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tt0455612 | Madea's Family Reunion | After Madea (Tyler Perry) violates the terms of her house arrest (which she was subjected to in the previous film), the judge orders her to take in a troubled foster child named Nikki (Keke Palmer) in order to avoid jail.
Lisa Breaux (Rochelle Aytes), one of Madea's nieces, is engaged to, Carlos Armstrong (Blair Underwood), an abusive and controlling investment banker. While she desperately wants to get out of the engagement, her mother, Victoria (Lynn Whitfield), urges her to go through with the wedding, telling Lisa to avoid doing things that make Carlos angry. Vanessa (Lisa Arrindell Anderson), the other of Madea's nieces, who lives with her, has two children fathered by two different men, neither of whom is involved in their children's lives. Victoria regularly degrades Vanessa for this, even referring to her grandchildren as "bastards". Vanessa is successfully, though through some struggle, wooed by poetry-spouting bus driver Frankie Henderson (Boris Kodjoe), who is the single father of a young son, and has a passion for painting. As much as Vanessa likes Frankie, she is emotionally closed off and has a difficult time trusting him.
Lisa eventually leaves Carlos with the intention of calling off the wedding. She temporarily moves in with Madea. Carlos, eager to move forward with the wedding, dispatches Victoria to bring her back to him. Victoria confronts Carlos about the abuse, suggesting that insecurity about his masculinity is causing him to act out and that he needs counseling. Carlos counters by suggesting that she's controlling every aspect of Lisa's life because she wants to make up for her own shortcomings in her own. It is then revealed that Victoria, with Carlos's assistance, has stolen from Lisa's trust fund over the years, leaving virtually no money left, and is now encouraging Lisa to marry Carlos in order to keep up her livelihood. Carlos makes it clear that he will not bail Victoria out unless the wedding goes forward. Victoria goes to Madea's house to fetch Lisa, only to end up in a passionate argument with Vanessa who has become aware of Carlos's abuse and is eager to protect her sister.
During the confrontation, Vanessa reveals a shocking secret to her younger sister: Victoria allowed her second husband, Lisa's father, to rape Vanessa in order to keep him in the marriage. Vanessa states that the sexual abuse occurred on a regular basis after that, which as a result, left her closed off emotionally and unable to trust the men in her life, including Frankie. Even more shockingly, Victoria makes no attempt to deny Vanessa's accusations. Instead, she rationalizes her actions, telling her daughters that they would have been destitute if Lisa's father had left, and that after going through a previous divorce with Vanessa's father and working two jobs to support the family afterwards, she was tired of struggling and felt that she deserved better. She also reveals that her own mother, a prostitute and drug addict, regularly traded her for "ten dollars and a fix", almost mirroring what she'd done with Vanessa and Lisa's father.
Victoria then states that she would not allow Vanessa to ruin her happiness, and that she would not apologize for the choices she'd made. Victoria then turns on a horrified Lisa, demanding that Lisa begin taking care of her financially as she made sure that Lisa had the best of everything while she was growing up. Victoria then leaves and later lies to Lisa and tells her that Carlos has agreed to counseling. Lisa returns to Carlos and resumes her wedding plans. At the family reunion, held at the home of ninety-six-year-old Aunt Ruby (Georgia Allen), Vanessa and Victoria get into another verbal confrontation, eventually turning into a physical fight after Victoria insults Vanessa about her relationship with Frankie in front of the family. The fight is broken up when Myrtle, (Cicely Tyson) Madea's daughter-in-law, and Aunt May (Maya Angelou) gathers the family members to an old shack the family's ancestors grew up in. They, along with some of the older members of the family are appalled by how the family has turned out and Myrtle gives a long speech convincing them to act better to each other and to themselves.
On the day of Lisa's wedding, Madea tells her to stand up against Carlos and fight back. When he finds her, he asks that he and Lisa be alone. Madea asks Carlos if he'd like something to eat, and tells Lisa to give him some grits on the stove, making sure to tell Lisa that they're hot. When Madea leaves the room, Carlos slaps Lisa in the face, but then, in retaliation, she throws the pot of hot grits in his face, burning him badly, and then she beats him with a frying pan, as Madea listens outside with laughter. She then takes off her ring and throws it at an injured Carlos before leaving. At the church, Lisa announces that Carlos had been beating her every day since they were engaged and that the wedding is off. Frankie then asks Vanessa to marry him. She says yes, and they're married at the church instead. After the wedding, Victoria tells Vanessa that the two are a beautiful couple and they hug, signifying the first steps in a possible reconciliation. | melodrama | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0039224 | Brute Force | On a dark, rainy morning at Westgate Prison, prisoners crammed into a small cell watch through the window as Joe Collins (Burt Lancaster) returns from his term in solitary confinement. Joe is angry and talks about escape. The beleaguered warden is under pressure to improve discipline. His chief of security, Capt. Munsey (Hume Cronyn), is a sadist who manipulates prisoners to inform on one another and create trouble so he can inflict punishment. The often drunk prison doctor (Art Smith) warns that the prison is a powder keg and will explode if they are not careful. He denounces Munsey's approach and complains that the public and government officials fail to understand the need for rehabilitation.
Joe's attorney visits and tells Joe his wife Ruth (Ann Blyth) is not willing to have an operation for cancer unless Joe can be there with her. He takes his revenge on fellow inmate Wilson (James O'Rear), who at Munsey's instigation had planted a weapon on Joe that earned him a stay in solitary. Joe has organized the brutal attack on Wilson in the prison machine shop but provides himself with an alibi by talking with the doctor in his office while the murder occurs.
Joe presses another inmate, Gallagher (Charles Bickford), to help him escape but Gallagher has a good job at the prison newspaper and Munsey has promised him parole soon. Munsey then instigates a prisoner's suicide, giving higher authorities the opportunity to revoke all prisoner privileges and cancel parole hearings. Gallagher feels betrayed and decides to join Joe's escape plan. Joe and Gallagher plan an assault on the guard tower where they can get access to the lever that lowers a bridge that controls access to the prison.
While the escape plan is taking shape, each of the inmates in cell R17 tells their story, and in every case, their love for a woman is what landed them in trouble with the law. Munsey learns the details of the escape plan from an informer, one of the men in cell R17, and the break goes badly. The normally subdued prison yard turns into a violent and bloody riot, killing Munsey, Gallagher, and the remainder of the inmates in cell R17, including Joe. | violence, suspenseful, murder, sadist, flashback | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0036628 | Bathing Beauty | In Los Angeles, popular songwriter Steve Elliott (Red Skelton) prepares to marry Caroline Brooks (Esther Williams), who has pledged to give up her job as a college swimming instructor once she has wed. Likewise, Steve plans to quit his songwriting career, even though New York producer George Adams (Basil Rathbone) has already hired him to write new songs for a water ballet show.
When George overhears Steve discussing his "retirement" with Caroline, he vows to prevent the marriage and enlists Maria Dorango (Jacqueline Dalya), an aspiring actress posing as a Latin-American singer, to help him. Moments after a justice of the peace pronounces the redheaded Steve and Caroline man and wife, Maria rushes in, claiming that Steve is her husband and the father of her three redheaded children, which she has paraded in at that moment. Although Steve pleads his innocence, Caroline storms off in a rage and returns to her teaching post at Victoria College in New Jersey. A determined Steve and his friend, Carlos Ramirez, follow her there, but are denied entrance to the all-female school.
Later, in a New York nightclub, Steve meets drunken lawyer Chester Klazenfrantz (Donald Meek) and learns that Klazenfrantz has been hired to change the charter of Victoria College, which has never officially designated itself as all-female. Armed with this information, Steve returns to Victoria and insists on applying for admission. Unaware of Caroline's relationship to Steve, Dean Clinton (Nana Bryant) suggests to the faculty that he be admitted for a two-week probationary period, during which time they would give him 100 demerits, which would qualify him for expulsion before Parents Day.
Once enrolled, Steve tries to speak with Caroline, but she refuses to listen to his explanations and tells him she is seeking an annulment. Later, in music class, stodgy Professor Hendricks (Francis Pierlot) attempts to discredit Steve, whose presence on campus has created a furor among the co-eds, by ordering him to write his own version of the Scottish ballad Loch Lomond and teach the next day's class. With help from several talented students, Carlos, the music teaching assistant (Ethel Smith), and Steve's friend Harry James and his orchestra, Steve meets Hendricks' challenge and is awarded an "A."
That night, Steve visits Caroline at her house, but is turned out after Willis Evans (Bill Goodwin), a conservative botany professor who is in love with Caroline, arrives. When Caroline realizes that Steve is hiding in her closet, spying on her, she commands Willis' Great Dane, Duke, to guard the closet door, while reminding Steve that unless he is in his room in five minutes, he will be expelled for breaking curfew. With only seconds to spare, Steve manages to trick the dog long enough to escape back to his dingy basement room. Steve is then visited by George, who threatens to vilify him in the press unless he finishes his songs. When Steve swears deadly revenge on the person who hired Maria, however, George backs down and offers to help Steve do his homework. Concerned about the approaching Parents Day, Dean Clinton, meanwhile, commands Steve's professors, who have penalized him with only fifty-five demerits, to bear down on him. To that end, Mme. Zarka (Ann Codee), Steve's ruthlessly strict ballet teacher, forces him to wear a tutu and dance with the co-eds, but Steve once again rises to the occasion.
A now desperate Dean Clinton asks Caroline to go out with Steve and ensure that he arrives back at Victoria after the curfew. Caroline agrees, but during the evening, Steve convinces her of his innocence, and as they drive back to school, the newlyweds make plans to return to California together. Unknown to Caroline and Steve, Maria is on campus, looking to expose George, who has been trying to get rid of her, to Steve. At the same time, a campus sorority descends on Steve's room, hoping to initiate him, and Jean Allenwood (Jean Porter), another co-ed, shows up with news that her parents and Dean Clinton are on their way over to inspect his room. As Steve desperately hides all the women in two closets and keeps Caroline from discovering Maria, George unexpectedly arrives. Although Steve succeeds in hiding George and himself and fooling Dean Clinton and the Allenwoods, Maria soon makes her presence known to Caroline, who once again leaves in a fury. Later, Steve promises to write songs for George's water ballet show on condition he make Caroline the star. George agrees, and after Maria is finally able to tell Caroline the truth, Caroline happily reunites with Steve, who then gives George a thrashing. | romantic | train | wikipedia | One MGM musical of the time launched a career that flourished for the balance of the decade
A champion swimmer and a tall, strikingly pretty woman, Esther Williams had played small roles in two MGM films when she was starred in "Bathing Beauty." She played a swimming teacher at a girls' school whose husband (Red Skelton) enrolls at the school to be near her...The plot was merely an excuse for knockabout antics by Skelton and especially for Williams' aquacades
The pattern was fixed for the rest of the series of popular light musicals she starred in: Williams as a smiling mermaid moving balletically underwater to the strains of a pleasing melody
Bathing Beauty's finale is a lavish water spectacle with the star as the focal point of intricate underwater formations.
Talented actor Red Skelton has great pantomime show in this movie which he mimes ladies' dress up in the morning and his swan lake ballet is memorable..
The lack of plot is part of what is fun.Released during the middle of WWII, it is a rather obvious excuse to show beautiful women in bathing suits and have lots of really good musical numbers.
One of the locations look likes it was filmed in Palm Springs.Red Skelton is adorable if a bit typecast.
BATHING BEAUTY offers lots of eye candy and a couple of hilarious RED SKELTON routines proving he's a master at physical comedy.
The musical interludes are on the dull side and don't give strong enough material to Ethel Smith (at the organ), Harry James, Xavier Cugat and Carlos Ramirez--a Latin tenor with a strong voice but no charisma.The slender plot is the usual misunderstanding that occurs in these type of ESTHER WILLIAMS movies.
She thinks her newly wed hubby (Red) is the father of three boys, thanks to a practical joke played by BASIL RATHBONE (who looks as if he'd rather be elsewhere in a thankless role).
The highlight of the film is Red's bashful entrance into a class of ballerinas, clad in pink tutu and ballet slippers--all the while being slapped around by a ruthless instructor and going through ballet paces with hilarious results.The supporting cast is largely wasted--including Bill Goodwin, Margaret Dumont and Janis Paige in a brief role.
Jean Porter gets to do more than usual and even has a song and dance number with Red. The water ballet at the finale is nicely done in typical MGM manner but not as ostentatious as usual for an Esther Williams film.
I was fourteen-years-old when this film was released and naturally eager to see the fabulous Esther Williams.
But all that doesn't count for it is Esther Williams' first starring feature - and she is so lovely and wonderful in the aquatic scenes,where she shows all her talents!
The swimming routines of Esther Williams and the comedy of Red Skelton are timeless which is why Esther's debut as a star can be seen hundreds of years from now and not lose any entertainment value.
Of course an appreciation of swing music and Latin music does help.Bathing Beauty which is certainly an appropriate title for Esther's first starring role has Red and Esther as newly minted newlyweds when some woman objects to the wedding saying she's already Red's wife.Red's a writer of swing music and his publisher Basil Rathbone deliberately arranged that incident to break up the marriage so Red can deliver some special material.
At this point the rather thin plot is just a frame for the various routines and numbers done by the stars and with guest performers like Harry James and his Orchestra, Xavier Cugat and his Orchestra and the famous Tico Tico girl Ethel Smith doing, what else Tico Tico on the organ.
Also orchestra vocalists Helen Forrest with James and Lina Romay with Cugat have some good numbers.Basil Rathbone taking time off from playing Sherlock Holmes hams it up to beat both those featured bands in his role as the comic villain of the piece.
Red does his usual clowning and is an adept musical performer in a swing version of Loch Lomond.But this film is strictly Esther and her final water ballet sequence was the first of many making use of that special tank MGM built for this very special star.You could remake this film today, but where would you ever come up with another Esther Williams or Red Skelton?.
It's primarily an excuse to feature Red Skelton in some of his "routiens", like being in drag and doing lots of pantomime.
The film is likable enough and fun to watch for the by-gone days of the flimsy MGM musical that it is.
Interesting as the first aquatic musical and for Red Skelton's performance..
This was Esther Williams's first starring vehicle and the beginning of that strange if charming subgenre, the swimming musical.
The finale of fountains of water and flame is memorable.The film, however, belongs to Red Skelton, who gets top billing.
He also has a long ballet sequence of his own, complete with pink tutu, that is one of the best things I've ever seen him do.The rest of the cast, especially long-suffering Basil Rathbone (what were the casting people thinking?), were either wasted or forgettable, a Colombian baritone Carlos Ramirez, who has the presence of haddock, being one of the latter.
The story rather lies there and smells, too.Music, provided by Harry James, Xavier Cugat, Helen Forrest, and others, ought to have been a lot better, too.
Esther Williams' first starring role is a silly but fun musical comedy from MGM filmed in beautiful Technicolor.
Despite the title the movie centers more on Red Skelton's character, a songwriter who marries then loses Esther because of the machinations of Basil Rathbone.
So Red forces his way into enrollment at the all-girls college where Esther is a teacher, hoping to win her back.
The music's fine and Red's funny but Esther's the reason most of us are likely to watch this.
She's gorgeous, of course, and has a nice swimming scene at the beginning and a classic aquatic ballet number at the end.
Actually the script is quite amusing, with a promising premise—a guy (Skelton) gets into an all girls' school on a technicality so he can pursue his lady love (Williams).
After all, what other Hollywood star actually started and monopolized an entire movie genre the way Williams did with her "aqua-musicals".
If you like great music, beauty and entertainment.
Then, the 1944 MGM musical comedy-romance "Bathing Beauty" is for you.
Don't worry – if you know history and/or just plain enjoy great musical entertainment, with some top drawer comedy and all-around talent, you'll love this film.
"Bathing Beauty" is a classic film with some wonderful entertainers.
Harry James really wows us with his trumpet playing and some great swing numbers, and Xavier Cugat's orchestra shows why people so loved Latin music in the 20th century.
And Red Skelton's comedy skits and scenes are classics unto themselves.
Esther Williams seems so natural in her first starring role – even before and in between the swimming scenes.
"Bathing Beauty" is a fun and highly entertaining film for the whole family – especially those who love great music..
Music, mugging, and swimming...beautiful production for a comedy with no script.
Here, director George Sidney has Skelton doing a ballet number complete with tutu, outwitting a Great Dane while dressed in drag, and mugging outrageously in a pantomime bit poking fun at a lady's morning ritual.
All this while a reedy-thin plot--about a lovestruck man following his would-be wife to an all-girl college--plays out absentmindedly, with much of the emphasis on live bands, Latin American rhythms, singing and dancing, and organ music.
There's also Esther Williams in and out of the swimming pool; her first major movie role as Skelton's true love was probably meant to show off her girlish pluck, yet she treats Red so poorly, he seems better off without her.
Although 'Bathing Beauty' was intended as a Red Skelton vehicle it's known more for the introduction of Esther Williams, who became a star overnight.No wonder too.
This is not knocking Skelton though, because while he could easily have mugged he is suitably subdued here and is very funny, his ballet dancing scenes are some of the best things he ever did on film and still come over as riotous.Basil Rathbone is underused and has been better, but is still amusing and suave.
Other standout supporting turns are from a dynamite Harry James, Ethel Smith and Helen Forrest.Visually, 'Bathing Beauty' is a beautiful-looking film, with opulent use of colour, handsome cinematography and elegant costumes and sets.
While a few supporting cast members acquit themselves well, most of them are wasted (Bill Goodwin, Donald Meek) or forgettable, though Carlos Ramirez does stick out as somebody on vocally glorious but entirely charisma-free form.Overall, Technicolor and aquatic beauty and worth seeing for Skelton and Williams.
After doing memorable short scenes in Andy Hardy's Double Trouble and A Guy Named Joe which were both in black and white, Esther Williams then did the first of her "aquamuaicals" in glorious Technicolor with this, Bathing Beauty.
And, yes, Ms. Williams does her water ballet swim sequences that made her such a big star.
There's also swell music from Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra with vocalist Lina Romay, Harry James and His Music Makers with singer Helen Forrest, organist Ethel Smith, and Jean Porter who provides an entertaining duet with Skelton.
Before that, you might guess that the humor borders on the absurd when you realize the steamy romantic relationship the film revolves around is between Esther Williams and Red Skelton.Once you have dispensed with any notion that the plot of Bathing Beauty bears no resemblance to reality, it is easy to sit back and accept the film as an amorphic assemblage of skits.
Bathing Beauty combines singing, dancing, comedy routines, pantomime, an aqua-routine reminiscent of Busby Berkeley including flaming water fountains, trumpet and organ solos, Stoogesque physical comedy, and Skelton's comedic touches that were the staple of his TV show for year to come.Esther Williams is, of course, beautiful.
"Bathing beauty" is on my very favorite top five list of Esther Williams films and of Esther's water ballets.
Then, the story itself is interesting, with Red Skelton being engaged to Esther.
Then comes the silly, yet very funny plot of Red enrolling in the girl's school just to try and get back with Esther and convince her he didn't do anything wrong.
This all includes some amusing, laugh out loud moments such as Red trying to dance in a pink tutu during ballet class and the hilarious way the ballet teacher treats Red. There's also a neat little number Red does with this cute, petite girl (Jean Porter) from music class "I'll take the high road, you take the low road".
The school girls act silly and play different hyjinks, largely on Red, including another funny scene where a few of them are hiding in a closet while Red is in his room with Esther.
Steve (Red Skelton) pursues Caroline (Esther Williams) to a New Jersey all-girl college where he signs on as a student to be near her and win back her heart.The film is basically a showcase for Red Skelton to put on some mimes and routines.
Unfortunately, Esther Williams isn't given enough to do as she plays second fiddle to Skelton.
Comedian Red Skelton is wasted because of a silly script and the musical interludes is mostly unrelated to the plot.
Esther Williams is sweet and lovely and her scenes in the water are spectacular as always..
"Bathing Beauty" is a silly and rather inconsequential film when you see it today.
My theory is that despite the squeaky-clean image, folks in the 40s must have used a lot of drugs--that seems like the only logical explanation of the film's success!!The film begins with a songwriter, Steve (Red Skelton) and his fiancée, Caroline (Esther Williams) getting married.
This means the finale is a foregone conclusion with no surprises other than the water ballet which has no relationship with the rest of the film and was obviously tacked on for the obligatory Williams swimming scene.The star of the film is clearly Skelton.
This is not the forte of WIlliams or Skelton--yet they film is jam-packed with songs.
Too many and too many contrived musical numbers (particularly on the college campus) tend to distract from the plot and Skelton's antics.
Given it's a MGM musical with little to no plot or nothing that can't be resolved in a matter of seconds, this is really a fun movie with some great musical numbers, courtesy of Xavier Cugat and Harry James.
course in ballet.(He goes back to school, in a girls' college, to win Esther back.) But, the aquatic finale is really something to see.
I referred to this film, without naming it, in a review of PARLOR, BEDROOM, AND BATH the other day.Red Skelton is a successful composer, and he is smitten when he meets swimming champ Esther Williams.
The rest of the plot follows the course as Skelton tries to win back Williams, complicated by her anger at him, the machinations of Rathbone to prevent this reconciliation, and the desires of the college President and Board of Trustees to force Skelton out (hopefully by a violation of the strict rules of the college).Let's face it, like many musical comedies it is a silly plot.
However, the plot dictated a female school.Esther Williams has several fine displays of her swimming abilities in the movie, and Skelton is wisely out of these until the clincher shot in the end (when she rescues him, but he finds the water a perfect shield for some last minute privacy).
Watching this thing -- with Esther Williams, Red Skelton, Harry James, Xavier Cugat, et all -- is like poring over the contents of a time capsule from 1944.
Red Skelton, the central figure, has some amusing moments too, doing pratfalls in a pink tutu, forced into a class in Eurythmics because he's enrolled in a woman's college to be near his wife.
The original working title for this film was "Mr. Co-Ed" in acknowledgment of Red Skelton's role as a male student at an all girl's college.
However when shooting was finished it became clear that Esther Williams stood out as the "Bathing Beauty" of the title, so that's what MGM went with.
When Steve Elliott's (Skelton) wedding to Caroline Brooks (Williams) is hijacked by Steve's business manager George Adams (Basil Rathbone), Caroline calls a marriage time out and heads off to Victoria College to resume a teaching job she once held there.
You have to give the man credit though, his timing in the Swan Lake dance routine with the rest of the class seemed rather extraordinary for a comic, you couldn't beat that Daddy with a boogie brush to use the era's vernacular.The two players who kept me off balance however were Rathbone and trumpet player extraordinaire, Harry James performing with his Music Maker Orchestra.
Hmm.The picture wound up making Esther Williams a big star and she went on to make two more films with Red - "Neptune's Daughter" and "Texas Carnival".
The plot doesn't really focus on the aquatic talents of Esther Williams and her bathing suits.
While she does have two amazing swimming sequences, including an elaborate water ballet, the story focuses on the attempts of song writer Red Skelton to woo Williams who married him impulsively.
I'll Take the High Note is particularly enjoyable, jazzing up Loch Loman and featuring practically every specialty act in the film including Ethel Smith at her organ and the big band swinging of Harry James and his band.
Smith has another specialty as she makes solo organ music even hotter than the brief presence of the over-the-top ego of Xavier Cugat.In spite of Ms. William's criticism of her own acting here, she's actually fine here, because she spends more time reacting to Skelton than having to emote.
Here he is a producer who tries to break up the marriage of Red Skelton and Esther Williams so that the latter can continue writing music for his water story.To get Williams back, Skelton goes to her college and the film depicts his madcap adventures there in an all-girl's school with the dean and faculty trying to get him to have 100 demerits so that he can be expelled.The water sequences are beautifully realized by Williams but to say that this is her picture is ridiculous.
Breezy 'swimusical' comedy extravaganza, featuring Esther Williams, Red Skelton, the Cugat and James bands.
Esther Williams, as the numero uno bathing beauty of the times, in her first, of many, Technicolor 'swimusicals', has much supporting talent in this extravaganza, which was a smash hit for wartime audiences.
Originally conceived as featuring most prominently Red Skelton, in a film titled 'Mr. Co-ed", it was decided to make Esther the headliner name of a retitled "Bathing Beauty".
Although Berkeley did choreograph the water ballet in a few of Esther's films, he was not present here.
Nonetheless, much of the water ballet featured typical Berkeley-inspired features.Poor Steve Elliot(Red), an important song writer, is fraudulently accused of being a bigamist, just after his wedding to Caroline(Esther).
This, of course, sets the stage for a series of comedic episodes through most of the remainder of the film.Although today, Red mostly comes across as a corny sort of slapstick clown, the episode where he is forced to take a ballet class is still truly hilarious.
Ethel's organ playing would again be featured in the Esther film "Easy to Wed", in which Ramirez would also return for a song.
In "Three Little Words"('50), he would play the historic song lyricist Harry Ruby".5 years later, in "Neptune's Daughter", MGM would reteam Esther with Red, and with Cugat's band again providing most of the musical numbers, hoping to recapture the magic of the present film.
Red would be included in several other Esther films, as well, the last being the '51 "Texas Carnival". |
tt0026407 | The Ghost Rider | Over one hundred years ago , The Devil, Mephistopheles, sends his bounty hunter of the damned, the Ghost Rider, to retrieve a document known as "The Contract of San Venganza", a list of a thousand corrupt souls. Seeing that the contract would give Mephistopheles the power to unleash Hell on Earth, the Rider refuses to give him the contract.
In 1986, Mephistopheles reaches out to 17-year-old stunt motorcycle rider Johnny Blaze, offering to cure his father's cancer in exchange for Blaze's soul, to which he hastily accepts. The next morning, Blaze awakes to discover that his father's cancer is cured, but he is killed that same day in a motorcycle stunt in which he falls into the ring of fire he is jumping through. Blaze accuses Mephistopheles of causing his father's death, but Mephistopheles considers their contract to be fulfilled and promises to one day see him again.
21 years later, Blaze has become a famous stunt motorcycle rider known for surviving numerous deadly crashes. Blaze meets his lifelong sweetheart Roxanne Simpson, now a news reporter, whom he abandoned after his father's death. He convinces her to attend a dinner date. Meanwhile, Blackheart, the demonic son of Mephistopheles, comes to Earth, along with three fallen angels who bonded with the elements Air, Earth, and Water. They are tasked to find the lost Contract of San Venganza. In response, Mephistopheles makes Blaze the new Ghost Rider and offers to return his soul if he defeats Blackheart, though he is also told he has no choice in the matter. Blaze is driven straight to the station on his "first ride", where he transforms into the Ghost Rider and kills the Earth Angel Gressil. He also saves a young girl from a mugger and incapacitates him with the Penance Stare (a power that allows the Ghost Rider to make any evil person experience all the pains they caused on their victims) The next day, he meets a man called the Caretaker, who seems to know all about the history of the Ghost Rider. He tells him everything that happened was not a dream and that it will happen again, especially at night when he is near an evil soul.
When he arrives home, Blaze finds Simpson and reveals himself as the Devil's bounty hunter. Unconvinced, she walks away in disbelief. After a brief imprisonment for the murders that Blackheart committed, Blaze kills the Air Angel Abigor, and escapes from The Police, before returning to the Caretaker who tells him of his predecessor, Carter Slade, a Texas Ranger who hid the contract of San Venganza. Blaze returns home to find that Blackheart has killed his friend Mack and has taken Roxanne captive, threatening to kill her if Blaze does not deliver the contract. Blaze tries to use the Penance Stare on Blackheart, only for it not to work since Blackheart has no soul to burn.
Blaze returns to the Caretaker and obtains the contract. The Caretaker reveals that he is Carter Slade. Slade tells Blaze that he is more powerful than his predecessors since he sold his soul for love as opposed to greed. Slade leads Blaze to San Venganza, then gives Blaze a lever action shotgun before fading away.
After killing the Water angel Wallow, Blaze gives the contract to Blackheart. He quickly transforms into Ghost Rider in an effort to subdue Blackheart, but dawn arrives and he is rendered powerless. Blackheart uses the contract to absorb the thousand souls into his body. He attempts to kill Blaze, but is distracted when Simpson uses Blaze's discarded shotgun to separate them. After Blaze tries to kill Blackheart with the shotgun, he moves in and uses his Penance Stare to render him catatonic, burning all the corrupt souls within Blackheart, which is what he had hoped for.
Mephistopheles appears and returns Blaze his soul, offering to take back the curse of the Ghost Rider. Determined not to make another deal, Blaze declines, saying that he will use his power against him, and against all harm that comes to the innocent. Infuriated of being robbed of the power, Mephistopheles vows to make Blaze pay, but Blaze tells Mephistopheles that he is not afraid. Mephistopheles then disappears, taking Blackheart's body with him. Later, Simpson tells Blaze that he got his second chance before sharing a final kiss with him. Blaze then rides away on his motorcycle, turning into the Ghost Rider. | revenge, murder | train | wikipedia | Action packed Western featuring Franklyn Farnum. This is an action packed western featuring Franklyn Farnum whose entry shows 505 credits and a film career that started in 1916 and which still had another 25years to run.This is one of those westerns where the action continues apace from the fade in to the fade out.It is the usual tale of vengeance with lots of gunfights fistfights and chases.Farnum having wronly been convicted for murder,escapes from prison to set matters to rights and leaves a playing card as a sign of a visit or impending visit.Given that Farnum was nearly 60 when he made this film he looks in pretty good shape unlike many of the older western stars of this era.It is everything you would expect from a B western.. An average "B" western!. The Ghost Rider (1935) starts off most promisingly with a visual singing cowpoke backing up the credits but as soon as the movie itself starts with juvenile Bobby Nelson facing into the camera, interest tends to slip, Fortunately, interest picks up when Anna Lee Carroll enters and moves up another notch when Lloyd Ingraham comes on as the villain. We are then transferred to the State Prison Farm where Franklyn Farnum (who tends out to be the hero of this oater, despite his innocuous fourth billing) makes an impressive escape. But from then on, although the movie offers a fair bit of "B" western action, it's all rather ordinary. One of the problems is that Bobby Nelson keeps surfacing – and he's an indifferent actor at best – but we see very little of Anna Lee Carroll. Instead, Rex Lease attempts to provide us with a hero, but both script and director let him down. In all, it's Farnum's movie but everyone except us seems to be unaware of that fact! Available on a good Grapevine DVD on a double bill with "The Man From Hell". |
tt0048140 | Guys and Dolls | === Act I ===
A pantomime of never-ceasing activities depicts the hustle and bustle of New York City ("Runyonland"). Three small-time gamblers, Nicely-Nicely Johnson, Benny Southstreet, and Rusty Charlie, argue over which horse will win a big race ("Fugue for Tinhorns"). The band members of the Save-a-Soul Mission, led by the pious and beautiful Sergeant Sarah Brown, call for sinners to "Follow the Fold" and repent. Nicely and Benny's employer, Nathan Detroit, runs an illegal floating crap game. Due to local policeman Lt. Brannigan's strong-armed police activity, he has found only one likely spot to hold the game: the "Biltmore garage." However, the owner, Joey Biltmore, requires a $1,000 security deposit, and Nathan is broke ("The Oldest Established"). Nathan hopes to get $1,000 by winning a bet against Sky Masterson, a gambler willing to bet on virtually anything. Nathan proposes a bet which he believes he cannot lose: Sky must take a doll (a woman) of Nathan's choice to dinner in Havana, Cuba. Sky agrees, and Nathan chooses Sarah Brown. At the mission, Sky claims he wants to be saved, impressing Sarah with his knowledge of the Bible. He offers Sarah a deal: He will bring the mission "one dozen genuine sinners" if she will accompany him to Havana the next night. Sarah rebuffs him, telling him that she plans to fall in love with an upright, moral man. Sky replies that he plans on being surprised when he falls in love ("I'll Know"). Sky kisses Sarah, and she slaps him. Nathan goes to watch his fiancée of 14 years, Miss Adelaide, perform her nightclub act ("A Bushel and a Peck"). After her show, she asks him, as she has many times before, to go down to city hall and get a marriage license. She is distraught to find out that Nathan is still running the crap game. She consults a medical book, which tells her that her chronic cold is a psychosomatic reaction to her frustration with Nathan's failure to marry her ("Adelaide's Lament").
The next day, Nicely and Benny watch as Sky pursues Sarah, and Nathan tries to win back Adelaide's favor. They declare that guys will do anything for the dolls they love ("Guys and Dolls"). General Cartwright, the leader of the Save-a-Soul organization, visits the mission and explains that she will be forced to close the branch unless they succeed in bringing some sinners to the upcoming revival meeting. Sarah, desperate to save the mission, promises the General "one dozen genuine sinners", implicitly accepting Sky's deal. The gamblers, including a notorious gangster from Chicago named Big Jule, are waiting for Nathan to secure the spot for the game and Lt. Brannigan becomes suspicious. To convince him of their innocence, they tell Brannigan their gathering is Nathan's "surprise bachelor party". This satisfies Brannigan, and Nathan resigns himself to eloping with Adelaide. Adelaide goes home to pack, promising to meet him after her show the next afternoon. The Save-A-Soul Mission band passes by, and Nathan sees that Sarah is not in it; he realizes that he lost the bet and faints.
In a Havana nightclub, Sky buys a drink for himself and a "Cuban milkshake" for Sarah. She doesn't realize that the drink contains Bacardi rum, and she innocently drinks multiple glasses, becoming progressively tipsier. Outside the club, Sarah kisses Sky and proclaims that she is truly enjoying herself for the first time in her life ("If I Were a Bell"). She wants to stay in Havana with Sky. Sky is surprised to find, though, that he truly cares about Sarah's welfare, and he insists that they go back to the airport and return to New York. Back in New York, it is 4:00 a.m., and as Sky and Sarah (now sober) stand in the street outside the mission, Sky explains that this is his favorite time of day, and Sarah is the only woman he's ever wanted to share it with him ("My Time of Day"). They both spontaneously admit that they're in love ("I've Never Been in Love Before"). A siren rings out and gamblers run out of the mission, where Nathan has been holding the crap game. Sarah assumes that Sky took her to Havana and pretended to be in love with her just so Nathan could use the mission for the game, rejecting his protests of innocence.
=== Act II ===
The next evening, Adelaide performs her act at the Hot Box ("Take Back Your Mink"). Nathan doesn't show up for the elopement because he's still running the crap game. She soon realizes that Nathan has stood her up again and turns to her book for comfort ("Adelaide's Second Lament").
Sarah admits to Arvide Abernathy, who is her grandfather and fellow mission worker, that she loves Sky but will never see him again because she believes he is responsible for the previous night's crap game. Abernathy expresses his faith in Sky's inherent goodness and urges Sarah to follow her heart ("More I Cannot Wish You"). Sky tells Sarah he intends to deliver the dozen genuine sinners for the revival. She doesn't believe him and walks off, but Arvide subtly encourages him.
Nicely shows Sky where the game is being held: the sewer ("Crapshooters Dance"). Big Jule has lost a large amount of cash and insists on playing on credit. To change his luck he uses his own dice which are blank and proceeds to cheat Nathan out of all of his money. Sky then arrives with Nicely. Big Jule isn't impressed in the slightest but Sky responds by punching him out. He then gives Nathan $1,000, saying that Nathan won the bet and implying that Sarah refused to go to Havana with him. Sky, determined to get the dozen sinners he promised Sarah, bets every man at the game a thousand dollars against their souls. If he loses, everyone gets a thousand dollars each, but if he wins, they must all attend the revival at the mission ("Luck Be a Lady"). He tosses the dice. The gamblers head towards the mission, and it is clear that Sky has won his bet. On his way there, Nathan runs into Adelaide and tells her that he has to attend the prayer meeting. Adelaide does not believe him. She asks herself why she keeps putting up with Nathan's lies, and he tells her that he loves her ("Sue Me").
Sky and the gamblers arrive at the mission, much to Sarah's surprise. General Cartwright asks if anyone wishes to give testimony to their sins. Benny and Big Jule testify but another gambler named Harry The Horse lets slip that Sky only got them to the meeting because he won their souls in a dice game. The General is very pleased by this as it shows that good can come out of evil. Attempting to appear contrite, Nicely invents a dream which encouraged him to repent, and the gamblers join in with revivalist fervor ("Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat"). Brannigan arrives and threatens to arrest everyone for the crap game in the Mission, but Sarah clears them, saying that none of the gamblers were at the mission the previous night. After Brannigan leaves, Nathan gives testimony and confesses that they held the crap game in the mission. He also confesses the bet he made with Sky about taking Sarah to Havana. He adds that he won the bet, to Sarah's shock, and she realizes that Sky wanted to protect her reputation and must genuinely care about her.
Sarah and Adelaide run into each other, and they commiserate and then resolve to marry their men anyway and reform them later ("Marry the Man Today"). Several weeks later, Nathan has opened a newsstand. Sky and Sarah have just been married, and Sky is playing the drum in the mission band. Adelaide and Nathan are about to get married at the mission, and Sky tells Nathan he'll lay eight to ten odds that he will be very happy. The title song is reprised ("Guys and Dolls" (Finale/Reprise). | psychological | train | wikipedia | The acting is impeccable, and what's more, almost believable (for a musical at least), the singing is pretty decent (well, Marlon Brando is another story, but I'll get to that) and the whole thing is just so amusing and entertaining that you'll be singing the tunes and quoting the lines long after you've finished watching it.
Critics and viewers seem to sometimes have a difficult time with taking the film too seriously, by this I mean that a) Marlon Brando was not cast because of his singing voice (which was admittedly not good, but bearable), I like to think it was because he had irresistible charm, b) the whole premise is so unbelievable, to which I say, "name me a musical that IS wholly believable", and c) the movie moves too slowly, which is patently absurd, unless one does not have a taste for the slower pace of old movies and long, well articulated dance numbers, and romantic love scenes.
As far as the casting of Marlon Brando, otherwise not known for his singing abilities, Frank Sinatra and Jean Simmons, seem to work in the film.
Meanwhile Nathan Detroit must juggle his long-suffering fiancée Adelaide with trying to find a spot for a craps game which will make him rich if it doesn't alienate his fiancée forever first.The film started life as a series of short stories by Damon Runyon: that's his unique dialogue you hear, and those are his great character names, and that's his horse-racing/nightclub/late night gambling world.
Fortunately the music is so great, I don't care that much.My absolute favourite thing about this film, though, is the singing and acting of the two non-singers, Brando (as Sky) and Jean Simmons (as Sargeant Sarah Brown).
Along with South Pacific, Guys and Dolls is for grown-ups - - it is sassy, sexy, and full of men being men and women being strung along.There is an energy and drive that makes this stand out from the pack - the strength of Jean Simmond's performance, and the charm of a young Brando, and an already masterful Sinatra add much to the overall feel and look of the piece.Guys and Dolls wins as it is unashamedly what it is: an MGM musical.Still good to look at and listen too with great tunes and dance numbers - it will remain one of the classics of 20th Century cinema and be watched with pleasure for years to come.Warmly recommended..
Sheldon Leonard, who would go on to fame as TV producer of such shows as The Danny Thomas Show and The Dick Van Dyke Show does "Harry The Horse" wonders, B.S.Pulley is excellent as the harsh mannered and rough talking "Big Julie", and even Regis Toomey offers his excellence as "Brother Arvide".It is one of the fun musicals to see, good comedy, and you get Sinatra and Brando.
Now Sky has to convince the gamblers and gangsters that arrived in New York to the crap game that they should go to the mission to help Sarah."Guys and Dolls" is a delightful musical version of a Broadway successful play with Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra and Jean Simmons and directed by Joseph L.
Marlon Brando dances and sings and the number in Havana with Jean Simmons if one of the funniest moments of this movie.
Of course Nathan's life is also complicated by his 14 year long engagement to Adelaide of the Hot Box Revue.Considering the resentments that festered between Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra who played Sky and Nathan, I can't believe this film got made at all.
Proof of that can be found on Guys and Dolls cast album that Sinatra did for his Reprise record label in the early sixties where he shows what he could do with the Masterson songs.Still Brando is not great, but not bad as a singer and Frank Loesser did write the Adelaide song for Sinatra for the film.
Even worse, it lacks the razzmatazz that you come to expect from a Hollywood musical during the golden era.There's little to dislike in the pairing of Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra, but to be fair these two don't get much screen time.
It doesn't help that the songs aren't all that memorable, either, with the exception of the climactic "luck be a lady" number, which is the sole moment when GUYS AND DOLLS feels like a "proper" musical.
My only disappointment was that some of the original songs were changed.It's true that Frank Sinatra does not get a chance to sing as much in this movie but it's also nice that it's not just another Frank Sinatra movie where it's mostly him doing the singing.I actually thought it was better to use Marlon Brando's own voice as he has the voice that fits and I could not see someone with this great voice pulling off the gangster feel of his voice.Stubby Kaye's "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat" is a foot-tappin', sing-a-long that I just love.
He is a hard act to follow with his version and I still like his the best.Vivian Blaine is just excellent in this part and "Adelaide's Lament" is my favorite of her songs.I really thought Jean Simmons was perfect for this part.
Then they badly miscast Marlon Brando in the lead (his one great moment in the film is when he delivers the line, "Dad, I've got cider in my ear!") and tampered with the ending, in effect eliminating the final punchline of the show.But what makes "Guys And Dolls" ultimately different from other Broadways shows mucked up by the movies is that the parts that are great elevate the film so much that you can be charitable for the mistakes made.
It's much more effective for Sarah Brown to sing about the way she feels when she realizes she's in love with Sky than for her to say, "If I were a bell I'd want to ring right now." Adelaide says so much more in her musical lament than she ever could with a speech about her long engagement to Nathan causing her cold-like symptoms.
Too bad that a musical like "Guys And Dolls" can't be enjoyed for what it is -- a fun adaptation of Damon Runyon with a wonderful score, not ever to be taken too seriously..
Likewise, Jean Simmons does pretty well for herself, acting-wise, and it's a delight to watch her let go in the "Havana" dance sequence, and she even sings "I'll Know" more or less well, but let's not get into "If I Were a Bell." Still, even if these two aren't exactly world-class singers, they really embody their roles, so it's hard not to forgive them.
He almost wants to remind us it's a musical and not supposed to be reality, what with those bright and highly stylized sets by Oliver Smith (who I believe designed the original broadway sets as well), but yet almost everyone plays their roles completely straight and as realistically as possible, which adds an edge to the film that takes much of the great fun of the stage production away.
Guys and Dolls is a famous musical and this version casts a great actor but unfortunately not one known for his singing and dancing abilities.
It was probably regarded as avantgarde and hip at that time, although a few moves were copied many years later by Micheal Jackson in his Smooth Criminal video.Vivian Blaine, Johnny Silver and Stubby Kaye were in the original Broadway play and its shows in their performance in contrast with Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando.
Even Jean Simmons who looks beautiful was not that great at the singing and I doubt she was that much stretched with the acting in my opinion.As for the songs Guys and Dolls has a few signature and now famous songs, but there is also a lot of forgettable filler songs that seems to have always plagued musicals.Ironically its the casting of Brando that drew me to this version and it is his acting that kept me watching..
Her idealistic and sexually-repressed Sarah comes out of her shell following an alcohol binge in Havana, letting loose with an adorably playful rendition of "If I Were A Bell." Even though both Simmons and Brando were non-singers, producer Sam Goldwyn decided not to dub their vocals, contending that "maybe you don't sound so good, but at least it's you." Despite Goldwyn's backhanded confidence, the pair both do well to carry entire musical numbers themselves.
(For a good example of movie musical film-making, check out Meet Me in St. Louis Minnelli's masterpiece of camera usage and the mise-en-scene).You can certainly argue that I had a predisposition against Guys and Dolls to begin with and that explains my negativity.
The famous musical numbers in this award-winning Broadway smash include "Fugue For Tinhorns", "Guys and Dolls", "Luck Be a Lady", "I'll Know", "A Person Could Develop a Cold", and "The Oldest Established Permnanet Floating Crap Game in New York!".
He is equally adept at getting fine dialogue acting and directing such huge numbers as "Luck Be Lady", the varied and challenging brawl section, the Havana "A Woman in Love" section created for the film that precedes it, the presenting of the title song "Guys and Dolls" and "Pet Me, Poppa" set in the club where Blaine works.
As it is, MARLON BRANDO was chosen to play Sky Masterson, he with a less than average way of belting out a tune--and prim JEAN SIMMONS plays the pretty Salvation Army miss in bland style (until the Havana nightclub scene) with her own unimpressive singing voice.
And, of course, FRANK SINATRA, as Nathan Detroit (too bad he's not the one who gets to sing "Luck Be A Lady") is equally at home with Runyon's style.But it's a musical about floating crap games that must have worked much better on the stage.
Mankiewicz adapted and directed this lavish screen-version of the long-running Broadway hit musical, retaining much of Frank Loesser's fine score in a romantic Damon Runyon story about two gamblers in New York, one trying to stay ahead of the cops and the other trying to stay ahead of a female missionary with the Salvation Army.
He bets Masterson $1,000 that he can't take missionary Sarah Brown (Jean Simmons) to Havana with him the next day.Guys and Dolls is basically nothing more than unsavory types singing and dancing, which usually, as it does here, add up to fun.
Vivian Blaine still stops the show with "Adelaide's Lament" and Stubby Kaye still brings down the house with "Sit Down, You're Rockin the Boat"; however, as someone who has appeared in three different stage productions of the play, this film is not even close to a proper rendition of this story for the big screen and I would love to see it remade.
Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra HATED each other while doing this film and in the years following it.Brando asked Sinatra for some singing lessons,but Sinatra (who was already upset over the fact that he was cast as Nathan Detroit,when he wanted the part of Skye Masterson)wanted to be the star singer in the production and didn't want any one to be better than he was.He told Brando to get lost,so to get back at him Marlon kept screwing up the scene in the diner where Sinatra was eating cheesecake so that he would have to keep eating,eating and eating.In the later years,Sinatra gave Brando the nickname "Mumbles" or "Mr.Mumbles" because of the way he talks..
Another surprise comes by watching Marlon Brando singing more musical numbers than Frank Sinatra.
You've seen that story a hundred times, but with singing and dancing, set in the 1940s, and played out in the style of old-fashioned gangsters, it's incomparable.Sometimes, in the transfer of a stage-to-screen musical, the timing of the lines feels slow, as if the actors are waiting for the audience to laugh.
It's so adorable.Guys and Dolls was the first Marlon Brando movie I ever saw, and it was years until I saw him in anything else, so I didn't quite understand how shocking it was for him to sing and dance in a musical.
My pick would have been Robert Mitchum, who played with Jean Simmons in three other movies, who had a very nice singing voice, tons of charisma, and perfected the art of bad boy.Frank Sinatra plays the second lead, but since he was given a couple of extra songs, he pretty much shares equal screen time with Marlon Brando.
In the film, he's the one who bets Marlon Brando to woo Jean Simmons, and while he makes such a reckless bet, the rest of his character is hen-pecked, stressed out, tired, but still charming and adorable.If you like the famous songs that came out of Guys and Dolls, like "Luck be a Lady", "Guys and Dolls", and "Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat", or if you like stylized period pieces where everyone speaks without contractions, or if you like Brando or Frankie, or if you like the scripts in musicals to be as entertaining as the songs, or if you want to laugh, or swoon, or sing along, or if you're looking for a new favorite musical, buy a copy of Guys and Dolls.
Guys and Dolls (1955) *** (out of 4) Sky Masterson (Marlon Brando) makes a bet with Nathan Detroit (Frank Sinatra) that he can sweep a missionary woman (Jean Simmons) off her feet.
While Sky works his magic on the woman, Nathan must try and find a new place to hold a large gambling ring.GUYS AND DOLLS will always be a hotly debated film because of the casting of Brando.
Vivian Blaine is also quite charming in her supporting role as Sinatra's fiancé for fourteen years.The cinematography is quite good and the musical numbers are well-staged and performed.
Instead I will seek out theatrical productions for the stage version.On the plus side Jean Simmons one of my favorites is wonderful, Marlon Brando very winning as Sky. Too bad the world of film did not see Stubby sing the songs he created on stage.
Not all the songs entirely click, and a little of the dialog feels like it's being performed for the stage as opposed to film (it's hard to tell at times- Brando and Sinatra straddle the line so often that one has to watch carefully to tell when one plays for the camera or for the "stage", while the actress playing Adele is better for stage than screen).The plot is one of those winners that works well for its period, even if one wonders if its influence has stretched to the likes of 1999's She's All That (well, not quite, but close).
With a theatrical look throughout, Guys and Dolls isn't a great film musical but certainly a very good one..
He has been engaged to Vivian Blaine for 14 years and she loathes his gambling habit.In a real change of pace, Sky Masterson was played by Marlon Brando who actually did his own singing here!The film is saved by superlative choreography.
Although in all fairness, I would probably still like the film production better because of my general adoration of both Brando (for his acting) and Sinatra (for his voice, although he is quite the actor as well, see The Manchurian Candidate or From Here to Eternity.)As for some of the other reviewers' statements about the songs, I have the Broadway soundtrack and though Isabel Bingley's voice outshines that of Jean Simmons, it is not more pleasant.
I have to disagree with Sue Lee comments on this movie - I think that Jean Simmons and Marlon Brando did extraordinary work in this film.
Frank Loesser's spirited Broadway musical, "Guys and Dolls," was given a serviceable presentation for the screen version.In a most unusual piece of casting, Marlon Brando took on the singing-acting role of Sky Masterson.
They made a good choice for the main characters,like Marlon Brando,Frank Sinatra,& Jean Simmons,also Stubby Kaye.
Part of the blame has to go to the leads, just about all of whom are miscast: Marlon Brando looks bewildered as to why he's in a musical, Frank Sinatra plays way too nice a guy and has none of the edge which makes him so essential (the songs are not tailored to his style) and Jean Simmons barely registers the way a Shirley Jones might.
In Damon Runyon's New York City, high stakes gambler Marlon Brando (as Sky Masterson) bets he can bag any woman, so floating crap game shooter Frank Sinatra (as Nathan Detroit) challenges him to take prudish missionary Jean Simmons (as Sarah Brown) on a cruise to Havana.
Mankiewicz ~ Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra, Jean Simmons, Vivian Blaine.
Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra and Jean Simmons are the headliners of "Guys and Dolls," but they aren't why I like it so much (I have a fancy DVD of it).
Frank Sinatra gives a charming and convincing performance as Nathan Detroit, a New York hood enamored both of gambling and of his long-suffering fiancé of 14-years, Adelaide (Vivian Blaine--superb!).One of the amusing insights into the making of this film is that Brando originally didn't want to play Sky Masterson, but the director (Joseph Mankiewicz) convinced him by saying "I understand you're apprehensive because you've never done a musical comedy.
Second of all, I had always dreaded the musical numbers with Marlon Brando & Jean Simmons in the movie version.
"Guys and Dolls" is a high water mark in American movies with great performances from Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra, and Jean Simmons.
Nathan doesn't have to be a singer; he does have to have comic timing.I'd have cast Robert Mitchum (who could actually sing) as Sky Masterson and Phil Silvers as Nathan Detroit.Jean Simmons was fine as Sarah and Vivian Blaine was great as Adelaide..
The movie version of the Broadway show has the illogical casting of Marlon Brando in the singing lead of Sky Masterson, but it's also the only pairing of Brando and Frank Sinatra. |
tt0112830 | Deadly Sins | Eleven girls have disappeared from an Eau Claire, Wisconsin Catholic school in the last five years. When one of them, an orphaned outsider named Gwendolyn (Telek), is found dead, hanged at the church bells, Seattleite deputy sheriff Jack Gates (Keith) is assigned to the task to the mystery. When he arrives, he is upset to find out that the unexperienced Doc (Mulligan) has already claimed to have examined the body and that the body has already been removed. Mother Superior (Perry) assigns her secretary, and the school's history teacher, nun Cristina Herrera (Milano) to help Jack with the case. Jack is especially interested in a stolen cross that was also reported along with the death. Through one of the students, Beth (Clark) - a popular student who bullies Polly (Collins) - Jack learns that the school keeps the spirit of Mother Bernadette, the former mother superior, alive. Mother Bernadette has her own - locked from the outside - sanctuary and the students are taught that she is always with them.
That night, Beth sneaks out to have sex with delivery boy Eric (Bacic). Meanwhile, student Suzy Carroll (Copping) is being chased and murdered by an unknown person. The following morning, Jack learns from Doc that Gwen did not commit suicide, but was murdered: there was a cross sign carved in her stomach after her death. Doc thinks that Gwen was being punished for being four months pregnant at the time of her death. Jack is next informed that Suzy has disappeared, and that this has happened before at the school. He gets mad at Mother Superior for not having informed him earlier, but she explains that she did not bother, because all the girls were of age, and were probably eloping. Meanwhile, in class, Beth accuses her teacher Gray (Hanlon) of having impregnated Gwen; Headmaster Gray responds by revealing that he knows about her affair with Eric.
The following night, Marie (Lenhart) is chased by an unknown person near the graveyard. She is saved by Jack, and claims that a woman has touched her. She tries to kiss him, but Jack holds his distance, as does he with Rita (Bates), a waitress of a nearby bar whom he befriended. The next day, Cristina shares her doubt in the integrity of some of the staff with Jack: she finds it strange that Father Anthony graduated top of his class at Harvard, and is now teaching at the small Catholic school; Mother Superior supposedly killed her husband in the past; and Emily (Warn-Pegg) - the school's cook - gave birth to a stillborn child. She is unable to find out, however, why Headmaster Gray left his previous school eight years earlier. Jack has recently found out that Headmaster Gray, previously known as Marc Anthony, was arrested in Webster, Illinois for having sex with one of his students; the charges were later dropped.
The girls, meanwhile, fear that they might be the next to disappear. Nevertheless, Beth sneaks out to meet with Eric, but he is stabbed to death by a person dressed in white. Beth is chased as well, but escapes; she later claims to have witnessed the presence of Mother Bernadette. Jack then confronts Gray with his record, and then finds sex tapes of the missing girls and Beth among Gray's stuff. He concludes that Gray is the killer, but Gray kills himself before an arrest can be made. Jack celebrates having solved the case with Cristina, who reveals herself not as a nun, but as a private investigator hired by the church. They end up having sex that night.
When Marie is reported missing, Jack and Cristina realize that Gray was not the killer. Cristina concludes that all the girls murdered were good girls and that the murderer must have learned of their innocence through the confessional. Cristina finds a secret tunnel behind the confessional, and is knocked unconscious by the murderer. Jack tries to rescue her, but is stabbed in the stomach by the murderer, who has revealed herself as Emily. Cristina eventually rescues Jack by stabbing Emily to death with a cross. They escape the tunnel and later conclude that Gwen killed herself all along, because she was the only girl who had a sin and thus could not have been a victim of Emily. | murder | train | wikipedia | Wonderful music and cinematography, good plot.
I really liked this thriller very much.
The actors are sympathic and good, the plot is thrilling and the settings are beautiful, as is the excellent photography.
I especially liked the music of this film, it's incredible!.
Mediocre slasher with bad plot and acting, but above average cinematography and locations..
Catholic schoolgirls are being murdered, but by whom?
A very standard slasher with sometimes hilarious bad acting and a ridiculous plot.
To make it even worse it is not trashy enough: during the numerous sex scenes the actresses keep on their bras (or are only filmed from the back) and all brutal murders take place off-screen.
The only good things about this film are the locations and the above average cinematography..
Excellent movie for the mystery lovers.....
I only just recently discovered this movie and was glad I did.
It is an excellent movie of mystery and intrigue.
David Keith and Alyssa Milano where both excellent in their respective roles.
The movie gives a little insight of what may be going on behind the walls of a Catholic school.
Plays well on what we have all seen in the 'clicks' of any school be it public or private; The cool crowd and not so cool.
But it is played in well with the concept of the movie and the mystery behind the murders.
I spent most of my time trying to figure out who dun it.
Which to me is a sign of a great mystery.
The BC scenery adds a certain magic to the mystery as well.
It was well written and well acted.
I recommend this to anyone who loves a mystery..
Detective David Keith, Sister Alyssa Milano and a lot of sinful Catholic schoolgirls.
This has many things I like in a movie--a Catholic school setting with a lot of improbably mature-looking, leggy, and big-breasted Catholic schoolgirls doffing their uniforms at every opportunity, a former clean-cut TV star (Alyssa Milano) trying on an "adult" role, and, of course, David Keith as a laconic detective.The plot involves a series of murders at an isolated Catholic girls' school.
David Keith is investigating.
Milano plays a novice nun/secretary who helps him out.
In between the murders there are a plethora of sex scenes--straight sex scenes, lesbian sex scenes, teacher-student sex scenes, David Keith-Alyssa Milano sex scenes.
This isn't perhaps as racy as most erotic thrillers of 90's, but it's better acted, more competently made, and certainly more interesting.
David Keith is great in this and it's hard to believe he largely vanished after this role (and before he could finally get together with Keith David and do a black-and-white buddy cop comedy).
Milano was much more undraped and sexy in "Embrace of the Vampire" and "Poison Ivy 2", but she does a better ACTING job here, not being entirely unconvincing as a novice nun (who may not actually be a nun).There's also a good supporting cast including Terry Mulligan as the local veterinarian/coroner and Peter Hanlon as a creepy headmaster taking sexual advantage of his nubile students (although it's kinda hard to blame him when you see the actresses playing the "students").
I didn't recognize any of the younger supporting actresses, but being somewhat of an authority in the matter, I have to say that along with "Little Witches" this is probably the sexiest Catholic schoolgirl movie of the 90's (a genre that has regrettably vanished in the more politically correct new millennium).
Recommended..
Unholy Desires leading to sins.
The movies which are low on story line & acting but high on meaningless violence & sex may turn off many people, who like good & decent movies.
But here we are not talking about those people.
A low budget thriller which often fall in B-category movies are constrained by resources.
So whenever you plan to watch these kinds of movies, just keep your expectations low then surely you will enjoy these movies.
So Deadly Sins falls in above mentioned category only.
It has limited release & lack of publicity due to which many of you might have missed this one.
So here the plot is : Girls in the catholic church are getting disappeared or killed continuously in small county.
Nobody seemed responsible or being interested to whatever happened to those girls until a new sheriff steps in with the determination to find out the truth.
Nothing more to mention except that Alyssa Milano as always looked very beautiful in this movie..
Girls in Trouble.
***SPOILERS*** Standered slasher movie that has the new deputy in town, or in in this case on the island, Jack Gales, David Keith,confronted with not just the suspected suicide of a local Catholic school girl Gwen, April Telek, but the disappearance of some dozen other Catholic school girl students over the last ten years from the same school!Jack trying to get a handle on what's happening is stymied by the Mother Superior, Pamela Perry, who want's to keep what's going on in her school under wraps and from the public.
It's as if she's's hiding the real reason for all these mysterious incidents involving runaway as well as dead students in her school.
It's later that Jack together with the Mother Superior's assistant soon to be nun Cristina Herrera, Alyssa Milano, uncover the truth about what's really behind all these disappearances as well as Gwen's suicide.
This happens only after a number of other persons including student Suzy, Jennifer Copping,and the island's handsome and horny delivery boy Eric, Steve Bacic, end up becoming the unknown and unseen killers next victims.***Spoiler from this point onwards*** Were given a number of suspects to who's behind all these ritual-like murders which turned out to be false leads resulting in the tragic suicide of the Catholic School's somewhat creepy Headmaster Mr. Gray, Peter Harlon.
Jack together with Cristnia soon realize that with the sole exception of Gwen all the murdered and missing students had gone to confession and it was their confessions to sins that they committed that lead, as it later turned out, to their brutal murders!The killer for once, in a made for TV suspense movie, came as a real surprise coming out of almost nowhere and then having it out with both Jack and Cristina who, like the audience, never saw him coming.
The real reasons behind all this murder and carnage in the movie turned out to be a false sense of rightness on the part of the demented and crusade, in stomping out all the evil in he school, minded religious psycho.
Mentally deranged and totally obsessed with his, or her, own sense of doing GOD's work the killer in fact was doing the work of the Devil instead.
This was later reviled in what the killer, besides murdering, did to the victims of his ten year long rampage. |
tt0102848 | Scanners II: The New Order | During one of his classes, a young veterinarian intern named David Kellum (David Hewlett) discovers that he has mental abilities to read and control minds of others. When he moves from his country home to the city to continue his studies, he finds difficulty in controlling himself: the congestion of many minds and the ability to hear voices overwhelm him.
He stumbles across a store robbery and kills the gunman with his mind. Police Commander John Forrester watches the store's security tape and plans to enlist David to work for him. He tells David that he knows what he is: a Scanner. And, there are others like him around the world. He asks for David's help in tracking down elusive criminals and David agrees.
After capturing a man who put strychnine in milk containers throughout the city, Forrester introduces David to Peter Drak, another Scanner who also works for him. Drak proves to be more aggressive when it comes to using his powers. Forrester teaches David techniques by using Drak as a test subject. Drak considers Kellum an enemy but is injected with the drug Eph2, a variant of Ephemerol. It calms him down before he could harm David.
The drug Ephemerol was what originally created Scanners. It was administered to ease expecting mother's discomfort in the 50's. Its side effect caused babies to develop into Scanners. Forrester tells David that although Eph2 manages to calm a Scanner's mind, the drug is addictive and that he should never use it. Forrester encourages him to develop and control his mental abilities on his own.
David feels he has accomplished something by helping with law enforcement. His feeling changes when Forrester orders him to control the mayor and have her announce Forrester as the next Chief of Police. Forrester reassures him that it is the best choice for everyone and together they can stop all crimes. David, feeling guilty, disagrees and questions Forrester's agenda. He explains to the mayor how he forced her to appoint Forrester and apologizes. They then plan a way to remove Forrester from office. David tells Forrester that he is quitting, so Forrester has Drak attack David and kill the mayor before she can react. David escapes and hides at his parents's home.
He asks his parents about his abilities, and they tell him that he was adopted. They explain that his birth parents were Cameron Vale and Kim Obrist (Stephen Lack and Jennifer O'Neill, respectively, from the first film Scanners). Vale and Obrist told them about his abilities and that he was in danger. They took David in as their own. David needs to go for a walk but while he is gone, Drak and his accomplices kill David's mother and leave David's father for dead. When David returns, his father tells him about his older sister, Julie Vale. He leaves his father with paramedics and begin searching for his sister.
