth, but his acting is still so good that I continue to be concerned about Daniel Craig taking over his role in the Hollywood version in-making (although I like the actor and I believe he deserves and can make much better than a Bond).Maybe the secret of the magnetic force of these films is that faced with the most sordid vice or violence or put under the darkest physical or psychological threats the heroes created by Stieg Larsson remain without doubt human.
Even though I liked The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo very much, I wanted to keep my expectations for The Girl Who Played With Fire low, because at being a sequel I considered that it was not going to equal the innovation from the first film, or that it was going to repeat the fascinating development of the relationship between the two main characters.And even though that I was right on both things, I have to admit that The Girl Who Played With Fire is a solid movie on its own, with an ingenious and complex screenplay and with a good atmosphere of suspense.The central mystery from The Girl Who Played With Fire might be a bit more conventional than the one from The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, but that does not avoid it from being a very interesting film.And I have to mention that you should definitely see the first film before watching this sequel, not only to appreciate the dynamic between the two main characters more, but also to understand the motivation from characters who occasionally act against any common sense.I think that The Girl Who Played With Fire fulfills with its intention of enriching the narrative from the first movie by introducing new characters and enough revelations which genuinely make it a continuation, without losing the attention of the subjects which had already been established.The Girl Who Played With Fire kept me interested the whole time, but I understand why some people could find it boring, because the methodic rhythm from this film can be translated as parsimony, because the movie tells the mystery from the screenplay without any unnecessary melodrama or forced clichés.Sure, there are some fight and some action scenes, but they are not used to satisfy commercial requirements, but to serve as integral parts from the screenplay.So, you do not have to expect a Hollywood style action film, but a tense thriller with the taste of European "old school".As for the leading actors, Noomi Rapace and Michael Nyqvist back to bring excellent performances in this sequel; as for the supporting cast, I liked the performances from Lena Endre, Per Oscarsson and specially, Mikael Spreitz.On the negative side from this film, I have to mention some forced coincidences in the story, some scenes which do not seem to totally fit in the movie and an instance of the classic "talkative villain", who is always useful to tie the loose ends from the screenplay.Nevertheless, despite those fails, The Girl Who Played With Fire ended up being better than I expected, and I liked it pretty much, so I think it is worthy of a recommendation..
Journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) and hacker Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) return in this sequel to The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.
I really enjoyed THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO (both film versions and the novel) but the second tale of Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist wasn't as intriguing.
After seeing The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, which I really enjoyed, I feel obliged to see out this trilogy and so went to see the second part.It is a good film and as a thriller it works very well.
The sequel to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and second chapter in the Millennium Trilogy, The Girl Who Played with Fire does lack the brutal intensity, sinister ambiance & sustained thrills of the original and is a definite tumble down the road but thanks to another excellent input from Noomi Rapace, this sequel isn't a complete disaster.Based on Stieg Larsson's novel of the same name, The Girl Who Played with Fire continues the story of Lisbeth Salander as she finds herself accused of murdering three people & goes on the run to evade arrest.
excerpt, full review at my location - Lisbeth Salander returns in the second part of Stieg Larsson's 'Millennium Trilogy', continuing the story that began with the hugely successful The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.
The other two books were adapted at the same time, but for Swedish television and edited into films.A year after the events of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) is living in Caribbean after stealing a fortune from a corrupt business tycoon.
This, the second of the 'Millennium Trilogy, sees the return of Lisbeth Salander and investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist and if you haven't seen 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' you are likely to be confused as to what is going on as plot details related to events in that film aren't explained.
The second film in the trilogy is a well-made crime/thriller/mystery that rises above average thanks to very good acting from Noomi Rapace and Michael Nyqvist as Lisbeth and Blomkvist as well as from the actors playing new characters in the life of the girl who was not afraid to play with fire.
I found Lisbeth one of most interesting and fascinating movie characters I've seen on screen lately and I am sure that even after watching the last film in the series and learning more about her past, I'll be reading the books with interest. |
tt0171363 | The Haunting | The Haunting (1999) is a remake of the 1963 film, "The Haunting."The movie starts with Eleanor "Nell" Vance (Lili Taylor) arguing with her sister over the house which her recently deceased mother, whom Nell took care of for 11 years, left her sister in the will. After her sister gives her her mother's car, Nell orders her sister, brother-in-law, and nephew to leave. Once she's alone she finds an ad in the local newspaper asking for volunteers to take part in a study on insomnia at an old New England mansion, which Nell decides to join.Elsewhere we find Dr. Marrow (Liam Neeson) discussing with his assistant Mary over which volunteers he should use for his study, which he explains is actually an experiment on how people react to fear.Once Nell arrives at Hill House, she argues politely with Mr. Dudley the caretaker to let her in. After minutes of arguing she finally enters through the gates of Hill House where at the door she finds Mr. Dudley's wife Mrs. Dudley. As Nell makes her way to her room, it's clear that she's instantly drawn to the house.Moments later Theo (Catherine Zeta-Jones) arrives and gives Nell with an awkward homophobic reaction. After the two get to know each other a little better, they both go downstairs and explore, and find the carousel room, then they return to the main entrance and meet Luke (Owen Wilson) Dr. Marrow, and his two assistants Mary and Todd. Once they get to dinner they discuss insomnia issues and find out more about each other, and learn what they'd be doing for the next few days. After dinner, Dr. Marrow leads his guests to a room to tell everyone the story of Hill House and how Hugh Crain had built it for his wife and wished desperately for children, which all died at birth. After Dr. Marrow tells the story his assistant Mary talks about how she can feel the evil everywhere and that there's more to the story. As she goes up to examine the piano one of the strings snaps and cuts her, causing her and Todd to leave for the remainder of the movie.As everyone gets ready for bed Dr. Marrow tells Luke about how Hugh Crain's wife had killed herself, in order to scare Luke. Once upstairs Luke occupies himself with a book and a candy dispenser, while Theo tries to get closer to Nell, and Nell reluctantly asks to go to bed. As Nell and Theo are in bed, Luke decides to wander around, and is met be Dr. Marrow, who decides to talk for a while. As everything calms down for the night Nell is startled by a screaming Theo, in response to a constant mysterious banging on the walls. Nell and Theo cower as Luke rushes to see what the screaming is, although he was unaware of any banging.The next morning everyone tries to talk things out, but Dr. Marrow assures everyone the coldness and noises were all due to the old plumbing.The next night as Nell is asleep the movie encounters it's first visual samples of paranormal activity, and Nell is encountered by ghostly figures taking forms through the bed sheets and curtains.As Nell and Luke are filling out papers for Dr. Marrows research, Luke confides in Nell that Dr. Marrow must be up to something and that he would get to the bottom of things. Luke soon wanders off talking about Theo leaving Nell alone, where she experiences more paranormal events. Everyone quickly rushes in to see what was wrong and finds Nell scared, and concerned over what was happening in the house. While Dr. Marrow and Luke looked around to see what might have startled Eleanor look comes to a frightening observation that the large portrait of Hugh Crain had been vandalized with blood reading, "Welcome Home Eleanor." Eleanor is appalled at the writing and demands to know who did it, but no one confesses, leaving tension between the characters.The group soon makes their way to the green room where they find a large unstable spiral staircase, and a fountain containing a large statue of Hugh Craine, and some more statues of a women surrounded by 6 children.As another night comes we find Nell sleeping, but she is soon awakened by some more sounds. As she looks around she finds a trail of bloody foot prints leading her to a hidden library. In the library she finds logs of hundreds of children that Hugh Craine must have taken in to his house, finding that many of them had actually died working for Hugh Crain. She goes to tell Theo, but Theo doesn't believe what Nell tells her, and goes back to bed.Once Eleanor is alone she starts to brush her hair, but when she stops her hair parts on it's own, and Eleanor is deeply frightened once more.The next morning Nell finds Dr. Marrow's studies, and learns what the experiment actually is. She also finds out that he's interpreting her behavior as delusional.In the statue garden Luke talks to Theo and seems to have also figured out what Dr. Marrow was doing, but when they encounter Nell, she expresses that it's not Dr. Marrow doing everything to the house, and that it's indeed ghosts. She then insists that home is where the heart is. When Nell looks up she sees Hugh Crain's wife hanging, but no one else sees it leading everyone to think even more that Eleanor is mentally unstable and should go home. Nell rushes to the library and finds pictures of Hugh Crain's wife whispering for her to check the fire place. In the fire place Nell finds a skeleton that comes to life causing Nell to run away, following the voices of children. She tries to go through a door but is punched by a hand that formed from the door and soon disappeared.Eleanor rushes to the rest of the group and concludes that Hugh Crain took children from the town to work at the mills then never let them go. As she tells this to Theo, Luke, and Dr. Marrow, they conclude that she's going crazy from emotional distress and fear.As Theo tries talking to Dr. Marrow about her, she finds that they're in an experiment to study reactions to fear, and becomes furious at what the experiment had done to Nell.Once Nell's in bed and Theo finishes comforting her and leaves to bring her tea, the walls form the shape of a face, and everything starts falling apart around her. She runs out and looks in the mirror to see Mrs. Crain's face, and then runs away again to the carousel room. She's then extremely frightened and runs to the green room.Theo, Luke, and Dr. Marrow go searching for Nell and finally come to the green room to find Nell climbing the spiral stair case. Dr. Marrow goes to save her, but the stairway starts to unhinge, causing Dr. Marrow to desperately and quickly bring Nell to safety.Dr. Marrow goes to the green room to examine and take notes, and is grabbed by the statue of Hugh Crain, which them starts to fountain out blood. He runs to Theo and Luke, to go check on Eleanor.Eleanor's bed cages her in metal beams, and Theo, Luke, and Dr. Marrow desperately try to get in to help. Once they get in everyone else finally observes the paranormal aspects of Hill House for the first time. As soon as they get Nell out they try to leave, but Hill House makes sure that there's no way of escaping. Nell then runs back to the house knowing that she's meant to save the children.Everyone runs in looking for her, so they can leave, and they finally find her. Even after Theo tries to compromise with letting her by letting her live with her, Nell refuses to leave until she saves the children. Luke, Theo, and Dr. Marrow still try to escape now that they can't leave the house, but can't find anyway out. Luke then falls into the fire place, and as he's trying to get out he gets decapitated by a stone lion. The house is now coming to life, and everything that can is trying to attack the current occupants.Finally the ghost of Hugh Crain comes out for a final battle, but as his ghost is being sent to the walls Eleanor goes along with it crashing her body against the stone door. She then falls to the ground dying. As Nell dies the children's spirits are release along with her's.The movie ends with the Dudleys returning and a final shot of the house | dark, psychological, haunting | train | imdb | When I first heard news of a remake of Robert Wise's 1963 film, "The Haunting", I had a fear that it would be ruined by an abundance of summer-movie sized visual effects.
Surely, with such a talented cast intact...De Bont and company will not ruin a film, who's original was a fantastic and frightening movie that understood the delicate art of subtlety.
The "test subjects" that arrive include Eleanor (Lili Taylor), a hard-working woman who has had little success in life, Theo (Catherine Zeta-Jones), an adventuress and proclaimed bi-sexual, and Luke (Owen Wilson), an all-around jokester.On the first night in the mansion, Eleanor and Theo hear thundering sounds in the walls, but pass it off as a problem in the plumbing.
Rather than going for subtle chills or all-out shocks like in House on Haunted Hill, Jan De Bont prefers to rely everything on the special effects, which really are rather unconvincing, particularly the statues that come to life and the CGI ghosts.It even manages to get worse.
But everything gets positively ridiculous in the last ten minutes, as we find out evil ghosts like to play hide-and-seek and smash things up real good.The blame should fall on director Jan De Bont and writer David Self.
It's a pity that Lili Taylor's performance, which was decent at first, turned to borderline camp by the finale.With nary a true scare in sight, The Haunting should best be seen by those who are scared easily or special effects fans.
Pretty Darn Bad. For movie fans who have never heard of the book (Shirley Jackson's "The Haunting of Hill House") and have never seen the 1963 Robert Wise production with Julie Harris, this remake will seem pretty darn bad.For those of us who have, it is just plain awful.Bad acting (what was Neeson thinking?), goofy computer enhancements, and a further move away from Jackson's story doom this remake.Do yourself a favor and rent the original movie.
The Haunting is a film that boasts a really creepy house, good effects work and sound work, a cast that seems to believe that everything around them is real and that house.
There are genuinely creepy moments in the film and I liked the way the ghosts manifested themselves in sheets, curtains and the house itself.
Together the group explore Hill House and their own insecurities and finally face off the evil that inhabits with hair-raising results .Mindless and average film is packed with thrills, intrigue, suspense, horror and lots of interminable screams with no sense.
Hauntingly Bad. The Haunting is yet another bad horror remake with phony overdone special effects and a big cast of on screen favorites and has no redeeming qualities whatsoever except maybe for the cinematography.Yes remakes aren't all bad but remakes directed by Jion Da Bont definitely are.I suppose that the A-List actors (Liam Neeson,Catherine Zeta Jones,Owen Wilson)are there to distract us from the boring plot,ridiculous special effects, and terrible attempts at scaring it's audience however this is a movie not a tabloid magazine we don't care whose in it we care about the characters and story two things this film missed.The storyline is like taking the classic novel The Haunting Of Hill House and ripping out four chapters and then using whatever's left for the film it is so boring and a lot of it is unexplained.The characters are pretty thin and while the acting is good you don't really care about any of the characters at all.Lily Taylor gives a horrendous performance and sounds like she's 8 years old when delivering her lines not to mention what a horrible screamer she is.Lily Taylor isn't made for the horror genre at all.The ghosts are stupid and cheesy, they look like a bunch of Casper The Friendly Ghost's and the ghost of Hugh Cain looks like a fat guy dressed as the grim reaper for Halloween with a smoke machine.There is this creature on the roof of one of the rooms that is a giant purple mouth and it's not even funny unintentionally just plain sad.The house is pretty and well designed that is probably the only positive thing about this movie it looks nice but that doesn't save it from it's brutal everything else.I can honestly say i felt like i was wasting my time watching The Haunting on TV for no price so I would've been even more pi$$ed if I had paid to see it but luckily it was on Scream Channel.Overall The Haunting is a boring remake that tries to overwhelm you with bad special effects, a poor attempt at horror..
This remake of the sixties classic of the same name has unfortunately been somewhat slated by critics, although I feel it's better than most people seem to think it is.The location work is stunning and the set design has clearly had a lot of work put into it.Liam Neeson, Owen Wilson and Catherine Zeta Jones all perform their parts quite well, but Lili Taylor is not as good as she should be.
Also, she seems to say "Oh No" in exactly the same tone of voice every time she sees something frightening, although to be fair this is as much the fault of the script as it is hers.Towards the end the atmosphere is slightly diluted by such things as having the beds and statues spring to life which makes these scenes much less frightening than they could be.In spite of all this, this movie has a certain something that regardless of it's faults, makes me want to watch it again and again, and ultimately you can't ask much more from a film than that..
This is one of the best and beautiful horror films that I've seen and I'm sure others have one way or another retained the images that are so eerie yet majestic in a sense because of one, we have this marvelous setting, the elaborately mystical house to begin with ...and because of careful direction along with characters that are goodness, not stoned as prevalent in today's standards, there is a genuine and yes, scary feeling you could walk away from when watching the film.
The elements of the house and the characters are in perfect symbiosis...you keep your eyes open because the perspective of every character that enters in each floor and room are in a way, extensions of each other...what a classic way of enjoying films that don't rely on convoluted plots and/or reading the psyche of the enemy as if its mind is stretched to a 100 ft.
I thought it was all right, though I haven't read the book or watched the older version of this.I read other people's comments, and most of them rated for this movie for only two or even one star.
The house and settings are great to look at but most of the effort on making the film has gone into over-the-top computer generated effects and zombie looking actors, while the script makes no sense at all.
The original movie ( dated 19??)did not show any "monster" , it just SUGGESTED scary "things" , .This version however shows every aspect of a "sick minded ghost" , including unnecessary special effects .
The "mystery " ,as presented in the original movie , was the most scary part : one simply did not know what was causing the weird things that happened.
I didn't find the movie too scary, but it was spooky at some parts.Dr. David Marrow (Liam Neeson) wants to perform experiments using human guinea pigs to learn about human fear.
The scariest thing about "The Haunting" is that somebody spent that much money on such a bad movie.The sets, costumes, and special effects were worthy of the best Spielberg or Lucas could offer, but they're wasted on a Mystery Science Theater 3000 script.
Though I have never been scared at the movies I still enjoy the suspense and mystery of a well done "Scary Movie".The Haunting fits that bill very well.The acting is good, though I would say that Lili Taylor's acting makes the movie.
But all the actors did a good job and I'm pleased to see such main stream leading actors playing equal roles.The set is very well conceived and rich in detail which always helps the depth of a movie.Having not seen the original movie, I see this movie as a stand alone story worth every minute spent watching it..
This is by far the scariest movie I have ever seen.Yes,I scare easily-but this film wasn't just scary,it was multiple-heart-attack-terrifying!!
The effects were great,and the cast led by Lily Taylor and Liam Neeson was amazing.A wonderful change from classless teen slashers,this bone-chilling remake is superb..
This version of The Haunting isn't the best scary movie that I've ever seen, but there are enough genuinely hair-raising moments in the film to make it worth watching.
This is just a putrid pile of puss of a movie and I would think you would be better off in a dentist chair than sitting at home watching this film.I was sitting around a few years back watching some bad horror movie and realized that I had not seen a really frightening movie in a long time.
In fact, my wife and I spent most of the time in the theatre laughing very loudly at the horrible plot, the inane dialogue, the misplaced special effects, and the absolutely horrid acting by Lili Taylor.
She acted the way a little kid would on the playground if they were playing The Haunting.By far, the thing that ticked me off the most in the movie was the menacing sets.
In movies, special effects are nice editions, but they need a chocolate center to cover.Now, if the IMDb editors haven't cut out my analogy, if the Haunting was an M&M, it would be all coating.
The actors can't save the movie either: Liam Neeson is top, but the two girls (especially Lily Taylor gets on your nerves after a while)are just average.The set of Hill House is nice, and the rooms in there are pretty impressive but without convincing story-who cares?
The sets (the mansion), the powerful and dramatic bass noise and the great special special effects were all a lot of fun to watch and hear.That's the good news.
The bad news is that the story is stupid, the picture too reddish at times, and Catherine Zeta-Jones' character saying "God" as an explanation over 20 times was very annoying, just to give one example.If I can mute out Jones and ignore some of the other characters, this might be a movie to re-consider purchasing because of that awesome house and room- rocking sound effects..
True, the movie may not be as scary and spooky as the previews made it out to be, but the plot was interesting, and the house was beautiful.
10/10 If you like The Haunting try: House on Haunted Hill, The Others, The Haunting (1967), Scary Movie 2.
To all horror movie lovers, to see a couple of times, attentionaly and bearing in mind that some bad reviews must not influence the final appreciation of a fantastic movie.The Best: The actors, the special effects, sound, art direction, sceneries, photography, directing, the majority of the script, after all : THE MOVIEThe Worst: Saying nothing would be stretching things too much, but my only complaint goes to the non inclusion of images of the house's past: construction, deaths
and probably if there were more characters trapped in the house would be interesting.As almost everyone should know this movie was based upon the novel by Shirley Jackson The Haunting Of Hill House', and the following 1963 Robert Wise's movie with the same title.
Back in 1963, Robert Wise, director of West Side Story propose us a visit to hill house resulting in one of the scariest horror movies driven and acted well by someone who knows what is doing.
Both movies are good and scary, but Jan De Bont's is incomparably better.For more than one century that the frightful and sinister Hill House stands alone and abandoned
or so it seems.
Intrigued by the house's storied past, Dr. David Marrow (Liam Neeson) draws some people to the house Theo (Catherine Zeta-Jones), Nell (Lili Taylor), Luke (Owen Wilson), for an apparently innocent experience.
At first they believe that the story is some kind of a fairy tale but as soon as this secrets are revealed by apparitions to Nell, she realizes that it is not that fairy tale but a haunted story of terror, slavery and death until the very revelation in the end.The movie is mainly focused on Lili Taylor's character Nell which drives her character's acting remarkably well, although the other main character's acting are very good indeed but it is clear for everyone that the acting' that steals the show is hill house itself.
Some time ago before 2000 Oscar ceremony I read a comment that if this movie was not nominated at least for special effects, sound, photography, set design and sound design I will be haunted', I just have to say that I totally agree.
In my 18 years of existence, I never saw an audience so scared in a theater.The Haunting is starring very good actors and actresses: Liam Neeson(The Phantom Menace), Catherine Zeta Jones(The Mask of Zorro) and Lily Taylor.
The effects are very good, but they aren't very scary or likely in the boundaries of true haunted houses.Lili Taylor's performance takes back stage to Catherine Zeta-Jones which is quite the opposite of the original and does obviously impair the movie's likeability.
One of the best haunted house movies ever?
I found this remake of the classic psychological-horror film "The Haunting" good.
I like this remake of The Haunting better than I like Robert Wise's 1963 version of the film.
He draws a few participants, including Eleanor, Theo (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and Luke (Owen Wilson), to a huge old mansion--more like a palace--called "Hill House".
He invents a story based on the true one (per the film's world) about the history of Hill House and plants the juiciest details with Luke, along with an instruction to keep quiet about it lest he scare Theo and Eleanor.
Sequences such as Eleanor and Theo running to each other as they experience strange sounds and something trying to enter their rooms are almost identical to the original, with de Bont taking great care to block infamous shots so that they're the same as the beloved Wise film.
Compared to the original I thought the plot had a greater meaning, and was more carefully plotted, since in the original, the main character Eleanore might of just been crazy all along, and that seems like an excuse to not think of a good ending.I would give it a 10 out of 10, especially considering the CGI was pretty good for a film made in 1999..
This is a good scary movie, but I just want to know if The Mansion is for real and does anyone have a link to information on it.
Maybe its the way about changing the feeling of the original The Haunting into a festival of special effects that puts this film in a bad light but saying that the film doesn't scare you is just not true.
The actors do their best and the one is better than the other but what I liked the most was the way the camera showed the house as a haunted and scary place where not one person would dare to live.
it looked like it might be, and the haunting of Hill House certainly is a very creepy novel- but this film is just special effects wizardry and thats about all.
If you liked the original, imagine a version of the story with special effects worthy of Ray Harryhausen.
It's been a long time since I've seen a good spooky movie about ghosts and haunted houses.
If you want to see digital wizardry used more effectively to create scary situations and images, look at The Frighteners, a film that was not outstanding, but was certainly better than The Haunting.
The most effective horror films are much more subtle than The Haunting.
The original Haunting is one of the very best of the genre, with a cast that effectively fits the story.
If you've read Shirley Jackson's story, "The Haunting of Hill House", you'll probably like the 1963 film, "The Haunting", fine.
It's mysterious, creepy and scary but also Beautiful, I don't know what we want more from a horror movie?
On a side note; someone should make a movie adaptation of it as well :) Also if you like the story from The Haunting, you should also check out "The Legend Of Hell House (1973) and The Uninvited (1944)".
This is a movie I've watched many times.Solid acting, atmospheric set, great location, deceit, terrific sound effects Catherine Zeta Jones.
It was missing almost everything, but I do have to admit the acting and the house weren't too bad and there were a couple parts that I actually thought were good about the movie, but on a scale between 1 and 10 it would never get higher than a 1, even if it was extremely entertaining..
Other cast members are equally unconvincing: Catherine Zeta-Jones plays a schizophrenic role apparently cut from 23 different personae, none of them believable, and Lili Taylor's entire assignment is to look scared, which she only occasionally manages.If you want a good scare, read Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House, on which the film is purportedly, though unrecognizably, based.
I already had a lot of respect for the original as a neat little 60's horror flick but this movie made it look even better in comparison.
It always amazes me why Hollywood thinks that it can make movies that are better than the original screen classics...(for example, Hitchcock's "Psycho")...this film went no where fast and its use of special effects...an awful insult to Shirley Jackson and Robert Wise and the rest of the crew of the original film!!!!
Nothing is good in this movie, except for some of the decorations in the "haunted" house.
I like a good scary movie. |
tt0057358 | Nattvardsgästerna | Ingmar Bergman's "Winter Light," also known by the more appropriate British title "The Communicants," is the second installment in a film trilogy, preceded by "Through a Glass Darkly" and followed by "The Silence." This association was not intentional when Bergman made "Winter Light." Instead, the coda of "Through a Glass Darkly," "God is Love and Love is God," forms the nucleus from which he developed the central theme of "Winter Light. " The films of the trilogy are laid out like pieces of chamber music.First Movement. The film opens on a gray November Sunday, at noon. Pastor Tomas Ericsson (Gunnar Bjornstrand) is celebrating the liturgy of the Eucharist in a little church at Mittsunda. In the almost empty church, only seven parishioners are in attendance. Four of them are the usual attendees, and the other three are present with ulterior motives: the village school teacher and Eriskson's mistress, Marta Lundberg (Ingrid Thulin); the fisherman, Jonas Persson (Max von Sydow) and his pregnant wife Karin (Gunnel Lindblom). All three will communicate, together with the hunchback sexton of Frostnas, Algot Frovik (Allan Edwall), and an old woman from Hol (Elsa Ebbesen). Following the end of the service, flu-ridden Tomas returns to the vestry, where Mittsunda's sexton, Knut Aronsson (Kolbjorn Knudsen), is counting the meager collection. He advises the sickly Tomas to forgo the afternoon vespers service at the nearby village of. Frostnas. Tomas contemptuously refuses: he must dutifully keep his service to the parish. Frovik comes in to talk to Tomas about a personal problem, but Tomas dismisses him somewhat summarily, advising him to come to him later in the afternoon, before the vespers. Enter Mrs. Persson with her husband in tow, wanting to discuss a very urgent and private matter with the pastor. Jonas is silent and Karin must herself explain that her husband has been extremely depressed by a recent news article he read. According to the article, the Chinese, who are raised to hate, will soon possess the atomic bomb, thus intent in destroying everybody. Tomas is unable to connect with his parishioner's anguish and can only utter few platitudes: his "we must trust in God," provokes Jonas' angry look, which Tomas cannot sustain, and forces him to lowers his eyes. The situation is so awkward that Mrs. Persson suggests that her husband drives her home, and returns immediately for a more private conversation with the pastor.As the Perssons leave, Marta enters the vestry, bringing Tomas a basket of food and coffee. He tells her he already has his own coffee. This is a typical "Tomas" reaction to Marta's attention: everything Marta does to near herself to Tomas seems to be wrong. They bicker briefly over her persistent harassment that Tomas should marry her. Before leaving, Marta asks him if he has read the letter she sent him the previous day, in which she explains herself, but to her chagrin, he has not.Second Movement. After Marta's departure, and with some hesitation, Tomas reads the letter in the interval before Persson's return to the vestry. Persson returns as promised [or does he?] At first, too afraid to address Jonas's philosophical issue, Tomas acts more like a social worker, asking Jonas mundane questions about his life. Realizing the superficiality of his approach, Tomas next launches into a long monologue in which he voices his own fears and doubts about God. It is obvious that Tomas's word cannot help Jonas, who leaves the vestry without uttering a word. Tomas rushes out to the chancel where Marta is waiting for him, and collapses in a coughing fit in front of the altar. At that moment, the old woman from Hol enters and says that Jonas has committed suicide with his own gun, by the river.Tomas, returning quickly to the reality of his clerical function, rushes to the site of the suicide, leaving Marta alone. The police are already present, and Tomas must simply stand by uselessly, as the body is taken away. Meanwhile, Marta has walked to the scene by the river. Together, they drive back to her schoolhouse, where Tomas accepts her help in the form of some aspirins and cough medicine. Marta climbs to the upstairs apartment to fetch the medicine, while Tomas waits downstairs in the classroom. A young student enters to retrieve some comic books from his desk. Tomas engages the boy in a light conversation. Marta returns, and she continues to discuss with Tomas their relationship. This is the climax of the film. The scene is without doubt the cruelest verbal assault in all of Bergman's films. Triggered by Marta's "Sometime you sound as if you hated me," Tomas lets her have it, with both barrels blazing. Tomas's attack is so cruel that, as a spectator, one cannot feel but embarrassment at being somehow a reluctant witness to such an awful scene. The vicious arguments between Taylor and Burton in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, or more relevant to Bergman, those between Ullmann and Josephson in Scenes from a Marriage, pale by comparison.Tomas nonetheless asks Marta if she would care to accompany him to the vespers at Frostnas. On the way, they are stopped at a train crossing. Tomas tells Marta of a terrifying childhood experience he had when he woke up frightened and could not find his father. They stop on their way at Mrs. Persson's house, so Tomas can bring her the news of her husband Jonas's death. Tomas and Marta continue on to Frostnas church.Third Movement. In the vestry, Frovik finally has the chance to explain his thoughts to Tomas about Christ's abandonment on the cross . At the same time, the organist, Fredrik Blom (Olof Thunberg), suggests to Marta she should leave Mittsunda and Tomas, as Tomas is still hopelessly in love with his dead wife. Blom also implies that Tomas's wife was far removed in reality from the image Tomas carries of her.As there are no parishioners present for the service, Frovik comes in inquiring if the vesper should begin. Tomas tells him to go ahead regardless, to ring the bells announcing the beginning of the ceremony. Tomas emerges from the vestry, approaches the altar, kneels, then rises and turns around. His face full of angst, he pronounces the final words of the film "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty. All the earth is full of his glory" Despite the silence and his own doubts, Tomas still decides to officiate, and to plod through what is for him a meaningless ritual. | bleak, romantic, atmospheric | train | imdb | If you've ever lived in that scenery (cold pine-forested northerly countries) It appears almost as if it were in color, as if one is there at that moment.Needless to say, the actors makes fantastic performances.I find it pointless to say much about the plot, it is well summarized on this site, it is also a very personal movie to watch and therefore any type of "analysis" that is revealed to the viewer before he or she has seen the movie, may interfere with their own personal view on things.Truly a masterpiece among movies, completely free from unimportant elements, a clear, uncompromising questioning of ones faith in god and life.10/10.
"I think I have made just one picture that I really like, and that is Winter Light
Everything is exactly as I wanted to have it, in every second of this picture." Ingmar Bergman"Winter Light" concentrates around the middle-aged priest named Thomas (extraordinarilly played by Gunnar Björnstrand) of a small Swedish church and his spiritual and emotional struggles during the one winter afternoon.
His "faith" is as much a will to live as anything else.Bjornstrand and Ingrid Thulin are amazingly good, and Max von Sydow does more with a few subtle expressions, and very little dialog, than most any actor is capable of.Not a film to watch in the dead of winter if you suffer from SAD, unless you're like me and get a perverse type of therapy from confronting the hopelessness head first..
In the cold winter in the countryside of Sweden, the pastor Tomas Ericsson (Gunnar Björnstrand) is a bitter man living a crisis of lack of faith in God after the death of his beloved wife two years ago.
"Nattvardsgästerna" is the second part of Bergman's Trilogy of Silence with an unpleasant story of unrequited love, lack of communication and lack of faith on God. The pastor Tomas Ericsson is one of the bitterest characters that I have ever seen, and his speech to Märta Lundberg is one of the cruelest and coldest of a man to a woman in love.
But I think the main difficulty with "Winter Light" is that Bergman paints his protagonist (Pastor Tomas Ericsson, played by Björnstrand) mercilessly, making it hard for us to make any connection with the selfish bastard, whether you're religious or not.
Bergman despises him and makes us despise him too; I, for one, couldn't manage to feel the smallest degree of sympathy for the man.In those interviews, Bergman talks about how difficult shooting "Winter Light" was, with Gunnar Björnstrand ill and detesting his role (no wonder!!) and the influence of Bergman's traumatic religious upbringing (his father was a strict Lutheran pastor), which made it hard for him to convey sympathy for Björnstrand's character.
Bergman also said that Thulin's character was partly based on his second wife, who had serious eczema in her face and hands.Christian faith has been the subject of superior films by great filmmakers -- Dreyer, Rossellini, Bresson, Buñuel, Pialat, Melville, Pasolini, and, of course, Bergman himself.
And, of course, that Bresson's priest is impossible to dislike whereas Bergman's pastor is a s.o.b. Bergman himself had been very impressed by Bresson's movie, which, in my opinion, is superior and "thicker" than "Winter....", although both display some of the most magnificent b&w cinematography the movies have ever shown (and Bergman talks proudly about the great amount of work it took to reach the right lighting for the film).The second of the so-called "Silence Trilogy" (it was never planned as such, but you know, it was the trilogy fad -- S.Ray, Antonioni etc), "Winter Light" is, IMHO, the least satisfying of the three, overshadowed by the powerful study in schizophrenia and incest with richly elaborated characters of "Through a Glass Darkly" and the incredibly daring, close-up approach of female sexuality, childhood innocence, war threat and terminal sickness of "The Silence".
The movie is about depression, how to deal with your principal beliefs when you don't believe in them anymore, "God's escaping me..." We feel the priest running out of strenght and slowly fading away in his disbeliefs, he then finds a man who he can relate to (Due to the depression he has, as heard about the bomb which the Chinese are creating, they are learnt to hate) He kind of uses him to give himself the power to get on with his own life, he doesn't listen to the man, but he explains his own problems, due to this the man kills himself, it's now the task of the priest to tell his wife, and by this he finds himself again, feeling again what his role in this so cruel world is.
Everything is exactly as I wanted to have it, in every second of this picture." Ingmar Bergman "Winter Light", the second film in the writer/director Ingmar Bergman's trilogy of "faith" or "Silence of God" (it follows "Såsom i en spegel" (1961) ...
Bergman, aided by his regular cinematographer Sven Nykvist and performances by Gunnar Bjornstrand, Ingrid Thulin, Gunnel Lindblom and Max von Sydow had created a compelling, tragic, and thought-provoking film about a village priest (Gunnar Bjornstrand) who can't give much comfort and hope to those who need them as he feels none for himself.
This bleak, sparse film from Ingmar Bergman focuses on a disillusioned, increasingly skeptic Lutheran priest called Thomas (Gunnar Bjorstrand, who's excellent) administering the gospel in a Swedish village to a very small congregation.
He's unable to accept the love offered him by the plain school teacher Marta (Ingrid Thulin, also very good), and incapable to offer the conviction of his faith to save from suicide a fisherman called Jonas (Max von Sydow) troubled by the prospect of a nuclear war(incidentally, this was filmed just before the Cuban missile crisis).This must have been a very personal film by Bergman (the son of a stern Lutheran priest, the director lost his religious faith as a young man).
Like many of Bergman's movies, 'Winter Light' challenges us to reflect on our own lives, our very existence, essentially what it means 'to be'.
"Winter Light" (also known, more accurately, as "The Communicants") is the the central film in Bergman's "faith" trilogy (following "Through a Glass Darkly" and preceding "The Silence").
Bergman, aided by cinematographer Sven Nykvist and performances by Gunnar Bjornstrand and Ingrid Thulin, has created a small masterpiece about a village priest who finds "God's silence" intolerable.