He finds Julie in a secluded cabin. She confirms who she is and explains that their parents were killed by Forrester for resisting him. She also states that her former boyfriend Walter agreed to test the earlier version of Ephemerol and was one of the first Scanner to use the drug, a more unstable version. Walter was kidnapped by Forrester and never seen again. Julie agrees to help David.
Together they go to Forrester's secret compound and discover that Walter is alive and is one of the test subjects with addiction in Eph2. Julie and David disable the perimeter guards. But, once inside, Julie is tranqilized by a dart. David leaves her behind to destroy the research and free the test subject Scanners.
Drak attacks David in the test subject quarters. Drak almost succeeds in killing him, but is stopped by a combined attack by all test subjects, which drains away Drak's life force. This reverses the physical damage all addicted Scanners were suffering from, as well as David's injuries from Drak's attack.
Forrester arrives on the scene, in response to David and Julie's assault. Television news reporters and camera crews also show up. He denies the existence of Scanners and his connection to the mayor's death. With his power, David forces Forrester to admit his involvement and motivation before camera. Afterward, Forrester grabs a gun and tries to shoot David, but David and Julie deform Forrester with telekinesis: everything was caught on tape. David then announces that Scanners mean no harm and wish to live in peace. | paranormal, violence, murder | train | wikipedia | Yeah sure the connection to the first Scanners was kinda cheesy in execution, but this film is alot faster in pace and has more action than the very slow paced Scanners.
Overall Scanners II has good cinematography and a clever little story of world domination to entertain fans as well as the casual viewer.
I have always love the film Scanners and have always loved David Cronenberg, but after Deadringers, I always felt he started to go downhill from a wonderful ride in the horror genre.
Scanners was one of his best in his early period, when he was working from original screenplays and wasn't in an adaptation funk at all (ie., Naked Lunch, M.
So when I saw this sequel when it first came out, I didn't think it would be as good as it is.I'll spare you the plotline since you've undoubtably have read the other reviews, but I will comment on the films structure.
It works surprisingly well considering the original didn't leave much for a sequel like this one.
If one were to truly look at the first film for a sequel, the likely route would have been to have the main characters be on the run from the secret corporate organizations (a plotline used in Firestarter) which could lead to a very boring and predictable outcome.
But this film was made ten years later and the plotline ideas can have new twists and it is this factor that makes this film a success.The opening ropes you in by the way it mimics the opening to the original--homeless, drifting Scanner losses mind in public and gets corralled by the guys in shades and trenchcoats.
It further proves the filmmaker's desire to make a good sequel.If you loved the first film, you have to give this one a try.
It's fast-paced, and the "scanner" sequences are well-staged and deliver a good amount of blood and guts..
As sequels usually go, it was utterly fantastic(despite a "cookie cutter" approach to trying to copy certain elements from the original movie verbatum.
Despite this sometimes tedious tendency, it seemed to work in this particular film, so long as the viewer could divorce his attention from comparisons to the original "Scanners").The movie was similar in ways to the "Superman" series, in terms of the main character's description of his early childhood and relationship with his parents (who seemed modelled along the same lines as the Kents in the "Superman" stories) and the theme of a morally pure hero possessed of extraordinary powers from an early age, etc.
These moments occasionally appeared from among all of the great formula-driven schlock and gratuitous sex(uality, in this case, as the sexual elements were tastefully done) and violence that makes B movies (or Shakespearian plays, for that matter!) so much fun to watch!This is a must watch for all comic book, Sci-fi, "remote viewing" enthusiasts, and horror fans!
With the right exposure in the right circles, the film could develop quite a cult following, along with the original "Scanners"..
Nothing can match the brilliance of David Cronenberg's original Scanners, but this first sequel does a good job of coming close.The plot is essentially the same.
Some details are changed here and there, such as the police chief who wants to use scanners to accomplish a radical new shift in local government, and the long lost sister of the nice guy scanner that enables the hero to "possess" a target as opposed to scan him to death.Scanners 2, like the original, has a reputation for being terribly gory.
The final climactic battle is very toned down, and results only in a burned-out corpse shown briefly.The plot does have some references to the protagonists from the original film, but it is not necessary to see the first movie before seeing this one..
'Scanners 2: The New Order' & 'Scanners 3: The Takeover' are more stand-alone interpretations of the themes and scenarios introduced by Cronenberg's 1981 classic than actual sequels.
By all rights, it's no surprise that few have seen these; they are oozing with an early-1990's, straight-to-video feel but, as a couple, there is some genuine weight here and both films definitely have their merits.First of all, what is a 'Scanner'?
Each film builds on these powers, reaching a fever-pitch of suspended disbelief by the third.In 'Scanners 2: The New Order' we are introduced to David Kellum, a mild-mannered veterinary student who's scanning abilities are just surfacing – apparently the result of his moving away from the quiet countryside and to a volatile (and fantastically Canadian) city.
David Kellum is talking date to shop and when they attack by robbers and David duck out the way, then they start shooting and killing, shopkeeper get killed and they are holding his date hostage until David Scanner ability come to action, kill the robbers.John Forrester see the store's security tape and then goes to see David as an employee.
He tells David he is a Scanner, and that there are others like him around the world.He asks David to help him track down criminals who have been unable to arrest, to which David agrees.This is great follow up on the first , it not as GREAT as first but really good sequel.I find the whole movie entertaining, it didn't take long for the movie to grab you in, there were some really great gory and nasty scenes.The deaths scenes were really good, I love deaths scenes in this.The performance from the whole cast was really good.I going this movie 8 out of 10..
the first Scanners may not have been a great movie,but at least it was original.there is no such novelty to this one.the acting is worse,in my opinion,and the story is slower and nothing special.i also didn't like the dialogue.and the special effects are no better than in the original.this is movie is inferior to the first one in all ways.the only thing different about it,is that it is loud and chaotic at times.but that doesn't make a good movie.if they had done something better with the story and made it interesting,this could have been a decent movie.i actually couldn't get through it all without fast forwarding through it.to me,this is a forgettable movie,and not much more.despite all that,there are worse movies.being in a generous mood,i'll give Scanners 2 a 4/10..
Even watching many times Stargate Atlantis l didn't recognize the mastermind character this magnificent series,David Hewlett was so young in this Scanner's sequel that l realize just in final credits,probable David Cronnenberg should be bothered after so low profile and rough production,apart a unknown casting the plot was weak and predicable,the new order which is running are nearly insane to say a few,whatever happens it was an unnecessary burden to carry on,watchable only....and see David Hewlett without noticed!!Resume:First watch: 1992 / How many: 3 / Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 6.25.
Unaware that he is a scanner, a young social misfit is mentored by a police officer to use his psychic abilities to solve crimes in this belated sequel to David Cronenberg's 'Scanners'.
Many plot elements are recycled from Part One, most notably the scanner oblivious to his powers and a battle between a 'good' and 'bad' one, however, the film also takes the concept in refreshing new directions.
His detective work as a scanner is fascinating (even if we only ever really see it in action once); there is a great bit where he uses scanning to stop a store robbery; another scanner controls video arcade machines with his abilities; and at its most touching, our protagonist inadvertently uses his scanning powers to comfort and calm down pet store animals.
The action sequences are solid, the special effects are almost as good as in the original, and while the atmosphere is never the same, the film at least manages to add a lot of extra ideas to the mythology of scanners..
This 1991 sequel to David Cronenberg's 1981 horror hit Scanners went straight to video in the UK, so I was fully expecting the film to be a cheap and cheesy cash-in with few redeeming features.
But while Scanners II: The New Order isn't quite on a par with the original, it's still a very serviceable movie, a respectful follow-up with a decent plot, fine performances, and just enough splatter to satisfy those who, like me, regard the exploding head in the first film to be one of the best make-up effects ever committed to film.David Hewlett stars as 'scanner' David Kellum, whose extraordinary psychic powers enable him to control people's minds and inflict pain/damage on those who threaten him.
With such a special gift, he is quickly recruited by power hungry Commander John Forrester (Yvan Ponton), who wants to use David as a tool in the building of a totalitarian 'new order'.
However, when David realises that Forrester is a fascist dictator in the making, he rebels, pitting him in a desperate battle against Forrester's less idealistic scanners, of which Peter Drak (Raoul Max Trujillo) is the most powerful.Horrible saxophone score aside, there isn't really much to dislike about The New Order: director Christian Duguay keeps things moving along at a reasonable pace, the cinematography is good, there are two juicy exploding noggins (although neither are as shocking as FX genius Dick Smith's handiwork in Cronenberg's movie), and rounding out the cast are Deborah Raffin as David's babelicious older sister Julie, Tom Butler as nasty Doctor Morse, and Isabelle Mejias as David's girlfriend Alice Leonardo.6.5 out of 10, rounded up to 7 for IMDb..
"Scanners II: The New Order" is about as decent a sequel as we could have gotten to David Cronenbergs' "Scanners".
Director Christian Duguay is no Cronenberg, but he's not a slouch either, giving the proceedings a flashy beginning and an acceptable pace.David Hewlett ('Stargate: Atlantis', "Rise of the Planet of the Apes") stars as David Kellum, an ordinary young man who learns that he has "scanning" abilities.
A power crazed police detective named John Forrester (Yvan Ponton), in collaboration with unscrupulous scientists, is determined to corral Scanners like David, corrupt them, and use them to his own advantage.The dialogue isn't always that great, and neither are some of the performances, but there's enough pizazz here to make this an acceptable viewing.
Of course, this being a "Scanners" film, we expect and crave at least one good exploding head shot, and we get it, but we have to wait a pretty long time before that happens.
Raoul Trujillo has more fun than anybody as the wild eyed Peter Drak, who causes the chaos that opens the film.This viewer had a good enough time with this one.
Fans of the Cronenberg original may like it as well.Six out of 10..
I know, from looking at other people's reviews, that there are some who feel that this is an 'okay' sequel to David Cronenberg's classic eighties horror flick 'Scanners.' And, maybe it was...
But, after years of experimenting on boring scanners who no one cares about, he finds lovely, nice scanner 'David' to exploit.
But, luckily for all that is good, David is too nice to be used and sets about ending this corrupt cop's regime before it really starts.Whereas you can watch Star Wars and not be bothered by the 'seventies haircuts' Han and Luke are sporting, here, everything just seems waaaay too eighties (which is doubly ironic as it's made in 1990).But it's not just the look of the film I disliked - it's also the story.
The (seemingly-mandatory) love story is quite unnecessary and forced, plus the characters either under-act or overact (and I'm thinking about the 'bad scanner' when I mention overacting - he's practically a pantomime villain he's that nasty!).
Yes, there's the odd bit of decent gore, but that's a small part of an 1 hour 40 minute film.Maybe this was an okay film in the eighties, or if you've never seen the original, but, if you're looking for dark and nasty horror, stick to the first Scanners - it's head and shoulders over this one..
A scanner discovers a plot by renegade elements in the city government to take power with the help of evil scanners.First of all, there is a weak, unnecessary connection to the first film with the main character being the son of the characters from David Cronenberg's "Scanners".
This is somewhat silly, as the story would be just as good (or bad) if these were just a new generation of scanners with no connection at all.Beyond that, it is not a terrible film.
But some real thought was put into crafting a tale wherein some scanners would be good and others evil while the average human can either choose sides or stay out of the way.
J. Nelson had one prior credit: the Chuck Norris action flick "Lone Wolf McQuade".) The film has its own sequel (though it was concurrently) and another spin off, "Scanner Cop" (with its own sequel).
Great sequel to Cronenberg's sci-fi classic.
Scanners II: The New Order is just as good as David Cronenberg's classic Scanners, Scanners was made in 1980 and Scanners II in 1991 so their's an eleven year gap between the two movies.
Scanners II: The New Order has some other imaginative gory scenes that are done well.
The plot to Scanners II: The New Order is a new take on the series since it has the Scanners being used as a vigilante force for a police chief and a group of scientists until a young Scanner named David Kellum discovers he's being used and decides to get revenge.Scanners II: The New Order is a great sequel to David Cronenberg's sci-fi classic Scanners and should be seen.
Scanners 2 is about some guy who is hired to work for a police commissioner to only find out the commissioner is a corrupt butt rammer and wants to control the city.
It is very action oriented with lots of great and well executed bloody violence featuring head popping and people being flung around.
The story was coherent enough, the pacing was good and the acting was neat.
Not as good as the original (nuuuh) but a worthy sequel regardless..
David Cronenberg's SCANNERS is one of my favourites of his films – it's a rip-roaring B-movie with a great premise, good acting, and genuine horror.
When I sat down to watch the sequel, I had a good idea of what I was getting myself into – an unconnected B-movie in name only, made in 1991 so probably pretty cheesy.
This is a sequel that follows the original film pretty closely but puts a fresh spin on proceedings, and it actually doesn't come off too badly in comparison to the first.
Sure, the director can't hope to match Cronenberg's work, but for the most part this is a pacy, exciting little thriller with some well-staged action scenes.
Raoul Trujillo, playing an evil scanner, goes way over the top but there was something about his crazed, energetic performance that grabs your attention in the same way that Jim Carrey does.
This is a fine little film that puts other B-movies from the era to shame..
Scanners" – if David Cronenberg was a comic-book fan.
David Cronenbergs original, Scanners", was a one of a kind film: it was science fiction, it was horror, an action film, yet, it felt more like a drama, the characters firmly in the centre of attention.
We were able to relate to the Scanners, seeing them as normal human beings, who had super-powers that were at the same time a disease.The sequel takes a slightly different turn: the action- and science fiction elements churned up, it feels more like a "RoboCop"- then a "Scanners"-sequel and the amped-up colour, sound and special-effects give the film a comic book-feel.
A good example is the use of the drug 'Ephemerol': in the original, it's a medicine that has no effect on 'normal' people but temporarily cures the Scanners from the side-effects of their powers; in "Scanners 2" it's a drug that turns Scanners and non-Scanners alike into bald-headed addicts, eventually killing them.In the original film, there's a 'sound' of what the Scanners hear in their heads, permeating almost every scene, fractions of sentences and words, voices and noise; the viewer can relate why the Scanners live a tortured existence.
Here, the 'Scanner-sound' is reduced to a light, vibrating noise that sets in ever time a Scanner uses his powers.Christian Duguay clearly is no David Cronenberg; the director is more at home at the straight-to-video horror and science fiction genre.
Not to say that the director is doing a bad job; within the limits of above mentioned genre it's a very neat movie but, to give you a reference, imagine Wim Wenders "Wings of Desire" being remade by Brad Silverling.As for the acting, most of the performances are B-movie at best, but adequate for a sequel like "Scanners II".
Special mention should go to Raoul Trujillo (decades before he'd play 'Zero Wolf', the monstrous Mayan bounty hunter in "Apocalypto"), who fantastically hams it up as psychopathic Scanner Peter Drak.The gore-factor, one of the trademarks of the "Scanners"-franchise, has been hyped up a notch or two, never reaching the level 'splatter-movie', but often coming close.
However, especially younger viewers should be warned, that this movie comes from a pre-CGI era, relying entirely on special effects, not computer animation, hence, may seem a little rough on eyes used to contemporary CGI.All in all it's an enjoyable little romp but suffers the fate of most remakes: it just doesn't stand the comparison to the original.
If you came for action, exploding heads and the archetypical "Scanner-grimacing", you cannot go wrong with "Scanners 2" – but if you consider the original film a piece of art and hope for a similarly inspired film, you might leave disappointed.8 points for being a 90's video-cheapo of it's own right, 5 as a sequel to an art-film like "Scanners", so I settle for 7 points out of 10..
Just a bad movie.Decent Story.
Just a bad movie.Decent Story. |
tt0140627 | Tomorrow Night | Charles is the misanthropic obsessive-compulsive owner of a photo shop. He lives alone, and at night sexually gratifies himself by sitting in a bowl of ice cream. One day, Charles notices an abundance of photos he has developed that have not been picked up. He begins to call each customer to remind them to pick up their photos. One of these customers is Florence, an elderly woman who is tormented by her gambling-addicted husband Lester. She longs for her son Willie, who joined the army two decades ago but has not returned any of her letters; although in fact, the dim-witted Willie does not realize that he is on the end of a cruel joke played by the Army mail-room workers who have not given him any of his mother's letters over the past twenty years or sent his.
Charles decides to seek companionship; he attempts to date an aggressively sexual prostitute named Lola Vagina but finds her too extroverted. When he realizes that the final two packages of photographs in his store belong to Florence and another mysterious customer who will not pick up their phone, he visits Florence himself to deliver her photographs. After meeting her, Charles is attracted to her extreme cleanliness, and visits her the next day to ask to marry her. Florence, however, explains that her husband will never allow a divorce, but Charles asks to speak with him. That night, Lester finally wins at the dog races, but is attacked and killed by a pack of wild dogs while walking home with his winnings.
Charles and Florence wed. After returning from their honeymoon in Florida, Florence discovers him sitting in ice cream. She is disgusted, but allows him to continue if he agrees to adopt a son with her. They successfully adopt Clean, a teenage African-American delinquent. Shortly after, Willie returns home and joins their family as well. That night, Florence says that she is happier than she has ever been; the next morning, Charles asks for a divorce, but finds that Florence has died. He leaves, and Willie becomes Clean's new father.
He returns to his photo shop, where he finds the last package of photos left by a customer who did not leave his name or address. Charles attempts to call him again, but finds the number is not listed. Finally, he opens the envelope, and finds a series of photographs of random places and people. He comes to a photo of himself inspecting those photos, while the next photo is of his dead body shortly after. The film closes on Charles' terrified eyes, while Lester's laughing and dog growls are heard. | comedy | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0073626 | Revolver | Dorothy Macha (Ray Liotta) is a gang boss involved in illegal gambling all over the city. With the help of three goons, known as "the three Eddies", he controls several games that take place in the underground. On one occasion, just before a big game, Macha loses his card man. With no chances left, Macha asks for help of Jake Green (Jason Statham), a card man with a good reputation underground. When Jake refuses, they harass Jake's brother, Billy (Andrew Howard), and Billy's family to convince Jake to play. He succumbs and plays the game, which he ends up winning. The loser, a high roller named George, insults Jake's mother and Jake responds by shooting him in the foot, igniting a gunfight in which the game's money vanishes.
The police investigation is leading nowhere until Jake's name is mentioned and he is brought in for questioning. Taking precautionary measures, Macha sends the three Eddies to Billy's house where they threaten his niece. Billy's wife reacts poorly in the situation and is accidentally shot. Jake does not give Macha's name to the police to protect Billy and his family and ends up sentenced to prison. He is given a choice to either spend 14 years in general prison population or 7 years in solitary confinement. He chooses the latter.
During his seven-year stint imprisoned in solitary confinement Jake learns of a specific strategy (referred to as "The Formula") that is supposed to lead its user to win every game. The Formula itself was discovered by two unnamed men who inhabited adjacent cells on either side of Jake's own. They are referred to as a chess expert and a con man. During the first five years of his seven-year sentence, the three men communicated their thoughts on confidence tricks and chess moves via messages hidden inside library books, such as The Mathematics of Quantum Mechanics.
The chess expert and the con man plan to leave their cells simultaneously, and promise to take Jake with them. But when they disappear from their cells, they leave Jake behind to serve the remaining two years of his sentence. When Jake is released, he finds that all of his possessions and money have been taken by the two men with whom he had shared everything. Still, he has The Formula, and he goes about making a lot of money at various casinos. Two years later, Jake has garnered a reputation that leads many casinos to fear his freakishly good 'luck', and he is blacklisted by many casinos in fear that he will earn money in them. The Formula applies to any game, and is often exemplified by Jake's apparent mastery of chess. The story revolves around Jake's epiphanic awakening, as he learns how to apply the Formula to the 'game' of life.
Approximately two years after his prison release, Jake, Billy and their other brother Joe walk into one of Macha's casinos. He is recognised and "all the tables are closed" to Jake and company. But Macha promptly calls them up to a private area of his casino where a high rollers' game is currently taking place. Jake bets Macha a fortune on a chip toss, and wins. This hurts Macha. As Jake says "nothing hurts more than humiliation and a little money loss". Macha suspects that Jake, who seems unafraid of him, will be out for more revenge. As Jake and his brothers leave the casino, a man hands Jake a card and tells him that he can help him. Jake, who has a fear of enclosed spaces, decides to take the stairs. In the stairwell he looks at the card and then collapses, falling down the stairs. The card is revealed to read "Take the Elevator". Jake is rushed to the hospital. The doctors report he is very ill but do not disclose why he had the blackout.
Macha puts out an order for a hit on Jake. Jake arrives home, without Billy, to be welcomed by one of Macha's hits. However, on his doorstep there is another card, which says "Pick This Up". As Jake bends to retrieve the card bullets fly over his back. As the shooting continues, the same mysterious individual called Zach (Vincent Pastore) arrives and rescues Jake who is the only person to survive the hit. Zach introduces Jake to his partner, Avi (André Benjamin). They offer him a deal: they will take all of his money and he will do what they say, no questions asked. In exchange, they will protect Jake from Macha. In the course of their proposal, they show Jake his medical file, which they have mysteriously obtained. It indicates that the blackout occurred due to a rare blood disease which will cause his death within three days. Jake suspects a con. The mysterious men later reveal that his money will be used to fund their loan shark enterprise.
Sam Gold is seen to be the 'king' in this chess game of gang warfare. He is the ultimate figure that all men are supposedly aspiring to be. Sam Gold is revealed to be an ultimately powerless cipher, whose power is granted only by those who invest in him. He represents ego and self-investment. He is the personification of greed. It is revealed that Avi and Zach were Jake's "neighbours" during his years of incarceration. They have forced Jake to "induce head pain to engage the enemy" by making him give his money away under the principle that "nothing hurts more than humiliation and a little money loss". They are inflicting this form of 'premature enlightenment' upon Jake because, according to them, he was not ready to hear how hard this process of liberation was going to be while in prison. It was because of this that they left without him.
Avi attempts to get Jake to understand the nature of the ego. He tells Jake "the greatest con that [the ego] ever pulled was making you believe that he is you." This is seen to be the 'ultimate con', in that no-one wants to sever their connection with their ego, because they refuse to challenge their own lifelong investment in it. In the end, Jake also steps off the proverbial chess board by making a conscious effort to reverse everything his ego tells him to do. This is seen to be the truest and most fundamental application of the Formula. The characters of Jake, Zach, Avi and Sorter (Mark Strong) are seen to ultimately reject the ego's 'rules'. The character of Dorothy Macha is seen to succumb to them. | romantic, murder, violence | train | wikipedia | null |
tt1690483 | Ibara no O | King of Thorn is a science fiction survivor drama. After a viral infection known as the Medusa virus lands in Siberia and spreads contagiously throughout Earth, 160 humans are chosen as candidates to experiment a cure against the virus by an organization called Venus Gate. As the story begins, Kasumi is selected as one of the 160 people for the experiment. She is forced to enter treatment and cold sleep without her twin sister Shizuku, whom she cares much about.
48 hours later, however, some of those put in hibernation abruptly woke up, only to find the facility where they were supposed to be treated in a total state of decay, invaded by a lush jungles of trees and especially strange vines covered in thorns, which appear to have something of a mind on their own. Not only that, but the survivors soon discover that the entire ruin is filled with strange, dinosaur-like creatures and other monstrous aberrations of nature. Thinking that a great amount of time passed since their arrival on the island, soon the survivors discover not only that their sleep was indeed too short to label such dramatic changes as natural occurrence, but also that the situation in and of itself is far greater than they could imagine.
=== The Medusa Virus ===
One pivotal role in the series is that covered by the Medusa virus, a mortal disease so named after the Medusa from Greek Mythology, the Gorgon whose eyesight could turn anyone and anything into stone at a mere glance. The virus itself is extremely virulent, infecting its victims' cells and causing seizures while drying up the body, turning the infected into a solid, stone-like corpse.
While perceived as a terrible malady by the world, in reality the Medusa virus is not a virus at all, being a shapeless presence brought to Earth from outer space. It landed in Siberia during a meteor shower, by chance near a young boy and his pet deer, enough to instantly infect both him and his animal. Unknowingly bringing the concentrated thing to his home, he infected his whole family and his sister Alice. She unknowingly uncovered the true nature of Medusa when her imaginary friend, a cat-boy hybrid, came to life by erupting from her back. Terrified by the death of her family and the fact that the newborn creature devoured her brother's deer, she trapped it in her house and set it on fire, thus spreading Medusa all over the world through the fire's smoke.
It was then that the people affiliated with Venus Gate, a religious sect, showed themselves and approached Alice, believing her ability to turn imagination into reality to be a gift from the heavens. Experimenting on her and Medusa, during that time they employed a hacker named Zeus as their security specialist, though in doing so they doomed themselves when he, pursuing his crazy dreams, developed an artificial way to force dreams into suitable hosts and, thus, fabricate mind-created realities at will to accomplish his plan to force the world into a primal survival game to amuse himself. | psychedelic, fantasy | train | wikipedia | Visually impressive with great story.
King of Thorn is a new anime movie based on a short manga series about a new plague called Medusa that infects most of the planet.
It's 100% fatal once you're infected and it turns people to a somewhat fragile stone-like state in its last stage.
In this cataclysmic scenario, a company proposes to put in cryogenic sleep a few hundred people at a Scotland castle facility until a cure is found.
After some preparations and farewells, the chosen (I'm still not sure how they were selected) start hibernating.
One girl wakes up after who knows how long, in the dark with no one else awake and with giant thorn vines everywhere.
A big part of the appeal of this movie is the gripping suspenseful story about a bunch of people trying to survive in an unknown and hostile closed-in environment (the castle) while trying to discover what happened not only to them but outside.
It might seem like just a chase for a while (albeit a good one) but it turns out to be more complex and metaphysical.
The grand mystery is even more fun because the nature of their reality is uncertain.
I was afraid 2 characters looked too much the same at the start but it turns out they were identical twins (not a spoiler : I just didn't catch that early enough)."King of Thorn" combines traditional animation for characters and 3d computer graphics for vehicles, most moving objects and certain creatures.
I think what helps is that the 3d objects seem to be drawn over or cell shaded most of the time so it's really not too jarring (far from Final Fantasy quality though).
The characters are nicely drawn (yet traditional in style) and the action sequences are particularly exciting and dynamic with amazing direction.
The decors are picturesque and/or sinister with of course lots of thorn vines everywhere.
There's also a nice contrast between medieval castle (almost fantasy) look and sci-fi trappings.
I would like to point out one of the last creatures seen (a gigantic green one) that was quite grandiose yet weirdly beautiful (perhaps more so because I did see this in a theater).
This film has a nightmarish Sleeping Beauty castle aesthetic and that fairy tale is important story-wise.
It also has a strong video-game influence in terms of structure and creatures as the young boy accompanying the group keeps reminding us.
I haven't watched a ton of animes (especially the recent ones) but considering my elated reaction, it might deserve to become a new classic.
Interesting, yet ultimately unsatisfying anime experience.
I knew nothing about King of Thorn going in, except that it is a horror anime.
Its story begins to unfold with a sense of dread that is very palpable and unique.
Nothing violent or apocalyptic occurs within the first 30 minutes or so but, without spoiling the story, those 30 minutes are very dreadful in terms of what looms on the horizon for a set of characters that have a mysterious disease.
I remember feeling as emotionally frightened when I read the first third of The Stand, at a younger age, but King of Thorn managed a similar emotional tone without a story of massive, apocalyptic outbreak.
The world of King of Thorn manages keep a tentative handle on the disease that plagues it and the dread comes from the sacrifice that the main characters decide on to find a cure, placing their well being in the care of a questionable corporation and tossing away their lives as they've know them.That is the feeling I had in the first act of this movie.
By the second act things become a bit more conventional.
The second and some of the third act become survival horror in the vein of similar Japanese stories like Resident Evil.
This does not take from the compelling nature of the story and its mystery, but did not feel as rare a story experience as the first act.The third act however, is filled with exposition that is difficult to follow and otherwise loses interest for me.
At one point things become more "anime sci-fi" (a concept I simply cannot explain well), which is not a problem; expect that I didn't feel the story up to that point was building toward it.
It felt less creditable for me.The last 20 minutes, things become very muddled and subplots for the remaining survivors and their true motivations get tangled up in a more and more nonsensical plot.
Things become more fanciful for the sake of animation visuals and sci-fi explanations for such events, if not ignored, seem to be quickly served out.
More interesting, if you can trudge through these problems, is the ultimate twist ending involving the young female protagonist.And my major complaint with King of Thorn, however, is that many action scenes switch from the otherwise traditional 2D anime style, to a cell shaded CGI animation process.
It's 3D computer animation that is processed to look flat and try to mesh with the majority of the rest of the movie's hand drawn style.
No doubt this was a cheaper way for the animation team to create complex action scenes and have more control, but the two styles do not mesh well.
The cell-shaded CGI is not as glossy in color as the 2D animation and also misses many drawing details, like grime and dirt on the characters faces.
Inexperienced anime viewers might not pick up on the switch all the time, but may still feel the action scenes have an odd movement and don't quite sit right..
Ultimately confusing and boring despite a promising start.
This anime feature started well, with a story about a mystery virus that turns people to stone starts sweeping the planet.
A select few are chosen to be put into a cryogenic sleep until a cure can be found.
When they wake up suddenly it seems that years have passed and something terrible has gone wrong.The early scenes were quite good but once they awoke the film steered into a new area, which didn't work as well.
Ideas of dreams and alternate realities abounded and became very confusing as the few survivors try to escape monsters and find their way out of the castle among a sea of massive thorns.
This blend of fiction and fantasy just didn't work for me, using so many ideas and notions left me bored and confused, not entirely sure what was happening or really caring.
I was also annoyed by scenes at the start where none Japanese characters spoke Japanese, with no hint to their native language, it might be a Japanese film, but that seemed a pointless choice.There are some nice animation sequences and some slight humour through the character of the young boy who compares everything that happens to computer games.
However this is one anime film that is not worth the effort..
Starting mass panic in the world.
People in all the cities of the world are dying of unexplained illness , turning into stone statues .
The virus affects all humanity scientists call the term " Medusa " or the abbreviation AC I.
Their project " cryogenic sleep ," the essence of which is to put a few dozen people in the capsule for long-term sleep - can save humanity .
Venue experiment underground laboratory hidden under the old castle .
Among the elected girl Kasumi and arrived with her in order to hold it before a long sleep , her sister Sadzuki .
They lost their parents during World disease , but because they are given a parting hard.
Their personal nobody knows the history of relations largely affect the further course of events .
The experiment takes place and after some time the participants wake up to find himself surrounded by monsters.In the animated anime film " King of Thorn " the authors with amazing fantasy story beat tale " Sleeping Beauty" in the scenery postapocaliptic horror.
In the center of the story a few survivors of the experiment.
Once alone in the battle with the monstrous creatures , they try to find a way out of the past and find out the reasons of the accident.
All laboratory facilities , including an ancient castle itself , orgy spiny tentacles plants , and someone upstairs in the castle tower , watching them , controlling their every move .The gloomy atmosphere and a dizzying events well keep the viewer in suspense .
The film did not reduce the pace , throwing up new heroes of this anime encounters with monsters and unexpected plot twists .
Bored while watching you just do not have .Characters from the authors went out interesting and memorable .
Boy Tim, who constantly compares all monsters and all that happens to a computer game .
Mysterious and picturesque ( not only his character , but also tattooed body ) male Marco Owen .Do not hesitate , if you should watch the movie "King of Thorn " or not.
This is a good intense mystical horror , dynamic fighter and touching drama , imaginatively something in common citations and happening on the screen with many favorite fairy tale.
If one were to be introduced to anime via this film they would either love it or never watch another.
If the viewer is into gore, violence, and a storyline that while ultimately resolved and explained is confusing throughout and way outside the box of "weird", this movie fits the bill.However, if the viewer dislikes decapitations, an English dub that is full of profanity (whereas almost none exists in the original Japanese), or anti-God sentiment, this will be most objectionable.The storyline is somewhat interesting but is so over the top and jump the shark it becomes ludicrous.
While it does have a final plot twist (somewhat predictable) that almost redeems the movie, the resolution of that plot twist and the ultimate resolution of two main characters is more than most audiences can swallow.
Only the most hard-core anime fan will be able to stomach this, and even then we note this doesn't get a high rating.I'll admit I'm a little more demanding in my anime than some, as I am in all movies I choose to watch.
The inexcusable English dub which turns the Japanese drama into foul-mouthed slop makes one wish they'd have used Google Translate on this one.The final scenes are just unbelievable (I won't include any spoilers, but it's way outside the realm of "I'll buy that could happen").
Had I come here and read the reviews and Advisory before watching this I'd have given it a pass..
For an Anime, then "King of Thorn" ("Ibara no O") was actually quite alright.The storyline was interesting and captivating, well at least it was for three-fourths of the movie, right up to the point where the enormous winged Godzilla-like thorn monster rose from the castle, from then on it just went fast downhill."King of Thorn" is about a strange virus, named Medusa, that is fast spreading and causing those infected to become ill and eventually die from petrification.
A selected few, 160 people, have been chosen to be put into sleeping chambers until a cure can be found.
However, those people are abruptly awakened from their slumber to find the facility overgrown with thorny vines and strange monsters are lurking in the hallways.I enjoyed the story, right up to the last quarter of the feature, then it just fell to the floor and became ridiculous.The animation was good and fluid, lots of really nice scenes and lots of action as well.
There is a very dynamic feel to the animation in "King of Thorn", which really works out quite well.
Lots of adrenaline and a constant good flow throughout the story.However, some things did puzzle me with the Anime though.
For starters, just how long were the group of people asleep in this sleeping facility?
And what was up with the monsters, where did they come from?
Don't get me wrong, they were really interesting in design and great to look at, impressive and awesome, but just where did they come from?
And finally, for a technical and medical facility to hold sleeping recipients, the design of the compound was rather strange.
Sure, I can understand the incorporation of the castle, but come on, certain parts were just a bit too much.One of the stronger sides to "King of Thorn" was the characters.
They were really nicely drawn and were full of characteristics and personalities, which was really great, where as it might as well have been the opposite; generic characters that had no personalities.
There is something unique and admirable about all of the individual characters.But again, to put a finger on a crucial point, why were everyone speaking Japanese?
At least have the common sense to have people speak with the proper native language given their nationality.
It was just a minor thing, but still a nuisance factor.In overall, then "King of Thorn" is actually a fair experience, and worth the time to sit down to watch (aside from the last quarter, in my opinion).
The Anime had a great concept idea, good execution from idea to screen, great characters and interesting monsters.
So all in all, well worth a watch if you enjoy Anime in general..
Lovely idea from the beginning and great mystery.
The first 30 minutes of the movie was awesome (have to agree with the others).
The way the audience was being brought into understanding of the emotional conflict going on in Kasumi.
I like how the twins have totally different characteristics but still show strongly how much they love and are willing to sacrifice themselves for each other.
(Heart wrenching moment with the harm that was self-inflicted) it just tugs on my heart strings so much.The middle part of the movie took the audiences' attention away with all the monsters and the survivors' need for survival.
I like the action and suspense and all, but the monsters are a little too robot-like to be conjured up by imagination; I would have preferred it if it's moments were more fluid.
On a personal note, I thought that there could be maybe one to two more species of monsters.
"Demonasaurus" gets boring after a little while.
(No offense, my personal thoughts) When small hints are dropped in the movie, like the staff personnel and Mr Vega, it got me thinking and trying to figure things out.
Love the mystery and suspense.
If there were a little more links while the characters were trying to escape, it would have been wonderful because then the audience might not have gotten lost in the action and forgotten the mystery.
(Which to me is the main part)The last parts of the movie triggered the audience to start thinking and piecing the pieces together.
The sub-plots come in at this part, and it's quite what I would call a "bombardment".
Too many sub-plots makes it hard for me to sieve through the information and solve the mystery.
Though I think that the sub-plots were great as stories(: and they were heart-wrenching too.
Love the addition of these sub-plots but the timing of revelations could've been timed better.A previous review mentioned that there were too many ideas going on and were not fully developed.
When I read that, I started comparing "Inception" to it, trying to understand why Inception had a much better review than this though they were similar in the themes of dreams, reality and human subconscious.
The technical details aside, I understood why the review had mentioned that.
The idea of the scar was presented and turned out to be an object of recognition (love the moment when it was revealed) but the idea of the thorns and much so the "King of Thorns" was not explained.
Why thorns?
Why these type of monsters?
And though I love the way little Tim compared the monsters to the monster games, I couldn't help but wonder if they were actually in a game.
(Hmm, don't know if this is good or bad) and there was this weird moment where Alice took over Tim's mind.
But it was a potential idea to develop because Alice had to protect "the patients" (which could have been more specific and said Kasumi, totally add to the suspense)So in a nutshell, the movie was great(: just a little too saturated with fantastic ideas.
Would definitely recommend people to watch it!
I think "King of Thorns" is one of the best animation movies that I have watch combining fantasy, action and love (sisterly love).
Thing of Korn.
Knowing nothing of the movie, I looked at the box art and thought that this might be an interesting, thoughtful sci-fi/fantasy with dark fairy tale elements.
It's not.It's schlock.A space-born virus is petrifying (literally) the human race so a zillionaire sets up a cryo "ark" deep underneath a Scottish castle to send a handful of lucky randoms to live in a better future.
Of them are Japanese twin sisters Kasumi and Shizuku, who has not been chosen and is only there to see her off.
The sleepers are rudely awakened by horrific creatures (who are apparently CGI and rendered in a lower frame-rate) who tear them apart as they attempt to escape the castle, which has now been infested with thorny vines.It's an intriguing premise up until this point, but then it all begins to fall apart, quickly.
With each attempt at explaining the mystery it becomes more and more moronic.
Horrible dialogue and a muddled, confusing plot turn it into a borderline comedy.
The allusions to Sleeping Beauty are ill-conceived and just don't work.
If anything, this movie is much more like Resident Evil than the thoughtful fantasy I wanted it to be.
An attempt at a plot twist just about saves this from a lower score.It's a Sunday afternoon mild distraction while you do the ironing or the dishes. |
tt0161492 | The Dentist 2 | Dr. Alan Feinstone is in the maximum security mental hospital he was sentenced to at the end of the first film. While talking to the facility's psychiatrist, he remembers the murders he committed in his own mind, while convincing the doctor that it was another man who did those things. His remorseful story distracts her from seeing him pull a sharpened tool that he stitched into his own leg, and he uses her as a hostage to escape the hospital. Alan's wife Brooke is alive despite her missing tongue and inability to speak (She has since had new dental implants put in to replace all the teeth that Alan pulled out in the first film). She hires an investigator to find out where Alan has escaped to, believing that he had been putting away money before he went crazy. Brooke has in her possession some postcards that Alan had left behind, and she believes he is in one of those places.
Alan winds up in the small town of Paradise, Missouri, pretending that he had grown upset at life in the big city. He uses a previously established false identity of Dr. Lawrence "Larry" Caine, and has a bank account where he had been sending the money he skimmed off from his practice to hide from the IRS. The bank officer Mr. Wilkes introduces Alan to his niece Jamie, hoping that she can rent out her small cottage for "Larry" to live in so she could collect money from it.
Jamie, who physically resembles Brooke, becomes a target of Alan’s affections. When he has problems with a cap on one of his teeth, Alan visits the inept town dentist, Dr. Burns, whom he takes an instant disliking to. Alan threatens Dr. Burns with a golf club, causing him to accidentally fall down the stairs to his death. Mr. Wilkes convinces Alan that he should take over as the new dentist for Paradise; Alan soon resumes his murderous ways with a passing tourist (Clint Howard) who accidentally recognizes him from Los Angeles.
As the private detective tracks Alan down to Paradise, Alan learns that Jamie has an admirer named Robbie, who also is the drywall contractor hired to finish his new office. Alan's jealousy causes him to ruin a romantic dinner when it is interrupted by a call from Robbie on her answering machine, despite Jamie's insistence that she only thinks of Robbie as a friend from the third grade. Meanwhile, Bev, a teller at the bank, has doubts about "Larry" and finds out his real identity while researching on the computer.
Bev sets up an appointment to tell him she knows the truth, but when she asks too many questions he realizes that she knows something. He goes behind her and sedates her with nitrous oxide. She finds herself duct taped to the dental chair and cries and begs him to let her go. He puts a mouth clamp in her mouth to keep it open and drills her bottom-right molar tooth to the raw nerve as a "lie detector" to find out who else she has told. If she lied he would take a dental hook and painfully wiggle the tooth he drilled. Robbie comes to install some more drywall, and after Bev screams Robbie goes to check on her. Alan and Robbie get into a fight. Alan kills Robbie with a hatchet and turns back to Bev and re-tapes her to the dental chair. He takes a pair of dental pliers and plays a game of "truth or tooth". He asks her what did she tell Jeremy about Washington but he doesn't believe her then pulls out her left front tooth, then he asks her what she did tell Jamie. He then pulls her left incisor tooth out. Before finishing her off Alan painfully extracts all of her teeth.
Later that night Alan begins to have his obsessive-compulsive visions of germs and decay again after seeing his blood-stained uniform. Suddenly Brooke appears, and begins to seduce him into one of his chairs; just before she can cut his tongue off with a pair of scissors, Jamie knocks her out with an overhead lamp. However, as Jamie is calling the police about Brooke, she spots the bloody hatchet, and opens a closet door to find Robbie's and Bev's maimed corpses.
Alan turns on Jamie and a fight ensues, with him chasing her to an upstairs bathroom and finally overpowering her. He takes her to an unfinished room in the office, which in his mind is spotless, germ-free and pure white, with opera music playing, and picks up an electric drill (which in his mind is a dental drill) and tries to drill her teeth. Jamie escapes and hides, until Brooke has revived and she and Jamie trap Alan in a hallway. Brooke lunges to stab him with a pair of scissors, but Jamie inadvertently hits her over the head with a 2x4, killing her.
Alan finds Jamie hiding behind some drywall, and after banter between the two, Jamie fires a nail gun repeatedly and hits him with numerous nails. Stunned, Alan walks downstairs into the midst of a surprise welcome party being given to him by the people of Paradise. Alan calmly exits out the front door, leaving the townpeople shocked and Jamie to recover herself from what just happened. Alan drives off into the night with numerous nails embedded in his head and shoulders. He begins to pull them out, using one as a toothpick for his cap which was lost in his fights with Jamie and Brooke, and maniacally laughs repeatedly. | violence, suspenseful, cruelty, murder, sadist | train | wikipedia | Debuting on HBO like the first surprise, this is a pretty good sequel that brings that lunatic dentist (Corbin Bernsen) back in business after escaping a mental hospital and hiding in a quiet town, where he murders the dentist around the town because the guy did a poor job at filling one of his teeth in.
Corbin Bernsen is great as the dentist and delivers a lot of good lines.
Between the first and second half, the pace moved a bit slow, but if you liked the first one and can take watching close-ups of teeth being either drilled or yanked out, you should enjoy this strange, campy film..
In 1996 we were introduced to our psychotic dentist played by Corbin Bernsen, a man drove insane by the stresses of his job and catching his wife blowing the pool boy.Two years later he breaks free from the asylum, switches state, changes his name and starts all over again.But before you know it his inner darkside is unleashed and he torments his victims in the way that only he can.This is a slight improvement on the first but still not exactly impressive stuff.
I mean seriously, it's pretty bad.Harmless enough watch for fans of the original but as a franchise its hardly worth the effort especially as part 3 was cancelled.The Good: Direct sequel The Bad: Not the easiest of viewing Things I Learnt From This Movie: I may never go to the dentist again.
Corbin Bernsen returns as the dentist who snapped when his wife had an affair and killed a bunch of people in gruesome fashion.
Our "hero" manages to escape prison and resume life as a dentist in a quiet, unsuspecting suburban town with a police force that makes a soap opera cop look smart.The cast has few notables beyond Bernsen, but his over-the-top performance takes this film to the mediocre yet very bloody and gory heights it aimed at.
What we get is what we expect: to be thrilled, chilled, repulsed, and petrified by the mixture of murder, mayhem, and dental equipment.That we laugh and cheer when the hapless innocents are so deliciously dispatched in films like this is something for the psychs to wonder about, but until they figure it out, I'll be hooting and hollering right along with them.If it didn't have tons of killing and gallons of blood, it would be good clean fun, but instead this movie is just good fun.
Good, gory fun.Enjoy when you have nothing better to do and want to see some torture and killing on screen..
In this sequel to the surprisingly enjoyable 1996 original, Dr. Feinstone (Corbin Bernsen) escapes from a mental institution and heads to small town named Paradise.
As in the original, there are some shocking, gory and repulsive scenes of dental torture that should please gore fans but, alas, the movie's pacing is so slow that it becomes a chore to watch.
The movie also suffers from multiple moments of implausibility, particularly at the very end where the film becomes so abstract and bizarre that one is left to question what was originally established; this is not a good thing.
Without Bernsen's exceptional ability at bringing to life the character of Dr. Feinstone/Caine I'd have to believe that this movie would come off as far worse than it is.
At some points it was almost painful to watch and one wished that Feinstone dispatched his victims much quicker than he actually did.Despite a far more sadistic Feinstone character and some good effects and death scenes, 'The Dentist 2' was relatively dull and retained little of the charm that the original possessed.
For fans of 'The Dentist' (1996) this film is worth watching once, though I think that many will be disappointed.
Actually, I think this sequel is even slightly better than the original (a rare thing to happen in the horror genre).
Sure, there's nothing new about this film, but as I already told you: it's not worse than the first.Dr. Feinstone (Corbin Bernsen) has escaped a mental hospital and continues his work in a small town called 'Paradise' after getting rid of the local dentist.
But soon his itchy drill finger starts to mutilate his patients in another series of disgustingly elaborate drill & kill scenes.Again, Corbin Bernsen does an excellent job as the psycho-dentist.
Yeah I know, I like watching bad movies, I think they're pretty funny, and when they have gore, I find it even better, because I love gore.
This film had, in the line of what bad movie lovers enjoy, some stupid one-liners, a psycho schizophreniac dentist, some quite sadistic acts of violence (against an idiot fat lady, and many other characters played by so-so actors), a weird and lame ending, a pretty stupid scenario, and some pretty gruesome sequences of dental torture.
This film is directed by Brian Yuzna, who also brought us "The Dentist", "Faust:Love of The Damned", "Return of the Living Dead 3", and "Progeny".
Corbin Bernsen is not that bad as the insane dentist, but the rest of the cast is pretty bad.
After escaping from a mental institution, Dr. Allen Feinstone (Corbin Bernsen) moves on to the small Midwestern town of Paradise and becomes Dr. Lawrence Caine.
Unsuccessfully trying to fight off personal demons and homicidal thoughts, the deranged doctor finally snaps, kills the town's only dentist and takes over his business, which results in several gory murders.
Meanwhile his ex-wife Brooke (Linda Hoffman, returning from the original) is out for revenge.This direct-to-video sequel manages to out repulse the previous entry with lots of gory close-ups of teeth being yanked out or chewed up with a drill, needles going into skin, cut out tongues and more.
My friend had told me about this movie and how much it grossed her out with the opening scene, and I was in the mood for a good gory flick.
I actually in some sick way enjoyed this movie and I think other horror fans or a small fan base for the Dentist movies will like it.Basically, Dr. Feinstone is back in business, he has escaped from the mental institution and moves to "Paradise", a small town where people seem to enjoy each other's company and where they know everyone.
But when people start to find out more and his ex wife comes back, his madness goes too far and makes him go just mad.The effects are kind of lame, but honestly, it was a fun and gory movie to watch.
If you enjoyed the first Dentist, this is well worth checking out as it eclipses the original movie by far, upping the ante in terms of gore, madness and bonkers direction courtesy of splatter master Brian Yuzna.
"The Dentist 2" is almost as good as its predecessor.It is slickly made and features some truly grotesque scenes of dental torture.I agree that the scene when Corbin Bernsen tortures a woman is pretty vicious,but I wasn't offended or shocked.Even "Marathon Man" has more powerful torture scenes.Anyway I found this film entertaining and enjoyable,so it's a worthy addition to your horror collection.Recommended,if you like Brian Yuzna's stuff!.
Since the first one was an excellent and entertaining film, this sequel called The Dentist 2 (1998) was just solid.
The story is pretty good, it's about that the dentist falls in love with girl, girl finds another guy, the dentist takes a revenge.
Director Brian Yuzna has crafted a brilliantly inspired film in this sequel to the original The Dentist.
Corbin Bernsen's psycho dentist escapes from the mental hospital and hides out in a small town where he soon picks back up where he left off, namely torturing and killing people.
It has some real dental torture scenes in it, one better than in the first when they play "Truth or Tooth." Most of the original cast returns including Corbin Bernsen, as Dr. Feinstone.
Sick, sadistic and very cheesy in places, it is impossible not to wince at some of the scenes, but I thought it was OK, nowhere near as good as the original, but good fun all the same.The position of the ex wife is a bit weird, the only reasons for her being in the film was for the ending, a lot of rip offs from other movies, but some of the deaths are quite interesting.
This banal rehash of the original film brings pretty much nothing new to the equation, and the lack of bitter, demanding, dentist cadaver at the end of the blood bath just makes the entire piece a complete wash.
Better then the first one, though that's not saying much, it really riffs on what makes dentists so disturbing, namely the needles and hooks they stick in your mouth and wiggle around.The film takes forever to get there though.
It is a bit on the mean spirited side, but the film is so goofy that it's hard to get offended.There are also a lot of great "crazy guy freaking out" scenes, as the dentist looses his touch with reality, and the open ending is really funny and weird.Recommended, as long as you skip the first hour and get to the good stuff..
The Dentist 2 is not a good movie and you should make no effort in seeing it.
It's like a detective television show at times instead of a horror movie.The movie has graphic footage of oral decay and torture of the mouth and they are pretty shocking, but I would imagine you would need some kind of fetish of the mouth to get full enjoyment of it, because all it did was make me sick.
Something is missing.This movie features vase smashing, Clint Howard, really horrible deaths with torture included for some of them, a sex story in the middle, some nudity, really bad actors besides Corbin, a boring story and an ending that is just screaming to be made fun of, but I'll let you find that ridiculous ending out for yourself..
Even though Brian Yuzna's 1996 (almost) hit, The Dentist was a pretty good psychopath flick that excellently capitalised on the fact that dentistry is a much feared profession; what we really didn't need was a sequel.
This sequel reunites original star Corbin Bernsen with director Brian Yuzna.
Like the first film; his psychosis is triggered off by infidelity, and the only real thing that's different is the dentist's surgery.
The fact that he's just escaped from a mental hospital doesn't figure in the plot, as it's not long before Dr Feinstone is dishing out his own form of dental hygiene to the local population of a town called 'Paradise'.Corbin Bernsen was the main reason why Yuzna's original was any kind of success.
The scenes of gore are disgusting in that they mostly take place in the mouth, but the way that the film sets up these scenes doesn't work as well as it did in the original, as it's clear that the plot is only moving along so that the doctor can mess someone's mouth up.
Even this feels like it's just been thrown in to remind the audience of the better original, and although I found this film somewhat fun to watch on the whole; the fact that it's too much like the original never fails to bring it down.
I can't really find a good reason to recommend this flick, as even if you really liked the original, it still isn't really worth seeing..
The sequel falls well short of the first movie, with far few cool death scenes, mostly terrible acting, and a stupid plot.
That was quite normal because it was a relief in the disappointing decade of the 90's (disappointing for the genre of horror, that is) This film was original, funny in a black kind of way and very disturbing (because...it could happen, you know !!) So, it became a small success, especially in the rental market.
Dr Feinstone changes his name, travels to a small village (called Paradise...hmmm) falls in love with local blond babe, takes over the practice of the old dentist (this person died in a horrible "accident")and then he snaps again.
Corbin Bensen returns as the freaky dentist and also his wife from the first film still has her part.
The Dentist II seems like its basically the first one but with some new characters.I personally liked this one a lot better than the first one,for instance,this one is more of a twisted gore fest,while the first one was mostly based on grossing you out.What I liked most about this movie,even though it makes my mouth fell weird,is that the there's more torture in it than the first one,and plus,the torture scenes are way more twisted than in the first one.The acting in this movie was really great,it actually seemed like the psycho dentist was actually torturing people.The blood and gore effects are really good,but sometimes there's too much blood.The story runs along the lines of a classic psycho killer leaving town and getting a new identidy and eventually starts to kill again,and someone eventually knows who he really is.What I liked the most about Dentist II,is the ending,I don't know why but it just makes me laugh.
All and all The Dentist II is a pretty good movie.
This movie wasn't interesting enough to keep my attention, although the inevitable dental carnage is gruesome enough to remind you of brushing your teeth everyday, so your dentist won't need to pull the drill on you.
After The Dentist 1, Dr. Allen Fienstone gets away from the mental hospital, gets his ass on a town, changes it's name (Dr. Lawrence Caine) and gets insane killing his patients, the reallity is i can say nothing about this, he shoots good lines but at the mean time the movie is crappy.
However he starts to lose his mind again in fits of jealousy over Jamie whom he has fallen in love with, one of the banks employees Bev (Susanne Wright) becomes suspicious & a private eye (Ralph Martin) hired by his tongueless vengeful wife Brooke (Linda Hoffman) discovers his whereabouts as his cosy new existence is threatened & begins to fall apart...Directed by Brian Yuzna The Dentist 2 plays a lot like the original.
Again like the original anyone who is afraid of going to the dentist may want to give this film a miss as it features some cool, but maybe disturbing to some, dental torture scenes as Dr. Feinstone is a man who enjoys his job...
The character's are well developed & fleshed out which is unusual in a low budget horror such as this & I have to give it credit for being different & making an effort.Director Yuzna again delights in forcing the viewer to witness all sorts of dental torture & it's pretty strong stuff, scenes of plaque removers sticking into people's gums, dentist's drills destroying teeth & gums, exposed nerves, cut off tongues, a dream sequence which features a mouth full of crawling cockroaches, teeth mercilessly being pulled out, a hammer in someone's head, a needle stuck in someone's ear & a nasty torture scene when Bev really gets it...With a budget of about $1,800,000 The Dentist 2 is a very well made film throughout.
The special effects are good & the acting is too with Bernsen really getting into the spirit of things, the now silent Linda Hoffman returns & she's still a bit of a babe.The Dentist 2 is a worthy sequel & a good film although I couldn't help but think it was very similar to the original, which in itself isn't a particularly bad thing.
This one dentist I used to go to, he thought it would be a good idea to put video games in his lobby, like that's gonna make everything better or change the fact that some guy is gonna be sticking a drill into my jaw in ten minutes.
'The Dentist' was pretty much a series of (okay and better) bloody scenes, but in this one Yuzna tries to build things up more, more like a thriller (although it starts out with a pretty nasty drill scene!).
Our favorite dentist (Corbin Bernsen) escapes from the loony bin and sets up shop in a small town.
It isn't long before he is drilling again, since he is possessed by the demon dentist.He is in love with Jaime (Jillian McWhirter ), and that green-eyed monster rares it's ugly head again.Bev (Susanne Wright) starts snooping around like they do in all small town, and the doc's game of "Truth or Tooth" will scare you from the dentist forever.Brooke (Linda Hoffman), his ex, shows up for revenge, but it is Jaime that nails him good.
A Pretty Good Sequel, But I Don't Like The Ending..
(*May Contain Spoilers*) The Dentist 2 was an overall good and worthy sequel,but the one thing that bugged me was the ending.
If you are a fan of the original, or just like a good horror film, I recommend this.
"The Dentist II: Brace Yourself" is a lot better than it should've been, but it's not without some problems.**SPOILERS**Breaking out of the insane asylum, Dr. Alan Feinstone, (Corbin Bernsen) changes his name, moves to a small town and gets a job with Jeremy Wilkes, (Jim Doucette) an old friend.
The film plays on everybody's fear of the dentist quite effectively, and the dental torture scenes play out with a large amount of dread.
The movie also has some other great gore despite the dental torture, and there is some nice deaths.
There's the revenge story from the first one, the new town dentist angle, the secrecy and then the different love angles that come into play, and it's quite taxing that a little sequel has that many plots to keep track of.
Basically Dr. Alan Feinstone (Corbin Bernsen), the dentist gone over the edge from the previous film, has escaped from the mental hospital, and under the name Dr. Lawrence Caine he has gone to the quiet Midwestern town, Paradise, Missouri. |
tt0416891 | The Kid & I | Former actor Bill Williams (Tom Arnold) is about to commit suicide over his ruined career. He throws out all his stuff and gives his clothes to a poor alcoholic. The man drinks Bill's vodka and takes half of his pills messing up his suicide plan and takes off. Bill drinks his alcohol and then takes the pills not knowing he won't die. He then lies down in the bathtub and closes his eyes. Three days later a demented film agent named Johnny Bernstein (Henry Winkler) shows up at the apartment with a business offer for him. He says a billionaire, Davis Roman (Joe Mantegna) will hire Bill to write and co-star in a movie exactly like 1994's True Lies so that his son, Aaron Roman (Eric Gores), whose favorite film is True Lies, can live out his dream of being an actor and star of an action movie. Not knowing much about the boy or the billionaire, Bill agrees to do the project since he would make thousands by the end of the movie.
Later at the park, Bill meets the drunk who took his drugs and alcohol. His name is Guy Prince (Richard Edson), a broke loser who hasn't had a job in almost 13 years. Bill finds he has a lot in common with Guy and asks him if he wants to be an actor. Guy agrees and he becomes Bill's unconventional "best friend".
Johnny, Bill and Guy later show up at the lavish Roman mansion, meeting with Davis and his wife, Shelby (Shannon Elizabeth). They are a nice couple which makes Bill think they have a nice normal son. However, when Aaron shows up Bill becomes uncomfortable and assumes he will be making a bad film with a mentally impaired person. He attempts to back out of the offer when his ex-wife, producer Susan Mandeville (Linda Hamilton), comes in with a film crew and tells everybody she will be producing the movie. Shortly after she shows up, Davis tells Bill about how normal Aaron is despite having cerebral palsy. Bill, remembering the money he will receive, agrees again to make the movie. Aaron is tenacious and happy to see Bill in person. He excitedly tells Bill about his interesting movie ideas as they begin to write the script. Though some of Aaron's ideas were unrealistic Bill becomes confident they will be able to shoot the movie. Aaron decides to call the movie Two Spies. Guy is enjoying himself as well as he flirts with the local women and spends time drinking all the Roman family's beer and wine. Aaron tells Bill he wants to kiss a beautiful women at the end while in a hot tub. He has his actress/model crush, Arielle Kebbel in mind. Bill agrees to the idea.
Susan helps keep the movie on track by taking the production to a big movie studio in California. The actors show up, including Arielle Kebbel, which pleases a lovestruck Aaron. A pushy, overweight police woman becomes Bill's movie girlfriend. Guy plays a character named Lester Loser who gets blown up by a terrorist's bomb. Aaron's character rescues a dog and delivers it to the government officials it belongs to. Bill is happy with the movie's progress until he discovers it will only be shown at Aaron's birthday party. He quickly becomes depressed and angry with himself again. To make matters worse, Aaron forgot his dog allergies and has a bad reaction. His overprotective mother Bonnie is furious when she finds out his attack and arrives to take Aaron home for the summer. She convinces Aaron that Bill is bad and the boy begins to believe it. He leaves to be with his mother for the rest of the year. Davis still offers to pay Bill for the incomplete movie but Bill refuses. Guy and Bill go home, where Guy begins to throw all his money away on beer. He is soon broke again, living in a trailer attached to a car. Distraught, Bill avoids any contact with Susan and plans his next suicide attempt.
Bill watches some of the film's footage and starts to see not everything is lost for him and Aaron. He flies out to where Aaron and Bonnie (Brenda Strong) live. He then convinces Bonnie that finishing the film will be a positive experience. Bonnie agrees and a very happy Aaron flies back to California to shoot the long-awaited hot tub scene with Arielle.
On the night of Aaron's birthday hundreds of people show up at the local movie theater where Two Spies is booked. Susan gets a lot of attention from reporters and tells everybody she believes in Aaron. Davis, Shelby and a surprising Bonnie all like the movie. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis show up at the screening to surprise Bill and wish Aaron a happy birthday. Guy tells Bill he'll drink less and wants a career in show business. Johnny even considers distributing the movie worldwide because the screening went so well. Bill is happy again and tells Aaron he wants to continue working with him.
Ultimately, Aaron and Arielle sit in a hot tub, giving each other a tender and romantic kiss. | satire | train | wikipedia | Funny, heartfelt, appropriate family movie..
I saw 3 new movies this weekend (12/3/05), and of them all The Kid And I was the best.
This one is from the heart, and the only recent movie you could say that about.
It's based on the true experience of Tom Arnold (who appeared with Arnold Schwarzenneger and Jamie Lee Curtis in True Lies) with a young neighbor, Eric Gores, who has cerebral palsy.
In the fictionalized movie, Arnold plays out-of-work actor Bill Williams (who also appeared in True Lies), about to commit suicide when his agent (Henry Winkler) tells him millionaire Joe Montegna (Searching For Bobby Fisher) offered half a million dollars to make a movie co-starring his son (Gores), who, like the actor playing him, has cerebral palsy.You could tell the film was made with a relatively low budget (occasionally imperfect lighting, for instance), and Arnold's script has a few corny clichés, but on the whole it's original, imaginative, somewhat poignant, and as funny as most comedies out this year.
What's more, the film is both entertaining for adults and appropriate for the whole family, with a minimum of the crude humor that permeates most of the other funny movies I've seen this year.As an added bonus there are a number of cameo appearances by big stars.
If you liked Arnold in The Stupids, this one doesn't have quite as much silly humor, but on balance is just as good.
Heartily recommended for the whole family..
Short Review.
The Kid & I was much better than I expected it to be.
It wasn't great, but it did leave you feeling good at the end.The performances were good as well.
Good humor by Tom Arnold and laugh out loud moments by Val.
(Gabby Sanalitro) Let's hope we get to see more of her in the future.
I would suggest seeing this film with your family.
It is definitely the type of film that kids can relate to.
Gores also did a fine job, and should be an inspiration to other families that have children with CP.If you can't catch it at the theater, it's worth renting..
Forest Gump Meets Hollywood.
A dark comedy about a has-been actor and a kid with a disability would have been an impossible task had it not been for the brilliant screen writing by Tom Arnold and the amazing performances by both him and Eric Gomes.
I walked into this movie thinking it would be another lame comedy about L.A. and was blindsided by an extraordinary experience.
The movie is about love and friendship and compassion.
I laughed and I cried.
I was lucky enough to be able to attend the premiere of this film at the AFI film festival in L.A. and got a chance to meet the filmmakers.
I was lucky enough to tell them something I would rarely tell an actor, producer, or director.
What I said was, "Thank you for making such a beautiful movie.".
"The man of many talents".
Now now now now ,before i begin bare in mind this man MR TOM ARNOLD is one of those people who makes a 1000 films but will be remembered for..1.being married to Rosanne barr and 2.The great action flick TRUE LIES.Now type in this film "The kid and i" in to search engines and well the review make the film suck but pay no attention and sit your bum on a seat a watch.Now i walked in to this film already thinking oh its a film about disabilities we are going to be made to cry and donate money but i was surprised to see this film deals with it with pride ,wit and tasteful humour.
Plus look out for the guest stars such as shaq ,arnie and loads others but the stars are without question are ERIC GORES AND MR TOM ARNOLD...
The KID and I is one of those films that loses itself in DVD bins but should have been on the big screen ,i give this the big thumbs up....
One goof.
I loved this film!!
But I still thought it could have a better direction and acting.
Great actors, but it seemed like they were making a student film.
Using Arnold and Jamie to attract viewers was a low blow, and they didn't have any significant part in the movie.
I can't think of a reason why the governor of California would do that.
But besides all that, it's great if you can connect to the message it leaves us.
The one goof I saw and that is not on the movie page, is when Bonnie (Brenda Strong) is talking to Bill (Tom Arnold) at the movie theatre.
When she gets close to him, she's wearing a pair of black shoes.
And when she leaves with the family, you can clearly see she's barefooted.
Anyway, watch it, and enjoy!
It's worth the time and the money..
Good, Heartfelt, Fun. I was REALLY starting to dislike Tom Arnold as an"ACTOR" and a person in general.
But this movie made me think that ..just maybe he is not such a bad guy after all.
It's fun, cute and sincere, and he took the inside jokes about himself without ever compromising the main character.
The whole concept of the film was similar to the lets make a wish foundation where a dying kid gets to make his dream come true.
but although this guy was not dying, you went on anyway and kept your own character from dying, because, obviously as "THE KID" shows you.
Life; no matter how bad ; isn't really that bad after all.
Kudos Tom, you showed you're a REAL person..
"As inoffensive and as genial as it is daming".
The Kid & I is as inoffensive and as genial as it is damning, and as heartfelt as it is uneven, with its premise that manages to go in about six different directions and only halfway accomplishes each.
However, it's hard and almost unfair to bash a film that so sentimentally wears its heart on its sleeve as this one does.
It's a good-natured effort from Tom Arnold, whose good-naturedness has seemingly got him to be nothing but the butt of everyone's jokes for the past decade.At least in The Kid & I, he plays a character we don't mind being around.
He plays Bill Williams, a hasbeen actor who is just about to execute plans to kill himself.
He already has his gravestone personalized and made out and he's just about ready to down a whole container of pills and wash it down with a fifth of vodka.
He has already sent out letters to people like his ex-wife detailing his suicide, and in efforts to give all his clothes to someone who would use them better he gives them to a bum who simultaneously follows him inside and foils his suicide plan.Out of options and frustrated, Bill is contacted by his agent (an out-of-place Henry Winkler) who informs him that a millionaire is seeking Bill's expertise in order to create a film similar to his only hit True Lies with Arnold Schwarzenegger for his teenage son.
It just so happens that the millionaire's teenage son has cerebral palsy and his favorite film is True Lies.
The boy's name is Aaron Roman (Eric Gores), and his dreams are in line with many other seventeen-year-old's - he wants to engage in high-octane fights, street races, and get the girl by the end of it all.So Bill makes a hearty attempt at making the boy's dream come true, all while giving his own particular life a purpose.
Arnold plays a likable character here, while Gores, who really suffers from cerebral palsy, creates a charming character, who very well could be himself in real life.
Arnold and Gores achieve a warm tenderness in some sequences, particularly one where they're discussing their characters' love interests for the film.
Aaron suggests Arielle Kebbel, a Maxim model, for his love interest, while suggesting Rosie O'Donnell for Bill's.
Here's a scene where a Roseanne Barr joke would've worked perfectly.As the film goes on it bares this indescribable awkwardness that needs to be addressed.
For some reason, the entire film seems to have a lot of dead-air and instances where echos can audibly be heard either from microphones that had no particular windscreen or no shield from excess noise.
The entire setup creates a stunning artificiality, that of a soap opera or just a weirdly-orchestrated public access TV special.
Then there's the barrage of celebrity cameos, including Shaquille O'Neal, Bill Goldberg, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Arnold Schwarzenegger that only add to the film's awkward senses.Still, The Kid & I is a difficult film to criticize given its cheery nature and good-hearted characters.
The film was directed by Penelope Spheeris, who apparently likes to be a tad self-referential in her projects by having a character state they'll get Penelope Spheeris to direct their little film because she comes cheap.
Spheeris, who manned the ship with films such as Black Sheep, The Beverly Hillbillies, and Wayne's World, gives us a pleasantly soft and welcoming approach to the material, while Arnold, serving as the writer and co-producer, doesn't hesitate to venture into a grimmer territory with the story of a Hollywood talent that never quite gained traction after his fifteen minutes of fame.As stated, The Kid & I is difficult to dislike because of the fact it's so openly warm and is okay on being sentimental and an emotional work.
Yet, the film is very uneven, mainly due to Arnold's wise if tricky inclusion of darker elements, the distracting celebrity cameos, the goofball humor, the shameless moralizing, and the inanity that so many odds and ends are coming together.
Spheeris and Arnold, however, ground the film into reality to a certain degree, giving you the idea that if a medium-budget action movie production were being thrown together for the benefit of a disabled teenager this is kind of what it would look like.
For giving its strange concept a pragmatic life, the picture deserves credit, even though it's reward at the end of the day is a tad questionable.Starring: Tom Arnold, Eric Gores, Linda Hamilton, Henry Winkler, Richard Edson, Brenda Strong, Arielle Kebbel, Shannon Elizabeth, Joe Mantegna, Shaquille O'Neal, Bill Goldberg, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Directed by: Penelope Spheeris. |
tt0119125 | Firelight | In 1837, Swiss governess Elisabeth Laurier (Sophie Marceau) agrees to bear a child for an anonymous English landowner in return for money needed to pay her father's debts. They meet over three nights at a lonely island hotel. Despite their wish for detachment, they develop a deeply passionate connection during their lovemaking by firelight. Their feelings grow after they converse on the beach and at the hotel. Nine months later (10th of August 1838), Elisabeth gives birth to a girl, and as agreed, she gives up the child to the care of the English landowner. Over the coming years, Elisabeth never forgets her child. She begins to keep a journal of watercoloured flowers and plants, adding a page for each holiday and birthday they are apart.
The anonymous Englishman is Charles Godwin (Stephen Dillane), a landowner and struggling sheep farmer, who can barely keep the debtors of his philandering father, Lord Clare, at bay. Charles's wife, Amy Godwin, is paralysed and catatonic due to a horseriding accident. Amy's sister, Constance (Lia Williams), runs the Godwin household.
Seven years after giving up her daughter, Elisabeth manages to locate her, and she gets herself hired as the new governess for the child, who is named Louisa. Initially, Charles rejects Elisabeth, and demands that she leave immediately. However, Constance insists that he should give the new governess a month to find a new situation. Showing Elisabeth the catatonic form of his wife, Charles forces Elisabeth to swear never to reveal to Louisa or anyone the nature of their previous relationship.
Louisa (Dominique Belcourt) is a spoiled, ignorant, wilful, and foulmouthed child—unloved by anyone except her father. Though she acknowledges the father's loving relationship with his daughter, Elisabeth is appalled by the lack of control Charles exercises over the girl. He refuses to use any forms of discipline in her upbringing. Unable to keep Louisa at her lessons, Elisabeth locks the child in the classroom. When he discovers this, Charles is furious and roughly manhandles Elisabeth in an effort to extract the key to the schoolroom. While Charles wants his daughter to enjoy life as much as she can, Elisabeth is determined to teach her daughter how to behave to be loved by others, and to be educated so she can determine her own path in the world. To convince Charles to support her approach, Elisabeth promises she will never harm the girl, and whatever she does to Louisa she will also do to herself.
Outside of class, Louisa spends all of her spare time in her lakehouse, a small belvedere on the estate in the middle of a pond, which can only be reached by boat. Here, Louisa pretends she has a mother. At first, Elisabeth watches clandestinely from the boat docks while Louisa is in the lakehouse. However, when she finds out that Charles swims naked there in the morning, she begins to go to watch Charles too, leaving before he can see her. In the classroom, Elisabeth paints picture cards to teach the seven-year-old how to read. She also tells Louisa a tale about the firelight:
It's a kind of magic. Firelight makes time stand still. When you put out the lamps and sit in the firelight's glow there aren't any rules any more. You can do what you want, say what you want, be what you want, and when the lamps are lit again, time starts again, and everything you said or did is forgotten. More than forgotten it never happened.
Elisabeth finds that this helps Louisa concentrate on her lessons, knowing there is a time at the end of the day when there are no rules.
Increasingly attracted to Elisabeth, Charles asks her to promise him that they can never be close like they once were. But Elisabeth doesn't answer. From that point, the two rekindled their flames, though the nature of their relationship must be a secret. Unbeknownst to the two, Louisa had already caught them. Charles even talks about the three of them leaving together, but Elisabeth says she knows it is impossible, as he has obligations to his estate, family, and wife. Charles suddenly announces that the entire estate is being appraised for sale, purportedly to cover his overwhelming debts. On a bitterly cold night, Charles consults his conscience as to whether his wife, Amy, would want him to release her from her catatonic prison of ten years. He opens the windows of her bedchamber, removes her covers, and allows the fire in her room to go out, leaving her to die of exposure. With Amy's death, her sister Constance expects to be Charles's choice as a new wife. However, she concedes a dignified defeat when she realises Charles's depth of feeling toward Elisabeth. Elisabeth confronts Charles and asks him if he killed Amy, which he admits. They both feel strong guilt, but no regret.
Soon after, Louisa looks through Elisabeth's room and discovers the illustrated journal dedicated to "My English Daughter". Louisa confronts her governess who confirms she is in fact her mother. After the sale of the Godwin's estate, Charles, Elisabeth, and Louisa leave on a snowy day to begin their new lives together as a family. | gothic, melodrama | train | wikipedia | The title led me to expect "Firelight" would be a "chick flick", yet the inclusion of the beautiful Sophie Marceau made viewing imperative.
I have to admit that I watched this the first time because of my admiration for the performances of Sophie Marceau.
The artistry of this movie is not evident the first time you watch it because you notice nothing but the actors' brown eyes and the blue cold rooms of the mansion.But watch it a few more times and you realize how balanced the story is, how themes of birth and death parallel heat and cold, love and hate.The script is simple because silence and secrecy drive the plot.
From a carefully crafted minimalistic script to superb acting by a few well cast and well directed principals to artful cinematography and lush scenic beauty, this little film is powerfully compelling.
In 1838, Charles Godwin (Stephen Dillane) is an English gentleman sheep farmer with a comatose wife who hires a Swiss woman to have his baby.
She needs the money to help her father, who's in prison.Godwin chooses three days to be with Elisabeth, presumably based on some sense of when she'll be fertile, and they meet at a resort hotel on the coast of England.
The scene fades from the image of the ivy growing outside the room where she gave birth to a watercolor painting of ivy, and then uses imagery from Elisabeth's painting/diary to keep track of her growing attachment for her daughter.When the story switches back to Godwin, we're introduced to his father and also to an American sheep farmer who eventually proposes to Elisabeth.
To my mind, the only performance that rivals Dillane's repressed but smoldering 19th century British-ness is Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy.For Dillane's outstanding performance -- and all of the film's outstanding performances -- we have to thank William Nicholson's excellent writing and direction, along with the almost mystical cinematography of Nic Morris.
The accessible and yet subtle over-riding metaphor of firelight is carried throughout the film starting from the first moment when Godwin and Elisabeth are alone together.
The subtext about human relationships -- especially relationships between husband and wife, children and parents-- is also explored through the imagery of Elisabeth's desire to "shout," the boathouse in the lake, breeding sheep, the estate, the sister-in-law (another exquisitely convincing performance by Lia Williams), Godwin's father, Elisabeth's family history, etc.
Elisabeth shows up at Godwin's estate seven years after she gives birth to accept a position as governess to their daughter.
The scene were Godwin fights Elisabeth for the key to the schoolroom is incredible.The other aspect that resonates with me personally is what this film says about the plight of women in 19th century Europe and how the exceptional courage and intelligence of one woman who believes in herself can overcome the hardship of circumstances.
I love the scene where Elisabeth convinces her daughter that education is the only way out of spiritual prison for a woman.
I have always admired Sophie Marceau but she really goes beyond herself in this film, thanks to the exceptional script, direction, cinematography, costumes, and performances of her fellow actors.
A beautiful and accomplished actress rises to the occasion of portraying a beautiful and accomplished woman struggling to survive in exceptional circumstances.At first, we're confused about Elisabeth's appearance at Godwin's estate to become governess to his "adopted" daughter.
A wonderful photographed movie with a convincingly playing Sophie Marceau.
I originally watched this on Encore Indie and it touched me in a way only a few movies or stories ever do.
And watch it several times, the nuances that come out are amazing and also listen to the background talk, some interesting facts come out which help you understand the characters and stories even more.
My father actually sat and watched it, and trust me he's a ESPN guy, not romance movies.
He is what makes this story so wonderful.Because I am a big fan of British film, I wondered why I was not familiar with Stephen Dillane's name.
Sophie Marceau is so accomplished that together, some of their scenes unfold as a dance.This film is so delicate, with exquisite timing and phrases, that I can truly say it is as well-done as Campion's The Piano.
Sophie Marceau is a beautiful governess, who seven years prior was hired by a rich Englishman to conceive a baby because the man's own wife had been seriously injured but did not die after a riding accident.
Fantasy book author William Nicholson made his first and so far only effort at movie-direction with this 1997 English Gothic romance based on his own screenplay.
When the father, Charles Godwin, returns from London he is appalled at the mother of his child showing up again in his life as well as the rekindling of a romantic fire he has desperately tried to convince himself is long burnt out.
Themes of duty to family, maternal love, and desperate attempts to hold back passion are played out in perpetually foggy and snowswept landscapes and around fireplaces in the Godwin Victorian mansion.Performances by the actors are uniformly excellent.
Marceau and Stephen Dillane as Charles Godwin share a chemistry rarely captured on film; but also look for Dominique Belcourt as the daughter; Lia Williams as Godwin's long-suffering sister-in-law; Kevin Anderson as the visiting American who falls for Elizabeth; and veteran British actor Joss Ackland as Godwin's father whose self-indulgent hedonism dooms the family to ruin.
Nic Morris's cinematography of the English countryside and Marceu's exquisitely beautiful face lit by firelight is something to see, and Christopher Gunning's string-laden score is dramatic and over-the-top which it really should be.Although rife with gray and icy colors, painful family obligation, stark settings, heartbreak, euthanasia, held back emotions, and rigid social mores; the underlying theme of the Firelight is that true love conquers all.
For other titles, we accept time travel, real people living inside computer memory, oriental gentlemen waving scimitars who run up vertical walls and jump over tall buildings, and still enjoy the show.Sophie Marceau's acting was outstanding.
Great story, beautifully filmed; outstanding acting.
This was only the second movie I ever saw Sophie in and I love her in it!
The story is of a young woman who agrees to have a baby for a mystery man, only to find that she has to find him and the child she gave up, no matter the consequences.
Here, I found out that many people think the same.Searching the web, as I said, I also ran across the director's statement that I cite here:Inspired by Nicholson's fascination with 1940s movie love stories, Firelight is a film that awakens the romantic spirit in each of us.
For his film directorial debut, Nicholson wanted to create a boundless romantic story about lovers forced apart by outside forces.
I wanted to create a story about how love can redeem people, about how it can totally change their lives.
I wanted to create that tragic feeling you have when two people are perfect for each other, love each other, but yet cannot have one another." Nicholson set out to write a film in which the focus was on people and their emotions.
The story is about light, about winter, about coldness and empty rooms where the eye goes toward the one source of heat, the fire.To conceive a good film is one thing, but to make it, is altogether different, sometimes very hard.
It is a sweet and touching film of a mother who loves her daughter.
Beautiful cinematography, great cast, heart throbbing romance, steamy love scenes, A feast for the eyes and soul..
Sophie Marceau lights the screen in a romantic and eventually passionate love story in the Dickensian, Bronte, and Austen vernacular - the master and the governess.
Good for an evening love story - the love between a man, woman, parent, child - by firelight.(I'm editing this a bit years later.
But, because of my liking for Sophie Marceau and my love of "Jane Eyre", I rented it...and I loved it.This film takes a unique perspective, concentrating more upon the relationship between mother and daughter, rather than the romance between mother and father.
Though the story is an oft-told one, this is a film whose magic will grasp you, just as the mentioned firelight within.Sophie Marceau gives a wonderful performance as Elisabeth, combining her lovely face with the warmth of any mother towards her child.
Her performance had no artifice---she had no problem acting like the little brat, then slowly beginning to soften as she discovered what a life could be without hating everyone other than her father.The costumes were as good as any other recent period film and the sets were *gorgeous*, especially the famous "lake house".Therefore, despite a plot everyone knows, "Firelight" utterly charmed me and held me spellbound even after its conclusion..
It is not the kind of story that would usually appeal to me, but the movie is so beautifully filmed that it sustained my interest until "The End"..
And with gorgeous and curvaceous Sophie Marceau secretly loving and oft disrobed at the center of the story, every male with a pulse will be glued to the screen.
While a heart wrenching love story is at the core, the story is very well developed, not weighted too heavily one way or another.Firelight isn't 'Bullitt' with the famous San Francisco car chase scene that every male alive wishes he had done the stunt driving for; but still, it is a movie a woman just might get her guy to watch all the way through without falling asleep before the end.
The entire cast give strong performances--Stephen Dillane and Sophie Marceau make an appealing couple and, as their daughter, Dominique Bellacourt is a realistic brat.
This must happen to every male on the planet when he watches his first Sophie Marceau movie.
In this case it's a nicely-written, superbly-directed, well-acted flick about a governess (Sophie) who seeks the daughter she gave up for adoption 6 years previously.
But that's the way it is when you experience such a revelation as I have: I saw my first Sophie Marceau movie.
Character development here is so profound that I have a hard time seeing either of them as anyone else other than their unforgettable characters from this romantic, bittersweet love story.It's especially candlelit, filled with firelight, foggy, and dim...
I normally don't seek out movies like historical romance stories.
All the better - no expectation with an excellent return."Firelight" is a truly wonderful period romance - plenty of angst, passion, happiness and tragedy; not to mention a solid and convincing cast.
Only towards the end of the film did my husband and I feel that the story is a little rushed, but it never loses the feeling of quality film making that makes Firelight so wonderful..
Sophie Marceau gives a wonderfully complex performance as a fiercely proud, earthily beautiful but poor woman who must, for many years, submerge the fire of her passion in order to ultimately satisfy it..
Sophie Marceau was extraordinary, as she was also in Anna Karenina!Hollywood really needs to bring out more films like these.
The script is an original story of love and passion and the acting is superb but the cast is dominated with the marvelous Sophie Marceau.It is recommended viewing ...
Sure it was uplifting and even though the sensuous beauty of Sophie Marceau and the handsome Stephen Dillane were perfectly matched, this story was predicable almost from the opening line.
First, I loved it because I am such a sucker for love stories and Sophie Marceu and Stephen Dillane give superb performances...their love scenes steam up the screen...she is subtle and controlled and he is so sexy, despite his brooding character.
Beautifully filmed and acted, quiet movie..
A beautifully filmed and acted movie, with more of an emotional plot than a more conventional series of events.
Stephen Dillane and Sophie Marceau are a shining light in this and their character's love affair is so reminiscent of what it's like to meet your soul mate.
Stephen's portrayal of Charles Godwin is just so memorizing and plays a man who realizes that he has met his love in a peculiar way.
Sophie Marceau was great considering what she had to work with, other actors were decent to good.One reason people go to the theater to see movies is the "shared experience" -- today was a great example.
This is a rather boring yarn.Sophie Marceau is not much of a thespian,(in "Anna Karenine" she was miscast)and she's totally unconvincing in her part of a surrogate mother.She's not helped by the plot which mixes up elements of "Jane Eyre","Forever Amber","the innocents" "Waterloo Bridge" "Madame X" and others.The script is predictable,this could be forgivable if there were not this déjà vu feeling,and if there were something to arouse us from our sleep:lyricism,emotion ,madness...All we've got is a director filming gleefully an academic story as if he were in the fifties.Anyway Sirk,Preminger,et al,to match their brilliant skills,had a social awareness and their heroes had to fight against a hostile world.Here,Marceau's character is so self-confident and so would be intellectual that the movie becomes the opposite of good melodrama: a tedious psychological drama..
sophie marceau is lovely to look at and the daughter louisa was not nearly as bratty as max from 'where the wild things are' - you don't feel like you're watching a ritalin advert.
When this story begins, Elisabeth (Sophie Marceau) agrees to a strange proposition.
She misses this child and wants to have some involvement in her life....so she is hired as a governess for her daughter being raised by Charles.
I love Sophie Marceau.
She agrees to enter into what might be viewed as an indecent proposal with Charles Godwin, a well to do English landowner, in having a sexual relation for the sole purpose of giving him a child his sick wife can't give him.
It's inevitable that Elisabeth will have an effect on Charles and that she will be able to tame the wild Louisa into accepting her.William Nicholson, who wrote and directed "Firelight", created a film of great beauty.
Christopher Gunning's musical score serves the movie well.Sophie Marceau, an actress of great beauty makes an impression as Elisabeth.
It's been such a long time since the last time I saw this movie 12 years ago to be exact, but the power of this movie is still strong and indeed unforgettable.Sophie Marceau is one of the good actress that can portrayed emotion into the character really well, especially for her English is not her 1st language but yet her character here as Ms. Laurrier a governess with a politeness and strong character really had shown well.
Her determination to be with her spoiled and lonely daughter is really enjoyable to watch, her passion to be with the a man that she loved all of time is really memorable, her strong character really helped a lot here.
Yes it is a happy ending movie that I like.I remember, the first time I watched this movie when I was in my junior high and I didn't really get the idea about love really well but when I watched this movie I could understand the feeling of each characters especially for their desires to be loved each other.
The happy ending also feels a bit awkward but that may be because one would normally expect a tragic solution.In short, 'Firelight' is a worthy film because of its visual and poetic beauty.
It is a love story but it tells of many other things **** minor spoilers here : education, the relationship between a father and his son, the bind created by physical intercourse ....
Stephen Dillane and Sophie Marceau where perfect in this movie.
Having read the other reviews here, I understand why many enjoyed the film -- it runs something like a potboiler romance story that one might read on a beach on a lazy afternoon.
To finish, I do not dislike this film -- though I would say it is not really a period piece in its themes, and it does have several plot points which are ludicrous (those are discussed in other reviews here; one is even rather funny -- the sister's request that Sophie love the gentleman for both of them).
I do not think I would have enjoyed it without Sophie Marceau, however (she solely keeps the film alive with her presence -- it would be nothing without her)..
More than forgotten it never happened." 1838 Elisabeth Laurier agrees to bear a child of an anonymous English landowner, and he will in return pay her father's debt, giving up at birth, as agreed, the child.
The following film moments are seven years of the mothers writing of her diary "To my English Daughter." Searching and finally having found her she applies for the advertised governess (the fourth in this year).
I want you to have your own life." The biological mother and her biological daughter take the hard way towards a relation of respect and trust both missed at birth according the deal.
Seven years of search that finally ended the 'fourth day' for the father and mother and their daughter.
As onre of the servants tell Charles, hearing his daughter scream: "Miss Louisa being educated." What happens when only the firelight gives light?
Call me a little old-fashioned but I found the plot of `Firelight' a little disturbing....*LARGE SPOILER* Charles Godwin engages a woman to have sex with her for cash and thereby father a child because apparently he requires an heir, something his comatose wife is physically incapable of.
Some years later, Sophie Marceau's Elisabeth tracks down her child who she's consigned to a man seemingly bereft of morals.
It was okay as romances went, but I really want movies to be logical in some way and this plot hole really unnerved me while watching the film. |
tt0115141 | Command & Conquer: Red Alert | Command & Conquer: Red Alert takes place between 1946 and 1953 of a parallel universe.
Starting out at the Trinity Site in New Mexico in 1946 (in our timeline), Albert Einstein prepares to travel backward in spacetime. He activates his experimental time machine to find himself in Landsberg, Germany, on 20 December 1924, where he meets a young Adolf Hitler just after the latter's release from Landsberg Prison. Following a brief conversation between the two, Einstein shakes Hitler's hand while activating his time-traveling device. In the process of Einstein returning to his time of origin, Hitler dies due to the lack of his own equipment for the transit through time. (This is implied by the Allies' Chronosphere in-game, in which usage of its power on soldiers kills them.)
Hitler's death prevents him from rising to power as leader of Nazi Germany. This creates a new timeline, in which eliminating Hitler's actions has caused a change for the worse. Without Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union grew powerful under the rule of Joseph Stalin. Unweakened, the USSR seizes land from China and then invades Eastern Europe, to achieve Joseph Stalin's vision of a Soviet Union stretching across the entire Eurasian landmass. In response, the nations of Europe form the Alliance, and start a guerrilla war against the invading Soviet army. Over the course of the game's story, the Allies and Soviets fight for control over the European mainland in an alternate World War II.
Allied ending: Following the siege of Moscow, an Allied platoon discovers Stalin buried alive in the rubble of the Kremlin. Before they begin to remove the debris from the fallen leader, General Stavros stops them. He convinces them that they saw nothing and orders them to leave the premises. Stavros then stuffs a handkerchief down Stalin's mouth before covering his head with a large stone and walking away. This outcome forces Kane – who was using the Soviet Union to get to power – and his Brotherhood underground, leading to the events of Command & Conquer. This ending also paves the way to the sequel, Red Alert 2.
Soviet ending: As the Soviets celebrate their victory in the newly captured Buckingham Palace, Stalin commends the Commander (the player), but is poisoned by Nadia. Nadia guns him down as the poison overcomes his body. Following Stalin's death, Nadia tells the Commander that the Soviet Union is now under the rule of the Brotherhood of Nod, who plan to return to the shadows again and reemerge in the 1990s, leaving the player as the puppet ruler of the USSR, ready to do the Brotherhood's bidding for "the foreseeable future." She is betrayed and shot in the back by Kane, who reveals himself to be the true mastermind. | alternate reality, alternate history | train | wikipedia | What a Prequel, What a Prequel....
This game is the prequel to the acclaimed Real Time Strategy game of 1995, Command & Conquer: Tiberium Dawn, it details the forming of the GDI and NOD forces and an alternate reality in which Hitler never rose to power, a more sinister force emerged, Stalin, and now he is marching across Europe.I love the series and if we are talking about the movie sequnces, then it's great, the acting is spectacular and all fits in well in the story, even though it won't mean nothing to you if you are not playing.Joseph Kucan is a great actor and I hope he won't turn to the big screen because there are Places to go, Buildings to raze..
great game.
a great game that starts out with albert einstien going back in time and eliminating adolf hitler from becoming a threat.
however without hitler keeping the soviet union in check, stalin goes about trying to take over the continent.as either allies or soviets you either defend against soviet invaders or as soviets, try to invade and take over.
a great film that has the characters talking directly to you.
a cool feature that command and conquer doesn't do.
the graphics are cool, and the weapons are great.
a masterpiece by westwood..
Explosive.
Red Alert was not just an incredible continuation to a great game but the underlying concept, of the Soviet Union under Stalin fighting against the European Forces was an important revolution in gaming history.
The cinematics are of higher resolution and even better than what you saw in the previous game.
While several units such as the Mammoth Tank made a reappearance, there are also plenty of new units including full compliments of maritime and air elements.
The level design is even better than before.
The best part of this game is however, the difficulty.
Even under normal difficulty, it is very challenging..
Great computer generated graphics!.
The movie sequences in Red Alert are great!
You can't tell the backgrounds are computer generated and it looks photo realistic.
The only thing I don't like is how the actors talk to the camera.
Tiberian Sun will be better because you will actually be a character on the screen!
Joseph Kucan is awesome!.
Lucas, are you paying attention?
*This* is the way to do a prequel.
After the success of Command & Conquer, this nifty number was created...
Red Alert.
The prequel to the war depicted in aforementioned game.
Each of these games bring something new and interesting to the franchise, each has a running theme, and I would say that the theme of this is time traveling.
It is used for two very interesting purposes, one story-wise and one for game-play.
The first is a take on what would have happened, had someone not only answered the ethical question of "if you could go back in time, would you kill Hitler?" with a "heck yeah!" but actually went on to do just that(although, admittedly, the intro does leave it somewhat open to interpretation exactly *what* happened); from the very start of the game, we are in an alternate reality.
The world where World War II never occurred.
However, Hitler was not the only threat to world peace back then...
and in the story-line presented here, "The Man of Steel"(no, not Superman) fills the void left behind.
This is where you come in...
will you render the world "red", and take your place at Stalin's side as ruler of the planet, or will you wipe out Communism and the Soviet Union as the Allies?
The game-play use of time travel is interesting in more than one way...
the very idea behind the Chrono-Sphere, a machine that through manipulating the time/space continuum can instantly move a vehicle from any point in the level to any other point is an excellent piece of science fiction, and that's coming from a man who is a considerable fan of the genre, and the actual use of this in-game is a real treat, tactically speaking.
I'll leave it up to each player's individual imagination what the effective uses of it are.
This game takes all that Command & Conquer was and expands upon it.
There's a whole slew of new features, and additions to old ones.
When ordering groups of units around, there is now a new queue system, one that removes a lot(though not yet all) of the need of watching over your units.
The few bugs that are left are now for the most part minor, and can be solved by fiddling a tiny bit with whatever is causing trouble.
Keyboard shortcuts give you the opportunity to order units to guard, scatter, etc.
New units include the Field Medic, which means that all units can now have their health restored to maximum in-between battles(though said unit is only available to the Allied side).
Fighting by sea is now an actual option, as both sides get transport ships(think the ones that provided reinforcements in the first game, only less open, presumably for the protection of the units inside).
The Allied get three ships of increasing usefulness(culminating in the oh-so-freakishly-awesome Cruiser), and the Soviets get Submarines.
The name of the game this time is "fairness"...
where the first game had several units and special attacks that were incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to truly guard yourself against, this doesn't.
There is a "Nuke", but it's not going to level your base as the bomb of the original C&C did.
The two sides are reasonably leveled, with the Soviets being big, strong and slow, and the Allied being fast, tactical and good at hiding(quite literally...
Gap Generators, anyone?).
These superior tactical opportunities are represented through, among other things, the Spy, a new infantry unit who, in spite of looking and sounding like a Lothario, can infiltrate enemy buildings and provide new features for the player, such as the Sonar Pulse acquired by sending a Spy into the enemy's Sub Pen(the building supplying them with, yep, you guessed it, Subs(as in Submarines, not substitute teachers) as well as transport ships), which detects and reveals any submarine on the map for a brief period of time.
The Spy can fool any enemy into thinking he's on their side, save for the also new Attack Dog, which is only on the side of the Soviets, and who can sniff out any enemy Spy and make short work of him.
It'll also take out other infantry, but it's somewhat weak.
The Allies also have the Thief, who, whilst looking like Zorro, can lift funds from the enemy's ore deposits(both Refineries and Silos).
The Allied also have useful mobile air defense, in the form of Rocket Soldiers.
More is done with airborne units, as well.
The missions are extraordinarily well done, and, by my count, almost fourteen of them have several choices of level(sometimes with up to three possibilities).
There are almost thirty in total, both campaigns combined.
The multi-player is marvelous.
There is now also a "skirmish" mode, which allows you to battle only computer enemies.
The maps for multi-playing are plentiful and well-done.
The music is utterly magnificent, continuing the trend of the first, but I would say improved upon.
This one also has the incredible "Hell March", one that the team clearly realized the grandeur of, evidenced by the fact that they put it on the track-list for both sides, as well as in the introduction of not only this game, but also its successor.
Story-telling is improved upon, and the cut-scenes are more well-directed.
The briefings are efficient; they never fail to make you feel like you are part of this story, not just a spectator.
The commando is now Tanya, and I have to admit that the role could have been better cast.
The presence and attitude just isn't that strong with the actress.
The in-game voice is a lot better.
This is also the only negative thing I can really say about this, and it's not going to bring it down from a perfect score.
The graphics are great, in-game and cut-scenes alike.
The characters, apart from Tanya, are all well-cast.
The game also features an excellent level designer.
This is quite simply among the best RTS games ever made.
I recommend this to every fan of this kind of games.
A golden oldie!.
I believe Red Alert is one of the few games of the mid-nineties that stood the test of time and that is still immensely enjoyable so many years after it's release.Red Alert was released only year after the original C&C, having started out as a expansion pack but somewhere along the line Westwood decided to convert it into a full sequel.
This shows because the 2 games have similar game-play, graphics and most of the units in Red Alert are exact copies from C&C.
However where Red Alert manages to surpass it's predecessor is with the addition of much more interesting story lines, campaigns with lots of twists and turns, improved cinematic sequences and also a few interesting air and sea units which improves game-play.The player can choose between the Soviets and Allied campaign, each side have different strengths and weaknesses, requiring the player to adjust his strategy to the suit his side's particular strength and weaknesses.
The Soviet units are generally stronger, but more expensive and slower than the Allied units.
The Allied units are quicker and cheaper, but lack the firepower of the Soviet units.
The game is difficult enough to challenge the casual gamer and keep you entertained for hours without being frustratingly difficult.An area where I believe the developers got it wrong was with the balance of strengths and weaknesses of the Allied and Soviet sides, the Allied units are simply not cheap nor fast enough to make up for their lack of firepower, a large Soviet tank rush would usually easily wipe their Allied opponents off the map.
The dumb AI is also not much of an improvement from the previous game, and is actually quite easy to beat once you've got the hang of the game.Criticisms aside, If you are a RTS game fan and never got round to play this game (which is highly unlikely) or just want to go for a trip down memory lane, this game will still be worth your money and time..
Great but Hard.
Rated T for Violence.I played Command And Conquer Red Alert a couple of times at my neighbors house.THe game is very good for its time.It has top-down graphics like Postal and Grand Theft Auto 1 and 2 and the gameplay is awesome.This is the only command and conquer game I ever played.I'm not much of a strategy game fan.I'm more of a fighting and shooting game fan so I have not played much games like this.The game is very hard.You have some money to start with and you must choose things like battle stations,electricity stuff you will need to defeat your enemies.You send trucks to find gold as well.This game requires lots of thinking and strategy.Command And Conquer Red Alert is a fun but hard game and I recommend it to any strategy game fan.8/10.
Best of the Best.
This is one of the greatest games i've ever played.
When you turn on the game, you see a movie about Albert Einstein who travels back in time and removes Adolf Hitler out of history.
Because of this change, not Germany, but the Soviet Union caused World War II.You can play the game as the Allies or as the Soviets.
Or when you choose the option "SKIRMISH", you can play as Russia, Great Britian, Germany, and other countries.Well, it is an entertaining and good game.
And I also think general Von Esling was good, and the other actors were good too.
Only some of the effects were a little bit dated.My rating: 8/10. |
tt0281686 | Bubba Ho-Tep | An elderly man at The Shady Rest Retirement Home in East Texas is known to the staff as Sebastian Haff, but claims to be Elvis. He explains that during the 1970s, Elvis Presley (Bruce Campbell) grew tired of the demands of his fame and switched places with an Elvis impersonator named Sebastian Haff (also Campbell). He claims it was Haff who eventually died in 1977, while he, the real Elvis, lived in quiet, happy anonymity and made a living pretending to be himself. After a propane explosion destroyed documentation which was the only proof that he was actually Elvis, he was unable to return to his old lifestyle.
A hip injury during a performance causes him to get an infection and slip into a coma. Twenty years later and living at the retirement home as the film opens, he is contemplating his age, frailty, loss of dignity, impotence, and "A growth on [his] pecker". Elvis's only friend is a black man named Jack (Ossie Davis) who insists he is President John F. Kennedy, claiming to have been dyed black after an assassination attempt, and abandoned by Lyndon Johnson in a nursing home. Initially skeptical of Jack's story, Elvis does spot a mysterious scar on the back of Jack's head. It could be from the head wound seen in the Zapruder film, but then it might not be.
Eventually, Elvis and Jack face off against a re-animated ancient Egyptian mummy that was stolen during a U.S. museum tour, and then lost during a severe storm in East Texas when the thieves' bus veered into a river near the nursing home. The mummy strangely takes on the garb of a cowboy and feeds on the souls of the residents of the home. It is dubbed 'Bubba Ho-Tep' by Elvis, who is given a telepathic flashback of the mummy's life and death when he looks into its eyes. The slow, plodding mummy is a real and credible threat, as instead of going against young adults who could potentially outrun or overpower it, the mummy gives chase to the elderly. Jack and Elvis lack mobility and need a motorized wheelchair and a walker to get around the grounds.
Elvis and Jack create an elaborate plan to destroy the mummy. Destruction of the mummy would release the trapped souls of their dead friends, and they would be able to go to their final resting place. Elvis and Jack battle the mummy in the middle of the night, with Jack in an electric wheelchair and Elvis wielding a makeshift flamethrower. Jack is knocked out of his wheelchair by the mummy and is about to have his soul sucked. Elvis hops in the wheelchair, zooms into the mummy to save Jack, and damages the flamethrower, getting a large gash in his abdomen in the process. Jack dies from a heart attack. Elvis becomes committed to getting rid of the mummy, and he throws the gasoline on him and then throws matches at him, killing the mummy.
Elvis lies on a hill near the river bank, dying from the blood loss from the gash and broken ribs. He talks in his mind about how he doesn't fear death, knowing that he still had his soul and that he saved all of the fellow people at the Shady Rest Retirement Home. As he reflects upon this, the stars align into a message for Elvis, saying: "all is well". With a dying "Thank you, thank you very much", Elvis passes away. | comedy, cult, horror, flashback, psychedelic, humor | train | wikipedia | null |
tt1499201 | Anjaana Anjaani | Anjaana Anjaani is the story of Kiara (Priyanka Chopra) and Akash (Ranbir Kapoor). Kiara is from San Francisco, while Akash lives in New York City. Akash is in need of $12 million, but he is unable to clear a loan due to a stock market crash. Unable to find any means, suicide seems the only option, and he decides to jump off the George Washington Bridge. This is when he meets Kiara, who is also suicidal after catching her fiancé Kunal (Zayed Khan) cheating on her. They both attempt to kill themselves, but are prevented from doing so by the Coast Guard. Still suicidal, Akash deliberately gets hit by a car and Kiara falls on the bridge and breaks her neck. This is again unsuccessful, and they end up in the hospital together. Upon discharge, Kiara takes Akash to her house after his is seized by the bank.
The pair tries to kill themselves five times, failing each time; eventually, they make a pact to end their lives on 31 December 2009. With 20 days left before their deadline, they decide to fulfill their unrealized wishes and begin a journey together. Kiara helps Akash find a date and shares with him how Kunal cheated on her. The next day, Akash cleans Kiara's messy apartment. Akash, who can't swim, is forced to fulfill Kiara's wish of swimming in the cold Atlantic Ocean. At sea, however, Kiara falls overboard and Akash rescues her; this causes their yacht to drift away, stranding them. As the two slowly succumb to hypothermia, Kiara continues telling her story to Akash. They are rescued again by the Coast Guard officer who intervened at the bridge.
Upon returning to land, Kiara becomes depressed again. She attempts to kill herself by drinking bleach and is rushed to the hospital. After her discharge from the hospital, Akash realizes his love for her, and tries everything to make her happy. The two venture out to Las Vegas, as Akash had never gone on a holiday, and they end up in bed together. Unfortunately, Kiara tells Akash at this time that she still loves Kunal. He insists that she move back in with her parents and give Kunal a second chance. In the meantime, Akash moves in with his friend and colleague (Joy Sengupta), planning to return to India on the night of 31 December to start afresh.
Akash attends the bank settlement and reconciles with several friends with whom he had fallen out, as well as with his estranged father. Meanwhile, Kiara cannot stop thinking about Akash; on the 31st, she realizes that she has fallen for him. Kunal discovers this and drops her off at the airport. Kiara reaches the bridge, but finds herself alone, believing she will never see Akash again. Just then, however, he arrives; the pair go out to sea to die. Akash throws a beer bottle with a note in it, which Kiara obtains and reads before Akash proposes to her. Surprised, she accepts, and the couple share a kiss while the Coast Guard rescues them. As credits roll, it is shown that Akash and Kiara got married two years later and had a baby boy. | romantic | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0290879 | Suriyothai | The story follows the course of the life of Suriyothai from her adolescence to her death. As Suriyothai is only known from three lines in a chronicle, most of the film relies on an invented story rather than claiming to be actual history. It presents a young woman, Suriyothai, of minor royal standing who has strong opinions and self-determination. The movie reveals the princess' boldness through scenes where she breaks tradition by walking among the commoners to meet her lover Prince Pirenthorathep, who in turn pledges that he will come to her aid whenever she wants.
Her father insists that she must marry Prince Thienraja, the son of the second king of the realm. In an attempt to escape a marriage she does not want, she runs away and is captured by the principal king who explains the possible problems her marriage to Piren might cause to Siam. For the good of the kingdom, she marries Prince Tien to keep peace in the royal families. From this point on she remains loyal to the man she likes but does not love and remains strongly independent.
The principal king dies, and Tien's father inherits the throne. A few years later, smallpox makes its first appearance in Siam and the king is stricken with the disease. On his deathbed he extracts a promise of support for his young son from Chai Raja, his nephew, and Tien. Burma invades in the north and Chai Raja assumes the throne to protect Siam. He executes the child king, which Tien protests but on Suriyothai's advice accepts Chai Raja as his ruler.
Chai Raja's wife, Queen Jitravadee, dies shortly after giving birth to the heir Yodfa. The king takes a new consort, Srisudachan, and has a son by her. After several years of peace, Chai Raja leaves the capital, Ayutthaya, for a military campaign in the north. Soon after, Srisudachan, descended from the deposed U-Tong dynasty, takes Boonsri Worawongsa, another U-Tong descendant, as a lover and starts plotting to take over the throne.
The king is wounded in battle and comes back to the capital to recuperate, where Srisudachan poisons him and attempts to blame the deed on Tien. Tien saves his own life by becoming a Buddhist monk. Srisudachan proceeds by naming Worawongsa as regent and promptly poisoning young Yodfa, thereby assuming power. Suriyothai then summons her old friend Piren, who was Chai Raja's troop commander, to help set things right. His troops ambush and kill Worawongsa and Srisudachan, and Tien accepts the throne despite his monkhood.
Upon hearing this, Burmese King Hongsa invades again and lays siege to Ayutthaya. In a dramatic finale, however, the Burmese invade the new kingdom, and Queen Suriyothai heroically rides into battle with her husband and her unrequited childhood love at her side. The queen is slain, falling in slow motion from the elephant in full uniform with her throat cut. The ending scene reveals a traditional funeral for royals. | historical, murder, flashback | train | wikipedia | null |
tt2388637 | Ain't Them Bodies Saints | Ruth Guthrie is walking across a field and is followed by Bob Muldoon, who tries to dissuade Ruth from leaving him to return to her mother's. Ruth is adamant and reveals that she is angry at Bob because he supposedly told Freddy that he was going to 'strike out on his own'. Bob reassures her that this isn't the case, that he meant the both of them. They reconcile and Ruth reveals she is pregnant.
Later that night Bob and Freddy commit a crime while Ruth waits in the getaway car. The police, including Patrick Wheeler, goes in pursuit of the culprits and a gunfight ensues, leaving their accomplice Freddy fatally shot and Ruth shooting Patrick. Bob concocts a plan to take the fall for shooting Patrick and the crime committed earlier so that Ruth can raise their child in freedom. Bob and Ruth surrender their weapons. They are apprehended and Bob jailed. Ruth tells Skerrit, Freddy's father, that she is going to wait for Bob. Bob writes several letters to Ruth while he is in jail, promising to be back with her and their child soon, and admonishes her to write to him. Their letters are always read by officials before they are passed on to either Ruth or Bob. Meanwhile, Ruth gives birth to their daughter, Sylvie.
Years pass as Ruth and Sylvie live a normal life in the small town of Meridian, Texas. Patrick, who does not know it was Ruth that actually shot him, notices Ruth and Sylvie around town, but Ruth avoids any contact with him. One day, Patrick makes a visit to Ruth's residence and tells her that Bob has escaped from prison. The local detective questions Ruth as to Bob's whereabouts, and Ruth tells him that Bob has not come to visit her and that he will not come back for her and their daughter. Meanwhile, Bob is traversing the state of Missouri in order to escape the authorities. He coerces a woman to drive him to a location and then gets a train back to Texas. In Texas he procures the help of his friend Sweetie. When Sweetie asks Bob how he got out, and Bob tells Sweetie that he walked out and purports to have a higher calling to life and prison is not a part of that calling. Meanwhile, three bounty hunters, led by an individual called Bear visit Skerrit's hardware store and make general inquiries about the town.
Patrick visits Ruth to return her letters. He tells her that she should move to a safer place until the situation passes, which Ruth takes to mean as until Bob is caught. Bob visits Skerrit at his hardware store. Skerritt informs Bob that there are many people who want him dead and that Bob needs to stay away from Ruth and Sylvie. Patrick visits Sweetie's establishment, asking if he has seen Bob. As they go upstairs, Sweetie tries to warn Bob of the approaching policeman by talking loudly and making a show of trying to open the door to the room Bob is staying in. Bob escapes but leaves behind a photo of Ruth and Sylvie. Sweetie accounts for it by saying it was something Ruth had sent him to pass on to Bob.
On the day of Sylvie's birthday party, Patrick gives Sylvie a guitar. While talking with Sylvie at the party, Patrick learns that Ruth has been planning a trip with Sylvie. Bob arrives at the house but notices Patrick and subsequently leaves. Bob returns to the original shootout location and encounters the bounty hunters. They immediately fire their weapons at him and he manages to kill one of them during a struggle. He shoots another when he attempts to drive away, but he is also seriously wounded. He does get away but is chased by the third. Bob coerces a driver, Will to drive him back to Ruth's house. Will tries to tell Bob that he should be taken to a hospital but Bob refuses, insisting to be taken to Ruth's house.
Sylvie wakes up to find her mother sleeping on the sofa in the arms of Patrick. Patrick smiles at her and she smiles back. They are startled by gunshots outside. Patrick runs out to investigate and finds the third bounty hunter, engaged in a shootout with Skerrit. Patrick shoots the bounty hunter dead and goes to see if Skerrit is okay. He finds that Skerrit is fatally wounded. Ruth and Sylvie are taken to the police station for questioning and safekeeping. When Patrick returns them to their home, they find the front door open and Patrick goes in to investigate, finding a grievously wounded Bob. Ruth follows Patrick into the house and stops Patrick from approaching Bob. Ruth tends to Bob, and Sylvie enters to see her father dying in the arms of her mother. Patrick takes Sylvie back outside and comforts her, while her parents exchange a few last words. | murder, storytelling, flashback | train | wikipedia | David Lowery's cool sophomore feature, "Ain't Them Bodies Saints," resurrects the bad old days of outlaw love that has been portrayed in such seminal cinematic classics like Arthur Penn's "Bonnie and Clyde" and, most notably, Terrence Malick's "Badlands." Unlike those films, though, Lowery concerns himself less with the crimes that his Romeo and Juliet commit, instead focusing on the fallout.On a summer evening in the 1970s, lovers Bob Muldoon (Casey Affleck) and Ruth Guthrie (the porcelain-dainty Rooney Mara) find their Midwestern crime spree has ended with them holed up in a farmhouse, as armed deputies gather outside.
The two are led away from the scene in cuffs, with Bob taking the full weight of their crimes and being sent to prison.Four years later, Ruth has given birth to a daughter and tries to live a normal, peaceful life.
Despite being a very simple story, it has a larger, more timeless feel, aided by the perpetual magic-hour vistas and the ponderings of the main characters (Mara and Affleck's dreamy voiceovers lovingly add to the poignancy Lowery's film already presents in spades).While Bradford Young's elegant cinematography is certainly one of Saints's most striking attributes (he did win an award for it at Sundance earlier this year), the performances are what truly enthrall.
And Ben Foster, whose chief stock in trade is unbridled intensity, plays it broodingly low-key, in a welcome performance reminiscent of Sam Shepard's subdued, tender work in another Malick joint, "Days of Heaven."Unlike its predecessors, the romance in Lowery's film doesn't die in a hail of lead or from execution in the electric chair.
The directing however is great, it is perhaps what really saves this movie, the slow placed, silent sequenced, coupled with fantastic shots of the rural Texas countryside add structure and really pull you into the story, something that the script sadly does not.
Writer/director David Lowery has gathered a superb cast of actor to explore a rather simple story, a cinematic folksong in the western sense (the film is set in the 1970s but could easily be timeless so far reaching are the themes): quite simply it is the tale of an outlaw who escapes from prison and sets out across the Texas hills to reunite with his wife and the daughter he has never met.Bob Muldoon (Casey Affleck) and his wife/girlfriend Ruthie Guthrie (Rooney Mara) and their kin Freddy (Kentucker Audley) have been 'raised' by a man named Skerritt (Keith Carradine) and are bank robbers.
In their latest attempt Freddy is killed and Ruthie shoots at and wounds Sheriff Patrick Wheeler (Ben Foster), but to protect his pregnant wife Bob takes the blame and is sent to prison for four years.
It's already a crime thriller without any thrills.David Lowery is, like way too many other film festival award-winning filmmakers, greatly inspired by Terrence Malick.
But when it's overly obvious the director is trying to be like Malick, it becomes a bad thing.Ain't Them Bodies Saints is a film filled with beautiful images and music but it's story is unsuccessful in getting us to care about any of it's characters or any particular out-come of events.
When Ruth (Rooney Mara) shoots policeman Patrick (Ben Foster), her lover Bob (Casey Affleck) takes the blame and goes to jail.
As Bob closes in on Ruth, the cops and the gangsters close in on Bob.There are times during Ain't Them Bodies Saints when writer-director David Lowery's style and technique comes across as mimicry, of Malick and also of Jeff Nichols, as well as countless American movies from the 1970s.
At times the film flows like a visual poem, with Bradford Young's evocative cinematography melding perfectly with Daniel Hart's stirring music.
Mara is sentimentalised as the angelic mother, but Lowery is wise enough to suggest that this comely vulnerability is an act also - a sophisticated defence against hard men secretly seeking softness.Perhaps the film veers too closely at times toward stylish vagueness and too far from the broken heart of the story.
It appears ham fisted when the director is obviously choosing his shots carefully, but when he lets intuition guide him he manages to capture some great moments on film.Like one scene where Rooney Mara's character leaves church, and the local sheriff gives her a tip of a hat outside in a short tracking shot to the tune of a quirky soundtrack - it's simple and effective.
This dreary movie has some good things going for it on paper, but they're all wasted on a lugubrious directing style that recreates the feeling of dozing on a hot summer day, not because you're tired but because it's too hot to do anything else.Casey Affleck is a young man who goes to jail for armed robbery.
Meanwhile, she's flirting with the cop who she shot (Ben Foster), though he doesn't know that she's the one who wounded him.The plot summary makes this film sound like it would be full of dramatic tension but it's not.
And then done his own thing.Ain't Them Bodies Saints follows the relationship of Bob Muldoon (Casey Affleck) and his partner Ruth Guthrie (Rooney Mara).
Several years later, he affects an escape from the prison in which he is held and makes his way back to his home town in rural Texas.There is very little back-story or explanation of events in this atmospheric film.
Hopefully this role will prove a springboard for Affleck and give him some momentum – he has good screen presence.There was also a strong performance from Rooney Mara and support from Ben Foster and Keith Carradine.The cinematography was, on the whole, superb.
And in those years it was just enough time for co-star Rooney Mara to go from unknown, to starlet, to having a quaint and brilliant year with Side Effects, Saints and hopefully, Her. In a romance story that will draw strong comparisons to Terrence Malick's Badlands, the pair's successfully delivers a bond that's strong enough to keep the ashes burning despite spending most of their screen time apart.When I heard of Ain't Them Bodies Saints, I expected something brutal and bleak, but instead, it's one of the most tender films I've seen in a long time and has a love story I really rooted for.
Couple this with some excellent and emotive acting from the three main characters (especially a surprise from Rooney Mara, Casey was amazing as usual) and this movie really pulls on your heart strings as well as being a feast for your eyes.
If it is indeed true that Lowery used Malik as a touchstone as to what he was aiming for its commendable at just how close he came and if he never gave a second thought to Malik's artistry it is equally as impressive, as Ain't Them Bodies Saints is one of the year's most original and strangely poignant tales.Lowery's story of young lovers Bob and Ruth (played by both equally impressive on form actors in the increasingly assured Mara and the ever reliable Affleck) is more concerned with using imagery and musical cues to set the tone and tell the story instead of a script full of wordy set pieces, so it's to the movies credit that is captures such stark beauty on camera thanks to DOP Bradford Young and features one of this year's best soundtracks complied by Daniel Hart.Some criticism has been passed onto Bodies in concerns to Lowery concentrating to much on the images and construction of the film and not on the script, but critics in this respect are missing out on being caught up in what has been beautifully presented on screen, and while I concur that there is perhaps a certain coldness felt towards characters when there was room for the audience to really understand and feel a warmth towards them Bodies still invests in character growth and by the movies finale it would be hard not to feel some form of emotion.Bodies is a movie that will disappear quickly from many people's memories or to watch list's which is quite the shame considering the love which has gone into it from all involved.
to David Lowery, Dallas writer/director; Bradford Young, Cinematographer; Daniel Hart, music; Mara Rooney, Casey Affleck, Keith Carradine hold scenes from the bedroom to banks to car chases.
'AIN'T THEM BODIES SAINTS': Three and a Half Stars (Out of Five)Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara star in this romantic crime drama about young lovers who are also outlaws, in Texas, that's crime spree comes to an end when one of them is sent to prison.
It's a routine story but it's beautifully shot and the acting is all more than decent.Affleck plays Bob Muldoon and Mara plays Ruth Guthrie, they're outlaws in Texas who run into trouble on their latest heist and Guthrie shoots and wounds a police officer named Patrick Wheeler (Foster).
As he returns he finds the police waiting for him and Wheeler is now romantically interested in his wife.The movie seems inspired by classic 'young love and crime' films like 'BADLANDS' and even 'BONNIE AND CLYDE' but it isn't nearly as memorable as the movies it's trying to emulate.
Casey Affleck is Bob Muldoon, the man who takes the heat for a botched job so his pregnant wife (Rooney Mara) can be free to raise their future child.
The movie is a take on Bonnie and Clyde style LOVE story of a couple Bob (Casey Affleck) and his pregnant partner Ruth (Rooney Mara) who gets involved in crime activities and are caught by police, with Bob taking the blame of shooting a cop Patrick (Ben Foster) and goes to prison and daily writes a LOVE-letter to Ruth asking her to wait for him.
Director David Lowery has his distinct style with slow pace, beautiful shots, blended background score and music, on the edge characters that leave something mysterious for audiences to dwell deep into their psyche.
It is a classic LOVE story of a out-law couple presented in an unusual new way by David Lowery's surreal sensibilities (obviously feels like under the influence of Terrence Mallick - of Days of Heaven fame)
It's a small story about love and life with big, mythic feelings.It isn't an abstract art-house film: there is a plot there, but it's quite insubstantial: almost like it's not fully realized just as Bob's fantasies about his notoriety and future are just this: myths.
This creates the sense that all of these beings are close to the film's title somehow and adds to the mythic, fairytale nature of the world we are in.The biggest strengths of the film, for me are the acting, the cinematography, the poetry (in language, music and visually) and the way the film gets inside you so you feel as the characters feel.Taking these one at a time: The actors do an amazing job: all in subtle ways.
For me, Casey Affleck is the heart of the film and it is Bob's love, yearning and steadfast belief in an impossible future that drove my feelings and was the basis for the most heartbreaking elements of Ain't Them Bodies Saints.
Everyone else plays their roles excellently but I doubt I would have felt much from the film overall without the emotion brought from Bob. Worth noting too is that Affleck and Mara have a great chemistry in the few scenes they have together so that in these fleeting moments, you really buy their love for each other.
Nonetheless the acting is superb from Casy Affleck (Bob), Rooney Mara (Ruth) and Ben Foster (Patrick).
Everything is constantly very dark and moody and slow, you have got to like that sort of style, otherwise many will get bored by it, hence the reason whhy there are so many low rated other reviews on Imdb written by people who were expecting something completely different.It is a bleak, yet very delicate and touching story about 2 lovers who are torn apart after the husband (Casey Affleck) gets imprisoned.
After a fast-paced first half, the film slows down signficantly as Bob Muldoon (Affleck) tries to make his way back home, but it nevertheless remains interesting.
In "Ain't Them Bodies Saints", Young worked with promising writer-director David Lowery and great actors such as Rooney Mara, Casey Affleck and Ben Foster.
This is one of those westerns nobody has ever seen, and it is our jobs to make sure that this great movie is seen.David Lowery's film is about a Texas outlaw couple in the 1970's.
Ruth Guthrie (Rooney Mara) and Bob Muldoon (Casey Affleck) are a couple caught in a shootout with law enforcement.
The film is visually stunning and that is what elevates it from other similar films.The film takes place in the Texas Hill Country during the 70's where we are introduced to a young couple, Bob Muldoon (Casey Affleck) and Ruth Guthrie (Rooney Mara), who are deeply in love.
The supporting turn from Ben Foster and Keith Carradine also adds more depth to the film because they all want the best for Ruth and her daughter.
The second feature from director David Lowery, the film takes the best components from Terrence Malick's peak years and steadily heightens into something painstakingly rousing.Ruth Guthrie (Rooney Mara) and Bob Muldoon (Casey Affleck) are young, in love, and making a living as small-time crooks in a rustic Southern town.
Four years later, he escapes from prison, hoping to renew his life once again; but when he comes home, he finds that Ruth has moved on and is now beginning a romance with the man she shot all those years ago.Before the early bulleted encounter that changes the course of Ain't Them Bodies Saints, there is an impression that we are about to witness a Badlands 2.0 of sorts, a deep-dish of romanticized crime and doomed love.
It was obvious that David Lowery's "Ain't them Bodies Saints" (where did they get that title) would be compared to such films as "Badlands" and "Days of Heaven".
We are sure as hell in Malick country and in a good way too, as young outlaw Casey Affleck breaks out of jail and heads for home to be reunited with his girl Rooney Mara and the young daughter he has never seen.
Casey Affleck, Rooney Mara, Ben Foster and Keith Carradine are a pleasure to watch ...
"I promise I'll come back and get you." Bob Muldoon (Affleck) and Ruth Guthrie (Mara) are young and in love.
Ain't Them Bodies Saints is a noir western about a couple who pull a heist that ends with a shootout and Bob (Casey Affleck) taking the blame for shooting a lawman (Ben Foster),whom Ruth (Rooney Mara) had wounded.
For sure, Malick never had this much action.The mood of inevitability that hangs over the film is effective as the director crosscuts between Bob in prison and Ruth and their child carving out a life in the same small town as in the crime.
When I went to see "Ain't Them Bodies Saints" (R, 1:36)
it didn't.Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara star as Bob and Ruth, a pair of star-crossed lovers who get into a shoot-out with police in rural 1970s Texas.
Monotone is the best word I have to describe the acting, especially from Casey Affleck, who played a similar character (and slightly better) in 2007's "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford", but is much more entertaining playing quirky characters as he did in the "Ocean's" films.The most interesting thing about "Ain't Them Bodies Saints" is the movie's title – even though it doesn't ever mean anything in the story.
While Ben Foster work overtime to track mud all over their characters, Mara and Affleck don't do much better than the film itself at bringing viewers inside their lives.
I watched this film because of Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara.
David Lowery has made an impressive first feature film with "Ain't Them Bodies Saints".
The cinematography is excellent at the hands of Bradford Young; long, beautiful shots give the movie a sense of longing and hope.Bob (Casey Affleck) and Ruth (Rooney Mara), along with Freddy, have been brought up by Skerritt (Keith Carridine).
AIN'T THEM BODIES SAINTS (2013) ** Rooney Mara, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster, Keith Carradine, Kennadie and Jacklynn Smith, Nate Parker.
This was written and directed by David Lowery, to whom I give bonus points for originality.A young man, Casey Affleck, accepts blame for wounding a police officer in some tiny retro town in Missouri, although it was his lover, Mara Rooney, who did the shooting.
On top of being a love- letter to one of finest ever decades for cinema, it manages to tell a compelling, if often isolating, little story in its own right.Bob Muldoon (Casey Affleck) and Ruth Guthrie (Rooney Mara) are two reckless young lovers.
So most of the movie is the hunt for him, and their attempts to escape to a place far away with the suitcase of money to start a new life.The characters are played well by Rooney Mara as Ruth Guthrie and Ben's younger brother, Casey Affleck as Bob Muldoon.