But as brilliant as Bergman is (and as daring a risk as this choice was), certainly Thulin's performance has a great deal to do with the power of the scene.While watching "Winter Light" in conjunction with the first and third parts of the trilogy is a fascinating experience, the film stands alone beautifully.
"Winter Light" may not be for those uninitiated in Bergman films (it lacks the grandeur of "The Seventh Seal" and the sweet optimism of "Wild Strawberries"), but for those in the mood, it is the most rewarding of his movies..
Starring Gunnar Björnstrand as Tomas Ericsson, the small town priest in the throes of a crisis of faith, and Ingrid Thulin as a school teacher willing to substitute her love in exchange for God's in Tomas' life.
In a deeply moving and powerful film, Winter Light is just one of the prime examples in Bergman's oeuvre that cement him as the filmmaking giant he is.On a cold day, in the heart of winter, Pastor Thomas Ericsson finds himself preaching to a nearly empty church.
Obviously, it sticks out as a part of Bergman's religious trilogy, the films in which he deals most with man's relationship to God. The barren dismal landscape of the winter outdoors is echoed inside the church as the bodies lining the pews are topped with desperate faces, bored and lacking interest in the church service.
Even in his lighter portions with the 80 minute, half dozen characters, half a day time frame bleak masterpiece Winter Light, he can create such a rich and thought-provoking portrait of life with a universal problem - God's silence.
Instead of being a depressing theory to match the film's anguished tone and network of characters, of which are remarkably performed by Bergman's regular company, it's an idea quite reassuring.Winter Light has a naturally limited plot, being mostly formed out of dialogue and monologues, but Bergman's structure and economy still shine through.
Ingmar Bergman is one of these skeptics, as he uses Winter Light to detail a pastor's deep disbelief towards God's existence.
Bergman avoids this trope; by portraying the sheer amount of torment that the pastor's conflicted feelings bring him, the audience is forced to think a little harder on how much of a detriment it is for the faith in God to be able to sedate so many people in a growing world.
I don't want to spoil it by saying how, but it's not all dark and hopeless as you go through long sequences of despair with broken relationships and characters struggling with their relationship or understanding of the existence of God. I think that if you're a deep person that's asked yourselves these questions in the past or presently, then you would relate to this film.
WINTER LIGHT is a drama film, which, in a strange and disturbing way, describes a day in the life of one pastor who faces with statements of love by a schoolteacher, while at the same time, he tries to save the life of a depressed fisherman.A local pastor is finishing his sermon.
Among the remaining parishioners is a plain-looking schoolteacher who has long been in love with the pastor and a depressed fisherman with his pregnant wife...Mr. Bergman has tried to investigate religious beliefs, through doubt and despair, in a cold atmosphere.
Fear of death is all and it is everywhere.'Winter Light' is one third of 'The Faith Trilogy', accompanying 'Through a Glass Darkly' and 'The Silence' -- Ingmar Bergman at the height of his powers, but also at his most metaphorical, uncompromising and inaccessible (the film is bleak and intense, but the truth often is).
Here he explores the lack of faith, our need that a God must exist, it's a cold film, it does not use soundtrack at all, the priest (played with excellence by Gunnar Bjornstrand) is a cold man, he tends to react coldly, almost indifferent.
This is nothing compared to what Thomas is later confronted with in middle age spinster & substitute teacher Marta Lundberg, Ingrid Thulin, who was hiding behind the curtains who shows up and gives him this long and boring story about how much she loves the guy and wants him to marry her, in a letter she mailed him, before he himself who's in danger of contracting pneumonia kicks off.It's here in regard to the sobbing Marta that Thomas, who looked like he had already one foot in the grave, suddenly comes alive and lets all his feeling about God and Marta as well as the world situation come to the surface.
Marta for her part instead of getting more depressed sees that the man she's in love with and wants his support is in fact far more screwed up in the head then she ever was or even possibly will be.***SPOILERS*** The by now totally out of it Thomas after letting it all out in the wash now goes back to give his speech to those assembled in his church, about a half dozen, about the glory of God and how the entire world is filled with it.
The second in Ingmar Bergman's "God Trilogy," the director cited Winter Light as one of his favorite films.
A deeply stoic exploration into faith, Winter Light focuses on a Lutheran pastor, Tomas Ericsson (Gunnar Björnstrand), and his increasingly bleak world view.
I feel sorry for the character of Tomas because of his confusion and depression after having faith in a God who does not communicate and brought him much sadness by taking his wife.
He stayed in his own egoistical circle, and that circle might be the eye of Ingmar Bergman, the son of a Lutherian pastor, trying to break through his rigorous education and the weight of oppressing certitudes.And while in "Through a Glass Darkly", we couldn't empathize with Björnstrand's character, because he was wrapped up in his own ego, in "Winter Light", it's doubt that poisons the heart of a sickly priest, removing all traces of sincerity in his own sermons, not Cartesian doubt but something of a more emotional level.In the opening sermon, something in Tomas' eyes clearly betray his lack of confidence, he stares at a crucifix looking for answers that would never come, and ironically, he's the man people came to, for some relieving words.
We never quite know what goes through Tomas' mind, maybe the realization that this absence is part of our mortal condition, and it's our interpretation that makes who we are.The film ends with four persons in the church, a half-drunk organist who doesn't care, an atheist who is here out of love, a cripple with a cheerful attitude and a man who can't find his path to happiness.
And Märta believes in her love for Tomas, but he rejects her, her 'Silence' is for Tomas, and she'd live as desperate and disappointed as he is, it echoes the final words of "Through a Glass Darkly" where the idea of God was associated with love, and maybe Tomas' pain comes less from the absence of God, than the person he loves the most, and he only suffers because he feels like betrayed by God who took his most valuable person in life.It's just as if his faith was 'interested', why not, even Jesus, expected a reaction from God before asking why he forsake him?
He can sleep with Märta and has done for years; but he cannot love her."Winter Light" follows "Through a Glass Darkly" as the second in Bergman's introspective, existentialist examination of meaning in life.
Toward the end of the film, a simple church member who has been crippled rather severely for years comes to the good pastor and asks him a theological question, a question of faith, a question about Jesus:Algot Frövik, Sexton: The passion of Christ, his suffering...
God's silence.Tomas Ericsson, Pastor: Yes..."I think I have made just one picture that I really like, and that is Winter Light
Everything is exactly as I wanted to have it, in every second of this picture." Ingmar Bergman See this film.
After watching Winter Light, Bergman's second parter in his "religious" trilogy (which is redundant for Bergman) that also includes Through a Glass Darkly (my second favorite Bergman film) and Silence (I haven't seen just yet), I knew it includes nearly all of his key elements in most of his films- the silence of god, the fear of women, the helplessness of the lord- and this time he takes a direct poke at his father, who was a Lutheran priest.
As frigidly powerful as his other god-questioning dramas, this film's only weak spot is a not 100% fulfilling denouement, and too little screen time for the supporting character of Jonas, played by a usual Bergman choice, Max Von Sydow.
Winter Light (1962) *** 1/2 (out of 4) The second film in Ingmar Bergman's trilogy takes a look at a Pastor (Gunnar Bjornstrand) who is losing his faith in God while at the same time trying to fight off the advances of a woman (Ingrid Thulin).
Depicting the loss of faith of small town priest, "Winter Light" is, as most of Bergman's films, full of impressively well-written dialogue and great acting..
A part of the trilogy which deals with faith and doubt, or God and his silence despite his sizable place in most people's lives, the film progresses in a few hours in the afternoon in a day of the life of Tomas, the pastor of a small rural church, where we get a full view of his relationship with the regulars of the church and how this relationship turns into a challenge to his own faith as he tries to answer their distressing and some sarcastically critical questions in regard to their relationships with God. This is in a way a film about the difficulty - or may be the impossibility - to reach God despite all the love and need that one might have for him.
The first film in director Ingmar Bergman's "faith trilogy" - to be completed several years later with "Winter Light" (1962) and "Silence" (1963) - "Through A Glass Darkly" (1961) stars Harriet Andersson as Karin, a young woman who suffers from a mental illness.
But the problem, the film goes on to show, isn't that God does or does not exist, but that he has always been summoned and shunted aside whenever it best suits man."Winter Light" ended with two atheists in a church, waiting for God to speak.
Winter Light (Nattvardsgästerna- literally The Communicants) is the middle film in Ingmar Bergman's Spider Trilogy (as it too references the God as a spider imagery), following Through A Glass Darkly, and preceding The Silence.
The acting, in every single role, is pitch perfect, yet Bergman regular Ingrid Thulin gives one of the great dominant female performances in film history, as Märta Lundberg, an atheistic substitute school teacher in a small town with a now unrequited love for a Lutheran Pastor named Tomas Ericsson (Gunnar Björnstrand), head of a church whose congregation has dwindled to a handful.
Winter Light is the most unequivocally religious of all Bergman's films.
Basically pastor Tomas Ericsson (Gunnar Björnstrand) performs his usual Sunday service to a tiny congregation in the small rural church, but the cold winter weather has given him a cold, and unknown to others he is also suffering a crisis of lack of faith in God, following the death of his wife two years ago. |
tt0332280 | The Notebook | In a modern-day nursing home, an elderly man named Duke (James Garner) begins to read a love story from his notebook to a female fellow patient (Gena Rowlands).The story begins in 1940. At a carnival in Seabrook Island, South Carolina, local country boy Noah Calhoun (Ryan Gosling) sees seventeen-year-old heiress Allie Hamilton (Rachel McAdams) for the first time and is immediately smitten. She continuously refuses his persistent advances until their well-meaning friends lure them together; they then get to know each other on a midnight walk through empty Seabrook.Noah and Allie spend an idyllic summer together. One night, a week before Allie is to leave town, she and Noah go up to an abandoned house called The Windsor Plantation. Noah tells her that he hopes to buy the house, and Allie makes him promise that the house will be white, with blue shutters, a walk-around porch, and a room that overlooks the creek so she can paint. They intend to make love for the first time, but are interrupted by Noah's friend Fin (Kevin Connolly) with the news that Allie's parents have the police out looking for her. When Allie returns home, her disapproving parents ban her from seeing Noah again. Allie fights with Noah outside and the two decide to break up. Allie immediately regrets the decision but Noah drives away. The next morning, Allie's mother reveals that they are going home that morning. Allie frantically tries to find Noah, but is forced to leave without saying good-bye. The Hamiltons then send Allie to New York, where she begins attending Sarah Lawrence College. Noah, devastated by his separation from Allie, writes her one letter a day for a year, only to get no reply as Allie's mother keeps the letters from her. Noah and Allie have no choice but to move on with their lives. Allie continues to attend school, while Noah and Fin enlist to fight in World War II. Fin is killed in battle.Allie becomes a nurse for wounded soldiers. There, she meets the wealthy Lon Hammond, Jr. (James Marsden), a well-connected young lawyer who is handsome, sophisticated, charming and comes from old Southern money. The two eventually become engaged, to the joy of Allie's parents, although Allie sees Noah's face when Lon asks her to marry him.When Noah returns home, he discovers his father has sold their home so that Noah can go ahead and buy The Windsor Plantation. While visiting Charleston to file some paper work, Noah witnesses Allie and Lon kissing at a restaurant, causing Noah to go a little crazy, convincing himself that if he fixes up the house, Allie will come back to him.While trying on her wedding dress in the 1940s, Allie is startled to read about Noah completing the house in the style section of a Raleigh newspaper and faints. She visits Noah in Seabrook and he invites her to dinner, during which Allie tells Noah about her engagement. Noah questions whether Allie's future husband is a good man and she reassures Noah that he is. Later in the evening, Noah invites Allie to come back tomorrow.In the present, it is made clear that the elderly woman is Allie suffering from dementia, which has stolen her memories and Duke is her husband. Allie does not recognize their grown children and grandchildren, who beg Duke to come home with them. He insists on staying with Allie.The next morning, Allie and Noah go rowing on a nearby lake and begin to reminisce about their summer together. As a rain storm starts Noah rows to shore, where Allie demands to know why Noah never wrote to her. After the revelation that Noah had indeed written to Allie, they share a passionate kiss, before making love into the night.The next day, Allies mother appears on Noahs doorstep, telling Allie that Lon has followed her to Seabrook after Allie's father told him about Noah. Her mother takes Allie out for a drive to show her that there had been a time in her life when she could relate to Allie's present situation. On returning to Noah's, she hands her daughter the bundle of 365 letters that Noah had written to her. When alone, Noah asks Allie what she is going to do; Allie is confused and confesses that she doesnt know. Noah asks her to just stay with him, admitting it is going to be really hard, but he is willing to go through anything because he wants to be with her. Confused as ever, Allie drives off.Allie drives to the hotel and confesses to Lon, who is angry but admits that he still loves her. He tells her that he does not want to convince his fiancée that she should be with him, but Allie tells him he does not have to, because she already knows she should be with him.The film goes back to the elderly couple, and Duke asks Allie who she chose. She soon realizes the answer herself; young Allie appears at Noah's doorstep, having left Lon at the hotel and chosen Noah. They embrace in reunion.Elderly Allie suddenly remembers her past before she and Noah/Duke joyfully spend a brief intimate moment together; after originally finding out about her illness, she had herself written their story in the notebook with the instructions for Noah to "Read this to me, and I'll come back to you." But soon Allie relapses, losing her memories of Noah yet again. She panics, and has to be sedated by the attending physician. This proves to be too difficult for Noah to watch and he breaks down. The next morning, Noah is found unconscious in bed and he is rushed to the hospital; he later returns to the nursing home's intensive care ward. He goes to Allie's room later that night, and Allie remembers again. The next morning, a nurse finds them in bed together, having both died peacefully holding each other's hands. The last scene shows a flock of birds flying away. | psychological, boring, flashback, humor, tragedy, romantic, sentimental | train | imdb | I, along with almost every other person i have discussed the movie with, felt involved in the situations and the lives of the character- crying at the sad moments and feeling joy at the happy bits.
in general, love stories are predictable and somewhat dull (in my opinion) yet this movie kept me guessing at the outcome, and delivered twists throughout the whole film.The Notebook was extremely well constructed and i would give it an eleven out of ten..
And yet the wonderful thing about this movie is that it takes what seems like a story you've heard already (at least in bits and pieces) and still moves you deeply.
It really speaks about love in a way that most romantic movies miss by speaking in cliché or over shoot by adding in numerous complications to dramatize things.
The Notebook is not one of those cheesy chick flicks that often come out, it is a brilliantly written intriguing story about two young lovers that most people can relate to.Even most males will agree that this movie pulls at your heart strings.
This movie makes us think of what could have been and gives us a fresh look at the meaning of true love.
I went into this movie with the misconception of thinking this was just another typical romantic movie, but I was very impressed by this film and the themes portrayed in this movie were handled in a great way.This movie will have you feeling happy and joyful and the scenery is just brilliant.
Ryan Gosling is brilliant as the shy and quiet Noah, and Rachael McAdams is superbly beautiful as the star of the movie, Allie.As I said earlier in my review, I did go into the movie not expecting much and that was because I thought it was a typical "boy loves girl" movie which are sometimes just too predictable.
Don't get me wrong, they are some good Romantic movies that pull it off very well, but there are simply too many in that particular genre.The best thing about this movie was the depth of the plot and the actors playing their characters so well.
It is structurally very similar to "Fried Green Tomatoes", which is also one of my all time favorite movies.Unlike "Fried Green Tomatoes", this focuses on young love as it grows and endures through wars and parental dissent.
The casting of Allie and Noah in the movie was exceptional and made the feelings and emotions seem real.
Her character Allie is the pivotal role in the film, as she must make the crucial romantic decision on which the story turns.
There are few performers capable of evolving the complexity of characterization as achieved by Rachel McAdams.The film recreated effectively the world of the 1940s in America, including the parental pressure exerted by the well-to-do family of Allie on whether to allow their daughter to pursue a young man from the other side of the tracks.
Especially in the film's early scenes, Gosling could have shown more of the passion.The other cast members were outstanding, including James Garner and Gena Rowlands in the parallel story.
In one of the most moving scenes in the film, the mother opens up to the daughter and tells her story of youthful love and a fateful choice similar to the one Allie herself must face.My favorite scene in the film: a wonderful sequence where Noah and Allie are in a boat in the backwaters of South Carolina.
It's not that I dislike romance anything but this has movie tries so hard to be some sort of acronym to the word "chick flick" that it ends up shooting you to death with it's intended love arrows.
Think again, the definition of love shown in this film is so naive, sugar-coated and completely oblivious of anything in the real world that it makes Star Wars look like something from the Discovery channel.The so called "couple" in this film are only in love because the movie says they are, not because there's any sort of chemistry between the actors and not because the characters themselves even act like.
Although they're fun to watch, most love movies are predictable after seeing the first five minutes.
Ryan Gosling was, as always, authentic in his portrayal of Noah, a poor working class guy who falls in love with Allie, a beautiful rich girl who is staying in town with her family on their summer's vacation.
Don't get me wrong: I'm a girl, love Ryan Gosling and was pretty much excited about watching the movie.
How, shallow a movie can get is well portrayed in the film "NOTE BOOK." If you'd like to watch a classic love story, with nothing new with no originality please choose this title.
MILDLY but it doesn't even come close to elliciting any of the emotional response you might expect from a good movie.The plot goes from one twist to another without any other purpose than to surprise especially naive viewers and the tear jerker ending is a big yawn, even with the talent of poor Rowland and Garner who are completely wasted on the flat dialog and cliché storyline.The whole thing probably isn't helped by Gosling and McAdams TOTAL lack of chemistry and forced acting but I can't say it would have improved the poor plot any if the young actors had been even remotely close to the talent of their eldest.If you're expecting a real romantic movie like Casablanca or Now Voyager, watch something else..
The plot is barely existent, the characters are one-dimensional at best and impossible to like beyond a superficial level, and the storyline is shallower than a children's inflatable pool, existing solely to pimp Sparks's Easy-Bake, feel-good concept of romance.
There's a massive section of the movie that contains little aside from the couple kissing each other in a variety of settings, all leading up to their first time sleeping together, which is, of course, perfect, just like everything else in this perfect, vacuous storyline.I could go on and on, but I'm only allowed 1,000 words in this particular review.
The local worker Noah Calhoun (Ryan Gosling) meets Allie at a carnival and they soon fall in love with each other.
When Allie accidentally sees the photo of Noah and his house in a newspaper, she feels divided between her first love and her commitment with Lon. Meanwhile Duke stops reading to the old lady since his children are visiting him in the nursing home.
"The Notebook" is a beautiful and sensitive romance with a love story that is not shallow and makes you think of how fast time goes by.
This movie was without question the best love story ever told.Yes I cried bucket of tears.I only wish every husband and wife could watch this together, my wife and I had a box of Kleenex on the bed, and used up the whole box.Being someone who works with people that are sometimes not there, I understand losing touch.I see it every day, and see spouses that have lost touch with their love of their life.The Notebook was incredible.Regards, Dr. Bob.
It has just about every "first love" movie cliché you can possibly think of, and has nothing new to add to them.Unlike Jack & Rose in Titanic, you have absolutely no empathy for the characters, and there seems to be no good reason for their lives to have crossed.
If you find this movie boring or just didn't like anything about it, means you clearly are missing something in your life, lets all hope each of us finds true love in their lives..
Don't you wish you, an ordinary but having some romantic ideas teenage boy, get to meet with a rich and innocent beautiful young lady and get to have some amazing love story with her just because you are obsessed?!
Now as I turned older, watching this movie again is just torturing.The story is unrealistic, the characters are completely boring and lack of anything special to remember.
"The Notebook" is a story everyone in the world has heard a million times before; young Romeo-and-Juliet summer love which is tossed and turned continuously by opposing outside forces.
We've read it a hundred times before we start the first chapter, know the conclusion before we see the end of the film, and can relate it to so many moments from the past relationships of our lives.But what makes this film different from others is one main thing; beauty.Never before have I been moved this emotionally by a romance.
Any viewer will stay connected with the story for the film's length and will be moved long after the credits stop rolling.No matter how many times you've seen movies with the exact same plot, I promise you you'll appreciate every second of "The Notebook".
In electing to film this light weight book, he chose a possible easy crowd pleaser, or an excellent way to get me out of the sun into the air conditioning of the movie theater.The story is one cliché after another.
Felt really bad for her husband but give him props for still loving and wanting to be with her.I was very surprised seeing Rachel McAdams playing Allie after seeing her in previous teen movies "Hot Chick" and "Mean girls", but her acting in this movie was pretty phenomenal.
And Ryan Gosling...very good looking actor who played his character well.I think, though, that they caught Allie's and Noah's stories short towards the ending.
This is the way that young girls are gulled into believing this dark lie: That "love means giving yourself to 'him' when the opportunity presents itself."Meanwhile we have our present-day dilemma, of illicit sexual relations between children with no thought of consequence, risking unwanted pregnancy, abortion, emotional trauma and low self-worth, all because these things are depicted as "part of romance".
If you buy into that baloney, then by all means, please buy this film, watch it, believe in love that is described in the movie, and continue to be delusional about life.Though James Garner and Gena Rowlands put on formidable performances (worthy of Oscars for best supporting roles), the story and script was nothing short of complete pit bottom garbage.
Instead of portraying the experience of falling in love as being the truly magical thing it is, this movie makes it seem dry, tasteless and liable to put people to sleep.Thankfully I watched the film on DVD, so I had the fast-forward button readily available for the boring, wide sweeping 'romantic' scenes.
The book is the most touching love story I have read.some corrections that I want to say: this movie sort of showed two young lovers who just ran away, and just got lucky with their relationship.
"The Notebook" (2004) has something absolutely amazing - the best on-screen chemistry between two young lovers who are crazy about each other, whose love is so real, so overwhelming, so tender and passionate that you actually forget that they are acting.
"The Notebook" is a story of love, specifically of the Love between Noah (played by Ryan Gosling and James Garner)and Allie (played by Rachel McAdams and Gina Rowlands).This movies should touch everyone's heart that watches it.
I usually don't like romantic movies much, but I adored this film.
I have watch Gone with the Wind because people say its the best love story ever, along with titanic, but i think that The Notebook beats both of them.
It can relate to everyone, because everyone knows, you just can't forget your first love (or your true love.) The notebook doesn't follow the regular style of a love story, where two odds meet, dislike, like, fall in love, separated by outsider, and end up together.
Yes I do realize that "Notebook" is a chick flick and being a chick myself, I do like to watch romantic, "heart-warming" films from time to time.
But to enjoy such a film I need to be able to connect with the story and sympathize with the characters, and I absolutely couldn't do that in "The Notebook." It's so pathetic, made up of clichés, mediocre acting and entirely predictable plot twists, that it feels like a soap-opera squeezed into a couple of hours.
The fact there is a sub-plot - showing an old man reading the love story to an old woman, doesn't make the film any more original, as everything in it is as predictable as the rest..
Gosling is the boy from the wrong side of the tracks who has a summer romance with rich girl Rachel McAdams, (who has the kind of face you are unlikely to remember from one movie to the next).
They lose each other and just as predictably find each other again and all the time nice old codger James Garner tells the story of their 'great' love to Gena Rowlands who has senile dementia.
I hope there's more people like me out there It's a shame that there's not many real life love stories.
Above all the descriptions and mood created around Noah on the river at sunrise, and the magical trip leading to the 'bird lake', such powerful images in the book, and of his poetry, were played down to a minimal level.It was as if the task of adaptation to screen was handed to someone who kept only the title and bare outline of the story and then proceeded to create a different, and vastly inferior and less powerful work.What a shame The Notebook has not enjoyed a truly sympathetic or sensitive adaptation like The Bridges of Madison County, Enchanted April or even the recent Ladies in Lavender.
A young boy who trusts his feelings so much that he is capable of doing anything standing in his power to be with the girl he likes, a young girl fighting for her love against her own parents, both combined in a struggle of an old man trying to recover the "she" for whom he'll stand "untill death..." turned the movie into a perfect love story.
Suddenly, you're not sensitive, and the relationship drops a rung on the sex ladder.This 2 hour long movie depicts a love story read by an aged husband to his wife who has a disease (something like alzheimers) and she forgets things easily.
He reads to her their love story, and every time he does, she remembers just a little bit more about the relationship they have.Not my kind of movie, but I gave it a 7 out of 10, because it was good nonetheless.
but this doesn't detract from the enjoyment of the film, as it's such a beautiful story you still want to know how the characters' lives play out.I would definitely recommend that people watch this movie at least once, but don't forget the waterproof mascara as I watched it with 4 other girls and we were all in floods of tears by the end!
I guess there isn't one.There are other good love stories out there that are much better than The notebook.
Firstly let me say i'm a lover of romantic films (Titanic is one of my favorites) and when i go into a romantic film i expect cheesy lines and clichés...but i just could not "get" this film, i found it laughably cheesy...roll your eyes, "i cant believe they just said that" cheesy.The film begins with an old couple and through a story telling session we begin to learn of the romance between rich, beautiful Allie (McAdams) and the poorer, handsome Noah (Gosling).The main problem i had with this pairing was how unlikely the whole thing seemed, Noah meets Allie and without even a sentence uttered between them, in only minutes of meeting...
it just felt too unrealistic for a film obviously trying for a realistic romance.Mcadams and Gosling have strong chemistry, they are very talented actors and i was impressed with both of them..but something about their romance just did not work for me, good acting can only take you so far...i never felt connected to these characters, i never felt involved but i don't for one minute blame this on the actors.Second MAJOR issue: The old couple storyline, not only is it MASSIVELY predicable meaning the so called "omg" twist as to who this old couple is becomes just another eye roller...but its horribly cliché, cheesy and badly acted....i often think i might have enjoyed this film had it only focused on the young allie/noah story (at least the acting was top-notch).
In the first part of the movie Noah and Allie were very believable having had a few young loves of my own.
Lol..But Rachel Mcadams does a good job at playing Allie in this movie!
It's a captivating story far beyond the average movie.This is one of the most beautiful and romantic films I have ever seen!
This was not going to be an easy task for him though, because the story was built on us believing the love that the main characters of the film would be showing was real.
He did a great job, and helped put together a great cast for this film that would end up including Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams, James Garner, and Joan Allen.
At the heart of this film the couple represents the love story that is being told by James Garner's character.
Meanwhile, in the story, Noah and Allie meet in one of the cutest scenes of the movie.
This is what I love about films like these, as we are given the opportunity to enjoy two different stories going on at the same time.
The love shown by Noah and Allie is something that envelopes us, and it makes us forget about the current story.
The film does its best to persuade and make the audience feel the way it wants you to feel that it turns those watching into slaves to the story.
if you want to see a moving love story you'll be disappointed from this film unless you're 13...can't believe all the rave...it is not deserved...a total waste of my time... |
tt2338151 | PK | A humanoid alien (Aamir khan) lands on Earth naked on a research mission in Rajasthan, but is stranded when the remote control of his spaceship is stolen. He manages to get the thief's cassette recorder, a Panasonic RQ-565D. On the same day in Bruges, Jaggu (Anushka Sharma) meets Sarfaraz (Sushant Singh Rajput) and falls in love with him. Jaggu's father (Parikshit Sahni) objects to their relationship because Sarfaraz is a Pakistani Muslim, while Jaggu is a Hindu. He consults godman Tapasvi Maharaj (Saurabh Shukla) who predicts that Sarfaraz will betray Jaggu. Determined to prove them wrong, Jaggu proposes to Sarfaraz, who accepts. She is heartbroken at the wedding chapel when she receives a letter calling off the marriage due to their cultural differences.
Jaggu returns to India and becomes a TV reporter. She meets the alien and is intrigued to see him distribute leaflets about the "missing" Gods. She saves him when he attempts to take money from a collection box, earning his trust.
The alien tells her that he is a research scientist from another planet. His people know nothing about dressing, religion or verbal communication. They transfer ideas by holding hands. The alien learned to fit in among humans by wearing clothes and using money stolen from "dancing cars".
In the flashback, after being accidentally hit by a truck, the alien is befriended by bandmaster Bhairon Singh (Sanjay Dutt), who takes him along with his troop. The alien attempts to learn to communicate by grabbing peoples' hands but people chase him away, believing him to be a pervert. Bhairon takes him to a brothel, where the alien holds a prostitute's (Reema Debnath) hand for six hours and thus learns the Bhojpuri language.
Bhairon has a conversation with the alien, and suggests that the thief may be in Delhi. The alien leaves for Delhi. Due to his strange behavior, the people assume he is drunk and call him "PK" (pee-kay, Hindi for "drunk"). People tell him that only "God" can help him find his remote. PK sincerely practices every Indian religion attempting to find "God", to no avail. He later discovers that Tapasvi has his remote, who claims it was a gift from God, and refuses to return the remote. Jaggu promises PK that she will recover his remote and he can go back home.
PK conjectures that Tapasvi and other godmen must be dialling a "wrong number" to communicate with God, and are therefore advising the public to engage in meaningless rituals. Jaggu encourages the public to expose fraudulent godmen, by sending their videos to her news channel. This "wrong number" campaign turns into a popular mass-movement, to the dismay of Tapasvi. Meanwhile, Bhairon finds the thief and contacts PK, telling him that he sold his remote control to Tapasvi, after which PK realises that Tapasvi was actually a fraud all along and that it wasn't a "wrong number". Bhairon then informs him that they will come to Delhi, but both die in a terrorist attack. The terrorist attack is later declared by Tapasvi's group to be stated as protecting their Gods.
Tapasvi decides to confront PK on-air. Tapasvi asks PK what the "right number" is. PK says that "God that created us all" is the only concept people should believe in, and that the other "duplicate Gods" are created by man. Tapasvi argues, saying that PK is trying to take people away from their Gods and that they will not stand for their Gods being taken away from them either. He claims he has a direct connection to God and refers to his prediction of Sarfaraz's betrayal to try to prove that Muslims are liars, but PK disagrees. PK realises that Sarfaraz did not write the letter. The letter was not for Jaggu. She contacts the Pakistani Embassy in Belgium where Sarfaraz worked part-time. The embassy tells her that Sarfaraz still loves her, and transfers the line to Sarfaraz, who is now living in Lahore. Jaggu and Sarfaraz reconnect, and Tapasvi is forced to return PK's remote, while also being exposed to the whole of India that he had planned to break Jaggu and Sarfaraz through his "predictions".
Meanwhile, PK has fallen in love with Jaggu, but refrains from telling her because she loves Sarfaraz. Having filled multiple audio tapes with her voice alone, he takes two suitcases full of tapes and extra batteries when leaving for home. After his departure, Jaggu publishes a book about him.
One year later, PK returns to Earth on a new research mission on human nature along with several other aliens (including one played by Ranbir Kapoor) | romantic, comedy, satire | train | wikipedia | What makes it so bloody brilliant is the story which takes some pretty serious subject matters and portrays them to the audience in a way that the audience can only laugh, and when in the serious scenes, they do not laugh, what they do is reflect over what happened and THINK and the obvious BRILLIANT direction by Rajkumar Hirani.
I don't know whether most of the people actually knew the plot, but surprisingly I did, somehow some brilliant guy about an year ago already guessed or leaked the plot of the movie and I SERIOUSLY THINK it must be some spot boy jerk.
But the upper layers of the story were like any other Indian movie, with same emotional drama in awkward places, a love story, an evil guy who gets ridiculed, etc.
Not only Aamir, but Anushka Sharma and Sanjay Dutt did a very good job of their character which I think no one could have done.
Raju Hirani has proved that a movie with a strong content can be made with fun and comedy as well.
If you're looking for a rare experience of emotion packed message n quality entertainment then #PK won't disappoint you.Enjoy Its truly your best performance till date!!!
PK is Something more than the pure Entertainment.I still wanted to clap after the movie was over because it was that good.I went into watch PK with high expectation...and i got more than i bargained for.This film is simply the best by Rajkumar Hirani YET.All of his other movies are too worth watching a billion times.All of Rajkumar Hirani typical Mix is present in this movie: Entertainment - check Sentiments - check Social Message- check Epiphany - checkI was not much religious to begin with so I sure Enjoyed the movie.Everyone should watch this movie and should have "Epiphany"The kinda funny thing(Ironically too) is the protest against this movieAnyway I think everyone should watch this movie..........
Modest, Enlightening, Emotional, Hilarious and out and out entertaining, it's a plot with some serious elements that truly has a soft presentation, if any movies makes you feel something, put your brain to think on some matter or make way to evoke new ideas rather than just entertain then such movie truly create an impact.''PK'' is one such kind of movie that has all mixed elements that is neatly bought together, the modest portrayal of the character ''pk'' and the supportive role of the ''Jaggu'' and the Bhairao Singh, almost every character that appears in the movie has very intense place in the plot that makes us to feel good, it reveals the view through the modest eyes that is in the process of adjusting in the purely new system of civilization, those modest viewpoint and the child like mind truly reminds us about our lost modesty and the logical way of thinking.To speak about technical aspects, it's all about the performance, when its Aamir in the show then there must be something special and yes ''PK'' has those speciality coming out with brilliant acting by the Mr. Perfectionist, and also Anushka, who had neatly presented her role up to the mark, Sunjay Dutt's cameo and the performance of Sushant along with Saurabh Shukla and Boman Irani are appreciable, all those comic characters succeeds in creating the feel good impact to the viewer, though it bit resembles Umesh Shukla's OMG it has its own way to deal with the concept, the humour is another +point of the movie, Raju Hirani's work both as the director and the editor is fine and neat, in some instant point though it seems like losing the hold on the story soon it get into the track, music are great and synch properly with the flow, overall again the 3 idiots team creates the magic along with its heart touching and enlightening concept..
I did not feel offended by any of the things related to god.Everyone has a perspective of looking at a religion there is nothing right or wrong in that.My main concern was the movie as a whole.It felt as if this movie was made to give a Tribute to Aamir Khan.For example Boman Irani is such a great actor but he was only like a prop in the film.
There was nothing in the movie which touched by heart as a whole unlike other films of Rajkumar Hirani which kept me thinking about it even after going out of the movie theater.There were some scenes which were irritating and not even funny and were just put to show the whole world of why Aamir khan is such a great actor.The songs were like children's poem.I just want to tell everyone that don't blindly appreciate whatever he does,he is not always right and perfect.If this movie was made with a new comer it surely would have bombed at the box office.The movie didn't have a particular story to keep you edged at the seats,things just kept happening with a few laughs here and there.There are so much better movies made which don't get that appreciation because of the small star cast and low marketing..
Aamir has given performance of his life.Best film of Rajkumar Hirani and Aamir Khan's career.
There's something that you usually experience after watching an Aamir Khan Film - You always have a smile on your face after you have experienced it.
The innocence and cuteness of both Aamir Khan and Anushka Sharma will make you feel very good.
The song 'Love is a Waste of Time' has been continuously humming in my mind since I've come out of the theater.So Guys, go to the theaters nearby and experience the movie.
Coming to the movie So Aamir has done very well to his role, he will make you laugh and make you cry, a very childish and innocent guy who is trapped in the Earth and cannot go home.
After seeing the movie it seemed to me a combo of Oh My God. The plot started with a Alien lost his device to making a statement at the end that Muslims don't cheat people.
Few examples about the lost plot.......People enjoying PK possibly could also enjoy the movies like Joker or Tees Mar khan.No originality's in humor (Filled with vulgarity), instead audience laughs on realizing the value of this movie.Amir Khan, please stop making nonsense copies of a far better scripted movies like (OMG), as you did with Dhoom-3 (copied from The Prestige and Now You See Me).The fact that Sushant Singh calls Pakistan Embassy in Belgium everyday, it self makes it a totally lost plot.
As a lover for good cinema I am in my strong opinion that this film has no outstanding acting, direction or story which will allow it to be the top film (250) of all time.
But the entire plot derailed in second half when the movie lost its humor and was more or less illogical and focused mainly on defending Muslims and asking stupid questions like "Is religion is written on the body of a person?".
It deserves 0 stars but I am forced to give 1 star.This movie also reminds me of 3 idiots in the sense that the first half was excellent while the second half was filled with utter nonsense like making delivery of pregnant woman at home using batteries and TV instructions!
Amir Khan looks like he is losing the grip over his movies.
Nice Movie.Movie communicates a nice message of Unity in society, that is filled with superstitious traditions, deceptive & discriminated with orthodox beliefs that divide all human being in the name of religion.Focus on Religious equality, which means treating all religions the same, whether Christians, Sikhs, Hindus, Buddhists Muslims, Jews etc as well as all denominations within each of them.The inevitable consequence of orthodox beliefs & discrimination in the name of religion leads to misconception about people...All religions are divinely inspired, but they are imperfect because they are products of the human mind and taught by human beings based on their moral ethics.We should think towards eliminating all the atrocities that happen in the name of religion and caste in this society & make everyone realize that we are one and the same and bring a sense of brotherhood.
I always considered Amir as best of 3 khans & he did give good movies like Sarforosh or 3 idiots.
To his credit, its probably hard to act good when you are asked to keep your eyes wide open like a Tarsier throughout the film.
Best film of Rajkumar Hirani and Aamir Khan's career.This film is once in a lifetime experience.
With PK, I can only say that it's one good time watch.Some people are saying that PK is Aamir's best performance!
Expectations were high after "3 idiots" from Rajkumar Hirani and Aamir Khan...And they delivered..If you were thinking, how could the pair of Hirani and Joshi possibly better their effort after the superb script of "3 idiots", you will get your answer after watching "pk".Through unique story, brilliant acting and superb screenplay, the movie leaves us with much to ponder, especially the issue of stereotypes which we implant in our minds towards certain matters and not give them a second thought.
When we hear Aamir Khan working on a movie from Rajkumar Hirani, we expect something original, something unique.
I want my money back for sure.Indian Audience should really stop making such foolish movies hit, there are many meaningful cinemas coming in theatre, go watch them.
A movie expected to be a super hit much before its release because of Aamir Khan's presence and Raju Hirani's direction.PK, to me, doesn't fall in a good movie category.
The plot is kind of stupid and immediately leads the viewer to feeling as to what a wrong decision to watch the movie.The social message given by PK has recently been conveyed by OMG Oh My God movie in a much better fashion.Audiences are just appreciating the movie for Aamir's presence and acting.
If it takes Rajkumar Hirani 5 years after 3 Idiots to make a movie, I'll wait for 2019 to watch his next!.
Best Bollywood movie made after 3 Idiots Movie coincidently both starring Aamir Khan and both directed by Raj Kumar Hirani...
There was absolutely no need for few scenes like dancing cars which was shown multiple times in the movie.
Honestly, I had more expectations from Aamir - Hirani movie so that is the reason I would not give it a 8 star.
Aamir - Hirani please make an innocent movie next time like you used to do (like Three Idiots) Good luck!.
And that last scene where PK and that guru argue about God and Anushka goes on to call her long lost love around the world on national television, the film deviates from its point and that kind of ending is just unacceptable.
Just watched The most awaited film of the year with my friends and its been a great day for me.About the movie, the more story goes deeper and deeper, i found a plot similar like "oh my god".Now the difference is sir Paresh Rawal doing all the things because he know all this god business,and Sir amir Khan as "pk" here doing similar things without knowing what he is doing.Same plot,but placed in a different way.Each and every one in this movie looked amazing.and no doubt Amir Khan proved or lets rip that word "Proved" for him because he don't have to prove anything again,we know he is the best and done a great job,and Anushka- Well done.Good Movie but you know those people who didn't see the omg yet,they are going to find this movie extraordinary,but for me i didn't find it in that way because it's just 2 years ago when i saw the same kinda movie..
The superstitions found in others will not let the people to live, especially ladies, but in ours, it leads a way to life, the hopes that it gives, could not be called as superstitions.Being an Indian, first learn to respect Indian culture.Only in India cows are considered as God. Is it not great?, but you have shown it as a foolish thing,...
Worst Raju Hirani / Amir Khan Movie Ever.
Full Bakwas.Recap of OMG / reused ideas.Poor acting or i should say over acting.Poor Direction.Poor Storyline and screenplay.Very Predictable.Intermission / 2nd half is very boring and annoying + predictable.Annoying and over used feel good background music.3 idiot's wining formula used again, but not working anymore.This movie is like OMG V2, completely mocking religions at the same time embarrassing it.
Above all you got a message like Amir Khan's movie 'wrong number' which means 'Raise your voice against all wrong steps are taken by the system'..
However this is played in a very funny and satirical manner and Aamir's superb acting promises never a dull moment in the movie.
**** SPOILER ALERT below ***** The beginning and end of the movie felt like ET, however I was a bit disappointed - only for the first 5 minutes though - that they could not come up with a more non human looking representation of ET.
With the kind of perfectionist Aamir is, you will not come home watching an Aamir Khan movie, rather you would be back home after meeting PK.Rajkumar Hirani is another shining star of the movie.
One of Aamir Khan's finest performance and undoubtedly the best movie of 2014.
I really appreciate Aamir Khan, Rajkumar Hirani for their efforts in the PK movie.
I just want Aamir khan to act in Raju Hirani movies.My rating - "An exceptional masterpiece".
This is surely the best bollywood movie i have ever watched.
A perfect blend of comedy drama and emotions ,great acting by the entire cast.The presentation of a story like this is not something a lot of directors can do.
Go and Watch Bollywood's Best Movie of the Year.
Let's talk about the Movie .The movie takes a bit time to start but once Aamir Khan's character is introduced , it just a matter of time that forget that 2 and half hours of life is gone.
This is the best of the best movie.Amazing direction,screenplay,songs chemistry everything.I Can't tell u about movie ,go watch and enjoy with your family.This is a masterpiece GOD PROMISE.Subject is little old but the way of story told is amazing.
Aamir does his job with emotions from heart.In this movie their is several original jokes on which you can't control your laugh.Also last seen is so hilarious.So you leave theater with huge smile on your face.
Quality entertainment, yes you have it.Well enough of chit chat, The movie: As it is expected, Amir steals the show, at the end, you are supposed to have sympathy with PK what I really felt, there was not much but supportive role from Anushka what she gave, the script somehow tries not to involve into any trouble somewhere feels not to involve too much, but it relieves the intellectual that they see what they expected to see.
Rajkumar Hirani, after 5 years down the line with 3 idiots, comes with a religious satire from which our country and country people are suffering.Nice script, good direction and all well-fitted characters in the film.
"Not the best work of Rajkumar hirani, but extremely impressive and worth watching" The film scores very well in comedy and the way Aamir khan has portrayed the character P.K (specially Bhojpuri dialect) ....
Aamir Khan obviously delivers one of the best all time performances and Anushka sharma , Saurabh Shukla, Sanjay Dutt and all others just add to it.Cons: The film doesn't have much heavy weight dialogues which may become memorable and iconic and at some parts, it appears to repeat Oh My God..
PK is the best movie Hindi movie I've ever seen!Amazing performance by Aamir Khan!So flawless.Definitely a must watch!
If bollywood movies are to be called good, the only factor is Mr. Perfectionist Aamir Khan.
I am not usually a big fan of Indian movies, but Amir Khan can do and have done better than this...Maybe all these religious problems in the film makes this movie work if you are Indian, but this "wrong number" crap that the movies keeps repeating just seems like such a juvenile idea.
This alien learnt lying and cheating in his short stint, these humans have 5000 years of recorded history to learn non-sense from.Yes the masses won't understand a Garam Hawa, or Satyakam (a masterpiece that deserves much more praise than it got), but do we have to be dished out this simple straight good-bad people talk in the name of 'best movie' of the year..
The director of the movie is Rajkumar Hirani, so had to watch it!
so far will be watching again on Christmas and new year.Aamir Khan has delivered his career best performance in PK he'll make u laugh,cry,amuse,provoke..all at the same time!!
Make a movie like Oh My God where every religion is involved and conveys a better meaning rather than telling your religion is fake.
A movie expected to be a super hit much before its release because of Aamir Khan's presence and Raju Hirani's direction.
PK is by far one of the best Bollywood films I have watched in a very long time.
I loved this film for Aamir's acting and the concepts it experimented with.
Rajkumar Hirani is one of the best directors and he delivered the message in a very unique artistic way that every Indian will love to watch this.
Aamir Khan), you are continuously kept attached.Finally, I would say it's a 'Good Movie' definitely a must watch with Family – 4 out of 5..
PK is a not a good movie but not the standard of Rajkumar Hirani.
God bless the marketing team and Aamir khan(he definitely is a good actor who has matured with time) for their excellent job.This movie is a pure satire on blind religious belief emerged as a result of fear. |
tt1462758 | Buried | On October 23, 2006, Paul Conroy, an American civilian truck driver working in Iraq, wakes up and finds himself buried alive in a wooden coffin, bound and gagged, with only a Zippo lighter and a BlackBerry phone at hand. Although he initially has no idea how he got there, he starts to piece together what has happened to him. He remembers that his and several other trucks were ambushed by terrorists, who killed his colleagues; he was hit by a rock and passed out. He receives a call from his kidnapper, Jabir, demanding that he pay a ransom of $5 million by 9PM or he will be left in the coffin to die.
Conroy calls the State Department, which tells him that due to the government policy of not negotiating with terrorists, it will not pay the ransom but will try to rescue him. They connect him with Dan Brenner, head of the Hostage Working Group, who tells Conroy they are doing their best to find him.
His kidnapper calls Conroy and demands he make a ransom video, threatening to execute one of his colleagues who survived the attack. Conroy insists that no one will pay $5 million, so the kidnapper drops the amount to $1 million. Despite his compliance in making a video, the kidnappers execute his colleague and send him the recording of it, which he watches in horror. Shortly afterwards, distant explosions shake the area, damaging his coffin, which begins to slowly fill with sand. Conroy continues sporadic phone calls with Brenner, skeptical of the man's promises of help. To reaffirm his wholehearted intentions, Brenner tells Conroy about a 26-year-old named Mark White who was rescued from a similar situation three weeks previously, telling him that the kid is home with his family and happy.
Later on, Conroy receives a phone call from his employers, who inform him that he was fired from his job due to an alleged prohibited relationship with a colleague (the one who was executed), and thus he and his family will not be entitled to any benefits or pension he earned during his time with the company. Brenner calls back and explains that the explosions that had damaged his coffin earlier were in fact several F-16 bombings, and that his kidnappers may have been killed. Conroy begins to lose all hope and does a last will and testament in video form, giving his son all of his clothes and his wife his personal savings. Jabir calls back demanding that Conroy video record himself cutting his finger off, threatening Conroy's family back home in Michigan if he refuses, saying that he lost all of his children. Conroy records himself cutting off one of his fingers and sends the video.
Shortly after making the video, the cell phone rings, Paul begins to hear shovels and distorted voices. The voices come clearer, saying to open the coffin, and the coffin opens. But abruptly, it becomes obvious he hallucinated the encounter.
After some minutes, Brenner calls, notifying Conroy that they have found his location and are driving out to find him. Then Conroy's wife Linda calls him, so Conroy hangs up on Brenner. She cries with him and begs him to promise her that he will come home. He promises, but hangs up due to another call from Brenner. Brenner reports that they have found the site. The group starts to dig up a coffin, but Conroy cannot hear anyone near the coffin. When they open it, the coffin turns out to be Mark White's, not Conroy's, indicating that White was never rescued. Paul starts to cry as he realizes he is not going to be saved. The sand fills his coffin and he suffocates to death as the light goes out and the screen goes black. The last thing we hear is Brenner, repeating, "I'm sorry, Paul. I'm so sorry." as the connection finally times out. | mystery, cruelty, murder, boring, dramatic, claustrophobic, suspenseful, sadist | train | wikipedia | Buried is a film that keeps things deadly simple, one character, one location and a one line but horribly inspired plot, those looking for flashy visuals or big action should turn far, far away from this one.
It's worth noting though that the film is well directed and photographed, director Rodrigo Cortes has a nimble eye for visuals and angles to keep things visually interesting, while cinematographer Eduard Grau gets the best out of the mere two light sources to make the experience a frighteningly vivid one.
The plot sees Ryan Reynolds waking up in a coffin, with nothing more than a cell-phone and his lighter to help him out, things develop through his series of fraught, occasionally bleakly amusing and increasingly desperate communications with the outside world.
A lot of people are likely to dislike the film on a fundamental level, but Reynolds gives the performance of his life here, running through a rainbow of emotions, angry, sarcastic and terrified are but a few.
An ordinary man reacting as best he can to a nightmare, drawing on the sort of resourcefulness he probably hoped he'd never need, occasionally breaking down but keeping ploughing on, shades of dark humour in the protagonist's travails on the phone, its endlessly interesting and as time goes on, nail-bitingly suspenseful.
It makes a film like 'Salt' look like a giant waste of resources, when Buried does what even some of the best thrillers can't do, it brings us inside the character's head, and does it all without a romp through the city, or blowing things up.If you're one of those people who loves to sit on the edge of your seat, chewing at your fingernails, while you're constantly asking yourself what's going to happen next.
Paul Conroy, who is played by Ryan Reynolds and is the only character in the movie we actually see, wakes up in a coffin buried under the ground with no idea how he got there or who put him there.
I found these minute details fascinating and they artistically added a lot to a film which had little room to work with.While Cortes' directing gives the film plenty of life, Ryan Reynold's stalwart performance really drives the emotion of the film.
These are sometimes hard working law abiding people who have seen their country torn apart by war, who have seen their children dying and who no longer have any other way of making money, and who see the Americans as to blame for this....not that I want to sound like I was on their side at all or that I condone it in any way, which I don't, but I found this film a very interesting study into human survival instinct and desperation.
Buried: in which Ryan Reynolds is en-tombed underground in a coffin like structure with only a cell phone and a lighter for company spending 90 minutes crying out for help to anyone who will listen.
Director Rodrigo Cortes keeps the drama entirely inside this average-sized coffin-like box but as anyone who watched Hitchcock play with space and tension in Rope and Lifeboat will know how inventive one has to be with limited room, Cortes used his skill to make this experiment work brilliantly with some interesting lighting effects to keep it visually interesting.
The buried trucker very well performed by Ryan Reynolds works utilizing his skills and talents to survive the deadly trap which guard the coffin with serpent and falling down included , as using his intelligence he attempts to avoid get smashed because the coffin is caving itself in .The picture succeeds because the thriller, tension , as well as a superbly written script delving into the human psyche in such extreme situation and our instinctive urges for survival .
The good thing about this film is that the director made it on a shoestring budget only having to do one set , yet the movie works on many levels but is constantly reconfigured .
Ryan Reynolds is believable as a man buried alive in a coffin, and you can really feel the emotions he experiences during the movie.
In 2006, the American truck driver Paul Conroy (Ryan Reynolds), who was hired by the CRT contractor to work delivering supplies in Iraq, awakes buried alive inside a coffin in the Iraq desert.
Very few movies are made this way, the sheer rawness of this movie makes it all worth viewing, even though it keeps the same set the whole movie, it keeps you suspended, this is basically the closest thing you will get to the feeling of being buried alive and the movie really grows on you if you understand it.It's one of the few movies that shows you how cruel, stupid and ignorant some people can be, in my opinion this is something that very few movies is able to capture.Its raw and has no mercy, one of the most brilliant films i've seen and the acting is awesome, if you like suspension and an awesome thriller you won't be disappointed, a true pearl.Sypher1982.
Going into 'Buried,' the less the audience knows about the plot details of the film, the more it will enhance their enjoyment of the proceeding ninety minutes of cinematic screen time.
But, while the audience's attention may hinge at times on the development of the narrative, it is the inventiveness of Cortes and the heart-felt performance by Reynolds that keeps the tension and the suspense of the film at a constant high throughout providing one of the best thrillers to see a theatrical release in years.Cortes takes the minimalist, one-room concept to new heights as he provides only the confines of a basic coffin for the setting of a film.
Reynolds gives quite possibly the performance of his career as he literally providing one-man-cinematic show, while his passionately explosive show-piece alongside the beautifully simplistic cinematography, editing and lighting create a film that keeps audiences on the edge of their seat for its entire duration.'Buried' is an ambitious project, pulled off by an enthusiastic director which breathes a little life into the mystery thriller genre in general.
I can't recall how many films in the last few years had attempted something as daring and audacious as Buried, but writer Chris Sparling and director Rodrigo Cortes pulled this thriller off wonderfully, aided by the performance of Ryan Reynolds, who single handedly demonstrates his acting range that continues to cement him as one of my favourite character actors (from films like Waiting...
The story engages at a very personal level since it's a one man tour de force with little external distractions, and I suppose anyone caught in the same situation will probably employ some of the same techniques here when desperately seeking help to escape.Writer Chris Sparling and director Rodrigo Cortes crafts a simple yet effective story that will put you on the edge together with his protagonist, allowing you to experience almost everything he does, from frustrations when interacting with external parties in scenarios which we are all too familiar with, yet understanding and grasping the impact that such issues bring forth if we're in the same shoes.
Trying to film an entire movie inside a coffin is unfilmable and that's a risk the director wanted to take.
However, if you get sleepy in movies this one is perfect because it may have worked as a radio program a lot better as you do not need to see anything to follow the story line of calling out on a cell phone from the inside of a coffin.
Given the plot those concerns are stupid.A few words about the man of the hour, Ryan Reynolds gives an excellent performance here indeed, but (how to put that right?) it didn't seem like a very hard role to pull off.
Anyway dumb me thought he was just a pretty face romcom actor but I learned that he enjoyed playing parts in many indies that I missed and will try to check out.The ending may or may not satisfy you, anyway like in most good movies, and often in life, the journey is more interesting than the destination..
Spanish director Rodrigo Cortes takes minimalist cinema-making to new heights by telling a story with just only one character trapped in one location in what is almost dogma 95esque settings, and far more importantly he manages to do so by keeping it interesting throughout the 90 minutes.Buried opens with a man trapped in what appears to be a wooden box buried underground.
As he tries to piece it all together he finds out that he has lost his special contact number ( that apparently every American in Iraq has been given in case of an emergency) but discovers a mobile phone ( in Arabic settings) and a Zippo lighter alongside a pencil, a pocket knife, and supply of anti-anxiety pills ( we later learn that Conroy suffers from anxiety)The rest of the movie is about his frenetic attempts to establish contact with outside world - his family, friends, employers, the state department to seek assistance to 'get him out'.
Buried (2010) *** 1/2 (out of 4) Effective thriller has Paul Conroy (Ryan Reynolds) waking up in pure darkness and soon realizing that his convoy in Iraq was attacked by insurgents and now he is stuck inside a coffin without much time to live.
Sure, there have been countless movies about being buried alive as the horror genre is full of such films but none of them actually put you in the coffin for 94-minutes and made you squirm like this thing does.
I think the film works because as more and more time passes you begin to feel like Paul, as if you're trapped and by keeping you inside the coffin you never really get a chance to catch your breath.
For a movie set entirely in a wooden box, Buried works rather well.The film could be a lesson taken from the 'Alfred Hitchcock School of Suspense Filmmaking' where a single location is utilized with a limited cast.
A man called Paul Conroy (Ryan Reynolds) wakes up to discover he's been sealed inside a wooden box/coffin and buried alive in what we soon discover to be Iraq.
With his oxygen running low, it's desperate a race against time
Years ago if someone had said it was possible to make an entire movie set in a box with only one character, most people would probably have laughed at them.
i watched this movie the other day not expecting the kind of suspense of an Alfred Hitchcock type thriller that keeps you guessing every Minuit, also the pace keeps up right through to the grand final, it kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish, also it scared me thinking what people have to go through in war time, and i thought about myself being in such a situation, i don't want to give too much storyline away for other viewers, that would spoil it, but i recommend the movie highly for suspense movie buffs, and one of the most important movies of this year.
and we get to watch him for an hour (or so) trying to get rescued i.e. making phone calls.This movie leaves a bitter aftertaste and an uneasy feeling, which might stay with you for a long time.
I am all for giving a low budget movie a chance and judging it accordingly, but if you loved this one you are definitely easily entertained and your bar is set significantly low.The Acting wasn't bad considering there is only one actor (Ryan Reynolds) and a few voices on the other end of a cell phone.
I walked out of the cinema saying the same as the others "That movie was s**t, I want my money back".The only good thing about this movie was Ryan Reynolds.Be aware that this whole movie is set in the coffin and is extremely dark.If you're scared of the dark or snakes this is not the movie for you.Also if your claustrophobic this is not for you either.Overall 2/10 "Wouldn't Watch It Again""WARNING" It's not worth the money!.
The acting is great, but the story is incredibly boring If you really want to watch an ultra-low budget movie about a guy buried underground in a coffin with little if any hope of ever escaping, then this might be your cup of tea.
Granted, Ryan Reynold's was a good actor, he would have to be because I think he may have been the only character in the entire movie.
If you want to waste 2 hours of your life watching Ryan Reynolds scrabbling around in a dark wooden box, covered in dirt, yelling half nonsensically at a BlackBerry, then this movie is for you...personally, I regret that I can't get that period of my life back.
To kill off the good guy don't make any movies better - it just makes your audience feel that they have been sitting there for 90 minutes wasting their time.
The film was shot on a mere $3 million budget (a large portion of which probably went to pay Reynold's salary, which I'm sure was a big pay cut for him) and takes place entirely in one location, a coffin.
He realizes that he has a fleeting amount of oxygen left and desperately tries to use what little time and resources he has to find a way out of the coffin and survive.Some viewers who demand more standard popcorn action movie fare will be bored by the film but many other film fans (like myself) will be captivated by it.
Paul (Reynolds) has a handful of items buried with him, including a phone which he uses for the majority of the film in his efforts to reach help.
I generally enjoy watching simple thrillers like this, however Buried was a disappointment.We join Paul as he wakes up, follow him throughout his predicament, and share the tedium and frustration that you might imagine comes with the situation.
4)the ending was great!however, there were some goofs in this movie: 1) the acting from Ryan Reynolds was not very perfect(the way he speaks sometime looks like he was not in a desperate situation) but i think he has delivered the best performance ever so far in Buried.
Boring and irritating director, dumb situations (like the lighter is not using oxygen, yes right?) I wanted to stop the movie after 20 minutes, but speed it up with the remote, stopped sometime when I saw some movement or light in the dark coffin, stopped but after a few disappointed minutes (nothing happens only moaning and dumb conversations) I just gave up and I'm lucky my wife stopped me when I wanted to break the rented disc half.
This is perhaps the most claustrophobic film I've ever seen, with 94 minutes of nothing but Ryan Reynolds trapped in a very enclosed box with little time and no way out.
This is what Paul Conroy, an American truck driver working in Iraq, is about to experience, and the viewer who dares to watch this movie will feel with him through his excruciating struggle to be dug out of his imprisonment alive."Buried" is a daring, gripping, challenging viewing experience, unlike few others that I have recently had.
You won't need to be shown the images of the people he rings up, or the events that take place outside his box; the evocative power of the words we hear is that big, you will be able to "see" the scenes in your mind.Though extremely dramatic and definitely a hard watch for anyone (I advise people with even mild claustrophobia or anxiety to stay away from this movie), it is permeated by an almost constant, absolutely dark humor and a sense of satire and intense criticism that points out at the bureaucracy, unnecessary formalism, and emotional detachment of today's Western society.
Give Rodrigo Cortes credit: movie aside, few people could stand the thought of 90 minutes in a box with Ryan Reynolds.
"Buried" is a concentrated study of character carried out by Ryan Reynolds' dynamic and powerful performance and works as a minimalistic film experiment, a psychological thriller and a hostage drama.
All he has with him is a phone and a knife.Despite the fact that this movie is filmed in a coffin the entire time, the movie interests us every step of the way.
Yes, there is, and Buried proves that.Maybe this is not a so original idea at all because I think that every director in the world already made this question once in life but never found a great screenplay to make it possible.Of course that the movie have some flaws, like the fact of the character uses his lighter in a place where oxygen is gold.
After waking up in a small wooden coffin, Paul Conroy (Reynolds) uses everything he has (lighter and cell phone) to find a way out.
I know what your thinking...how good can a movie be if it only has one person in it the entire time with only a lighter and a cell phone.
The movie starts with-in the coffin, Ryan wakes up and finds himself inside with few options like a cell phone (blackberry), lighter and few flash lights.
The film starts with Paul Conroy (Ryan Reynolds), waking up inside the coffin.
$3 million I expected so much more, especially seeing as it started Ryan Reynolds, but I was let down with poor camera work and a very poor script.A very claustrophobic atmosphere is created inside the coffin, but the film is just over saturated with close up shots a dark lighting.
He spends a lot of time, calling different law enforcement agencies in America, before getting hold of a hostage negotiator in Iraq, placed there by the US.The entire film sees Ryan Reynolds in a coffin. |
tt0111742 | Wolf | Will Randall (Jack Nicholson) is bitten by a wolf while driving home in Vermont. Afterwards, he is demoted from editor in chief of a publishing house when it is taken over by tycoon Raymond Alden (Christopher Plummer), who replaces him with Will's protegé Stewart Swinton (James Spader). Stewart is having an affair with Will's wife Charlotte (Kate Nelligan). Will starts to be more aggressive, taking on the characteristics of a wolf.With the help of Alden's headstrong daughter Laura (Michelle Pfeiffer), Will sets out for his new life. His first escapade as a werewolf takes place at Laura's estate, where he wakes up at night and hunts down a deer. In the morning Will finds himself on the bank of a stream, with blood all over his face and hands.He visits Dr. Vijav Alezais (Om Puri), who gives him an amulet to protect him from turning completely into a wolf. Alezais asks Will to bite him, as Alezais does not have long to live, and would prefer "demonization to death." After refusing, Randall keeps the amulet so that he won't transform at the next full moon. Calling Laura to explain, Randall, now a wolf, breaks into the Zoo and steals handcuffs from a policeman. Muggers want his wallet, but he attacks and leaves one of them alive. He wakes up in his hotel, with no memory of what happened.Will outmanoeuvres Stewart at their work and fires him, urinating on his shoes in a bathroom. While washing his hands, he finds fingers in his handkerchief and realizes he killed someone. Will inadvertently bites Stewart, who then becomes a wolf and murders Charlotte. Stewart attempts to frame Will in order to seize his job back.Horrified that he might have killed his wife, Will goes back to Laura`s cottage and is locked up in the barn. Laura gets a call from a Detective (Richard Jenkins), who tells her that canine DNA was found on Charlotte's body. Alarmed, Laura goes to the police station. There she runs into Stewart, who makes an animal-like pass at her. Laura hurries away, making arrangements for her and Will to leave the country.Stewart follows her and kills her two guards. After a brief struggle in the barn, Stewart tries to rape her, but Will frees himself and they fight. Stewart is shot to death by Laura. After he returns to normal, Will has a brief moment with Laura and then runs into the forest.Minutes later, Laura shows heightened senses when the police arrive, telling the detective that she can smell vodka on his breath. The final scene is a close-up of her face fading into dark, lupine eyes, and a close up of Will completing his transformation into a full werewolf. | comedy, gothic, murder, cult, satire, revenge | train | imdb | Ever since the 1940s, filmmakers attempting to make a new monster film, in the vein of the classics Dracula or The Wolf Man are often saddled with the contempt or disbelief provoked in response by contemporary audiences, leaving the end result either comedic or a camp attempt at a thriller incapable of being taken seriously or enjoyed by anyone other than caffeine riddled thirteen year olds.
The casting of Jack Nicholson as a modern day werewolf may have immediately come across as a very mixed blessing, inciting excitement that such an iconic actor was taking a shot at a part which seemed tailor made for him, and fear that Nicholson might simply coast by on the premise, and indulge in his tendency to drift over the top to the point of pantomime, effectively ruining the intent of the film.
Michelle Pfeiffer gives a tremendously charismatic and entirely believable performance as Nicholson's surprisingly well written love interest - rather than being reduced to screaming and floundering around, Pfeiffer injects her character with real human emotions, taking what could have been a routine romantic lead and nearly stealing the film in one of the most impressive performances in her career.
Wolf makes a wonderful modern take on the Wolf Man classic right down to the facial prosthetics, and is easily worth seeing for any fans of the genre in the mood for a horror film which refuses to patronise its audience - a very refreshing change.
The story perfectly combines drama, horror and romance, with Michelle Pfeiffer very beautiful and a great dispute among the characters performed by Jack Nicholson, James Spader and Christopher Plummer.
It is different as a horror movie, because it really isn't a horror movie - and yet here we have a man turning into a wolf, he starts killing people at night, and we have the rabid horror music stalking our ears when the wolf is on the prowl.I like the characters, I like the slow pace and the calm moments and I especially like Jack Nicholson when Randall's senses start to come alive.
Pfeiffer makes a tough, proactive heroine, and gets a much better part than you'd expect for a woman in a horror film (horror is very much a boy's genre, I'm afraid).I'm going to get snooty here and suggest that most people just don't understand "Wolf," probably because its ideal audience is quite small.
The acting is very good with James Spader oozing sleaziness with every single look, Michelle Pfieffer playing a hardened woman, and Jack Nicholson being, well, Jack Nicholson, but hairier.The opening sequence grabs you straight away, stock shocks, but they work fantastically, from then on I found myself impressed on just about every following scene.Nicholson is very good at underplaying the beginning of his transformation as he starts to discover his newly heightened senses, but he comes into his own when his powers bring him new found confidence and self assurance.Some of the wolf effects are a little cheesy, and the appearance of David Schwimmer playing a cop caused me to flash into Friends mode - he even has a friends-like line, could he _be_ anymore Ross like?
The combination of quick and slow zooms, along with expansive cuts of open spaces make the 125 minute story both rhythmic and engrossing.WOLF is not the conventional werewolf movie we're accustomed to seeing, as the film is meant to induce a snicker as opposed to a scream.
In this respect, James Spader upstages Jack Nicholson and almost steals the show.Still, there's all the good stuff that comes with werewolf movies.
For all those horror fans out there, the make-up team did a superb job, no doubt influenced by the disjointed transformations of the original black and white wolf-man classic.As a telltale sign of the film's sophistication, the werewolf theme is dramatically eclipsed by the true storyline – Nicholson's over-the-hill struggles in the publishing business.
The development of Michelle Pfiffer's character in the movie was an open question mark.The Pfiffer-Nicholson love story culminates in WOLF's unique ending.
Along the way he meets a mysterious and interesting woman (Michelle Pfeiffer) and seeks the advice of an alternative healer (Om Puri.) This movie is not terribly scary or really very horrifying, it portrays the wolf as being like mankind, "...evil if the person who is bitten is evil..." And in the dog-eat-dog world of business, really speaks about the urban jungle that is work and business every day.
Jack Nicholson stars as Will Randall a meek book editor whose life suddenly is thrown into turmoil when he is bitten by a wolf while driving home from a business meeting.
Grisly horror , thrills and chills in this enjoyable terror film starred by an excellent protagonist trio, Jack Nicholson , Michelle Pfeiffer and James Spader .
Publisher Will Randall (Jack Nicholson) suffers a car accident when is attacked by a wolf as he has turned into a werewolf .
Meanwhile , Randall is accused for his wife's (Kate Nelligan) death and fall in love with the gorgeous daughter (Michelle Pfeiffer , though Mia Farrow was slated to play her and Sharon Stone turned down the female lead) of his shrewd boss (Christopher Pummer) .This exciting chiller displays thriller , drama , action , suspense, terror , werewolves fights , a love story with mysterious touches and turns out quite entertaining .
Good performances from Jack Nicholson as a notorious publisher who is bitten by a werewolf and becomes one himself and the beautiful Michelle Pfeiffer along with James Spader .
Rousing musical score by the great Ennio Morricone who composes a sensitive as well as thrilling soundtrack ; however John Williams was originally attached to compose the music for this film .This big budget motion picture was well directed by Mike Nichols (The graduate , Catch 22, Silkwood , Working girl , Regarding Henry , Closer) , though release was delayed for 6 to 8 months to re-shoot the entire third act .
This movie seems to pay tribute to classic werewolf films such as "The Wolf Man" with its basic formula of: Normal man, man bitten, man realizes something wrong, man discovers cool abilities, man uses abilities, man's abilities become out of control, man seeks help, man gets mystical amulet, man seeks resolution.
A howling good werewolf movie, with Jack Nicholson as The Child of the Night.
In Mike Nichols' enchanted 1994 movie, Wolf, we meet a failing book editor, Jack Nicholson, who, sorry to say, would rather purr than bark.
In his case, Nicholson has two creatures to deal with: the jackal- like James Spader, as vicious and as smiling a villain as one might find in a Grimm's fairy tale or an MBA executive program, and the nightmarish Christopher Plummer, the nastiest and most treacherous boss since Genghis Khan, the sort of corpse-eating, bone-crunching sneak who gives hyenas a bad name.
Both actors are at the top of their game, and it's a delight to watch them work their nastiness.Fortunately for the Nicholson character, he gets bitten by a werewolf, and we all know what that means, kiddies.Like one of Jack London's canines on the prowl: "He became quicker of movement...
A wolf-man needs to make time for fun, like one of Jack London's animal heroes: "But especially he loved to run in the dim twilight of the summer midnights, listening to the subdued and sleepy murmurs of the forest, reading signs and sounds as a man may read a book, and seeking for the mysterious something that called -- called, waking or sleeping, at all times, for him to come." As you might expect, evening is chow-down time in the Big Apple.
Glorious special effects, great ensemble acting, and laugh-out-loud wit – the sort of insightful and caustic comments that over the years Mike Nichols rewarded us with, like so many jalapeño-flavored candy bars -- make Wolf an engaging fable for grownups ...
Will Randall(Jack Nicholson)is your every day nice guy, who does'nt seem throw many punches, his best friend and coworker Stuart Swinton(James Spader) steals his job Has Senior Publisher, and his wife Charlotte(Kate Nelligan) is cheating on him.
Way up there in my own personal top 50 films of all time I could never tire of watching this film and LISTENING..and this word is the key.HEARING becomes an intrinsic part of Nicholson's transformation after he is bitten by a wolf on his way home one night in upstate New York.