This hackneyed story of a troubled love affair gone bad is fairly predictable, but the superb acting by Affleck, Rooney Mara ("The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"), and Ben Foster, together with the "show, don't tell" screenplay by writer/director David Lowery, set it apart from lesser versions.Probably best known for his villainous role in "3:10 to Yuma," Foster does a great job with his role as a forgiving police officer, shot by the wife of character Bob Muldoon (Affleck), during a siege following a robbery.
Muldoon takes the rap for his wife, and goes to prison, only to escape four years later, in an attempt be reunited with his wife, Ruth, and the couple's four-year-old daughter, born while he was "inside."A compelling, hypnotic musical score by Daniel Hart, dark, moody cinematography by Bradford Young, and a strong-but-understated performance by veteran actor Keith Carradine (why doesn't he get more work?) and you almost have a perfect movie - almost. |
tt0427312 | Grizzly Man | Herzog used sequences extracted from more than 100 hours of video footage shot by Treadwell during the last five years of his life. He also conducted and filmed interviews with Treadwell's family and friends, and bear and nature experts. Park rangers and bear experts commented on statements and actions by Treadwell, such as his repeated claims that he was defending the bears from poachers. Park rangers noted that there had never been a recorded incident of poaching at this national park.
As another example, Treadwell claimed he had "gained the trust" of certain bears, sufficient to approach and pet them. Park rangers pointed out that bears are wild and potentially dangerous animals; given that, Treadwell was lucky to have survived so long as he did without being mauled. One park ranger suggested that the bears were so confused by Treadwell's direct, casual contact that they weren't sure how to react to him. Other park rangers point out that the bears were not threatened by poachers, but Treadwell's actions put them at real risk of harm and death. By familiarizing them with human contact, he increased the likelihood that they would approach human habitation seeking food, and cause a confrontation in which humans would kill them.
In 2003, Treadwell was camping in Katmai National Park with his girlfriend, Amie Huguenard. Treadwell usually left the park at the end of summer but that year stayed into early October. This put him and Huguenard at greater risk, as in this period, bears are aggressive about searching for food to store up calories for hibernation during the winter. Herzog speculates that their staying later in the season ultimately resulted in the deaths of Treadwell and Huguenard.
In addition to presenting views from friends and professionals, Herzog narrates and offers his own interpretations of events. He concluded that Treadwell had a sentimental view of nature, thinking he could tame the wild bears. Herzog notes that nature is cold and harsh. Treadwell's view clouded his thinking and led him to underestimate danger, resulting in his death and that of his girlfriend.
Treadwell's video camera captured an audio record of the bear attack. Herzog refrained from making this a part of the film, but he is shown listening to it, clearly disturbed. The director advised Jewel Palovak (the owner of the tape) to destroy it rather than listen to it. He later repudiated his own advice, saying it was
“Stupid... silly advice born out of the immediate shock of hearing—I mean, it’s the most terrifying thing I’ve ever heard in my life. Being shocked like that, I told her, ‘You should never listen to it, and you should rather destroy it. It should not be sitting on your shelf in your living room all the time.’ [But] she slept over it and decided to do something much wiser. She did not destroy it but separated herself from the tape, and she put it in a bank vault."
The coroner gave Palovak Treadwell's wristwatch, which had been retrieved from his left arm, one of the few remains found. Willy Fulton, the pilot who discovered the remains of Treadwell and his girlfriend, had noted seeing the lone arm with the wristwatch and not being able to keep the image out of his mind. | entertaining, murder, storytelling, home movie | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0043560 | Fourteen Hours | Early one morning, a room-service waiter at a New York City hotel is horrified to discover that the young man to whom he has just delivered breakfast (Basehart) is standing on the narrow ledge outside his room on the 15th floor. Charlie Dunnigan (Douglas), a policeman on traffic duty in the street below, tries to talk him off the ledge to no avail. He is ordered back to traffic patrol by police emergency services deputy chief Moksar (Da Silva), but he is ordered to return when the man on the ledge will not speak to psychiatrists summoned to the scene. Coached by a psychiatrist (Martin Gabel), Dunnigan tries to relate to the man on the ledge as one human to another.
The police identify the man as Robert Cosick and locate his mother (Agnes Moorehead), but her overwrought, hysterical behavior only upsets Cosick and seems to drive him toward jumping. His father (Keith), whom he despises, arrives. The divorced father and mother clash over old family issues, and the conflict is played out in front of the police. Dunnigan seeks to reconcile Robert with his father, whom Cosick has been brought up to hate by his mother. Dunnigan forces Mrs. Cosick to reveal the identity of a "Virginia" mentioned by Robert, and she turns out to be his estranged fiancee.
While this is happening, a crowd is gathering below. Cab drivers are wagering on when he will jump. A young stock-room clerk named Danny (Hunter) is wooing a fellow office worker, Ruth (Debra Paget), whom he meets by chance on the street. A woman (Grace Kelly) is seen at a nearby law office, where she is about to sign the final papers for her divorce. Amid legal formalities, she watches the drama unfold. Moved by the tragic events, she decides to reconcile with her husband.
After a while, Dunnigan convinces Cosick everyone will leave the hotel room so that he can rest. As Cosick steps in, a crazy evangelist sneaks into the room and Cosick goes back to the ledge. This damages his trust in Dunnigan, as does an effort by police to drop down from the roof and grab him. As night falls, Virginia (Barbara Bel Geddes) is brought to the room, and she pleads with Robert to come off the ledge, to no avail. All the while, the police, under the command of Moksar, are working to grab Robert and put a net below him.
Dunnigan seems to make a connection with Cosick when he talks about the good things in life, and he promises to take Cosick fishing for "floppers" (flounder) on Sheepshead Bay. Cosick is about to come inside when a boy on the street accidentally turns on a spotlight that blinds Robert, and he falls from the ledge. He manages to grab a net that the police had stealthily put below him, and he is hauled into the hotel. Dunnigan is greeted by his wife and son, and Danny and Ruth walk the street hand in hand. | suicidal | train | wikipedia | Here he is superb as a compassionate traffic cop.Richard Basehart plays a man threatening to jump from the ledge on a high floor of a hotel.
Jeffrey Hunter is likable as the man in the crowd outside the hotel who falls for her.This was Grace Kelly's first film role.
Although this film traffics in some of the worst movie clichés (the good-hearted, potato-nosed Irish-American cop; the conventional--and tacked-on--Happy Ending(tm)), it manages to rise above them, thanks to fine acting, a gripping story, and excellent production values.
(You feel teleported to the Manhattan of 1951.) The chemistry between Paul Douglas (as Officer Dunnegan) and an incredibly young Richard Basehart (as the suicidal young man) really drives the film.
I've watched this film a couple of times on the Fox Movie Channel and I really think it's a pretty good little suspense/drama.
Richard Basehart plays a man on the edge who decides to try and end it all perched on the ledge of a Manhattan hotel.
The first on the scene is traffic cop Paul Douglas who does his best to try and befriend, comfort and hopefully coax the unbalanced man back inside.
Director Henry Hathaway does a pretty good job of wringing out the drama and suspense and gives the film a nice, big city feel using some pretty impressive sets in the foreground and background.
FOURTEEN HOURS begins with Richard Basehart walking onto the ledge outside his hotel room.
A nearby cop (Paul Douglas) looks up and sees him on this ledge on the 15th floor and hurries over to the hotel to try to talk him out of jumping.
Soon, his superiors come and relieve him--they'll work on trying to get Basehart down and Douglas simply isn't trained for this sort of thing.
The plot is a literal cliffhanger or maybe skyscraper is more apt--- will a suicidal young Richard Basehart jump from his 20th floor ledge or not.
Good thing that the producers also come up with one of the best young actors of the time--- Basehart, who acts just foggy enough to teeter on a ledge and play Hamlet.
Then there's that genial roughneck Paul Douglas as the cop who tries to persuade him that it's really better to be than not-to-be.Note how ace studio director Hathaway keeps the hotel room bustling so that the static ledge shots don't become boring.
Henry Hathaway is the director of Fourteen Hours, which stars Richard Baseheart as Robert Cosick, the young man threatening to jump from a Manhattan skyscraper.
Paul Douglas is police officer Charlie Dunnigan who discovers the man and tries to talk him into coming off the ledge.
Other supporting actors are Agnes Moorehead as Mrs. Cosick (the mother), Robert Keith (the father), Grace Kelly, Jeffrey Hunter, Martin Gable, Barbara Bel Geddes (the girlfriend) and others.
Baseheart was something of a Hollywood idol in his day and died after completing the narration for the opening ceremonies of the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984.The story captures the skyline of New York, its people and media as the drama gives an air of immediacy to the suspense of whether or not the man will jump from the building.
As the 14 hours tick by, an assortment of people traipse in and out of his room: his shrew of a mother (Agnes Moorehead), his defeated father (Robert Keith), his former fiancee (Barbara Bel Geddes).
Grace Kelly's screen debut circles the plot like a remote satellite: she's on her way to finalize her divorce but, caught up in the drama of the would-be jumper, changes her mind.
(Why that plot strand didn't end up on the cutting room floor remains a puzzle.) Meanwhile (as in Billy Wilder's Ace in the Hole/The Big Carnival of the same year), a three-ring media circus gets underway.There's enough going on in Henry Hathaway's movie to keep you watching, but your heart stays well south of your throat.
"Fourteen Hours" is a tight and suspenseful film, generally extremely well done.But its cast is just crammed full with some of the greatest talent in motion picture history, and those players make this a must-see movie.It is strange, to me, that so many great actors, not necessarily big names, are not listed in the credits.Thank God for IMDb or those of us with faulty memories might not know for sure who those extraordinary performers are.I thought I recognized the very recognizable voice of Willard Waterman, but he is not given screen credit.
Nervous young man visiting New York City stands on the ledge outside his fifteenth-floor hotel room window threatening to jump; the first cop on the scene, a "flat foot" working stiff, establishes a connection with the kid just before the whole incident boils over into a media circus.
Strong central performances do bolster the melodrama, particularly by Paul Douglas as the good-hearted traffic officer (it's really Douglas' movie), Richard Basehart as the man on the ledge, and Howard da Silva as the police chief.
Although he really doesn't appear in many scenes, the show is actually stolen by all the others, especially by Paul Douglas, who makes one of his best performances as well, - the scenes in which Richard really acts couldn't be more convincing of a man at the end of his tether, his life in ruins, his character shattered from the beginning, all shaking nerves and capable of being fatally upset by any unpleasant detail.
Even though the police and firemen are all professionals and know what to do, nothing can stop mistakes from being committed, and here a tremendous lot of people are involved in them, including a preacher, vulture journalists, a league of doctors, bookmakers, irresponsible youngsters adding to the mess, there are a lot of minor dramas in this film, adding it to Henry Hathaway's already fine collection of semi-documentaries, among which this is definitely one of the best.
After passing on a hotel waiter's delivery of breakfast, troubled young Richard Basehart (as Robert Cosick) steps out on the ledge of a New York City hotel, and threatens to jump.
Basehart's psyche is made more insightful through conversations with Douglas, and a parade of interested parties; including self-centered mother Agnes Moorehead (as Christine Hill Cosick), henpecked father Robert Keith (as Paul E.
Cosick), and wholesome ex-girlfriend Barbara Bel Geddes (as Virginia Foster).Director Henry Hathaway's "Fourteen Hours" milks billowing curtains and skyline angles for all they are worth, registering a great amount of anxiety for his "Man on the Ledge".
By the way, the cast of thousands includes dozens of "bit" players worth connecting with (I started with switchboard-ready Sandra Gould of "Bewitched", and found something right from George Putnam).******** Fourteen Hours (3/6/51) Henry Hathaway ~ Richard Basehart, Paul Douglas, Barbara Bel Geddes.
A man climbs out onto the ledge outside his 15th-floor hotel room and threatens to jump.
The initial shock of the man on the ledge dissipates quickly and then things become rather mundane and dull.Richard Basehart plays Robert Cosick, the man on the ledge, but it is Paul Douglas, playing the cop trying to talk him back inside, who is the real star of the film.
There's some good interplay between Dunnigan and Robert, performed wonderfully by Douglas and reasonably well by Basehart.
And, in her first film role, there's Grace Kelly playing a woman who rather bizarrely makes a life-altering decision based on the fact she sees some guy she doesn't know standing out on that ledge.
The performances by Kelly and by Jeffrey Hunter and Debra Paget playing the young would-be couple are fine but their characters add nothing of value to the film.
Paul Douglas and Richard Basehart carry the movie on their shoulders ;the movie has got the three unities: time,place and(almost) action :I write "almost" because two minor subplots(Grace Kelly's appointment and the Jeffrey Hunters/Debra Paget romance)are mostly filler.All that remains is excellent:the film continues the tradition of the Freudian movie which thrived in the precedent decade with Hitchcock,Lang ,Tourneur and Siodmak and the actors direction is first class ;Douglas and Basehart hold the audience breathless and there's no lull:considering the limitations there are working under in space and in time,it's a true tour De force ;the interventions are brilliant:Mrs Moorehead is an actress who makes all her scenes count;even the sometimes bland Bel Geddes can play her game well.Douglas ,when he suggest the suicidal young man go fishing with him,becomes a new father for him,just like Cooper and Tone were new fathers for Cromwell in "lives of a Bengal Lancer";in "souls at sea" there is another father/son relationship.I have always loved Henry Hathaway's movies,from "Peter Ibbetson" TO "kiss of death" , from" the trail of the lonesome pine" to " true grit" (1969)and from "Niagara" to "legend of the lost" ."14 hours" is to be ranked among his best..
Alternately cynical and ebullient, this film evokes the best and worst of the reality TV generation with it's breathless minute-by-minute commentary from news reporters who seem as frantic as it's desperate protagonist.A horribly mis-cast Richard Basehart as "the boy" is difficult to watch.
Basehart can deliver the goods on the ledge though, he just seems a bit long in the tooth for confused youngster.The movie excels in its tense dialog between "the traffic cop" and "the boy" but it falls flat in every other scene.
More police and some doctors then turn up, but the man on the ledge insists he'll only talk to the traffic cop and so he's called back in to help the situation.
This film, based on a true story, stars Richard Basehart as a man who threatens to jump from a city skyscraper.
The background story is good also and while there is a bit of over acting ( the woman who plays Basehart's Mother), the character roles are quite good.
It's based upon a true incident, though the film is opened up for the sake of the large and screen-worthy cast.Paul Douglas is a NYC cop pounding a beat who gets the call of a jumper on the 14th floor ledge of a downtown building.
Basehart is adequate and the hall of fame supporting cast (Jeffrey Hunter, Grace Kelly, Barb Bel Geddes, Agnes Moorehead, Debra Paget, Howard Da Silva etal) struggles gamely to avoid the dive into the pavement the script soon takes.
"Fourteen Hours" is a low budget offering with a simple plot and a relatively short running time but it's also an incredibly gripping drama about a disturbed young man who threatens to commit suicide by jumping off a skyscraper window ledge.The story's based on the real life incident which involved John Wilson Warde who on 26 July 1938 leapt to his death from one of the highest window ledges of the Hotel Gotham in New York City.
The waiter reports what's happened to the hotel manager and at the same time, traffic cop Charlie Dunnigan (Paul Douglas) who is working on the street below, alerts his colleagues to what's going on before swiftly going up to the would be jumper's room.
There Dunnigan poses as another hotel guest and starts a conversation with the troubled Robert Cosick (Richard Basehart) who despite Dunnigan's encouragement, refuses to step back into his room.Soon, the police, newspaper reporters and a couple of psychiatrists arrive, Dunnigan is ordered back to his traffic duty and outside a large crowd gathers and radio and television crews quickly set up their equipment.
The psychiatrists discover that Robert is unwilling to speak to anyone but Dunnigan and so he's duly called back to the scene by Deputy Chief Moksar (Howard Da Silva).The police locate the young man's divorced parents but Robert only becomes more upset by the arrival of the hysterical Mrs Cosick (Agnes Moorehead) and also fails to communicate properly with his father (Robert Keith) from whom he's been estranged for many years.
Robert's predicament is eventually resolved but in a most unexpected way.In "Fourteen Hours", the despair of a solitary man on the ledge provides a stark contrast to the frantic activity of the large number of people in his hotel room.
Similarly, this man's lonely and desperate life or death situation is seen as insignificant in a large city where the onlookers who watch him simply regard the whole incident as a gross inconvenience and even take bets on what time he'll jump.The story's subplots which involve a couple meeting in the crowd and falling in love and a woman changing her mind about proceeding with her planned divorce also emphasise how the lives of the city and its people drive relentlessly on because one person's crisis is totally insignificant in this kind of environment.Robert Cosick is a man with a history of mental problems and his instability at the time of his crisis on the ledge is explained as being caused by the inadequacies of his parents and the way he was treated by them.This movie has a cast who turn in some good performances but it's the contributions of Basehart and Douglas which really stand out.
As tension builds up thousands of new Yorkers as well as tourists gathered beneath the hotel to watch the show including two star struck lovers Ruth & stock and box boy Danny Kempner, Debra Paget & Jeffery Hunter, who ends up talking a walk down Wall Street arm and arm by the time the show or movie is finally over.
There was also a bunch of taxi drivers taking bets when Cousick would take his fatal dive just to pass, since they weren't doing any business anyway, the time of day that after 14 hours went into the night.Up on the 15th floor Dunnigan does his best to talk Cousick out of killing himself but is interrupted by police top head shrinker or psychiatrist Dr. Strauss, Martin Gable, who's advice in what he should do, get in touch with his inner feelings, makes things worse not better.
***SPOILERS***It was Virginia who finally got to Cousick but as usual the police, with the exception of Officer Dunnigan,almost blew it by jumping the gun as he was about to come back into his hotel room setting up the exciting final heart dropping, of many, scene in the movie.
Look for a young 21 year old Grace Kelly as Louise Ann Fuller who by watching all the action provided by Cousick from her lawyers office decided not to divorce her husband Thomas, James Warren, by seeing that some people in the world have far more problems that she and her husband do!P.S The movie was based on 26 year old John Warde who jumped to his death off the 17th floor of the Hotel Gotham on July 26, 1938.
Let's have a young man climb out on the ledge of a New York hotel and build up a back story about his tsuris and at the same time tell small tales of the diverse witnesses to the guy's dilemma.That precisely how the movie moves along from point to point, a little mechanically, but suspenseful and engaging.
Most of the work is done by Richard Basehart as the would-be suicide and Paul Douglas as the traffic cop who befriends him and alternately wheedles and lambastes him.Movies mavens will be left agog after they see the list of supporting and bit players, many uncredited, who were to go on to climb to dazzling heights in Hollywood, either as stars or as indispensable supports -- Grace Kelly, Jeffrey Hunter, Jeff Corey, Brian Keith, Richard Beymer, and John Cassavetes among them.The movie doesn't wallow in easy sentiment.
Richard Basehart is a distraught man perched on the fifteenth floor ledge of a NYC hotel.
Hirsch argues that the subtext of the film is that the Richard Basehart character ("Robert Cosick") is gay but in 1951, Hollywood was not permitted to deal with such gay themes explicitly.
Hirsch makes some good points particularly in his description of Charlie Dunnigan, the down-to-earth cop (convincingly played by Paul Douglas) who is set up as a well-adjusted family man in contrast to the tormented Cosick.14 Hours works on two levels.
There are other characters that add to the film's verisimilitude high above street level: the slew of cops who are continually trying to physically remove Cosick from his perch as well as the obsessed preacher, the 'man of God' who sabotages the rescue plan almost culminating in disaster!The second level takes place 'below' the main action.
She blends into this performance a similarity to "Magnificent Ambersons" and can still be that holy terror as she displayed as Minnie in "Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte."The picture again deals with mob psychology with some people anxiously awaiting Basehart to take the fatal plunge.Sidebars include Jeffrey Hunter and Debra Paget, as a young couple who meet among the mob and Grace Kelly, about to divorce her husband before this drama gives her a new lease on life and she is willing to try to sustain the marriage.Barbara Bel Geddes appears briefly as Virginia, the girlfriend to Robert (Baseheart) She is effective here.Martin Gabel's role as the psychologist fascinated me.
What might be more fascinating to me than the psychological drama playing out between the man on the ledge and the beat cop trying to talk him down, is the cross section of humanity on the street below with disparate views on how to interpret the situation.
They range from the compassionate woman Ruth (Debra Paget) who skips work to voice moral support for the troubled man, right up to the cynical cab drivers making book on how soon Robert Cosick (Richard Basehart) will jump.
The police shrink brought in on the case laid out a fairly well rationalized life pattern for the suicidal man, but it sounded just a bit too pat for my understanding, even if he hit the highlights.Nice support work here from a cast filled with future luminaries of the movie and TV screen, with a young Grace Kelly in her first film appearance, Barbara Bel Geddes, Howard Da Silva, Frank Faylen and Jeff Corey. |
tt0137195 | Road Kill | Marcus (Xavier Samuel), his best friend Craig (Bobby Morley), and their friends, Liz (Georgina Haig) and Nina (Sophie Lowe) are driving through the Australian outback, when they are hit by a road train. The vehicle comes up behind their SUV and pushes them off the road, breaking Craig's arm. The truck stops some distance up the road, and the group approach it, but the driver is nowhere to be found. Distant gunshots are heard, and a crazed figure in the bush screams and runs towards them. Panicked, they commandeer the truck and drive away. The truck's radio turns on by itself. All four fall asleep, and the truck drives itself off the road and up a hill. The four then wake up. While Nina looks after Craig, Liz claims to see a shack and leaves to search for it. Unable to start the truck, Marcus accompanies Liz.
Nina discovers the truck's fuel tanks are empty, but finds a large pipe underneath the trailer, filled with a mysterious red goo. Craig, tormented by visions of the hellhound Cerberus, finds a key to the trailers. He opens the rearmost trailer and heads in, and the door closes itself behind him. Marcus and Liz have a disagreement over her having slept with Craig. Liz storms off, while Marcus stays on the road. Marcus has a run-in with the truck's driver who shoots himself. Liz finds the shack rundown and abandoned. Inside, she finds unlabeled cans containing the red goo. Thirsty, she drinks some, but quickly runs back after finding bloody remains.
Liz and Nina try to start the truck, but Marcus, now wearing the truck driver's clothes and carrying his gun, trying to destroy it. The women overpower him, tie him up, and resume working on the truck. Craig emerges from the trailer and kills Marcus. The truck starts up again, and Nina tries to back it up. Liz stands at the rear to signal Nina, but eventually leaves to drink more red goo. Nina, unable to see Liz, exits the cab and sees Craig, who tries to lure her into the rear trailer. Hearing Liz crying for help from inside the trailer, she pushes Craig in and locks the door. Eventually, Nina successfully turns the truck around and returns to the main road. She stops the truck and examines the front trailer. To her horror, she discovers it is a slaughter house. Human bodies, including Marcus's, are ground into the red goo that fuels the truck. Shocked, she returns to the cab and keeps driving.
Nina spots a car and signals them for help. The truck radio again turns on by itself; during the distraction, Craig and Liz break into the cab. As the three fight, Craig rams the truck into the car. Liz is thrown from the cab by Nina, who is then knocked out. When Nina awakens, she finds Craig dragging Liz's body to the trailer. He persuades her to help, rambling of a "magnificent opportunity". Nina flees, but Craig hits her head on the side of the cab. He then drags her into the trailer but she manages to overpower him and flees into the bush, with Craig in pursuit. He catches her, but she manages to kill him with the truck driver's gun.
As Nina emerges from the bush, she spots the couple from the wrecked car examining the truck. She runs toward them, screaming warnings. The couple, having been run off the road, hearing distant gunshots, and seeing a crazed, screaming figure running towards them, commandeer the truck and drive off. Nina watches in horror as the cycle repeats itself. | violence, comedy, murder | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0103959 | Chrome Hearts | The film is about an all-female motorcycle gang named the "Cycle Sluts", who cruise into the isolated town of Zariah looking for a good time. Here, an evil scientist-turned-mortician has been killing local townspeople with the aid of his long-suffering dwarf assistant ("If God wanted you to do normal things, he would have made you look like normal people") and turning them into zombies to use as labor at an abandoned mine. The mine is too radioactive after underground nuclear testing to be mined by living people. Although the scientist later admits that the real reason he's been doing it is not the money, but because he's just plain mean.
The zombies escape after a curious little boy removes the lock to explore the mine, becoming the zombies' first victim ("Daddy, is that you? Aaaiiigh!"). Around this point, we meet another one of the parties involved, a bus-load of blind orphans, who are stranded just on the outskirts of town as their ride breaks down. Luckily their bus-driver always keeps an Uzi on the bus "for sentimental reasons".
With vague memories of life to guide them, the zombies eventually find their way back to town and begin devouring live flesh. Going against the wishes of their leader and despite some rough treatment from the locals earlier in the film, the Cycle Sluts ride to the rescue. Driven by a combination of personal history with Zariah, maternal instinct and possibly even a little true love, the bad-ass mamas start hacking off zombie heads using chainsaws, baseball bats, welding torches, a garrotte and a staple gun.
In the final scene, the Cycle Sluts use fresh meat to lure the remaining zombies to the town church, which they have packed with dynamite. They are now aided by the doctor's dwarf who has decided that there are better lines of work than being a henchman. With all the undead inside and the church sealed up, the timer goes off and the church goes up in flames, zombies and all. The Cycle Sluts are rewarded with a sack full of cash and induct the dwarf and several of the blind orphans as honorary Cycle Sluts. They then ride out of town with some of the men folk in tow (their new "bitches") and throw the sack of money to the wind. | cult | train | wikipedia | If nothing else, the pure inventiveness of simply stapling a zombies mouth shut (He can't eat you if he can't open his mouth) is one of the best things I've seen in ages!The plot is, at best, thin.
Chopper Chicks in Zombietown is definitely one of those movies.
Blow me." "If you were supposed to do normal things, God would have made you look like a normal person" (in reference to the ubiquitous midget...a necessity for a funny movie!).
And of course, a slide whistle theme song brilliantly used during the zombie scenes is essential as well.So, watch the movie.
Midgets, blind children, biker chicks and zombies.
However when the zombies escape the Cycle Sluts might be the only ones able to stop them.I didn't know anything about this film when I taped it.
The `chopper chicks' themselves are actually pretty cool and mostly pretty sexy/good looking Gretchen Palmer being the cutest and most fresh faced (definitely not a woman who has ridden a motor bike across America!).
The most notably actor (but not for his performance) is Billy Bob Thornton, who must look back on this now and thank God that he has risen above this type of work.Overall, anyone watching Troma films should be ready for the low standards and lack of spark that generally come with them.
Worth watching if you've never seen a Troma film, but other than that it's not worth the bother and is about as sh*t as you'd expect..
I would recomend this moovie to anyone who wants to watch films of the living dead, zombies, vampires and the like.
A bus-load of blind orphans!This movie says something that I've been saying for a long time, there simply aren't enough movies about a gang of gay bikers (bikettes?) who have to attack a load of Zombies who could possibly threaten a whole town, not to mention the busload of blind orphans.If you liked TROMA'S other masterpieces such as TROMEO AND JULIET, or THE TOXIC AVENGER, this may be more to your tastes.
Obviously, if you liked this movie then you should check out the other two that I just mentioned.It's funny, if you can watch it in the right spirit..
How do you string together scenes of take-no-s*** lesbian bikers (some at any rate, others you-know-what), cheapo zombies, blind orphans, a dwarf, an incoherent mad scientist, and effects and side characters with only face-value interest?
The movie itself plays out like, basically, a biker movie with zombies, where plot- though there- never gets in the way of a trashy killing scene, and establishing shots of the dead ones put to weird carnival music (kazoo included).To describe the different character relationships would be moot; all need be known is that one biker is domineering/cowardly, another very attached to his man (Billy Bob Thornton, yes, ol' Billy Bob) up to a point, and one that doesn't get past any point becoming, basically, zombie bait.
It is of note that the man who starts up the zombies in the town, played by the great Return of the Living Dead alumni Don Calfa (included with fully weird eyes and a hick accent amid his Frankenstein mode), basically can't seem to control these things, even as the townspeople almost don't give a damn ('eh, they're family' they say).
It makes me grin seeing the back of the cover, perhaps in an all too ironic way, at seeing this movie compared to Seven Samurai, even just in "shades" as the critic says.Along with being camp it's really an example of flawed but pure exploitation film-making.
And coming from Troma, a film company that will churn out almost anything in similar capacities that porno movies do, it's definitely not a bad entry.
The biker chicks are convincing enough, even as writer/director Hoskins does a flair for the dramatic (i.e. long close-up on the lead biker chick as she prepares to flame up some zombies in the big brawl in the streets), and the oddities help bring so much to laugh at, unintentional or not, that it's hard to find stuff wrong with it on such so-bad-it's-good grounds.
It's far from being exactly memorable as a genre film, but for its time it does deliver some stupid fun, with a 60's or 70's biker movie formula wedging in room for both cool and ludicrous living-dead movie set-ups.
If you're a fan of zombies...well you better go rent or buy this movie!enjoy.
We've got motorcycle babes, townsfolk, a busload of blind orphans, and a dwarf all fighting zombies in a run-down mining town.
Note to genre buffs: I came to the same conclusion of an earlier reviewer that this film is a comedic combination of O'Bannon's Dead and Buried and Hammer's Plague of the Zombies..
A load of biker chicks end up in a town where zombies roam aboutThat's it; plenty of gore, no nudity, and a very early performance by Billy Bob Thornton!I suppose the best one can say is that's it only 80 minutes long.
Linnea Quigley did not return, but would have been perfect for the biker's leader, Rox. Earl Boen(Dr. Silberman from the Terminator trilogy), Billy Bob Thornton(redneck in many movies), Lewis Arquette(father of Patricia, Rosanna, and David), and Hal Sparks(from Queer As Folk and Dude Where is My Car?) all appear.
great fun for those who love bad movies.
The beginning of the film is slow and takes a while to get going, but when the 'zombies' (which look like they are just people the crew pulled of the street) go after the girls, after being let out from a Cave (Believe it!) you can't help but laugh at the stupid ways the 'Cycle Sluts' kill the creatures.
Any film with a midget shooting zombies and an unexplained buss-full of blind teenagers who help save the day has to be seen to be believed!
Biker women who can't act too good ride into town and end up fighting off a whole bunch of really pitiful looking zombies.
This movie is about as trashy as you can get, but is good entertainment.Very athletic and slightly mannish but not butch women ride into town on their very nice looking motor cycles, not knowing that this town's mortician is making zombies out of corps.
Soon they find out the gory truth when they encounter the mortician and the zombies that have escaped from the hidden cave.Plot is really thin, as there are not much more to it than what the title suggests, but there's story to each scene, and they play it to the max.
I liked the humor of the story and the gusto the chicks displayed at every scene.This was pretty good entertainment, but definitely not for everyone.
From then on, you would expect an exciting zombie showdown horror movie, but no, understandably it takes an enormously long time for the zombies to reach Zariah.
When the zombies *finally* come marching in, the townsfolk actually hire the biker chicks to exterminate them, because the walking corpses are all deceased family members and/or highly respected former community members and killing them would be just too painful.
There exist very few good reasons to seek out this obscure 80's film, expect maybe to witness one of the first roles of Billy Bob Thornton as one of the chicks' hard- drinking rednecks.
All the elements that make a great B-Movie are here--a soap star(Jamie Rose), a great character actor (Don Calfa), a future star (Billy Bob Thornton), and Lewis Arquette as a cop.
For a celebration of zombie B-Movies, check out The Dead Hate the Living.
Chopper Chicks in Zombie Town is a great movie title and the disc is a must have for the B-movie collector, but not a great zombie film or a great B-movie..
This movie had everything, Drama, Comedy, Action, Romance, Motorcycles, Lesbians, a Musical number, Mad Scientists, Midgets, Zombies, Blind Orphans, and most especially, CHEESE!
Lots and lots of cheese!This movie doesn't just fall into the 'so bad it's good' genre; it pretty much defines it.
Right from the beginning we see the Biker Gang that the movie revolves around get berated by their leader "You're the Sluts!
Try to act like it!" From there, the Sluts are let loose in yet another small town, not realizing that this is Zombietown, run by the evil Mad Scientist and his Midget henchman.
It does so with nary a look back, and not a scrap of good taste.If you like cheese, this is the movie for you..
The beginning of Chopper Chicks seems pretty cool - a half decent song playing to bikers, until we get a closer shot and see that these are women who have never ridden a bike in their lives.
It amazes me how people can make films as bad as this, my fifteen minute college zombie flick creams this, and that was on a budget of £2.
Avid fans of troma films will enjoy this slice of adventure but the normal, minded film follower will be disapointed in the poor acting and relatively stupid plot.The plot is simple zombies run amok in a town were the Biker chicks attempt save the last few remaining none zombies.
Although this film doesn't fail in the campy department, it never once elicits a single entertaining quality.The plot centers around eight biker women, with only one of them able to passed off as a "chick", who stop in a small town for some "meat", but become meat for a group of zombie miners.It was interesting to see a pre-Simple Plan Billy Bob Thornton, but he looks and acts exactly the same as he does now.For quality campy horror/comedy entertainment, visit all of Charles Band's friends at Full Moon Entertainment.
The people behind this movie should be butchered like the zombies in the film.
Just when i thought id seen the worst of the worst someone gives me a copy of Chopper Chicks in Zombie Town.
Five minutes into the movie i knew it was going to be one of the worst horror films id ever see.
NOTE TO FILMMAKERS: A GOOD WOMEN BIKER MOVIE CANNOT BE MADE!!
This is yet another movie, in a long line of films distributed by Troma, that was destined for failure.
Unfortunately, while Jamie Rose was definitely worth watching, there was simply no way she was going to save this film all by herself.
When the undead escape from their confines, and not only threaten the townsfolk but also a bus-load of blind orphans, The Cycle Sluts—an all-female gang of bikers—tool up and kick zombie ass.Chopper Chicks In Zombie Town is a fairly typical slice of late-80s garbage from Troma, where once again it seems as though more effort went into thinking up the title than in making the actual film.Rather than an awesome, action-packed tale featuring scorching hot, leather clad babes unleashing gory hell on legions of the undead (which would be very cool), writer/director Dan Hoskins gives viewers a rather motley gang of big-haired greaser chicks who spend more time bickering amongst themselves, having casual sex, randomly breaking into song (the Cycle Sluts' lesbian leader Rox, played by Catherine Carlen, performs an impromptu number), and arguing with small-minded locals than they do actually fighting zombies.As is the case with most Troma flicks, the script is absolutely dire, the characterisation non-existent, the special effects cheap and nasty, and the acting third rate (even from the film's 'star', Billy Bob Thornton).
However, if you're a casual trash-movie fan finding yourself tempted by the outrageous title, be warned: watching this kind of stuff can do more damage to your brain than a hungry zombie..
"Chopper Chicks in Zombietown" is such an excellent film!!!!!Before we had other movies with such action-packed ladies like "Tomb Raider" and "Charlie's Angels," this movie had just that action.
I mean, why would anyone want to miss out on a movie with lots of action, lots of horror, plus girls, girls, girls!!!!!, evil monsters, a dark and broody atmosphere, and Harley Davidsons roaming the streets like they own them!!!!!I must say, you guys, men especially, are missing out on such a fantastic and sweet treat such as this!!!!!Watch this great film immediately!!!!!
"Chopper Chicks in Zombietown" is a whole lot of fun and definitely a guilty pleasure entry.**SPOILERS**Riding into a small town, Dede, (Jamie Rose) Rox, (Catherine Carlen) T.C., (Lycia Naff) Jewel, (Vicki Frederick) Jojo, (Kristina Loggia) Rusty, (Gretchen Palmer) Tanya, (Nina Sonja Peterson) and Lucille, (Whitney Reis) members of an all-girl biker gang, find themselves treated with scorn from the townspeople.
From the fact that the film deals with the headstrong females, who take to leather, motorbikes and the general kind of attitudes one would expect among those who do it for a living as they do, which just makes it all the more camp.
Some other scenes of the campy attitude come from the inclusion of the wise-cracking blind kids and their encounters with the zombies, which are actually nicely done and come off as great comedic relief.
There's really only two big action scenes in the film and both are in the later half, but the fact that it doesn't get boring in the beginning is a nice touch and makes it far more enjoyable otherwise.
The film also manages to put in some nice action scenes with the zombies, which is a great way to help this one.
As well, there's also the way in which this one has it's action scenes merge into one big fight at the end, starting with the burning house sequence, where they battle the zombies and make a great escape before being confronted by the irate townspeople before dealing with them from then on by themselves, it allows for a ton of excitement and entertainment through these scenes.
Also quite hard to overcome will be the film's rather hard to understand plot-line with how the zombies got released.
Another great exploitation title, another boring film from the Troma stable.
The poor acting, over-reliance on dated '80s rock music and lack of budget in terms of sets/costumes/special effects/actors help to sink this one from the beginning.Now, you may have noticed the word "zombie" in this title's genre description.
I never thought I would see a film that made ROTLD2 look like a work of genius by comparison, but here it is.
Every time the zombies appear on screen, comedy music plays in this film, complete with a sound effect of someone laughing uproariously.
The only fun comes from spotting a pre-stardom Billy Bob Thornton in a supporting role (looking embarrassed) and THE TERMINATOR's Earl Boen in a cameo as a mad zombie butcher.The first hour of this film consists of many melodramatic confrontations, disagreements and fights between the biker girls, which really cause the plot to idle in neutral for a very long, boring time.
Troma presents biker babes with attitudes, a desert town of both hostile locals and their redneck zombie family members, a mad(..mad, mad, mad, mad)scientist, a dwarf, and blind orphans..yep, it's CHOPPER CHICKS IN ZOMBIE TOWN.
Well, soon, the chopper chicks find themselves endangered by not only the town's citizenry, but an army of flesh-eating zombies..they'll have to stop fighting amongst themselves in order to contend with their numerous developing challenges.Zombie goremedy headlined by the wonderfully bug-eyed hammy theatrics of the great Don Calfa(Return of the Living Dead)as the demented scientist out to control an entire town, Ralph Willum.
Little man, Ed Gale(Chucky of Child's Play, and Howard the Duck personified)is Bob Littleton, Willum's victimized assistant who soon joins forces with the biker gals.Those familiar with these types of zombie comedies know what to expect..flesh-eating, limbs and other parts ripped from bodies, sight gags regarding the undead associating themselves with items they once belonged to when alive, etc.
The film's music score, when the zombies are shown canvasing the area around the town, is very goofy and the tone is quite loopy..kind of a RETURN TO HORROR HIGH vibe, to use an example.
Showstopping image could be the "flaming zombie bride" ignited from the flare gun, fired by Rox. Anyone entering a film such as this expecting anything more than an entertaining bad movie will be sorely disappointed..it's no surprise Kaufmann and Hertz distributed it under their Troma moniker..
Chopper Chicks In Zombie Town is the typical Troma mix of light horror, adventure and bad gags.
Romero!Back to the review proper: 'Chopper Chicks' also has themes/moments similar to two much better zombie films namely Dead & Buried and The Plague Of Zombies.
I won't mention the Dead & Buried link as it would overtly spoil that film.*spoilers*Suffice to say I was not particularly impressed with 'Chopper Chicks'.
There isn't even a confrontation between him and the biker women.But 'Chopper Chicks' is also a comedy-adventure so the horror aspect could take second place.
Best Zombie film ever????....
Chopper Chicks in Zombie Town (1989)Starring: Jamie Rose, Catherine Carlen, Lycia Naff and starring Academy Award Winner Billy Bob Thornton Synopsis: A female biker gang riding around America come across a small town where recently a few accidents have taken place and the residents have killed.
Review: From the title and synopsis, you'd be right in thinking this isn't a high valued film or even a serious one, it is a comedy-horror and it is in fact let down by its own writing.
The film opens of the gang making their way down an open highway, just outside a small village a boy breaks into a deserted mine entrance and finds a room of zombies who feed on him and escape to slowly make their way to town, there 'homes'.
In the town the biker gang go for some food, a garage to fix one of the bikes, stumbles across an ex-husband (Thornton, who didn't win his Academy Award for this film) and generally looking for a bit of fun and get themselves into a fight all before they leave. |
tt0106375 | Beethoven's 2nd | In the home of the Newton family, George, Alice, their three children, and Beethoven are all well adjusted to living together. Beethoven sneaks out and meets Missy, a female St. Bernard whose owners are attempting to settle a divorce. Regina, who is seeking $50,000 in the settlement, has retained full custody of Missy and only plans to transfer her to Brillo, her soon-to-be ex-husband, once the divorce is finalized.
With Beethoven's help, Missy escapes from Regina's condominium, and the two fall in love. Ted and Emily become aware of Beethoven constantly sneaking out of the house and follow him, where they discover he and Missy had four puppies in the basement of the building. At the same time, the janitor of the building, Gus, also finds them and informs Regina. She reclaims Missy and plans to get rid of the puppies, even if it means killing them, but Gus points out that pedigree St. Bernards are worth a lot of money and suggests that Regina sell them.
Thinking Regina plans to drown the puppies, Ted and Emily manage to sneak them past Regina and take them home. They keep them in the basement so George, who they know would not want to deal with, won't find them. Realizing they took the puppies, Regina plans revenge. Ryce, Ted, and Emily take it upon themselves to feed and care for them, even getting up in the middle of the night and sneaking out of school to do so.
Eventually, George and Alice discover the puppies; George, angry at first, reluctantly agrees to keep them until they are mature. At this point, they are presumably 8–10 weeks old. The children name them Chubby, Dolly, Tchaikovsky, and Moe, and George re-experiences the ordeals of dealing with growing dogs.
Facing significant financial difficulty, the family is offered a free stay in a lakefront house at the mountains owned by one of George's business associates. Beethoven and the puppies, somewhat calmed down, go along on the vacation. Ryce attends a party with friends where she is exposed to vices of teen culture such as binge drinking and getting locked in her former boyfriend Taylor Devereaux's bedroom against her will. Beethoven destroys the house's patio deck, removing her from potential danger.
Regina and her new boyfriend, Floyd, are staying in a location unknown to Brillo, coincidentally near the Newtons' vacation residence. They go to a county fair with the dogs, and the children persuade George to enter a burger eating contest with Beethoven, which they win. By happenstance, Regina and Floyd were there and had left Missy behind in their car.
Missy escapes from the car with Beethoven's help while Regina sneaks behind the children and snatches the puppies from them. Beethoven and Missy run into the mountains, followed by Regina and Floyd. The family follows, eventually catching up. Floyd threatens to drop the puppies in the river below and George says the situation does not have to get ugly. Floyd pokes George in the stomach with a stick, but Beethoven charges into it, ramming it into Floyd's crotch. He loses his balance, Regina grabs his hand, and they fall over the cliff into a pool of mud, which breaks, thus they are swept away in the river.
Five months later, Brillo visits the family with Missy, revealing that the judge in the divorce had granted him full custody of her and denied Regina's claim. The puppies, almost grown up by then, run downstairs to see Missy. | romantic, comedy | train | wikipedia | Okay I know a lot of people don't like this movie, but I don't see what is wrong with it.
The Newmans this time decide to take a family vacation and of course bring Beethoven along.
But the family sticks together to try and save the puppies.If you enjoy the first one then you will love this one.
It is a non stop laughing fest just like the first.Most of the time sequels aren't as good, not in this case.
There are some great scenes involving Beethoven and his puppies.
Okay, But No Match For The Fist One. This isn't a bad sequel but it's unable to measure up to the first "Beethoven," which was an extremely likable film.
This is still a "cute" film and one parents and all the kiddies certainly will like.It features a litter of St. Bernard puppies, and who doesn't go "aww" at the sight of little puppies, especially St. Bernard's?
The puppies are the main story here, which turns into a "crime" story when "Missy" is dog-napped and the little ones also become endangered.I didn't think this was a "silly" story as there are some good morals and lessons to be learned, but it was a bit "sappy." I get a little annoyed, too, when animals are pictured as smarter than the humans.
I'm sorry but, as much as you might love pets and hate some people, that just ain't so.Nonetheless, if you loved the first movie you'll find enough to like in here to enjoy it.
In my opinion, Regina (Debi Mazar) and Floyd (Chris Penn) were like Cruella and her henchmen, Horace and Jasper!
I mean, what human being would want to drown five sweet, cute, innocent puppies?
In conclusion, I highly recommend this cute movie to all you dog lovers or Charles Grodin fans who have not seen it..
It's a fun family film, and takes Beethoven on another adventure.
If you've seen the first film and enjoyed it, then it is worth seeing this one if you ask me, but just don't expect it to be good as the first.
Beethoven 2 just about gets away with it I reckon though I still stand by my point that a sequel wasn't needed, and would've been better had it not happened otherwise the original Beethoven film would've held far more weight.
The entire Newton family of Charles Grodin, Bonnie Hunt, Christopher Castile, Nicolle Tom, and Sarah Rose Karr are back in their roles from the first Beethoven movie.
That lovable slobbering St.Bernard is also back and he's now a family man.In the first Beethoven movie the star has a leading lady who is a female of the same breed.
Now Beethoven becomes a daddy when the female gives birth to four handsome young pups.This of course is a bad situation, but the Newtons one and all take a hand and families human and canine are stronger than ever.Debi Mazur does her best Cruela DeVille imitation in her performance and she's Cruela if Cruela came from Bensonhurst in Brooklyn.
Those St.Bernards are really strong animals.Beethoven's 2nd even got some Oscar recognition in the Best Song category for The Day I Fall In Love.Beethoven's 2nd may not have pleased the critics, but it's still fine family entertainment..
I really enjoyed the first Beethoven, while it had its flaws, it was cute and charming.
The acting is decent, with Charles Grodin very entertaining as George and Bonnie Hunt luminous as Alice.
But the real stars are the dogs, Beethoven is still his funny and adorable self, but he is almost upstaged by the beautiful and equally adorable Missy.
Overall, has its problems, but as a sequel it is watchable, certainly better than the rating here(and I also think the first film is rated too low).
Like the first film really deserved a sequel?
The last watchable "Beethoven" film....
Watchable first sequel to the surprise hit stars Charles Grodin and Bonnie Hunt as the reprising Newton family, whose slobbering Saint Bernard--Beethoven--gets himself a female doggie to make love with and produce tiny little doggies with.
Because they're villains.A very poor movie, but compared to "Beethoven's 3rd, 4th" and "5th" this looks like a masterpiece.2.5/5 stars -- mediocre but watchable sequel.John Ulmer.
Charles Grodin starred in a number of good movies: "Rosemary's Baby", "Catch-22", "King Kong", "Heaven Can Wait", "The Great Muppet Caper" and "The Couch Trip".
He even got considered for the role of Ben in "The Graduate".But then later in life he turned to what are known as paycheck movies: atrocious flicks in which he starred because he needed the money.
"Beethoven's 2nd" was a cynical excuse to make money.Bonnie Hunt managed to star in better movies later on ("Jumanji", "The Green Mile").
I'm not sure that we'll see Charles Grodin in any sort of high-quality movie again, although I liked how he challenged Sean Hannity to get waterboarded..
Beethoven is back along with the Newton family.
Beethoven is also in love with a dog named Missy.
Regina (Debi Mazar) gets Missy in the divorce.
Regina recaptures Missy but the Newton kids manage to save the puppies.It's a pretty bland family movie.
Decent sequel and family film.
I have really enjoyed the first Beethoven film.
When I was a kid, I was very happy when I found out that there's a sequel to the first film.
This film is very cute, cheerful, childish and (but) mediocre and over the top when it comes to new puppies.
Beethoven finds a female Saint Bernard, and of course, later, to make story even cuter, they've got puppies.
But, the evil owner of Missy (female Saint Bernard) has some wicked plans of her own, along with her stupid boyfriend (a classic image of Cruela De Ville and her two silly henchmen).
That is really bad in the film when you use characters as tools to move the plot, instead of developing them.
This sequel to the hit movie "Beethoven" is not bad, but the first one is a better film.
Some characters are annoying too, like that ugly girl Ted's in love with, the two bullies (more irritating than those from the first one) and Taylor Devereaux's drunk friends, for example.The villains of the story are Regina and Floyd, two cold and cruel people who hate dogs and any kind of animal.
Ted and Ryce are beginning to show signs of teen age, which is not a bad thing, but I rather then the way they are in the first movie.
As for Emily, she's still the very same cute and adorable child, although more mature.Although Beethoven is the main doggy star, this movie also focus on Missy, the beautiful female St. Bernard-like dog.
The puppies, of course, are cute.While still an okay family movie, some things about it are disturbing, such as Taylor's intentions towards Ryce and that McDonald's scene when the dogs and their owners make a contest to eat hamburgers in 3 minutes, which I consider a bit disgusting.On the other hand, there's some classic humor too.
Or the scene when Emily asks her father a question about babies and he feels so embarrassed that he doesn't know how to explain well.The main actors are still good here.
Beyond that, it's not high art and child actors and not entirely engaging, but it's cute and fun and and quite watchable -- and who could like something with five adorable St. Bernard puppies?
And as a bonus we get Debi Mazur doing a great turn as a comic villain!Lighten up and enjoy a cute film with a pair of exceptional comic actors..
This 1993 sequel to the St. Bernard hit finds big, fluffy Beethoven now at home with gruff-but-lovable dad Charles Grodin, supermom Bonnie Hunt, and their three kids.
The story continues with Beethoven falling for a female St. Bernard and having a litter, unbeknown st to Grodin, while the new dog's owner (Debi Mazar) starts angling for benefits from this union.
The larger dog pool certainly adds more cuteness and laughs to this follow-up, and Grodin and Hunt--consummate professionals--don't let sequel-its lower their energy or their wonderfully idiosyncratic way with dialog.
Mazar brings her own edge to the proceedings, too, but in the end, the film's accent is still very much on a feel-good experience for everyone..
Beethoven's 2nd is so cute, the puppies are adorable and the movie is funny.
It starts when Beethoven goes to the park and he finds a another Saint Bernard and her name is Missy.
They soon have puppies and the kids follow Beethoven to see what he's up to and they find little Beethoven's, there all so sweet and they take them home and don't say nothing about it, for a while and the parents find out and the father says they can keep them until they can find homes for them, well I don't want to tell you the whole story so go out and see it, you will not be disappointed.
If your a dog lover you'll love this movie..
Beethoven's 2nd is, without a doubt, the most fun movie I've ever seen.
The dogs are the most fun part of this movie.
There's quite a bit of inappropriate content in this movie such as Chris Penn's character dangling one of Missy's puppies over the cliff.
In this sequel, which uses the same actors for all of Newton family members, Beethoven falls in love with a female St. Bernard and they have four puppies together.
Her evil owner, Regina(whose character is not quite as evil as that of Dean Jones in the first film), wants to sell the puppies, but Emily, Ted, and Ryce are determined to take on the responsibility of taking care of them.
Back home, the family settles on joint custody of the puppies with Regina's ex-husband, a good-natured man named Brillo.
Like the first, this one is guaranteed to get to you in a good way, but still lacks some of the greatness of it..
Beethoven's 2nd i thought that this was another fantastic movie to watch.
This movie got Beethoven in the mood when he becomes a father to 4 puppies.
The family has already had an adventure by saving the dog from the first film.
That third item gives it away -- the song "The Day I Fall in Love" from this movie garnered all of the nominations, and deservedly so.
Also the song got very little radio airplay; the video only appeared occasionally on VH-1.At any rate, other than the superlative song, there are some cute dog scenes in this movie.
This is probably my favourite movie of the Beethoven series, the humour, the cuteness, the music everything about this film is lovely.
There are hilarious scenes including George and the paper boy, Floyd getting the tree on his head, George trying to explain where babies come from to Emily and going into confusing detail and even the opening when Beethoven dreams of getting a massive steak, plus I love the song The Day I Fell in Love by Dolly Parton and James Ingram that's a very sweet song and should've won the oscar instead of boring Philadelphia by Bruce Springsteen.
It was only because of the unexpected financial success of the original film about the lovable St. Bernard dog that the makers decided to cash in with a sequel the following year, I knew it had puppies in it so I watched, from director Rod Daniel (Teen Wolf, Home Alone 4).
Basically Beethoven the St. Bernard dog has settled nicely living with the Newton family, father George (Charles Grodin), mother Alice (Bonnie Hunt) and the children, teenage daughter Ryce (Nicholle Tom), young son Ted (Christopher Castile) and young daughter Emily (Sarah Rose Karr), he is happy but he longs for something more.
Then one day walking in the park he meets female St. Bernard dog Missy, whose owners Regina (Batman Forever's Debi Mazar) and Brillo (Kevin Dunn) are trying to settle a divorce, she wants $50,000 and the dog, Beethoven helps Missy to escape Regina and they fall in love.
It is later discovered that Missy has given birth to four puppies fathered by Beethoven, the Newton children find them, Regina also finds out but wants to get rid of them, she is told though that she could sell them off for big money, but the children take them before she can get to them, and the three of them hide and take care of the four puppies in the basement.
Eventually George and Alice find out about the four St. Bernard puppies, George reluctantly agrees that they can keep and look after them until they are more mature and can be given away, in the meantime the puppies are given names, Chubby, Dolly, Tchaikovsky, and Moe, and George faces anger and frustration of growing dogs, like before with Beethoven.
The Newton family are having financial difficulties, but they are able to get away for a short vacation, being allowed to stay for free in a lake front house owned by one of George's business associates, Beethoven and the puppies are taken as well, and as time goes by the family are united more and more.
Regina and her boyfriend Floyd (Reservoir Dogs's Chris Penn) are coincidentally staying near to the Newtons' vacation residence, they go to the county fair where George and Beethoven enter and win the burger eating contest, Missy escapes from the car she is in nearby and is reunited with Beethoven.
Regina recognises the children and gets her opportunity to steal the four puppies, a chase ensues and takes all characters into the wilderness, Floyd threatens to drop the puppies into the river, George tries to stop the trouble, but Beethoven charges in and sends him and Regina falling off the cliff into a pool of mud, this breaks and they are swept down the river.
In the end, five months later, Brillo visits the Newtons after hearing what happened to them, he explains that the judge for the divorce has given him full custody of Missy, Regina gets nothing, Beethoven and she are happy with George, Alice and the children, and the puppies almost grown up look like they are staying as well.
This film is essentially a rehash of the first film, only with more dogs and a love story between two St. Bernards, the cute puppies will make the younger audience members smile, Grodin and Hunt are indeed amiable, Mazar is very pantomime villain doing her Cruella De Vil act, and the naughty doggy behaviour will get some chuckles, I agree what slows the film down a bit is the sentimentality, but as an all round family film it is reasonably good fun, not a bad comedy.
In the movie Beethoven's 2nd, it is a lot better than Beethoven.
In the scene where Regina parked her car, got out of it, and walked over to her ex-husband to get Missy from the park, I knew it was a woman and I also hoped that she wouldn't be as creepy as Shelley Winters was in the 1973 movie Cleopatra Jones.
She was cruel to Missy and her kids, she was using Missy just because she didn't want her divorce settlement to be worth peanuts without the dog, and based on the fact that she threatened to kill her babies, Missy should have bit Regina's rear, especially when Regina carried her away from her babies.
As far as the character Regina, this is something to remember, "Missy is not an aggressive dog, but if you do anything to her kids, come over here so she can take a bite out of your rear." In the end, Regina got what deserved.
I'm glad the judge turned down Regina's claim for the dog because she really didn't deserve Missy in the first place.
SPOILERS Just like the original Beethoven this is an adorable little movie with a name that is based on a German composer.
Anyway, this is a cute movie that is just as good as the original that can melt your heart into a soft, fine mush.
What I have odd is that you never see the little Beethoven puppies ever again.
The actors in this movie portray their original roles, and there are new character that you are bound to hate.Here is the plot of this film.
The lovable Saint Bernard named Beethoven falls in love with another Saint Bernard named Missy.
Beethoven's owners' children found out about them.
She almost gets the puppies but the Newtons foil her plan for the divorce bargaining.
It is as just as good as the first, which was also a cute family film.
I also found the ending of Beethoven's 2nd a lot like the original.
Anyway, this is a cute film that is at least worth a rental, but it is good enough to buy, only if you really enjoyed it.6/10Recommended Films: Beethoven..
CAUTION: Not a real spoiler, the spoiler is only the beginning so read ahead until * This is a great movie with more dog scenes, but there is still a thicker plot.
I think it is much better than the first and until i saw the 3-5th movie on IMDb i didn't know they existed.
The movie has great scenes of ADORABLE puppies.
*Beethoven and Missy (his girlfriend) are cute and the puppies are cuter.
There are many things that will keep any age kids attracted and the growing up puppy scenes are GREAT!
Beethoven, You've Been A Bad Boy. In this installment, which is just as bland, but charming as the first, Beethoven meets a female Saint Bernard and the two have puppies.
Also what Regina and her boy friend almost do to those dogs is a bit disturbing, but, as usual, Beethoven saves the day.
Once again, you don't really get to know the humans enough to really care about them and apparently, in these movies, the humans are morons who can't take care of their own, so a dog has to do it for them. |
tt2025526 | Choi-jong-byeong-gi hwal | The film begins with two children Nam-yi and Ja-in being chased by King Injo's guards and saved by their father Choi Pyeong-ryung, an officer of King Gwanghae and a skilled archer. He sends his own children to find a place of refuge with his best friend Kim Mu-seon. As they escape crying, Ja-in begs her brother to go back to their father but their father is killed in front of Nam-yi. Nam-yi, though bitten by the guard dogs, kills them and escapes with Ja-in. Nam-yi becomes the only family Ja-in has. 13 years later Nam-yi (Park Hae-il) is now a skilled archer and hunter. He learns from Mu-seon's son Seo-goon (Kim Mu-yeol) that he and Ja-in (Moon Chae-won) plan to get married, with the approval of Mu-seon who is also Ja-in's godfather.
During the wedding, Nam-yi is up in the mountains hunting deer. He hears the rumble of the invading forces. When Nam-yi makes it back to the village, he finds his foster father slaughtered and his sister taken away. Nam-yi then sets out to find the Qing army and take out their army with his bow, killing a great many of them, including the prince. The great commander of the Qing army, Jyuushinta (Ryu Seung-ryong) discovers the mysterious man trailing his men and taking them out one by one. Jyuushinta then sets out to find Nam-yi. Though Nam-yi is shot in the arm, he shoots back at Jyuushinta and one of his men who both fall. Nam-yi rides away to find Ja-in as he thinks that Jyuushinta is dead - but he isn't. Meanwhile, Nam-yi finds Ja-in in a field. They are about to reunite when Ja-in sees Jyuushinta aiming at Nam-yi from a cliff. But before the arrow hits, Ja-in shoots the horse and Nam-yi falls. As Nam-yi and Jyuushinta face off, Ja-in runs in between them. Nam-yi's arrow barely touches Ja-in's dress, but Jyuushinta's finds its mark. Despite Ja-in's protests, Nam-yi pulls it out and shoots Jyuushinta with it. Jyuushinta falls to the ground and dies. Nam-yi falls down as well but Ja-in catches him on her lap. Nam-yi says that they should go back to their old home in Seoul. His eyelids then flutter and close—forever. Then Ja-in lays Nam-yi into a boat and she and Seo-goon set sail for Seoul, just as Nam-yi requested. | violence | train | wikipedia | This is a stylish and sleek movie that is unduly criticized by many, especially those from other Asian countries as can be seen among other reviews here.Most do not seem to understand the main point of this movie because they do not know the historical background this movie was set against and consequently they just think this is a ripoff of Hollywood.The time ...
Korea just repelled the Japanese invasion with Ming China's aid which alternated between being an ally and being racist tormentors of the Korean populace.Manchu(Jurchens) were a nation of fierce warriors from the north, or they thought of themselves that way at least.
Their hatred of Chinese was immense, almost pathological.(and the reason that they invaded Korea was precisely that the Korean court acted like a vassal of Ming China.) This contrasts very sharply with today's Manchu who think of themselves as Chinese.Just 40 years prior to this event there was the infamous Japanese invasion of Korea and Ming China sent a force to aid Koreans.
They were burning with hatred of Chinese for their condescending and racist treatments of their people.The Korean King who was the crown prince at the time of the Japanese invasion ascended to the throne in the early 17th century.
This is how Manchu invaded Korea twice and the second one was more catastrophic as shown in this movie.So this movie is about the anger of the Korean masses felt toward the effete and effeminate Korean nobility class who were incredibly more loyal to Chinese than to their own people.
It is about a war that could have been avoided if the Korean King at the time(generally regarded as the weakest and the most effeminate king in the history of Korea) and the nobility could back their word with action or had a more practical sense.The Korean government did not help their people, actually did not even want to as long as they could hold onto their power, so the people had to help themselves against all odds.
The movie creator deserves some credit for this.)If you can free yourself from this common misconception that Manchu were just a type of Chinese people you are already half-way there.
War of the Arrows is not your typical action film.
We spend a good deal of time in the beginning of the film seeing these two characters as children and then when they are young adults, but it's mostly somewhat interesting drama that does a decent job of setting up the story.
Once this part of the story gets underway, the action gets underway with it, and it's pretty damn impressive.The choreography and cinematography following the battles between arrow slinging warriors is fantastic.
Suffice to say, all of this creates one fantastic action film, one of the best I have seen from Asia in quite some time.If you're a fan of Asian action films, you owe it to yourself to give War of the Arrows a try.
WAR OF THE ARROWS turns out to be just the film for me.As usual for the Asian historical epic genre of recent years, the film looks great.
Director Han-min Kim crafts a great-looking movie that ably matches the finesse of other recent Korean movies known for their style and substance.
There are twists and turns galore, plenty of moments of high drama, and then in the second half of the movie things turn into a virtual re-run of the Mel Gibson epic APOCALYPTO.
War of the Arrows is not your typical set battle piece - it is a superbly realised take on the classical idea of one man, a true hero in skill and virtue, being chased by a band of elite archers.
The last two-thirds of War of the Arrows is simply outstanding - here we have thrilling film with snipers - but snipers who use bow and arrows rather than guns - who give chase to each other - and what a chase!In addition, above and beyond excellent production values, the acting is a class-above this genre.