The washroom scene where Nicholson announces simply "Just marking out my territory" was worth seeing alone!Many have complained bitterly that the finale descends into a "typical b-grade werewolf movie." Jeez, they ARE WEREWOLVES for God's sake what did you expect Nichols to come up with?
I guess people would also be disappointed in 'The Godfather' if they watched it expecting a 'Die Hard'.The movie creates an atmosphere that is lacking in many modern horrors, and has a decent werewolf fight scene, but that's it; all in all, the drama is prevalent throughout the film.
The werewolf aspect is subtly done in changes of his personality; he becomes more cunning, using dirty tricks in order to keep himself on power, becomes more possessive/attentive to everything and more lusty (acting on his attraction to Michelle Pfeiffer).The movie is perfectly directed.
James Spader, too, really shines as Nicholson's machiavellian antagonist.Complete with an Ennio Morricone music, very good make-up for the transformed wolfmen, and a somewhat unique ending, this is one great hidden gem of a movie.
The rest of them absolutely bore me to tears, as do most horror movies.Jack is great but Michelle Pfeiffer is even better.
It seems that directors want to put Jack Nicholson in a movie because he knows how to look weird and expecting some sort of real magic to happen.
Werewolf movies all generally tend to suck from a technical point, and frankly I can't believe anyone is commenting good or bad, when you consider, the trainwreck of a screenplay, along with the usual mediocre performances of Pheiffer and Spader.
Not that he's doing a bad job as editor-in-chief of a prominent New York publisher, just that he shows no guts.After being bitten by a wolf one night, he begins to notice slight changes in his appearance and his character.
And after sloughing off his unfaithful wife, he meets and mates with the boss's lovely daughter (Michelle Pfeiffer), who looks half feral on her own.The scheming and exploration of Nicholson's new personality are the best-written part of the movie.
Somebody -- I forget who -- has also bitten Pfeiffer, which is understandable, and then she begins to morph into a wolf and leaves to join Nicholson in the woods where, presumably, they will live happily ever after and produce litter after litter of pups doggy-style.I can't help it if the second half of the movie sounds a little nutty.
**SPOILERS** After hitting a wolf, the first one seen in the wild in the state of Vermont since 1900, with his car on his way driving home to New York City publishing house vice president a concerned Will Randell, Jack Nicholson, tries to see what he could do to help the injured canine.
It has a slow, building drama in its orchestral sound, but the effect is interrupted, once again like mud on the sparkling surface, by a jittering synthesized sound reminiscent of the sounds made by the gadgets and gizmos in a mad scientist's lab on a really bad old sci-fi film.Christopher Plummer, another fine British actor whose American accent is impeccable, Michelle Pfeiffer, who plays herself and plays her well, and James Spader, a brilliantly drunk-with-pride villain, all add a little.
We witness him outsmarting a phony co-worker (JAMES SPADER, who seems to specialize in being nasty), and watch how he manipulates his boss (CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER) with his new skills.It's a fascinating idea but doesn't get full development in the screenplay once the wolf has made its mark on Nicholson.
Leave it to Mike Nichols to put a new spin on werewolf movies (as it was, when we first watched "Wolf", we didn't know that Nichols was the director; when his name appeared, my parents explained that he did "The Graduate").
Utterly bizarre in that it seems to want to mix boardroom politics with cheap horror stunts to the point that you wonder if you are not watching two separate films side-by-side!Michael Pfeiffer plays the big bad publishers daughter and this being a movie she naturally finds balding late middle aged Jack irresistible.
Jack Nicholson plays a middle-aged book publisher, bitten by a wolf during the full moon, who undergoes a physical and psychological transformation just as his life seems to be falling apart around him.
Some scenes are better than others, but overall, Wolf is too torpid to be a good movie.From the start Jack Nicholson feels out of place, but he is not at his worst.
But in the end, it was just terrible.Jack Nicholson plays Will Randall, a Manhattan publisher who, while on the road one night in New England (which leads to many others always asking "New England?" when he explains what happened) hits a wolf.
He keeps jerking his knees, turning the movie into a dog and pony show (think of the horses in Pfeiffer's stable) by relying on Rick Baker's makeup work and not concentrating on the human drama of Nicholson's character becoming more predatory and animalistic and less professional.There should have been more scenes of Jack stealing roast beef off his secretary's sandwich and less gore.
Granted, there are many werewolf films and similar movies of the horror genre that are much less thoughtful with even worse writing, but that certainly does not mean that since this one is better that it is good.The only thing that saves this movie is the acting.
In addition, leads Jack Nicholson and Michelle Pfeiffer make a surprisingly effective pair and work well together despite the improbable age difference between the two, while the supporting cast is strong all the way through.
Much like Will Randall (Jack Nicholson), Wolf seems very reluctant to just accept the fact that it's a werewolf movie.
More intelligent than most horror movies, it delivers with great performances by Jack Nicholson and Michelle Pfeiffer..
Wolf starring Jack Nicholson is a good movie and contains some pretty awesome sequences.
Jack steals the show again with a great supporting cast of James Spader, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Plummer and many more in this great werewolf movie that offers horror and romance.
Jack Nicholson stars as Will Randall a book editor on his way back home when he runs over an animal, little does Will know when he goes to check the animal, it is a wolf and it bites him.
It certainly may not be the most popular werewolf movie of all time for many fans but I certainly find it a thrill to watch and the great chosen cast make that happen with a equally good music score form Ennio Morricone and excellent make up effects from Rick Baker.
Spader is a naturally creepy antagonist who is easy to fear and hate, and Pfeiffer is as good a choice for her role as Nicholson is for his role - intense, powerful, and with a sense of danger.I watch a ton of movies and own around 1,500 of them, and I rarely give top ratings for anything but Wolf is in a class by itself.
This is one of the top werewolf movies that I would recommend to people, it's just a fun flick to watch and if you are a fan of Jack, Michelle, or James, I know you will fall in love with it.7/10.
There is a romantic subplot between Randall and the boss's daughter, Laura (Michelle Pfeiffer), and another subplot where a crime happens, but it goes almost unnoticed and is never well developed, just a hook for the end.Jack Nicholson does an OK work, using well his physical resemblance to a werewolf, but his transformation is common and special effects are so basic that even my grandmother would do better.
You'll get some cool werewolf action, but that is not really the driving point of the film.However, if you're into dramas with James Spader and the ferocious (even without lycanthropy) Nicholson, you found a good one.
Jack Nicholson does a great job as a man who is turning into a wolf.
A werewolf movie starring Jack Nicholson?
James Spader is good is the slimy villain of the story, and Michelle Pfeiffer is her usual confident femme fatale character.Though it may not be everyone's cup of tea, Wolf is a smart, fairly enjoyable twist on the werewolf genre..
Jack Nicholson plays an editor named William Randall who kind of lets people walk all over him, and when he gets bitten by a wolf on a lonely road one night, he becomes an entirely different person.
Wolf was a fine horror film for Jack Nicholson and Michelle Pfeiffer.
James Spader is Nicholson's protégé, Michelle Pfeiffer is Plummer's daughter who takes a shine to Jack.
"Wolf" by director Mike Nichols can best be described as a werewolf movie for a mature and adult audience.
And the director also managed to pull off an entertaining movie without resorting to gore, visual transformation into a werewolf and of course without young men running around without shirts.The story told in this 1994 movie is about Will Randall (played by Jack Nicholson), an aging publisher who finds himself bitten on the hand by a wolf that he accidentally hit with his car.
This is not your typical werewolf flick, where out of luck publisher Will Randall (Jack Nicholson) has to deal with younger co-worker Stewart Swinton (James Spader), who snatches away both his job and wife.
Released during the early summer of 1994, "Wolf" is an interesting werewolf tale about a an aging editor-in-chief of a publishing house in New York City -- Will Randall, played by Jack Nicholson.
Also, don't expect the grotesque transformations of those films and others, like "An American Werewolf in London" and "The Howling" because "Wolf" plays that down. |
tt2649522 | The Escape Artist | The drama revolves around Will Burton (David Tennant), a talented junior barrister of peerless intellect and winning charm who specialises in spiriting people out of tight legal corners. He is in high demand as he has never lost a case. But when his talents acquit the notorious prime suspect in an horrific murder trial, that brilliance comes back to bite him with unexpected and chilling results, not to mention a shocking twist in the talevhavnal, 2013= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =(NOTE : The original BBC version was shown in three parts ~ an hour each. The version shown in the United States on PBS was edited to two parts ~ 90 minutes each. This is the American version.)A man runs through a rainy downtown London and hails a taxi. The driver eyes him suspiciously as the man talks about cocaine in a hold-all and a double-barreled shotgun. The man apologizes to the driver, saying hes a lawyer.The man sits in front of a group of students on career day. When the teacher asks who knows what a barrister is, the mans own son, Jamie, answers that the barrister stops people from going to prison, even if the evidence may be circumspect, and that may sometimes keep him from coming on holiday as promised. Mr. Burton clarifies that he basically talks to a judge in a court. He gives an example about how he would help if a student is accused by a classmate of stealing a pen his job would be to convince the jury that the witness was mistaken. When another student asks what would happen if the accused actually DID take the pen but denies it, Burton answers that the student would be guilty but that it would bring reasonable doubt to the case. Jamie points out that the student would be getting away with it. The questioner replies, only if Jamies dad was on his side.A female barrister looks through a file as she is being driven to the Central Criminal Courthouse. Burton arrives at the CCC and is told that Maggie Gardner will be prosecuting. Burton asks, again?In the courtroom, Gardner, the female barrister for the prosecution, argues to the judge that the accuseds wielding a hunting knife was NOT an act of defense, the clue being the word hunting. Burton counters that sometimes a pre-emptive strike is allowed by law, especially, as in this case, when the victim (the accused here) had a shotgun pointed to his head. After the case, the accused, now free, offers to shake Burtons hand, which Burton takes, after a long pause.As a news report plays on about an unsolved brutal ritualistic murder (the body was found by two dog walkers), and how the police was still asking for witnesses to come forward, a man walks between several aviaries inside his house (there is an award ribbon on one of the aviaries), sprinkling seed through the chicken wire. He sits down to eat when theres a banging at the door it is the police, with a warrant. The man, annoyed, screams for them to come back after breakfast. The police storm in.Burton runs into Gardner in the courthouse and she congratulates him. She is skeptical when he claims he doesnt know what shes talking about. He walks away, grinning, gnawing on an apple.At the office, Mayfield, a senior, hands Burton a glossy magazine where Burton has been deemed the number one barrister under 40 Margaret Maggie Gardner is second. A clerk ribs Burton about applying for Silk. Gardner, back in the car, leafs through the article with a glum expression.The clerk hands Burton, who is on his way out, a large stack of documents. Burton demurs, saying his is on his way to his cottage for the weekend. A senior barrister walks by and asks Burton to take a look at it, adding that the solicitor, Brown, asked for Burton himself. Burton wonders aloud why Brown would ask him over a Silk. The senior says if someone was to be chained inside a safe in a shark tank, they would want the assistance of someone like Houdini.Burton walks quickly along a soccer field, as a mother yells at the boys playing a match. He kisses her and she is surprised to see him. As they watch, Jamies shot on goal goes wide and bounces off the post. After the game, Burton says he found an apple in his pocket; his wife says she is trying to get him to eat something that is not made of cheese.At home, Burton struggles with the dishwasher. His wife comes by and works the controls easily. Burton finishes packing his overnight bag, almost forgetting the stack of documents he was given. They reach the cottage and unpack. The wife puts Jamie to sleep. Burton makes tea and grabs the documents, but his wife entices him to join her in the bath. He sets the tea and the documents down. Later, in bed, she tells him Jamie said he was a hit at school and that the students think Burton can get them out of any crime they would commit. She adds that what the students do not know, is that his brain is full of holes and that his hard drive is full. As she cuddles him, Burton reaches for the documents on the nightstand. His eyes grow big as he reads it.Back at the office, Burton asks Brown why he didnt want a Silk to take the case. Brown says a Silk would just try to ram it through the court and that the client needs someone who would spend days, elbows deep in the evidence. And because Burton wins.The clerk comes by as Burton looks at the photographs in the file. He tells the clerk that he had never seen photographs like that, and that the victim was alive for most of what happened. The clerk walks out without saying a word.In the visiting room, Burton narrates how the accused should say the body was found that he was walking a while with his dog through undergrowth, not noticing that he was collecting blood on his shoes. He first thought he had stepped on the remains of an animal. The accused, Mr. Foyle (the man with the aviaries), posits it might have been a squirrel and then muses about how gray squirrels are killing red squirrels in their habitat, and that the gray squirrels are then being killed by recently unseen black squirrels. Foyle concludes that you cant be too careful.Brown tries to move the questioning forward and asks when Foyle usually does his laundry, and then why, after consistently doing so on Tuesdays, he, on the week in question, went on a Monday. Burton prompts Foyle to say that it was because he ran out of clothes, and not because he had blood on his shoes.Burton mentions the large number of visits Foyle had to websites featuring extreme sadomasochism, torture and necrophilia, which are consistent with what happened to the victim. Foyle denies visiting these sites but Burton points to the credit card charges to these sites. Foyle says the credit cards are lying. Burton worries aloud that Foyles presentation style will not go over well with the jury. Foyle says, what you see is what you get. Brown smirks that, that is the problem. Foyle turns and glares at Brown and asks Burton if Brown has to be there; Burton says yes.Foyle thinks a while and asks Burton if hes picked up on the fact that he, Foyle, does not like people and is not a nice person, and then wonders if Burton is behaving the way he is because he thinks he is guilty. Foyle demands that Brown leaves. Brown leaves. Foyle did not like being stared at. As they drink tea, Foyle tells Burton that as they spend more time together, the more Burton reminds him of himself.Later, Burton runs out of the courthouse, bypassing Brown, for some air. He stops at a shop for some cigarettes and sees a tabloid headline proclaiming, Arrest Made in Ritual Slaying, with a picture of the victim below.At a fancy reception, Gardners senior offers light-hearted condolences for coming in second in the magazine ranking, but she shrugs it off saying that it reminds her of coming in second to Burton on a school final. Burton, with his wife, looks as if he doesnt know what she is talking about; Gardner admits it was a long time ago. Gardner notes that Burton will be up against her colleague Julian on the Foyle trial and they express surprise that she is not the prosecutor. She shrugs again and says she is thinking more of working the defense side. She thinks the case is a lost cause and wonders why Burton would seek to defend Foyle. She thinks he will get a lot of exposure but for the wrong reason. Burton says he doesnt do it for the exposure, but because everyone deserves a defense.Back home at Jamies birthday party, Burton goes out to the balcony to take a call. Jamie brings him a piece of cake and asks who the call was from. Burton tells him it was a computer expert and Jamie jokingly asks if the expert will help back-up Burtons hard drive. Later, as Burton reads over the case, the wife brings him a book on easy-learning English conversation. He is only slightly amused. She then presents him with a card from the mail, an invitation to his college reunion. He is only slightly amused.Foyle does calisthenics in his cell before he is taken to the courthouse. Reporters swarm around the police van, ignoring Burton who is walking past outside.In the communal dressing room, Julian notes that Gardner will be in the gallery. Julian points out that being number one results in everyone wanting to knock you down. He asks if Burton had petitioned the judge for an adjournment, and Burton confesses, saying that he needed more time.In court, Julian characterizes the case as being beyond description and defying community and humanity. A coroner, a park employee, and a banker testify to the heinous injuries sustained by the victim Sandra Mullins, the observation that a man was seen rising from a lying position in the bushes, and that the credit card transactions were made by Liam Foyle to companies that distribute depraved pornography, respectively. From the dock, Foyle yells, liar; to which the judge reprimands him as his only warning. Someone in the gallery yells, murderer, and Burton writes, lynch mob, on his pad and shows it to his assistant, who nods.Burton reminds the judge that he had submitted an application for an adjournment, noting that in light of the testimony of the experts for the prosecution that he will need more time for his computer forensic specialist to prepare his counter arguments. The judge refuses, saying that a fast trial is in the interest of the public and threatens Burton with contempt if he pursues it further.The wife wakes in the middle of the night and finds Burton sitting at the end of Jamies bed. She urges him to go back to bed, but hes thinking about installing locks on their windows. He says the world is broken. She thinks he shouldnt watch the news so close to bedtime.In his holding cell, Foyle tells Burton that he is not inspiring much confidence in the courtroom. Will says he knows what he is doing and that he is working at Foyles will. Foyle apologizes. Foyle confirms he only has the one computer.In court, Burton argues while SOMEbody had to pay for the murder of Sandra Mullins, and Foyle is admittedly unlikeable, that the testimony presented by the prosecution does not prove Foyle was involved in the murder. Burton calls the prosecutions computer expert to the stand and asks him why Foyle would pay for the s-m websites but not actually visit them. He asks the expert if it is possible that upon visiting other porn websites, that his identity was stolen and used by someone else to access the s-m websites. Julian objects, saying that the case is not about identity theft or porn websites, to which Burton counters that in light of his inability to bring his own computer forensic specialist because of the lack of time, he has to follow this line of questioning, especially since the expert on the stand is the prosecutions own witness.in camera , Burton argues that his client has been falsely branded as a torturer, pervert, necrophiliac and that there is no way he can receive a fair trial now. The judge admits that he messed up. Back in court, he dismisses the jury and releases Foyle. Outside, Foyle offers a handshake; Burton walks away.At home, Burton is still fussing with the dishwasher. The wife, studying Italian in bed, looks out the window and sees Jamie on the balcony waving at someone on the street below. By the time she gets out, the man is gone.As she is peeing, the wife tries to reassure Burton, who is fidgeting nervously at his reunion. The wife had been taking a pregnancy test. When Jamie comes by, she tells him she has good news. Burton forgets his cell phone in the bathroom. After she reads Jamie a bedtime story, the wife gets in the bath. A man is staring at her from the window.Back at the reunion, Burton finally realizes hes missing his phone and by the time he returns to the bathroom, the wife has been calling repeatedly. He tells her to make sure everything is locked and to call the police. Burton finds the police searching the grounds. They find a party balloon with the words, Sorry Youre Leaving, on it.At the office, Burton is with Mayfield and a police detective, who is eager but not very helpful. As Burton has never lost a case, or ever refused to take on a client (cherry-picking is frowned upon), the police have nothing to go on.Back home, Burton installs motion sensor lights.Back home, Foyle feeds his birds, including an owl, while chanting, Everybodys hungry.At the office, Burton asks the clerk if there has been a reply from the QC selection committee. The clerk suggests Burton wait on that. The partners tell Burton he has been named in complaints from Foyle about unprofessional conduct and dishonest behavior that Burton had expressed doubts in their conversations. Burton is incredulous as they WON the case. The partners recommend Burton delay his application for Silk. The partners call the clerk, Danny, to hold up the other lawyers before they leave for the day so they can strategize their next move.Burton calls his wife to tell her he will be late. She urges him to hurry as she has something to show him. She and Jamie will meet him at the cottage. He loses her cell signal. Burton calls his wife but it goes to voicemail. It is dark when they unpack their car. Jamie goes in first and the wife, Kate, lags behind. When she goes in the cottage, she calls for Jamie but he does not answer.Burton makes it to the cottage. The car is left at the gate as Kate had it when she was unpacking; the dog is walking around loose. The house is dark and nothing happens when Burton flips the light switch. He picks up a poker and a flashlight and yells for Kate and Jamie. He finds her in a back room, lying in a pool of blood. He looks up and sees Foyle standing outside the window. Burton finds Jamie curled up in a fetal position, trembling, in the toy box. He finally gets a cell signal and calls for an ambulance.The coroner takes Kates body away. Burton is huddled underneath blankets by the side of the gate.Foyle is locked up in a jail cell.After the funeral, a senior barrister assures Burton that he is family and that things will be taken care of.At home, Burton sleeps with Jamie in his arms.At a bar, Burton and Danny make small talk until Danny tells him that Gardner is the defense counsel.Burton goes to see Gardner outside her office. She is contrite but reminds him that, quoting Burton himself, everyone deserves a defense. Burton pulls an apple from his pocket and slams it into a finial in the fence.Burton rushes to comfort Jamie who has had a bad dream.Mayfield walks through the office calling for Trevor Harris. He tells him the case has been moved up. Harris asks if Mayfield knows for sure that Jamie did not see anything. Mayfield barks that the only things they have to work with are blood, ID, and alibi.At home, Burton is trying to convince a credit card representative that his wife does not wear aftershave nor is interested in Peter Rabbit collectibles. When the rep asks to talk to Kate, Burton freaks and tosses his phone. Jamie has been watching this from the staircase. Burton apologizes and assures Jamie that he can talk to him about that night at any time.In the visiting room, Foyle prattles on about what happens to the animals in the forest when there is a heavy rain. Brown tries to get him back on track but then Foyle stares as Gardner pours tea leaves into a container of hot water. Brown says there is only one witness (Burton) because Jamie has not made a statement, yet. Brown says their effort will be focused on affirming Foyles alibi, that he was with a Ms. Morris. Foyle knows Burton cannot be part of the prosecution as he will be testifying as a witness, and knows this because he had a law class at Cambridge. Foyle wonders if he may have crossed paths with Gardner and then expresses relief that Burton will not be working the case as he always beats Gardner. He says, off the cuff, that it was dark, and then returns to talking about the animals in the rain.At her office, Gardners senior comes by and thinks she is working late because she has qualms. She says Burton lost his wife; the senior counters that if the tables were turned, Burton would not hesitate. He says she is not Burton, at least not yet.Burton is sitting outside the office in his car. Danny runs out and tells him that Mayfield is lead, and Harris is assisting. Burton does not look pleased. Also, forensics found a size 12 footprint outside the cottage; Foyle is a size 9. His alibi is that he was having dinner with a neighbor, Eileen Morris.In a bar, a private investigator shows Burton a printout from an internet news site when Morris presented Foyle with a Parish Council award for his birds. Burton thinks he has seen her name somewhere else.Burton follows Morris from the Parish Council as she takes a box to a self-storage building. Burton meets with Danny and tells him that Foyles alibi may not be solid. Burton asks where the Sandra Mullins case file is. He wonders if the box could wind up near his office.As his officemates stare at him, Burton goes to his office and goes through the case file. He finds what he is looking for and scurries out when an office mate approaches.Danny stops Harris outside the office but Harris stops him when he tries to tell him something.Foyle is again doing calisthenics when the guards come by to take him to court. Burton drops Jamie off at school.Foyle pleads not guilty. Gardner asks that bail be granted due to lack of evidence and the judge agrees. Outside the court, Foyle reaches into Gardners car to shake her hand. She does, hesitantly, and drives off. At a stop, she sprays sanitizer on her hand.At home, Foyle pleasantly admonishes Morris, who had been waiting for him on the sidewalk, for bailing him out. She had been caring for his birds in his absence.Burton strolls through the office as they are discussing the case. Mayfield intercepts him and they walk outside. Mayfield is surprised no one had told Burton about the plea, or that Foyle posted bail. Burton runs off.Jamie and a classmate walk out of a snack shop. Foyle, who had been waiting, follows them. Burton finds out from the school that Jamie had already left with his friend. He drives by the school but another classmate doesnt know where Jamie is. Foyle follows the two boys onto the bus and sits behind them. Burton makes it home but his mom has not heard from Jamie. The classmate gets off at his stop. Foyle moves to the seat across the aisle. Jamie looks over at Foyle. Jamie comes home and Burton makes him swear that he will not talk to anyone he doesnt know and that he will be picking Jamie up from school from now on.Danny meets with Harris at a mall restaurant as Harris looks around nervously. Danny talks about football and how their team is missing their star striker. Harris reminds him that their star cannot play and cant even watch the match. Burton shows up and Harris freaks, and then apologizes that another barrister wasnt chosen for the case; its just that he was available. Harris calms down when Burton says he is the hardest working barrister at the firm.Burton says that Foyle had mentioned he had a storage unit but gave it up six months before the murder. Someone else took it on after that Eileen Morris.Burton leaves. Danny gets up to leave, handing Harris a brief. He says that Spencer ___ will be on holiday shortly, but he, Danny, hasnt decided where yet.At home, Jamie is blaring a video of Burton and Kates wedding. Burton puts it on mute and asks Jamie if he saw the man. Jamie says it was dark. He puts the sound back up.Gardner is at home looking through the file when someone throws stones at her window. No one is there. She gets a call from Brown who says Foyle wants to meet with them immediately. Foyle doesnt show up at their office. Gardner suggests they go to Foyles house but Brown says they cant do that. She storms out.Burton in bed with Jamie is listening to Kates outgoing message over and over. He tosses the phone.On her way home, Gardner sees a man running toward her and pulls out a can of mace. Its Burton. He is convinced Foyle murdered Kate and urges Gardner not to be alone. Outside her home, a neighbor asks if her friend, who was ringing her doorbell, found her. She enters her home and walks in, scared out of her mind. | revenge, murder | train | imdb | But I found the show clearly worth viewing - because the dialog was great, the premise was a good one, the acting and directing were outstanding, I cared about the characters, and the ending was satisfying.The writing of a screenplay has a number of important components, and not every good writer is a master of all.
David Wolstencroft was the author, and his dialog is very good, his character development excellent, the basic scenario good, his plot creativity good, his resolution of the story rather brilliant.
In order to advance his story, he resorts to plot twists that defy logic, and characters who act stupidly and have emotions that don't fit - and he does it over and over.
I've often thought that every screenplay that wants to be considered as serious art should go through a logic evaluation process before screening.Still, it was a riveting series, and I couldn't wait to see how it would turn out.
David Tennant is a talented barrister whose big win comes back to haunt him in "The Escape Artist," from 2013.
Lots of negative comments here on IMDb.Will has to defend Liam Foyle in a horrific murder case.
Motivations throughout are simply not clear, and I guess we're supposed to assume that because this guy is a sociopath, he does things for the hell of it.And for the hell of it, he's out to get his defense barrister.
This time, though, another barrister takes his case, and Will feels what it's like on the other side.There were criticisms on this board about the way British court procedure was portrayed.
I watch a lot of true crime and have seen innocent people sitting on death row for 16 years, an abusive husband given joint custody of his children with his wife (he winds up nearly killing her) - etc.British courts aside, this is an unbelievable story that is nevertheless engrossing and has a neat, if preposterous, twist at the end.
This BBC mini-series was short on credibility but pretty long on tension and suspense, helped by convincing acting and pacey direction.
David Tennent, who appears to be everywhere on TV at the moment, is a hot-shot young city barrister who gets a sadistic murderer off on a technicality, but who by snubbing him after the trial wreaks a terrible fate for his family.
Although an eye-witness to the horrific crime perpetrated on his wife in their holiday cottage, Tennent finds himself the biter-bit as the perpetrator turns to his chief rival in the "Young Lawyer of The Year" stakes, Sophie Okinedo, who also appears to be everywhere on TV at the moment, as his defence solicitor, her character's detachment and ambition now ironically reflecting Tennent's own character earlier.Like I said, the plot was unbelievable but once you cottoned onto this and surrendered to it as a sort of UK-based John Grisham entertainment, it was an engaging enough production.
The acting helped to paper over the plot holes, Tennent as the high-flier brought to earth with a crash, Toby Kebbell as the clinical but devious psychopath Liam Foyle and Okinedo as Tennent's young legal rival, her ambition clouding her judgement in taking on the case of such a brutal killer.Spread over three nights you could see the padding and as I indicated earlier the sensationalist story-line probably belonged more in a Stateside rather than London-based setting, over the top final confrontation and all.
I personally prefer my thriller dramas when they're a bit more grounded in reality but as escapist nonsense I suppose it just about justified three hours of my time..
This series is well acted and directed in the sense that the scenes work.However, the story is completely implausible and relies on ludicrous contrivances to try to force out the main theme - the conflict between justice and moral right.The British legal system has many faults and judges and lawyers can be manipulative,self seeking and make errors, but not to this degree.It seems that the Director and writer think the use of some excellent actors and plenty of gratuitous violence can cover up these flaws.Doubtless it will be successful as audiences can be easily taken in, eg by David Tennant's equally well acted but ridiculously plotted Broadchurch..
On the other hand, as so many similar works are created monthly, it is evident that not all can be up to par or they just do not bespeak you as much.The Escape Artist is such a series where the share of court events and dramatics sometimes tend to overshadow the thrill and the urge to find out what was really the case.
David Tennant as Will Burton, Sophie Okonedo as Maggie Gardner, Toby Kebbell as Liam Foyle are more than good, but often the aridity of scenes with-around them does not bring the suspense along as it could be.
Bearing in mind Burton´s profession, the final outcome is logical as well.Thus, the performances excel the script decidedly, but 3 episodes only let you dig yourself not in too big redundancy or have blah!
Watch it, ponder a bit and then find other works where the stars of this series perform :).
Will Burton a junior barrister defends a man who charged with a brutal murder.
Not only is David Tennant superb, each actor in this 6 part series delivers a great performance.
Given that the "artist" is a murderer who gets away with murder, it would have been nice to see more of his macabre character explored.
I was watching it on the TV channel that brings us wonderful British shows, Part 1, knowing that Part 2 would be aired the next week.
In the case of "The Escape Artist", I was rather surprised at the intensity of many of the reviews.
Many complained that the show wasn't very believable, though some admitted that the acting and mood were good.I cannot say how credible the story is here.
The complaints mostly had to do with court procedures and last time I checked, I wasn't a British barrister (for us non-Brits, it's a lawyer who tries cases in court).
I think the other reviewers were probably correct--but I simply don't know for sure.
So, while the story does seem far-fetched at times, I just cannot say whether such a case could or could not occur.David Tennant stars as Will Burton--a very successful defense barrister.
The film begins with him defending Liam Foyle in a grisly murder case.
It seems pretty obvious that Foyle is a sociopath who did brutally murder someone...but Burton is able to work the system and get him acquitted.
This makes no sense and soon it's obvious that Foyle is out to get Burton.
Well, Foyle's next move is to attack Burton's wife and he butchers her--just like the earlier victim.
In this case, Burton himself sees Foyle out the window-- gloating over his handywork.
Now Burton gets to feel what it's like to be on the other side of the law and see another clever lawyer work hard to keep Foyle from serving time for his infamous crimes.What follows are a lot of court proceedings and more instances where seemingly good evidence is tossed out because Foyle's new barrister is clever...just like Burton had been.
So, unless you are a barrister or judge, it's really not possible to determine if any of this is plausible--and I'd LOVE to hear from one if you have seen the show and could explain to all of us if the plot was believable.
What I do assume was quite ridiculous is the scene where Foyle is screaming and behaving like a wildman at his second barrister's office.
I don't think it's far-fetched to assume if this really happened that the lawyers would have him arrested and would petition to be removed from the case.
A few other scenes also seemed tough to believe--such as the ridiculous and poorly written confrontation scene between Foyle and Burton in the third and final installment.So what I am left with is to discuss the other merits of "The Escape Artist" apart from the bizarre plot twists and court procedures.
I watched this show last night, and woke up feeling so annoyed about the utter contempt for the intelligence of viewers that I'm moved to write this review.
As other reviews have noted, the acting and tension elements are good, which makes it all the more noticeable that the writing is so woefully deficient.Some genres don't depend on credible authenticity, but the legal thriller is not one of them.
That a murder charge in a case rife with "serial killer" implications would be completely set aside by procedural error, rather than result in a mistrial and new proceedings.2.
That a high profile case would be assigned for prosecution to the same chambers where the victim's husband works??
I'm a former defense attorney in the U.S., and granted we have a different system, but surely the Crown Prosecution Service pays more attention to such things than this would indicate?Even if we accept this highly unlikely allocation of the prosecution, we are then asked to believe that the firm is assigning their most incompetent junior to the case because "the others are too busy." Oh, right.
That the young son, known to be present during the murder, would not be handled by someone experienced in child psychology, therapy etc, rather than just have his father barking at him, "Sure you didn't see anything?" Again, any legal system has errors and sloppiness, but we're asked to believe time and time again that it's happening in the most high profile kind of case?
She's representing a guy with SOCIOPATH SERIAL KILLER written all over him in mile high letters, she knows he may well have killed the wife of his last attorney, and now it looks like he's broken into her house and she's basically so okay with this, she only makes a brief phone call to a colleague?
I guess it is the only way for many of them to make things work anymore, such is the state of creative writing.The ending, and I mean the actual last 30 seconds of the teleplay, to my mind, are the only truly clever and revealing moments in this work, leaving the observant viewer to question his eyeballs and hit the replay button on the DVR.
Others in this review thread have covered a lot of the problems with this screenplay but here are the ones that bugged me the most:+++++SERIOUS SPOILERS BELOW +++++First we have the script outline (the "high concept"):1.) Legal Beagle gets an obvious murderer off on a technicality.
2.) Murderer kills wife of legal beagle.
3.) Murderer is tried and gets away scott-free, again through a technicality.
5.) Legal beagle is arrested and tried for that murder.
6.) Legal beagle also gets off on a technicality.
7.) A character finally lays out how the legal beagle MAY have committed his "perfect crime".This "high concept" has it's own problems but a skilled writer should be able to make these 7 points work right?
Wrong.The set-up: The protagonist "legal beagle" (played by Tennant) gets an obvious murderer off on a technicality.
I don't know enough about the English legal system to understand why this doesn't just result in a mistrial but I'm generous so I'll buy it.Now the problems with the screenplay come fast and furious.
Unfortunately the writer (David Wolstencroft) doesn't have an idea about how to make it believable so he takes the lazy way out.Issue 1.
Why does the psychopathic murderer kill the legal beagle's wife?
This point is not part of the high concept so rather than come up with a plausible motive (and I can think of several that he could have used), Wolstencroft employs the ham-fisted "not shaking hands with the man who got him off" as the motive and leaves it at that.
So the viewer is left to assume that he would commit this second murder for no real reason whatsoever.
The psychopath also has to assume that his only way of getting away with this second murder is to HOPE that another grievous error will be made by the system.Sure enough, Wolstencroft provides us with this grievous error (a storage unit is searched for a key bit of evidence without a warrant) and this error gets the murderer off on a technicality once again.Point 2.
Moving to the end, Wolstencroft's climactic expository scene where the competing defense attorney (Sophie Okonedo) confronts the legal beagle with her speculation of how he committed his perfect murder of the psychopath is completely implausible.
Not what she lays out, but that she knows any of it in the first place.Let's be honest here; Okonedo's character would have ZERO way of knowing anything about the murder of the psychopath except - wait for it - for a chance encounter she had earlier in the story where she shows up at the tail end of a meeting between the legal beagle and a local underworld "operator".
This underworld operator evidently can provide background medical information on the psychopath - information that the legal beagle ostensibly uses to kill him later in the story.Here's the problem...
The legal beagle meets with this underworld operator at night on a deserted street nowhere close to where Okenedo's character would ever go at that time of night.
For the viewer's benefit, she makes a point of mentioning that she recognizes this underworld dude so we have to assume that this bit of dialog is there for an important reason (otherwise, why shoe-horn this implausible situation into the story?)Wolstencroft needs to have someone (in this case, Okonedo's competing attorney character) speak key expository dialog later but realizes that this dialog can't be spoken without a catalyzing scene earlier in the story.