Even though this is clearly an action film, there is character development, virtue as well as virtuosity, and this reviewer for one was totally lost in the film in a way that no amount of special effects or set wire fights alone can produce - it is simply a thrilling film.This is a film that does transcend its genre and is clearly one of the better films of the year, bar none..
This movie grabs you from the opening scene and is action packed and keeps you interested the entire time.
An exciting Korean movie which triumphs with its fast paced action sequences.
Set during the second Manchu invasion of Korea, the manliest one of them all in this movie has to be the protagonist played by Park Hae Il, who goes against the Qing Dynasty to save his younger sister.
In the process, countless arrows are shot, and as you'd expect from a revenge movie, there will be lots of blood.Director Kim Han Min's work was the second highest grossing movie in Korea last year, and it is not difficult to see why.
The fast paced epic action movie boasts of exhilarating sequences which will keep you at the edge of your seats.
While you may wonder how a war of arrows can possibly be exciting, you will be thrilled by the perfect execution and choreography of the battle scenes (beat that, Legolas!).
The action comes at you fast and furious, and even though there aren't many hand to hand combat, the long distance fighting is heart stopping and riveting.The story may be based on a period of Korean history which we aren't very familiar with, but the filmmakers make sure it doesn't alienate foreign viewers.
The film also took home the accolades for Best Visual Effects and Best Sound Effects.This undeniably enjoyable popcorn production packs just the right amount of punch and pizazz to engage and entertain for a good two hours at the movies.
This is one of the best movies of 2011 in Korea (Korean is making its mark in Movie industry) and it boasts with Four Awards The film won four awards in 48th Daejong Awards to Best Actor for Park Hae-il and Best New Actress for Moon Chae-won.) The film is about an archer who risks his life to save his sister from slavery under Prince Dorgan's rule.
Other reviews have likened it to Apocalypto but this is nothing like it and Apocalypto doesn't even come close to it and I will tell you why
War of the Arrows is not your typical set battle piece it shows emotions you can see their fear, desperation and panic for example the way they portray death is sad, there is no joy in it even for your enemy, while Apocalypto showed victims and victimization this shows sacrifice and dedication and staying true to your promise no matter the situation.
It is fast paced and will have you glued to your screen from the beginning till the end and what makes it a masterpiece is that the stunts are real it doesn't use you CGI except on the tigers scene which I will excuse as getting the real tiger could have dumbed it down a bit
Overall this is a masterpiece and worth your time.
So if you are happy with excellent visuals, great acting ( THe guy who plays the villain, oh my word he is in my top ten list of villains) and killer archery scenes then definitely watch this movie.
One of the largest Korean blockbusters of last year, it's not too difficult to understand why it's such a crowd pleaser of an action movie.
Lone skilled marksmen almost always makes for a beeline at the box office; just look any war film and you'll probably find the sniper the sexiest of the lot for that one shot one kill mantra that gets translated on screen in romanticised terms.
If it's a period piece, then that will be the skilled archer, relying on his ranged weapon to take down enemies before they even know what hit them.But it's not just plain wall to wall action from start to end, as there's a proper story to ground and root the audience emotionally to the characters involved in this period war film.
Set in the 17th century, it tells of the brother and sister pair of Nam-Yi (Park Har-Il) and Ja-In (Moon Chae-Won), having to escape from a purge by the King on their household for what would be treason supposedly committed by their father.
But the marriage ceremony got rudely interrupted by the second invasion of the Manchus, who come in full force to plunder, rape and enslave.Separated from his sister and her groom, War of the Arrows becomes that one man bow-and- arrow Rambo who's forced into violence and killing of anyone standing in his way to be reunited with his sibling.
Everyone will be able to identify with the need to rescue one's family and sibling, and the story has it all to include daring raids and treacherous escapes, heightened by the cat and mouse game of pursuit almost all of the time as it races toward a fantastically set up finale.
Moon Chae-Won also won the 2011 Blue Dragon and Daejong Film Awards for Best Mew Actress, and it's no surprise to see why, being the feisty sister who doesn't back down without putting up a good fight, a marked difference in the standard damsel in distress role, which makes the final battle all the more exciting with a random factor thrown into the entire equation.With all round good performances and a story that sucks you in from the get go, it's a standard fare action film done right, with likable heroes and heroines and villains that you'll love to hate drawing a very clear and distinct line between good and evil, death and survival, that makes this a clear blockbuster and crowd pleaser.
I have only seen a few other Korean movies but there was one that I really liked called Sword in the Moon.
Since both were period movies and War of the Arrows looked interesting I decided that I would give it a shot.
I was pleasantly surprised at how good this movie was.It started with a powerful scene and then seemed a little boring but only for five or ten minutes.
One thing I like in this movie is their emotions that you can clearly see in this film.
After watching an earlier disappointing film, and contemplating bed on a Christmas Eve, I took a chance on this film.It was 1.30am when I started and I figured that if I got bored I would simply turn in for the night.I'm writing this right after the film at 3.52am which hopefully indicates that it did far more than send me to sleep.A cracking film with a simple story, likable characters and top draw action scenes.
War of the arrows in 17th century South Korea when the Manchurians invade.
Released in 2011, "War of the Arrows" is set during the second Manchu invasion of Korea where Korean Nam Yi, an expert archer, pursues the Manchurians to save his younger sister Ja-In, who was dragged off by the invaders.The tone is akin to 2006' "Apocalypto" and, while the plots are similar, the protagonist in "War of the Arrows" is the hunter rather than the escapee; not to mention his loved ones have been captured by the enemy and torn from their homes, not hidden somewhere near their village.
Yet another fantastic movie from South Korea, who are becoming masters of story telling and film production.
The emotional struggle of the characters in this movie is clearly felt through the acting.Admittedly the movie starts out a bit slow but picks up quickly as the plot unfolds, from that point the action barely slows down as our archer strategically picks off target after target with his arrows.
Most probably this might be the best archery movie you might have ever seen.Plot is as simple as that,"Elder brother Nam Yi being regarded as traitor's son with archery inherited in his blood becomes the Saviour of his abducted younger sister Ja in during Manchu invasion of Korea.This showcases not only archery but the thriller and the exciting screenplay makes the viewers to sit at the tip of seats.
If that is so, the producers should receive great credit.All in all, if you're a fan of Asian action movies you will enjoy this.
War of the Arrows Review: Best period action film from South Korea!.
Movie: War of the Arrows (15): Action - KoreanPositives: - The screenplay is gripping from the very first sequence.
The action sequences are some of the best ones you would've ever seen in a South Korean action film.The visual effects are top notch and other technical aspects too are highly impressive.Park Hae-il delivers the best performance out of all, while Ryu Seung-ryong too is impressive as others.The editing is absolutely perfect.The film has no vulgarity or obscenity and can be seen with the whole family.The tension during archery sequences is very well built.The film has a lot of crowdpleasing and clapworthy moments.Negatives:Nil.Repeat value: YesWAR OF THE ARROWS is simply and definitely the best period action film I've seen from South Korea..
The film is a thriller set during the invasion of Korea by the Manchurian, archer Nam Yi sets out to rescue his sister Ja In, who has been kidnapped by the invaders.The plot sets up a chase featuring a lone bowman against a small unit also trying to stop him from his rescue and it offers the potential for plenty of excitement.
Indeed this is what it seems to be focused on because the film has little room for anything but forward motion in regards the chase and the arrow action.
Running to over two hours, the film doesn't provide as much plotting or character as I would have liked to engage me for this amount of time.
It lacked tension and thrills and really did come down to quite a lot of scenes of people running from one another; there are standoffs and individual moments which worked very well but the majority did not.Overall The War of the Arrows didn't convince me as the blockbuster it was in its own country.
Regardless, the movie's pace, character developments, and great visual make this a pleasure to watch.
The tragic thing is that South Korean government, even though they recognize every North Korean as its citizen as stated in its Constitution, do not try to get these North Korean refugees out of China.In the movie, Nam-Yi and Ja-in are also stuck as shown in a deleted scene.
I hope South Korean government faces its fear of economic power of China and put up a fight to get its rightful citizens their refugee status and their ticket home.Last scene includes, Nam-Yi wanting to go to Seoul and give his sister, Ja-in, pretty shoes.
The lead actor is very cool and although I watch a few Korean films (They have become very good in recent years, as has their anime.), I have never seen him before.
War of the Arrows is a story about a young man in hot pursuit of a marauding Manchurian army that has captured and enslaved his sister and her groom on their wedding day in 15th century Korea.
Wayward though the young man may be, he's a savant with the bow and arrow and he puts his deadly skills to use as he relentlessly pursues the attackers.Although it doesn't involve the gun battles typically associated with the genre, this film is really more war movie than action flick.
The chase sequences and flurry of arrows piercing the air are relentless and absorb nearly all the film's running time, leaving little room for plot or character development.
At the onset, the hero is a teenager who barely escapes his family's destruction with only his little sister and his father's prized bow and arrows in tow.
Ironically, one of the film's best sequences involves the pampered prince attempting to have his way with the pretty sister.
You can see the people in the movie are really running in the mountain forests, or, in one gripping scene, jumping over the cliff to reach to the other side across a ravine.And I was very amused by how the arrows were used in the film.
Park Hae-il is a believable action movie hero of the 17th century; you can sense he will even descend to the bottom of hell to save his sister and his friend.
Though they are quite determined to kill our hero, you may feel a little sorry for them.Sidenote: As some South Korean critic pointed out, there is a major historical error in the movie with Qing prince Dorgon, who is depicted as the character more or less than a petty bad guy.
That does not spoil the entertainment, but I think it is not bad to know about such a historical fact before watching the movie..
This is the story of a brother who goes against all odds to save his sister from capture by raiders coming from China.
If you liked "Red Cliff" and "The Warlords"(Both Chinese productions) you will enjoy "War of Arrows" (Korean production) and won't be disappointed..
In Arrows, a disgraced Korean archer must rescue his sister and brother in law from ruthless invaders from the North.
The story is basically this, after the father of a family is branded as a traitor and killed off the brother and sister that managed to escape.
When the real story starts is when the manchu invade Korea for the second time during 1636.
Moon Chae Won is pretty as always and does a great job playing the feminine and yet brave character but the simple story that could have been written by anyone sort makes this movie lacking.
The arrows in this movie is what builds the action, desperation and tension. |
tt0069866 | Charley and the Angel | Charley Appleby is a hardware store owner whose frugality and commitment to his job have enabled his family to avoid poverty during the Great Depression and Prohibition. However, his relationship with his children and wife Nettie (Cloris Leachman) is strained. They especially want to go to see the Chicago World's Fair. His growing sons Willie and Rupert (Vincent Van Patten and Scott Kolden) manage to find work in a junkyard owned by a man named Felix with ties to bootleggers, and his teenage daughter Leonora (Kathleen Cody) decides to elope with a young man named Ray (Kurt Russell), who seems untrustworthy.
Charley is visited by a shabby-looking angel (Harry Morgan) who appears visible only to him. The angel tells Charley that his time will soon be up, and the shopkeeper decides to become religious, patch relations with his family, sell his business, and do the best he can to be a good father and husband before he dies. Charley's angel appears intermittently throughout the film, occasionally helping Charley, and occasionally causing mischief. The angel reveals his name as Roy Zerney.
Charley is initially unsuccessful at effecting change. His gestures are incomprehensible to his wife and children, who see his sudden change of behavior as bizarre, particularly his decision to sell the store. Charley appears ostensibly insane whenever he speaks to, or looks for, the lingering angel who is visible only to him. When Charley tries to take money from his account in the bank, he learns from the banker Ernie (Edward Andrews) that the bank will be closing for a while and may be in danger of foreclosure. He must loan money to son-in-law Ray, and to his friend Pete (George Lindsey). Business tightens, and Charley is running out of time and money.
However, Charley becomes an unlikely hero. His boys begin using a rickety Model T, unknowingly delivering illegal booze by Felix's request, and they are kidnapped and forced to drive away when the Chicago gangsters responsible for the operation are trying to flee the city. Charley personally chases them in the abandoned gangsters' car, dodging gunfire, and the police catch him presuming he is the criminal. While in prison, Roy tells Charley that today will probably be his last day on Earth. However, Charley's thoughts are still of his boys.
When he returns home in the evening, Leonora and Ray return for an untimely visit just as the gangsters occupy his house and intend to take Charley's wife as another hostage. Charley defies them and defends his wife and kids with his own life. The fight ends when Charley and Ray, with the assistance of a timely appearance by Pete, succeed in defeating the gangsters and delivering them to the police. In the course of the fight, Charley was shot at point-blank range but miraculously receives no wound.
For capturing the criminals, Charley receives a $5000 reward posted by Chicago's police department. Ernie appears as a representative of the town to honor Charley as a town hero and present him with a hotel reservation and tickets to the World's Fair. He also informs them that the bank examiner has approved the bank's credibility and that it will be reopening tomorrow. Pete has also returned to repay his debt.
Charley, satisfied with the turn of events in his final day, says goodbye to his family and expects that he will still die, but Roy appears and reveals that the eleventh-hour decision in Heaven was to let Charley live. Roy physically intervened and pulled the bullet from the air, thus nullifying the prophecy and clarifying to Charley that he will live on, with an enriched outlook. | depressing | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0433664 | World of Warcraft | Intent on settling in Durotar, Thrall's Horde expanded its ranks by inviting the undead Forsaken to join orcs, tauren, and trolls. Meanwhile, dwarves, gnomes, and the ancient night elves pledged their loyalties to the Alliance, guided by the human kingdom of Stormwind. After Stormwind's king, Varian Wrynn, mysteriously disappeared, Highlord Bolvar Fordragon served as Regent but his service was affected by the mind control of the black dragon Onyxia, who ruled in disguise as a human noblewoman. As heroes investigated Onyxia's manipulations, the ancient elemental lord Ragnaros resurfaced to endanger both the Horde and Alliance. The heroes of the Horde and Alliance defeated Onyxia and sent Ragnaros back to the Elemental Plane.
=== Assault on Blackwing Lair ===
Deep within Blackrock Mountain, the black dragon Nefarian conducted twisted experiments with the blood of other dragonflights. Intent on seizing the entire area for his own, he recruited the remaining Dark Horde, a rogue army that embraced the demonic bloodlust of the old Horde. These corrupt orcs, trolls, and other races battled against the Ragnaros and the Dark Iron dwarves for control of the mountain. Nefarian created the twisted chromatic dragons and a legion of other aberrations in his bid to form an army powerful enough to control Azeroth and continue the legacy of his infamous father, Deathwing the Destroyer. Nefarian was vanquished by the heroes from the Horde and the Alliance.
=== Rise of the Blood God ===
Years ago, in the ruined temple of Atal'Hakkar, loyal priests of the Blood God Hakkar the Soulflayer attempted to summon the wrathful deity's avatar into the world. But his followers, the Atal'ai priesthood, discovered that the Soulflayer could only be summoned within the Gurubashi tribe's ancient capital, Zul'Gurub. Newly reborn in this jungle fortress, Hakkar took control of the Gurubashi tribe and mortal champions of the trolls' mighty animal gods. The Soulflayer's dark influence was halted when the Zandalari tribe recruited heroes and invaded Zul'Gurub.
=== The Gates of Ahn'Qiraj ===
The great desert fortress of Ahn'Qiraj, long sealed behind the Scarab Wall, was home to the insectoid qiraji, a savage race that had once mounted an assault to devastate the continent of Kalimdor. But something far more sinister lurked behind Ahn'Qiraj's walls: the Old God C'Thun, an ancient entity whose pervasive evil had suffused Azeroth since time immemorial. As C'Thun incited the qiraji to frenzy, both the Alliance and Horde prepared for a massive war effort. A mixed force of Alliance and Horde soldiers, dubbed the Might of Kalimdor, opened the gates of Ahn'Qiraj under the command of the orc Varok Saurfang. The heroes laid siege to the ruins and temples of Ahn'Qiraj and vanquished C'Thun.
=== Shadow of the Necropolis ===
In the Lich King's haste to spread the plague of undeath over Azeroth, he gifted one of his greatest servants, the lich Kel'Thuzad, with the flying citadel of Naxxramas, as a base of operations for the Scourge. Consistent attacks from the Scarlet Crusade and Argent Dawn factions weakened the defenses of the floating fortress, enabling an incursion from the heroes that led to Kel'Thuzad's defeat. However, a traitor among the ranks of the knightly order of the Argent Dawn ran away with Kel'Thuzad's cursed remains and fled to Northrend, where the fallen lich could be reanimated. | violence | train | wikipedia | is it a great game you can spend days, weeks, months and even years on?
I've had some really really great times playing wow and I've had some really really boring moments.
I admit there were some weeks and even months where I did nothing but play WoW.
I have friends who have done nothing but play WoW for over a year.
10+ hours of gaming every day of the week.
You want to see your character looking all hot and being able to churn out lots of damage or keep the members in your party alive so you can prevail and yell "Victory!".I've had many great times and met a lot of great people during my time in Azeroth and Kalimdor.
Level 1 to 60 is great for casual gamers who play some hours a day a few days of the week.
And then when you hit level 60 you can just chill out and do the 5-10 man instances for the best and nicest blue gear possible from them, and have a hell of a good time doing it with good friends.
There must be a better way to spend your real life time on.
Either you want to try out the opposite faction or just another class so you can experience the game from a different point of view.
Downside here is that the game won't feel as fresh as before and leveling can become a bit boring as you've done most of the quest before.
Here you say to yourself, it was a great game and fun while it lasted.
But it's time to move on.World of Warcraft is a great game if you can manage to control your game time.
You meet great people and it's fun to see your character getting stronger and wiser.
Vastly more complicated than just hitting a lever for a banana, World of Warcraft is an adventure game with a great story that unfolds as you play.
If you grew up loving fantasy books such as Lord of the Rings, and social interaction games like Dungeons and Dragons, you will probably like World of Warcraft.World of Warcraft may not be appropriate for uptight, impatient, junior-college behavioral psychology students, who were never allowed to play games as a child and therefore have no understanding of their value.Cheers!.
When this game was announced, it already had many fans (prospective players): those who played the original Warcraft games (of which there were three).This game now has 50.6% of the entire MMORPG market (according to http://www.mmogchart.com/) at the time of this writing.
Yes, it has some things that need to be fixed, but far less that any other MMO I've played.The world in which this game is set is absolutely stunning and brilliant in complexity as well as it's immersive nature.
The Warcraft series has already developed a full, rich lore on which the World of Warcraft can draw it's own story line.I know that Wikipedia isn't always overly accurate, but I must say, if you're curious about this game, I'd say read the Wikipedia article..
This is unlike any game you will ever play.
You will be hooked as soon as you start to play as this game is SO darn addictive !!
World of Warcraft is a massively multi-player online game that enables thousands of players to come together online and battle against the world and each other.
Players from across the globe can leave the real world behind and undertake grand quests and heroic exploits in a land of fantastic adventure.
At long last, the world of Azeroth, first glimpsed in Warcraft 1 and further enhanced in subsequent strategy games, is realised in glorious detail and ready for the arrival of millions of prospective players.
World of warcraft is 20 times better than all current MMORPG's, simply because it is 20 times more FUN.There are a few reasons why WOW is ten times MORE FUN than other MMORPG's.
Warsong gulch is like capture the flag in Quake except its an RPG game instead of a First Person Shooter.
Plus all the high level elite bosses roaming around the world that takes 30-40 people some effort to take down.
Also, a lot of younger players play this game and some more mature people will find this difficult, as playing with 12 year old children that spam the chat channels is not their idea of an Online game.
As a final word, World of Warcraft is the best Computer game available for the PC to date, and seeing its huge amount off success across the world, will be for a long time..
There is no way of completing it, once you have reached the maximum level there are endless ways of bettering your character.
If you look at the trivia section in IMDb and have a look, some of them are really obvious but you don't see them.Best game i have ever played.
If you are thinking of starting to play be very careful as it is highly addictive.
But like i said it is the best game i have ever played.
This game lets you explore the closest thing to an alternate reality that one could experience.
Loyalty, intelligence and a world, yeah, a HUGE world of exploring will make your social life take a turn, for a great way.
It makes friends and draws people to, at least for me, make the phrase "For the Horde" less dorky to the monumental amount of people I meet that play this game.
An Amazing game, but please don't play 5+ hours a day!.
World of Warcraft is by far one of the greatest games i have ever played.
--Pros -Excellent game play and graphics.-interesting environments -creative spells/abilities/talents -Raids!--Cons -Way to seductive and addicting..(but can you really blame the game) -ocassionally pointless quests.-having to deal with irritating players who will not leave you alone.-Often having high latency, especially on heavily populated realms.-people who tend to use 1337 so much you don't have a clue to what they are trying to tell you.-Tuesday maintenance To some it up, World of Warcraft is a great game, and before you tear it down, try playing it.
For those who have played it already and dislike it then i respect your opinion and i guess World of Warcraft isn't for everyone.
People also need to realize there is a life out side of WoW, 1 hour....good, 2 hour....okay, 3 hour....well?, 4 hour.....rap it up!, 5 hour.......your done...
Its also surprising what you could learn in the time that you spent playing a game....
Still never the less, great game, try it out if you have self control...
You can choose your name, crafting it into any form you like.Then the journey begins.World of Warcraft is an enthralling game that unfolds as you cross the worlds of Azeroth and Kalimdor and discover new locations, fight epic battles, finish quests, level up and much more.
With new spells, weapons, skills and enemies, there's always a way you can improve yourself and strive to become the most powerful being in the World of Warcraft.Definitely the best fantasy game ever made.But there are downsides.
World of Warcraft is like any online game if anyone plays it too much.
After spding months playing the game, the gamer will start to get more ruthless and addicting to it, straying away from his real life and making the game replace it.
These are the things that make a game addict, so be careful when playing World of Warcraft, do not get too addicted to it, and also keep in mind the things that matter more in life.
But don't get me wrong, it is a great game, and I recommend it only to mature gamers, those who know to control their lives.Total Mark: 8/10By HowlingRabbit334.
I do not blame the game, but myself, for losing hundreds of hours that with ease could have been spent doing something constructive/more fun.
It took me a good two years before realizing the complete nonsense of actually devoting even a minute to this game, and at the point of recognizing this fact it took me less than no time to stop playing for good.
Play it through with one character and you've explored all there is to it.
At top level all you can do to further build up your character is to grind, grind, and grind some more for equipment that is slightly better than what you already have.
PvP is another means to drain you of yet another couple of hundred hours and dreadfully predictive unless you are a dimwit, reaching ne plus ultra meaning (take a wild guess) better equipment.At level 70 _everything_ boils down to getting better equipment?
Playing with your friends is fun for a while, but there are better and more intricate games that actually give something in return while doing so.
Clearing an end-game instance is fun the first time, after which it gets repetitive.
This game is flawed in so many ways it's a wonder that people continue to play it.Wow is a hoax and you're all being cheated..
Don't get how people can play it non-stop for days and not get sick of it.
Have seen my friends play and they all have 60's and I cant see any difference from my level 20.
Unfortunately, this means many computers will struggle in highly populated areas, which can spoil the whole experience a bit.Something that really disappointed me about this game were the customisation options, which are, to say the least, few.
You end up feeling very un-unique.The game has a good system for instances, unique dungeons for a party, however its quests come in 3 different types, and all of which are basically a grind.When you get down to it this is a grind game, and will lose its appeal to many people after the first 20-30 levels.I give it 7 stars..
The game has a very simple structure; go around and receive "tasks/quests" from various persons (controlled by other players) and solve these tasks/quests by killing animals and monsters, thus getting rewarded by "items".The ultimate goal of the game is to gather more and more powerful items and make you character more powerful.
To gather all the best items probably takes years(!).Diablo and Diablo II had both the same structure as World of Warcraft.
I liked them both but not World of Warcraft.There are many reasons why I don't like World of Warcraft:1)World of Warcraft costs money per month2)It is very evident that the game is constructed to be as slow as possible so that people never reach the ultimate end.
Sometimes you have to gather insane amounts of items to solve quests.3)The action is very slow, and your character can't die (just turns into a ghost for a short time), so there is never any danger to speak of.10 years into the future everybody will probably hate how much time they wasted playing this garbage..
Let me point out first,if the title of this review has misled you,I DO NOT hate WoW.I have played the game for about half a year.I saw it's flaws,I saw it's good aspects.But the reason why I'm giving it a fairly low rating is not due to poor gameplay and such,but due to Blizzard's policy.When WoW came out in 2004 it was considered groundbreaking,everyone was hyped and soon it became one of the most popular games ever.But with every expansion the game began to decay.Instead of focusing on newer projects,Blizzard just want to keep WoW on life support.You have to pay for subscription,yet there are free-to-play MMOs available that surpass WoW in almost every aspect.Not to insult WoW,sure,leveling up is boring,but raiding is fun and the game is a blast if you play it with some friends.My main problem is the fact,that Wow has sort of a monopoly when it comes to MMOs,mainly because of the huge success after it's release and because of that it influences other MMOs to emulate it's gameplay instead of being their own thing.If not for this,I would have given this game a 7/10.And what's even worse,Blizzard don't care that they are slowing progress,they are only interested in the profit.So instead of saying "You know,Wow was a blast,but it's due time we move on.Let's give the other MMOs a chance and to keep the fans happy,we'll make Wow free-to-play.",they release expansion after expansion and really on the loyal fans to keep on playing(and paying).Shame on you Blizzard,shame on you.But,you know,there is hope,lately new MMOs have been coming out.MMOs with gameplay completely different from WoW,like "Dragon Nest" or "DC Universe Online".So maybe Wow is starting to loose it's influence,maybe Blizzard will soon realize that..
Great Game, but too consuming.
World of Warcraft or WOW whatever you want to call it is A great game.
Its fun, you meet with lots of other gamers, you feel a sense of accomplishment completing quests, and leveling up.
While this game is that great it has the ability to consume people.
This can take drastic effects on your life, and if you find yourself playing for more then 3 hours a day then you need to get help.I played the game myself spent sunny summer days inside playing WOW doing instances that took 4-5 hours when I could have been outside swimming, hanging out with friends.
I returned to the game got to level 40 but hung it up again after that.
People have to realize there are other good things out there besides this Love, Friendship.And if your in School playing this its simple find something else to do to kill time and make you forget it or if your out of school working go to the gym hang out with friends, my case I was in high school so I played on my high school football team to kill time and make me forget it.
I have seen friends get divorced because they got consumed don't let it happen.The game is fun and OK and a lot of fun to play, when it gets to the point where it consumes you, you have to know when to stop before it gets dangerous.
That is why it is the most common schedule of reinforcement in the game.The game also uses fixed interval schedules, when certain tasks can only be completed at certain times of the day or month.One of the keys in a reinforcement schedule is to not have the payoff require too many responses, otherwise there is ratio strain (too much effort for too little reward).The game gets around this by creating a strong reinforcement history, having a small Variable Ratio schedule maybe VR4 (an average of 4 attacks will kill a creature at level 1 or 2).
World of Warcraft gives blizzard a bad name in my eyes.
Even though new races and weapons have been added to the Warcraft series it still gets boring and annoying.World of Warcraft just brainwashes kids (and adults) into nothingness, i mean come on haven't you seen the south park episode.What was blizzard thinking?
Everyone has an enemy, thats probably where blizzard made all their money off this game.2/10.
Great Game, Old Story.
World of Warcraft is an excellent game.
Play time in this game is measured in days not hours.
Greatest game I've played..
I give the game World of Warcraft a 9/10 because not all games are perfect.
I currently own a Level 50 warrior, and I haven't got her there without having fun.
Making friends is what I've had fun with, and the game is just a bonus.
The game is called an MMORPG - Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game.
In World of Warcraft you can do many things, fight, trade, put things up for auction as well as buy things at an auction house, found in Alliance cities like Stormwind, Ironforge, Darnassus, and Shattrah City and/or the Exodor, I don't know where they are in Horde, other than Oggrimar and I think The Undercity, but a funny thing to do is the emote system which is what I am talking about, you can enter in a word with a dash in front of it to see if you can do that action ie: /laugh makes your character laugh, or you can do /e then your name pops up and you can write your own action such as /e plays with a bunny rabbit.
, how many games have got you so gripped that you pretty much kiss you're social life goodbye?, well World of Warcraft , is one of these games.You make your account , log in , and begin to create your character , choosing from tons of features to make you're character look unique.
After you're done making you're character you are ready to take on a massive game.Now World of Warcraft is a MMORPG standing for Massivly Multi Player Online Role Playing Game.
As you begin to quest and kill the countless numbers of creatures in the game , you're start to feel like you are achieving something while spending you're time playing, witch i feel is a rare thing in most games.One of the key things to be careful about with World of Warcraft is that it does require a fair amount of time to play , as you will be running "instance's" ( basically Duengions witch you and your party do too get experience points and items ), and killing other players characters ( PVP ).Now i'll explain a bit about player vs player combat.
In world of warcraft there are two factions , these being the Alliance ( good guys if you like ) and the mighty Horde ( bad guys ).
Weather you enjoy making items , such as weapons armour , potions of all sorts, killing monsters and hunting items , trading , exploring lands , role-playing , player vs player combat, riding mounts , mining , skinning , leveling.In my opinion World of Warcraft is the best game ever made. |
tt0085496 | Entre tinieblas | Yolanda, a cabaret singer, brings heroin to her lover who drops dead of an overdose. To escape from the police, the singer looks for refuge in a local convent. The Mother Superior, a fan of Yolanda, rapturously greets her. The mission of the order, called the Humiliated Redeemers (Redentoras humilladas), is to offer shelter and redemption to fallen women. The convent once was a bustling haven for prostitutes, drug addicts and murderers, but it is now in disrepair. The order is facing serious financial hardships as their prime financial supporter, the vain and greedy Marchioness (La Marquesa) has decided to discontinue the convent's annuity under the pretense of economizing. She feels less affinity with the sisters than did her recently deceased husband, who set up a fund in gratitude. The convent had taken in their wayward daughter, Virginia, who subsequently became a nun and ran off to Africa, only to be eaten by cannibals.
Six religious members of the community live at the convent: the mother Superior, four other nuns and the chaplain. To reinforce their vows of humility, the Mother Superior has given the other nuns repulsive new names: Sister Manure, Sister Damned, Sister Snake and Sister Sewer Rat. With few opportunities for spiritual ministry, the nuns have begun to indulge in their own idiosyncratic pursuits in order to pass the time. The nurturing Sister Damned compulsively cleans the convent and coddles all the animals under her care, including an overgrown pet tiger that she treats like a son, playing the bongos for him. The ascetic Sister Manure is consumed by thoughts of penitence and corporal self-sacrifice and cooks between LSD hallucinations. She murdered somebody and as the mother superior lied under oath to save her from jail, she is very devoted to her. The overcurious Sister Sewer Rat gardens and secretly, under the pen name Concha Torres, writes lurid novels about the wayward souls who visit the convent. She smuggles the novels out of the convent through her sister's periodic visits. The unassuming Sister Snake, with the help of the priest, tailors seasonal fashion collections for dressing the statues of the Virgin Mary. Her piety is a cover up for her romantic love for the chain-smoking chaplain. The mother Superior is a heavy drug user and a lesbian, whose charitable work is a means of meeting needy young women. She admits, “From admiring them so much I have become one of them”.
At the convent, Yolanda mingles with the nuns and spends her time reading the diary of her deceased boyfriend finding out how their relationship really was. The Mother Superior soon falls passionately in love with her. Together, they consume coke and heroin until Yolanda decides both should come off the drugs. Withdrawal for Yolanda is like a painful catharsis, but for the Mother Superior it confirms her very sinful nature. Yolanda keeps the Mother Superior at arm’s length and strikes a friendship with Sister Rat.
The Mother Superior has to face both Yolanda’s rejection and the threats of closure. She fails to blackmail the Marquise with a letter revealing information about Virginia. Undiscouraged, she then prepares to resort to drug trafficking to maintain the independence of her convent. In spite of these trials, the Sisters decide to celebrate the Mother Superior's birthday. The Marquise and nuns from other convents come to the party. During the celebrations, Yolanda, accompanied by the sisters, sings in honor of the Mother Superior. The Marquise manages to get a letter that coming from Africa has informed her about a long lost grandson that has been raised by the Apes. Because Yolanda and Sister Rat helped her to obtain the letter, she is very grateful to them. At the end of the party, the new Mother General, the highest authority in their order, announces the dissolution of the convent. Sister Damned decides to return to her native village and leaves her tiger to Sister Snake and the Priest. They are in love and want to start a family with the tiger as their son. Sister Rat and Yolanda go to live with the Marquise. Only Sister Manure is left to console the Mother Superior from the terrible heartbreak Yolanda’s desertion has caused. | bleak, comedy, satire | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0034050 | Porky's Preview | Porky Pig has arranged the screening of a film in a film theater for an audience of barnyard animals. The public goes to the ticket booth. A chicken buys tickets for herself and her three "children" (eggs). A kangaroo tears the tickets (and even the hand that holds it) and throws them in his pouch. A firefly usher leads the audience with his hindquarters as a bright lamp. A skunk has a "scent" (pun on smelling it, and 1 cent of a dollar) and cannot enter, so he goes through the back door. On stage Porky presents the film he made himself. The accompanying music is a version of the flickering that usually introduced cartoons of Looney Tunes. The film turns out to be a series of small sketches of primitive characters drawn wire stick figures, minimalist, with settings that seem to have been penciled by a child. After the film, Porky is surprised to see the theatre in shambles the only audience that remaining is the skunk (whose presence drove away everyone else). The skunk enthusiastically applauds Porky's film, having enjoyed it because it too "stinks." | psychedelic | train | wikipedia | null |
tt1462769 | The Odd Life of Timothy Green | The film is told from the perspective of Cindy (Jennifer Garner) and Jim Green (Joel Edgerton), as they explain their experience with Timothy (CJ Adams) in an effort to persuade an adoption agency to allow the couple to adopt a child.
Cindy, who works in the town's local museum, and Jim, who is employed at the town's historic pencil factory, reside in the drought-stricken town of Stanleyville, North Carolina, self-labeled as "the pencil capital of the world". The Greens are informed by doctors that they are unable to conceive. Distraught by the news, Jim convinces Cindy to dream up their ideal child and write the child's characteristics and life events on slips of notepad paper.
The couple place the notes inside a wooden box and bury it in their backyard garden. After an immediate thunderstorm, which seemingly affects only their property, a ten-year-old arrives at their home claiming the Greens as his parents. After finding the box they buried smashed to pieces around a large hole in the ground where they originally buried it, and finding the boy inside their house, covered in mud, they realize that the boy, named Timothy, is actually a culmination of all their wishes of what their child would be. The Greens also discover that Timothy has a startling feature: he has leaves growing on his legs, which he can only cover up by wearing long tube socks.
The next day, at a family picnic, Timothy is introduced to members of his family: Brenda Best (Rosemarie DeWitt), Cindy's pompous sister; James Green Sr. (David Morse), Jim's estranged father; and Mel (Lois Smith) and Bub (M. Emmet Walsh), Cindy's paternal aunt and uncle. The parents take Timothy to their friend and town botanist, Reggie (Lin-Manuel Miranda), where they learn that Timothy's leaves cannot be removed.
Timothy begins to attend school, where he meets Joni Jerome (Odeya Rush), a girl he encounters during a bullying incident, with whom he begins a friendly relationship. Meanwhile, the town's pencil factory, the largest employer in Stanleyville, begins laying off its employees. Timothy convinces Cindy and Jim to design a prototype for a new pencil in an effort to keep the pencil-producing business viable.
Unbeknownst to the parents, one of Timothy's leaves falls off each time he fulfills one of the qualities listed on the original slips of paper. Timothy eventually reveals to Cindy and Jim that his time of existence is short and that he will eventually disappear. During another intense thunderstorm, he vanishes from their house.
The Greens' meeting with the adoption counselor concludes with Cindy presenting a letter that Timothy left them before leaving. In the letter, he explains to them what he did with each of his leaves that fell off, with a montage sequence showing each person whose life Timothy touched. After an unspecified amount of time, the adoption counselor is shown pulling up to the Greens' house in a car with the little girl who is to become the Greens' daughter, Lily. | cute, fantasy, flashback | train | wikipedia | The Odd Life of Timothy Green is a great family movie to see, and it really gives you that warm feeling when you leave the theater..
By all means, this should had been a great, entertaining and heartfelt, modern fairy tale, for the whole family to enjoy but the movie handles certain themes poorly and make some odd choices with its story at times.And honestly, I still foremost really liked the movie.
Although this movie is not much of a box office success, due to the heavy load of drama, sensitivity and all the mushy-mushy stuff, I still say it is nice to see things go well sometimes, makes you feel that the world is not that bad.Walt Disney still brings a little magic into our lives trying to make you feel the world is not that much of a sad place.
Peter Hedges the director and co-writer of the film did a nice job with this movie, which doesn't have lots of special effects but delivers the hallmark family fun that Disney is known for, Peter finds a way to draw your sensitivity out and make you develop an emotional attachment to the characters from the movies first scene of parents struggling to have a child to when a naked kid shows up and then all the way till the end.The odd life of Timothy green is about a couple Cindy and Jim Green (Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton), who couldn't have children.
The couple has done all they can to get pregnant but all to no avail, so they began to dream about what their child would be like, they wrote down all they wished he would be, achieve and become, placed it in a box and buried it in the backyard.One stormy night young Timothy (CJ Adams) shows up on their doorstep and calls them mum and dad.CJ Adams was exceptional in his task as Timothy Green, child actors seem to have a difficult role sometimes when they have to convince you, but CJ did a good job and I was impressed by his acting.As Adams plays young Timothy who sees life differently; hey!
When you feel like you know the story and the characters then that means you watched a great film.
¨Please don't ask about my leaves.¨ I'm generally a fan of Disney family movies and don't mind when they get overly sentimental or extremely sweet as long as the characters have depth and the story rings authentic.
It was like if they were in a rush to tell the story and they never stopped to focus on the relationships that were being built.The film begins by introducing us to a young couple from Stanleyville (the pencil capital of the world) who is trying to adopt a kid.
Cindy (Jennifer Garner) and Jim Green (Joel Edgerton) are being interviewed in order to see if they are qualified and thus they begin to narrate the story about the boy who changed their lives: Timothy.
He inspires and changes the lives of Jim and Cindy forever.As much as I wanted to like this family friendly movie I couldn't.
They are relating their magical experiences with Timothy Green to the counselors.Having been told by their fertility doctor that they cannot have children, they decide that night to write down all the wonderful qualities they would have liked their child to have.
Odd Life of Timothy Green is a rare gem out there for a clever storyline that can be funny, sad, and uplifting at the same time.Without giving too much away, Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton play a couple who have tried to have a child unsucessfully until one night, a son appears....from the garden?!?
The Odd Life Of Timothy Green is a movie that wanted to show how magical life would be if you are a parent but, there was no magic to this film.
Shortly after the beginning of the movie, we are taken to a scene in a doctor's office where Cindy (Jennifer Garner) and Jim Green (Joel Edgerton) are told that even though they have been trying, they might never be able to conceive a child.
The Odd Life of Timothy Green (2012)*** 1/2 (out of 4) Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton play a married couple who learn they can't have children.
People see Disney and I guess they expect children movies and while there's nothing in this film that would be too harmful for kids, I think the target audience is going to be grown ups.
THE ODD LIFE OF TIMOTHY GREEN is a cute, charming, funny and at times incredibly sad film that has a lot of imagination working for it.
"The Odd Life of Timothy Green" is a charming little movie that is better than most of the detritus that comes out of theaters in August.
That said, it didn't stay with me after I saw it.The movie opens with a couple (Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton) cautioning an adoption agency that they do have previous experience, but the story they are about to tell is going to hard to believe.
Jim and Cindy Green(Joel Edgerton and Jennifer Garner) a happily married couple living in a small town, but are unable to have children.
With a decent cast including Jennifer Garner, Joel Edgerton, Ron Livingston, and Dianne Wiest will they be able to deliver an entertaining movie that will speak to the audience or end up needing to be planted back in the garden?
The Odd Life of Timothy Green follows a married couple who are dying to start a family, but when things just aren't working out they began to dream about what their child would be like.
The film made me feel good and it made me laugh and there was some nice performances and a wonderful idea which they failed to develop and instead took the easy route with lazy writing and simplistic direction.There were points where I was so invested in the story that I became angry and shouted at the screen for such obvious plot holes and dumb writing.
I awarded this film a reluctant 7 (good) but I wanted to give it a perfect 6.5 (above average) though I thought it deserved more than an average 6 which I have awarded to films I describe as OK or passable but once we get to 5 it is a lost cause.I only awarded it a higher mark than it deserved because by the end it is a feel good film with some bitter sweet old school narrative but at times it felt like it was written by a ten year old boy but a talented one 'who rocks, shoots the winning goal and has his mothers heart'..
after reading some of the reviews for this film i was left feeling unsure about whether i wanted to watch it or not but my love for Jennifer garner and Joel Edgerton influenced me to take a chance and it did not disappoint!
The Odd Life Of Timothy Green was the kind of movie that can make you laugh and cry, it was truly a magical and utterly heart warming story.
Odd Life of Timothy Green is a rare gem out there for a clever storyline that can be funny, sad, and uplifting at the same time.Without giving too much away, Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton play a couple who have tried to have a child with any success until one night, a son appears....from the garden?!?
The Odd Life of Timothy Green is the story of a couple who desperately want to be parents and who cannot conceive, they therefore write down all the qualities they would like in a child and he miraculously materializes from their garden with leaves on his ankles as proof he was grown from the ground.
It was a sweet story and Cindy Green (Jennifer Garner) makes it very clear that there is an underlying sadness that accompanies wanting a child and not being able to have one.
I was quite thrilled to check out 'The Advengers' recently, then I saw The Odd Life of Timothy Green which has a boy and a couple, spoofed off of the film 'A Troll in Central Park' and I was quite disappointed it had nothing but cheesy dialogue.I wouldn't say the movie was one of these "suspenseful films" but it had me typing for more that some scenes in the movie were just too bitter for me.I have to walk out of the theater pondering, okay, what is up with all this talk about satire?
Man, that boy was annoying, for trying to meddle with things all the time.All I wanted to say was "The Odd Life of Timothy Green" had a boy too clueless for me, I can't exact his age but this film was a bit trashy.Avoid it, please..
The acting was OK for what it was as a movie, but Jennifer Garner needs to start picking better scripts or she will end up like Nicolas Cage.I wonder if the book was better..
Its a sweet, family friendly movie though with a theme that forces the viewer to just go with it as it enters into fantasy land.Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton play a couple struggling to conceive who are finally told by their doctor that it is not to be.
Cindy (Jennifer Garner) and Jim Green (Joel Edgerton) are looking to adopt and recounter their life with Timothy.
This looked like it would be a really fun and magical family oriented movie, and in some ways it was, but at the end it was just missing something.
The Odd Life of Timothy Green (2012) is a film that is most suited for one of those lazy afternoons, evenings, or nights when one simply wants to snuggle up on the couch and watch something slow and heartwarming, but not overwhelming.It is predictable, as many other reviewers have made clear, but also emotional.
Even without trying to be critical, one is often able to guess the upcoming event in the plot line, but Timothy Green is still effectively a sweet character that is the center of a touching story.Some reviewers have indicated their puzzlement about the intended audience for The Odd Life.
'THE ODD LIFE OF TIMOTHY GREEN': Two and a Half Stars (Out of Five)A comedic fantasy-drama film about a couple who can't have children of their own who will a child to life through wishes that they write down and bury in a box in their backyard.
Yes, you've guessed it my friends, my latest review is on the latest kid movie The Odd Life of Timothy Green starring Jennifer Garner, Joel Edgerton and CJ Adams.
CJ had a natural cuteness that will make the girls go wild, and his childlike innocence make his shyness more realistic, relatable, and magical to help the movie continue to come alive.The Odd Life of Timothy Green is not just about acting though, as there are plenty of other qualities that make this movie worth a try.
v=oCInbIDpNHgThe main story of this movie, The Odd Life of Timothy Green, by Disney, is about "love" — and I love this movie and can't wait to watch it again.Joel Edgerton and Jennifer Garner play Mr. and Mrs. Green, who are trying to have a baby.
Later that night, there is a strange thunder storm and it starts to rain — only at their house — and all the things that they wanted in their child come true because a child pops out of the dirt and is named Timothy.The main characters in this movie are Jim and Cindy Green, Timothy Green and Joni.
a lesson learned that the universe gives you from what you love the most(the garden), and that giving up is not an option, you might give up, only to find out that you are just a step away from getting what you were forever searching for.The wisdom that Timothy has as a child is one that our kids nowadays need to have, the courage that he portrait and not giving his parents a heads-up on what will happen as time passes, is just supper cool.i don't mind watching the movie time and time again.
Suddenly, a pre-teen boy who calls himself Timothy (C.J. Adams) appears and calls Cindy and Jim, Mom & Dad. But while they're glad to have a child, he has some things that make him a bit different...I'll stop there and just say that I enjoyed this heartwarming movie despite some parts that seemed either too pat or not believable enough but still, it's heart is in the right place and I was surprised this was originally created by Ahmet Zappa, the late Frank Zappa's son.
Cindy Green (Jennifer Garner) and Jim Green (Joel Edgerton) are typical parents who only want the best for their newly sprouted son Timothy (CJ Adams).
This movie was beautiful.I was captured from the getgo the whole plot from where it starts till where it ends.The message in the movie is also very good and we should take it to heart.I love Disney movies in general their just so light and fluffy and some are very inspirational .The performances as usual was great especially Jenifer Garner as Cindy green and Cj Adams as timothy greenIf you haven't seen it yet you have to watch it now you wont be disappointed and its good family fun and if you have a heart you will shed a tear at the end of the movie..
'A lovable boy with leaves on his legs!' At first I though the film wasn't going to be that good because I didn't really like the title of the film, but to my surprise the film was better then what I thought and had my hooked in the whole way though.Overall I rate the film as a sad family film because to me it hit close to the heart and it makes you fell like your a massive part to the story, and towards the end you are near enough 100% emotional attached to the film and the lovable characters!I have got to so a massive well done to Disney for another great film that has the entertainment, interesting plot and plays with our emotions!.
When it does though, none of them are prepared or know how to react.One can make as they please with the story line; yes it is a fantasy, but it nonetheless remains one of the better feel-good movies that have come out recently.Whilst it does not rise above the charming/pleasant film, still it could tempt some of the audience to tears..
This child has everything they wanted in their kid and also leaves on his feet.First of all The Odd Life of Timothy Green is not as bad as critics say that is.
The Odd Life of Timothy GreenOne way to end the recessive baldness gene in your family is to adopt an orphan with a thick, full head of hair.However, the couple in this fantasy got a son with more than hair growing out of him.One night as they lament their inability to conceive, Cindy (Jennifer Garner) and Jim (Joel Edgerton) craft a list of the qualities their child would have, and bury it in the garden.The next morning 10-year-old Timothy (CJ Adams) appears in their home, covered in mud, calling them mom and dad.Instinctively, Cindy bathes the child, whereupon she discovers foliage sprouting from his shins.That day fourth, Timothy's true intentions are slowly revealed.Although it's well intentioned, The Odd Life of Timothy Green often slips into schmaltzy territory, thanks to the antics of the creepy childless couple.Besides, who needs to wish for a child when there are baby boxes?
Maybe, with magic and a little luck, you wouldn't have to.Cindy and Jim Green (played by Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton) are a married couple who live in the drought- stricken town of Stanleyville and who struggled to have a child of their own until their doctor told them they were infertile.
Okay,so this movies is about this couple who can't have children but one day they discover that a boy grew in their garden and they decide to adopt him.At first this may sound pretty harmless,but trust me,it's not!First let me tell you the thing which bothers me the most at this movies-the parents are awful,they barely interact with Timothy,they won't appreciate him unless he comes out as a winner in the front of their families and bosses and they won't even let him have any friends!I really can't blame this on the actors,hell even the kid tried his best,but this script is so dumb and the worst part is:the parents didn't learn anything from this experience!I'm not kidding,they even tell the adoption center that they didn't really learn from their mistakes but will make new mistakes instead!And still,the adoption center gives them a kid!Seriously people,I do understand that you have a different opinion,but I really don't get what's so heartwarming about this movie,it says that bad parents should be allowed to have kids too as long as they will do different mistakes,not learn from their previous ones!.
What I got was a film that couldn't decide what it wanted to be.We open with Cindy and Jim Green (Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton) sitting in an office at an adoption agency.
The Odd Life Of Timothy Green is a 2012 fantasy and tales the tale of a childless couple played by Jennifer Garner in her Disney debut and Joel Eggerston who both work with dealing with pencils and they would love to have a child but struggle to have one until one night they write a bunch of stuff and put it in a box and dig it under ground.
This is what I would call a "feel good" movie that doesn't leave you feeling so great."The Odd Life of Timothy Green" tries very hard to give viewers an emotional and entertaining experience. |
tt0048259 | The King's Thief | James (Niven), the Duke of Brampton and the richest man in England, is so trusted by King Charles II (Sanders), he is able to have two of the King's loyal friends executed for treason. The second is the father of Lady Mary (Blyth). She travels from France to London to seek justice. While there, she meets Michael Dermott (Purdom), a soldier who fought to restore Charles to the throne.
He and many others were never paid for their services, unbeknownst to the King. He therefore turned highwayman. He and his comrades rob the Duke and come into possession of the Duke's notebook. In it are listed twelve rich and powerful people, as well as details of their possessions. Two names are crossed out; it does not take long for Michael to realize that the other ten are in peril for their lives. Michael first tries to blackmail the Duke, but without much success. A fence named Simon betrays his hiding place. Michael and his comrade Jack (Moore) escape from the Duke's soldiers, though Michael is wounded in the shoulder. Adventure abounds as the Duke tries to retrieve his property before it can be used against him. | violence, action, murder | train | wikipedia | Ok historical swashbuckler.
I watched The King's Thief for one reason only, and that was that I am a bit of a Roger Moore fan.
Alas, Roger isn't in the film very much, though what little he does he does well enough.
However, I still enjoyed it as an easy-on-the-brain swashbuckler, the type of thing that Errol Flynn might have starred in twenty years earlier.The plot is brisk and simple.
It involves a plot to overthrow the king of England, recorded in a notebook which falls into the hands of a woodland bandit.
The bandit is a bad man, but when he realises what is going on, he knows that he must do something to protect the monarch.
In this way, the villain actually becomes the good guy.
After a lot of swordplay and treachery, the bandit and his merry men save the king and catch the deceivers.There's not much to remember about the film once it's over.
There's one particularly suspenseful escape sequence, in which two bandits get out of Newgate prison, but besides that it kind of floats out of your head as quickly as it floated in.
All the same, this is fun.
It is the kind of movie your kids could watch without being exposed to blood and gore, sex and swearing.
Yet at the same time it deals with action, murder, treachery and brigandry.
I can't honestly recommend the film as a great viewing experience (it certainly isn't some kind of forgotten classic, so don't think it is), but if you want to pass an hour and a half on a Saturday afternoon, you could do a lot worse..
So-so Costumer/Swashbuckler set at the court of 17th century English king Charles II.
Set in Charles II kingdom , when he is restored to the British throne , after Cromwell's Republic , and stars a handsome highwayman named Michael Dermott (Edmund Purdom) who holds up a villain , short-tempered Duke (David Niven who delivers the most indelible sight , making a surprisingly effective nasty) and acquires a notebook , which , in due course , he realises is the key to latter's scheme to eliminate a series of noblemen , yet really in the service of his own will of power .
But Michael is caught and imprisoned along with his colleague Jack (Roger Moore) and , subsequently , both of whom escape across a risked getaway .
While Lady Mary's (Ann Blyth) father is innocently accused of treason and is executed along with other allegedly traitors .
It was carried out by the king's evil chancellor , the duke of Brampton , having them murdered and then expropriating their fortune , all under the auspices of protecting the throne from seditionaries .
Then , Lady Mary travels to London to meet the duke , but instead meets Michael and both of whom fall in love .
At the end Dermott becomes involved in a plot to steal the Crown jewels at the Tower of London and finds a worthy fencing adversary in the treacherous Duc of Brampton at an exciting final duel .Edmund Purdom 's spectacular and overwhelming adventure features impressive duels , elegant costuming , adequate production design , marvelous gowns , loads of action and full of Restoration Regalia .
Edmund Purdom is at his most agile and deft style and performs his own stunts .
Purdom was 31 when he made this movie .
Previously , Edmund made his best adventures and swashbucklers and played successes as ¨The student Prince¨, ¨The Egyptian¨, ¨Athena¨, ¨The prodigal¨ .
It was all downhill for Purdom after this , as he emigrated Italy where starred ¨B¨ films , Sword and Sandals , Spaghettis and minor epics as ¨Herod the Great¨, ¨Nefertiti , queen of Nile¨ , and followed successive flops as ¨Mr Scarface¨, ¨Big Boss¨, ¨Dr. Frankestein castle of freaks¨.
Nice acting by David Niven as Duke of Brampton , who has found a way of getting rich by accusing his enemies of treason and sequester their property .
And Ann Blyth plays the damsel in distress seeking justice for her late daddy as a colourless female lead .
Support cast is pretty well , plenty of familiar faces as John Dehner , Melville Cooper , Sean McClory , Alan Mowbray , Rhys Williams , Tudor Owen , Ian Wolf and a young Roger Moore and special mention for George Sanders as Charles II and leading a pack of Spaniels .
This King Charles II was also played in ¨Restoration (1992) by Sam Neill , and George Sanders also portrayed him in ¨Forever Amber¨ (1947).
Richly costumed , including luxurious gowns and in glamorous Technicolor cinematography by cameraman by Robert H.
Planck .
Breathtaking and luxury set design and art design by Cedric Gibbons , MGM's ordinary , though mostly interiors .
Here MGM turned out in a quiet corner of the backlot .
Thrilling and evocative musical score by the great maestro and prolific Miklos Rozsa .
The picture is not a masterpiece , being made in modest limits , with huge confidence and fair play by Robert Z Leonard .
Robert directed all kinds of genres , but especially dramas and musicals , such as : Clown , The Duchess of Idaho , Nancy goes to Rio , In the good old summertime , When ladies meet , Ziegfeld girl , Pride and prejudice , Broadway serenade , Girl of the Golden west , The firefly , The great Ziegfeld , Dancing Lady , Strange interlude , The Divorcée and a Mormon maid .
Rating : 5.5/10 , passable , a pleasing time-passer .
An enjoyable vision to brighten any day ..
Watchable but trite script prevents good cast from doing their best....
Even lavish sets and costumes and a background score by Miklos Rozsa can't save THE KING'S THIEF from the boredom of a banal script.
Lots of flashing swordplay takes place, but none of it has enough sizzle to make up for a tiresome story about a scoundrel (David Niven) who is keeping his thievery a secret from Charles II (George Sanders).The best sequence involves an adventurous escape from heavy chains in a prison dungeon and a final encounter in a tower holding fabulous jewels whereby our hero ultimately wins the approval of Charles II.David Niven does well enough as the charming thief, handsome Edmund Purdom is nimble and rugged enough as a swashbuckling highwayman, and Ann Blyth is pretty in her costume finery.
But none of them have more than cardboard characters to work with and the end result is a routine period adventure wasting a talented cast.Even Rosza's score is less memorable than most of his work for this kind of swashbuckler..
The King Is A Boob.
Filmdoms most notorious cad, George Sanders, makes a second film appearance as King Charles II of Great Britain, the first being in Forever Amber.
Charles II has come down in history as a pleasure driven hedonist, he's not called the Merry Monarch for nothing.
Hedonist he was, but that was also so much image management as well.
He had a good head on his shoulders, he survived the defeat of his father and a decade of exile to return as King in 1660.
The man that has come down to us in history is hardly likely to have been taken in the Duke of Brampton as played by David Niven.But that's what this film asks us to believe.
We're given no real reason why Charles has placed such confidence in the fictional Duke, but he has.
So Niven's got himself a real nice racket going, he denounces folks as traitors and Charles believes him and executes them.
And their property goes to him.In fact Niven's got himself as little black book with a Restoration Dun&Bradstreet rating on all the richest and loyalest of Charles's subjects.
The book unfortunately falls into the hands of highwayman Edmond Purdom.
Then Purdom makes an alliance of more than one dimension with the daughter of one of the late nobility, Niven's had done in, Ann Blyth.Niven looks very uncomfortable in the part of villain one of the few, maybe the only one he ever did.
Purdom and Blyth are reunited from the film they did the year before, The Student Prince, which was far better than this.
Sanders saunters his way through Charles II again.
If he had been this dumb, the Popish Plot which occurred later on in his regime would have knocked him off the throne.One of the dumber swashbuckler films I've ever seen.
Only for the quality of the players which includes Roger Moore as one of Purdom's gang does it get as high a rating as it does..
Enjoyable MGM historical adventure in vivid color.
This is an old-fashioned adventure movie, but there's nothing wrong with that!
Our time period is the 1660's or so, with Charles II on the English throne.
That the film is in color helps a great deal, allowing us to fully enjoy the fine costumes and the beauty of the leading lady.
There is some good swordplay and other good action scenes.
The knowledgeable film fan will spot a number of familiar faces in the cast.
This film puts many of the backlot locations of MGM to good use.
They're gone now; you can appreciate them here.
Recommended..
Palace tom foolery.
s'alright..
Glorious CinemaScope.
Some BIG BIG names, in their early days.
Roger Moore, waaaay before he was James Bond.
Ann Blyth.
George Sanders...
who could be hit or miss in his movies.
David Niven in another prim and proper English role.
Of course, Niven had ALSO played Bond in Casino Royale!
Period piece from England, on Charles II, who actually lived from 1630 to 1685.
History says he died of kidney illness, which may or may not have been brought on by poison.
In our story, Dermott is played by Edmund Purdom; fun bio on IMDb....
Purdom has the distinction of being the only actor to have his hand-prints removed from the sidewalk at G's Chinese Theater.
Swordfights.
Chases on horseback.
Brampton (Niven) is the evil dude, having his opponents knocked off with false accusations.
The usual palace adventures.
Its okay.
Fun to see some of those big names from back in the day, but the acting is all pretty stilted, as if they are reading off cue cards.
Directed by Robert Leonard...
one of his last films..
The film rests on the assumption that Charles II of England wasn't a big jerk...which he was..
I am a retired American who taught world history.
Although Charles II is shown as an all-around swell guy beset with disloyal jerks waiting to kill him, he was, in fact, a divine right king who managed to eventually lose much of the good will the English had towards him when the monarchy was restored.
The English were dreadfully sorry they chopped off the head of Charles I and were ready to make amends.
Charles, however, wasn't about to learn the lesson of his father-- and continued to behave as if he was never to be challenged in his role as king.
Things really were bad...so bad that when his brother, James II, took the thrown the English soon chased him out of the country and replaced the Stuarts with a Dutch king and queen.
So, as I watched the film, I had to laugh because it did re-write history just a tad!
But enough of a mini lecture...on to the film itself.The film is about yet another plot to kill the king by a disloyal bunch of jerks.
However, there is a small book with this information in it--and it's stolen by a group of highway men!
Are these crooks evil crooks or the Hollywood type who are intensely loyal Englishman who love their king?
Through the course of this film you'll learn!
So although it might not be all that accurate, is this an enjoyable film?
Like too many period films, the dialog is stilted and the picture lacks humanity and realism.
It looks like a stagy production and sounds like one too.
Watchable but hardly a must-see. |
tt0094701 | Bad Dreams | In 1975, a cult called Unity Fields commits mass suicide in a horrific manner—by fire—at the behest of its psychopathic leader, Franklin Harris (Richard Lynch). Only one young woman named Cynthia (Jennifer Rubin), a child at the time of the fire, survives, though she lies in a coma for thirteen years.
After she wakes, Cynthia is plagued by horrific flashbacks of her childhood at Unity Fields, and is forced to attend experimental group therapy sessions for borderline personality disorder at the hospital led by Dr. Alex Karmen (Bruce Abbott). Cynthia's visions become more vivid, and include Harris, who often appears to her with his flesh burnt. When her roommate, Miriam, is discharged from the hospital, Cynthia has a vision of Harris in the elevator with her; however, the doors close before she is able to warn her. Miriam is found dead on the sidewalk in front of the hospital, having leapt from a window in what appears to be a suicide.
A male and female patient are later killed by the blades on an industrial fan in a utility room of the hospital, which Cynthia also attributes to Harris, who she believes has come back from his death to kill those around her. Ralph, a troubled masochist patient, becomes enamored with Cynthia; one day, they take an elevator to the basement of the hospital. During an episode, he commits suicide by stabbing himself multiple times in the abdomen.
Awakening from sedation after the incident, Cynthia finds Harris sitting in her room, calling her his "love child," and urging her to commit suicide. Shortly after, Harris visits Hettie, a clairvoyant patient, in her room. Instead of allowing him to kill her, she drinks formaldehyde she stole from a supply room, effectively killing herself. When Dr. Karmel discovers his corrupt peer, Dr. Berrisford, has intentionally laced the therapy group's drugs with psychogenic substances (in the hope that it will effectively make the patients suicidal, and thus corroborate Berrisford's research), he confronts Cynthia, insisting her visions of Harris are not real.
Dr. Karmel then pulls an emergency alarm in the hospital, which elicits chaos. Cynthia escapes to the rooftop, where Dr. Karmel finds her standing on the ledge. Harris, invisible to Dr. Karmel, urges Cynthia to jump. She leaps from the building, but before hitting the ground below, awakens back at the house in which the Unity Fields members committed suicide. There, she is confronted by Harris, who welcomes her; however, it is only a vision, and she awakens to Dr. Karmel holding her by the arm as she dangles over the ledge. Berrisford, aware that Dr. Karmel has discovered his plot, goes to the rooftop as well, and attempts to push Dr. Karmel to his death as well. His attempt is thwarted by the arrival of hospital security, and Berrisford insists that Dr. Karmel is responsible for altering the patients' medication. He then pulls a revolver from his coat, but before he is able to shoot, Cynthia pushes him to his death. | insanity, cult, violence, flashback | train | wikipedia | In the mid-70s,the members of the love cult Unity Fields sought the ultimate joining by dousing themselves with gasoline and committing mass suicide.A young girl blown clear of the fiery explosion was the only survivor.Thirteen years later,Cynthia(Jennifer Rubin)awakens from a coma inside a psychiatric hospital with only buried memories of that horrific day.But when her fellow patients start committing suicide one by one,her past slowly begins to come back to terrifying life..."Bad Dreams" is a pretty average horror flick.It's well-paced and visually interesting.The acting by Richard Lynch,Jennifer Rubin and Bruce Abbott,three actors ignored by the mainstream,is solid and there is plenty of blood and gore including knife through hand and some nasty self-mutilation.7 out of 10..
This movie's main star is Jennifer Ruben, who played Taryn in Nightmare 3...and just like in Nightmare 3, Bad Dreams is about a group of troubled kids who are in a mental institution, being haunted in there dreams by a burned boogeyman.
Which Alex knows that Cynthia isn't crazy and tries to end her bad memories.Directed by Andrew Fleming (The Craft, Dick, The In-Laws "2003") made an intriguing hallucinogenic horror film that has some effective horror moments and good performances by the cast.
This is one of the few masterpieces, when it comes to horror movies, of course does the movie borrow elements from, Nightmare on Elm street 3, but this one is far better, music, photography, acting and effects are class A.
Bad Dreams (1988) Director: Andrew Fleming (The Craft) ***out of**** Review After barely escaping crazy cult guru's (able Richard Lynch) fiery suicide pact, Cynthia (the very gorgeous and likable Jennifer Rubin) finds herself awaking 13 years later, in year 1988.
Trying to get on with her life, she starts to realize that her fellow patients in the mental hospital start dying in brutal ways, and start seeing hallucinations/dreams/visions of Harris, the burnt up cult leader.
Rather then going the cliché way in my review and bashing this movie for its direct influences from A Nightmare on Elm Street 3, I'll just say that they never got in the way of my enjoyment of this film.
Far better then his over the top attempt with Nightmare 5: Dream Child.The kills and gore are very queasy, and people who have dealt with a suicide or (god forbid) seen a suicide will surly be offended by this movie, but since I'm a avid horror fan I was never offended, but they certainly had cruel streak.Some flaws that hurt the movie are the lack of character development (as stated) and the movie's ending felt rushed, forced, and cut short.
Bad Dreams is a fun late 80's horror film that feels a lot like The third part of A Nightmare on Elm St. Like that movie, Bad Dreams takes place in a hospital setting.
Although it is similar, Bad Dreams is a decent horror flick with some gruesome moments.The hospital setting in a horror film is always fun to me.
this movie is really nightmare on elm street 3 part 2,but instead of freddy,this time it's a crazy cult leader invading teen's dreams.
Only one person survives, Cynthia (Jennifer Rubin, Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors), who still a kid when Harris set everyone on fire.
This entire sequence is really well edited, showing how the cult's teachings had been accepted by every member, intercut with Cynthia being wheeled through a hospital as doctors struggle to save her life, all to the ominous strains of The Electric Prunes' "I Had Too Much to Dream Last Night."After awakening, Cynthia attends experimental group therapy sessions for borderline personality disorder, led by Dr. Alex Karmen (Bruce Abbott, the Re-Animator films).
Worse, she sees a burned and scarred Harris when she's trapped in an elevator, who reminds her that she is his property.What follows is an insane scene that shows the parallels between group therapy and cult behavior, as the discussion room becomes Unity Fields and Cynthia watches everyone ladle gasoline onto one another.
Rubin is especially good at emoting and I am mystified why I never heard of her before I watched this film.This movie actually, was more a psychological thriller than it was a horror, yet it had elements of both which is what I like in a movie.
"Bad Dreams" has Cynthia (Jennifer Rubin) awaking from a thirteen year-long coma that she was put into when the leader of a cult which her mother was a part of led a mass suicide by fire in a remote farmhouse.
As Cynthia tries to assimilate into life again, those around her in the hospital begin dying in mysterious suicides— and the fact that Cynthia is beginning to see the ghost of the cult leader lurking around doesn't make things look all that great.This was one film that has been on my "to watch" list for a long time, but I have to say it was a pleasant surprise and far exceeded my expectations.
Surprisingly high-gloss, the film, directed by Andrew Fleming (who later found success as a mainstream Hollywood director) was released in 1988 by 20th Century Fox with the expectation that it would become a blockbuster and ignite a franchise of sorts— neither of these things happened, and for understandable reasons, but that doesn't detract from the fact that this is a really well-made horror film, especially by '80s standards.The comparisons to "A Nightmare on Elm Street" are fair enough, although the truth is that this film really doesn't have all that much to do with dreams at all— it's really about the traumatic effects dealt onto a young woman who spent her childhood in a sinister cult, which makes for grim subject matter as is.
Jennifer Rubin plays the doe- eyed, flighty Cynthia convincingly, and "Re-Animantor's" Bruce Abbott plays her psychiatrist/eventual love interest; Richard Lynch is in stark opposition as the wild-eyed cult leader, who spends half of the film covered in gruesome fourth degree burns.Overall, "Bad Dreams" is an effective thriller and is a surprisingly classy oddball of the late 1980s slasher crop.
The scariest thing is when you witness the strong beliefs of cult members and just how trusting they can be.If your looking for a creepy 80's horror film (along the same lines as nightmare on elm street) then this is a great choice.
Watchable, sometimes offbeat and humorous horror film that seems as if it intends to coast on the success of the "Nightmare on Elm Street" series but ends up going on its own merry path.
Making it entertaining enough to watch are some great lines and a number of amusing, attention-getting performances.The movie stars "Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors" cast member Jennifer Rubin as Cynthia, who as a child had survived a suicide pact engineered by ultra creepy cult leader Harris (Richard Lynch at his best).
Soon the people in this group start to die horrible deaths and Cynthia is convinced that Harris's spirit (which sometimes appears to her as a nastily charred corpse) is the one killing them.Rubin is appealing if not that good as an actress; at least she conveys a sense of naivety and innocence.
And one thing you'll never forget about Unity Fields, the devoted cult leader, Harris, played by the evil faced, Richard Lynch, an ugly Rutger Hauer'ish looking guy, the one true acting standout in this.
This may be because Cynthia made a pact to die with the unity, yet she survived.This movie had a similar Nightmare on Elm Street feel, but Harris is no Freddy.
Cynthia (Jennifer Rubin), the only survivor of a mass suicide by hippie cult Unity Field, wakes from a 13-year coma to find the spirit of cult leader Harris (Richard Lynch) urging her to take her life to so that he can finally deliver the eternal bliss he promised to his followers.
When she refuses, he starts to attack those around her.If you've seen A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, then you're going to get a strong sense of deja-vu watching Bad Dreams: with a horribly disfigured bogeyman who kills from beyond the grave, a group of mentally unstable people in an institution suffering inexplicably nasty fates, and Elm Street 3 actress Jennifer Rubin in the lead, the similarities are too obvious to ignore.After plenty of unexceptional Elm-street style death scenes, the film eventually attempts to distance itself from Wes Craven's iconic series by revealing its seemingly supernatural occurrences to be the result of mind-altering drugs dished out by an evil doctor; it's an ending that makes very little sense (precisely what the doctor is trying to achieve is unclear) and one which does nothing to alter the fact that this is a derivative horror at its most mediocre.4.5 out of 10, generously rounded up to 5 for the spectacular fire scene at the beginning, which features some cool special effects and a few impressive burn stunts..
The blood-dripping scene in Bad Dreams strikes me, for the main reason, because the rest of the movie is not much of a horror film except for the occasional appearance of the cult leader from the beginning of the film turning up as a horribly burned corpse, haunting poor Cynthia, the lone survivor (as usual) of the tragic event at the beginning of the film.
It is, however, more entertaining than other bad movies I've found in the horror section lately, such as Neon Maniacs, which has cemented itself as one of the worst horror films I've ever seen, and not even bad in that good way, like They Live or Texas Chainsaw or some of the Friday the 13th or Nightmare of Elm Street sequels.
Ghastly horror item, which may have represented a dead-end for the slasher genre before Wes Craven revived it in the '90s, has cult-suicide survivor Jennifer Rubin spending thirteen years in a coma, only to awaken to a bizarre rash of deaths in her hospital ward.
It's pretty obvious that "Bad Dreams" was an attempt to emulate the popular "Nightmare on Elm Street" films, with the ever-creepy Richard Lynch being the dream boogeyman.
Bad Dreams is about a girl named Cynthia(Jeniffer Rubin) who survives a mass suicide,but is in a coma for 13 years.when she awakes from the coma,she begins seeing the leader of the cult.it seems he is still waiting for her to join him on the other side,and he will do whatever it takes to get her to join him.Richard Lynch plays the cult leader.i won't tell you exactly what happens but what results is a lot of blood and guts.if you're squeamish,you might want to avoid this one.if you've seen a lot of horror movies,then there will probably be nothing new to you in the gore dept.by the way,Susan Ruttan(L.A.)plays one of the patients in the hospital.anyway,i thought the movie was decent enough.it wasn't fast paced or anything,but it wasn't really slow either.it was somewhere in between.if you're into horror and you want pass a couple hours,you could do worse, especially if you catch it on premium cable,like i did.
Although this movie starts off incredibly slowly and at first seems like your typical annoying cult film, it picks up about 1/3 of the way in to be a great psychological thriller / horror.
There's a little gore in some parts, but what's a good slice 'em and dice 'em up horror without a little gore?If you enjoy Jennifer Rubin in this movie, you may also want to check her out in "A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors" (as well as the rest of the Freddy series), as well as a more serious role in the 1988 teen drama "Permanent Record".
Mostly from 'Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors' (the image of the horribly burned leader even resembles the Freddy Kruger pizza-face!) and the group session looks inspired by 'One flew over the Cuckoo's Nest'.
Andrew Fleming's Bad Dreams upholds a good tempo, it has a great soundtrack (including a demented version of 'My Way' and a Guns 'n Roses classic during the end credits) and there's enough blood and gore to satisfy the most demanding horror buff.
The only similarities it has to Elm Street three are these: A burned up psycho, a mental hospital (in which the patients are much more believable than the ones of NOES 3) and Jennifer Rubin.
A influential cult leader, reminiscent of Jim Jones, Harris(Richard Lynch)seduces his communal group of worshipers to take part in a suicidal fire pact which explodes the house they live in..but, one survives, Cynthia(Jennifer Rubin)who awakens twenty years later to the care of Dr. Berrisford(Harris Yulin).
While the similarities to "Nightmare on Elm Street" are striking(..Part 3 in particular which also starred Rubin in her first film and was set in a mental hospital), "Bad Dreams" ultimate twist at the end pries it apart from the Freddy Krueger franchise.
Female lead Rubin, last seen in A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3 (!), may have hurt the film's chances of originality even more but she is good in her role.
"U-N-I-T-Y...Unity...Join us!" Too bad it never got an intended sequel...for 20th Century Fox was hoping to score a hit with the film as a continuing franchise, like that of the Elm Street movies.
Flash forward 13 years, Cynthia,now played by Jennifer Rubin (Nightmare on Elm Street 3), wakes up from her coma.
to claim her.....Ironically called Bad Dreams, the film is essentially a remake of A Nightmare On Elm Part Three: The Dream Warriors, everyone in the institution is haunted by the title of the film, and Lynch is essentially Freddy, burnt features included.And while its a watchable movie, and Dean Cameron is in it (and the best thing), it gets a little bland, and Rubin really starts to grate on you after a while.Lynch pops up every now and again in his Bonanza outfit, to say something sinister, and one by one people die, much to the perplextion of a running doctor, but the narrative doesn't compliment the story.There are a few standout scenes, the opening sequence is amazing, but it really falls apart when we hit present day....
Cynthia (Jennifer Rubin, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors) had 13 years of peace and security.
Abbott, like Rubin does a well enough job to keep the story sturdy, but nothing to write home about.Richard Lynch usually plays the villain in films, and he has the ability to do so effectively.
Both 'Bad Dreams' and Elm St 3 are set in very similar looking hospitals where they have "group sessions" and one of the patients is played by Jennifer Rubin.
***SPOILERS*** Top rate production values make "Bad Dreams" a notch or two above the average blood-splatter horror movie with a fine and very convincing performance by Jennifer Rubin as Cynthia a Wacco-like, this in a film that was made some five years before the tragedy at Wacco ever even happened, cult survivor who ended up in a coma that lasted for 13 years.Being put in a mental clinic for borderline personalities Cynthia is suddenly visited by her former and dead cult Guru Harris,Richard Lynch, who died together with his cult followers in a flaming holocaust, that he started, back at their cult headquarters or home in 1975.
You like Cynthia don't exactly know if your in the real world or some kind of dream world with a number of scenes in the film making no sense at all looking like their spaced-out or drug-induced hallucinations.Every time that Harris shows up one of the patient's at the hospital ends up killing themselves which causes Cynthia to feel guilty that she's alive and, like Harris keeps telling her, wan't to join him in the world beyond.
Bad Dreams (1988) Directed by: Andrew Fleming Story by: Andrew Fleming & Michael Dick & P.J Pettiete & Yuri Zeltster Screenplay by: Andrew Fleming and Steven E De Souza Review: Bad Dreams is a late 80's horror movie that's often overlooked, it's got some good performances from Bruce Abbot, Jennifer Rubin and Richard Lynch.
The rest of the cast do a pretty good job too.The movie does have a few similarities to A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: The Dream Warriors such has the burnt villain, the mental hospital and patients.
The film has some pretty good FX such has the burnt body of Harris (Richard Lynch) and the gore effects.
Bad Dreams starts in the 70's where the Unity Fields cult, who believe in a perfect society created by love & trust, lead by a nutter called Harris (Richard Lynch) decide to make the ultimate sacrifice & commit suicide together.
The similarity with A Nightmmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987) in particular is striking, the group of psychiatric patients fighting against a villain from beyond the grave, the doctors who won't believe them & the two films in general feel & look very alike.
The acting is good from a competent cast.Bad Dreams sounds like some cheap dull horror flick & at first it seems like an Elm Street film rip-off but it's more than that & once it's got you thinking you know exactly what's going to happen it springs a twist ending out of nowhere, I just wish it made a bit more sense.
"Bad Dreams" is a pretty decent film.**SPOILERS**Years after being the soul survivor of cult leader Harris, (Richard Lynch) mass suicide, Cynthia, (Jennifer Rubin) wakes up from a coma and is placed into a group therapy session by her psychiatrist, Dr. Berrisford, (Harris Yulin) under the care of Dr. Alex Karmen, (Bruce Abbott) to adjust her to the new era.
All in all, this was pretty decent.The Bad News: One of the things with this film is that it bares so many similarities to the "Nightmare on Elm Street" films that it could very easily be in that series and not feel very out-of-place. |
tt1814691 | Dragon Age II | === Setting ===
Set in the mythical world of Thedas, Dragon Age II tells the story of Hawke, who fled the nation of Ferelden during the events of Dragon Age: Origins and traveled across the Waking Sea to the Free Marches and the city of Kirkwall as a refugee. Within the span of a decade, Hawke would rise in power and influence to become the legendary "Champion of Kirkwall", and the center of events that change the course of Thedas. The story unfolds through flashbacks from the perspective of Varric, one of Hawke's companions who relates the Champion's "true story" to Cassandra Pentaghast, his interrogator. The story is told in three acts; a gap of almost three years separates each act from the subsequent one. Dragon Age II has a linear frame narrative, mainly based on the protagonist's choices. Although the player has a great influence on how the story develops, the game's main plot remains unaltered until the very last quest where the player must choose one of the two endings.
=== Plot ===
The story begins with Varric Tethras, a former partner of Hawke, the "Champion Of Kirkwall", being brought in for questioning. He is interrogated by Cassandra Pentaghast, a member of the Seekers, an offshoot of the Templars, who are trying to determine how Hawke started a war between the Mages and Templars. Varric begins to tell her the story, telling her that while he does not know where the Champion is, he can tell her the whole truth behind how the war started.
The game starts shortly after the outbreak of the Fifth Blight with the Hawke family escaping their home village of Lothering in Ferelden with the vanguard of the darkspawn horde in pursuit (chronologically this occurs a few days after the Battle of Ostagar). Soon however, they are forced to fight the overwhelming threat alongside a Templar, Wesley, and his wife, Aveline. Although one of Hawke's siblings is killed (if Hawke is a mage it is Bethany, and if Hawke is a warrior or rogue it is Carver), the skirmish ends with the intervention of Flemeth, a witch who can assume the form of a dragon. After promising to complete a task for Flemeth and giving the fatally injured Wesley a coup de grace, she helps the party escape to Kirkwall, a city across the sea where they hope to find refuge. Upon arriving in Kirkwall however, the party finds itself outside the city gates, which are overwhelmed by Fereldan refugees. The group is forced to call upon their Uncle Gamlen Amell, who no longer holds the fortune and estate that used to be held by the Amell family. Therefore, Hawke sees no choice but to enter the service of either a mercenary band or a smuggler group. The group Hawke chooses then pays the bribe that the Hawke family needs to enter the city, and they take up residence in Gamlen's small dilapidated house in Lowtown.
After a year of service for one of the two groups, an opportunity of prosperity presents itself: The dwarf brothers Bartrand and Varric Tethras are planning a treasure hunting expedition into the perilous region of the Deep Roads, taking advantage of the Fifth Blight's recent end and the consequent reduction of Darkspawn in the Deep Roads. The expedition is expected to be extremely risky but very rewarding. Bartrand refuses to hire any more warriors; Varric, however, reveals that they desperately lack enough funding and knowledge of the region. Therefore, he approaches Hawke and proposes a partnership in exchange for the fulfillment of the two requirements. As such, Hawke embarks on an adventurous quest to earn the needed capital and enlist the aid of Anders, a rogue mage and former Grey Warden who possesses the knowledge they need about The Deep Roads.
The Deep Roads expedition proves both a financial success and a tragedy: Hawke's party survives the perilous expedition and the proceeds make Hawke famous and wealthy, enabling him/her to relocate to a mansion in Hightown. However, both Varric and Hawke lose one of their siblings: During the expedition, a very powerful magical idol made of red lyrium causes Bartrand to go permanently insane. Consequently, he betrays Hawke and Varric, stranding them at the mercy of a merciless horde of the Darkspawn and a very powerful magical Rock Wraith. Depending on the player's choices, Hawke's sibling (Carver or Bethany) is either killed by the Darkspawn taint, conscripted into the Grey Wardens, or is forced to leave the family to join the Templars or the Circle, respectively.
Three years later, Hawke is summoned by the Viscount of Kirkwall to help resolve a political situation that the foreign military forces of the Qunari have caused. The Qunari, who were shipwrecked in Kirkwall three years before, neither obey the laws of Kirkwall nor seem willing to leave in the foreseeable future. While Hawke investigates the reason for their presence (which they are unwilling to supply), the tension between the Qunari and the inhabitants of Kirkwall escalates. An anti-Qunari faction attempts to instigate a war to purge the Qunari from the city, while dissidents and criminals join the Qunari to evade law enforcement. Personal tragedy also strikes Hawke when their mother Leandra is abducted by a blood mage serial killer preying on Kirkwall's women; Hawke finds and kills the murderer, but too late to save Leandra. Hawke vows to find out the identity of the serial killer's accomplice, "O". Eventually, as Hawke discovers the reason for the Qunari presence (the search for a coveted artifact that was stolen from them), the tension reaches such a height that the Qunari decide to attack Kirkwall and execute the Viscount. Hawke's party successfully retakes Kirkwall and (if the player chooses) eliminates the Qunari leader. For his/her actions, Hawke is declared the Champion of Kirkwall.
After another three years, Kirkwall still lacks a Viscount due to the tyrannical rule of Knight-Commander Meredith and the Templars of Kirkwall. Meredith turns Kirkwall into a police state that she rules with an iron fist, her Chantry superiors either unable or unwilling to rein in her brutal excesses. Meredith is challenged by First Enchanter Orsino, the head of the Circle of Magic in Kirkwall, who tries to topple Meredith's leadership with public support. While the main duty of the Templars is to enforce justice amongst the mages in Kirkwall and to prevent the practice of blood magic (a forbidden branch of magic), they practically cause the opposite through their heavy-handed and oppressive treatment of the innocent, extensive use of torture, unlawful infliction of the Rite of Tranquility upon mages (which effectively lobotomizes the inflicted person by cutting off their connection to the Fade), as well as their own decadence and corruption. Time and again, the clash between the Templars and the mages becomes violent and forces Hawke to intervene, especially when a group of anti-Meredith rebels kidnap one of Hawke's family/friends and hold him or her hostage, after which Hawke distances him/herself from the conflict to avoid any more harm to his/her family.
Eventually, Anders decides to force the Templars' hand and, with or without Hawke's help (albeit unknowingly), orchestrates a massive explosion that levels the Kirkwall Chantry and kills Grand Cleric Elthina, to whom the Templars bear allegiance. This act triggers the final decisive battle between the mages and the Templars across the city, in which the player must pick a side. Regardless of the side Hawke chooses, he/she ends up killing Orsino, who is surmised to have been "O", the shadowy accomplice of the man responsible for Leandra's death; Orsino reveals that he has, in desperation, succumbed to using blood magic, turning into a demonic abomination that Hawke and party must slay. Reaching the Gallows, the main courtyard and former prison of Kirkwall, Hawke confronts Meredith, who he/she must also kill (even if Hawke sides with the Templars), as the Knight-Commander admits to buying the red lyrium idol from Bartrand, which has corrupted her mind and has convinced her to go through a mass extermination of mages. After she is killed, a Templar-aligned Hawke is elected Viscount, and he/she reluctantly accepts the position to keep Kirkwall from being torn apart even more, while a mage-aligned Hawke is allowed to leave Kirkwall unharmed and unwittingly becomes the de facto leader of the mage rebellion.
As he concludes his story, Varric reveals that Hawke's companions eventually drift apart and Hawke either disappears during his/her time as Viscount, or leaves Kirkwall soon after killing Meredith (if Hawke had a love interest, that person leaves along with Hawke). It is also revealed that the Seekers are actually a group tasked with monitoring the Templars, the Circles of Magi all over Thedas have followed Kirkwall's example and rebelled, and that the Templars have broken away with the Chantry to fight the Circles. Satisfied, Cassandra tells Varric that she believes Hawke is the only person capable of stopping the fighting, and lets him go when she realizes Varric does not know his/her whereabouts. Outside, she meets with fellow Seeker Leliana, and they both agree that either Hawke or the Warden must be found in order to stop the coming war. | revenge | train | wikipedia | I had high, high hopes for this game.
The initial trailers blew me away, and rarely have I anticipated a game more.
DA2 is not a bad game, but neither is it nearly as good as its predecessor.
Furthermore, after the epic and Grandiose scale of the first game, this game seemed to add little to the overall scope of the world of Dragon Age. The Graphics have seen a wonderful improvement.
Overall, the game is highly polished and feels smooth.
The tactical battle system feels a bit faster, but basically the same.
This drives me nuts, and I find this change from the first game inexplicable.
Second, and much more confusing is that the world is significantly smaller than Origins.
In Origins, you explored a continent filled with castles, caves, mountains, villages, and cities and tunnels under the Earth.
In DA2, the entire game is in the city of Kirkwall and a few surrounding areas.
Third, and the most irritating, is that the game designers reuse the same areas over and over and over.
When I found myself in the brothel and then later a noble's house, and they had exactly the same rooms with the same layout, it made me want to punch the game.
Thank God that the quests have quite a bit of variety, but at the same time, I found myself wanting a centralized interested story to keep the game moving.
Hawke is a fun character, and his/her voice acting is terrific, but again the game finds itself wanting in the plot department.
Also, all of the supporting characters are well-developed and easy to care about.
Overall, the game is very well-made.
Most of its faults come from comparing it to the first, which again, was a much better game.
I expected this game to be an 11/10, but sadly it falls somewhere closer to an 8/10.
I will continue to play Dragon Age games, but unfortunately this game put a damper on that desire..
Okay story, great gameplay.
There is a lot to talk about in DA: II so if you get bored, just skip to the last few sentences of my review for my final judgment.Anyways, I was absolutely obsessed with Dragon Age: Origins.
The rich and epic storyline, emotional depth and involvement of the characters, along with the fantasy-RPG format and gameplay really captivated me to the point that I actually played through the game three times, with the expansion (Awakening) and all the DLC.How does Dragon Age II compare?
They changed aspects that I could see many taking issue with in the first game, such as the combat not being fast-paced enough, and seeming lack of consideration in creating a compelling visual representation of the Qunari.The combat in DA II is much more fast-paced, and difficulty levels are maintained, and the Qunari are brilliantly depicted as their menacing selves.
These changes I can agree with.What I take issue with is the significantly weaker storyline and limited itemization and customizing options in comparison to DA: Origins.
It is replaced by a general upgrading system that is based on finding character-specific items that party members will automatically add to their existing attire.
Accessory items are still interchangeable, but I feel that change was detrimental to the experience.I realize that consistent itemization is a lot of complicated work for developers, and DA: Awakening suffered slightly in that respect, however I am always against limiting the power of the player when it comes to RPGs.On the subject of DA: Awakening, the changes to the Runecrafting system for DA II was very welcome.
I do not miss the hours spent upgrading runes to fill my equipment.Concerning the use of characters in DA II, I feel was not bold enough.
This is likely due to the apparent lack of camaraderie between the central character and his/her companions that was present in DA: Origins, combined with the dialogue of DA II that appeals more to emo subculture than the vast majority of teens and young adults that play fantasy RPGs, and a lack of comic relief in an apparent struggle that seems more commonplace than a time of crisis.There is an exception to the absence of comic relief in the character Merill, whose neurotic and often clumsy dialogue is a source of entertainment.
Also, a couple of short encounters with characters from DA:O were entertaining while they lasted.
However, generally the characters are much more severe in DA II than DA:O, when the conflicts and crisis of DA II do not feel as urgent.I use DA:O and Awakening as a reference point to assess the direction of DA II because, in my opinion, DA II does not function on its own.
It requires an understanding of DA:O to assess the successes and apparent failures of DA II.Having finished both games, I highly recommend that prospective buyers play and finish Dragon Age: Origins, before playing Dragon Age II.
If you loved DA:O, you won't be as enthused by DA II as you were the first game.
This would be an easy 9 or even 10 if a better effort was made towards the storyline, character development, dynamics between characters, dialogue, and companion itemization.
A story driven game , less of an rpg than the 1st one.
Combat felt weird , the start was a little weak story wise .
But these are not this game's strong points ...Its all about the story .
While the main story is not as inspired as the 1st one , there's a distinct atmosphere built , a personal story of accomplishment , supported by the many many side and companion quests .
And your companions feel alive .
Voice acting is hands down the best I've seen in a game .
Companions have personalities so vivid and perky , that at times I forgot they are just graphics .
You can pursue relationships , loose them , there's a full story behind each and every one of them .Classes are distinct in role and fun while playing them , and I finished this game with all of them .
While the storyline is mostly linear , there are some choices that can effect the game strongly , like loosing a member of your family .
The dialogs between your party members while you run around are much fun also .Battles can be as action or as strategic as you like , since you can pause the game to give commands to every party member , or just hack away at enemies .
Higher difficulty settings may require you to pause and consider strategy more .Overall , if you value atmosphere and rich characters , this is a masterpiece ..
It's no Dragon Age Origins..
You've 'bought' Dragon Age 2 and loaded it up.
The Hero from the first game (IE you) is now a story told by bards and chatty NPCs. Instead you play Hawke, a male or female human only.The first thing you'll notice is the lack of elf or dwarf.
If you want to switch between daggers and a bow, pause the game and change it manually.Of course, that's assuming you're playing on an ATI card.
If you're playing on Nvidia, you're likely to be listening to the audio pause whilst the game freezes for a second.
The side quests are actually more interesting then the main plot.But luckily the combat system will take your mind off the plot.
The combat is waves of bad guys.
Fight a bunch of thugs, then just when you think it's all over, like a space invader a new spawn of bad guys appears.
I guess then the only advantage is the game is a lot simpler in combat and not as many tactics.
Either all your NPCs hold firm or they all move freely.Look, overall it's not terrible.
I've played far worse RPGs in my days.
But I've also played better.
This feels like a consolised, simplified, rushed version.
It feels more like a large DLC to DA:O rather then a sequel.
I gave it 6/10 as compared to DA:O, I could probably give it 7/10 if it was a stand alone game, but expectations to RPG of the Year and Game of the Year do matter.Here's hoping they don't stuff up Mass Effect 3..
The most overrated game of the decade.
This game is a terrible garbage that tries to represent itself as Dragon Age and an RPG, but it's not either.
Weak storyline, boring quests, copied and pasted maps, uninteresting characters, ruined qunari, terrible graphics, unbelievable and illogical scenarios.
Don't believe the illusion, because this game is NOT an RPG.
Do not bother to import your saves from Dragon Age:Origins.
You might even meet some characters you have killed in a previous game.
And there are DLC's that were actually part of the main game, but were cut out for extra profit and released just a few hours after DA2.
RPG fans should avoid this game.
And according to the Bioware itself, Mass Effect 3 and Dragon Age 3 will be even worse.
Game that didn't live up to its name.
Sadly not a very successful sequel to the masterpiece of its predecessor Dragon Age: Origins.
Because of the development time being cut short, game is visually ugly and embarrassingly repetitive in its area designs.
In fact, with the only visitable location being one city and its outskirts, it's really a shame that all caves and even houses are in fact only one cave, mansion or a house with different passages closed off during different entry times to simulate some kind of variety.
Some people prefer DA2's playability - especially during fights - to the one of DA:O for its quickness, though the combat and tactics options are no longer as rich as they were in the first game..
Dragon age ; Orgins was legendary.
I never played a game like that in my life !!!
All the dialouges,the character development the choises you can make : the game had just so much in it !!!!
I was waiting for Dragon Age 2 for quite some time, hoping for something just as good, maybe even better.
I have to admit, I'm a little disappointed :( .Although Dragon Age 2 has better graphics, more combos etc.
The storyline isn't good enough.
In Orgins everything the characters said seemed so poetic, as if Shakespeare himself wrote it...But DA2 had it's good sided to.
And our main character finally got a voice !!!
Dragon Age 2 was pretty good, but it could have been better..
Grab your pitchforks because I'm going to get this out of the way and say I preferred Dragon Age 2 to Dragon Age: Origins.
(I also prefer it to Inquisition, but we'll leave that be.)DAO was fun, yeah, with a great story that I've played through several times, but I prefer DA2's personal scope as compared to DAO's epic one.DA2 introduces you to, and as, Hawke, a refugee.
This meant I was getting a character with a voice and a personality and more than one facial expression.
Hawke has three personalities you can attribute them and all three are great and very well written.
(Really, my Warden from DAO made the same face when she was executing Loghain as when she was putting the pants to Zevran.
What the what?)As this human, Hawke, you explore a single city (and some outlying stuff) and you explore relationships, on a more focused level, with your party.
Something all the DA games have done is write compelling characters with interesting things to say and stories and secrets that you have befriend/force out of them.
Now, a complaint people have most often is that they didn't like that some characters (namely Anders and Leliana) changed.
People change.
I guess I just don't understand why people are so upset at the concept of character development.
I do have a single complaint about the relationships on a sexy level.
Zevran put the pants to anyone, that bifurious little rogue, and that was also fine.
This is a problem that Inquisition fixed and I am hugely pleased with.As for combat, I again, preferred it.
I played these games for the stories and choices, not so I could pause the game every six seconds sending my characters scurrying about the map.
Combat for me was always an inconvenient barricade to the story.
They really didn't take anything away; players who like sending their pawns in still have a way to do that (albeit less complex and "tactical.") I admit that the tactical thing in Origins was better orchestrated than the one in Two, but I don't think I've ever met anyone who said "The tactical capacity of Dragon Age is its best feature!" A complaint (especially as one treats combat like a rush hour gridlock): they make you fight too many trash mobs.
Just when you think you've mopped them up, a rogue falls out of the sky with a dagger for your kidneys.
Time.So, how about Kirkwall, that city you're exploring?
I liked having a small area that you could get intimate with because the entirety of Ferelden was just too big for me.
Please, note, I loved the "concept." In practice, Dragon Age 2 is full of repeat dungeon scenery.
If you ever fight in a mansion, it's the same mansion every time.
It, along with the endless sky-rogues, got pretty irritating.
I concede that point and blame it on a rushed game production.One thing I don't buy is that the game takes place over 10 years.
If you blinked during the part where it says "X many years later," you'd never believe you'd been kickin' it in Kirkwall for a decade.
So, that feels a bit forced.Finally, DA2 simplified a lot of things, that I was grateful for.
I don't really care what my party's armor looks like.
Yeah, I can totally get behind changing my appearance, but having to do that for six people?
I hated crafting, didn't have time for it, it got in the way of my story.
Some people see DAO as a legend, and I'm not knocking that.
It was a great game.
I don't feel that way, but I understand why *you* do.
People are very quick to tear DA2 apart because it's not DAO.
Had Dragon Age 2 been called "The Kirkwall Chronicles", an original game by unknown developers, I would have cut it a lot more slack and praised some interesting choices and compelling characters.
Since, however, it was made by BioWare, the people behind Dragon Age: Origins, the Baldur's Gate series, the Mass Effect saga and Knights of the Old Republic, its missteps are glaring.Let's give credit where it's due: at least the developers attempted to do something different from the usual "chosen one saves the world" formula, going for the more personal story of Hawke (the protagonist) and his rise in the city of Kirkwall.
Now, you can set a whole RPG in a single location, but in that case the place needs to be EXTREMELY well-done.
Kirkwall is nothing special; the main cities in Skyrim are far more realistic and detailed, featuring NPCs with daily routines and most buildings being accessible.
And Skyrim had MANY cities and a huge world all around them.While the story's structure is questionable (various acts don't really glue together all that well), characters are OK, although not on par with Origins'.
Anders from Awakening makes a comeback; as irritating as his new emo self can be, he has an interesting arc.
An intriguing unreliable narrator idea is vastly underused.Combat is a bore: if you thought the Deep Roads in Origins were tiresome, wait and see this.
Characters jump and rush, covering huge distances in a split-second - more "teleporting" than "moving" - making tactical placement pointless.
Friendly fire is tied to difficulty, so it's present only if you play on "nightmare" (which means even more boring encounters).
Tactical camera is gone.There is an interesting game buried beneath Dragon Age 2; too bad they obviously rushed it, cutting corners.
Let's hope they'll learn from their mistakes for the next one.As a stand-alone game: 6,5/10 As a sequel: 4,5/10.
Take this game on its own merits.
Almost all of the complaints I have heard about Dragon Age 2 have one common theme.
They all revolve about its differences to its predecessor Dragon Age Origins.In the interests of balance I will state this from the off, I love both this game and DA:O.
When Bioware announced a sequel to DA:O I was extremely hopeful.
Following almost all of the news released during the development process left me knowing what to expect I new this game would not just be an Origins clone and so I went in with my eyes open.
Do the same and you will see this game for what it is, a deep and engaging personal tale.This is the crux of the matter.
The story (less epic, but more personal than that of Origins) really drew me in, the relationships with both your party and your family feel very real, largely in part to the excellent writing and acting, and losing one, (it can happen) does feel like a blow.The new combat system is excellent and the classes are now far more clearly defined, I can honestly not find any real fault with it.
Perhaps if I was being picky I could mention the excessive numbers of enemies, but all this does is make you feel bad-ass for pummelling your way through them.As for the inability to play as a non-human character, again I must say that taking this game on it's own merits this does not cause a problem.
Hawke is a great character (especially the sarcastic version)and I never felt the need to play as an elf or dwarf.So in conclusion, DA2 is a great game if you treat it as a game in of itself and not just as a follow on to Origins you will have a great time. |
tt0078158 | Return from Witch Mountain | Tony and his sister Tia are in need of a vacation. Uncle Bené drops them off in their flying saucer at the Rose Bowl stadium in Los Angeles, California, after which the siblings quickly become separated from each other. A man named Dr. Victor Gannon (Lee) and his assistant Letha Wedge (Davis) happen to see Tony using his powers to save Letha's nephew Sickle from certain death. Realizing that Tony has supernatural powers, Dr. Gannon drugs the boy with a tranquilizer shot and takes him back to their laboratory. There, Dr. Gannon successfully tests a new mind-control technology on him. Under its influence, Tony is completely hypnotized and does everything that his kidnappers want him to do, including stealing gold from a museum exhibit and stopping Tia from finding them. With Tony at his robotic bidding, Dr. Gannon hopes to achieve recognition within the scientific community and worldwide power, while Letha merely wants a return on her investment. A group of would-be tough boys whom she comes across, called the Earthquake Gang are chased by the goon goons, Tia telepathically gets rid of them.The gang of boys accept her into their gang and help look for her brother. They let her sleep in their secret hideout. She often gets many visions of where her brother is. First at the gold museum where Tony is controlled by a chip attached to his ear. He unstacks the gold but is chased by Mr. Yokomoto the truant officer who thinks Tony has to go to school and chases the doctor , aunt , nephew and Tony in his mini bus. Unsuccessfully Mr. Yokomoto destroyed public property and ends up losing his job. Next Tia uses her telepathy to trace Tony's hideout but is caught by Sickle and is under the influence of chloroform. She telepathically asks Alfred the antelope who is in the house to find the Earthquake gang. They chase the antelope back to the hideout. In the mean time Tony , Letha , Sickle and Victor drive to a Plutonium Plant as it is more expensive than gold. Tia traces their location and describes it to be a " Big round ball" One of the members assume the location to be another place and Tia is upset. They come across Mr. Yokomoto who tells them he lost his job and the only thing that works is the radio. The news given about the plutonium plant stresses on the word "molecular flow." Tia then asks Mr. Yokomoto to drive them to the location after she magically repairs the mini bus. After Victor and gang reach the site, he shuts down the plant's cooling system. In exchange to turn it on he requires 5 million dollars in cash. The people working at the plant make arrangements for money as soon as possible. Tia reaches in time where she and Tony battle to turn on the cooling system. Tia manages to turn it on but Victor commands Tony to kill his sister. In this course of time , she understands how he is been controlled and destroys the device. Tia explains what had happened to him. He makes Victor , Sickle and Letha go on to the ceiling with no way of getting down. Mr. Yokomoto drives the kids to the Rose Bowl Stadium and the Earthquake gang come along to say bye. Tony and Tia bid farewell to the kids after they board the flying saucer back to witch mountain. | paranormal, brainwashing | train | wikipedia | This is a fine sequel to one of Walt Disney's better family projects Escape from Witch Mountain.
The adult stars are Bette Davis and Christopher Lee as an old dowager financing a mad scientist in some nefarious experiments.These two happen on the alien kids from Witch Mountain, Kim Richards and Ike Eisenman, when the kids are on holiday to Earth once again.
They kidnap Ike after seeing an example of his powers of levitation and seek to use him and fit him with a mind control device that Lee's been perfecting.Lee's dreaming some big dreams and Davis has some more mundane schemes like a trip to some gambling house or racetrack.
Both of them looking like they are having one grand old time hamming it up for the cameras.Of course the film wouldn't work at all if it were not for the winning personalities of Richards and Eisenman.
Both come across as real kids, not sure of the extent of their own powers rather than Hollywood juvenile actors.The whole of the film is Richards pursuing and trying to rescue her brother and in the process she recruits a gang of juveniles escaping from a truant officer played by the ever deadpan funny Jack Soo. Eventually Soo joins forces with the kids and proves of some help.Both Escape to Witch Mountain and this sequel are fine family entertainment, some of the best that Disney studio produced..
The fine performances from Davis and Lee help save this film from being bland, instead it is one worth watching.
Christopher Lee is a finely sinister lead villain, but it is the legendary Bette Davis's picture all the way, as the actress brings a touch of colour into a film that could have easily been bland, and with that colour it made the film worth watching.
This is a very well done sequel to "Escape to which mountain" Tony and Tia(Ike Eisenmann & Kim Richards)are back!
Enter Letha and Victor(Bette Davis & Christopher Lee)who are testing a mind control device that Sickle(Anthony James)is wearing.
They then help Tia look for Tony.I like the earthquake gang.
Victor on the other hand wants to rule the world and he uses Tony to take over a plutonium processing plant.Tia then shows up-and a show down between Tia and Tony ensues-you will need to watch the film to see how it ends.Although not the best sequel, it's better than most(Esp. by Disney).
Disney's sequel to their not-bad 1975 hit "Escape To Witch Mountain" brings back Ike Eisenmann and Kim Richards as the teen-tykes from outer space, here battling wits and powers with villainous Bette Davis and Christopher Lee (and their chauffeur, Anthony James, who also played a chauffeur alongside Davis in "Burnt Offerings"!).
Well-enough made, but the movie loses sight of what was so special about the first film (a kid's flick with the emphasis on character, not overtly outlandish special effects).
The plotting gets too heavy in the final third, what with Los Angeles about to be decimated and delinquent children running amok, but the worst decision was to separate siblings Tony and Tia for much of the movie.
Engaging Walt Disney Sci-Fi/fantasy in which we meet Tony (Ike Eisenmann , in 2009 recent version played by Alexander Ludwig ) and Tia ( Kim Richards , subsequently performed by Anna Rob ) as they are arriving along with their uncle (Denver Pyle) in a flying saucer at a stadium called Rose Bowl .
As Tony is abducted by the evil Dr. Gannon (Christopher Lee), his spinster pal Letha (Bette Davis) and hoodlum (Anthony James) who want to use his powers for his own objectives .
The two children with mysterious powers played by Kim Richards and Ike Eisenmann are enjoyable and phenomenal , as always , Christopher Lee as mean villain and likable Bette Davis as old nasty .
He has an eclectic and long filmmaker career , beginning in television series ( Avengers, Protectors , The champions ) , making Hammer film (Twins of evil) , classic terror ( Legend of hell house ) , average horror movies ( Howling IV, American Gothic, Incubus ) , adventures ( Island of treasure, Black arrow ) until wholesome Disney family fare ( The watcher in the woods , Return and escape to witch mountain) .
Being a Tony and Tia fan, I thought this movie wonderful as a kid.
After Tony "visions" a man falling off a building (Davis' Letha's nephew, Sickle), he takes advantage of the cab's running out of gas to go help.
As things do in the movies, the rescue wasn't as easy as he thought, and the good Doctor saw a golden opportunity to take control of molecular manipulation by enslaving Tony with his mind control device.
But, the two movies, and this coming from a Disney in the mid-70s and post-star wars, were/are two films that somehow brought in those necessary elements: one it has to have participation of the viewer and 2 it has to be fun.
It's not a bad film and the special effects are way outdated but the acting isn't bad and the cast does make it worth watching..
My mum took me to the pictures to see this film and I always wanted to have 'powers' like Tony & Tia. Mind you the child in me still does.
Tia is taken in by a fun-loving street gang and Tony is taken in by a typical Disney-type group of villains including Bette Davis and Christopher Lee. As an adolescent, I fell in love with Kim Richards after watching this movie, but that may be its only redeeming quality..
Worth Watching for Davis and Lee. Return from Witch Mountain (1978) ** 1/2 (out of 4) Aliens Tia (Kim Richards) and Tony (Ike Eisenmann) return to Earth for a vacation but soon Tony finds himself kidnapped by an evil scientist (Christopher Lee) and the woman (Bette Davis) who funds his experiments.
The evil duo plan on using Tony's powers to take over the world so it's up to Tia to try and stop them.
This sequel to Disney's ESCAPE FROM WITCH MOUNTAIN isn't nearly as good but fans will at least get some entertainment out of the supporting players.
One of the highlights of the film happens when Tony is forced into a museum where Davis tries to get him to steal three-million in gold.
The ending is also quite fun as Lee plans on blowing up the world and Tia must try to fight off Tony's powers.
In the end the film isn't nearly as good as the original but the cast and special effects make it worth while..
Sequel to Escape from Witch Mountain has the two kids from that film returning for a visit.
Returning from the first movie are stars Kim Richards and Ike Eisenmann, as well as Denver Pyle.
What we do get are screen legends Bette Davis and Christopher Lee, as well as a group of street yutes called the Earthquake Gang.Richards and Eisenmann are fine but they're outshone by the vets in this one.
He would later direct the Disney horror movie The Watcher in the Woods, which also starred Bette Davis and Kim Richards' younger sister Kyle.
Like I said before, it's a decent sequel but not as good as Escape to Witch Mountain.
But it's worth a look if you're a fan of the first movie or a fan of Bette Davis and Christopher Lee. Also worth a look to see "Barney Miller" actor Jack Soo having fun in his last movie role before his death..
"Escape to Witch Mountain" is not a perfect movie, but has a good plot, well-developed characters, and beautiful scenery.
In this contrived sequel, Tony and Tia are left to fend for themselves while on vacation in Los Angeles (all the better to save on the budget!), where they become mixed up with a mad scientist (Christopher Lee), his partner (Bette Davis), and various other Disney stock characters.
The principle characters, two kids with an earnest lack of skill, named Ike Eisenmann and Kim Richards return to dazzle us with their ability to read lines and stand where directed, but the real excitement is how many wheezy Disney-fied clichés--cute critters, stereotypical cab drivers, harried cops, and megalomaniacal mad scientists--can feed into this dull, under-plotted kiddie flick.Christopher Lee, the mad scientist and his compatriot, Bette Davis, are involved in some sort of mind-controlling, plutonium-stealing plot to make Lee famous and Davis rich.
Davis is as dead as the careers of the two kids who are now, respectively, 44 and 42.By the end of the movie, the good guys have won (ohmigosh, now there's a headline!), the baddies are suspended in on a scaffold (highly comical, eh?), and a truant officer, played by Jack Soo, gets to transport the heroic mini-gang of kiddies--who helped Eisenmann and Richards--back to school in his bright and shiny Ford Econoline van.If none of this makes sense, don't worry your head about it.Neither does the movie..
As young children in Escape To Witch Mountain they were very convincing, as pree-teens not so much.....alot of the first movies appealfor me was the mystery, where do these kids come from?
I loved Tias flashbacks and the fact that both kids had similar but different powers (Tia could talk to animals, open locks, move objects without help, Tony could see future places and needed his harmonica to move objects) in this movie they are both basically telepaths and telekeneics, although more powerful.
brilliant for children up to the age of ten or even older like me i am 17 and i must say i still love this film as much as i ever did x 2 teenagers with special powers who are somehow turned against each other is a good story line and i love the way a 'mean' gang help get them back together and Alfred the goat is a great character.
This corny sequel to "Escape To Witch Mountain" is full of stupid and convenient plot devices (smart goat!), the performances by the kids are awkward, Bette Davis and an obviously slumming Christopher Lee are here only to lure some adults into thinking the movie might have some interest for them too (it doesn't) and the special effects run hot and cold (some good, some embarrassments).
The two magical kids Tony & Tia return for another adventure in Disneyland!
The intergalactic kids who charmed "Escape from Witch Mountain" (1975) - telekinetic Ike Eisenmann (as Tony Malone) and telepathic Kim Richards (as Tia Malone) - return to Earth for a vacation.
Elsewhere in Los Angeles, mad scientist Christopher Lee (as Victor Gannon) demonstrates his mind-controlling invention for greedy partner Bette Davis (as Letha Wedge) by commanding her vertigo-suffering nephew Anthony James (as Sickle) to scale a skyscraper.
An accident causes Mr. James' to fall, but young Eisenmann has sensed trouble, and saves him from certain death.Impressed by the teenager's powers, Ms. Davis and Mr. Lee kidnap Eisenmann, drug him, strap him to a lab table, probe his chest, and take control of his mind with an ear contraption.
Everyone here deserved better.**** Return from Witch Mountain (3/10/78) John Hough ~ Bette Davis, Christopher Lee, Anthony James, Ike Eisenmann.
And, I never saw the original film "Escape From Witch Mountain".
John Hough directed this sequel that sees both Ike Eisenmann and Kim Richards return as psychic siblings Tony & Tia Malone, who try to take a vacation in L.A.(with help from Uncle Bene, once again played by Denver Pyle) but are immediately targeted by evil adult siblings Victor & Letha(played by Christopher Lee & Bette Davis) who want to use their powers for world conquest, and after Tony is captured & brainwashed, Tia must enlist the help of a gang of kids to rescue Tony, and stop the criminals.
This is one of my all time favorite disney movies as a kid.
Kim and Ike are great as the brother and sister with supernatural powers.However I dont think bette davis really cut it as one of the "bad guys".Despite that I thought the car chase from the museum was good and the earthquake gang were quite funny at times.
Dull, uninteresting, unfunny, and badly acted by all - including Davis and Lee. The first film was a nicely-constructed fun light comedy only marred by Eisenmann's complete inability to act (I'd love to know how he was picked for these films - did they just pluck him off the street?) As a homeschooling family, we did get one good laugh at the warning given by the truant officer: a child can either go to school or "become a bum" - no other choice!
This is a good movie, but I think 'Escape to Witch Mountain' is a little better..
This follow-up to 'Escape from Witch Mountain' cuts to the chase far sooner than the original, boasts some excellent location photography of Los Angeles, a groovy score by Lalo Schifrin - and it has Bette Davis and Christopher Lee!
They play siblings who occupy a castle that looks as if it belongs in Transylvania rather than the centre of L.A. and while Davis makes no bones about just being into villainy for the money, Lee - dressed in the usual Disney Villain homburg and three-piece suit - has the usual desire to harness Tony & Tia's alien powers to become "The Most Powerful Man in the World"..
when i was little i remember in addition to escape to witch mountain and return from witch mountain that there was another similar film it had the same idea where two kids(boy and girl) figure out they're twins with special abilities but in this one it has them as teenagers and the boy arrested and sent to some camp (like on a farm kind of camp).
sequel to"Escape to Witch Mountain" and a bit better movie.
in this follow up to "Escape to Witch Mountain",Toni and Tia Malone(Ike Eisenmann,Kim Richards),leave the safe confines of their home on Witch Mountain,to visit New York.They are a few years older and their psychic abilities have grown.once again an evil madman finds out about their powers and will stop at nothing to gain control of them.there is bit of a twist in this movie,which i liked.there is more humour in this than the first movie and there is more action.there are also a few scenes of mild peril,compared to the 1st one.the stakes are a lot higher in this one,not just for Toni and Tia,but the world.Toni and Tia are less naive this time around,so they provide better resistance against the bad guy.i really enjoyed this film,a bit more so than the 1st.if you liked "Escape to Witch Mountain"you should not be disappointed with this film.a strong 8/10.
The kids who made it home in the prior movie "Escape to Witch Mountain" travel to a city to stay in a hotel for recreation find themselves being found out by a mad scientist who has realized the ability to control the mind kidnap the older male sibling Tony.
This time its up to Tia played by Kim Richards too find away to free him with a bit of help.
Those who like "Escape to Witch Mountain" will be glad to know that "Return From Witch Mountain" is a direct sequel with the same two main characters, Tia and Tony.
But don't expect to see Jason O'Day, or any of the other characters from the first movie, because unfortunately Tia and Tony are the only characters who return, with the exception of their Uncle Bene who is again seen just briefly, this time mostly at the beginning.
So for most of the movie, he and two others are using Tony's powers, while Tia and a group of street kids are trying to find and stop them.
Though the movie is rated G, but in my opinion some scenes are almost a little too intense for that, and even slightly graphic.Near the beginning when Ganon captures Tony, the way that he does it is that he actually injects him with a needle from behind.
Psychic alien siblings Tia (a charming performance by the adorable Kim Richards) and Tony (a solid turn by Ike Eisenmann) go to Los Angeles to check out human life in the big city.
Trouble occurs when Tony gets abducted by evil, arrogant scientist Victor (the always fine Christopher Lee in smoothly sinister form) and his greedy accomplice Letha (a perfectly wicked portrayal by Bette Davis).
If you remember seeing the original Walt Disney Pictures film about two twin kids called Tony (Ike Eisenmann) and Tia (Kim Richards) who are witches "escaping" to Witch Mountain, then you'll probably like this sequel.
Tony unfortunately gets caught performing magic by the really good villain Dr. Victor Gannon, played by the excellent Christopher Lee, along with his spinster partner Letha (Bette Davis).
Sequel-Bad. It seems like the makers of this movie took a look at everything that made "Escape" so great and decided to forget it.
It doesn't help that "Return" shifts more focus onto these special effects - and puts less effort into it."Escape" had those two cute kids which worked great together.
This review may contain SPOILERS.One praiseworthy note before the coming necessary diatribe: Christopher Lee, who played the antagonist, succeeded admirably in this movie; despite wading through the cinematic muck, he came out clean.For true fans of this movie's actors or admirers of the original movie (Escape to Witch Mountain), this sequel may be worth watching.
. of Bette Davis and Christopher Lee to "star" in this apparent direct-to-video 2009 feature, RETURN FROM WITCH MOUNTAIN.
Tia gets help from a kid's gang to free Tony and save the EarthI thought the original was OK but not anything noteworthy, so I really didn't set my expectation bar that high for this one.
The two kids don't do enough this time around to maintain my interest, and the only thing I enjoyed mostly about this movie was Christopher Lee's performance.Performances.
Kim Richards and Ike Eisenmann are OK but rather bland as the kids this time around. |
tt0023158 | Love Me Tonight | The story describes an encounter between a Parisian tailor named Maurice Courtelin (Chevalier) and a family of local aristocrats. These include Vicomte Gilbert de Varèze (Ruggles), who owes Maurice a large amount of money for tailoring work; Gilbert's uncle the Duc d'Artelines (C. Aubrey Smith), the family patriarch; d'Artelines' man-hungry niece Valentine (Loy); and his other 22-year-old niece, Princesse Jeanette (MacDonald), who has been a widow for three years. D'Artelines has been unable to find Jeanette a new husband of suitable age and rank. The household also includes three aunts and an ineffectual suitor the Comte de Savignac (Butterworth).
Maurice custom-tailors clothing for de Varèze on credit, but the Vicomte's unpaid tailoring bills become intolerable, so Maurice travels to de Savignac's castle to collect the money owed to him. On the way, he has a confrontation with Princesse Jeanette. He immediately professes his love for her, but she haughtily rejects him.
When Maurice arrives at the castle, Gilbert introduces him as "Baron Courtelin" in order to hide the truth from the Comte . Maurice is fearful of this scheme at first, but changes his mind when he sees Jeanette. While staying at the castle, he arouses Valentine's desire, charms the rest of the family except for Jeanette, saves a deer's life during a hunt, and continues to woo Jeanette. The Comte de Savignac discovers that Maurice is a fake, but the Vicomte then claims that Maurice is a royal who is traveling incognito for security reasons. Finally, Jeanette succumbs to Maurice's charms, telling him "Whoever you are, whatever you are, wherever you are, I love you."
When Maurice criticizes Jeanette's tailor, the family confronts him for his rudeness, only to catch him and Jeanette alone with Jeanette partially undressed. Maurice explains that he is redesigning Jeanette's riding outfit, and he proves this by successfully altering it, but in the process he is forced to reveal his true identity. Despite her earlier promise, Jeanette recoils from him and runs to her room on hearing that he is a commoner. The entire household is outraged, and Maurice leaves. However, as a train carries him back to Paris, Jeanette struggles with her fears, finally realizes her mistake, and catches up to the train on horseback. When the engineer refuses to stop the train, she rides ahead and stands on the track. The train stops, Maurice jumps out, and the two lovers embrace as steam from the train envelops them. | romantic | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0126604 | Pecker | Set in a Baltimore neighborhood known for having the thickest local accent, Pecker tells the story of an unassuming 18-year-old who works in a sandwich shop and takes photos of his loving but peculiar family and friends on the side. Pecker, so named for his childhood habit of "pecking" at his food, stumbles into fame when his work is "discovered" by a savvy New York art dealer, Rorey Wheeler. Pecker's pictures, taken with a cheap Canon Canonet 28, are grainy, out-of-focus studies of unglamorous subjects, but they strike a chord with New York art collectors.
Unfortunately, instant over-exposure has its downside. Rorey's efforts to turn Pecker into an art sensation threaten to ruin the low-key lifestyle that was his inspiration. He abandons his trusty old rangefinder camera for a new, full-featured Nikon N50. Pecker finds that his best friend, Matt, can't shoplift anymore now that Pecker's photographs have increased his profile. Shelley, Pecker's obsessive girlfriend who runs a laundromat, seems especially distressed when the press dub her a "stain goddess" and mistake her good-natured "pin-up" poses for pornographic come-ons.
When his family is dubbed "culturally challenged" by an overzealous critic, they begin to feel the uncomfortable glare of stardom. Pecker's mother (Mary Kay Place) is no longer free to dispense fashion tips to the homeless clientele at her thrift shop. Pecker's grandmother, Memama, endures public ridicule when her experience with a talking statue of the Virgin Mary is exposed on the cover of a national art magazine. Tina, Pecker's fag hag older sister, is fired from her job emceeing go-go dancing at a gay bar because Pecker's edgy photographs chronicle the sex practices of the club's patrons. Even Little Chrissy, his six-year-old sister, feels the pressure of celebrity when her eating disorder is exposed, bringing unwanted attention from nosy child welfare agencies (she's mistakenly diagnosed with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and prescribed Ritalin.)
After Pecker's new-found fame disrupts the lives of his family and friends, Pecker turns the tables on the art world by refusing to participate in a scheduled show at the Whitney Museum of Art. Instead, he forces New York art collectors to come to Baltimore to see his latest photographs, which portray the same people who disparaged his family in an unflattering light (one photo shows Patricia Hearst adjusting her breasts in a mirror).
Pecker is then asked what he plans to do next. He replies that he would like to direct a film. | satire, prank | train | wikipedia | It is full of humorous characters and interesting situations, starting with the blithe, innocent Pecker (played appealingly by Edward Furlong) who likes to photograph almost everything he sees in every day life.
Other great characters include Pecker's friend Matt ("he's a thief, but he's really a nice guy"), Pecker's sister Chrissy (who is addicted to sugar), and Pecker's Catholic grandmother who discovers life in a statuette of the Virgin Mary in her room.The movie gently makes a point about how every day life has many riches to offer, and it succeeds in making this point without being too heavy-handed about it.
There is always a risk, when making messages about the value and dignity of "common people", of sliding into a kind of reverse "holier than thou" - but "Pecker" avoids these traps, allowing the audience to get the point while allowing enough breathing room for viewers to compare this message to their own thoughts on the subject.I recommend the movie mostly because it is a lot of fun..
In this time around, Waters directs PECKER, about how the seemingly normal photographs taken by an average small-town kid named Pecker (Eddie Furlong) become over- night successes by different art moguls.
Of course, many misadventures abound as Pecker encounters many people with different opinions about his "works of art."The performances are basically the main highlight of the film.
Low-key teen actor Brendan Sexton III steals the film as Pecker's best friend Matt, a go-go-dancing klepto, just the right kind of character found in a John Waters' flick!.
This is the most accessible of any of John Waters' movies I've seen and I like that, doesn't hit you over the head with weirdness.
There are some great characters here...Ed Furlong is wonderfully wholesome and believable as Pecker, Christina Ricci is terrific in a very intense way as a too normal no frills small city girl.
"Pecker" is a young, unknown photographer from Baltimore who becomes a big star in the public, the media and the local art scene with his pictures showing the dirty reality of all-day life just as dirty underwear or human excrements.
It's a typical topic of John Waters Baltimore-based independent comedies to show the weird sides of the American way of life between political correctness fashion and conservative backlashes by exploring the backgrounds of the middle class society of his hometown.Edward Furlong of "Terminator 2" fame plays Pecker, supported by Christina Ricchi, photographer Cindy Sherman, legendary Patricia Hearst and Water's long-time actress Mink Stole.
Although the pacing of the plot becomes a big flaw sometimes and can't compete with the fast and furious joke attacks of Water's brilliant "Serial Mom", it's still has some good laughs in it and some unforgettable scenes like a former junkie-girl who became a vegetarian by sniffing peas from a vegetable dish...
"Pecker" is a great comedy about the arrogance of the art scene, media hypes, middle-class sex angst and the strange ways of how to become a pop star without realizing it.
As I am no fan of almost any post-"Desperate Living" John Waters films, I warmed to "Pecker".
John Waters most accessible film to date is one of his better ones, considering it cut down on all of the campiness and outright vulgarity which seem to litter most of his previous work.
While diehard John Waters fans will be disappointed (There's no obese transvestites that eat dog feces or hilariously hideous trailer park characters) it was still an uplifting film with good performances and several laugh-out-loud scenes.
Yes. He's also known for dark humor; but this film relied on harmless shock value.Edward Furlong plays the title character, a kid who takes pictures of everything he encounters in his sleazy Baltimore neighborhood.
To Photograph Life and Find Art In It. Pecker is another John Waters tribute to the less fashionable side of his native city of Baltimore.
Of course it wouldn't be John Waters without the double entendre.Pecker as played by Edward Furlong was given a camera as a kid and it's become an obsession with him, to photograph life and find art in it.
How and will he get it back is the story of Pecker.John Waters surrounds Furlong with a nice cast of supporting players with the usual Dickensian names for their characters.
Best are Christina Ricci as Pecker's girl friend, Baltimore's laundromat Queen, and Brendan Sexton as his best friend and professional kleptomaniac.Pecker is another of John Waters's lighthearted look at life and some of the strange things we find in it.
Once again John Waters attempts to "Shock" us with his "Bad taste" and "outrageous" casting, but does nothing but bore the audience to death with another pointless dumb movie.
Patty hearst makes an appearance as an art admirer or something and you just can tell John Waters thought it was just sooooo outrageous to cast her.
I wish John Waters would stay away from message movies, especially since the message is always the same: Trailer trash good, everyone else bad.
This is flawed thinking, as any newcomer to Pink Flamingos would still be shocked at that film today (my co-workers can attest to that!).Pecker is a predictable story: Boy takes pictures, boy gets discovered, boy discovers previous low-class existence was okay after all (There's no place like home).