Someone had to have asked Wolstencroft after they read the script, "wait a second, how does the competing attorney come to suspect the legal beagle in the first place in order for her to layout the exact method he used to kill his wife's murderer?" Wolstencroft's answer: "You're right, that makes no sense
wait, I've got it!
What if she just happens to walk in on a key meeting between the legal beagle and his conspirator planning the murder?
That would explain it right?"So of course, the climax of the story hinges on this chance meeting that would never have happened had the writer had any wits about him.
The screenplay is about how the guilty can get away with murder through technicalities.
So why not make the psychopath's motive for his murders that he knows enough about the legal system to escape prosecution by gaming it?
Wolstencroft completely misses this story element - to the viewer's frustration.I still recommend The Escape Artist for David Tennant fans as he is great as always..
The holes in the plot have made the whole thing a bit laughable, which helps to break the tension, which they have done a fantastic job of creating.
Enjoyed the 'slapstick of unfortunate events.' But the irony of injustices to the main character, a charming lawyer, is a numerous litany of misfortune because he's observed to be a good man but slips and slides in an outfield to be sucker punched by the killer 'for not performing a common courtesy.' I hope to see the other two episodes on TV during the showing weekly but believably real is this story because the entertainment value is more than enough to be engrossed and watch it with my girlfriends.
If you need to see both sides of human nature both kind and nefarious weaved well watch this series as the Lawyer has an intimate close knit family but the killer is subtly diabolical in how deviously he murders victims.
SPOILER ALERT: this may give away some elements of the plot.Tremendously good acting wasted on a preposterous plot and limited character development.
David Tennant was good, as was Sophie Okonedo, but the only thing that was believable was the pain felt by the victims of the gruesome crimes committed.
I really expect better from these British series.
I can understand that the writers felt they had a good premise--a top-notch barrister gets his obviously guilty and extremely creepy client off on a technicality, because that's his job, only to find himself then victimized by the same person.
Disappointing, disturbing, Excellent cast & production let down by implausible plot.
I have to agree with many of the reviewers on IMDb here : the writing lets this production down.
The storyline is just not credible and after watching the first episode and the synopsis for the second and third episodes, I am not watching further.If you look down the list of reviews, almost every single one has a "spoiler alert" - that should tell you something; namely that the plot line is so ridiculous everyone feels the need to mention it in their review.
I find it completely implausible that Burton would have been able to get Foyle off such a high profile "heinous" crime with a technicality as ridiculous as credit card charges for pornography.
Totally not believable.Then, the wife would have known about the case.
Add to that the fact that Foyle has now complained to the Legal authorities about Burton's "Misconduct' after he actually got him off the charge....
I don't think that a top Legal Barrister is stupid.
Nonsense!!!!!Then apparently, in episode 2 which I will not be watching, even though Burton sees Foyle standing outside after he finds his blood covered wife and says so, the other Barrister gets Foyle bail?
When the person testifying he saw him standing outside is a top legal Barrister?
Simply would not happen.I watched this because I really appreciate David Tennant and from the synopsis I thought I was going to be watching a really good legal drama.
To the reviewer who had not seen Tennant in anything else but Dr. Who and thus realized "oh he can really act".
watch him in "Broadchurch" which unlike this, is a brilliant murder series set in the UK (Dorset) starring Tennant and - like this - a fabulous supporting cast. |
tt2911666 | John Wick | John Wick (Keanu Reeves) crashes an SUV into a wall. He staggers out of the vehicle, bloody and wounded. He puts pressure on a wound in his gut. As he crawls to the side, he takes out his phone and watches a video of his wife Helen (Briget Moynahan) on the beach. John slumps over and shuts his eyes.Several days earlier....John wakes up on a cloudy day. He has flashbacks of him being with Helen, up until recently when she collapsed in his arms. She had an illness that eventually claimed her life. It is the day of her funeral. After the service, John's old friend Marcus (Willem Dafoe) approaches him to offer his condolences.That night, a delivery arrives for John. It's a small beagle. John finds a note from Helen. She wrote to him that she has made peace with her death, and now she wants John to find his. John weeps. He takes the dog out and looks at its collar, which has a flower on it, leading John to figure out Helen named the dog Daisy.Daisy follows John on his day as he takes his Mustang out. He stops to get gas at the same time as three Russian mobsters, including Iosef Tarasov (Alfie Allen), son of mob boss Viggo Tarasov (Michael Nyqvist). Iosef comes up to John's car and compliments it, and then asks how much he wants for it. John says it's not for sale. Iosef then goes over to Daisy, but John scares him away. One of Iosef's buddies peeks his head into the car and wishes John a good day.As John is getting into bed, Daisy needs to use the bathroom. When they get downstairs, there are two men in shadows standing before John, while a third takes a bat and whacks John in the head. He starts beating on John while Daisy whines. One of the men goes over to the dog and breaks her neck. The man pulls off his mask to reveal Iosef, who knocks John out. John later wakes up and goes over to Daisy, stroking her head.Iosef takes John's car to a shop run by Aurelio (John Leguizamo). Aurelio immediately recognizes the car and demands to know where Iosef got it. Iosef brags about who he stole the car from and that he killed this person's dog. Aurelio slugs Iosef in the face. Later, John comes by the shop and asks if Iosef came by, and Aurelio gives John his name to confirm that's who took his car and killed his dog. Even later that night, Viggo calls Aurelio to ask why he struck Iosef. Aurelio says because he stole John Wick's car and killed his dog. Viggo simply replies, "Oh."Meanwhile, John takes a sledgehammer into the basement and begins smashing the floor open. He uncovers a stash of weapons and gold coins.Viggo meets with Iosef in his home to discuss the situation. He hits his son twice in the solar plexus to reprimand him, reminding him who he just committed a crime against. Viggo tells Iosef that John Wick was associated with him once, until he met Helen and decided to leave. John apparently had a reputation as "The Boogeyman", or rather, the guy they called to kill the Boogeyman. Viggo calls John up to try and resolve the matter, but John hangs up on him.Viggo sends a team of 12 hitmen to John's home that night to kill him. John dispatches all of them with relative ease, fighting with the last few before stabbing the last guy through the heart. A police officer knocks on the front door. John greets him by name and asks him if there's been a noise complaint, and the cop says yes. He asks if John is back in the business, referring to the body visible behind John. John says he's just sorting some things out. The cop wishes him well and leaves.John summons a clean-up crew that he is done business with in the past to clean up the scene and dispose of the bodies. They have done business with John before and they know it won't be the last.Viggo meets with Wick's friend Marcus and asks him to kill Wick, offering a contract worth $2 million. He also instructs his assistant Avi (Dean Winters) to call for others to take the job. Marcus readily accepts.John arrives at the Continental Hotel where he stays while he conducts business. He recognizes Perkins (Adrianne Palicki). John meets another old friend, Winston (Ian McShane)- the manager and owner of the Continental. John asks and Winston tells him that Ioseph is at a club called Red Circle.John goes into the club where Iosef and his buddies are. As soon as they spot John, he begins shooting at them while Iosef runs away. John kills every hitman in his path, but he loses Iosef as he flees in a getaway car.At night, Marcus gets to the roof of the building across the street and sets his sights on John in his bed. From the mirror, he sees someone entering. He fires a shot to warn John. It's Perkins. She starts shooting at John while he dodges her. She tells him that Viggo has doubled the contract to $4 million if she breaks the rules of the hotel and kills him. He fights Perkins with difficulty until he gets her in a headlock and offers her mercy for information. She tells John that Viggo keeps most of his assets (cash and blackmail evidence) in the basement of a church. John knocks Perkins out and leaves her with Harry (Clarke Peters), a business acquaintance.Harry keeps Perkins cuffed to a chair, unaware that she has dislocated her thumb to slip out. She gets out and puts a pillow over Harry's face before shooting him.John goes to the church where Viggo keeps his secret stash of money. After shooting the other guards in the church, John forces the priest to guide him to where the money is. He lights it all on fire.Viggo learns of the fire moments before he is caught in a hail of gunfire courtesy of John. Although he kills most of Viggo's men, he is knocked out when an SUV rams into another, knocking John to the ground. Viggo captures him and wonders why he's gone to such great lengths for revenge over a car and a dog.John tells him that the dog was a gift from his dying wife, and that Iosef took that from him. Viggo leaves him with his henchmen for them to suffocate him with a plastic bag. However, Marcus is watching from the next building, and he shoots one hitman in the head to let John take out the other. John gets his gun and shoots at Viggo's getaway car, leaving only him alive. Viggo is forced to tell John that Iosef is hiding in a safe house in Brooklyn.The safe house is guarded by armed men, but none of that stops John from killing them and storming the place. Iosef once again tries to make a run for it, but John catches him and finishes him off.In retaliation for Iosef's death, Viggo has his goons find Marcus at his home. There, they beat him until Viggo and Perkins shoot him to death. Viggo calls John to tell him this, just before leaving for a helicopter to get out of the city.While waiting for John to come to Marcus's home, Perkins is called to a meeting with Winston, the owner of the Continental Hotel. She is met Winston and four men. Winston tells her she's broken the rules of the Continental and her membership has been terminated. The four men execute her.John finds Marcus's body and sets off to take down Viggo. He finds the villains heading to the chopper and tries ramming into them with his car. Viggo makes Avi go out and kill John, only for John to ram into him with his car. Viggo tries to push John's car over the edge, but John gets out safely. The two then fight hand-to-hand in the rain. Viggo tries to stab John, but John pushes the blade into himself (to gain leverage to break Viggo's arm) before grabbing the knife (from his stomach) and sticking it in Viggo's neck. He leaves him to die.We go back to the first scene where John is still bleeding. After watching the video with Helen, he is inspired to keep on going. He goes into a dog shelter and tends to his stab wound. He then takes a pit bull puppy with him, and they go home together. | comedy, cruelty, murder, neo noir, violence, flashback, action, revenge, entertaining, sadist | train | imdb | null |
tt0080736 | The Final Countdown | The USS Nimitz, one of the United States' largest aircraft carriers, is on maneuvers in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii. The ship's captain, Yelland, oversees training flights of the ship's compliment of F14A Tomcat fighter jets. Also on the carrier is a reporter, Warren Lasky, who will be observing the Nimitz on its maneuvers.One of the ship's sonar crew notices a large and unusual storm approaching the Nimitz. When Yelland orders the ship's course to be changed, the storm follows. Yelland orders a red alert just before the storm overtakes them and swallows them. The Nimitz emerges from the storm unharmed and is able to land a stray F14 that went through as well. Yelland orders reports from all stations and the ship appears to be in perfect order. The radio operator of the boat receives strange broadcasts from Hawaii; they sound like classic radio from the pre-World War II era. Everyone is puzzled. A surveillance aircraft is sent up to take photos of Pearl Harbor. The ship's Wing Commander, Owens, who is also a World War II history expert, compares the shots to several from a book he has and he determines that they are nearly identical and that fleet in Pearl at the present moment was sunk by the Japanese Imperial Air Force nearly 40 years before.The ship's radar operator reports the presence of a small boat not far from the Nimitz. Yelland has two F14s launched to investigate. The nearby boat is a yacht, the personal boat of a popular United States Senator, Samuel Chapman and his personal assistant, Laurel Scott, whom are enjoying a day in the sun. They spot the two F14s as they speed over the boat, unable to comprehend the speed of the jets. The F14s are sent out to investigate another pair of radar contacts. When they arrive at the location, one pilot excitedly reports that the two contacts are World War II era Japanese "Zero" planes.A few minutes later, the Zeros fly over Chapman's boat. The Zeros suddenly execute sharp turns and open fire on the boat. Chapman, Scott and the yacht's other crewman all abandon ship, which explodes when the Zeros make another pass and again open fire. The pilots also strafe the survivors in the water, killing the crew member. The F14 pilots witness the attack but are under orders not to engage the Zeros. Yelland's XO has the F14 pilots make a supersonic run over the Zeros in an attempt to frighten them off. The Zeros open fire on the Tomcats; the American pilots are given permission to open fire and easily down both Zeros. A helicopter is dispatched from the Nimitz to pick up Chapman, Scott and one of the Zero pilots.Back on board the Nimitz the three survivors are sequestered belowdecks. Chapman, angry at being held against his will, is identified by Commander Owens. Owens determines that the storm that swallowed the Nimitz hours before has displaced the carrier in time and deposited them in the Pacific Ocean on December 6, 1941, one day before the Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor.Owens also shares the story of Chapman himself; just prior to the Japanese attack, Chapman and Scott were both declared lost at sea under unsolved circumstances. Chapman himself was considered to be a strong contender to beat Franklin Roosevelt for the presidency of the United States. By interfering with the attack on Chapman's yacht, the presence of the Nimitz has altered history and Chapman's survival may severely disrupt the space-time continuum. Yelland is, of course, opposed to simply executing the Senator and orders him held until they can figure out how best to deal with the disruption they've started.Another, larger question arises: should the Nimitz, presumably unable to return to it's own time, and with it's superior armaments and aircraft, engage the Japanese fleet and air force and prevent the attack on Pearl Harbor? Yelland believes so and Owens and Lasky immediately object to Yelland's idea, stating that this type of interference in history could have very serious consequences, the most serious being that they could stop much of the Pacific fleet from being destroyed. Yelland grapples with the idea himself and determines that the Nimitz, bound by its loyalty to engage all enemies no matter the place or time, will participate in the battle.Meanwhile, the Japanese prisoner converses with a Japanese-speaking member of the Nimitz' crew and demands access to a radio to contact his own superiors. At one point, Chapman's Golden Retriever escapes from the room where his master is being held and runs into the room holding the Japanese pilot. The pilot is able to disarm a marine guard and seize his rifle, opening fire and killing a few crew members. He reiterates his demands through the translator and holds several people hostage, including Owens and Lasky. Owens is ordered by Yelland to tell the pilot that they are from the future, citing his knowledge of the names of the ships of the Japanese Imperial fleet nearby. The pilot is temporarily overwhelmed by the news and is distracted long enough for marines to move in and kill him.Yelland's intention of stopping the destruction of the American fleet at Pearl remains unchanged. As a safety precaution and the method best determined to restore the space-time continuum to normality, Chapman and Scott will be left on a nearby deserted island while the attack takes place. A helicopter takes them out, with Owens, to the island. Scott and Owens both jump out onto the sand, however Chapman seizes a flare pistol and demands to be flown back to Hawaii. A crew member tries to take the pistol, which goes off, causing the chopper to explode, killing Chapman and the crew. Owens and Scott are stranded.Back on the Nimitz, Yelland addresses his crew, telling them that they will engage the Japanese Air Force as they attack Pearl Harbor. However, before the Nimitz' strike force can be launched, the same sort of storm that propelled the Nimitz through time appears again. The ship is consumed again and delivered to the same spot and the same date and time where it was initially displaced. The Nimitz returns to Pearl Harbor and Lasky is met at the pier. The door of a nearby limousine opens and Senator Chapman's dog, still on the Nimitz when it was sent back into the future, jumps inside. Lasky gets in the limo and sees both Laurel Scott and Commander Owens, both aged nearly 40 years. Lasky is told by one of them that they "have a lot to talk about." | cult, alternate reality, violence | train | imdb | This was a highly entertaining sleeper about a naval ship that happens to go through a time warp and end up at Pearl Harbor just hours before the attack in 1941.
Same with (blush) "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure": the movie's stupid, but it just always entertains me!Similarly, nobody is going to compare "The Final Countdown" to "2001: A Space Odyssey" as far as absolute quality, but "The Final Countdown" is a classic example of an unabashed "guilty pleasure" movie.The story is intriguing--what would YOU do if you were commanding a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier full of supersonic jets, etc, when you were transferred through a time-warp (ref: a CHEESY looking laser and smoke effect storm!) to December 6, 1941??
Kirk Douglas, as the ship's captain, looks like he's having a ball acting in this, and Martin Sheen does a great job as the "civilian consultant," Mr. Laskey.No, this movie isn't an Oscar-winner, nor did it really deserve to be.
But with American fighter jets dogfighting 1941 Japanese Zeros, I was FAR more entertained watching "The Final Countdown" for the 10th time!.
One of the candid themes of the movie is the tragedy of such fine people going to war against each other, whatever their race.The film is undeniably top drawer, far more mature than than "Top Gun," with even better flying scenes.
And few movies have gotten more assistance than the producer, director and cast of "The Final Countdown," now available on DVD,a sci-fi recruiting spectacular that features - on loan at taxpayer expense - the huge carrier U.S.S. Nimitz complete with crew.
A mysterious and never explained weather phenomenon grips the mighty floating air base and to the unfolding amazement of captain, officers and crew dawns the realization that the Nimitz in sailing not that far from Pearl Harbor on 6 December 1941.Meanwhile a U.S. senator, played by one of Hollywood's deservedly decorated war heroes, Charles Durning, is enjoying his yacht, also near Pearl, while dictating to his lovely secretary, Katharine Ross.
To be sure, both movies relied to some extent on stock footage of naval-aviation ops, but as with /Top Gun/, this film's flying was spectacular -- and, in the last of the years before CGI took hold, REAL.
It has some of everything: Bermuda-triangle-like mystery but in the Pacific, time travel exceptionally portrayed, historical intrigue (what IF we change things?), war action, romance, a great dog, great acting, great leadership, great flying, great story telling, and great visual effects!
Then they find in the past world of 1941 and they can change the course of history but also to generate a cataclysm that threatens to destroy it.This is a far-fetching but acceptable story about an U.S nuclear-powered aircraft carrier traveling forward in time to just to discover famous incidents and change the world.
And the best of its kind in my opinion.So other recommendations should rather be sci-fi movies of the same kind, and not just war movies.The great thing about this one in the genre of time travel, is that its made in a so epic and serious way.
The story begins with a freak storm transporting a modern American nuclear-powered aircraft carrier back to 1941, just before the Japanese fleet bombed Pearl Harbour.
But I remember being so upset when I looked at the clock and realized there was only 15 minutes left, and therefore there was no way the movie could possibly contain a full satisfying epic dogfight battle over Pearl Harbor while still returning the characters to their rightful places in time for a happy ending and final credits.
(FWIW, "Lost" used the same idea - with no more explanation than this movie - to equally fine effect.) But it's a fun yarn, good to see Kirk Douglas still fit as a fiddle, and an enjoyable opportunity to revisit some of the great questions about the attack on Pearl Harbor: could it have been prevented?
The real highlight though was the lack of CGI, this means we get to see a wide range of real US Navy aircraft.The plot about the USS Nimitz, a modern nuclear powered US aircraft carrier, going through a strange storm which leaves it back in 1941 on the eve of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour.
The captain and senior officers must decide whether they should intervene and change history or stay out of the fight and leave history to take its course.The action is pretty exciting and seeing all of those Navy jets would have been enough to get anybody who likes military aircraft watching.
In addition to its being entertaining, enjoyed seeing Kirk Douglas, who although in his mid-60's, still looked vigorous and hale.The USS Nimitz is a nuclear aircraft carrier, sailing in the Pacific, on a routine assignment contemporary to the making of this film, in 1980.
Anyone who has ever heard the word "foreshadow," knows that this scene will have some effect by the film's end, that Mr. Tideman's not being shown on-screen at this point is significant, and that the fact Sheen has not ever seen his boss face-to-face also portends something significant later, and is likely essential to the development of the plot.
The Senator, an important, informed senior politico expert on all matters military, is obviously nonplussed by the jet aircraft and all other aspects of the carrier and everything else, beyond the contemporary hardware with which he is familiar.The crux of all these "time travel" stories, whether an inexpensive 22 minutes within a half-hour TV presentation, or an expensive, A-list big-screen offering like this one, presents the same dilemma -- whether to use the ability now at-hand to stifle some occurrence and save lives, etc., but alter the future in so doing?
All the while Kirk has to be the one to decide on the basic question regarding the impending Japanese squadrons, and the viewer knows that at some point the ship probably will return to present (at filming) time.
He's the captain of the U.S.S Nimitz, finest nuclear powered aircraft carrier in the fleet and on this cruise they've got a VIP aboard, Martin Sheen who works for a mysterious Howard Hughes hermit like defense contractor named Tideman.
Oh. and they also rescue the pilot of one of the Japanese zeroes that sunk the cabin cruiser, Soon Teck Oh.The Final Countdown is a good science fiction film that raises some interesting conundrum like questions.
End was pretty weak - but who cares.Kirk Douglas, Martin Sheen, Charles Durning, Katherine Ross and James Farentino are all accomplished performers.It's a movie - get over it!
Will these actions create a time paradox?Today I have seen "The Final Countdown" maybe for the fifth or sixth time, and it is impressive how this good film has not aged after more than thirty years.
I know, it is not considered to be a big hit, but it had just about everything that I like in a movie; time travel, war and a big "what if".
I won't go into the plot in any detail or why the movie's title makes absolutely no sense; suffice it to say that some sort of time storm plunks a modern aircraft carrier off the coast of Oahu the day before the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Kirk Douglas looks to be having a blast, as well as Martin Sheen (yech), James Farentino, Charles Durning, and Katherine Ross (Gawd, it's good to be straight!) Seriously, I have only one complaint; a logic flaw so great I wonder why the screenwriter(s) let it by: Why, oh why did the Nimitz launch a strike against the Japanese using fighter aircraft and bombers .
Many people who saw this back in 1980 came away disliking it since the trailers and TV commercials made it look like a modern aircraft carrier took on the Japanese navy.
There is in fact only one real action sequence that brought cheers to the theater I saw this in when a certain line of dialog was spoken.Assuming that you're seeing this because you want a good dram of the science fiction variety I heartily recommend you watch this film.
I'd like to explain but it would reveal too much.This is a popcorn movie of the highest order, so if you're smart you'll go get some and watch this good little film..
The implausible plot finds a modern nuclear aircraft carrier myseriously (and conveniently) transported in time to December 6, 1941 just a short hop from Pearl Harbor.
This turn of events sets the stage for the real point of the movie; many scenes of carrier flight operations featuring a "triumphant" musical score any time a piece of military hardware is on the screen.
If your looking for serious exploration of the paradoxes of time travel or the geopolitical consequences if Pearl Harbor turned out differently, then pass on this movie.
The build up is great, however as the movie comes to a close and the viewer realizes the final outcome, one cannot help but feel cheated.The paradox at the end is good.
A modern nuclear powered aircraft carrier (with its air wing and arsenal) getting caught in an unexplained phenomenon (in effect, storm) sending it to the day before the Pearl Harbor attack made a wonderful platform.
To paraphrase TV Guide's view of the movie, it was a story reminiscent of "The Twilight Zone."Kirk Douglas played a convincing Navy Captain, Matt Yelland commanding the U.S.S. Nimitz and her arsenal that was capable of wiping out the Japanese fleet.
One can surmise that the Nimitz' travel back in time was a test for Captain Yelland and crew to see what they would do with the modern capabilities of the ship in regards to an historical attack they know is coming.
The Final Countdown takes what would have made for a very entertaining Twilight Zone episode and manages to turn it into a surprisingly effective full length feature, one that poses that old scientific dilemma: if you had the power to prevent a catastrophe in the past, would you do so, knowing full well that the future would be irrevocably altered in the process?Kirk Douglas, as aircraft carrier captain Matthew Yelland, is faced with precisely this decision after he and his crew travel through a time portal on their vessel, arriving on the eve of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour during WWII.
With modern planes and missiles at their disposal, should they intercept the enemy or let history take its course?With a superb cast (Charles Durning, Martin Sheen, James Farentino, Katherine Ross), an intelligent script, and a real aircraft carrier and its jets at his disposal, director Don Taylor delivers a thoroughly absorbing tale that offers both exciting action (the flying scenes are wonderful—who needs CGI when you have the real deal?) and intense drama.While those expecting an action packed battle between modern jets and Japanese fighter planes will undoubtedly feel a little cheated by the film's less than spectacular denouement, which solves Yelland's awkward problem with the introduction of a second very timely time portal, the fun twist ending should leave most viewers with a big grin on their face..
This movie had me hooked as a kid, and growing up, I've come to appreciate the nod to historical events, the aircraft on display like a time capsule, and the sci-fi plot that presents a host of interesting questions for the viewer.
Or let history take its course?That dilemma faces the men aboard the aircraft carrier The U.S.S. Nimitz, which somehow or other is sent back in time - with a fair amount of razzle-dazzle special effects - to just before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.
Involved in the mounting drama are the crafts' captain (Kirk Douglas), a civilian observer (Martin Sheen), assorted personnel (including Ron O'Neal and James Farentino), and a senator (Charles Durning), whose rescue might set in motion a different chain of events.The cast, writers, and crew were clearly having a great time with this fanciful premise.
What if a modern day naval carrier found itself(through a mysterious time-portal on the sea) back on that fateful day of Dec. 7, 1941, when Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor, killing scores of soldiers and civilians, and plunging the U.S.A. into World War II?
Kirk Douglas is the captain of a nuclear powered aircraft carrier who gets caught in a time warp and sent back to the day before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour.
this is one of the best time travel movies i have seen.it's vaguely similar to the Philadelphia Experiment but on a much larger scale.i also think it's a much better movie.for one thing,there's way more tension and suspense and you really can sense the fear and desperation of the ship's crew.this one will have you on the edge of your seat.the acting here is very strong all around.there's no weak link in the bunch.there no slow spots either.the movie flows at a nice steady pace,and keeps you interested right to the end.i'd highly recommend it as a rental at the very least.i purchased a copy which was more than worth it.for me,The Final Countdown is a 9/10.
Other comments have made my main point: this movie takes a fascinating concept with innumerable possibilities and then fails to make much of them.Great science fiction usually makes one assumption - it might be time travel, or "slow glass" or human miniaturisation - and builds a logical world around it.
In "The final countdown", the base assumption is that a nuclear aircraft carrier is somehow transported back in time to just before Pearl Harbour.
I own the DVD, have watched it several times, and it's always entertaining.The acting is well done, the flying sequences are fantastic, it's a realistic view of operations on an aircraft carrier, even it it is a little dated by today's standards..
A modern day aircraft carrier, on maneuver off Pearl Harbor, gets time-warped to the same locale, December 6, 1941.
"The Final Countdown" has a very interesting concept: take a modern day aircraft carrier, in the case, THE USS NIMITZ, and time warp it back to the eve of the impending Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
Time travel, and its supposed existence, has also been a fascinating subject for movies, and this film plays that angle to the hilt.Kirk Douglas portrays Captain Yelland, the modern skipper of the aircraft carrier NIMITZ.
I love time travel movies and The Final Countdown (Or "U.S.S Nimitz, Forsvundet i Stillehavet" as it's called in Denmark) is no exception.
What if the worlds' largest aircraft carrier, armed to the teeth, went through a time warp and found itself back in time, just before the attack on Pearl Harbor during the Second World war.Kirk Douglas' character faces a hard enough decision after having to come to terms that he, his crew AND vessel have traveled back in time...to intervene and alter history, or let time remain unchanged?Not one to be watched by those who a plot that is water tight, it's meant to be viewed as a great fantasy film, not a true to life documentary that's made to give you a philosophical awakening.
I like time travel movies in general and The Final Countdown in particular.
The premise of the film hurls a modren nuclear powered aircraft carrier back in time to one day before Pearl Harbor.
If you like "Time travel movies", this film is essential..
Good cast with an interesting plot involving time travel into the mist of the Second World War. I think you really need to take into mind that this film was made in 1980, so some of the special effects do look very dated.
For fans of time travel, world war II or naval aviation this is a great movie.
Not only does this movie have some big name stars (Kirk Douglas, Katherine Ross, James Farentino, and Martin Sheen), but it is a good blend of science fiction and drama/action.
Now that it is out on DVD, it is a must-own for any movie collector.A US Aircraft Carrier (USS NIMITZ) gets sucked back in time to (you guessed it) Dec. 7, 1941.
THE FINAL COUNTDOWN went through many script changes and edits yet through this process the producers managed to make a movie which was good but not everything film audiences thought it could have been.
I think I saw it on video years after it was released in the theatre but I was impressed by the good story and the interesting time travel aspect of present day going back to WW2.
Kirk Douglas (another indication that the movie has class) plays the captain of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, circa 1980.
This movie has a neat basic premise; a modern, nuclear powered aircraft carrier gets thrown back in time to 1941, just before the attack on Pearl Harbor.
The carrier USS Nimitz, with all her nuclear might, gets transported back in time to 1941, just before the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor.
Meanwhile, we do see F-14s engaging some Zeroes, and some taut, well acted scenes by Charles Durning, James Farentino, Martin Sheen, and one of my favorite character actors as the Japanese pilot, Soon Teck-Oh. The climax, and all the time paradoxes are wrapped up nicely, maybe a little too tidy, but overall it's fun to watch..
The Final Countdown has one of the most original stories ever in a movie: imagine if you suddenly went back in time right before the japanese were about to attack Pearl Harbor.
In so many ways this is really little more than a pretty standard time travel movie that contains all the dilemmas such a movie usually contains: basically, how much can you change history without, well, changing history - or even, can you actually change history?Most of the action is set on board the USS Nimitz, a modern (1980) US aircraft carrier that encounters a mysterious "storm" in the Pacific and is somehow transported by the storm back in time - quite conveniently for the sake of the story to December 6, 1941, the day before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. |
tt0079138 | Fast Company | At a racetrack, aging drag racing star Lonnie "Lucky Man" Johnson (William Smith) makes engine refinements to his car, which is sponsored by the international oil company Fast Co. On its first test run around a track, it blows up, but Lonnie escapes unhurt, living up to his nickname. Fast Co team boss Phil Adamson (John Saxon) is not impressed, telling the head mechanic, Elder (Don Francks), that the team can't afford to win if it breaks the budget. The real business is that the car remains competitive and helps sell Fast Co products. In the Funny Car class, Lonnie's protégé Billy "The Kid" Brooker (Nicholas Campbell) gives top dog Gary "The Blacksmith" Black (Cedric Smith) a close run.On the road to Big Sky, Montana, Lonnie calls his girlfriend Sammy (Claudia Jennings), who is living in Seattle, saying he misses her. When the Fast Co rig blows a tire, Black, jealous of Fiasco's money and Lonnie's popularity, refuses to help change the tire. Adamson flies in his private plane with Candy Ellison (Judy Foster) the pretty new Fast Co ad girl. At the Big Sky meet, Adamson takes a backhander from the organizer. "The Fast Co team sell tickets at his mosquito patch. If you don't want us to continue..." says Adamson. He says that the fans come to see Lonnie, so while the dragster is being repaired he will replace Billy in the Funny Car. Lonnie doesn't like the idea. Billy likes it less, blaming Lonnie's ego. Lonnie's first ever Funny Car run is against Black, who is angry at the driver switch, especially when he loses the race. Billy finds some compensation in the attractive presence of Candy.En route to a next race in Spokane, Washington, Lonnie calls the dragster mechanic with a few ideas, but is told that Adamson cancelled the repair work. At the meet, Lonnie is less then complimentary on his Fast Co TV spot. Adamson is incensed and calls the company to say he's bringing in Gary Black. Candy overhears the phone call, and when she refuses to have sex with the TV interviewer as damage control, Adamson fires her. He offers Black the Fast Co ride. At the same time, Candy and Billy go and "get it on" inside Lonnie's trailer. Sammy shows up and interrupts them. She furiously assumes that it's Lonnie in the bed, until he appears in the doorway.Reunited, Lonnie and Sammy kick out Billy and Candy, and they resume making love and he talks about quitting racing. Adamson walks in without knocking, causing Lonnie to punch him to the floor. He says they're finished, but Lonnie assures him the car will race. Outside the trailer, Adamson gives Black and the surly mechanic, named Meatball, a job.While on another test run, the Funny Car's engine blows, but Lonnie controls the situation using the cockpit safety gear. Billy angrily accuses Black of sabotage, but Lonnie intervenes on Black's behalf. In the pit, Adamson announces that Black is the new Fast Co driver and the whole team is fired. Lonnie goes for him but is slugged with a tire iron by Meatball.Billy is deponent, but Lonnie insists they'll still race at Edmonton, Canada next weekend-- they'll simply steal back the car! First though they have to find it. Billy and PJ (Robert Haley) visit the local motor show and are amazed that Adamson has the car on display. That night, Billy and Candy create an amorous diversion for the security guard while Lonnie drives the car away. Working overtime, Lonnie, Billy, PJ get it in shape.At the Edmonton racetrack, there is a night meet. Lonnie's surprise independent entry is announced. Adamson is worried that Black will be beaten, but Meatball says he will win as long as he is in the left lane. Black doesn't like it, but Adamson tells him to shut up and drive. Lonnie gives an ecstatic Billy the ride.At the toss up for the lane choice, Billy wins and chooses left. Adamson ensures a last minute change, and Billy's complaint is ignored. As the driver's wait on the starting line, Black watches Meatball slope away, carrying two large cans of oil. At the green light, Billy gets a fast start, but Black surges alongside and then swerves, seemingly trying to run him off the road. Black takes the lead, then cuts into Billy's lane and hits the oil that Meatball has poured on the track. His car explodes in a huge fireball. Billy can do nothing. He goes for Meatball at the side of the track and in the struggle, Meatball's overalls catch fire. Billy uses his cockpit extinguisher to save his life.The team arrives on the scene. Adamson panics and takes to his plane. As it taxies down the runway strip, Lonnie jumps in the Funny Car and hits the throttle. He catches up just as the plane takes off, clipping the end off a wing. Adamson fights for control but the plane dives into a parked Fast Co oil truck, producing the second inferno of the night.The next morning, the team members discuss the future. Lonnie promises he'll have new funding in place soon, but first he and Sammy are going to share some quality time. Billy and Candy like the sound of that and go off somewhere to have sex too, but Elder and PJ are left by themselves with a car to prepare. | cult, revenge | train | imdb | null |
tt0481141 | No Reservations | Kate Armstrong (Catherine Zeta-Jones) is the head chef at the trendy 22 Bleecker Street Restaurant in Manhattan, New York. She runs her kitchen at a rapid pace as she coordinates the making and preparation of all the fantastic meals, and personally displays the food to perfection on every dish. She intimidates everyone around her, including her boss Paula (Patricia Clarkson), who sends her to therapy. Kate hates to leave the kitchen when a customer wants to compliment her on one of her special dishes; however, she is ready to leave the kitchen in an instant when a customer insults her cooking.
When Kate's sister Christine is killed in a car accident, her nine-year-old niece, Zoe (Abigail Breslin), must move in with her. Kate is devastated by her sister's death and with all of her problems, Paula decides to hire a new sous chef to join the staff, Nick Palmer (Aaron Eckhart), who is a rising star in his own right and could be the head chef of any restaurant he pleased. Nick, however, wants to work under Kate. The atmosphere in the kitchen is somewhat chaotic as Kate feels increasingly threatened by Nick as time goes on due to his style of running her kitchen. Nick loves to listen to opera while he cooks and he loves to make the staff laugh. And Kate finds herself strangely attracted to Nick, whose uplifting personality has not only affected her staff but Zoe as well, who has been coming to work with Kate.