His long suffering girlfriend (Ricci) is oblivious to art, and she pretty much captures the personality of the rest of us as we wait for Pecker to break new ground or for Waters to win us over with some great comedic relief.
One character that I found cute, but very underwritten (much like Christina Ricci's character) was the borderline kleptomaniac best friend of Pecker played by Brendan Sexton III, a terrific and underrated talent in the world of film.
Not to mention, the film's love affair with constant flat jokes.Waters' regulars like Mary Vivian Pearce and Mink Stole are here, but not in mass amounts.
Laugh at you must but it would (1) make Pecker more tolerable than it already is, and (2) be the perfect, out of place role for her since she did such a wonderful job in Female Trouble as a fourteen year old girl who didn't look any younger than thirty.I've always said that anyone can throw on a cheesy costume and make a parody, many can make an homage to their favorite film, but only few could pull of a very good satire.
However it's all done with a nice charm that makes it fly by, only occasionally does the film drag and the plot weaknesses are revealed.Waters used to have a niche market in camp and bad taste, however with so many people doing bad taste comedies nowadays he seems to have toned it all down a bit.
The support cast are also good as they have more of the characters that we expect from Walters as well as some famous faces (Lilli Taylor, Martha Plimpton, Patty Hearst) Brendan Sexton III as Matt is really good but the award for funniest role goes to Hulsey for angry sugar junkie Little Chrissy.Overall I found this enjoyable despite the story not really moving anywhere fast.
It was a great movie where the characters were ridiculous, they all had some quirky idiosyncrasy and it all fit because it was set in the 50s and while telling a good story and being "just plain weird' it was a musical, which generally are a little weird, and it managed to indirectly make fun of the cheesy movies about teens that were played in theaters in the 50s...
Call me a conspiracy theorest, but I believe that John Waters made this bad film as a sort of in joke just to see which critics would give it good reviews.
Once we really start to know them, they all seem either fake (little Chrissy), uninteresting (the two homeless people; Why?), or just plain annoying in a bad way (Pecker's mom and sister).
The film is called 'Pecker' because that's the name of it's central character, but something tells me that Mr John Waters named the film so for other, more innuendo related, reasons.
This hobby, one day, attracts the attention of a New York art dealer and Pecker is transported into super-stardom, much to the dismay of his Laundromat obsessed girlfriend and the rest of his small town.Director John Waters directs the film in a very surreal style, which gives it a very unique edge, and instantly grabs your attention.
Pecker's Grandmother ("Full of grace!") is particularly aggravating, and left me wondering when some heavy object (such as a piano, or maybe a large safe) would come loose from its overhead hoist apparatus and put an end to this pathetic attempt at a funny secondary character.This movie should be locked away in an underground vault somewhere, where it would never see the light of day again for eternity..
He typically directs movies which seem inviting enough for me to rent, but are never good enough for me to like.The story, as you probably already know,follows a boy nicknamed Pecker, played by Edward Furlong of Terminator 2 and American History X fame.
Edward Furlong and Christina Ricci are an excellent couple and demonstrate it with their unique charisma featured in this movie.This is the typical "alternative" or indie movie with a plot that features a rare situation that suddenly becomes really important.Pecker is an average boy who has an old camera and his main hobby is to take photographs of the exotic habitants of the small town where he lives in.
It may seem boring or pretentious for some people but still I think it worths a watch only because it offers something "different" than Hollywood's typical standards.To describe in a few words: This is the typical Christina Ricci and John Waters movie.
Pecker loves to take all kinds of pictures of the people in a small suburb of Baltimore, Md., and manages to get the attention of a group of photo art lovers from New York City.
Along the way, Waters finds ample opportunity to satirize New York culture, Baltimore culture, and movies about how people's personalities are changed when they get their 15 minutes in the spotlight.
If your looking for a light hearted comedy than i recommend giving pecker a go.One of furlongs better films in that later of his career 7/10.
If you've never seen a John Waters film, then you don't know every penis joke in the book.
As is common in Water's films, the characters are as strange as can be, and for the life of me, I can't figure out why he decided to portray Baltimore as a small town.
I've seen several John Waters films and for the most part have found them to be pretty funny, but Pecker is just so far out there, that it's almost unwatchable..
The movie has all the signatures of a Waters film: very bad amateur actors in small roles, lousy and childish dialogues, and social satire which is far too obvious and unintelligent to have any kind of impact, comic or otherwise.
Edward Furlong displays little charisma in this film, and Waters would have been wise to make Christina Ricci the star.
By now, we know what to expect with a John Waters comedy: colorfully outré characters with quirky jobs whose lives are underscored with rude, snorting satire and odd, funny selections on the soundtrack.
His timing is so wobbly that many scenes border on being funny but ultimately miss the mark, while certain characters (like Pecker's bartender sister and his religious ventriloquist Memama) keep promising to be funnier than they are.
Like many of his recent films, the final act is just a hammy mess of over-playing, while the satirical points Waters hopes to make get lost in a deluge of happy-hearted sleaze.
That said, this is my all-time favorite John Waters movie because he tackles the story of an artist making his art on his own terms in a sweet and funny way.
This was a really cool movie and very funny, pecker was a great character.
Being a Baltimore native, I naturally love John Waters, particularly Pecker.
I had never watched many of John Water's films with the exception of Cry-Baby one of my all time favorites.
That's just cool!As ever, (except maybe Serial Mom) John Waters respects his characters and his audiences' intelligence, and it makes a film that, for all its bizarre subplots, is really warm and witty.I was most impressed with how well the movie flowed, For example, with simple lines like "You know I don't like you going there!" Waters builds our expectations, making us ask "Where?
The best part of this film is the continous satire of the New York artworld, almost definitely inspired by John Water's early career in themovies and his later career being a photographer.
I thought the movie was hysterical and a deadly barb against the art world that takes itself far too seriously ( an expensively ).It's become chic to criticize John Waters movies for some reason, I guess metro-plex blockbuster overdoses do have their side-effects, but he still has his fans and people who "get" him.
Overall, the work of Mr. Waters and the acting of Edward Furlong is good.
Truly the best John Waters movie I've seen.
Any movie by John Waters is definitely worth watching!
One reviewer complained of "stiff, forced dialog" and a lot of people complained that this movie was too "tame" for a John Waters film.
Now I like John Waters, but why do people insist that directors have to keep making the same kind of movies over and over?To me, Pecker is a film that captures a real slice of life.
The film is definitely one of John Waters' best and the acting was excellent.
John Waters' PECKER is by far his happiest film to date.
Of course, home-style happiness is summed-up by Waters in a grand dance party featuring cross-dressing lesbians, talking statues of the Virgin Mary, gay male strippers in jockey shorts, New York art world gapers, homeless people wearing thrift store fashions, and (drum roll) Patty Hearst dancing on a table in her underwear!Mary Kay Place is super as Pecker's mom and Christina Ricci good enough as Pecker's love interest.
Nobody does it like John Waters - he's the best thing American movies have going.
That ability to straddle the fence is at the heart of this little gem of a film: Waters knows what's funny about laundromats, butch dykes, Mary worshippers, rough trade and Baltimore hair-do's, but he doesn't separate himself so far from them that the humor is ever condescending.A terrific cast (I'm always left wanting more Bess Armstrong, but what can you do), sharp dialogue and an insider's perspective on both White Trash and the New York art scene makes "Pecker" one of Water's most pointed films while at the same time one of his gentlest.You probably missed this one in theatres, but it's worth renting at least once (particularly the DVD, for the afore-mentioned commentary track)..
I enjoyed Edward Furlong as the title character, a budding photographer whose lowbrow shots are seen by a New York art dealer who thinks he is the next big thing.
Another Waters' "feel good" movie about celebrating our differences and making the world a better place, at least for as long as the party lasts!
"Pecker" is also good - I think it's his only film besides Hairspray that could appeal to a "real" audience as much as the John Waters audience.
This and other crazy terms have been coined in John Waters latest wacky story called `Pecker' .It is not the sugar addicted little sister or the Grandmother who is a few books short of a bible, it's not the slapstick comedy or good performances all round that make this a good movie.
Although I am probably biased, seeing that I love John Waters in all his fury, I thought Pecker was excellent.
You can have your mainstream Hollywood movies with special affects and mountains of celebrities, but give me a "Pecker" or a "Hairspray" (another excellent John Waters film) over a "Titanic" or a "Godzilla" anyday!!.
Very Original and Funny Like a Nut. John Water's ("Pink Flamingos"...) "Pecker" is the best movie I've seen in a while.
Christina Ricci and Edward Furlong:great casting : made the film very unique and highly enjoyable.the plot was not the most complex and could of been developed, but the narration was told in such a way that its impossible not to find something in this film that you would love.i wanted to see this film when it was showing at the local cinemas, but i understand it didnt do very well at the box offices and so never got down to my area :-(if you are in doubt about this film, i would definitely recommend it, whether you have an interest in photography or nota feel good film that you cant possibly not enjoy!8/10 !.
Once you can get past the film's title, "Pecker" is a great film, perhaps one of John Waters' best.
It has only been a week since I saw my first John Waters film (Female Trouble), and I wasn't sure what to expect the second time around.While the previous film was outrageously over the top, Pecker is actually a funny film that satirizes the art critics in New York to a T.
I taped it out of curiosity and now that I've seen it, I can tell you that this "Pecker" sure is a lot better than "A Dirty Shame".In this movie we see how a young 'nobody' from Baltimore becomes an overnight sensation in the art world of New York.
I'm not saying that everything that you will see is great, but at least the characters have some meaning thanks to the performances of the different actors like Edward Furlong, Christina Ricci,...Overall this isn't a great movie, but thanks to its criticism and some good jokes - which never really go too far - this is an enjoyable movie. |
tt0040907 | The Truce Hurts | The cartoon starts with all furniture and things being thrown out of the house until Spike stops and questions why they cannot be friends with each other. The trio make a truce, sign a peace treaty and become allies.
As the three of them sleep together, Tom covers Jerry up, Jerry closes Spike’s mouth to stop him snoring and Spike turns off the alarm clock to make breakfast. Spike pours three glasses of milk as Tom brushes Jerry's teeth and cleans his ears. Then, Spike takes three glasses and pours equal milk in Tom and Jerry's glass but pours more milk in his own glass. Jerry goes outside while Butch is making a meal on a garbage can, and picks Jerry up and puts him on the plate. Tom saves Jerry by flipping the can's lid into Butch's face. Tom then kisses Jerry, much to Butch's disbelief and he shrieks loudly and beats himself silly up with a brick.
Tom then walks along the sidewalk until a dog eating a bone grabs Tom and goes to eat him. Spike saves Tom by knocking all off the teeth out of the dog and pokes an apple stuck in Tom's mouth into Tom's throat, saving him but knocking him out by accident.
The three then walk along the sidewalk, and Spike takes off his fur to help them walk across a muddy puddle, but a meat truck driving by splashes the mud on their faces, causing the characters to reemerge in blackface. A steak drops out of the truck, much to the trio's delight. They take it home, but each of them greedily divides the steak so that they have the largest share (Tom stabs Spike's hand with a fork), causing a fight that causes the steak to fly out of the window and drop into the gutter water and down the drain. The three look at each other upon realizing they can no longer be pals, Spike then tears the treaty and they the trio continue their original fight to fight/beat each other up. | comic | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0117202 | Normal Life | Chris (Luke Perry), a young police officer, meets the attractive and sexy Pamela (Ashley Judd), and immediately falls in love with her. Even her drug and alcohol problems cannot affect his mad love for her, and they decide to marry. As the relationship continues, more problems arise. Their passionate love is accompanied by destructive fights, and Pam's emotional problems start to surface. She shows no respect for Chris's family members, who are very important to him. Pam is also manipulative and exploits Chris' love for her, leaving him to do all the chores and making him buy her expensive things until they are on the brink of bankruptcy.
Trouble escalates when Chris loses his job, after trouble with a fellow officer. To finance Pam's lifestyle, Chris decides to earn a living by robbing banks. Pam is fascinated with his bank heists and begs him to tag along. After having finally robbed enough banks to afford a house of their own, Chris decides to stop a life of crime, much to Pam's chagrin. Pam soon leaves Chris who quickly finds himself unable to live without her. Chris then agrees to start robbing banks again which proves to be fatal for the duo. | romantic | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0053354 | The 39 Steps | The story starts on 28 June 1914; Richard Hannay (Rupert Penry-Jones), a mining engineer and an intelligence officer during the Second Boer War, is in London following his recent return from Africa, finding England "cliquey", "class-bound" and "deathly, deathly dull". Evading German spies (Werner Daehn and Peter Stark), Scudder (Eddie Marsan) pushes himself into Hannay's flat and reveals himself to be a betrayed freelance British Secret Service Bureau agent, who has been on the trail of a German espionage ring with headquarters in Scotland. He has heard rumours of a plot to assassinate a high-ranking European royal, which could lead to war. Believing he will soon be killed, he hands Hannay a notebook to pass to Captain Kell of the Secret Service Bureau. While Hannay answers the door, Scudder is shot by one of the German spies seeking his notebook who has entered the flat via a back door. The police arrive, and Hannay is arrested for murder before escaping.
Unable to contact Kell, Hannay flicks through the notebook, finding it contains pages of code using Roman numerals. He finds a map in the back and takes a train to Scotland to prove Scudder right, attempting to decipher the code en route. Finding out Archduke Ferdinand has been assassinated, Hannay reaches Scotland and leaves the train to escape the police. He stays in a barn overnight, where he deciphers the code in the notebook (except a section in double code), which reveals the Germans want to destroy the Royal Navy so that they could invade the country, starting a war. Chased by the police, the Germans and machine-gun-fire from a biplane, he encounters brother and sister Harry and Victoria Sinclair, a prospective Member of Parliament and a suffragette respectively (Patrick Kennedy and Lydia Leonard), who believe him to be a Liberal spokesman. At a political rally in a nearby town (Culross) where Hannay meets Sir George Sinclair, Harry and Victoria's uncle (David Haig), Victoria aids Hannay's attempt to escape, before they are captured by the Germans. With the notebook missing from Hannay's pocket, they are taken to Longkeep Castle (Dumbarton Castle), the headquarters of the German espionage ring, where they are imprisoned by Professor Fisher (Patrick Malahide). Sir George arrives as they are captured and inquires about them while they are held in another room. After he leaves they are bound and gagged and placed in the cellar. They escape and return to where they were captured to look for the notebook, which Victoria reveals she had picked from Hannay's pocket and hidden. They stay overnight in an inn, where Hannay details the contents of the notebook to Victoria.
In the morning, they escape to Harry's house, where Victoria unsuccessfully attempts to contact Captain Kell. Hannay, alone, meets with Sir George, who sits on the defence committee. Hannay reveals the contents of the notebook, leading to Sir George disclosing that a meeting of the National Committee of Defence is being held the next day at Stirling Castle to unveil new naval plans, matching part of the double code. Later, Hannay and Victoria kiss, and the next morning he sees her leaving with a man, whom he recalls seeing previously on the train and at the rally. With the notebook missing and finding out that Victoria disconnected the call she made to the Secret Service Bureau before it was connected, Hannay goes to Stirling Castle, believing Victoria to be a traitor. There, Victoria reveals she works for the Secret Service Bureau and he meets Kell (Alex Jennings) and Wakeham, the man Victoria left with earlier (Steven Elder), who reveal they used Hannay to distract the Germans and sent Victoria to keep an eye on him. Hannay deduces that Sir George is the traitor, as he should have heard them when he was at Fisher's House, and, with his photographic memory, has escaped with the naval plans memorised. To identify his rendezvous point with the Germans, they crack the remaining code, referring to the room they were previously imprisoned in at Longkeep Castle, and discover "39 steps" written in the notebook by Scudder using invisible ink. At the Castle, Hannay and Victoria find 39 steps leading to a loch. A shoot-out ensues, and a German U-boat surfaces in the loch. Fisher, the Germans and Sir George fail to get to the U-boat before it submerges, and surrender.
Together by the loch, Hannay and Victoria kiss before she is hit by a bullet fired by a surviving gunman, falls into the loch and disappears. The story concludes four months later, after the declaration of the First World War, when Hannay, in a British Army officer's uniform, is waiting to meet someone at St Pancras Station. Harry appears, saying that Victoria wanted to say goodbye, and Hannay sees her in the distance. In reply to Hannay's bewilderment, Harry tells him, "top secret, old man." Victoria disappears behind a luggage trolley and Harry tells Hannay she'll see him after the war. | murder | train | wikipedia | First things first, Hitchcock's 'The 39 Steps' is and always will be a classic of the British cinema and Ralph Thomas's remake (it's unashamedly a remake, rather than an adaptation of the novel) fails to equal it.
Taina Elg's foreign heroine however, though very attractive is no Madeleine Carroll and is perhaps the movie's weakest link.The stars are backed up by a splendid cast of familiar British character actors, ranging from Sid James's cameo as a truck driver, to Brenda De Banzie's turn as a friendly, man-hungry roadside café owner.Another plus is the glorious Scottish locations (genuine this time, as opposed to the original's studio mock-ups), filmed in luscious 'Eastmancolor'.All in all, while Ralph Thomas is no Alfred Hitchcock (but then, there's only one Hitch), the remake is ideal entertainment, perfect viewing for a dark winter's night, curled up in your armchair with hot coffee and toast by your side..
Often criticised for being a shot-for-shot remake of the Hitchcock original, this film is in fact a perky little thriller which benefits from Kenneth More being a more sympathetic leading man than Robert Donat (he was somewhat aloof) in the '39 version.
True, the film trades heavily off the script for the Hitchcock version, and true it does not go back to the original novel for context, spirit or historical setting in the way the '78 version does; but for me, the film is the jewel among the three.
In the '78 version (and the unofficial remake called North By Northwest) the role of the hit-men is further developed and the suspense increased as a result.Other things to watch out for in the '59 version are Sidney James, Brian Oulton and a host of supporting players (not to mention Tania Elg's legs in the remake of the stocking-removing scene, all the more intriguing for being in colour).
I do enjoy watching this film, the picture quality is excellent ( Eastmancolor ), lovely views of London and Scotland in the 1950's, plenty of humour, nice actors and a good plot which really keeps you guessing what it's all about for about 50 minutes.
I have seen the original version by Hitchcock, its the same story but in black and white with awful picture and sound quality ( I have most of Hitchcock's films on DVD ) and there's no advantage to the Hitchcock film over this one - on the contrary this one is better.
It's quite possible to enjoy this 39 Steps, but it helps to see it fresh, without any recent memory of the 1935 Hitchcock version.
What Hannay encounters along the way is a suspicious school teacher, Miss Fisher (Taina Elg), who turns him in on the train going to Scotland; a fortune teller; an all too knowledgeable professor; two killers; a clever escape while handcuffed to Fisher and, finally, the secret only Mr. Memory, a music hall performer, can unlock.
The movie has several good elements, especially the charm and confidence of Kenneth More as Hannay; some wonderful Scottish scenery (the movie is in color); great train rides and one exciting train escape; a ripely eccentric performance by Brenda de Banzie as a fortune-telling realist who helps Hannay; a menacingly friendly appearance by Barry Jones; a funny performance by Joan Hickson as a twittering school teacher that reminded me of a middle- aged Miss Marple on amphetamines; and an all too brief performance by Faith Brook as the nanny.
I can't remember much of the original film version of THE 39 STEPS but seeing this remake a couple of days ago I got the distinct feeling that it's rather inferior to the Hitchcock version .
Much of the problem lies with the director Ralph Thomas who has a long and successful track record of making comedies and he seems unsuited for thrillers , everything seems a little too lightweight here and it's not helped by the cheery and jovial musical score or indeed Sid James playing a straight role as a lorry driver .
It should also be pointed out that while Kenneth More plays an affable type of hero in Richard Hannay he lacks the dashing charm of Robert Donat in the original and is probably less effective than the slightly angry young man of Robert Powell in the latter 70s remake .
I dispute what it says in the IMDb trivia section about this movie being a shot for shot remake of the original Hitchcock version but it totally lacks an updated feel .
Stodginess suffuses "The 39 Steps": it seems all too fitting that this must be one of the last action pictures whose hero wears a business suit and tie throughout.As a modernised, colour remake of Alfred Hitchcock's classic, it makes the Highland scenery look good.
The constant flashes of imagination and twists which Hitch extracted from genre material-- such as the glimpse of the crofter and his young wife through the window after Hannay leaves, or the chorus line's legs kicking heedlessly behind the pitiable Mr Memory-- have all vanished, like a master-painter's brushwork obscured by clumsy retouching.That poignant final scene in the music hall could serve as a film-school case study in the gap between genius and mediocrity.
It isn't as good as Hitch's film, choosing to replace out and out suspense with a more humoristic approach, but the chase yarn aspects are briskly directed by Thomas, and the Scottish locations provided a wonderful backdrop to the fun drama.
I can't really do any of the others down, and in fact the Hitchcock version starring Robert Donat is a classic.
Since Alfred Hitchcock's well-known version from 1935, there have been two further adaptations of John Buchan's "The 39 Steps".
The 1978 version with Robert Powell kept the pre-World War I setting and was much more faithful to Buchan's plot than Hitchcock had been.
The 1959 version, however, was a remake of Hitchcock's film, keeping much of the plot, and even some of the dialogue, of his version.
In the 1959 film, made during the Cold War, there is little doubt that the villains are working for the Soviet Union, although again this is never explicitly stated.In this version the hero, Richard Hannay, is not a Canadian (as he was in Hitchcock's film) but an Englishman, recently returned from working in the Middle East.
There are also some added scenes, such as the one where Hannay stays at an inn whose landlady turns out to be a spiritualist medium.Hitchcock's film was a comedy-thriller which combined suspense with humour, and the remake was intended in the same vein.
Ralph Thomas was known as a director of both comedies (such as the "Doctor" films) and thrillers (such as "The Clouded Yellow") so he doubtless seemed the right man for the job.
Kenneth More plays Hannay as the sort of decent, middle-class stiff-upper-lipped English gentleman which had become his stock-in-trade, a characterisation which seems stolid and uninteresting next to the panache of Robert Donat's dashing action hero.
Elg always comes across as dull and unglamorous, especially when compared to Madeleine Carroll who played the equivalent role in the Hitchcock film, and her foreign accent makes it difficult to accept her as a British schoolmistress.Some of the blame for the film's comparative failure, however, must lie with the director and scriptwriters.
Some of the scenes, such as Hannay's escape on the Forth railway bridge, are indeed better done here than they were in the original, which is perhaps not surprising given that Thomas evidently had more financial resources available to him than did Hitchcock.
Had they wanted to make a new version of "The 39 Steps" they should have gone back to Buchan, as the makers of the 1978 film did.
It is thus not even a shadow of either the Hitchcock original or the 1970s costume drama.This was an opportunity to get rid of some of the excesses of the Hitchcock version, such as Mr Memory, a character that was not in Lord Tweedsmuir's novel.One inevitably compares Kenneth More's Hannay with Robert Donat and Robert Powell.
When Robert Donat essayed Richard Hannay in the original you were watching a most desperate man thrown together with Madeline Carroll running from the cops.Kenneth More apparently decided he was Cary Grant and played it the way Grant did his last Hitchcock film North By Northwest.
And Taina Elg was no Madeline Carroll, few women have ever been that beautiful.Best in this rather tepid remake is Brenda Da Banzie as a most horny women who keeps dropping hints at More who seems completely oblivious.This version of The 39 Steps isn't a patch on what Hitchcock did though it has its moments..
This is a good film, bringing up to date the previous Robert Donat version.
Kenneth More, who seemed to appear in every British film I watched in the 1950s, is excellent as Richard Hannay.
The climax in the theatre is a little unbelievable with the audience watching dancing girls minutes after the Memory Man has been shot, for example, and we are not told how Hannay and Fisher managed to get from Perthshire to London with every policeman in Great Britain after them!
Decent remake, but for me the Hitchcock film will always be better.
I will say right now I do prefer the Hitchcock film, which was really entertaining, suspenseful, well made and had believable chemistry between Robert Donat and Madeleine Caroll despite the deviations from the book.
I also felt the scripting on occasions lacked the wit and suspense that made the Hitchcock film so memorable.Flaws aside, the plot is still good and intriguing enough, and so is the music which is quite stirring and the stylish camera work.
Kenneth More, while he has acted better, is still very likable in the lead role of Richard Hannay, and the location shots of London are excellent, plus the Scottish scenery is stunning.
Overall, this is a decent remake, but as I have accentuated many times, the Hitchcock film will always be better, no matter how much it is removed from the source material.
Other characters (like the Scottish spiritualist) are just out of place.Worse than this is the fact that the film lacks real tension or excitement.
The 1970's remake is much better than this as it doesn't just ape the Hitchcock version.
It was directed by Ralph Thomas, which says a lot, and written by Frank Harvey and they change things just enough not to make it a carbon copy, using actual Scottish locations and casting Kenneth More, who is a very different Richard Hannay from Robert Donat.Actually More was a very personable actor and it's he, and he alone, who makes this as entertaining as it is; just don't expect too much from the poor man.
This 1959 version of The Thirty-Nine Steps is so far removed from the original work by John Buchan that it does neither any justice to compare the two.As it is, it has to be taken as a standalone movie and, as such, it fails miserably.The plot, performances (particularly those of the support actors) and set-pieces are all woefully under-par for even a movie of this modest magnitude.
I agree with many here who say the direction is a little stodgy and some of the changes seem pointless, but this film (like several others) is transformed from an 'also ran' to a rather jaunty thriller by the always-excellent Kenneth More.
The Thirty-Nine Steps may not be the best film ever made or the best version of this story from a technical point of view, but I find it by far the most appealing..
This version goes for a lighter more comedic touch but that does not stop the movie being fun, with some quaint set pieces and some proper British stiff upper lip bravado from Kenneth Moore.
Seeing Kenneth More on a cast list generally means you're getting something of strong English stock, very stiff upper lip but with a touch of humour, and that is exactly what we have here.Our story starts when a nanny drops a rattle, and ends - as the classic Hitchcock thriller does - with Mr Memory at the music hall.
Between we have a romp across Scotland with More and Taina Elg, and lots of intrigue.Nothing special, and a little bit colourless, this 39 Steps is a time-filler, nothing more.
THE 39 STEPS is a '50s-era reworking of the Hitchcock classic and a new adaptation of the famous spy novel by John Buchan.
The lead is played by likable man-of-the-moment Kenneth More (fresh from the success of Titanic epic A NIGHT TO REMEMBER) who teams up with Finnish beauty Taina Elg to foil a sinister plot by a gang of conspirators.We always knew that the Hitchcock film would be a hard act to follow but this version makes a decent stab of it, I think.
It's set in a dated, far-off world in which the bad guys (such as Michael Goodliffe) are bad in a clean, safe, gentlemanly way straight from the pages of an Enid Blyton book.CARRY ON director Ralph Thomas is an odd choice to helm this adaptation, but he turns out to fit the material well; there's plenty of light comedy here and it works well, particularly a hilarious moment when an unprepared More is forced to lecture a hall of giggling schoolgirls.
This 1959 version is much closer to the story, but seems to follow the screenplay of Hitchcock more so than the book by John Buchan.
The 1978 version (directed by Don Sharp and starred Robert Powell as Hannay) was the closest to Buchan's original.It was just as the First World War was about to ignite when Bachan penned the story while convalescing in Broadstairs, England.
Wanted for murder Hannay finds himself caught up in a plot that could threaten Britain & those who live there...This British production was directed by Ralph Thomas was a remake of Alfred Hitchcock's earlier The 39 Steps (1935) which itself was based on the novel of the same name by John Buchan while yet another big screen version was made as The Thirty Nine Steps (1978) a couple of decades after this, while I liked The 39 Steps for most of it's duration as a fairly gentle & light hearted action adventure I simply didn't understand the end.
If it had worked properly how was it all meant to go down?The 39 Steps looks nice enough, the colourful London & Scottish locations add to the film although maybe the special effects aren't the best, the shot of Hannay hanging on to the side of a speeding looks poor.
I have never seen Hitchcock's original or read the novel so I cannot compare how this stands up to them.Filmed on location in Scotland & in the studio back in London, this is well made for the time although obviously it does look a bit dated today.
Legendary comedy actor Sid James has a great little cameo as a truck driver.The 39 Steps is a perfectly good adventure mystery film until the end where it all falls apart, none of it made any sort of sense to me.
A zippy and enjoyable version of John Buchan's novel, far lighter in tone that Hitchcock's.
In Hitchcock's film, Hannay undergoes different sorts of divagations and dangers than he does here, in Ralph Thomas's film.
Basically it follows the same plot as the original, Richard Hannay (Kenneth More) meets a spy who tells him something she shouldn't of, and is murdered soon after, putting Richard in the frame and on the frame.
Good thriller over shadowed by Hitchcock's film which it remakes.
Kenneth More is Richard Hanny in what is essentially a bright and colorful version of the Hitchcock film.
Its a good little film on its own but suffers in comparison to the other versions.
Other versions aside, its a good little film that is fine in its own terms.
For me having recently seen the Hitchcock film a couple of times, not to mention the stage adaption I found myself all "stepped" out.
"The 39 steps" is quite an enjoyable Kenneth More movie.Like a good boy scout Mr More is unflappable,resourceful,straightforward,clean in word and deed and whistles cheerfully under all difficulties.He carries a comb with him and manages to look manly wearing pale - blue shorts.He is a nice middle - class 1950s English hero,soon to be drowned under an ocean of vicious foul - mouthed murderous thugs who will beat the film audiences into submission to such an extent that well - spoken chaps with service flats in town and spare time on their hands to save the old country from Johnny Foreigner will shortly disappear from our screens for ever - or at least until Don Sharp's brilliant 1970's remake.
It is a remake of the 1935 film that was directed by Alfred Hitchcock and well as being the second of four film versions of the 1915 John Buchan novel.
Kenneth More, the quintessential British leading man of the 1950s, takes on the role of Richard Hannay.
This Hannay is a very different character from the Hitchcock film in that he's know a British diplomat and quite a bit older.
They range from Faith Brook as the woman who sets things in motion, Barry Jones as the mysterious Professor Logan, Brenda De Banzie as Nellie Lumsden and the various actors playing the various Scottish eccentrics that Hannay bumps into on his journey through Scotland.
The film is less an adaptation of the original novel so much as an updated remake of the 1935 Hitchcock film.
If you've seen the original Hitchcock film then there will likely be some disappointments due to a bit of miscasting and an over emphasis on humor.
Overall though, the film has its own merits including Kenneth More's fine performance as Hannay and some good production values.
The 1959 version of The 39 Steps then is a good film in its own right but not as good as the Hitchcock film that proceeded it. |
tt0044515 | Cosh Boy | Based on an original play by Bruce Walker, the film tells of the exploits of 16-year-old delinquent youth Roy Walsh (James Kenney) and his gang in post-World War II London.
The gang starts off by mugging women. Later, Roy becomes infatuated with Rene (Joan Collins), the sister of one of the gang members. Already having a boyfriend, Brian, she rejects Roy, to his fury. Later the gang beat up Brian. Roy menaces Rene, who eventually submits to him. When she informs him that he has made her pregnant, and urges him to marry her, he decides he wants nothing more to do with her.
Roy's mother, Elsie Walsh (Betty Ann Davies), is involved with Canadian Bob Stevens (Robert Ayres), who urges her to marry him so he can take Roy "in hand" before it's too late. Roy hates Bob.
Bob works as an assistant manager at the Palidrome dance hall, which becomes a target for the gang. Another member of staff appears on the scene who they shoot and wound.
Later that night, a mob of women arrive on the doorstep with Rene's mother, who adds that the police are on their way. Bob arrives, removes Rene's mother from the premises and decides to give Roy a thrashing - for his own good - before the police arrive in the belief that if the judge hears he has already received a thrashing, his sentence might be lighter, which will be easier for his mother to stomach. The police arrive just as Bob is brandishing his belt in readiness. Bob lets them in, and they ask who he is. He tells him he is the boy's stepfather, as "his mother and I were married this morning".
The leading officer congratulates him, then, seeing the belt in his hand, smiles, and suggests to his colleague that they go and arrest the other gang member first and come back for Roy later. Bob begins thrashing Roy as the scene cuts to outside and the mob of women listening to Roy's cries and shrieks for help. The detectives then walk away, into the night. | revenge, cruelty, violence | train | wikipedia | James Kenney, who I've seen in several movies, gives an outstanding performance of this young undisciplined hoodlum whose hysterical vileness and strutting arrogance propped up with a false bravado that finally cracks like a mirror at the end of the film....well, crime couldn't be shown to pay, could it?
And yes, the police of that time were quite willing to let parents or guardians punish their young 'uns if they thought it would do any good.
You wouldn't go running to your Dad crying about it for he'd give you another clip saying you must have deserved it.Social history tells us of how Britain, with four million men in uniform during the war years saw a generation of youth largely grow up without the guidance of fathers or older brothers.
Juvenile delinquency figures during and after the war went through the roof and with many de-mobbed soldiers bringing looted pistols and revolvers home with them there was a steady supply of weapons filtering down to the criminally-inclined classes, and resulting in a massive increase in crimes of robbery, assault and murder by those who were 'tooled-up' and who were quite willing to kill their victims rather than let them live to identify their attacker and possibly end up making the acquaintance of Mr Pierrepoint and his neck-adjusting service (which he performed...on a career-best 405 occasions!).For the time, and of the time, Lewis Gilbert's film stands up well in my eyes compared to the rose-tinted comedic films depicting similar disenfranchised youth such as the funny 'Hue and Cry'
which I also enjoyed enormously.Taking a film out of its time-period to deliver judgement can't be right.
There were many films made back then (and even now) that are shoddily made with poor acting, dire scripts and non-existent production values that deserve all the brickbats they get, but 'Cosh Boy' isn't one of them....in my humble opinion..
And as the stepfather Robert Ayres gives the best performance as a piece of wood I've seen since the log in Twin Peaks.
Don't think I've ever seen a film before where the fuzz make themselves scarce for ten minutes so stepfather can give his stepson a bloody good thrashing!
But...making allowances for the conventions of the time, you can tell it was made by someone who knew what he was doing, and several things kept me watching: the location shots of blitzed London; Joan Collins, who was rather affecting given the limitations of her role; and James Kenney as Roy the hoodlum was really good - overwrought, sure, but convincing nevertheless.
The beginning shows them running down a high street and I suspect this was the main street in Hammersmith.I have just bought it for my Mum's 70th birthday as she had never seen the film due to it being an X and of course, there were no DVD/Video recorders in those days!Feels a bit over acted in places, but an interesting historical document of life in the 1950s.
Strictly speaking I would class neither of these two productions as 'film noir' - more social problem and crime films.
THE SLASHER is actually the American renaming of good old COSH BOY, a title which has occasionally surfaced on UK's C4.
It's the main reason why I, and I suspect others, will want this disc - a minor cult item featuring a memorable central turn for James Kenney - who also appears, to less effect in another recent release (from the UK this time) GELIGNITE GANG.
Kenney plays Roy, the anti-social, selfish, cunning and manipulative thug, about whose short career as a petty criminal the film is about.
Highlight of the film is the corporal punishment meted out to Roy by his new stepfather in the final scenes - something strikingly and splendidly un-PC: much more more intense and yes, satisfying in effect than any amount of more establishment-accommodating endings familiar from other films of this ilk.
I'm no supporter of the belt, but by God you will be crying out for Roy, who has betrayed his girlfriend (a very young Joan Collins) his mother, his grandmother and almost everyone else, to get the taste of it by time of the end!
Those who criticise some of the acting (viz: one of Roy's stooges, a particularly whining individual) miss the point - this is British exploitation at its best.
In the tradition of Richard Attenborough in Brighton Rock, James Kenney is mesmerizing and unforgettable as the dirty little punk who with his gang robs little old ladies of their monies.If anything Kenney is far more loathsome than Attenborough, not even a hint of surface charm.
In fact the hardest part of the film to take seriously is having young Joan Collins surrender herself and her virginity to this creep.
Possibly Lee Marvin in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is one.For those of us Yanks for who the film was retitled The Slasher for release by Lippert Pictures here, a Cosh is a kind of truncheon used to whack someone into unconsciousness or beat them severely.
She has a new man in her life, American Robert Ayres playing a Canadian, who thinks the kid just needed a good attitude adjustment that was never given him by a father who is not in the picture.
In the end Kenney has to account for all his many sins.Besides a very young Joan Collins viewers should take note of the two Hermiones in the film, Hermione Baddely as the mother of Collins who wants to Cosh the Cosh Boy after she finds out what Kenney has done and Hermione Gingold playing a not disguised at all prostitute who is a friend of the Davies/Kenney family.
Cosh Boy is still quite a riveting piece of film making and Kenney is unforgettably evil..
I note that some reviewers thought the acting was poor however I found that the actor who played the lead role was brilliant, I grew up on the wrong side of town so I am familiar with what these creatures are like, these types are universal regardless of time and place.That actor really nailed the archetype snivelling, gutless psychopath, I am surprised that this actor did not goonto bigger and better roles.
And the young Joan Collins, what a beauty!.
'Cosh Boy' was made at a time when society was preoccupied with youth.
'Cosh Boy' is a reflection of this moral panic and many newspapers carried stories about 'cosh boys' going out mugging old ladies.Lewis Gilbert's film follows the rise and fall of Roy Walsh a young thug from Battersea.
Ian Whitaker who plays Roy's educationally backward sidekick Alfie collins is staggeringly bad.
The film follows the struggles of Roy's widowed mother Elsie who is unable to control her son supposedly because of the absence of a man in the house.
The grandmother also lives with Elsie and knows that Roy is no good, she represents the older wiser generation that believed in discipline and family life with two parents.
It advocates that women should follow their prescribed gender roles as housewives and mothers, leave the hard stuff like discipline to men.
The most nauseating line in the film comes from Grandma Walsh 'They don't know what hard work is these days.
'Cosh Boy' has dreadful scripts and abysmal acting.
The only attractive feature of the film is the pretty 18 year old actress Joan Collins (whatever became of her?).
It suggests that manly discipline is needed to help in the rebuilding of the post-war family, otherwise working-class youths will turn into vicious, nasty 'cosh boys' or poor hapless single mothers.
Black market crime, and other offences, was rife in wartime BritainWhat makes this film funny, apart from the atrocious acting, is that in hindsight we can see how ridiculous some 'moral panics' are.
The people that might laugh at the caricatures in this film might still go along with existing panics in Britain today - such as 'mad cow' disease, 'road rage', chlamydia teenage alcoholism etc.
The acting is so bad it is hilarious and I'm sure this is one film that Lewis Gilbert would not want to be reminded of..
I have yet to see more wooden acting -- just standing there and saying the lines!If I had been the Cosh Boy I would have just slugged my stepfather on the jaw and run away.
This movie made when Western civilisation was going to be torn down by the outbreak of Juvenile Delinquents, and the pimply youth were building forces in the US as well, so follow Cosh Boy with "When Youth Runs Wild" (1945).
The US film is not as funny as the UK one but still has all the traditional delinquent-syndrome markers.Cosh Boy is a real hoot, especially the strange pitch of their voices or, perhaps this is the what delinquency does to the vocal cords.
Making their coshes in trade classes at school was a goody, what or where was the teacher while these illegal instruments were being turned out.
"Cosh Boy" (also known as "The Slasher") is an incredibly Oedipal picture that takes advantage of post-war worries that the youth were running amok.
It begins with Roy Walsh and a friend committing a mugging (a 'cosh') and soon getting caught.
They are placed on probation and Roy acts very contrite and decent in court...and almost immediately after, he's planning his next crimes!
In the process, Roy discovers a pretty young lady (Joan Collins)...who he treats like dirt.Through the course of the film, Roy continually ups the ante--with his criminal behaviors getting worse and worse.
He clearly is without a redeeming quality...though his co-dependent mother makes excuses for him.
The only one who sees right through the punk is his mother's boyfriend...he knows that Roy needs a very firm hand.
See this weird little film.James Kenney is quite good as Roy--snarling, nasty and incredibly two- faced..as well as hopelessly in love with his mother..though he and his mum don't seem to realize it.
My biggest complaint, however, is that the film tries to say that who Roy is turns out to be because he has a super-permissive mother.
Perhaps this was because the film talks about teenage pregnancy and is a tad violent...all of which would lead to a PG or PG-13 rating today."Get up you little rat...you're making me sick!!!"--best line in the film..
I don't know what's odder about this expose on British juvenile delinquency issues in the 1950's: the strange helium voice of James Kenney as the lead delinquent, or the fact that Joan Collins' mother here is played by the cockney Hermione Baddeley.
It's obvious from the start that Kenney and his cohorts are up to no good when they stalk a drunk little old lady staggering home from a pub.
For a Yank like me to get into this, it took many years of film research understanding various British dialects and catching onto little bits of British culture.
But in my years of film study, I have realized one thing: British filmmakers seemed to take more chances from an early age and thus, many of their films seem far advanced over American movies of the same period.Joining Miss Baddley here (but unfortunately not in any scenes together) is the nearly unrecognizable Hermione Gingold, with platinum blonde hair and excessive jewelry, only identifiable when she speaks.
Collins, very soft and feminine here, comes off closer to a young Jean Simmons or Audrey Hepburn rather than the vixens she played a few years later in biblical era epics like "Land of the Pharaohs" and "Esther and the King", and certainly as far from her "Dynasty" character of Alexis Carrington as you can imagine.
Was rather hoping that the battered Roy would seize his gun, wound Bob,and do a runner-the cops' explanations to their superiors would have been good for a laugh!
Oh-Joan Collins as teenage virgin.VERY old film!.
COSH BOY is an intriguing mix of social drama and crime thriller, released in Britain in 1953.
It deserves credit for tackling the subject matter of juvenile crime and delinquency in a stark and realistic way, avoiding sensation for the most part in its depiction of unpleasant events that spiral out of control and affect the lives of those involved.
The film was shot by future Bond director Lewis Gilbert, who exhibits a good control of his medium even at this early stage of his career.James Kenney gives a thoroughly believable turn as the film's protagonist, one of the most unpleasant in all of 1950s cinema.
The exasperated family members are all well and good, but it's the youthful figures who stand out: an impossibly young Joan Collins as the naive girlfriend and Johnny Briggs as a callow gang member.
Like the infinitely better "The Blue Lamp","Cosh Boy" is an Issue Picture.There the resemblance ends.Whilst the former was a noir masterpiece,one of the most seminal of all 50s British pictures,the latter is a catchpenny bandwagon-jumping appallingly made load of tosh made to cash in a genuine fear of "Teddy Boys","Cosh Boys" and the like that held the post-war public in its sway.
Because the fact that the movie is awful should not be a reason to dismiss the fears of the audience who went to see it.My father who'd fought the Italians and Germans in the African desert was a firm believer in corporal and capital punishment,as were many of his generation.No amount of sophistry will deny the fact that now our country is a far more dangerous place than in 1953 when he could happily walk the dog to the newsagents with a better than average chance of getting home unscathed.
The movie "Cosh Boy",terrible as it was,brought the issue of violent youth out into the open,much the same as "Cathy come home" did for the disenfranchised 15 years later and the masterly "Scum" raised the profile of the treatment of young offenders.
So..."Cosh Boy" is a lousy movie with dreadful acting and all put together for what it would cost nowadays for a haircut at Trumpers......
After the war Britain went through a J.D. crisis and some fine films tried to give understanding to the problem ("The Blue Lamp" (1950), "Violent Playground" (1957), "Beat Girl" (1959)).
While "Cosh Boy" was a bit heavy handed (literally) at laying the blame on absentee fathers - at least it tried to find a solution.
It was also the first British film to receive an X certificate.Two young chaps follow an inebriated granny onto a vacant lot, "cosh" her and take her purse.
So begins "Cosh Boy", a rather wooden film that attempts to explain the rise of juvenile delinquency that happened everywhere, after World War 11.
The boys, Roy (James Kenny) and Alfie (Ian Whittaker) are caught and sentenced to one year's probation.
Roy manages to put on a good performance for the magistrate but he is the brains behind the gang and has no intention of stopping his unlawful activities.
His mother announces her intention of marrying Bob Stevens and Roy goes crazy - says if she marries Bob, he will kill him!!!Roy goes to a local dance and meets Rene (beautiful Joan Collins).
Roy may have his mother hoodwinked - but not his gran, who has her own ideas about how he should be bought up.
When Roy's mother and Bob come back from a date, Gran is distraught - her life savings (which she kept under her bed) are gone, and she knows who is responsible.
Bob waits until Roy comes home and gives him a sample of what life will be like when he marries Roy's mum.
She then tries to kill herself by jumping into the river but, fortunately, is saved, a sadder but wiser girl.Things start to unravel for Roy - he has got hold of a gun, which he uses with disastrous results in a bungled robbery.
Comparing this film to "The Blue Lamp" is silly.
I wouldn't describe the acting as amateurish and the film is not as bad as some reviewers make out.
Roy Walsh is a young delinquent, who makes a pound or two out of coshing old ladies and stealing their handbags.
They include a simpleton; there's a character played by a young Johnny Briggs, and a strange character who looks and talks like a forty-year-old.Walsh is a nasty character, who displays no remorse.
He has an affair with the simpleton's sister (Joan Collins), whose accent slips like a 4-man bobsleigh.
There is no explanation why Walsh is like this.Walsh's gang upgrade from coshing old ladies to using a revolver to rob the takings at a wrestling match.
But first Walsh is caught by his brand new Canadian stepfather.
This is one of several films that looked at post WW2 juvenile crime.
But "Cosh Boy" is one of the worst films I have seen.
It is ridiculous that eight years after one of the biggest incidents of violence and vandalism known to humankind, all this film could offer as a remedy for youth crime is walloping a kid with a belt.
How pathetic.Watch out for Sid James playing a station officer in a short scene..
Difficult to realise that this was amongst the first films released with an X certificate.It was probably to ensure that impressionable teenagers did not have the opportunity to copy the antics of the characters in this film.Joan Collins shines amongst the dross.Having seen her boyfriend is beaten up by a gang.She then goes with the leader of the gang who treats her roughly.He also has a huge Oedipus complex,and almost seems to be doing a rather poor impersonation of James Cagney in White Heat.There are also parts of this film which are reminiscent of Brighton Rock and The Blue Lamp.The gang stages a raid on a wrestling arena which goes wrong.The leader shoots a member of staff.Subsequently they have a discussion about who would go down for the crime which clearly reflects the Derek Bentley case.The climax is so overblown it is quite laughable. |
tt0891520 | Kuchisake-onna | As stories about the Kuchisake-onna ("The Slit-Mouthed Woman") spread through a Japanese town, an earthquake causes a corpse matching the entity's description (a woman with long hair, a trench coat, scissors, and a white mask) to break out of a closet in an abandoned house. As that occurs, Noboru Matsuzaki (Haruhiko Kato), a teacher, hears a voice ask "Am I pretty?" At a playground, a boy who had gone looking for the Kuchisake-onna with his friends is grabbed by the creature, which vanishes with him.
The boy's disappearance prompts the school where Noboru works to send the students home in groups, escorted by members of the staff. Mika Sasaki is reluctant to go home, admitting to a teacher, Kyôko Yamashita (Eriko Sato), that her mother hits her. Kyôko (she has a troubled relationship with her own daughter, who lives with her ex-husband) becomes agitated when Mika says she hates her mother, causing Mika to run away, right into the arms of the Kuchisake-onna, whose appearance was again foreshadowed by Noboru hearing a voice ask "Am I pretty?" As the Kuchisake-onna leaves with Mika, Mika knocks her mask off, revealing the woman's disfigured face.
At school, Noboru shows Kyôko a photograph of a woman who looks like the Kuchisake-onna. Noboru hears the voice again; as he heads toward it with Kyôko, he tells her that the picture is thirty years old. Noboru traces the voice to a house, and he and Kyôko save the boy inside from the Kuchisake-onna, who Kyôko kills with a knife. The Kuchisake-onna's body turns into that of a neighboring housewife, revealing the Kuchisake-onna acts by possessing other women, whose infection is signified by them developing a cough.
Noboru tells Kyôko that the woman in the photo is Taeko Matsuzaki (Miki Mizuno), his dead mother, a sickly and unhinged woman who would physically abuse him and his siblings. One day, Taeko "disappeared" after killing Noboru's siblings, and after that, rumors and sightings of the Kuchisake-onna began. Noboru again hears the voice of the Kuchisake-onna, who has possessed the mother of Mika's friend, Natsuki Tamura. Natsuki is taken to the Kuchisake-onna's lair, where the Kuchisake-onna cuts her mouth, and murders the boy she had abducted from the playground. Mika cuts the ropes binding Natsuki, who escapes, but is too traumatized and injured to help with the search for Mika.
Kyôko looks through information on the Kuchisake-onna that the boy she saved had given her, and finds a note stating that the Kuchisake-onna's hideout is a deserted house with a red roof, a description which matches Noboru's childhood home. As he searches the house with Kyôko, Noboru remembers that his mother tried to have him mercy kill her, telling him that unless he decapitated her, she would come back and haunt others. Instead, Noboru slit his mother's mouth and stabbed her, then dressed her body up in coat and mask, and hid it in the closet.
Kyôko and Noboru find Mika in the basement, and are attacked by the Kuchisake-onna. The Kuchisake-onna wounds Kyôko, then captures Noboru and Mika, takes them down to the basement, and brutalizes them. Finding a knife, Kyôko stabs the Kuchisake-onna in the neck with it, killing and leaving behind the body of Natsuki's mother. Mika's mother, who had gone off to look for her daughter on her own, arrives at the house, and becomes the new host of the Kuchisake-onna. To give Kyôko and Mika the chance to escape, Noboru fends off the Kuchisake-onna but is fatally wounded. Before dying, he beheads her, convinced that doing so will finally vanquish her. The decapitation fails to stop the Kuchisake-onna, and some time later, the spirit takes over Kyôko while she is visiting her daughter. | violence, murder, flashback | train | wikipedia | She wears a mask over her mouth and shows up to people asking "Am I pretty?" Their answer almost always leads to their death.I loved this movie.
(She didn't have the hair over her face, nor did her hair seem to be alive.) The woman with the sliced mouth was a very cool visual.This has been one of my favorite Japanese horror films yet.
Another big difference from most Asian films I've seen is that IT ACTUALLY MADE SENSE.
I thought it was a great little ghost flick with a good story and some awesome eye-candy..
Soon rumours are spread about a possessed woman with a long trench coat that wears a mask to cover its mutilated face that kidnaps the children to cut their mouths up to the ears as that evil woman has lived the same torture in the past.
The two young teachers incarnated by Eriko Sato and Haruhiko Kato play quite convincing roles and both characters have to face their own inner demons before they confront that evil woman.
I guess that this ending wants to make sure that you won't forget this movie all too soon.All in all, this is a very atmospheric and well played dark slasher movie that also focuses on some dramatic scenes and a very well done character development.
Fans of Asian horror cinema should surely grab this solid movie and will have quite some fun..
A Typical Asian Horror Film, Slightly Better Than Average.
Children tell the story of the slit-mouthed woman, a killer with a deformed face, surgical mask and very long scissors ready to slice up the kids while asking "Am I pretty?".
This film is no exception: while not relying on the same techniques as "Pulse" or "The Grudge" or even "The Ring", there's a sense that we haven't left those worlds too far behind.Like many Asian horror films, there is a sense of the supernatural here.
American horror often tries to explain its stories in a reasonable way (even when the villains are of an other-worldly nature).
As the film progresses, we learn more about the slit-mouthed woman, but we never really understand how or why she does what she does.I enjoyed the rumors element.
At one point, a child is asked where the slit-mouthed woman lives and she responds in a house with a red roof on the hill.
Having recently seen "Pan's Labyrinth" I saw how cool it was to have a person with a mouth slit open to their ear (and, by the way, if you haven't seen this film you really must).
This film makes it the selling point of the movie, not just a brief scene -- the way the woman is shown with the mouth and dead eyes is pretty cool.
A key aspect of the film is that the kids think the woman says "Am I pretty?" and later we are told she says "Aim my neck." I am under the impression that whatever the original wording was, these two phrases are even more similar to create a parallel.
This movie mixes elements from the Western tradition of Slasher movies along with a peculiar kind of creepiness so typical to Asian horror.
The positive parts include the child abuse angle that pervades and drives the plot, the fact that the villain does not only lurk in dark shadowy places but actually acts in broad daylight and a possession story that is original.With so much going on for it, it is a true shame that the movie manages to fall into tired recipes that do away with so much potential.
After all, in a story in which the villain targets children is open to horror as perceived from their point of view.
And the movie itself seems to be aware of this on occasion.With some psychological bits and a decent slasher angle this is a movie that fans of the genre will probably find worth watching but it does have a limited appeal without being part of the elite in the competitive world of J-horror..
"The Slithmouthed Woman" was a nice new approach to Asian horror.
It stands out from the endless sea of Asian horror movies that have ghost women in white dresses with black hair covering their eyes, and 90% of the movie shot in near complete darkness.
"The Slithmouthed Woman" was quite the opposite, and that was a nice change of pace.The story in "The Slithmouthed Woman" is about a woman with a mangled face (her mouth is slashed open) going around abducting and killing people.
Just before she appears and drags you off, people will hear her saying "Am I pretty?" Now, being shot almost in nothing but daylight, "The Slithmouthed Woman" was really a nice change, because you got to see everything that was going on, and not kept in the dark by the lack of lighting.
Sure, the make-up and effects on the woman was really great, I just personally would have liked to see more of that mangled face.
But still, done with moderation, it worked out well enough.The acting in the movie was alright as well, I don't recall having seen the people here in other movies before, and still the people put on great enough performances.However, "The Slithmouthed Woman" is a very predictable movie and you know how it will end early on in the movie.
Had they opted to go with a more adrenaline-filled approach and more action, the movie had worked out all the better.The idea and concept behind the story was really unique and well thought through, it just could have used another set of eyes on it to offer a different approach to the direction in which the movie went.
Pretty average Asian Horror film that still seems to linger in the "long hair creepy woman" category but, the storyline is promising and the creep factor is there, (in small doses,thanks to makeup) but if you are not a fan of plot holes or unexplained elements, (which sometimes work in horror, IMO) then you will not enjoy this film.
I'm really used to seeing perfectly executed scenes with extremely complex story lines so it was nice to watch a horror where I was able to just sit back, relax, and kind of 'laugh' at the holes in plot and the really cheesy physical violence scenes.The plot is all over the place at the beginning but by the end, somehow they manage to successfully make sense of the main plot and subplots that took place throughout the movie."Kuchisake-onna" is different from most cheesy horror films I've seen because it actually evoked emotion.
About 45 minutes or so in I was already rooting for the two lead characters, and there were also several moments throughout the film I actually found heartwarming.This film deserves at least a 6.5 in my opinion, don't expect it to be the best movie you've ever seen and I'm sure you'll enjoy it as much as I did..
There were no scenes that made me jump out of my chair like "Paranormal Activity" or Blair Witch did.What really upset me was the fact, the male school teacher helped in the hunt, but he was a girly man and the sliced mouth woman moved slow as molasses yet he got his butt whipped.
A story that is slightly original and a factor of fear and hopelessness that could have made this a watchable, maybe even good horror movie, with low production values, probably because of budget limitations.However, the film being released in 2007, I can only say that the bad acting and the low production values made this film below average.
The few good things in the movie I can now assume that were cloned off of successful Japanese horror films and dismiss them altogether.Bottom line: ridiculous as this sounds, this story would (in my mind) have created a great movie.
Well I will mention Miki Mizuno who plays the slit-mouthed woman.
This movie was based on a myth, which always gives a horror film an extra creepy film.
After penning Noroi: The Curse, one of the scariest J-horror movies of the last decade, Kôji Shiraishi decided, two years later, to focus on the Japanese urban myth of the slit mouth lady, which has been known in Japan for several generations.
The legend has survived and has spread as any other urban myth, with the story of a woman asking the ones who cross her path if she is pretty and consequently showing them the hideous scar on her face and thus either killing them or disfiguring their face in a similar way.
Among other terrifying (and sometimes hilarious) details, the slit-mouthed woman is supposed to carry with her a pair of scissors as her weapon, being able to run up to 100 km/h and having a bizarre interest in special Japanese candies.
Interestingly enough, the director has however decided to distance from the urban myth, although one character refers the fact that the rumors of the slit mouth lady have been heard for decades.
The appearance of the evil entity is, as always, explained on the basis of a cruel vengeful spirit that comes back for revenge, as it became a cliché in the J-horror panorama for the last few years.
The plot lacks consistency, and even though the history of the slit-mouthed woman is well explained and detailed during the movie, bottom line, her initial appearance appears to be left to interpretation although a few possibilities may come to mind – the result of an earthquake and the opening of her own tomb, the result of a critical mass of believers sharing the rumors of the story of an evil entity, or simply the fact that her appearance may seem to symbolize an explanation for adult's cruelty towards children.Unfortunately during the movie, events simply seem to carelessly pile up, with a few scenes being particularly dumb to say the least.
The majority of the scenes lacked credibility, the abductions were always particularly random, and no patterns were observed with the slit-mouthed woman usually coming out of nowhere.
Which is usually used to explore supernatural powers, was in this case a sequence of characters staring at the ghost, gasping, screaming and crawling, as the slit-mouthed woman, wearing heels, would continually kick each one of them.The making-of suggested Kôji Shiraishi didn't put a particular effort or thought into the plot, with the movie being shot in a considerably short period of time.
Carved is different from most Asian horror flicks in the regard that the story doesn't become overly convoluted and confusing, yet at the same time, it does little to add complexity to the explanation or back story of the Slit-Mouthed Woman.
If you can go into this movie accepting this fact, and not with the mentality of expecting something smart or challenging from the story, then you should easily enjoy this.With that said, this is indeed another norm of the Asian horror genre, "vengeful ghost girl." However the concept of the ghost, and the urban legend revolving around it (which is based on a real legend), does feel fresh and unique.
The main selling point of the Slit-Mouthed Woman's motif is that she specifically targets children with overly sized scissors.
So if you're sensitive to the idea of child abuse (which this film's story is primarily based on) or seeing a corpse of a kid, then avoid watching this.
Unlike American slasher films, where horny teenagers make stupid decisions quickly and you ultimately we care less about what happens to them in the end (not to say that there isn't some merit in that).The main characters are as interesting just as well, as Matsuzaki was once a victim of child abuse, and Yamashita was regretfully an abusive mother herself.
So there is motivation for their characters to stop the Slit-Mouthed Woman from kidnapping and harming another little tot, while over coming their own, personal conflicts.
With a visually grotesque and interesting antagonist (regardless of having a nonsensical weakness and catch phrase, that is more related to the actual legend then the movie's character), I can't help but to recommend this for those who feel tired with most Asian horror flicks and are looking for something different..
the curse of the Kuchisake Onna (a.k.a. The Slit Mouthed Woman).
After an opening which features the legend of the Slit-Mouthed woman being told through several sets of characters.
Slit-Mouthed Woman is not necessarily a "bad" film.
However, the delivery is stilted, and the film has two major faults (as listed below).Kuchisake Onna is plagued with (in my opinion) the worst horror cliché in the book.
Anytime the Slit-Mouthed Woman appears, the films protagonists stand around, frozen like rabbits in car headlights, seemingly incapable of running, or defending themselves.
Especially considering that the Kuchisake Onna can't be killed, it would have been much more fun to watch the film's characters give the demon some serious beat-downs...
Because the film's female characters-including the ghost-all have one thing in common...
The film's misogynistic tomes seem to come out of nowhere and the female characters (while not beating their children) stand idly by while the Kuchisake Onna steals children from under their noses.
but not in this film.To be sure, the film has some redeeming qualities (I did enjoy how the film played the plot straight out, instead of throwing in the gratuitous plot-twist) but when coupled with the faults mentioned above, Kuchisake Onna stands out as an average J-Horror entry at best.
It would have made the film a lot more interesting.Bottom Line- Average J-Horror entry with some major faults..
Cause it left the slit-mouthed woman still out there.
Also,did anyone else notice the little boy at about a third of the way through the movie looks just like Dustin from Zoe 101 only Asian?
Heard about this through YouTube saying it was some Urban Legend which from what I've heard it is, to a point.The film starts with a school in a small town gossiping about a facially disfigured woman known as, The Slit-Mouthed Woman!
Then an earthquake trembles & somehow 'summons' the Slit-Mouthed Woman's body out from the dead & she goes on a rampage killing people as a malicious spirit!
Kid's start to go missing & a teacher & a young man go in search for the missing children & try to stop the Slit- Mouthed Woman.The film was alright, & had a very unnerving & creepy atmosphere to it!
The blood effects were OK, but there could've so pretty good kills & more graphic violence at work here for a film of it's concept.
It seemed like the film was abit too dreary & didn't have any actual life in it, but it was a decent film all the same!I also liked the way the demon was creepy & scary along with the appearance of the Slit-Mouthed Woman face when it opened which was disgusting but horrify too!
The way she was able to jump from person to person & still continue killing was also a good concept.But the biggest plot hole I'd say was the Earthquake being the cause for The Slit-Mouthed Woman being awakened again.
I mean if she was dead as a doormat for 30 years like the guy said in the film then how come in between that time didn't an earthquake waken her up before?
I mean there were stories being mentioned but it just seemed abit coincidental to me!I overall thought this was a creepy dark horror film!
What was once thought of as a mere urban legend (a tall, surgical-masked woman who spirits off with young children during the twilight hours) turns out to be something much more than a scary tale.
This is the premise behind Shiraishi Koji's latest horror/thriller "Kuchisake Onna" (Slit Mouth Woman)."Kuchisake Onna" begins with the abductions of several children in the Kanegawa prefecture of Japan.
Neighborhood gossip attributes the kidnappings to a wives' tale of a horrifically scarred ghost called "Kuchisake Onna" (Slit-Mouth Woman) who wears a surgical-mask to hide her deformity.The local elementary school, where many of the abducted were students, steps up efforts to protect their students by having teachers escort the students to and from school.