With all that is happening in Kate's life, the last thing she would want is to fall in love with this man, as she has pushed away all others prior. Nevertheless, there is some kind of chemistry between the two of them that only flourishes with their passion for cooking. Yet life hits her hard when Paula decides to offer Nick the job of head chef and Kate's relationship with Nick turns a sour note due to Kate's pride. Nick also develops a special bond with Zoe.
In the end, Kate allows herself to become vulnerable and tear down the walls she has built throughout her life so that she and Nick could start fresh. The movie concludes with Zoe, Nick, and Kate having opened their own bistro. | home movie | train | wikipedia | Directed by Scott Hicks ("Shine") and written by first-timer Carol Fuchs, this film offers the most insightful peek into the workings of an upscale Manhattan restaurant since 2000's "Dinner Rush" (i.e., if you don't count last year's CGI-generated, French food-fest, "Ratatouille"), but it also seems intent in splintering the story between the romantic sparks between the co-stars and the unexpected relationship that a single aunt forms with her orphaned niece.
Hicks and Fuchs also seem intent on inserting predictable clichés along the way to reinforce the formulaic approach taken with the story.Basically a remake of the 2001 German comedy, "Mostly Martha", the plot centers on perfectionist chef Kate who runs a tightly efficient kitchen in a chic SoHo bistro.
There is a nice dose of Verdi and Puccini opera arias, and Abigail Breslin steals the film like she did with "Little Miss Sunshine." I have not liked Aaron Eckert in the past, but in this film he brings happiness to the otherwise dour Zeta Jones.Some of the professional critics said they like the original German film "Mostly Martha" better, but I thought that "No reservations" improved on the original in every possible way.
During the sold-out preview show that I attended, people were laughing at the right moments and feeling moved at the right times too, and the casting was spot on - Catherine Zeta-Jones is perfect as the work-obsessed Kate dealing with the disruption of her perfectly-ordered life and Aaron Eckhart is irresistible with his mop of hair and those dimples.
Very likable even for a formula romcom, mainly because of the terrific casting and performances of the actors.The forever beautiful and talented Catherine Zeta-Jones (Chicago, The Mask of Zorro) is spot on as Kate, a workaholic chef at hoity toity 22 Bleeker.
Real-life motherhood must have enabled Zeta-Jones to show her softer side with the restraint her character called for.Aaron Eckhart (Thank You for Smoking, Black Dahlia) is Nick, the Italian-trained, opera-singing, charismatic new chef who invades Kate's precision-perfect French kitchen.
While Zeta-Jones has also been criticized for being too beautiful for the role of a lonely chef, that is actually one of the ironies of life that this movie uncovers: beauty and talent doesn't really guarantee bliss.Despite the awful MTV-like montage of the trio grocery shopping and the rest of the unspectacular elements, overall, the movie makes you feel for the characters.
All we know about Catherine Zeta-Jones character is she is obsessed with her world....nobody is allowed in and nobody challenges her world...that much is obvious....but the remaining characters all have their own dimensions that are really never explored or exposed....Aaron Eckhart's character had so much more to offer to the story but wasn't allowed, Abigail Breslin's character is so easy to understand that her performance comes across somewhat predictable and phony....in the end everything reverts back to the forced turbulent world of Catherine Zeta-Jones which the audience never totally falls for....honestly, her turbulent world is not much more than a portrayal of a selfish, self obsessed, spoiled lady who most people would not have much time or sympathy for in the real world.
In Manhattan, the workaholic Kate (Catherine Zeta-Jones) is the chef of the 22 Bleecker Restaurant owned by Paula (Patricia Clarkson), who sent her to a therapist (Bob Balaban) because she has no other interest in life but cooking and controlling her kitchen.
But when his work is recognized by the clients of the restaurant, Kate believes she committed a mistake."No Reservations" is delightfully sweet, with a nice romance supported by the magnificent chemistry of Catherine Zeta-Jones and Aaron Eckhart; a good story; a wonderful soundtrack; and the visual of splendorous dishes.
The beauty of Catherine Zeta-Jones is awesome, and I really loved her character and this entertaining feel-good movie.
Although there were a couple of amusing scenes, in general the outlook of the movie was quite depressing.I also found it difficult to fall in love with any of the characters as they all seemed a little underdeveloped, the time which the director could have used exploring the characters taken up by a needless overuse of Opera, making the movie feel dragged out and slow.All in all, although there are some touching scenes, the trailer is quite deceptive and i would only suggest you go watch this if there is really nothing else that tickles your fancy.Not fantastic, and as i have said before; Bland..
I think that Catherine Zeta Jones and Aaron Eckhart could do a new version of "Prizzi's Honor" they both look like professional killers.
I'm really not going to waste my time with in depth analysis, i'm just going to say that i'm extremely disappointed that Catherine Zeta-Jones made the mistake of being in the main role in this absurd, nonsense, in this full of clichés boring to death thoughtless pathetic try in film-making!
If you've never seen a romantic comedy before, then this will delight you to no end, as it has all the necessary components: great acting and dialog, witty banter, chemistry between all members of the cast, and a nicely weighed smattering of heartfelt (and even sad) moments.The problem is, if you've seen more than a couple of others in the same genre, you will likely - as was I - be bored to tears watching No Reservations.
There is zero chemistry between the main actors (Aaron Eckhart as Nick and Catherine Zeta-Jones as Kate) and no explanation, other than Nick's admiration for Kate as a chef, of why Nick falls for such a brooding, clammed-up woman.
NO RESERVATIONS is an entertaining and nice summer 2007 film which gives an audience a very interesting and intelligent female lead in Cathterine Zeta-Jones as a Chef in the high profile "foodie biz" of chic New York and has the talented Aaron Eckhardt as her protagonist and romantic counterpart.
In other words, Nick bests Kate at the skills most frequently associated with women: cooking and nurturing children.This is the kind of botch of a romantic comedy where you know that characters who can't stand each other are now falling in love because, suddenly, very loud and intrusive opera arias and classic pop songs play on the soundtrack.
Granted, Zeta-Jones's Kate has the maudlin ingredient cooked right into the plother sister killed in an auto accident, her niece becoming her ward, the music tinkling when they look at the family photos and swelling when they do "crazy" things together to create the elusive bond.All I took away from this tear-jerking rom-com was a desire to go home and cook my favorite pasta combination; Aaron Eckhart's sous-chef Nick inspired me with his combination.
The story was good, a lot like Raising Helen but without the charm of Kate Hudson, and also a decent adaptation from the German film Mostly Martha.
No Reservations had added some very good detail works and a little Hollywood-style spice in the original script....all this should've made a very touching film--- would've-----only if they hadn't left out all the good things from the original movie.This one fails to create any depth in the relationships.
Also, zeta-zone's acting ruins the movie.She acts far worse than Abigail.But i must admit- i like the ending on this one better.Not exactly the ending,actually the direction of the chef's life.Anyway,watch it if you want(i warn you,it'll arrive on TV before you come out of the theater} but don't forget to watch Mostly Martha- that one is 'funny and romantic' too..
The one I always recall is "Simply Irresistible", because it's an irresistible movie even when it exaggerates things
This I say it because "No reservations" sticks a lot to reality, with the help of Breslin's unique charm and naturalness and her instant chemistry with Zeta-Jones, and her chemistry with Eckhart; the elements that make the film watchable.
There's never any doubt that Nick has Kate and Zoe's best interests at heart, or that they all will find happiness on its own sweet terms.""...the emotional details of Kate, Nick and Zoe's journey are surprising, honest and life-size, and the film's determination to present their predicament sympathetically, without appealing to retrograde ideals of femininity and motherhood, makes it notable, and in some ways unique."Variety says; "All the same, Zeta-Jones is in her element as a formidable woman one messes with, professionally and personally, only at one's peril.
And, yes, she looks pretty darn good in her tight-fitting work uniform.""The lanky, exuberant Eckhart might seem an odd match for his co-star's cool, dark beauty, but this mostly works to the film's benefit; thesp makes Nick's quirkiness winning rather than grating as he stealthily charms Zoe while restraining himself with Kate.
This movie begins with a very talented chef by the name of "Kate" (Catherine Zeta-Jones) talking to her therapist about everything except the reason that she is there.
Add in a radical new chef, Aaron Eckhart, in her kitchen, and she almost becomes completely unglued!Catherine Zeta-Jones gives a surprisingly good performance in this comedy-dramedy.
She's in a role that could easily be hammed up by a lazy actress so that the audience quickly gets that she feels out of her element, but Catherine plays it in a realistic way.Abigail Breslin gives one of her best performances in No Reservations.
By far this is the worst performance and am not just talking about being a perfectionist in the kitchen, her love interest with Aaron Eckhart and a likable aunt with her niece she falls in all places and really low.The movie starts off in a very interesting note, and shows the actress in the kitchen and cuts back and forth with a therapist and then moves on to show the tragedy in her life and niece moving with her.
The characters should grown into you, not go back and forth on the same emotions and insanely annoy you.The movie should have focused on the bonding between actress and little girl and build the story around it, it would be a really fun and interesting to watch, but instead goes in all different directions and loses our interests after the first 20 minutes which is a huge disappointment.
So it might just come down to which movie you saw first.But there are specific aspects of No Reservations I prefer: a more fleshed-out script and editing job, as well as superior Hollywood production values (the better presentation of the food, for instance, or note the poor dubbing of Mostly Martha's Sergio Castellitto - on the German track - although maybe this is just an audio sync problem with the Paramount DVD).Mostly, though, I prefer No Reservatons for its stars.
Driven by great acting but marred by a predictable plot, No Reservations is a chick flick that would also make a nice family film or an escape from the typical loud and explosive movies we usually experience over the summer.
When a tragedy strikes the family, she is forced to shift the focus of her life onto her niece, the crushed and emotionally destroyed Zoe. At the same time, a new chef named Nick starts working at the restaurant and seems to threaten Kate's placement there.On a low-budget movie like this, it's the acting and writing that must excel above everything else in order for the entire production to be bearable.
Scott Hicks, whether he meant to or not, does a superb job keeping the camera close to the subjects and giving you the feeling that you are seated at a table witnessing the events unfolding, or you are a chef witnessing Zeta-Jones' character in action.Bottom Line: Just like the structures of these reviews, No Reservations is very predictable.
The first is to take care of her niece Zoe (Abigail Breslin from Little Miss Sunshine) when her sister meets with an accident, and the other is to manage that threat from work, in the form of another chef Nick (Aaron Eckhart), who has the potential to run his own kitchen, but for some reason chose to work under Kate in the same restaurant.As a romantic comedy, this movie works, well, because it adapted almost every romantic scene from the German movie.
The new movie, No Reservations, starring Academy Award®-winner Catherine Zeta-Jones (Chicago) and Golden Globe® nominee Aaron Eckhart (Thank You for Not Smoking), is destined to become the romantic film of the summer.The soundtrack to this movie, in-stores now, is a musical masterpiece which starts with a generous helping of Italian arias performed by world-renowned tenor Pavorotti, Renata Telbaldi, Joan Sutherland, Carlo Bergozzi, and Joseph Calleja.
The cinematography of this flick is simply amazing, and most amazing of everything is Catherine Zeta Jones' character,Kate.Miss Zeta Jones is a great actress, too good and overrated, and in this movie she shows her great abilities and her powerful talent in bringing on her own shoulder an entire picture.
Remember that part in the movie's preview where Kate (Catherine Zeta-Jones) slices the list of the restaurant's main dishes in half and gives one of the pieces of the paper to Aaron Eckhart's character, telling him he will be in charge of those entrées and she will take care of the rest?
How else can one explain the lukewarm critical reception for the charming little film No Reservations, a romantic dramedy starring Catherine Zeta-Jones, Aaron Eackhart, and Signs wunderkid Abigail Breslin?This is a good "cuddle on the couch" movie.
It follows a workaholic New York City chef (this time around) who must suddenly deal with taking care of her orphaned 9 year old niece.Catherine Zeta-Jones is suitably (bitchy) giving off a no-nonsense intensity as she runs her kitchen.
No Reservations misses the spark with subtle romance, dull drama and toned-down emotions, and a dollop of sophistication and pomp in the scenery and furniture.No Reservations by Scott Hicks is a 2007 romantic comedy about 'one of the better chefs in town', a control freak, Kate (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and an exuberant and Opera-loving Nick (Aaron Eckhart) who comes and topsy-turvy her life in a very slow motion, and she starts to break her own rules when Zoe (Abigail Breslin), Kate's niece starts to like Nick and finds in him and Kate a family; and the movie takes a predictable turn and we see a budding romance between the two during their talks about food and recipes and the cold fights, but the spark is missing.
I've learned it is a remake of a German film called "Bella Martha", but to me it was more like a remake of virtually any other romance story of recent decades.Catherine Zeta-Jones plays a talented chef who's so good at the foods she prepares that her boss won't fire her, even though she is a major pain to work with and constantly barges out of the kitchen to confront paying customers when they feel their meal isn't prepared the way they like it.
The issue is that, altogether, these factors make this film not as funny as it should be and that's why it needs improvement.Catherine Zeta-Jones plays Kate, a stressed, workaholic chef that has no time for anyone but herself, or so she thinks.
The chemistry between Aaron Eckhart, Nick and Catherine Zeta-Jones, Kate was definitely there and they made an appealing couple and Abigail Breslin was awesome in her role, as always.
It is a film about a Master Chef named Kate (Catherine Zeta-Jones) that runs the kitchen in a large high end restaurant in Manhattan.
However, a young, funny, and attractive new opera loving sous-chef named Nick (Aaron Eckhart) comes into the restaurant and sparks Kate's interest.
You can see where the film is going all of the time.Catherine Zeta Jones does a very nice job playing Kate.
Aaron Eckhart is a bit over the top at times (this was clearly intended to contrast Catherine's Kate but it doesn't work all the way) and his Italianness appears a little forced but otherwise he's quite alright.'No Reservations' may not be the best movie of its kind but it's quite a watchable film.
This romantic comedy touches a lot of familiar bases, including an orphaned niece (Abigail Breslin) of a career woman (Catherine Zeta-Jones as a no-nonsense chef) who has no idea of how to deal with her new charge and a guy who does (Aaron Eckhart as the second chef in the restaurant kitchen whom Zeta-Jones's character feels threatened by).
Maybe I'm just a sucker for movies centered around cooking and food mainly because to me, stories like that have a lot of color to it and it just brings people together so that they can enjoy it was well.Catherine Zeta-Jones is as beautiful and charming in her role as the workaholic chef Kate Armstrong and Aaron Eckhart lights up the film as the more light-hearted Nick.
The movie stars Catherine Zeta-Jones, Aaron Eckhart, and Abigail Breslin.
The movie stars Catherine Zeta-Jones, Aaron Eckhart, and Abigail Breslin.
When her sister tragically passes away and leaves her with a child to raise (played by Abigail Breslin), and her new sous-chef (Aaron Eckhart) threatens to take over her perfectly managed kitchen with his exuberance and free spirit, she struggles to adjust, but soon realises not everything in life can be handled as expertly as roast quail.I found Catherine Zeta-Jones monotonous and irritating in this movie.
But the story of two chefs (played by Catherine Zeta-Jones and Aaron Eckhart) trying to solve their differences on the same restaurant kitchen, but really together helping the woman's niece (Abigail Breslin) she got to raise after the kid's mother death in accident seemed forced, contrived and uninteresting.
"No Reservations" stars the delicious Catherine Zeta-Jones as Kate, an OCD demanding top head chef in New York who is suddenly confronted with a real life order she has never cooked up before; caring for her orphan niece whose mother passed away in a car accident.
I can say that I don't have to see the original movie because of this one.Since I'm a fan of both Catherine Zeta-Jones and Aaron Eckhart, I say that this movie has gone way too good not just about the storyline but of the acting of the casts as well. |
tt1562872 | Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara | The film opens with Kabir (Abhay Deol) proposing to Natasha (Kalki Koechlin). Their families meet at the engagement party where Natasha learns that Kabir is planning a three-week bachelor road trip to Spain with his school friends Imran (Farhan Akhtar) and Arjun (Hrithik Roshan). Kabir explains that the three have a long-standing pact, and that during the road trip, each of them will have to pick an adventure sport which all three will try together. Initially, Arjun is reluctant to take trip as he does not want to lose his pay for missing work. It is later revealed that Arjun's former girlfriend left him due to his workaholism and his obsession with money. Imran has an additional personal agenda on the trip, to find his biological father Salman Habib (Naseeruddin Shah), an artist in Spain.
They fly to Spain separately, where they plan to visit Costa Brava, Seville, and Pamplona. On the way to Costa Brava, Imran and Kabir find it annoying that Arjun works even during the trip. Imran nonchalantly throws Arjun's mobile phone out of their car while he is in the middle of an official call. This leads to a heated argument. Arjun, in a fit of rage, accuses Imran of having an affair, four years prior, with Arjun's previous girlfriend Sonali (a topic which was very sensitive both to Arjun and Imraan). After being pacified by Kabir and reaching their destination, they meet an Anglo Indian named Laila (Katrina Kaif) on a beach. Imran flirts with her and makes Arjun jealous. Kabir reveals that he has chosen deep sea diving as their first sport, and they later find that Laila is their diving instructor. Arjun, who cannot swim and is aquaphobic, receives assistance from Laila. She helps him overcome his fears and finish the sport successfully. Upon a request by Laila, they attend the La Tomatina festival with her in Buñol and meet Nuria (Ariadna Cabrol), who falls in love with Imraan. Meanwhile, Natasha becomes suspicious of Kabir's involvement with Laila when she sees them via webcam and crashes his bachelor party trip, much to Kabir's discomfort in front of his friends. Imran spends time with Nuria, and Arjun with Laila. After the boys leave, Laila realises she has fallen in love with Arjun and chases them on a bike, not wanting to regret their partition if they do not meet in future. She and Arjun express their feelings for each other with a passionate kiss.
On the way to Seville, Kabir drops Natasha at the airport, while Arjun and Imran notice that something is wrong between them. The trio visit Seville for sky diving, Arjun's choice. During the task, Imraan is forced to confront his acrophobia and hesitates to take part. However, they complete it without any obstacles. After skydiving, the three men go to a bar and get into a fight with a stranger on whom they had tried to pull a prank. They are jailed after the fight. Salman Habib bails them out and takes them to his home. While speaking to Imraan, Salman reveals that he never wanted the responsibility of a married life with kids, while Imran's mother did, which is why he never contacted Imran. Imran, heartbroken, realises how his actions must have hurt Arjun four years back. He apologises to Arjun. Arjun, realising that Imran's apology is heartfelt, hugs him and forgives him.
The trio learn of the bull run in Pamplona, which is Imran's choice — baffling Kabir and Arjun. Imran calls up Laila, who comes along, surprising Arjun. When confronted by his friends, Kabir confesses to the other two that he is still not ready for a marriage, and that Natasha had gotten the wrong idea (of him proposing to her) on seeing the ring that he had bought for his mother as a birthday present. On the morning of the bull run, Imran suggests they make a pact to make a promise if they survive the event. Imran vows to publish his poetry (he is secretly a poet), Arjun vows to go to Morocco with Laila, and Kabir promises to tell Natasha that he does not want to marry her. As they complete the event, the friends gain a renewed sense of their relationships with each other, with others they know, and with themselves.
During the credits, Imran, Kabir, Nuria and Natasha are shown attending the wedding of Arjun and Laila in Morocco. Natasha is seen with a new man, and Kabir and Natasha are still friends. Imran's poems are revealed throughout the story after each sporting event showing that he had published them. | philosophical | train | wikipedia | STRAIGHT INTO FAVOURITES..:):) Awesome work by Zoya..:) HR,Farhan,Abhay mass...Hrithik and Katrina adds spice to the romantic scenes in the movie..Farhan Akhtar shows a refreshing flair for comedy and has impeccable comic timing...Kalki Koechlin is excellent in her bitchy role of a possessive girlfriend.
I am not claiming that he makes great movies - I am merely agreeing that his films are funny, intelligent and definitely entertaining.The Hrithik-Farhan-Abhay trio have done a fabulous job.
As expected, this is a good movie about grown up men and their emotional problems, which is naturally expected from the team that gave us Dil Chahta Hai and Rock On.A group of three friends (Hrithik, Abhay Deol and Farhan Akhtar) embark on a road trip in Spain as a part of a bachelor party for Abhay Deol, who is getting married to Kalki, and confused.
Three best friends since childhood: Arjun (Hrithik Roshan), now an investment broker in London; Imraan (Farhan Akhtar), an advertising copywriter in Delhi; and Kabir (Abhay Deol), a construction architect in Mumbai.
Ms Akhtar elevates the basic 'road movie' premise into something rare and sublime: brilliant character-driven comedy never cheap but often laugh-out-loud funny, and so true to life and people each of us actually know that it genuinely moves the heart as well as the mind and funny-bone.
As each ZNMD character in turn challenges his own fear, whatever personal demon that has been holding back his life, it becomes our victory, too.See ZNMD and discover: *your* life may change, too!Such strong story and plot would be lost, without great acting.Farhan Akhtar just gets better and better, as an actor, every time out of the gate.
Irresistibly hummable music spans the full range of moods and emotions, much like our three main characters: everything from amusingly lighthearted ('Senorita', sung by Mssrs Roshan, Akhtar, & Deol) to cool and modern ('Ik Junoon -- Paint It Red') to reflective ('Der Lagi Lakin') and even unabashedly romantic ('Khaabon Ke Parinday').But the rocking 'Dil Dhadakne Do' seems to capture the very Joy of Living ...
ZNMD..i.e...Fun Adventurous ride that begins with fun and Ends with fun.It's something fresh in Indian cinema and kind of Genre which we haven't seen here in Bollywood.Beautiful cinematography and great cast performances which cherishes the bond of friendship and enjoying life 's every moment to the Fullest.It's for youth and fun and joy of Friendship.
A must watch especially for friendship bonding and life beautiful experiences that re-invents and re-define our living and priorities so that we could live life to the Fullest.A recommended watch for all those who Gives friendship full importance.All 3 protagonist male gave mind blowing performances....especially by The Mr. Greek God (Hrithik Roshan)who certainly becoming perfectionist of perfection.Leading Gals Katrina and Kalki forms great support members for dis all out Stellar of a Movie..
But this movie has turned out to be a vagabond of friendship, love, adventure, emotions and above all, LIFE.I always believed that Farhan Akhtar is a good showman.
The dialogue by Farhan Akhtar is for the most part excellent.Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara is captivating, interesting and entertaining, and it captures the beauty of Spain with great mastery.
Deol is according to me the best actor of the three, based on what I've seen before, but in this film his character often lets him down--a sad case of weak writing--as it lacks true complexity.I never thought I'd say that, but Katrina Kaif is surprisingly effective and natural, and her part is actually very well written.
Watched 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara' and completely enjoyed it :) Had I not seen DCH(Dil Chahta Hai), probably would have given this 5/5 !..Before leaving for the theatre I did see some average or not-so-good updates from some of my FB peers,nevertheless the movie turned out to be a class act (at-least for me).
Also, though its basic outline seems to be written around Farhan's earlier DIL CHAHTA HAI, but as the movie progresses it goes on to a different journey altogether which has all the essential life ingredients ranging from friendship, love, sex, hate, fun to the spiritual hidden urges of a human being.
So if you watch it as a Bollywood movie having an interesting starcast and nice look which might have some great emotional story to tell, then you are sure going to be disappointed.
Hence, my suggestion would be to watch it as an adventure movie with people having fun on the screen and realizing their inner potentials on a road trip.Along with its splendid cinematography capturing some breathtaking underwater scenes, landscapes and unseen sequences, the film might turn out to be a cherishable experience for many, fulfilling their own hidden wishes which they may have forgotten by now.
Performance wise, the film can be included among the better performances of everyone in the team including, Hrithik, Farhan, Abhay, Katrina, Kalki, Naseeruddin Shah, Deepti Naval and Zoya herself (as a writer- director).
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara is one of the few Bollywood movies which stays behind with you even after the movie is over.Its basically a story of 3 longtime friends - Arjun(Hrithik Roshan), Imran(Farhan Akhtar) and Kabir(Abhay Deol).
Also Amazed by brilliant performances of Farhan and Abhay.They are just amazingly hilarious.Kalki and Katrina are also good.No words for Naseer Ji, He is legend.There is a sweet simple story which is carried by them with their immense talented acts and humor.At the technical level the film brings the word "ZINDAGI" in life by their beautiful and stunning cinematography of SPAIN locations.Also the moments of talk comes to life with original sound.The under water and sky diving sequences are excellent.The sound editing had Crisp and Clear.When we talk about music which is essential element of Indian Movies, This movie brings similar soundtrack like Dil Chahta hai.All songs are filled with joy and energy.SEL has done a great job again.The Lyrics are too good.The quotes by farhan were greatly written by Javed Ji.The Song Senorita is nicely sung by Thrice Actors.I recommend this movie to see with Family, Friends so they will realize why life needs true friends and love.Highly Recommend.Watch it Dobara because "Zindagi Milegi Na Dobara".
Blame it on the Akhtar siblings.Thats right.When two highly talented siblings collaborate on a movie project, the least you expect is a film that makes sense.One that has a well-knit story, a strong script, great dialogues(after all they are Javed Akhtar's progeny) and competent acting.Of course good music and fabulous locales are an added bonus.
It seems the director of the highly original "Luck by chance" decided to concentrate on good music and fabulous locales;the rest obviously took a back seat.The result-a two and a half hour "reality show- road trip" with three guys and a few babes who join them once in a while.Give me a break guys, if I wanted to watch a "Visit Spain" show , I would choose a one hour program on "Doscovery Travel and Living"(or TLC as it is called these days) At least their shows are honest and don't pretend to be something they are not.
This movie didn't work for me.And I have not even started comparing it to "Dil chahta hai" ,which was a dream debut for Farhan Akhtar, the director.Why, if DCH was a Mozart symphony, ZNMD(the movie,not the music) is like an electronic synthesizer 'symphony' from the Mozart of Madras.And we all know who sells more albums in India-its definitely not the Viennese composer.So what went wrong with ZNMD?Lets take a long, hard look ..
Direction,editing-whats that?Let them have a ball-the audience loves watching good looking women and men get dirty in a tomato fight,besides doing other fun things.Watch the beautiful people and don't complain about not getting your money's worth.If this movie is supposed to represent the spirit of the youth, heaven help us,for the movie is vacuous ,empty and soul- less.The characters are never established ,they have no depth.The movie simply lacks a strong core.
I strongly urge Farhan Akhtar and Zoya Akhtar,if they ever get to read this, to go back to 'Dil Chahta Hai' and 'Luck by Chance' and to remember that its the story ,script and strong characters that make a movie, not stars, not locales or good music.You take out the soul from a movie and you got nothing.And thats what you take home from this movie- nothing.What a waste of the combined talents of the cast ,director,music directors,the cinematographer.What a pity..
The movie has not lived to the level of my expectations, yet I found it as quite nice, enjoyable and impressive.Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (you won't get this life again) is based on the lives (and their joint vacation as bachelors) of three friends - Hrithik Roshan who is a finance broker, running after money only; Farhan Akhtar who is stressful after knowing about his biological father and Abhay Deol who is going to marry Kalki Koechlin, the daughter of a rich businessman.
It is because of the weaknesses in the script which the director - Zoya has tried her level best to cover with the help of beautiful locales of Spain, Shaayari of her (and Farhan's) father - Jaaved Akhtar, some style generated through the language and culture of Spain and finally, good thrill in the end.
There are some materialistic similarities there But its a new movie with a thrilling road story.It's about Rich ppl who have perfect Life and also about A middle class man searching for his father.It's the heart what makes this film really Be called Zindegi Na Milegi Dobara.
Zoya Akhtar, whose first film Lucy By Chance I had enjoyed tremendously as it took a long and hard look into the workings of Bollywood, reunites her brother Farhan Akhtar and Hrithik Roshan, who together with Abhay Deol form the nucleus whose adventures across Spain we follow due to a pact that's set in motion should one of them was to get married, as part of an extended 3 weeks bachelor's party plan, they were to each choose an adventure sport for everyone to partake in.Which brings us to plenty of bro-mantic moments as they bond over death-defying stunts, and through the conquering of their fears as a group.
Naturally their friendship get tested early on due to the nature of being in close proximity most of the time, but once the misunderstandings got shelved and the wheels put in motion, there's hardly a wasted scene as subplots wrap themselves up very neatly in the narrative, involving one's quest to search for his long lost father, another's realization there's more to life than work if one were to stop and smell the perennial roses, and one having to confront his doubts and the compromise of one's happiness for the sake of others.There's the action-adventure level this film delivered, spending considerable time in engaging the casts in their tasks of deep sea diving, sky diving, and one signature activity best kept under wraps for its surprise factor since it ties in very closely to an important plot point.
Farhan Akhtar should act more when he's not directing his own films, while Abhay Deol after this has established himself in my books as one of the character actors to look out for.
Katrina is convincing as free bird and Kalki makes the good use of her short role.The movie asks you to sit, relax and enjoy the beauty of nature, friendship, love and the importance of life..
It is a very entertaining movie that keeps things simple and evokes laughter without going over the top like many comedies.Hrithik Roshan, Abhay Deol and Farhan Akhtar are terrific as they play three friends travelling to Spain for a bachelor trip of sorts.
The particular poetry where three friends are traveling across the roadside thinking about their latest discovery is worth mentioning.Hritik Roshan looks good and has done a very good job so has Abhay but the real show stealer is Farhan Akhtar with his comic timing.Katrina looks good and a few extra pounds has only made her more attractive :).The cinematography especially the adventure sport scenes are shot very beautifully and at times you feel that you are a part of the scene.So thats it ...
The Good: Fresh camaraderie amongst the lead cast, Carlos Catalan's camera, SEL's music, International caliber style and attention to detail The Bad: Length, Lack of 'Indian touch'The Verdict: Indian cinema is coming of age, and this movie is a must watch for fans looking for a refreshing and fun loving proof of it.I went into ZNMD half expecting a censor board approved version of Hangover crossed with an Indian love triangle embedded into a stylized version of Dil Chahta Hai – DCH.
There's a moment in Zoya Akhtar's 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara' when Arjun, the character played by Hrithik Roshan, sits on a boat with tears in his eyes.
Director Zoya Akhtar, who proved with her wonderful debut 'Luck By Chance' that she has a perceptive eye for relationships and an assured storytelling style, uses the same tools to tell a new story.Three lifelong friends in their thirties decide to take the three-week road trip they always planned when Kabir (played by Abhay Deol) gets engaged to Natasha (played by Kalki Koechlin).
Zindagi Na Milagi Dobara, when I first saw the trailer It came to my mind that it would be something exceptional.Because Zoya Akhter and Farhan Akhter are the names in Bollywood who stand for something different and new(Luck by chance,Dil Chahta Hai).But It is something more.You should watch it.Otherwise you will miss one of the finest movies in Bollywood,perhaps the best movie in 2011.First focus on the story, it is awesome and mind blowing.It is out of box according to the presence but it is very close to you if you search for it in the inner world of your mind and want to feel every second of your life.Well, some may say that there are similarities between Dil Chahta Hai an ZNMD but it is not correct.Just character of 3 friends can't make two movies similar.Actually ZNMD has the story which is absolutely better and which has the capability to make one watch the movie at a stretch from the very beginning.Zoya made the best stroke from the first frame of the movie.If you don't watch the credit line,thinking that it is of no use and as boring as the typical Bollywood films,you will miss the definitions of the 3 "mental boys".
The funny activities such as making one dumbfounded,making rapid fire as "Doctor Fraud" and Imran's friendship with "Bagwaati" are very cute.Thanks Carlos Catalan for such a great cinematography.He has captured the locations of Spain and the characters in the film very well.The man will make you feel that you are the 4th friend of the trio in the car, under the artistic blue water,at he time of sky diving and at the time of running with the bulls,perhaps in all the frames of this movie.the background scenes will make you amazed for example and from my point of view, in the frame of sky diving the miniatures on the land shows you the complexities of life and the blue wide sky tells you that let the problems go away and enjoy the life and fly at large at the sky of life.
The story follows three friends – Arjun, Imraan and Kabir, who set off on an adventure in Spain, that make them iron out their differences and teach them to seize the day.'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara' is amongst The Finest Films of Recent-Times.
thats the thing i can tell after watching it.Hrithik,farhan,abhay giving their splendid performance and wonderful direction by zoya akhtar.Hrithik shines the best and gives this role his all.Katrina and kalki are too in good form.It only teach us no one knows what lies in future so enjoy every single second because who knows zindagi ye mile naa dobara.Go out with your friends and love this movie i am telling you believe me you all will have fun watching it.In the beautiful locations of spain a fantastic movie has been shot and it has a meaning to be delivered that whatever life offers just accept it and when you can discover the meaning of friendship when you are bonded together..
One of the best Hindi films to come out this year, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara is one hell of a ride taking you through the simple moments of life that we all want to live but have moved on from it with our own excuses.It is a movie to get back to your lost life, if you lost it while keeping up with today's ever- changing lifestyle.That life is lived only once & each day gone is a part of your life leaving you, forever.That the money-driven lifestyle has made us slaves when money should be our slave.That work is not your life but a part of your life, just like everything else.That we are so busy planning the future that we are losing the chance of making today memorable.That we know where we want to be 20 years from now but have no idea what game life will play the next day.That beauty is all around us...
A film like this with less talented people would be awesome but when talent like Hrithik, Farhan, Abhay and Zoya are involved, one would expect another Dil Chahta Hai. Would ZNMD be an earner, probably yes
Would it be an all-time classic, No..
Three friends, Kabir (Abhay Deol), Imran (Farhan Akhtar), and Arjun (Hrithik Roshan) take a road trip to Spain as a bachelor treat before Kabir marries Natasha (Kalki Koechlin).
Also, Abhay Deol as Kabir is just as natural as himself and Farhan Akhtar as Imran brings out the comic moments all through the film.There are many positives and the movie is superbly shot by Carlos Catalan and I thank him for showing the Spain it is. |
tt0115685 | The Birdcage | Armand Goldman is the openly gay owner of a drag club in South Beach called The Birdcage; his partner Albert, an extremely effeminate and flamboyant man, plays "Starina," the star attraction of the club. They live together in an apartment above The Birdcage with Agador, their flamboyant Guatemalan housekeeper who dreams of being in Albert's drag show as well. One day, Armand's son Val (born after Armand had a one-night encounter with a woman named Katherine) comes home to visit and announces that he has secretly been seeing a young woman named Barbara, whom he intends to marry. Though initially unhappy with the secrecy, Armand is thrilled by the news, along with Albert, who cannot wait to celebrate the wedding. Unfortunately, the couple learns that Barbara's parents are the ultraconservative Republican Senator Kevin Keeley and his wife Louise. Keeley, who is a co-founder for a conservative group called the "Coalition for Moral Order"—a society developed on traditional views and moral codes—becomes embroiled in a political scandal when his co-founder and fellow Senator is found dead in the bed of an underage black prostitute. Louise and Barbara convince Senator Keeley that a visit to his daughter's fiancee's family would be the perfect way to stave off bad press, and plan to travel to South Beach as soon as possible.
Barbara shares news of her father's plan to Val; to cover the Goldmans' alternate lifestyle, she has told her parents that Armand is a straight man and cultural attaché to Greece. Armand dislikes the idea of deception, but agrees to play along, hiring contractors to redecorate the family's apartment to more closely resemble a traditional household. Albert initially wants to use his skills as a drag artist to play Val's mother, but Val and Armand fear that the trick will not work, and instead convince him to pose as Val's uncle. Armand contacts Katherine and explains the situation; she agrees to the farce, promising to come to the party and pretend to be his wife. Armand then tries to coach Albert on how to be straight, but Albert's flamboyant nature makes the task difficult. When Albert overhears Val and Armand discussing how he might ruin the whole charade, he takes offense and locks himself in his room.
The Keeleys arrive at the Goldmans' (who are calling themselves the "Colemans" for the evening to hide their Jewish heritage) redecorated apartment; they are greeted by Agador, who is passing himself off as a Greek butler named "Spartacus" for the night. Despite a few near misses, including Louise discovering that all of the old-fashioned books on the shelves are Nancy Drew mysteries, Agador only preparing a soup for dinner, and the dinner plates themselves featuring Greek depictions of homosexuality, things seem to be going smoothly. Unfortunately, Katherine gets caught in traffic, and the Keeleys begin wondering where "Mrs. Coleman" is. Suddenly, Albert enters, dressed and styled as a conservative middle-aged woman. Armand, Val, and Barbara are nervous, but Kevin and Louise are tricked by the disguise, especially when Albert delivers tirades about the collapse of morality in the United States; the act is so convincing that Louise even becomes jealous of Albert, accusing her husband of flirting with her.
Despite the success of the evening, trouble begins when Senator Keeley's chauffeur betrays him to two tabloid journalists who have been hoping for a scoop on the Coalition story. While they research The Birdcage, they also remove a note that Armand has left on the door informing Katherine not to come upstairs. When she finally arrives, she unknowingly reveals the deceptions. Though Armand and Albert scramble to find a new cover story, Val instead confesses to the scheme and identifies Albert as his true parent. Senator Keeley is initially confused by the situation, but Louise both informs him of the truth and scolds him for being more concerned with his career than his family's happiness. He agrees to the marriage (and even asks the Goldmans to vote for him in an upcoming election), but discovers that the paparazzi are waiting outside to take his picture. Albert then realizes that there is a way for the family to escape without being recognized: he dresses Kevin and Louise in drag, and they use the apartment's back entrance to sneak into The Birdcage, with Armand introducing them as a part of the club's nightly act. They all dance out of the nightclub door (with Louise even being propositioned by a man who thinks she is a drag queen) and reach safety, preventing a disaster. The film concludes at Barbara and Val's interfaith wedding, which both families, including Katherine and Agador, attend. | comedy, queer | train | wikipedia | In this version Robin Williams plays the gay owner of a Florida nightclub who learns his straight son (Dan Futterman) is coming home and is engaged to be married.
Williams learns from his son that his fiancée's parents (Gene Hackman, Dianne Wiest) are straight-laced and ultra-conservative and will not be comfortable meeting his gay father or his even more flamboyant lover (Nathan Lane) and suggests Williams send Lane out of town while Hackman and Wiest are in town.
Instead, Lane puts on his best drag and meets the parents as Williams' wife in one of the most hilarious dinner party scenes ever filmed.
I also found it rather refreshing to see Robin Williams playing straight man to Lane, who along with Hank Azaria as their housekeeper, practically steal the film from everyone else in one of the most entertaining comedies of the 90's.
First off; I can understand why people would dislike this movie; The characters are all portrayed in an extremely stereotypical way, the acting is considerably over the top most of the time, the story is rather cheesy and not very believable - I mean which gay couple would (or COULD) transform their eccentric home into a monastery-like environment in 24 hours to pretend to be a cultured family to impress the son's fiancée's parents?...Yet I couldn't stop laughing all the way through, even after the 10th time.
This isn't a movie portraying life in the gay society; and everyone who expects realistic (and hence probably rather unfunny) portrayal of such a theme is better off NOT watching a comedy featuring gays (don't most comedies thrive on making the stereotype seem funny?) It may not be politically correct all the way, but hey; society's too hung up on all this political correctness as it is,.
However they're brought to life so well by the actors playing them that it doesn't make you shake your head in frustration over yet ANOTHER movie portraying stereotypes, but rather makes you shake your head in laughter over the deadpan things they say and do, which are so obviously unreal at times that anyone who thinks this movie will promote a false picture of the gay community needs a reality check.
Both Robin Williams and Nathan Lane are very fine comedians who have the touch it takes to play a role like this one.
Dianne Wiest is her normal, ditzy self but is a scream here and Gene Hackman in that last scene...well, I don't want to give away anything.Half of the fun of this film is the verbal repartee between the characters, especially anything between Hank Azaria, Nathan Lane or Dianne Wiest.If you haven't seen this film, you owe it to yourself to just have fun and laugh the night away.
"The Birdcage" is a hilarious movie about a happily "married" gay couple, forced to play straight for the marriage for Armond's son and his conservative in-laws.
We take the politic stand on gay marriages so seriously, that I think this was needed just for a good laugh at it.Nathan Lane and Robin Williams, what terrific performances!
Robin Williams and Nathan Lane are phenomenal and hilarious, but the best performance throughout the film is by Hank Azaria, as Agador, the adorable flaming butler.
I think this is such a cute film, and if you haven't seen it, or if you happen to be in the mood for a laugh out loud movie rent The Birdcage.My Rating: 9/10.
Though nothing can beat "La Cage aux Folles," the film on which this American version is based, I still found "The Birdcage" delightful fun and hilarious at times, thanks to the comic geniuses of Robin Williams and Nathan Lane.
Lane is the dramatic Albert, an over the top drag queen who has lived for years with Robin Williams, Armand, the owner of The Birdcage, where Albert performs.
Nathan Lane's shtick is familiar to me, as I've seen him in "The Producers" and "The Odd Couple" - he's a riot as the insecure, jealous, easily hurt Albert.The role of Val is problematic, because how does one keep him from looking like a complete bastard as he shuts out Armand, who raised him.
Gene Hackman and Dianne Wiest are very funny as Barbara's befuddled parents.It's been a long time since I've seen the French "La Cage aux Folles," and I saw the musical on Broadway as well.
What makes this movie so wonderful is how good a job Robin Williams and Nathan Lane do as portraying loving, dedicated parents.
Aside from the amazing soundtrack and the fun antics, it is their sheer goodness as human beings that stays in your head for a long time.A fun thing to do is compare this movie to La Cage Aux Folles and see how different characters are interpreted differently.
Robin Williams and Nathan Lane give hilarious performances as the lead couple.
The actors have done a superb job of creating humour out of an awkward situation -- two men who happen to be gay, live together, own a business and must "play it straight" for the benefit of their son's in-laws.I think I understand why the critical review has been mediocre -- it's likely because critics keep comparing 'The Birdcage' with the original 'La Cage Aux Folles'.
I'm surprised there were no academy award nominations for Nathan Lane, Gene Hackman, Robin Williams and especially Hank Azaria, that entertainer-extraordinary wannabe, the "Goldman's faithful houseman", LOL...I am laughing as I write this review, you must see it to appreciate it.....10 of 10 EXCELLENT!.
Robin Williams headlines but Nathan Lane is the star of this filled festival of frolicing, where everybody throws in their characters worth and has the audience on the floor laughing.Robin Williams and Nathan Lane play two gay Jewish lovers in Florida who own a drag club called The Birdcage.
Williams does well too, but probably the best counterpart to Lane is Hank Azaria in a hilariously gay role and Gene Hackman and Dianne Wiest as the conservative parents.
Robin Williams & Nathan Lane have always been favorites of mine for a while & they pulled their roles off effortlessly.Hank Azaria to me was the biggest shock to me when he dances on the patio to Miami Sound Machine!The way politics are currently you can't help but love how the conservatives act when the truth finally comes out of who everyone really is.I've seen the original "Le Cage" of the 80's and I can honestly say I love them both.
Williams is a great straight guy (pun intended) for Lane's antics.I judge this movie on the amount of laughs it gave me and that has to be a "10." Gene Hackman is perfect, as usual, as a moralizing, hypocritical Senator..
It's hard to imagine saying this about an outrageous comedy, but Robin Williams - who made his career (at least the early part of it) by doing outrageous comedy (and the more outrageous the better) is completely, totally and absolutely outshone in "The Bird Cage" by Nathan Lane.
He was fine, but Lane was simply over the top funny as the very feminine drag queen Albert, the gay lover/spouse of Armand (Williams).
Barbara's father is the extremely conservative Senator Kevin Keeler (Gene Hackman) and he'll be none too pleased by the family his daughter is marrying in to.You'll laugh pretty much the whole way through at Lane, and it isn't just Lane.
There's Albert and Armand's "maid" Agador Spartacus (Hank Azaria) who's almost as funny as Lane, and (while I don't want to give too much away) when you catch a glimpse of Hackman in drag near the end of the movie you'll be in stitches.It's great fun, burdened a little bit by an unnecessary decision to have Keeler involved in a political scandal.
Add to it the fact that it was written by Elaine May (Heaven Can Wait) and directed by Mike Nichols (Closer), and you have a formula for success.Just look at the cast: Robin Williams (The Fisher King), Nathan Lane (Encore!
Robin Williams and both brilliant but of course it is Nathan Lane who runs away with the show as the cross-dressing screaming queen Albert.
The way love is shown between two grown men is both humorous and touching, without falling into the trap of showing uncomfortable situations which always removes movies like this from a 'family outing' list.Gene Hackman is especially good as the conservative politician and Robin Williams & Nathan Lane are excellent as the parents.
but I just can't bring myself to find a lot of redeeming qualities in this film.What we have is a gay couple (Nathan Lane and Robin Williams) who have a grown son, and he is engaged to the daughter (Calista Flockhart) of a powerful conservative senator (Gene Hackman).
And Calista Flockhart looks about as attractive as she ever could in this movie, which is the nicest thing I can say about her poor acting and usually poor screen presence.The over-the-topness ruins some of what this film was trying to do, because it makes gays out to be extremely unlike other people, which I don't generally think is true.
The Birdcage starring Robin Williams and Nathan Lane is a laugh out loud hilarious film about a gay couple and their son.
The thing that makes this movie so hilarious is when Wiest and Hackman come over for dinner at Lane and Williams's apartment above the drag club that Williams owns.
I love the late Robin Williams;Here,we see him at his very comedic best.The great part of the film is dancing,comic humor and sheer folly.The saying "laughter is good medicine" has truth and meaning with this wonderful film..
Robin Williams underplays but still delivers the laughs solidly, while Gene Hackman proves he is great as a comic actor.
Robin Williams and Nathan Lane are just completely stupid and funny in this movie.
A gay cabaret owner Armand Goldman (Robin Williams) and his drag queen partner Albert (Nathan Lane) put up a straight front to appease their son Val (Dan Futterman) when he brings his girlfriend Barbara Keeley (Calista Flockhart) with her right wing parents Senator Kevin Keeley (Gene Hackman) and Louise Keeley (Dianne Wiest).The gay stereotypes get very tiring.
The movie really is great in some ways, and has terrific moments, but it doesn't transcend, as the best Nichols films certainly do.Robin Williams, the apparent big name on the marquee, is the weakest link in the cast (not including the two young people, who are fine but routine).
But the rest of the main actors, Nathan Lane as the drag queen most of all, but Gene Hackman as a conservative senator and Dianne Wiest as his wife, are an amazing ensemble.
Robin Williams and Nathan Lane: The Movie.
What do you get when you get two comedy legends like Nathan Lane and the brilliant Robin Williams and tell them to be as camp and lovable as possible?
Just reading the plot line of this film, I knew they had the right cast with Robin Williams and Nathan Lane.
.), but the movie is still well-written & a true comedy classic.Apart from the obvious leading team of Williams, Lane, & Azaria, I can't help but love Gene Hackman in his role, as I can never resist a high-caliber serious mostly-dramatic actor who's not afraid of a role that basically has him looking foolish..
The cast is superb and all suit their characters perfectly, Robin Williams and Nathan Lane certainly have the best scenes together, improvising the majority of their lines, I also thought Hank Azaria was outstanding as Agador, and seeing Gene Hackman play such a serious role in a goofy film was very funny.
The Birdcage is a fine movie that is based off it's wonderful performances, especially from Robin Williams and Nathan Lane.
Remake of LA CAGE AUX FOLLES about son Futterman trying to disguise his gay father Williams as a Greek cultural attaché in order to impress fiancé Flockhart's conservative parents (played perfectly by Hackman and Wiest).
This film probably had the greatest comedic cast ever assembled: Robin Williams, Gene Hackman, Nathan Lane, Dianne Wiest, Hank Azaria, Christine Baranski, and Dan Futterman.In addition, the screenplay is by Elaine May, who also did Primary Colors and Heaven Can Wait.Mike Nichols, who won an Oscar directing The Graduate, directs this film to perfection.The lines in this movie are a hoot and a great improvement on the French film it is based upon.Robin Williams shines..
The cast of Nathan Lane, Robin Williams, Diane Wiest, Hank Azaria and Gene Hackman was perfect!
I highly recommend this film to anyone who enjoys a great story, good laughs, and a wonderful cast!
They're all great, but Nathan Lane and Hank Azaria steal the show, and I don't think I've ever seen Gene Hackman as funny...I didn't know he could do comedy.
Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, Gene Hackman, Calista Flockheart, Dianne Wiest, Dan Futterman, and Hank Azaria did a great job in this movie.My favorite part of the entire movie was when the Goldman's and the Keely's were singing "I Could've Danced All Night" and Agador starts singing along with them.
This sensitivity is what makes "The Birdcage" a step above your average farce.Having been adapted from Jean Poiret's play "La Cage Aux Folles," the concept for the film is nothing that someone well-read/watched in comedy hasn't seen before (a traditional farce).
A mid 90s comedy with Robin Williams and Nathan Lane in it.In Miami, Florida; there is a gay neighborhood with a night club/bar called the BirdCage.
Hank Azaria does one of his best performance as Agador, its hard not to laugh when he enters the scene.With rapid fire comedy, The Birdcage never falls flat.
Hmmmm, perhaps they could include new special features such as:*Movie Commentary--Maybe an audio conversation with the directors, cast key crew members as they watch the film (With Robins Williams/Nathan Lane in the "dish" mix, it could really be a funny, unique feature).*Special Documentary--"Uncaging the Birdcage"--a look at what effect The Birdcage has had on film and society.
Nathan Lane is simply brilliant (how dare you say he did a bad job!)and so are Robin Williams and Gene Hackman.
Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, Gene Hackman, and Hank Azaria are the highlighted actors in this great comedy romp through the world of gays.
The guys father is played by Robin Williams who is a middle-aged fag that is the owner of a Drag Club on South Beach, Florida.Great Movie to watch over and over again and again...I gave it 9 out of 10 STARS!.
Personally, I think the best actor in this movie is Hank Azaria, as he perfectly executes the roll of the gay maid to Robin Williams and Nathan Lane ( the gay couple) The movie's setting is perfect, Miami, This type of movie couldn't work in any other setting.
And casting of Nathan Lane and Gene Hackman and Robin Williams together and the screen writers have put together one of the most entertaining films I have ever seen.
Okay, so here we have Nathan Lane, Robin Williams, Gene Hackman, and Hank Azaria all in a movie about a gay couple in Miami who have to play it straight for one night.
Williams and Lane's delivery/timing together is impeccable and Nathan Lane plays a hilarious role as the over-the-top drag queen.My favorite character in this film however, is "Agador", the gay servant played by Hank Azaria.
A worthwhile remake of the French film, "Le Cage Aux Folles" (1978) where Robin Williams and Broadway star Nathan Lane star as the two lovers.
Robin Williams and Nathan Lane are great together in this film.
Directed by Mike Nichols with Robin Williams, Gene Hackman, Nathan Lane, Dianne Wiest, Dan Futterman, Calista Flockhart, Hank Azaria).
Not this one.A remake of "La Cage Au Folles" (literally, "The Birdcage"), this film combines humor, chemistry, acting and plot.Williams and Lane work perfectly together, bringing a chemistry to the screen that you'd expect of an actor and his leading lady...
Not directly based on the original (but with a similar main plot) this version tells the story of a gay couple, Armand and Albert Goldman (Robin Williams and Nathan Lane--in a role he should have been Oscar-nominated for) who own a drag club along the Florida coastline with Lane playing drag as the star (aka "Starina") receive startling news from Williams' son, Val (Dan Futterman), that he is getting married to the daughter of a die-hard conservative narrow-minded couple (2-time Oscar winners Gene Hackman & Diane Wiest) who are still clinging to the family values and make a subtle hint about being against Jews .
Robin Williams is incredibly subdued in his role as Armand, playing the straight man to Nathan Lane during most of the movie.
Gene Hackman is wonderfully blubbering in his role as a senator, Dianne Weist is charming as an oppressed housewife to the senator, and Hank Azaria STEALS the show as a gay butler trying to play it straight by doing a "Sparticus" impression.Now, the film has gotten a lot of slack because it can't compete with it's original, French version "La Cage Aux Folles." This is true that "La Cage..." is the funnier of the two, but it doesn't detract from "The Birdcage" at all.
Robin Williams, Gene Hackman, Nathan Lane..., Agador (Spartacus), Val, Barbra, Katherine...
Robin Williams and Nathan Lane make a great comic team in this remake of a classic French film.
THE BIRDCAGE, directed by Mike Nichols and starring Robin Williams, Nathan Lane and Gene Hackman, tells essentially the same story but with an American bent.
Here, Robin Williams plays a more subtle comedic character as Armand, the owner of the titular Birdcage, a drag club where his partner Albert (Nathan Lane) is the star performer. |
tt2788710 | The Interview | In the opening scene, a little Korean girl is singing the North Korean national anthem, which features hateful and violent lyrics against the United States. Then in the next shot, a nuclear missile is launched into the sky. News stations around America report on the controversial actions of North Korea, and comment on the leadership of Kim Jong-un (Randall Park).Meanwhile, Dave Skylark (James Franco) is the host of an entertainment talk show called "Skylark Tonight" in New York City. He starts his show by interviewing Eminem (appearing as himself). Dave's producer and best friend Aaron Rapoport (Seth Rogen) is in the control room with the crew. Dave asks Em about the offensive lyrics to his songs. Em says most of them stem from personal feelings while very casually letting it slip that he's gay. The crew freaks out and decides to strike while the iron is hot and exploit this. Aaron tells Dave what to ask while he and the crew celebrate Eminem coming out on their show.After the episode is done, Dave takes Aaron out at night to a surprise party that they hold for Aaron in celebration of airing 1,000 episodes. There, Aaron meets an old schoolmate named Jake (Anders Holm). Jake criticizes Aaron for selling out and reporting on stupid celebrity stories while Jake is working at "60 Minutes". This bothers Aaron and makes him self-conscious over his work.Dave has Rob Lowe as a guest on the show, where the actor reveals that he is bald and is wearing a hairpiece. He removes the hairpiece and shows off an odd-looking bald spot that grosses out the crew. The show is interrupted by more news on North Korea and their supply of nukes. After the taping, Aaron talks to Dave about doing more serious stories. Dave agrees to help Aaron with this.Aaron is on the phone with John Kerry's office to book an important figure for a guest, when Dave comes in and shows Aaron the Wikipedia page for Kim Jong-un. Apparently, he is a big fan of "Skylark Tonight". This inspires Dave to try and have Aaron book an interview with the reclusive dictator. Aaron decides to go for it, saying that he can get in touch with an office in Korea that holds the Olympics. One of the crew members then comes in and says there's a video of Matthew McConaughey having sex with a goat ("McConaughey goat fuck!"), which they NEED to get on.Aaron gets a phone call from a representative of the D.P.R.K. (Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea), inviting him to travel to China to meet with North Koran officials to determine what to do with securing an interview with Kim. Aaron makes the trip to China, hiking all the way to the top of a mountain near the North Korean border. He collapses with exhaustion and is awoken by a helicopter descending. North Korean soldiers step out, followed by a woman named Sook (Diana Bang). She gives him instructions on what to do when meeting Kim. There will be written questions for Dave to ask Kim, scripted by his people. They leave him there with a small bottle of water.Returning to New York, Aaron tells Dave and everyone at the studio of his experience. Dave gets excited and brags to everyone on live TV that he has scored an interview with Kim Jong-un. He is subsequently criticized by other TV hosts like Seth Meyers and Bill Maher. Dave thinks they're just jealous, and he later does ecstasy with Aaron. They host a wild and destructive party at their house.The next morning, the guys are visited by Agents Lacey (Lizzy Caplan) and Botwin (Reese Alexander) from the CIA. Dave is immediately attracted to Lacey as she tells them the reason for her visit. Since they are going into North Korea, the CIA has decided to use them to assassinate Kim. This is so that a coup d'etat by the North Korean military can happen and the people of North Korea can finally have a suitable leader. Dave immediately accepts, but Aaron pulls him into another room and tells him that Lacey is probably trying to "honeypot" them by exploiting her good looks to rope them into a plot like this.Dave and Aaron go to the CIA headquarters where Lacey briefs them on their mission. She warns them that Kim is a master manipulator and that the people have spread rumors like that he doesn't go to the bathroom. The plan is to use a ricin-laced strip to poison Kim when Dave shakes his hand. Dave thinks a better plan would be to blow Kim up on live TV, and then get rescued by Seal Team Six. Lacey comments on how stupid and unsafe this is, and that the ricin strip is simple and more effective. They test it out with Dave, but he accidentally covers his mouth when sneezing. They leave with the strip, which Dave put in a pack of gum instead of the bag that the CIA gave him, because he thinks Kim would get suspicious if he saw Dave with an unflattering bag. The two walk out before a crowd of cameramen to whom Dave brags about meeting him and "giving him something using a hand".The two travel to North Korea and are welcomed by a big crowd at the airport near the capital city of Pyongyang. Sook guides them through the city to dispel the rumors of North Korea's famine. They drive by a supermarket and see a chubby boy on the street to convince Dave and Aaron that the people there are not starving. Sook takes them to Kim's palace outside the city in a wooded area and introduces them to Officers Koh (James Yi) and Yu (Paul Bae). Yu looks through Dave's bag and finds the strip. Panicking, he and Aaron say it's gum. Yu chews it and then spits it out. The guys are then escorted to their room and they scan the place for listening devices using a watch from the CIA. They contact Lacey and inform her that they lost the strip.That evening, the CIA sends a package with a replacement strip to be air dropped. Aaron is forced to put on dark clothes and sneak out of the hotel to retrieve the package while communicating with Dave and Lacey. While out there, he encounters a tiger. Aaron makes a run for it and the tiger chases him. He is saved when the package lands on the tiger and kills it. Aaron gets the package and then hears from Lacey that they see people arriving toward his location with guns. Dave tells Aaron to hide the package in his butt. Aaron reluctantly does so and is taken back to his room by soldiers. They strip him nude but find nothing. Aaron removes the package from his butt and shows it to Dave. They find that there are two strips in there in case they messed up again.Later, Kim shows up to Dave's room and is excited to meet him. He invites Dave to join him on a tour of his land. They hang out in his tank and listen to Katy Perry's "Firework" and drink margaritas, even though Kim was previously ashamed of liking those. He plays basketball with Dave on a private court and talks about how he has been trying hard to carry on his father's and grandfather's legacy. Kim surprises Dave by inviting a bunch of gorgeous Korean women so they can all party together.The guys are invited to a state dinner with a performance from three children. Aaron notices Yu looking sweaty and unwell as the ricin is starting to take effect. He motions to Dave, who notices. Yu stands up and vomits blood. Koh tries to calm him down. Yu takes out his gun to kill himself, but he ends up shooting Koh in the head, spraying blood everywhere. Kim cries for them, as does everyone else.Afterwords, this incident gives Dave doubts on the mission, and he throws the ricin strip away in a fountain against Aaron's protest.Kim goes to Dave's room again to invite him to another dinner. Aaron sticks his hand out with the other strip in his palm to poison Kim himself, but Dave stops him. At this dinner, the once-charming Kim reveals his true aggression and violent nature when he threatens nuclear warfare against every enemy of his in retaliation for the deaths of his two best officers. Dave leaves frightened. On the streets, he walks past the supermarket and finds that it's a fake with a wall painted to look like a grocery store, along with fake fruits on display. His trust for Kim has completely gone.Sook visits Aaron in his room as he is trying to get the strip off his hand. They acknowledge their attraction for each other and start to try having sex, but they stop when Sook says she gave Aaron false information regarding potato growth. Dave comes in, forcing Sook to hide under the covers. He tells Aaron of his distrust for Kim and blurts out the assassination plot. Sook gets up and admits her hatred for Kim and plans to manipulate the interview so that they can catch Kim in a moment of weakness so that all his people will stop viewing him as a god.The time comes for the interview to take place. Kim and Dave prepare themselves while Aaron and Sook operate the control room. Kim gives Dave a puppy as a gift to remind Dave of his old dog. Both the United States and all of North Korea watch the event. Dave begins by asking Kim the scripted questions as instructed about Kim's life and upbringing. Dave slowly builds up to sensitive topics until he asks Kim why his people are starving. Kim counters this by saying that his people are well-fed and argues that they would have more food were it not for the unfair sanctions held by the United States. As Dave's questions get more intense, a man in the control room attempts to cut the feed, but Aaron fights him off. The man bites off two of Aaron's fingers while Aaron bites off one of his fingers and causes the man to sit on a control stick that gets shoved up his ass. Sook shoots the man in the head before he can kill Aaron. Meanwhile, Dave brings up the margaritas, Kim's father, and then starts singing "Firework" to cause Kim to break down in tears and even "shart" himself. The soldiers and station crew start arguing and can't believe what they're seeing from their leader. In his rage, Kim pulls out a gun and threatens Dave. He shoots Dave in the chest on live TV. Dave falls to the floor as Kim leaves. Dave stands up and reveals he was wearing a bulletproof vest.The soldiers storm toward the control room. Sook shoots them all down. She and Aaron reunite with Dave and the puppy. Kim learns that Dave survived and gets angry because he got "honeydicked" by Dave when he was already trying to "honeydick" him. Dave, Aaron, and Sook attempt to escape when they see more soldiers heading toward them. Dave runs back to commandeer Kim's tank and run the soldiers over. Kim gets in his chopper and prepares to launch a nuclear strike. The chopper fires at the three in the tank. Dave aims the tank at the chopper and launches an RPG, obliterating Kim in a fiery blast, and holding off the launch.Sook leads Dave and Aaron to a mining tunnel that will take them west to the coast. She and Aaron part with one last passionate kiss. He and Dave make it far enough and are rescued by Seal Team Six. They take the guys home. As they ride across the sea, the two reflect on their adventure.Back home, Dave writes a tell-all book on the mission. North Korea is shown to be prospering with democratic elections starting to take place. Aaron also manages to keep in touch with Sook through Skype. | revenge, comedy, satire, murder | train | imdb | Seth and Franco gave a good performance but the movie had a lame plot and subpar lines..
-The story, mainly the concept, does not wear out like Let's Be Cops, but actually gets better and better.-The pace is pretty good and the film does not waste time.
-The acting is especially funny with James Franco and Randall Park, who played Kim. However Seth Rogan just played the SAME.
There are some pretty iffy jokes, but it's mainly just language throughout that gives it its rating.-So if you don't mind language and are looking for an actually funny film that is entertaining and takes an original concept to great use, The Interview is totally worth seeing in thea- oh wait, nevermind.
"The Interview" (2014 release; 112 min.) brings the story of how an entertainment reporter Dave Skylark (played by James Franco) and his producer Aaron Rapoport (played by Seth Rogen) get an opportunity to interview Kim Jong-un.
i really wanted to like this movie.Not only because the trailer for this movie looked great, but also because of the sony hack from north Korea.
What a waste of time, the publicity surrounding this movie cannot be bought, it was priceless, and so I had to watch it, stayed in Christmas eve expecting rubbish, and sure enough Sony delivered ..I enjoyed "world police" so I gave this a try because when I looked on IMDb they recommended this movie as well, everyone has to watch it of course.
Don't get sucked into the hype machine this film isn't worth it unless you find Rogen and Franco funny for some reason.
I kinda' laughed one time, but can't remember at what now as the movie was that bad.Do yourself a favor, wait until someone you know pays to download the movie and loan it to you as you will still feel ripped off after having spent nearly 2 hours wondering what all the hype was about.
And I was surprised it was actually very entertaining from the beginning to the end.I'm thinking these bad reviews either come from the North Koreans, the Chinese or people who were expecting something on a Lord Of The Rings level masterpiece.Watch and enjoy!.
Awful from the start to the bitter end.People will go and see it and it is a shame that for such a large audience the film delivers only juvenile humour, bad acting, stupidity at every turn and no intelligent message.
The film follows an overweight chap with pubic hair on his head and James Franco (that bloke you thought you recognised from that Wizard of Oz reboot thing a couple of years ago) as they, just a couple of pesky ne'er-do-wells, are tasked by the American version of MI6 to kill the leader of North Korea.
This movie is fairly mild for Western audiences, but if the people of North Korea saw this film, they might just start a revolt as the movie suggests.This movie deserves a ten and my money just for putting it out there for net release.
Franco, Rogan, and Park create an unpredictable 3-way bromance with heart, energy, and more than a few subversive jabs at both North Korean and American culture.Yes the plot is ridiculous.
And to paraphrase a line from the movie, yes some of the humor is "lowbrow with a capital 'low.'" But it's the funniest of 41 movies I've seen in theaters in 2014 (so far.)My advice: if you want to see a truly funny over-the-top farce, go see "The Interview.".
Never had written anything on IMDb, after watching this movie for 30 minutes i felt compelled to protect others of this delusion.This is by far the worst "comedy" i have ever seen, probably written by a 11 year old sexually frustrated boy.
Everything in this movie i could predict at the beginning of the scene.I read some positive reviews on IMDb and could not stop thinking about this scene in idiocray (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGlJgU9x8tM) about people in the future being so dumb, they enjoy watching an farting ass for 90 minutes (farting ass movie is haute culture compared to this).After seeing this movie i hoped the hack was just an excuse not to release this embarrassing peace of crap.I normally am a advent believer in free speech, after seeing this shitty movie i think there are somethings people should be protected against (pun intended)..
I believe many people wrote reviews here without actually watching the movie.
If you don't like Seth Rogen's brand of humor or raunchy comedies then you won't like this movie.
I did enjoy this film it was very funny and shows us about Kim Jong Un and North Korea.
If the North Koreans had bothered to view the movie they got so upset about, they would have seen there was no insult to anyone except the makers of this film..
Only 1 day after its release The Interview is 3rd better movie ever, and has 58,000+ votes?There is always a ratio between the number of votes and the number of reviews and this time something is obviously wrong.
Having watched this movie, I can completely understand why the producers decided to come up with the idea that north Korea stole blah blah Because that would be the only way to make this boring piece of trash anyway interesting.Gay jokes all around packed up with a totally silly plot line to which I only laughed once, until I got so fed up I just left.Do yourself a favor and don't pay for something which North Korea or anyone for that matter would not spend a minute of its time trying to hack.All and all, just a publicity stunt for a very undeserving movie.
It just shows how low Hollywood comedies has reach.If i was an USA citizen i will be ashame of this, because the movie is not just offensive for north Korea, is and offense with the audience.
i really loved this movie we got invited to see an advanced screening and i didn't know what to expect when i saw the screening but was pleasantly surprised to say the least its so hilarious great acting and wonderful cinematography (canda is so pretty) which is rare in most comedy and great comedic writing also an intelligent political satire of the crazy times we live in !
James and Seth deliver again, they just get funnier as they get older somehowif you get a chance to see this movie definitely recommend it cant wait until it comes out on for retail so i can enjoy all of the funny moments in detail again.
made by talentless cretins, all IMDb votes that were made before release should be deleted to show true nature on how awful this film is as it should be 0/10 not 8.5?????could have been written by 12 year olds with a stiffy and anal fixation, also sexist and racist which i can excuse when it's used to make a point about sexist or racism but here is nothing but adolescent vomit pouring from the mouths of people who should know better and if the waking public were smart enough should spell career kryptonite for these two overrated that decided that this was a good idea in the first place.worst thing is it could of actually been a good idea as i was drawn to the films plot and wanted to see it even before the so called hack happened, but didn't realise it was written by the people at Viz magazineit is also proof sony had just wasted 24 million and decided to blame north Korea on a bogus leak in order to get publicity and recoup the money, please do not succumb to your curiosity it isn't worth it, watch Team America instead..
The film is essentially a buddy comedy where a talk show host played by James Franco and his producer played by Seth Rogen head to North Korea to interview Kim Il Un. Before they go the CIA however gives them the task of assassinating the leader.
The film has it's moments and it is funny at times but I find it ends up being just mediocre and you keep wishing that Franco's character wouldn't speak as much.
Nor was the guy who played Kim Jong-Un. James Franco's portrayal as host of a TMZ-style gossip show was a little too over-the-top for me, but he was the most entertaining person in the movie.I feel it's safe to predict no Academy Awards for this one, nor the downfall of the North Korean government because of the movie..
They actually could have gotten a decent movie if they had relied on creativity and talent.So now after Sony has received so much attention from the hacking and now so many people like me have seen it, who would not otherwise have, I wonder if they are ashamed of the attention now?
As soon as you add Seth Rogan and James Franco in a movie together, you know your going to get a crappy lousy perverted stupid dumb unfunny drug influenced film.These losers are only good at making dumb perverted movies, and this movie also portrays a lot of that.
The more Hollywood pushes out films like these, they are only shooting themselves in the foot.This is why today you don't get any good quality movies, its all crap now.At one point Seth Rogan was actually funny, and now its just too much, Hollywood needs to tone it down with all these sex and drug jokes, this is why todays youth are messed up, because they learn from these stupid movies.There were some funny parts, but it was just overall stupid, and they could have made this an Oscar winning movie if executed correctly with the right actors on screen, not losers like Seth Rogan and James Franco.James Franco WAY overacted, it made me sick to my stomach just watching him act so stupid throughout the whole film, nothing but childish unwanted behavior that had came so randomly, and I sometimes honestly wonder if these guys really are on drugs when filming.Eminem admitting he's gay to James in the beginning scene while he's being interviewed, I mean really wtf!
When I watched the Interview I was hoping for another wacky film such as Pineapple Express or This is the End....Instead what I saw was a masterpiece of Hollywood hype around a rather unfunny and if anything a rather sympathetic look at North Korea.In fact it made me wonder if the entire internet fiasco around this film was actually staged by Sony, and No. Korea may have been truthful in maintaining it had nothing to do with it.From start to finish the Interview isn't very funny at all...I didn't even see much frat boy or toilet humour...it seemed to be about a budding relationship between Kim Jung Un and Dave Skylark.
The attempts at jokes seemed to be just plain stupid.There's one type of comedy that is so stupid it actually is very funny such as Dude Where's My Car and Pineapple Express, then there's this where the attempt at seriousness destroys any lame humour.But I must applaud Sony for a masterpiece of hype that will make a box office winner out of Christmas turkey..
None the less, the movie is fun, as it just makes fun of itself and North Korea.Seth Rogen directs a pretty straight forward film about the US and its need for fluffy news and non-news news broadcaster.
I can also understand why another nation would be upset, this is a movie that would disgust any average person, in America we are numb to it but I can understand why a group of people wouldn't want themselves included in garden variety American garbage like this.I am sick of all these comedies where the main characters are total and complete morons.
The jokes in all these comedy movies just like "The Interview," if you were to tell them to people you know like friends or coworkers, they would just look at you like you you're a moron.
The movie is over-hyped..would not be surprised if the entire Sony hack was a marketing stunt to make more from this movie then it actually is.Also the whole North Korea theme is idiotic and a very uneducated portrayal, its not the place of the west to make a satire like that...and if they do...at least they should put some effort into it.The movie is OK if you want to drink a beer and watch something that might be slightly funny from time to time...but the weak storyline really ruins this...and most of the time the jokes are not even funny and would only be to pot smoking teens.I can understand why North Korea takes this as an insult, you would at least think that when a sensible subject like this is being touched that it would at least be more intelligent..
This feels like so much more of a scam than before, and everyone fell for it.This movie was already going to be nothing but toilet humor and bad scripts as Seth Rogen is infamous for.
The movie is fun, James Franco and Seth Rogen are hilarious, Randall Park created a cruel but also very sympathizable dictator junior, and the music in the movie is pretty good.
The only problem I have with this movie is that I don't think it's a good idea to actually use the 'Kim Jung Un' to name the character, it makes the movie a little too much 'political', this is supposed to be a comedy, it's just for fun, so why bother to act like it's trying to implicate some real problems in reality while we have bunch of other channels of information for those issues, I think this only makes the movie take some propaganda taste.
I liked the trailer and I watched it way before the controversy started, so I was just waiting for this to come out, I have always liked Seth Rogen and Franco both for their earlier work.But man o man, how much over the top they have gone, everything is too much, they are trying to make you laugh 10 times in one scene, its just kind of feels very desperate by everyone in the film.And then its so vulgar, so erratic and so many double meaning jokes, I don't mind any of that but there are so many and so many of them are so repeated and copied and they do not work.You do laugh once in a while, but mostly you make an awkward face.
Would they think it funny to make a movie about, say, a stalker who sets out to kill the arrogant, over-indulged, unfunny Seth Rogan?The filmmakers thought they were so powerful they could slight a whole country and get away with it, though I wouldn't be surprised if Sony Pictures hacked themselves as an excuse to pull the plug on this awful movie..
I'll go further: It's both a cult movie, a classic, and a blockbuster.Half the fun I had was watching how Seth pushed all the right cash register buttons throughout the movie, true to the line he has James Franco repeating over and over: "That's what the people want, give us some sh*t." The "people" in question are of course the young adults that provide the biggest chunk of the US box office, immediately followed by senior citizens.
And North Korea, I am sure Sony thanks you for giving this movie 100 times more publicity than if you had done nothing to prevent the release of the film.U-S-A!
I am at a loss to try and understand how this movie got so high reviews to start with, is the whole Sony hacking, North Korea media show just an elaborate hoax to boast the box office numbers.
I can think of a few possibilities: (a) In a masterful move, Sony partnered with North Korea and its dictator and thousands of Korean users were forced to register at IMDb and give good grades to the movie in order to preserve their fingernails.
When I'm watching a movie by myself, it's rare that I'll laugh out loud, but this film had me giggling the whole way through.
I just felt this responsibility to let as many people know who might be in the same position as I were thinking that it's the movie worth watching..
James Franco is a great actor and has played good roles, his acting in this film is good also and obviously its a satirical movie there is some comedic parts but the script is just awful.
I expected the comedy to be witty, but wit apparently isn't something Rogen is familiar with anymore, which is disappointing, because both he and Franco have had many, many better movies and television shows than this tripe.
The humor is just like any other Seth Rogen-flick, so as someone who really appreciates his other movies, this sat right with me.
A dumb late-night TV-show presenter (James Franco)and his slightly more rational producer (Seth Rogen) land an interview with the North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un (played by Randall Park).
The chemistry between Rogen and Franco is just a wonderful thing to see, and Randall Park does a great job as Kim Jong-Un. I personally laughed through most of the movie.
Note: English is my second language, so don't hold it against me.Before this movie come out, I remembered Team America: World Police also narrative about killing Kim Jong-il, and the ex-leader of North Korean ban the film.
The Interview is a predictable movie about friendship between Dave Skylark, played wonderfully by James Franco (who had a bizarre career) and Aaron Rapaport, played by Seth Rogen go to North Korea to take Kim Jong-un out.
At first, I have totally no interest in the movie, until it got a lot of attention because of the Sony hack and North Korean conspiracy stuff, and I decided to give it a try because, who knows, it might be so much better than I've thought. |
tt1655460 | Wanderlust | George and Linda Gergenblatt are an urban married couple who purchase a micro-loft in New York after much hesitation. George is expecting a promotion while Linda is trying to sell a documentary to HBO. Soon after purchasing their home, George learns that his company has folded, overnight, while HBO rejects Linda's documentary. With both out of work, they are forced to sell their apartment and drive to Atlanta to live with George's arrogant brother Rick and his wife Marisa after Rick offers George a job.
After many hours on the highway, Linda demands they stop to rest. The closest place to stop appears to be a bed and breakfast hotel named Elysium. After exiting the highway, as they approach, they are surprised to see a naked man walking ahead of them. He approaches them. Startled and apprehensive, George tries to back up to the highway, but accidentally flips the car over. The nude man, Wayne Davidson, helps them out of the car, and they are forced to stay at the hotel. They meet several colorful guests, and then go to bed. While trying to sleep, they are distracted by noises downstairs. When they go to investigate, they learn that Elysium is a hippie commune. They meet even more various, eccentric residents of Elysium, including Seth, Eva, and Elysium's owner Carvin. George and Linda spend the night feeling more alive than before. In the morning, everyone helps flip the car back upright so they can leave, as Seth urges them to stay, but they continue on to Atlanta.
George and Linda arrive at Rick's house and find the atmosphere chaotic. George quickly reaches a breaking point with Rick and takes Linda back to Elysium, where they are welcomed back. George is excited about the simpler lifestyle while Linda is hesitant. They decide to stay and give the place a two-week trial run. After a few days, Linda starts feeling enlightened after drinking some drug laced tea in the truth circle, while George begins having second thoughts. George and Linda soon learn that 'free love' is strongly encouraged as Seth and Eva want to seduce Linda and George, respectively. Both George and Linda rebuff the notion of free love, and several crazy situations arise during that period, bizarre and otherwise.
At the same time, Elysium is being targeted by property developers to build a casino on the property, as title to the property is disputed, and Carvin has misplaced the deed to the land. After the developers arrive with a bulldozer, to make a TV reporting-crew take more interest, Linda scares them off by flashing them her breasts, and many of the other residents join her, which gets sensationalized coverage, and halts the proceeding. Linda is lauded as a hero by the commune. The two weeks are up, and George demands that they leave, saying that if they stay, they would have to give in to 'free love'. Linda wants to stay and has sex with Seth. George is pressured to have sex with Eva, but he becomes uncomfortable and drives her away with his awkward and bizarre behavior. The next morning, George reaches a breaking point, again, stating that he dislikes the rules of Elysium and wants to leave. Linda wants to stay, so George goes back to Rick's house alone.
Seth believes he has found his soul mate in Linda and searches for the deed to Elysium, which he finds and sells to the property developers to start a new life with Linda. A child from the commune witnesses the burning of the deed by Seth and the man that wants to build the casino. Seth tells Linda he wants them to leave Elysium behind, together, and that the others can look after themselves. Linda refuses.
In the meantime, George realizes he loves Linda and comes back to find her, getting into a fight with Seth while the commune looks on and tries to help 'non-violently'. The child that witnessed the burning of the deed by Seth tells the commune what happened and George punches Seth in the jaw.
In the aftermath, the news show that visited Elysium does a follow-up story about the commune. George and Linda start a publishing company, with their first book being a political thriller novel written by Wayne. The novel is then fast-tracked into a film adaptation starring Ray Liotta. Carvin reclaims his rights to Elysium after he is reunited with all the original founders of Elysium, one of whom had another copy of the deed.
In a post-credits scene, Marisa is a cast member of the television reality show The Real Housewives of Atlanta. | psychedelic | train | wikipedia | null |
tt1228705 | Iron Man 2 | The movie opens several months after the events in the first Iron Man movie. We are introduced to a man named Ivan Vanko. Ivan's father Anton is slowly dying and telling Ivan his final wishes. Ivan thinks he should have the fame that Tony Stark is enjoying but Anton tells him to "ignore that garbage." All Anton can give Ivan is his knowledge. Ivan takes a blueprint that has his father's name on it, and also the name of Howard Stark, Tony Stark's father. Ivan then sets about recreating the Arc reactor and begins building his own weaponized suit. Tony Stark has become a champion for world peace thanks to the Iron Man suit, and has practically solved the issue of world peace, or so he claims.Six months after the end of the first movie, Tony Stark has used his Iron Man armor to bring about a negotiated peace treaty between the major super powers of the world, and his immense popularity with the general public is only furthered when he fulfills his father's dream by reopening the "Stark Expo" in Queens, NY, to showcase all the latest inventions that will benefit the world. Tony fulfills this dream by flying into the expo in full Iron Man regalia, and making a flamboyant entrance to become the new symbol of world peace. Backstage, following his address, Tony does a quick test of his blood: the palladium he uses to power his chest arc reactor is slowly poisoning his body. After the event, Tony and Happy are leaving when they are approached by a woman who hands Tony a subpoena, summoning him to a Senate Armed Forces Committee hearing. Tony and Happy decide to take a road trip to Washington DC in Tony's new Audi R8.The next morning, during the Senate hearing, Tony's usual brand of humor becomes the center of attention while completely ignoring the fact that the government has classified the Iron Man armor as a weapon. Colonel Rhodes presents the investigation into the events surrounding Iron Man's creation, but Senator Stern, the committee chairman, takes his remarks out of context. Tony gives a rebuttal showing that he is Iron Man and will not part with his armor (likening handing himself over as being tantamount to indentured servitude), and proceeds to hack the committees computers to show that various "attempts" at copying Tony's suit - from Iran, North Korea, and even Hammer Industries itself - are complete failures: North Korea's is top heavy and collapses easily, Iran's crashes into the ground and explodes, while Hammer's suit turns around 180 degrees at the torso and severs its pilot's spine. Tony still refuses to turn over the Iron Man armor to the government and walks out of the hearing.Back at home, Tony is on JARVIS analyzing the latest prototypes and developments for the Iron Man suit, and Pepper enters and the two start having arguments about the future of Stark Industries. Tony is telling Pepper that he's making more money off the company's common stock than he ever did as CEO. He decides he's had enough of being the CEO and wants to focus solely on developing Iron Man. He decides to appoint Pepper as the new CEO and she is stunned. The next day a lovely notary public enters to have Tony officially sign the company over to Pepper. Tony is undergoing fighting training with Happy and performs an illegal move on him, getting it confused with MMA. The notary's name is Natalie Rushman, and he has Happy give her a boxing lesson, and while looking up her bio, Natalie performs a TKO on Happy, using a takedown that shows there's a great deal more to her than there appears.Tony heads to Monaco for some much needed R&R. At a pre-reception before the Monaco 500, where Stark Industries is sponsoring a driver, Tony's greeted by his favorite "Vanity Fair" reporter Christine Everheart, who wants Pepper for the cover of the next issue which will introduce her as the new Stark Industries C.E.O. Justin Hammer also happens to be there. They also greet Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk, who wants a panel at the Stark Expo to showcase his latest invention. In the bathroom, it's learned that the palladium in Tony's chest is slowly spreading, and his arc reactor can barely take the punishment. Tony decides that he's going to be driving the Stark Industries car instead of the driver that was pre-selected.Stark starts the race, but unbeknownst to him, Ivan Vanko has joined one of the race's pit crews. Under his jump suit, Vanko wears a harness with two large energy whips powered by the arc reactor he'd built after his father died. Vanko uses the whips to stage a massive wreck and ambushes Tony. As Vanko is wrecking havoc on the track, Happy and Pepper rush to deliver the briefcase Happy carries with him to Tony. Vanko uses his electric whips to completely destroy the Rolls Royce Phantom that Happy and Pepper are in, and after repeated ramming attempts, Pepper finally manages to give Tony the briefcase. Tony activates the case which is a portable version of the Iron Man armor. After a furious battle, Tony is able to defeat Vanko by manually pulling out the Arc Reactor battery that powers his whips, crushing it after he has JARVIS analyze it. The police grab Vanko and take him into custody. The entire crowd is stunned at what they've just witnessed. Justin Hammer, however, believes that Vanko can be put to better use.Stark confronts Vanko in prison and Vanko asks Tony what it feels like to be a dead man and that palladium in the chest is a very painful way to die. Stark tells Vanko that makes two of them.Later, Hammer breaks Vanko out. He slips Vanko a meal consisting of chicken and mashed potatoes along with a note telling him to "enjoy the potatoes." Vanko and another prisoner are given uniforms with the same identification. Vanko immediately kills the prisoner as well as a guard on his way out the door, and sets the explosive device contained in the potatoes and as he makes his escape, he's bagged by two Hammer operatives and taken away. Hammer knows Vanko needs his resources to outdo Tony, and Vanko obliges. Hammer then hires Vanko to build armored suits based on existing designs. Vanko tells Hammer they are doing everything wrong.On the plane back home, Tony and Pepper are watching the aftermath of the events that took place and are watching a rather angry Senator Stern unload his frustrations with Tony on The O'Reilly Factor. Stern is saying that Tony Stark lied to the Senate Armed Forces Committee, and that he's in danger of being arrested on felony perjury charges: Stark had told the Senate that other countries, as well as Hammer Industries, were 20 years away from having anything that remotely resembled Iron Man, however Vanko surprised everyone by making an working copy of the Arc Reactor. Tony presents Pepper with a gourmet meal and is going to tell her the truth, but they have an awkward moment as Pepper knows that something is up and that Tony isn't telling her the whole truth.Back home, Tony is using JARVIS to conduct investigations into Ivan Vanko. He finds that Vanko's father Anton Vanko was Howard Stark's partner and one of the co founders of Stark Industries. Howard Stark found out that Vanko was conspiring to sell weapons to the Soviet Empire and had him arrested for treason and deported to Russia, where he was imprisoned. His son had been seeking revenge against the Stark empire ever since. While sitting in one of his hot rods in his basement, Tony nearly collapses and is discovered by Rhodes who tells him that this isn't a good look for him. He shows Rhodey how the palladium is slowly poisoning him. Rhodes also tells him that he's been battling with the Pentagon by stopping them from coming to his Malibu house and taking his suits to be used for weaponized purposes.Tony is then preparing for what he believes will be his last birthday party. He asks Natalie what she would do if this were her last birthday party. Natalie responds that she'd do whatever she wanted with whoever she wanted to do it with. While at the party, Tony is extremely drunk and wearing the Iron Man suit and behaving recklessly with its weaponry. In the background, Pepper and Rhodes are discussing that he's gone way off the deep end. Rhodes tells Pepper that he's tired of dealing with the Pentagon and the Senate Armed Forces Committee. Rhodes, finally having enough of Tony's antics, goes and dons one of the in-development Iron Man suits. He then challenges Tony to a fight, where Tony has the in-house DJ play some good background tunes. The battle ends in a stalemate and Rhodey flies off in the Mark II armor, delivering it to military authorities at Edwards Air Force Base. Justin Hammer is later invited to study the suit himself and provides them with advanced weapons to arm it with.The next day, Tony is at the famous Los Angeles landmark doughnut shop Randy's Doughnuts, sitting in the Iron Man suit atop the famous giant plastered doughnut. Disgraced and hungover, Tony is approached by SHIELD director Nick Fury, who tells Stark that despite the problems he's having with the government and his drunken Iron Man antics, which are the least of his worries; Fury has an issue to deal with in the Southwest United States. Tony wonders if Fury and the "Avengers Initiative" is real, and Fury reassures Tony that it's real, and that he knew Howard Stark very well, in fact Howard was one of the founding members of S.H.I.E.L.D., the agency he works for. They are joined by agent Phil Coulson and Natalie Rushman, whose real name is Natasha Romanoff, a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent planted in Stark Industries to monitor Tony himself. A hungover Tony is stunned at this revelation and fires Natalie/Natasha, but she then tells Tony that it's none of his business and that he's under investigation from S.H.I.E.L.D. , and she and agent Coulson are there to make sure Tony follows orders and doesn't screw up. Fury and Natasha both mention Tony's palladium poisoning; Tony replies that he's investigated and tested every know element and every permutation of them with no success. Natasha injects Tony with a serum that slows the symptoms of his palladium poisoning significantly, giving him the time to find an alternate element to keep him alive.Fury tells Tony some more detail about Anton Vanko's relationship with Howard Stark and provides Tony with a chest of his father's old artifacts that can hopefully be used to find a cure for his condition. Tony resists further attempts from S.H.I.E.L.D. interference, but Agent Coulson reassures Tony that he's not going anywhere until Tony finds the answers that he's seeking about his condition. Reviewing the film reels in the chest, Stark discovers a message from his father that leads him to the original 1974 diorama of the Stark Expo. He retrieves the diorama from his old office, now occupied by Pepper, and tries to reconcile with her. In reality, the diorama is a disguised diagram for the atomic structure of a new element that Howard couldn't produce in his time but Tony may be able to with his advanced knowledge.Stark performs a radical alteration of his home workshop and hand-builds a particle accelerator with the aid of his computer system, J.A.R.V.I.S. Stark synthesizes this new element, creating a new triangular chest arc reactor that cures his poisoning and is much more powerful than Stark's earlier versions. Just before Tony completes the particle acceleration, Coulson tells him that he's free to go and that S.H.I.E.L.D. has reassigned him to another case in New Mexico.At Hammer Industries, Vanko has radically changed the design of Hammer's suits: they are now automated drones. Despite what Vanko considers improvements, Hammer is displeased and imprisons Vanko in a small room with two guards while he takes the drones to the Stark Expo.Hammer unveils his new military drones, captained by Rhodes in a heavily-weaponized version of the confiscated Mark II armor. Unfortunately, it is soon discovered that Vanko has programmed the drones, giving himself complete control. He also has control of Rhodes' new armor, and Stark arrives just as they go on the attack. As Stark battles these remote-controlled enemies and tries to evade Rhodes, Happy Hogan and Romanoff race to Hammer's Queens facility to stop Vanko. By the time they arrive, Vanko has already departed for the Expo in a new armored suit, an updated version of the harness he used when he attacked Tony in Monaco. Back at the Stark Expo, just as Hammer has finished his presentation, the drones attack the standing-room-only crowd and they begin to flee. Stark and Rhodes chase after the drones and destroy each and every one of them, while Agent Romanoff and Pepper have Justin Hammer arrested for harboring the fugitive Vanko.Natasha is able to give Rhodes control of his armor again so that he and Stark can fight Vanko together. The two armored allies combine their powers and successfully destroy all the drones. Vanko then lands in the area, wearing a greatly updated armored suit with improved plasma energy whips. After a grueling battle, Stark has an idea for he and Rhodes to use a trick from their earlier battle during Stark's birthday party, firing their energy repulsors to collide and create the same explosion with Vanko caught in the middle. The maneuver takes Vanko down, but Vanko's armor and drones are revealed to have been equipped with self-destruct charges. As they begin to explode, Stark races to save Pepper, rescuing her at the last moment. After landing on a roof she quits her CEO position, and she finally gives Tony a kiss, to which they both find Rhodes sitting a few meters away. Tony finally tells Pepper the truth about his heart, upsetting her greatly. Stark tells Rhodes to leave, but Rhodes then claims he was there first, so they should get their "own roof" after Stark tries to defend himself.At a debriefing, Fury informs Stark that while Stark is "unsuitable" for the "Avengers Initiative," SHIELD wants Stark as a consultant. Stark agrees on the condition that Senator Stern personally present him and Col. Rhodes with their medals for bravery, however Senator Stern is less than amused when he presents Tony with his medal.In a post-credits scene, SHIELD agent Coulson is seen driving to a remote impact crater in the New Mexico desert. He informs Fury over the phone that they've "found it"; in the crater is Mjolnir, the hammer of Thor. | good versus evil, revenge, humor, action, murder | train | imdb | He is excellent in the part; an absolute delight to watch, whether irascibly mugging in a loss for words with his insubordinate partner Vanko or, in one of the movie's best moments, shamelessly accolading his own (faulty) inventions with juvenile zeal.Unfortunately, with all these characters butting heads for screen time, co-stars Don Cheadle and Scarlett Johansson as Tony's pal Colonel James "Rhodey" Rhodes and eventual partner War Machine and alluring temptress of a new assistant Natalie Rushman, respectively, are given the short straw.
Robert Downey Jr and Gwyneth Paltrow are just as entertaining as they were in the first film, Jon Favreau gets more to do as Stark's chauffeur, Don Cheadle is actually a little better than Terrence Howard as Rhodie (again, maybe because he has a bigger role), Mickey Rourke portrays a decent but overall ordinary villain, and once Scarlett Johansson is allowed to do something substantial with her own action sequence, she's well worth watching.
The only weak link is Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer, who gets quite annoying after a while.Overall, Iron Man 2's slow middle section prevents it from being better than the first film as a whole, which is a shame considering how brilliant the beginning and end segments are..
I saw it in its opening day and the theatre was full.I went along with a few friends, and all of them loved it!Here are some things, we all agreed we liked.CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT:It was pretty good in this movie-making aspect, although it is an action movie, there is some quite exciting development, especially the leads.Don Cheadle made a perfect substitute of Terrence Howard, and looked pretty good in the movie.So did the Gwyneth Paltrow and Scarlet Johansson's heroines.For me, Scarlet is one of the most gifted and talented and in the same time, the most beautiful actresses in the last decade and even more.And last, but not least, of course, the Iron Robert Downey Jr., making one of his unique, specifically for him, roles.He is smart, funny and in the same time, well, action hero type of guy-he adds so much to this otherwise, stereotyped role.Sam Rockwell was a little irritating, but that's what his role is supposed to be, and to those who have doubts, yes, Mickey Rourke made a decent and interesting role again.TIMING:Almost perfect, except, maybe, the opening credits and a few over timed scenes afterwards, everything was alright and on the perfect spot.PLOT/STORY:I finally can say it-YES, the day has come.A day, where superhero movies haven't got just CGI, put a pretty decent story, attached to the normal amount of CGI.Well, hard to say normal, a little bit over-the-top, but nonetheless fun, when you get use to the headache.The humor was perfect, brilliantly touched to the smallest line.And most importantly-it's not that predictable-i don't mean the ending, but the development, leading to it.Excecutet skilfully, when looked from this point of view.CGI:10/10, nothing else to add.Believable Flawless.Perfect.With no big flaws or plot holes, very funny dialogue, skillful acting and good directing, Iron Man is definitely the best movie of the year so far.The perfect blockbuster as well.I'm glad a saw it, and if the first one didn't made me a fan, this one did.I can't wait to see it again.Cheers to Iron Man Amazing!
Once again Robert Downey Jr. is back as Tony Stark former weapons mogul turned special agent Iron Man. This time his challenge is a Russian villain named Ivan(Mickey Rourke fresh off his classic performance in "The Wrestler") who wants to destroy the world with his new chemical and high tech weapons.
So, after the publication of the first full-length Iron Man and its success with the audience (the box office speaks for itself), many with genuine interest waited for the sequel release - and Casey Cooper is no exception to this long list.As a result, I looked, I was glad with all my heart and made an inspired conclusion - the potential of "Iron Man" on the whole scale resulted in the second part in an excellent entertaining blockbuster and one of the best comic book adaptations that I saw.But let's start with the laws of sequels, or rather not from laws (after all, they are not always fulfilled in the production of film products), but from the expectations of the audience: from the second part we expect even more scope, more humor, more battles, more heroes than in the original - and "Iron Man" all these expectations justified.In addition, he gave an occasion to be stunned by characters with Russian roots - how nice it was to hear that China, Korea, Iran for another 10 years will not reach the technology of Tony Stark (and the competing American company "Hammer" - all 20), and Russian, well and let the villain on the film, Ivan Vanko in the handicraft conditions did not worse, and even made so much noise!Now back to the original - remember all that you liked the first "Iron Man" - so all this you will find in the sequel, only in places you need to multiply by 2 - and above all it concerns characters.Tony Stark did not change from the first picture and remained an amazing combination of playboy / genius / showman - so Robert Downey Jr. did not disappoint and gave out the same standing image, maybe even with some deeper into the inner world of the hero (again he does not everything is smooth with health, yes, even here my father was attached).Gwyneth Paltrow gave exactly the same image, exactly the same - no more, no less.For a couple of moments, that is, a couple of appearances on the screen pleased Nick Fury in the performance of Samuel L.
Jackson, although there is no need to expect any action from him.Tony Stark's best friend changed face - in the original played Terrence Howard, and now Don Cheadle - but I somehow did not notice the difference (probably because the first part looked a long time and the character there was not the most important place), but he had to act much more - including in the suit of an iron man.Mickey Rourke portrayed a gifted mind, a hatred for the Stark family and a bunch of tattoos of the villain Ivan Vanko (in the comics - Whip), as it is required from comics, that is, beyond the PG-13 with any profanity or something did not come out, but the image was on the whole turned out worthwhile.Scarlett Johansson was beautiful and with dark hair, but her character presented a couple of surprises - first of all, I repeat: I did not expect such an image (or I interrupt memories from memories) - so as not to spoil, I will not describe all this, but in the course of the picture, all expectations around her character were covered with a copper basin, although what happened turned out to be different, but not bad at all - a couple of spectacular appearances in the course of the film, to finally shine in the finale.Sam Rockwell - did not even know that he was playing here - I can not really single out his character - Justin Hammer - the head of a competing company (primarily because Tony, as it should be, was simply eclipsed), but the actor did everything that was required of him.Final - this is generally a separate merit - the ending of the original and next to it was not compared with the large-scale, spectacular and numerous finale of the second part.
Although the action is a lot less frequent than you might expect, from a big superhero blockbuster extravaganza like this, when it does happen it's breathtaking; the race-car fight scene, which happens about a third of the way into the movie, is so cool it's mind-blowing and it's also emotionally intense (It's one of the raddest scenes I've ever seen in a movie and the rest of the movie never quite tops it; so the climax does happen pretty early on but that's OK, there's still plenty of quality movie left even so).What's best about the movie is not the action though it's the character drama and dialog; it would be a crime if this thing doesn't at least get an Oscar nomination for best screenplay, although I'm sure that's a crime that will most likely be committed (Robert Downey Jr. also unarguably deserves a nomination for his acting performance as well though).
The whole thing is a very complicated psychological character exploration, all revolving around the most fascinating superhero character to ever hit the big screen; the eccentric somewhat mad genius that is Tony Stark (once again insanely but amazingly portrayed by Downey Jr.).The film centers around Stark's battles (not with bad guys and world threats, but) with health issues (he's being poisoned to death by the machine he created, in his chest, that initially saved him), alcoholism, a Government that wants to take control of his technology for what they say is the good of the country and his overall fight to keep his sanity dealing with all this stress.
There is a very sexy Scarlett Johansson playing another super hero named 'Black Widow' but the female characters are a little underdeveloped compared to the men.You can tell it was written by a man (actor Justin Theroux who's only other writing credit is co-writing 'TROPIC THUNDER', another Downey Jr. scene stealer); the women dialog is mostly important plot advancement stuff but with the guys 80 percent of it could have been tossed and the plot would have been intact but it's just so natural and entertaining; like real people shooting the breeze!
Following the end of the first movie, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) has already admitted his identity as Iron Man and, as he puts it, "successfully privatized world peace".
But director Jon Favreau and writer Justin Theroux avoid this pitfall by just giving our characters enough screen time that they deserve and only throwing in subplots that actually move the story along.IRON MAN 2 is what a summer blockbuster sequel should be; it throws in everything we expect from its superb predecessor and giving is a little more without being something akin to an overstuffed, overcooked turkey.
It was quite a challenge to top such an exhilarating, original (at least by today's storytelling standards) summer extravaganza like 2008's big hit "Iron Man." That film was well done on a technical level, but the reason why it is so good and why it is twice the movie that "Transformers" (2007) was because it used its special effects as a service to its story instead of simply relying on them to save the day.
But by Jove, director Jon Favreau and his cast and crew have done that with flying colors with "Iron Man 2" which to my mind is not only better than the original, but the best film that I've seen so far this year.The movie picks up where the first one left with Robert Downey Jr.'s alcoholic, eccentric character of Tony Stark revealing his alter-ego identity as Iron Man. While he combats a power-greedy senator's strive to strip him of his technological triumph and to maintain a somewhat stable employer-employee (and sometimes romantic) relationship to his assistant Pepper Potts, again played with grace and conviction by Gwyneth Paltrow, a new villain with his own technological tools and dazzling wit (Mickey Rourke) arrives, seeking revenge not only on Stark as a person, but his legacy.It seems to be a trend these days for the second installment in superhero movie franchises to be better than the first.
Gwyneth Paltrow is equally effective as Pepper Potts; Scarlett Johansson is both seductive and convincing as the new assistant who has her own way of backing herself up; Sam Rockwell does a fantastic job playing the techno-dweeb big on money but short on brawn; Mickey Rourke is sinister and cold-blooded as the villain; and Don Cheadle does a surprisingly good job taking over for Terence Howard as Tony Stark's military pal.I can't think of one person I know whom I won't recommend seeing "Iron Man 2." From start to finish, this is one exhilarating piece of film-making.
Not to diminish the skirmishes involving the Iron Man suit though as they are fun to watch, very smoothly executed and very aesthetically pleasing especially Micky Rourke's frankensteined creation clashing with Tony Stark's ultra-slick technology.The plot itself treads no particular new ground although it does attempt to through in a great many sub-plots and personal dilemmas for the ample cast of characters to deal with.
Mickey Rourke was perfect in his terrifying villain, Don Cheadle earned War Machine's suit, Scarlett Johansson looks so hot in her acrobatic scenes, and Jon Favreau (the director) enjoyed his part in the movie, he gave his character (Happy Hogan) a bigger role than his previous cameo in Iron Man. I watched the first installment and the sequel both in the theater, and I must admit that I enjoyed this one much more than the first.
There is even one car chase scene.In summary, if you liked the first then I guarantee you that you will enjoy this one too, it's a must-see for any fan of Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Iron Man or a comic-books.
Adding to my belief that Robert Downey Jr was practically born to play Tony Stark, he builds on the first performance and reveals even more about who Iron Man is.Nothing really can be said about this that otherwise cannot be seen by simply watching the film.
Looks good both ways.My only beef is that Terence Howard did not reprise the role of Rhodey/War Machine - But the addition of Scarlett Johanssen as Black Widow, Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer, Mickey Rourke as Vanko, and Samuel L Jackson as Nick Fury - Ease my initial disappointment at seeing Don Cheadle take up the mantle of War Machine - But the fact that Cheadle plays it JUST like Howard did - Even the Mannerisms, so it really IS the same Character, Cheadle does the best he can, not being Physically matched to Howard but personality-wise captured it.
Unwilling to let go of his invention, Stark, along with Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), and James "Rhodey" Rhodes (Don Cheadle) at his side, must forge new alliances and battle evil enemies as Vanko (Mickey Rourke) and Justin Hammer ( Sam Rockwell).Nice performance by Rober Downey Jr as superhero Iron Man, the billionaire inventor named Tony Stark who faces powerful enemies .
It is one of the weakest movies in the MCU, which was a surprise especially when Iron Man 1 was one of the best MCU movies.Tony stark doesn't have the same motivations and doesn't care if people get hurt, which is completely out of character for him, since he started being a Superhero because he realized how many people his weapons were harming.Not a good movie, watch it only if you really like Robert Downey Jr. Otherwise skip this movie..
Thankfully, the film compensates somewhat in terms of sheer spectacle and excitement (and I'm not just talking about Scarlett Johansson in a figure-hugging leather catsuit!).The first of Iron Man 2's incredible action set-pieces introduces Mickey Rourke's Russian villain Ivan Vanko, who causes mayhem during the Monaco Grand Prix in an effort to kill Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and thus avenge his scientist father, who he believes was cheated outed of fame and fortune by Tony's father Howard.
But with the right balance of humor, thrills, special effects gimmicks, and more of Robert Downey Jr. as the narcissistic Stark, IRON MAN 2 is an adequate follow-up, even if it goes wildly out of control as it makes like SPIDER-MAN 3 and throws in as many subplots than it can handle.But unlike the latter, director Jon Favreau and writer Justin Theroux (TROPIC THUNDER) keeps things better in balance and some of the sub-stories don't come quite as pointless as the one's in SPIDER-MAN 3.
Iron Man 2 trailers were impressive but had fears.Most of the sequels lets us down........But IM2 didn't.Introduction of Don Cheadle as Rhodes,Mickey Rourke as Ivan Vanko,Scarlett Johanson as Natasha Romanoff & Samuel L jackson as Nick Fury were the best.........As in Iron Man Robert Downey Jr gave a stunning performance............The special effects,the story,the synchronisation,the direction........were at the best.......We always expect a lot from a sequel............But most of the sequels for an action packed sci-fi gives importance to action and special effects not to the story..................This movie is 1 hell of a ride...........
First, this film is for fans, no for general public, I'm a big fan of marvel and I see this film 6 times, this film is great, casting was excellent, in this movie I see the shield of captain America, the hammer of Thor, and many cameos of the other heroes, black widow was excellent, i love her, mickey Rourke as whiplash was great, war machine was excellent, people say that this film have a little action and many villains, they are wrong, because a villain doesn't count his physical and weapons, but his intelligence, whiplash created his robots and he use them as pawns first to confront stark, not all is combat body to body, also has its advantages, i love this film and I'll wait for iron man 3 and I want see the mandarin..
i had high high expectations for this film,since the first one was so good.i'm happy to say i wasn't disappointed.there is more going on this one that much is certain.Sam Jackson returns as Nick Fury head of Shield in a expanded role.Mickey Rourke plays a baddie(with relish and gusto)Scarlett Johanssen's character is underwritten and underutilized,which is unfortunate,because the character is rife with potential.here's hoping they remedy that situation in the upcoming avengers film.Sam Rockwell has an interesting role.Don Cheadle replaces Terrance Howard as Lt.Colonel James "Rhodey" Rhodes,and i have to say,i think he is a better fit.and of course Robert and Gwyneth return as Pepper and Tony.and we finally get to know Pepper's actual first name.for me,Iron Man 2 is a 10/10. |
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