The "Kuchisake Onna" character definitely has a freakishly interesting look, which bears a resemblance to Christopher Nolan's new Joker design for the upcoming "Dark Knight" movie as well as Asano Tadanobu's Kakihara character in "Koroshi No Ichi".Shiraishi Koji (who also wrote the screenplay) is no stranger to the genre having directed other cheap horror projects like "Noroi" and "Ju-Rei" but is unable to elicit the genuine shocks and thrills like his contemporaries Nakata Hideo (Ring) or Shimizu Takashi (Ju-on: The Grudge) did in their movies and what we get is just a tame ghost story with no bite.The central focus on "tween" characters seems to suggest that this film may have been aimed towards children and hence the relative low volume of bloodshed (although as mentioned above there are one or two scenes that are somewhat frightening).The overall themes of child abuse are used merely as a provocative and exploitive vehicle.
Why would you go yelling blindly into an unknown house knowing that the slit-mouthed woman can hear you as well as the girl you're looking for?
Why, in the midst of the search, suddenly stop to tell your history of the slit-mouthed woman?
This was a fun, late-night movie, but very little substance compared to other notable J-Horror films.
Based on an urban legend, the film centers around the spirit of a disfigured woman who kidnaps children.
I feel like the film was supposed to work as an allegory of child abuse, and indeed could have if the script had been a little better.
However, the Slit-Mouthed Woman's back story contains some plot holes and the end of the film is rather predictable.
This isn't necessarily a bad movie, especially if J-Horror is your genre. |
tt0160401 | In Too Deep | Undercover cop Jeffrey Cole (Epps) is a recent graduate of the Cincinnati police academy who dreams of working undercover. Cole manages to get an undercover assignment the day of graduation and earns the praise of his superiors. Good at earning the trust of small-time drug dealer, Cole is given the task of taking down statewide crack dealer Dwayne Gittens (LL Cool J), an underworld boss so powerful that his nickname is "God". Gittens is known as a family man and a man of the people, contributing to his community and helping those in need. However, there is another side to him, a ruthless leader of a criminal empire who will torture or kill anyone without question. Gittens controls eighty percent of the drug traffic in Cincinnati, Ohio, controls many of his opponents through bribery or intimidation, and appears to be untouchable. Building up his skills and credentials as an effective undercover officer, Cole earns the praise and adoration from his superiors, and he is eventually assigned to undercover work in the case against Gittens.
Cole goes undercover, posing as a drug dealer under the name of J. Reid from Akron, Ohio. He is determined to be the man who brings down Gittens underworld empire. Cole has to prove he has street cred to gain a place in God's crew. At one point God sends Cole out on a mission with a couple of his cohorts with the intention of Cole killing a man that God wants dead. Trapped in that position, Cole goes along and has to find a way not to kill this man, but not blow his cover. This on the car ride over. What he does is chase the man firing shots at him, but misses intentionally. Thus the crew believe he's loyal, but has bad aim. Cole eventually becomes close with one of the members of Gittens' crew, Breezy T. (Harper). Later on, Cole eludes and assassination attempt by members of Gittens' crew that he was with earlier. Cole goes to Breezy T., thinking that he was set up by Breezy or God. Once Breezy advises that he had nothing to do with that, nor did Gittens, and the guys acted on their own accord, Cole leaves.
Cole's superiors are impressed at his undercover work and how close he has gotten to Gittens, earning his trust while providing his superiors with intricate details into Gittens' organization. Cole's superior, Preston D'Ambrosio (Tucci) worries that the line between cop and bad guy is getting blurred and that both identities are becoming one. He begins to see behavioral changes in Cole, as more and more, Cole starts to assume the J. Reid identity, and D'Ambrosio believes that Cole is getting too far deep undercover that, characteristically and morally, he may not be able to recover from. Because of this, D'Ambrosio places Cole on forced hiatus from undercover and sends him to a place in the woods far from the city to get his head straight and re-discover himself.
During that time, Cole rediscoveres his identity and meets Myra (Long), an aspiring model during one of Cole's photography classes. The two eventually begin dating and D'Ambrosio (who checks in on Cole from time to time) begins to take notice of his new life away from undercover work. Cole tries to convince D'Ambrosio to let him go back undercover in the Gittens case, to no avail. D'Ambrosio is too concerned for Cole becoming the J. Reid moniker and losing his identity for good. D'Ambrosio is eventually overruled by District Attorney Daniel Connelly (Jake Weber) and Rick Scott (David Patrick Kelly), reasoning that Cole is the only undercover cop to infiltrate Gittens crew as deep as he has, and Cole is the person who can bring down Gittens' organization. Cole is then reassigned to the Gittens case. Myra, realizing that he has to go back undercover, begins to distance herself from Cole.
As Cole becomes J. Reid once again, he becomes reacquainted with Gittens. Cole starts to see Gittens becoming unhinged and his sporadic violence in the community (with one example, Gittens beating a man and woman in the streets in broad daylight with his infant son in the car), going as far as beating one of his close associates with a pool stick and ramming the stick up the guy's anus, killing the man for making a pass at his baby's mother. The ruthlessness starts to get to Cole, as he dives deeper into his J. Reid cover. The further Cole goes undercover, the more his identities and loyalties are blurred between Jeffrey Cole, the undercover officer, and J. Reid, the gangster from Akron that has earned Gittens full trust. Because of this, Cole begins to alienate himself from his superiors, his fellow officers, and even Myra, as Cole begins to lose reality of who he is, becoming more and more the J. Reid gangster.
D'Ambrosio wants to pull Cole out of undercover again, as he sees his officer becoming unhinged and becoming J. Reid. Connelly and Scott disagree, and they come up with a sting to bust Gittens meeting with his suppliers, to which D'Ambrosio eventually agrees after Cole convinces him the importance of this sting. During the sting, where Cole and Gittens are meeting with Gittens' suppliers, the police arrive to arrest Gittens and the suppliers. A gunfight ensues, with the police and Gittens. Gittens advises his crew to lower their weapons and surrender (advising that his lawyers will get them out and a shootout with police is futile). Cole shields Gittens from police and a standoff ensues between the officers and an unhinged Cole, struggling between his loyalties. Realizing he is losing himself, Det. Angela Wilson (Grier) talks him down and reminds him that he is Jeffrey Cole, not J. Reid, and to lower his weapon. Cole eventually gets a hold of himself and lowers his gun. As Gittens is being read his Miranda rights, Scott requests Cole to bring Gittens in (and exposes Cole's identity as an undercover cop). Gittens, in disbelief, denies all allegations that Cole is an undercover cop. Eventually Gittens realizes magnitude of the situation and that J. Reid is a cop; Gittens calls Cole a sellout, and leaves in police custody.
During trial, Cole (now out of undercover and back to his normal identity) testifies against Gittens and his organization. Cole puts in a good word for Breezy T., helping him reduce his sentence. Because of the evidence against him and Cole's testimony, Gittens is convicted and sentence to two consecutive terms of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Gittens and Cole share a final glance before Gittens is taken away.
As Connelly and Scott hold a press conference for the conviction of Gittens (taking credit for Cole's undercover work in the process), Cole and Myra (assumed to be back together) are driving and listening to the press conference. Cole switches off the radio, while Myra reminds Cole that his undercover work was the sole reason Gittens is behind bars. The last scenes are shown where Cole is teaching new young officers about undercover work, and the importance to never lose their cover or get too deep. | violence | train | wikipedia | LL Cool J gives a good performance as "God" a ruthless crime lord as well as Omar Epps in a very different role but still manages to keep that street charisma that he has.
Nia Long's character Myra was perfect to draw the line between his police work and his personal life.
Those looking for a rousing shoot-em-up action picture will probably be disappointed by `In Too Deep.' Those looking for a more low-keyed, subdued and thoughtful study of the realities of life as an undercover cop will, however, find much in this film to admire and appreciate.
Omar Epps stars as a Cincinnati-based rookie cop, Officer Jeff Cole, who goes undercover to nab a major cocaine dealer from New Jersey who calls himself `God,' (played by rapper LL Cool J) and who, Godfather-like, involves himself heavily in familial values and efforts to `help' the struggling members of his blighted neighborhood.
The movie builds much of its drama and suspense by bringing to the foreground the fascinating logistics that go into undercover police work, forcing us to witness first hand the risks, the moral compromises (to be convincing, Cole has to snort cocaine himself, for example) and the psychological ambiguities that invariably accompany the job.
The screenplay, though it could be sharper and more incisive at times, occasionally achieves substance in its examination of just what happens to an undercover agent's mind when he does indeed get `in too deep.' In addition, the film frequently achieves moments of genuine suspense, in truly scary scenes involving God's uncontrolled displays of manic violence and torture and in moments when Cole's entire cover seems to have been `blown.' In those moments, LL Cool J hits all the right notes in his performance but, both he and Epps, unfortunately, lack the dramatic and emotional range as actors necessary to make their quieter, more intimate moments effectively credible.
In addition, the dialogue often rings untrue, especially in the conversations among the commanding officers played by Stanley Tucci and, in another weak portrayal, Pam Grier among others.With better performances, harder-edged dialogue and slightly more energetic direction, `In Too Deep' might have been a great study of moral conflict set within the context of an exciting policier.
As it is, `In Too Deep' respects the seriousness of both its subject matter and its audience and provides a number of powerful scenes - factors for which we are grateful but which also make us yearn for the high quality film that might have been..
Omar Epps is good in the lead role a J.
Reid/Jeffery Cole an undercover cop who begins to lose his mind while trying to get close to God ( a drug lord) played very effectively by LL Cool in one of his best performances ever.
While the film isn't as good as Deep Cover it's still worth a look..
First of all I'll start by saying that "In Too Deep" is a watered down version of "Deep Cover", but that's not really a bad thing.The movie looks, sounds and is acted in a very well put together way.
Stanley Tucci, excellent, Nia Long, let her have her own movie,PLEASE!!, Omar Epps as "J.
And look for Pam Grier, NAS, and a few others.A really good African American crime thriller, with heart..
Omar Epps plays Cole, an undercover cop who goes "in too deep" to stop God. At first he suspects he's a cop but after certain encounters with God's enimes; Cole proves himself.
Very realistic portrayal of the Ohio drug crime scene and the tense tightrope walk an undercover officer had to do to nab the local drug-lord.
Reasonable performance by Omar Epps and a good one by LLCJ.
I found the part of the movie where he takes a forced hiatus from his undercover role a little draggy though.
A superb, tense thriller that can be placed alongside "Donnie Brasco" (I mean, of course, Agent Joseph Pistone's book, not the dreadful movie, full of lies and awful changes, that was "based" on it).
A very realistic experience, with attention paid to the tiniest details and legalities - this isn't your average stupid Tarantino flick where undercover cops go around happily shooting anyone they want whenever they feel like it; this feels almost *real*!
I doubt if the movie was actually based on a true story of an undercover policeman (unless the "story" is the obvious fact that thousands of policemen risk their lives every month working undercover all over the world), but if anything like it ever happened, you can safely bet that it happened exactly the way the movie tells it.
If while reading "Donnie Brasco" (NOT while watching its stupid film version...) you ever wondered what it would be like if moved to the 1990s, "In Too Deep" will answer your questions!
You're in tension on any other scene, vowing for Reid.Soundtrack (5 out of 10): No major scores.Special Effects (10 out of 10): Max rating, since everything tha's shown feels real.
Keep in mind that this movie uses little special effects.Movie's main characteristic: Character-driven.Final Score: 7.4 (7).Summary: In Too Deep is a solid crime drama about an undercover cop struggling with his personal life plus his own mind.
The movie runs for a short time and shows us what we need to know without dragging too much..
It was an incredible mix of scripting, acting, dialogue and cinematography that uncovered an understanding of truth on both sides of the issue.In this film, Omar Epps plays a rookie, undercover cop, whose first small assignment actually leads him into the number one crime syndicate in all of Cincinnati.
Omar Epps is also great, and Nia Long, nice eye candy from fresh prince of Bel Air and Stanley Tucci, who added further weight to the cast.
The soundtrack is great too, especially at the end with the Mobb Deep track, it's a perfect fit.Overall rating: 7 out of 10..
Michael Rymers look at an undercover cop infiltrating a east coast drug lord is unrealistic, at times entertaining but all-together only average.
omar Epps is decent in the lead role, but LL Cool J's performance as the drug lord wasn't the best.
Nia Long was nice eye candy and Stanley Tucci and Pam Grier were good enough in there roles.
There's better films out there in this genre such as New Jack City and great stuff like Donnie Brasco.
That goes double for Pam Grier - her "character" isn't much more than a target for a few of Omar's attacks after he goes "too deep"..
This is a good, well constructed action film which involves an all black cast that is more than worth seeing.
Omar Epps is the lead and shows a lot of promise, as a "ghetto" undercover cop who gets a little too entangled with his job.I have to say, LL Cool J is the best.
Originally tonight's late night movie on BBC 1 was going to be the pierce Brosnan thriller DEATH TRAIN but because of a terrible train crash down in England a few days ago the BBC must have changed their mind in a similar way to some US stations changing their mind about showing SAVING PRIVATE RYAN while there's a war on so instead the BBC showed this gritty urban thriller .
" The film contains very strong language , violence and scenes viewers may find disturbing " said the announcer which led me to believe the station might have been better of showing a comedy if they were going to change the schedule Yes indeed IN TOO DEEP does contain strong language and scenes of violence , I sure hope the bad guy chalked his pool stick before taking his shot .
From the outset it's obvious what the story is about and where it's heading , an undercover cop infiltrates a drugs gang and ends up going native so right away you're reminded of NEW JACK CITY , DONNIE BRASCO and the little seen British thriller I.D .
There isn't one original idea to be found anywhere in this film; you'll recognize scenes taken from movies you haven't even seen!
Like Deep Cover not as good but a bit more hip and pretty good.
Starting out his undercover career with small scale drug busts, Jef Cole is soon enlisted to go after the main dealer, known locally as God.
When a chance meeting with a FBI agent reveals that no other officer has got close to God since then, Jeff offers to go back under but can he avoid going native?I taped this simply because of the cast and I must admit I didn't expect much from it.
I knew from the plot summary that it was going to be a version of Deep Cover, but with more rappers!
The plot, while not original, is actually pretty good fun to watch.
The main plot though is quite energetic and exciting the question of whether Jeff will go `in too deep' or not is pretty moot simply due to the nature of the film but it is still good.Although in many films, rappers stand out as giving poor cameos etc, here they all do well.
The opening credits are stylishly shot and the director does a pretty good job of mixing a gritty street feel with some stylish flourishes.
The film feels very polished and professional rather the sort of cheap rubbish that many predominately-rapper cast films have been in the past few years.Speaking of cast, Epps does a good job as a leading man, he is a solid black actor who could be somewhere between Washington and Snipes in terms of abilities and genre.
LL Cool J does a good job, enjoying himself playing a bad guy.
Support cast includes a long line of rappers & cameos etc who do reasonable jobs Sticky Fingaz is perfect in this type of role (albeit perpetuating a stereotype) and other faces include Pam Grier, Nas, Dupri and Mya.Overall this is a surprisingly enjoyable film that is criminally underwatched.
While not original it is solidly good fun and well made with the cast giving enjoyable performances..
This movie delves deeply into the mind state and life of an undercover police officer.
This movie can be compared to other movies such as; The Donnie Brasco Story, and Deep Cover.
This movie did a great job at showing the painful side of being an undercover police agent.
In Too Deep is a great action-packed movie with a resounding punch.
I give thumb ups to Omar Epps, L.L. Cool J.
This movie was pretty good i guess.
They didn't give enough information about what was going the first two years he was undercover trying to take down "GOD." He was undercover and then all of a sudden it's two years later in the film and he's gotten in too deep and has to hide out.
Omar Epps, although i think he's a great young actor, felt that his performance was kind of lame and flat except when he was playing the part of the undercover "Jay Reid.".
But I think I liked this movie better, the first time I saw it.
From feeding the local poor, to the undercover cop getting close to the top, to the baby references (God had a kid, Nino's woman couldn't).Been there Done that..
LL Cool J has expanded his acting skills with this one; he definitely is NOT a good guy, and his performance as a drug lord named "GOD" is first rate.
Omar Epps is intriguing as the undercover cop who feels duty bound to bring him to justice while his boss(Stanley Tucci) just wants to take him off of the case because of fears for his safety.
Nia Long, sort of in a castoff role, is the on and off love interest of J.Reid(Omar Epps).
Overall, this movie has good performances and an especially chilling scene involving LL Cool J handing out severe punishment to one of his "boys".
Omar Epps is surprising and masterful as the lead playing an undercover cop.
Also, LL Cool J does a very convincing job as a drug lord.
In Too Deep is one of the best movies I have ever seen.
The ending line with god, youre not a cop j reid, youre a sellout.
Youre life.' Great quotes like this along with an exceptional storyline make this one of the most under-rated movies in US history..
Standard undercover cop drama done well but ends without much drama.
Rookie cop Jeffrey Cole (Omar Epps) works in the narco unit and shows skills posing in the drug world.
Dwayne Gittens (LL Cool J) is the leader of a drug gang calling himself God. Jeff goes undercover as J.Reid to take down God. He gets introduced by Breezy T (Hill Harper) and befriends the headman.
I like Omar Epps.
Omar Epps is great and he shows that he has the acting skills.
This is a gritty urban black version of many movies everybody has seen before.
Seldom is an action movie really focused on the story, instead it's always about the man who can do the impossible.
In Too Deep was different though because it was based on a true story and there really weren't any expensive special effects.
In this film, Omar Epps plays a rookie, undercover cop, whose first small assignment actually leads him into the number one crime syndicate in all of Cincinnati.
In Too Deep featured a great, real life story, that was on the level, I really enjoyed this film.
Everything was very well done, but it is very obvious that the Writer/Director of this film was white, while the majority of the cast was black.
I understand the point of this movie was to be real, but part of that realism was that this gang had never been infiltrated because of how smart they were.
Omar Epps plays an undercover cop trying to catch a drug lord played by LL Cool J.
Both the leads are great especially Cool J who plays his bad guy character as an intelligent reasonable guy who can nevertheless be extremely vicious when he has to be.Two complaints.
Another problem is the hero cop has a girl friend and the movie spends lots of time on that silly romance even though it has nothing to do with the real story..
IN TOO DEEP is a movie that packs a good punch, violence wise.
This film may shock you if you are not a seasoned movie vet(like myself).
Aside from the violence and bad language, IN TOO DEEP gives us a nice look at what undercover police work might look like.
This film is well acted by the whole cast(especially LL COOL J) and includes a "hip" sound track that adds to the films look and feel.
The point of the film is about an undercover cop that tries to work his way into a drug king pin's dealing business in order to bring him down.
This is a well done movie and I recommend it to those who like action and rap.
Anybody who remembers classic undercover cop capers, like "Serpico," "Rush," "Deep Cover," "New Jack City," "Donnie Brasco," or even a "Wiseguy" or "Miami Vice" TV episode, should find "In Too Deep" ranks as a tolerably exciting but hopelessly derivative variation on a well-worn theme.
Although Australian director Michael "Angel Heart" Rymer and "Dead Presidents" writer Michael Henry Brown and "The Octagon" scribe Paul Aaron stick to the formula, they have provided enough new material so that "In Too Deep" doesn't overdose on clichés."In Too Deep" chronicles the predicament that undercover Cincinnati cop Jeff Cole (Omar Epps of "The Mod Squad") confronts when he must prove he is not the heat but a home boy to a suspicious, big-time coke dealer.
Rymer and his scenarists dilute some of the suspense by unfolding the story in flashbacks as our hero lectures a class of Chicago rookies about the dangers of undercover work.
Anti-climactic and predictable as "In Too Deep" remains, Rymer and his writers cobble together a serviceable actioneer with layers of atmosphere.Cole is fresh out of the police academy when he volunteers to go undercover for Captain Preston Boyd (Stanley Tucci of "Big Night").
A refugee from New Jersey who has settled in Cincinnati, Gittens (L.L. Cool J) runs 80 per cent of the coke in town and calls himself 'God." According to Boyd, nobody has ever gotten close enough to Gittens to nail him.
Jeff Cole grows so obsessed with arresting 'God' that he crosses the line between good and evil and his undercover gangsta persona overshadows who he really is.
When he tries to see Myra, she vows to have nothing to do with him.Although "In Too Deep" imitates many earlier undercover cop movies, several things differentiate it.
The Cincinnati police uniforms with their white kepis make the cops look like AFJROTC cadets.
Typically, the villains die a horrible death in these movies.Omar Epps has more to do as an undercover cop in "In Too Deep" than he had in "The Mod Squad." At times, when he dons an obvious wig, he resembles a young Yaphet Kotto.
Meanwhile, rapper L.L. Cool J forges a memorable villain in Dwayne 'God' Gittens.
." "In Too Deep" qualifies as an above-average entry in the drug bust genre, though it pales by comparison with "New Jack City," "Donnie Brasco," or "Serpico." Sloppy scripting sometimes mars the overall sense of believability.
After Cole busts the Latino drug dealers, he waltzes out of his house amid a swarm of cops, and a friend of the family spots him.
If you enjoy slam-bang cop thrillers, "In Too Deep" makes the grade..
First off I would like to say what a hell of a movie and story plot.
I will start of by saying LL Cool J is a very legit gangster and drug lord.
Second off i knew Omar Epps was a very talented actor... |
tt1800741 | Step Up Revolution | The movie begins on Ocean Drive in Miami, Florida. A flashmob, later identified as "The MOB", shuts down Ocean Drive by cutting off the streets with retro convertibles and dancing on cars to music blasted by DJ Penelope (Cleopatra Coleman). A few hours later, Sean (Ryan Guzman), Eddy (Misha Gabriel), and Jason Hardlerson (Stephen "tWitch" Boss), the leaders of the MOB, watch their latest flashmob air on the news in a restaurant kitchen where they work. A few complain about their public disturbance, while others praise it. After they get off work, they sneak into the Dimont Hotel's beach club (where they work), claiming to be guests, not employees.
Meanwhile, across the club at the bar, Emily (Kathryn McCormick) tries to get the waiter's attention, but ends up preparing her own beer. Sean, who is immediately smitten by her, asks for a beer. She tells him its on the house, then heads down to the beach to dance, resulting in a dance battle between the two, but ending with Emily suddenly running off when she sees one of her dad's business partners, Trip.
The next day, Emily and her dad William "Bill" Anderson (Peter Gallagher) argue over breakfast at the Dimont Hotel. Sean, their waiter, immediately recognizes her, but Emily spills her orange juice in an attempt to distract Sean. He helps clean it up, but when he goes too far Emily immediately storms off in an angry fit with Sean following her into the hotel's ballroom, where Emily begins a fast contemporary dance, oblivious to Sean's presence. After Emily notices Sean and warms up to him, she explains to him that she's trying to nail an audition for the prestigious Winwood Dance Academy Company, which she is already a pupil of. Sean advises her to incorporate faster, more interesting moves, but Emily declines, saying that there are rules. Sean, in turn, tells her to break the rules, giving her an address and telling her to come there. Emily does and finds herself at the Miami Museum of Fine Arts, where the paintings and statues come to life, which is work of the MOB. By telling her to attend, Sean basically reveals to her his participation in the MOB.
The next day, Emily persuades Sean to let her take part in their next MOB, which is scheduled to hit a restaurant the following week. Eddy immediately dislikes Emily, giving her the lead to test her. Sean then introduces her to "the gang" where she meets Eddy (The Hacker), Penelope (The DJ), Jason Hardlerson (The FX), and Mercury (The Artist), who never talks. He also explains that they are trying to win a contest through YouTube by getting 10 million hits on the site. The flashmob goes well and Eddy admits that Emily did great. They then celebrate at Ricky's, where Sean and Emily salsa together, much to everyone's delight. Sean and Emily then sneak onto a boat Sean had reserved for himself to sail down the river. There, they bond over their mothers both not being a part of their lives, and they kiss and sleep on the boat until morning. When they hurry back to Ricky's, which turns out to be owned by Sean's uncle, Ricky reveals to them that Emily's dad, a building tycoon, is planning to develop the strip, destroying Ricky's bar, Sean's home, Sean's sister's home and workplace, and many other things. Enraged, Emily storms off to talk to her dad, with Sean following behind her. Emily wants to tell the MOB who her dad is, but is reluctantly convinced by Sean not to. She instead finds out from her dad that there will be a meeting to determine whether the project to develop the strip goes through or not. She convinces the rest of the MOB to protest the plans. Their dance is a huge hit, gaining the group over a million more views.
Eddy finds out that Emily is William's daughter through watching a tape of Sean and Emily rehearsing where she reveals the truth, without knowing that they are being recorded. Enraged, he reveals with the MOB to William through a protest dance that Emily is a part of the MOB. This ruins relationships for Emily with Sean (romantically), Eddy (friendly), William (trustfully), and the rest of the MOB. Emily leaves embarrassed, and Sean, brokenhearted, is arrested for trying to stop Eddy from being arrested after they fight. Emily had rehearsed her Winwood audition piece as a duet with Sean, but now that she and Sean are estranged, she no longer has him as a dance partner. Instead, she adapts the piece, dancing it as a solo performance. The result falls flat and she fails her audition for the troop. She finally meets Sean, and tells him she is going back to work for her dad, per a promise she made with her dad that if she did not become a professional dancer by the end of the summer that she would work at his hotel.
After Sean and Eddy were sent to jail for being caught in the flashmob, Ricky bails them out and Sean and Eddy make up. Sean convinces the MOB to do one last protest to speak for the people who don't have a voice, but the MOB gives them one. They then MOB the development public announcement, with the help of past Step Up characters, including Moose (Adam Sevani), Vladd and Jenny Kido. Sean and Emily then perform the original audition piece. Seeing his daughter so happy, William decides to build up the community rather than tear it down, and he and Emily reconcile. Sean and Emily kiss passionately and make up, and Sean and Eddy make a deal with the owner of the marketing firm that represents Nike for the MOB to dance in their commercials. The end sequence shows numerous dance numbers from throughout the movie. | romantic | train | wikipedia | I got it and maybe better than I expected with robust routines blending 3-D performance and modern art to tell a story that moves from public display to public mission."The Mob" is a flash mob secretly doing percussive urban choreography at different times in Miami to publish the dance on YouTube and win $100K for the most hits.
The opening sequence using vintage low-riders in a traffic jam is spectacular, a muscular routine using very physical dance and very physical automobiles for an enjoyable fusion of art and pop culture.Look, this is not Flashdance or Dirty Dancing, and Emily (Kathryn McCormick) is not Jennifer Beals, nor is Sean (Ryan Guzman) Patrick Swayze (or Channing Tatum from the first installment), but they are attractive performers given simple dialogue but dynamic modern film dancing that uses creative camera angles and minimal CGI to tell a pleasant formulaic story.
In other words, I was entertained by the dancing and found the screenplay clichéd.Emily's dad, Mr. Anderson (Peter Gallagher, the only true actor in the lot), plans to build a giant complex right in the hood of the dancers, a place romanticized for the purposes of the story but in reality a poor wharf community.
The set pieces are uniformly exciting and executed with such energy as to evoke the passions of youth and protest.The story and the dialogue are pedestrian, but that dancing is so magnetic that I might go back and see the first three films in the series and maybe Footloose and maybe even West Side story and Strictly Ballroom.If for nothing else, Step Up Revolution keeps alive the romantic dance movie genre with some steps even Fred Astaire wouldn't recognize.
In order to win a YouTube contest with a grand prize, each of their performances are filmed and put online to get the most views that they possibly can receive.Sean (Guzman) first meets Emily (McCormick) at a party and she eventually joins The Mob. However, they soon find out that some successful businessman is planning to tear down The Mob members' neighborhood.
Didn't see that one coming
The rest of the movie involves The Mob using their talents to protest and win their neighborhood back, while Emily is conflicted between her father and her new crew.My expectations were pretty low going in, but somehow this movie is even worse than I had expected.
When Step Up was released in 2006 with a pre-fame Channing Tatum, there was little need for a plot or character development but they included it anyway – and the movie, along with the hip-hop/ballet moves, was actually really good.
I have always been a step up fan from the first one..with my personal favorite being the second one.I went to watch this after reading all the negative reviews,but after watching it ...i have to say it was awesome....just the whole dance and music will keep u on your seats frustrated enough to get up and dance....who cares about the storyline for an ultimate dance musical movie like step up...its all for fun for the adrenaline rush ....still this time they introduced concept dancing of a cause and it does make sense...it has a point in it and that was good...all the way it is surely a movie for all the step up fans who loves dance and music and a hell lot of fun mixed with it......
If you feel the need to watch this movie I recommend saving yourself time and just fast forward to the dance scenes..
And thats a huge reason why these films work because from it's superior sequel, best of the franchise and one of the best dance movies ever made Step Up 2 The Streets the movies have found this odd balance off fiery kinetic dancing, likable personalities, overly melodramatic and unintentionally funny performances, ferocious cinematography and hammy storytelling that just works.
Enter the film's interestingly semi fleshed out plot as they decide to change their flash mobs from breezy dance numbers to ones with meaning as they protest "The Man" so to speak.
Step Up Revolution follows a girl aspiring to be a professional dancer who falls in love with the leader of a flash mob dance crew.
The previous films in this series managed to stay pretty entertaining even without Tatum thanks to the great dance sequences and the likable talented Adam Sevani who played Moose.
Emily arrives in Miami with aspirations of becoming a professional dancer and soon falls in love with Sean, a young man who leads a dance crew in elaborate, cutting-edge flash mobs, called "The Mob." When a wealthy business man threatens to develop The Mob's historic neighborhood and displace thousands of people, Emily must band together with Sean and The Mob to turn their performance art into protest art, and risk losing their dreams to fight for a greater cause.
Lastly, the actors can surely dance, but their performances are merely sufficient.If you like the STEP UP films, there's no reason you won't enjoy this one.
On another note, I would like to indicate that director Scott Speer directed some episodes from the web series THE LEGION OF EXTRAORDINARY DANCERS (LXD), created by Jon Chu, which I highly recommend to watch as it provides a great alternative to your usual dance flicks (think THE AVENGERS but with dancing).
Unfortunately for the last two installments, that new edge is 3-D, which may have you wondering, "Is this really needed for a dance movie?" Well I'm back from a late showing to give you the scoop on Step Up Revolution and hopefully answer your questions of whether this sequel is worth a watch.As many of you may have noticed, the Step Up series started out balanced in story, character development, and well choreographed dance moves.
While some of these moves are rather silly, i.e. a few guys looking like they are going through electroshock therapy, there are a few flips that will make you think, "Hey he's part Jedi." The break dancing is quite good and when intertwined with the various dance styles in this movie, one can't help but be impressed with the work and talent of these people.
I especially enjoyed Twitch, Brandon, and Tony Bellissimo (you were in it to little <3) Kathryn McCormick proved to be a good actor and an even better dancing which I had expected due to her experiences and performances on SYTYCD.
But above all when she dances you feel the white hot wave of liberation sweep through your body along with the sweet passion of unbridled desire.....She has beautiful arms, And she has charms , And and.....she's certainly brought out the poet in me.....So whats the story ??There's leading actor Ryan Guzman who is the leader of a pack of flash mob dancers who surprise people by suddenly erupting in dance in Miami city.....a pack that consists of people of diverse races---whites , hispanics , blacks....
Sean played by a homosexual dancer was moving like vanilla ice on water, his kick style dancing would of made even the hardcore dancers of the next generation salivate, the only way to express the moves he does without you seeing this film is by saying imagine Tchaikovskys Swan Lake performed by a man in slacks, Now to the very believable storyline which involves a billionaire property dealer who wants to knock down thousands of crack houses to make way for better quality homes and a cleaner safe environment for children to play in, and the dancers persistent fight to thwart him in his tracks, and true to life after 2 hours of watching kicks and hands flapping about they succeed, plus they all become great mates and have a bit of a laugh.
What is your expectations when seeing a dance movie, I mean many of the reviews are negative because the story is not all that good and maybe it seems a bit to out there to change the mind of others via dance.Well what I like about these movies, this franchise, is that it is all about showing some great dancers doing something extra and showing off cool choreographs and playing great music, it always have a lot of different music, not only dance and hip hop, but also classic and ballet etc.
I wish I had some of the talents these actors and dancers have, they make it seem so easy and cool, so this is why you should see these movies, not for the story, not for the typical romantic thing, but for the dancing, the music, the moves and the cool scenes with that.Enjoyable, just see it for the moves and the music..
I started watching this movie being a little curious never having seen any street dance film before.
I think this film would also be good to see if you are an aspiring dancer or if you are working towards a qualification in dance as it can give you loads of inspiration.As well as lovely dance routines, the plot is a brilliant write up which will not bore you!In conclusion step up 4 is an eventful, well-thought out film that will be sure to make you sit and watch it until you reach the end!.
In the other movies you also have to wait for the really good dance parts until the end.That certainly isn't the case with 'Step Up Revolution'.
Ryan Guzman and Kathryn McCormick (from Season 6 of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE) are earnestly appealing leads/dancers, Peter Gallagher is on board to lend credence to the proceedings, and the gorgeous production design by Carlos Menéndez matches bountiful eye candy strewn through out this semi-musical, but the story can't stand much scrutiny, especially caricatures of big business, and the supporting cast either just dance their way into the film or meander and amble throughout the several stage-pieces, literally and figuratively.However, this kind of film serves as a stepping stone for the likes of the handsome Guzman and the stunning McCormick (both of them can act as well), and for a dancer like me, the whole film is a visual feast for the (terpsichorean) senses.
Flash mobs done by pros.In this movie we follow the performances of a group of Miami dancers called "The Mob", who dance like professionals and put on incredibly complicated cutting-edge performances.
What makes this movie an wonderful feat, like the other "Step Up" films, is by watching these actors/dancers handling their double duties and doing it really well.
Step Up RevolutionBefore inviting you to a "flash mob" people should emphasize to not show up wearing nothing but a trench coat.Thankfully, the participants in this dance movie know that flash mobs don't involve exposed genitals.When Emily (Kathryn McCormick), an aspiring ballerina, relocates to Miami with her developer father (Peter Gallagher), she falls for Sean (Ryan Guzman), the mastermind behind The Mob, a group that performs spontaneous dances in public spaces.Determined for his crew to win a Youtube contest, Sean's money-driven flash mobs must be put on hold when Emily's dad threatens to redevelop The Mob's neighbourhood.Motivated by morals, The Mob now implements elaborate dances of dissent at investor parties.Despite the movie's facile grasp of grassroots protest and highly improbable ending, Step Up Revolution features some of the best moves of the series.As for how to prevent flash mobs from occurring, simply install cell phone jammers.
Dialougues were worse and the performances AWFUL the director simply expected the viewers sympathy regarding the plot saving the neighborhood with dance?????hero's best buddy's performance was the disastrous performance...he does his role as if he is in some other world saying the dialogs reluctantly and reacting to things lately.....the rest of crew leaving heroine's dad remaining all are worthless....they release 3 videos in you tube and the Miami cops were not in a position to find who the people were in THE MOB....sorry guys this goes on and finally as per me step up streets was my favorite with regard to dance....and with regard to plot and performances step up one is my favorite...and by far this is the worse among the franchise..
Emily (Kathryn McCormick) arrives in Miami with aspirations of becoming a professional dancer and soon falls in love with Sean (Ryan Guzman), a young man who leads a dance crew in elaborate, cutting-edge flash mobs, called "The Mob." When a wealthy business man threatens to develop The Mob's historic neighborhood and displace thousands of people, Emily must band together with Sean and The Mob to turn their performance art into protest art, and risk losing their dreams to fight for a greater cause.Step up revolution lives up to its expectations as just like previous movies it had great dancing sequences and weak actors.
Step Up Revolution was way off better than its previous part thanks to decent story and out-of-box dance choreography.Group of dancers form a group called The Mob to participate in Youtube contest to get maximum number of hit but their competition turns serious when they must dance to protest against the corporate decision to destroy their neighborhood and construct a new projectI have been a big fan of Step Up series because of their innovative and excellent dance moves coupled with foot-tapping music.
On the overall basis , Step-up revolution is a commendable watch especially if you like flashy dance and foot-tapping club music but do not expect more than that.
I'm not sure how many Step Up franchise films can there be, but so long as there are exciting new choreographers itching to show what they have up their sleeves, and actors/dancers willing to take a chance, then there will probably always be room for any story to be strung together for a series of choreographed dances to work in a film.
The first one arguably launched Channing Tatum's career, and have inspired various other dance movies to come marching out on cue, Step Up Revolution continues in the formula that will immediately appeal to all fans of dance films, and for those who are looking to be inspired by incorporating some moves into their own routines.The action now moves to Miami, where a bunch of flash mobbers earn notoriety through their mob stunts, seemingly without much of an aim other than to show the world what they can do, milk an internet stardom out of their performances, gain millions of views, before it's revealed to be for some sort of a competition, where 10 million views on a Youtube like channel will win them that pot of gold worth about a hundred thousand dollars.
So what better way than to assemble a crew of like minded individuals who can dance, design and pull off an elaborate flash mob involving dance, and watch their fame, or infamy grow.But of course there's a need for some form of a story, and that comes from the mob's co- founder Sean (Ryan Guzman), a loafer working at a new hotel in which he meets Emily (Kathryn McCormick), his boss' rich little girl who doesn't get what she wants because her father, real estate magnate Andersen (Peter Gallagher) frowns upon her artistic inclination to be schooled in the art of dance.
The challenges come from Emily wanting to join Sean's mob to hone creativity and originality, while keeping her parentage a secret since her father wants to level everyone's homes and neighbourhood just to build another swanky property.This plain story actually mirrors the original Step Up in a number of ways, where the male protagonist dances his way to the girl's heart while working with her on her choreography, as a school assignment.
The dance sequences are still cool, but it is more stylised and more group effort than the other "Step Up" films, which focus more on amazing body contortions."Step Up Revolution" is fun to watch, but the plot is rather weak as there are so many unbelievable moments.
The story would've worked had there been a few changes and characters that were believable but it seems the movie didn't care about any of that and it simply just wanted to show off the 3D and dance sequences.
The other three films in the series had much better acting and characters that you cared for, the best actor in the movie is Adam G.
Taking place in Miami, we meet Sean (Ryan Guzman), the leader of a streetwise dance crew called The Mob. As the name suggests, he and his team specialize in staging elaborate flash mobs; in the course of this film, we will see them perform unscheduled, disruptive dance routines on a busy stretch of highway, in a museum, in a restaurant, in the lobby of a hotel, and on a construction site, all the while employing stunts, practical effects, costume changes, and even illegal street art, the latter of which acts as their calling card.
I'm not sure what the answer is, but these 'Step Up' films have got to go, or at least, be of a better embodiment of talent.'Step Up: Revolution' is the 4th installment of the franchise and I think wanted to be an actual remake of 'Dirty Dancing', since its story-lines are so similar.
She sparks with Sean, the leader of a dance crew whose neighborhood is threatened by Emily's father's development plans.I liked the first movie, even the sequels previous to this were decent enough, but this was just awful to watch.
Yet Step Up Revolution is such a scorching culmination of quality that has been escalating in greatness over the three previous Step Up movies that when I say everyone will be able to appreciate even the stains as part of the package, I really mean it.Sean (Ryan Guzman) is the leader of The MOB, a dance group that stages elaborate street performances and films them with the goal of winning a YouTube competition where YouTube pays the first video that reaches 10 million hits. |
tt0423176 | Shijie | The World tells the story of two workers at Beijing World Park: a performer, Tao (played by actress Zhao Tao), and Taisheng (Chen Taisheng), a security guard and Tao's boyfriend. As the film begins, Tao is visited by her ex-boyfriend, who is on his way to Ulan Batur. Taisheng meets Tao and the ex-boyfriend at a small diner and insists on driving him to the Beijing Railway Station. From this awkward introduction, the relationship between Tao and Taisheng grows increasingly strained. Taisheng, frustrated that Tao refuses to have sex with him, is also busy with fellow migrants from his home province of Shanxi. One, Chen Zhijun nicknamed "Little Sister," is a childhood friend of Taisheng's and comes to him looking for a job. Taisheng manages to put him in touch with someone and he eventually finds work as a construction worker.
Tao, meanwhile, meets one of World Park's Russian performers, a woman named Anna. Though Anna speaks no Chinese, and Tao no Russian, the two become unlikely friends. Anna confesses to Tao that she will quit her job and implies that she must prostitute herself in order to make enough money to see her sister, also in Ulan Batur (Tao, realizing only that Anna is upset, tries to comfort her). Later, while at a karaoke bar, Tao runs into Anna and confirms that Anna has indeed become a prostitute. Anna runs away and Tao cries, neither quite knowing what the other is thinking. As for Taisheng, he soon proves to possess a roving eye. When one of his associates asks him to drive a woman, Qun, to Taiyuan so that she can deal with her gambling brother, Taisheng agrees. Taisheng becomes enraptured with Qun shortly afterwards, and the two often meet at Qun's small clothing shop. There, Qun tells Taisheng about her husband, who years before had left China for France. Since then, she has tried with some difficulty to obtain a visa to join him. Though he pursues her, Qun rejects Taisheng's physical propositions.
Taisheng eventually convinces Tao to have sex with him, with Tao threatening that she will poison him if he ever betrays her. His life, however, quickly spirals out of control when "Little Sister" is killed in a construction accident. Sometime after the accidental death of Little Sister, Wei and Niu, two other performers at World Park, announce that they plan to wed, despite the fact that Niu is dangerously jealous and unstable. At the wedding, Tao discovers a text-message sent from Qun, who has at last received her visa, to Taisheng, saying that their meeting and relationship was destined. Believing that Taisheng has indeed betrayed her, Tao is devastated and cuts off contact with him while she house-sits for Wei and Niu. When Taisheng comes to visit her there, she ignores him. Sometime later, Taisheng and Tao have succumbed to the gas leak, presumably in their friends' apartment. As the film fades to black, Taisheng's voice asks, "Are we dead?" "No," Tao's voice responds, "this is only the beginning." | dramatic | train | wikipedia | "The World" is set in the tacky eponymous Beijing theme park and details the lives of the alienated young workers who are spiritually and physically trapped there.
The central characters are so alone, alienated and unable to communicate in any meaningful way--much of the dialogue is spoken into the ubiquitous cellphones--that the closest any two people come together are two woman--one Chinese, the other Russian--who don't speak a word of each other's language.
A commentary on the urbanization of modern day China, Jia has moved into the slick world of government approved film-making without losing touch with the direction of his earlier films.
The Chinese government would like for the world to see them as metropolitan, glitzy, shiny, and new, so Jia, in this first film of his with government backing, uses cinema-scope, modern techno beats, computer animation and up-to-date electronics.
I think I have truly seen a master in action with Shijie, a film that takes place in a world theme park (this place does really exist) in China.Zhang Ke Jia is a masterful director.
He borrows heavily from Ozu, particularly a scene that is reminiscent of Tokyo Story and makes something that is uniquely his own.The basic synopsis of "The World", is of the lives of the workers in the theme park.
Everyday trials and tribulations happen for these young adults who are trying to work in the 'New China'.Somehow though with all the issues involved, rural people coming into the cities, technological communication, the erosion of China's agrarian past, the fakeness of place, the exploitation of workers and lead up to prostitution, the camaraderie of friends, the cheapness of life..
I had a hard time separating the actors from the characters, at times I thought I was watching a documentary and I prayed or hoped for someone to do well and be happy and find themselves thinking that these were real people in harsh sometimes difficult situations.
"The World (Shijie)" is one of the saddest films I've ever seen and is a moving visualization of the tragedy of rising expectations.While it is set very particularly in China, it achingly proves the universality of the twin globalization pulls of modernization and immigration over the past three hundred years around the world, recalling films from "Hester Street" to "The Emigrants (Utvandrarna)," and films about cities in throes of developmental change, like "Atlantic City." These are universally recognizable young people - they rebel against and yet feel tied to their families and regretfully break ties with old friends; they fight with their siblings but bail them out; they get lonely, a bit homesick, and bored; they are jealous and ambitious; and they constantly compromise, particularly the women bargaining with the oldest currency.
With what is a bit heavy-handed symbolism, the film is specifically set in what I presume is a real amusement park called "The World" on the outskirts of Beijing that replicates landmarks in scaled miniature and focuses on the employees and their extended, inter-connected network of friends and family.At first, they look to us as swaggering city sophisticates, as they dress-up in international costumes for a park revue, surrounded by emblems of international commercial culture, like fake Louis Vuitton bags and movie posters, such as of "Titanic," They jealously and zealously call each other constantly by the most modern cell phone and text messengers, particularly from the encircling monorail that at first seems like a symbol of modern technology, but is really cobbled together from airplane parts--though one woman wistfully notes that she doesn't know anyone who has been on a plane- a frequent response to a call is "I'm on the train." -- but by the end the canned voice of progress is emblematic of the dead end circularity of their lives as they can't get passports to leave, let alone to see the real landmarks.Travel is a constant theme visually and of conversation - when a country bumpkin shows up, the surprised greeting is "How did you get here?" such that "I bought a ticket." is not self-evident.
The ironic geographical headings of the chapters emphasize a character's quixotic goal -- "world.com", "Ulan Bator Evening," "Belleville", "Tokyo Story." Striving as they all are, for these folks even Ulan Bator, the depressed capital of Mongolia, looks like a step up.There are moving scenes when immigrants with different languages try to communicate to share the commonalities in their lives -- a Russian immigrant is terrified when her passport is taken away, while the Chinese woman is envious that she even has one.It is a bit confusing keeping up with the various characters, in and out of their work costumes, especially when the two main characters seemed to change so much without explanation, but they are enormously sympathetic so it is devastating as we see their hopes and dreams, however unrealistic or selfish, defeated.
And those who succeed do so on very compromised terms.They are also not very articulate, which writer/director Zhang Ke Jia compensates for by spending a lot of time slowly setting up individual scenes and watching people interact, as we see how different they are in different contexts with different people, as body language becomes more important than words, whether spoken or in text messages.While the cinematography was beautiful, the print I saw in New York was a bit scratchy and the English subtitles had several misspellings.
Jia Zhangke's The World, his first state supported film, continues his look at the disillusionment of Chinese youth with Western-style globalization but shifts the setting from a rural to an urban environment.
Young people work at Beijing's 114-acre "World Park", a sprawling Chinese Disneyland that displays scale models of famous landmarks such as The Eiffel Tower, The Pyramids of Egypt, The Leaning Tower of Pisa, The Taj Mahal, and The Vatican.
Jointly produced by the Shanghai Film Group Corporation and Hong Kong's Xinghui Production Company, The World, unlike his previous independent work (Unknown Pleasures, Platform), has a big budget, glossy special effects, animation sequences, colorfully costumed song and dance routines, and uncharacteristic melodramatic plot contrivances.The film's main protagonists are young Chinese who have come to the city from rural areas to find work at the theme park and come in contact with migrants, petty criminals, and other lowlife characters who seem to thrive in this consumer-centered environment.
Jia presents the world in small episodes, similar he says to the "way you use a computer-you click here, you click there, each time leading you to another location." The vignettes, however, did not come together for me as a totally satisfying experience and the animation effects seemed showy.
The World has stunning visuals and relevant social commentary and I'm happy to see Jia achieve a wider audience by working through the system, but by the end of The World, I felt that the sharp edge of his previous films had been lost..
While fifth generation Chinese directors Zhang Yimou succumbed to crowd pleasing, turning out cheap, hollow, showy crap like Flying Dagger, sixth generation Jia Zhangke continues to remain faithful to making movies that reflect the sometimes painful metamorphosis the Chinese populace is going through at the crossroad of modernization.
The World is such a recent attempt, although there are comments that this movie has already treaded across the line of commercialism."The World" here is a miniature world theme park which might be a novelty to Beijing but not the modernized parts of the world (there was one en route from Toronto to Niagara Falls over three decades ago, albeit at a smaller scale).
Through the daily lives in the park (part of which is still under construction) and visits from various friends and relatives of the two main characters, we are exposed to how people interact, think, perceive, love, and more.
Many of the sequences and dialogue are so realistic and real that you would wonder if these are simply people in the street asked by director Jia to stand in front of the camera (but some distance away) and converse the way they normally do.The storytelling is straightforward and efficient, sometimes to the point of being skeletal.
As if to make up for it, director Jia interspersed the script with animations, sometimes to mark off short episodes, each separately titled.Not for the general audience, The World has an air of the rough-diamond kind of crudeness that makes it quite appealing to seekers of less main-stream cinemas.
A friend of mine says that his defining image of modern China is of a marble facade slapped onto a jerry-built wall; and it's this kind of picture that also emerges from 'The World', a touching movie about the lives of a group of workers in a Beijing theme park in which all the planet's tourist attractions are copied in a single location.
Beautifully acted, the film provides an interesting insight into the patterns of behaviour of young Chinese; but the underlying tone is melancholic, and this flavour grows stronger as the story progresses; in some ways, it's a tale about the death of hope.
Few directors in any genre anywhere in the world have been able to capture the heart and true essence of a modern nation in just two short hours as Zhang has done with Shijie.
An excellent portrait of local citizens working in the World Theme Park in modern Beijing..
I often find them much more open than many European people I meet.To me, Shijie shows a realistic picture of the way modern urban China comes across visually, but I cannot recognise the Chinese people in it..
Director has a big and important thing going: he plays with the falsity of the world in a cinema tradition going back to Melies, and that's real film-making..
Dialects are eclipsed, family is left behind in some remote village, life in the big city can be harsh and alienates, but this only affirms things we've had a headstart on the Chinese for a few decades now.The main setting gives this a strange resonance, this is a theme park in Beijing comprising scaled-down replicas of some of the world's most renowned monuments spread over a hundred acres, the Eiffel Tower, the Pyramids, the Taj Mahal.
Definitely not for everyone as it's (a) incredibly slow and (b) long (2 hours and 13 mins on the DVD I rented and (c) has some story lines that absolutely do not work.The cinematography is amazing as having been to Beijing, it truly feels like it when they are out and about.
All I see is what has been going on for centuries in most Third World countries--people from the countryside move to the big cities to find a better life.
Some do, some don't.The whole movie seems more like a documentary look into people's lives and that is a credit to the acting.But really, if you haven't been to Asia, I can't really see this being worthwhile renting because it moves at a snail's pace and seems intended for those who love to read meaning into everything.
The people in the film are ordinary people - young migrants from a less prosperous part of the country coming to Beijing in the hope of making a better living and working in a theme park.
And when tragedy struck, grief was shared by many.Jia's work was frowned upon by the China authorities, and I think I know they reason why - Jia did such a good job in exposing the 'imperfections' of modern day Chinese society.
The story of young people at a world theme park in Beijing called The World (Shi Jie Gong Yuan).The park contains scale models of the Eiffel Tower, the Pyramids, the Taj Mahal, the Leaning Tower of Pisa etc.
Just like you can see the world without leaving Beijing, so you can go deeply into the lives of these characters without needing a lot of action to occur.
There are compelling moments, like the two main lovers Taisheng (Taisheng Chen) and Tao (Tao Zhao) lying on Taisheng's hard dormitory bed and even the schmaltzy wordless communing between Tao and her Russian friend Anna (Alla Shcherbakova), but in the aimless round of daily emptiness of working at this trashy hi-tech carnival falsification of "The World" outside, which the workers will never see in person, Jia loses the momentum of the turbulent, emotional decade he chronicles in "Platform" or the tragic downward spiral of the two boys in "Unknown Pleasures." I don't object to the animations, because they're thematically unified by always being connected to travel and cellphones and they create a sense of link with the 20-somethings, the generation after the director's that he's focusing on here; the fact that they're glib and kitsch just fits with everything else quite intentionally.
One may miss the jangling ambient noise of Platform and Unknown Pleasures, though, and particularly the informative TV broadcasts of the latter, which always fit in context even though they may speak to us more than to the characters.For me, Unknown Pleasures is by far the emotional peak of Jia's work so far, and hence the film that puts across his themes most powerfully as well.
But it only underlines that this is a world seemingly cut off from any moral system.The World meanders too long, given the failure to connect emotionally, but it is nonetheless a powerful, rich, and original work and Jia is unquestionably one of the great ones of his generation working today, and representing as he does literally millions and millions of people in a dynamic enormously changing country, he stands as one of the world (small W)'s most important movie directors.
But much like his previous two films, Platform and Unknown Pleasures, there isn't a single character worth knowing here.
It was a pretty big disappointment, actually, considering that I really liked Jia Zhang Ke's previous film "Unknown Pleasures".
Also part of this, I suppose, are the film's ill-advised animated sequences, which are amateurish and completely unnecessary, as well as the equally wrong-headed thumping pseudo-techno score, which further encroaches on the possibility for poetic minimalism (which, it should be said, is not completely absent in the film, but rather sidetracked almost as an afterthought).The film itself is about a theme park which features replicas of worldwide landmarks, including the Great Pyramids, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, a miniature Manhattan, and, most prominently, the Eiffle Tower, or rather the young people who work there.
The film's best moments tended to be when the story left the park and moved into the city itself, ironically enough, although it all really amounted to too little too late.
Looking back, it's funny and a bit sad to think that the film's best moments were it's opening ones, where Jia Zhang Ke's sense of the comedy of repetition (displayed so brilliantly in "Unknown Pleasues") were in full display..
I have watched almost every movie made by the director Zhangke Jia(贾樟 柯), and I believe this one is among one of his best(IMHO his best is 'Still Life(三峡好人)').
The characters in this movie are all lower class people, probably the lowest class of modern Chinese society.
Someone compared it to "Hester Street" and "Atlantic City" in the way "it achingly proves the universality of the twin globalization pulls of modernization and immigration over the past three hundred years around the world." The exception is that those two fine movies have plots and characters you care about.
The Chinese film "The World" is set in an amusement park that offers its patrons the opportunity to "experience the whole world without ever leaving Beijing." This it accomplishes through monorail tours of miniaturized replicas of the Eiffel Tower, The Taj Mahal, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Vatican, even the Manhattan skyline complete with a pair of still-intact Twin Towers.
The movie focuses primarily on a young woman named Tao, who works as one of the performers who roams from "country" to "country" throughout the park performing native dances (her specialty appears to be Indian), and her rocky relationship with a security guard named Taisheng.The main problem with "The World" is that the setting is so intriguing and visually arresting that it winds up completely dominating the drama, which is as diffuse, meandering and plodding as the direction by Zhang Ke Jia, who shoots his scenes almost exclusively in impersonal medium shots.
There's a certain sad irony in the fact that the movie's characters are stuck working in a bizarre facsimile of the world when all they really yearn for is to travel to exciting and far-off places - and start new lives - beyond their own land (the park even features, as one of its attractions, an old defunct jetliner that people can sit in and pretend they're actually going somewhere).
Unfortunately, with the movie clocking in at a seemingly interminable 138-minute running time, it is WE THE VIEWERS who ultimately feel trapped by the experience.There are a number of lyrical moments and haunting images in the film, and Ke Jia does capture with full force the astonishing strides China has made in joining the technological revolution (all the characters have the most up-to-date cell phones, for instance).
I watch this film in conjunction with a course on urbanization in modern China.
This movie is set in a theme park in China, where some of the more famous monuments of the world (the Eiffel tower, the Statue of Liberty) are reproduced in a much reduced scale.
The main point of this movie seems to be that capitalism and modernization might have brought prosperity to some in China, but not to the majority of the Chinese people, and in any case it has left the country spiritually void, without a common goal for the people with the exception of making money.
While not as good as some of his previous films, The World is still an excellent movie.
The characters are low budget workers and dancers in Beijing's The World park.
I suppose you like watching Chinese people talk/walk/dance/text message, then this is the film for you. |
tt0462582 | True Crime: New York City | The game begins in December 2000, with gangster Marcus Reed (voiced by Avery Waddell) arriving at the home of an associate who has betrayed him. Reed had been placed in charge of the organized crime empire run by his father, Isaiah "The King" Reed (Laurence Fishburne), who has been in prison for fifteen years. As an attempted hit was carried out on Reed in New York, someone stabbed Isaiah in jail. However, both father and son survived, and Reed now kills everyone who betrayed him. PDNY detective Terry Higgins (Mickey Rourke) then arrives on the scene. He is a close friend of Isaiah, and Reed's godfather, and he offers to cover up the killings, on the condition that Reed gets his life together.
Five years later, Reed is now a PDNY officer, working as a beat cop under the command of Lt. Deena Dixon (Mariska Hargitay). However, he has applied for and been accepted into the Organized Crime Unit run by Chief Victor Navarro (Esai Morales), where he is partnered with Higgins. On Reed's first night, Higgins heads for a meeting at a warehouse, telling Reed he doesn't need to know the details. Moments after Higgins enters the building, it explodes, killing Higgins. In the aftermath, Navarro returns Reed to Dixon's command. She tells him he can keep his recently earned promotion and work plainclothes, but is not to investigate Higgins' death, as Navarro wants the investigation to remain internal to OCU. Shortly thereafter, Reed is contacted by FBI Special Agent Gabriel Whitting (Christopher Walken), who informs him there is a mole in the OCU. Whitting believes Higgins was about to reveal the identity of the mole, which is why he was killed. Prior to his death, Higgins told Whitting to bring Reed into the investigation should anything happen. All Whitting knows about the mole is that they are in contact with four major crime organizations in Manhattan.
Reed's first investigation is the Magdalena Cartel, believed to be responsible for 75% of New York's cocaine trade. Higgins had made contact with socialite and philanthropist Teresa Castillo (Socorro Santiago), who he believed may be able to help him get inside the cartel. She gives Reed information leading him to the Magdalena safe house, where he chases down their leader, Rey (Paolo Andino). However, Rey turns out to be head of the Latin Lords, the main rival of the Magdalena Cartel; the Cartel was using Reed to take out their competition. Reed discovers Teresa's real name is Magdalena Rojas, and she runs the cartel. He arrests her, but she tells him she doesn't know who the mole is, only that as their information was always accurate, she knows it is someone high up in the OCU.
Reed next goes after the Palermo Mob. Whitting tells him that when the last Don was imprisoned in 1995, the mob went into decline. Recently, however, the remnants have begun to organize. Whitting believes a new Don has emerged, but is unsure who it may be. Reed's investigation eventually leads to Vincent Tuzzi (Fred Berman). When Reed interrogates him, he says he never met the OCU mole; all their business was conducted over the phone. All Tuzzi knows is that he has a Spanish accent.
Reed next investigates the Presidents Club; a gang run by five men using pseudonyms of former Presidents of the United States. They control the supply of a new drug called "Pop", a combination of ecstasy and cocaine. Four of the leaders call themselves Lincoln, Hamilton, Jackson and Grant. The overall leader is called Benjamin, who takes ironic pride in the fact that Benjamin Franklin was never President. Whitting sends Reed to a drug den in Harlem run by Lincoln (Phil Morris). Lincoln leads Reed to Hamilton (Richard Yearwood), who tells him the Yakuza have declared war on the Presidents, and Jackson is on his way to kill the Yakuza's leader, Kobi (Jeanne Mori). Reed saves Kobi from a drive-by shooting, and kills Jackson. Kobi tells him Benjamin's real name is Lionel Jones (Cornell Womack), a famed rapper and music producer. Reed heads to Jones' factory, arriving in time to see Kobi's men killed by Grant (Greg Eagles). Grant leads Reed to Jones' building, where Reed fights through Jones' men to his zen garden on the roof, seeing him kill Kobi. He interrogates Jones, who tells him he doesn't know who the mole in the OCU is, except that he calls himself "El Jefe."
Reed next goes after the Shadow Tong, a Triad outfit run by Leeland Shen (Jerry Ying). Whitting has only one way for Reed to make contact with Leeland; his step-sister, Vivian (Jennifer Chu) recently ran away, and Shen has been unable to find her. Witting tells Reed where she is, and Reed returns her to Leeland, pretending he wants to cut a deal for The King to distribute Leeland's merchandise in Harlem. Leeland puts Reed in contact with Lin (James Hong), who handles local distribution. However, Leeland discovers Reed is an undercover cop and orders Lin to kill him. Reed survives, and heads to Leeland's headquarters, where Leeland tells him he doesn't know who the mole is, but he does know a bribe is set to be picked up at a locker in Grand Central Station.
Reed calls Whitting, telling him he believes Navarro is the mole, and asking for a search warrant for the locker. Inside, they find the money, although Navarro claims he has been set up. Whitting arrests him, and, thinking the case closed, Reed heads home. However, in the subway, he is approached by Higgins. Reed immediately realizes Higgins was the mole all along; he knew Whitting was getting close to him so he faked his own death and then set up Navarro to take the fall. Higgins asks Reed to join him, offering him a bribe, but Reed refuses. He pursues Higgins through a subway car, eventually killing him. As a reward for Reed's work, Whitting promises to pull some strings to get Isaiah a hearing with the DA.
In an alternate "Bad ending," Navarro kills Whitting when he tries to arrest him, and Reed pursues him into the subway, killing him. As Reed heads home, he is approached by Higgins. Reed is unsurprised, having realized Higgins had faked his own death. Higgins asks Reed to join him in Mexico, but Reed kills him. The game ends with Reed sitting in the subway station contemplating what to do with Higgins' money. | violence | train | wikipedia | null |
tt1226774 | In the Loop | When both the UK and the US are suggesting military intervention in the Middle East, Simon Foster (Tom Hollander), the Minister for International Development, unintentionally states that a war in the Middle East is "unforeseeable" during a radio interview on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, the Prime Minister's Director of Communications, Malcolm Tucker (Peter Capaldi) castigates Simon and tells him to toe the line.
With the help of his girlfriend Suzy (Olivia Poulet), Simon's new aide Toby Wright (Chris Addison) manages to get him into the Foreign Office meeting that day. Karen Clarke (Mimi Kennedy), the US Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomacy, who is against military intervention, is leading the meeting and flags a report by her assistant Liza Weld (Anna Chlumsky) titled "Post-War Planning, Parameters, Implications and Possibilities" (PWPPIP). The report heavily opposes intervention, noting the lack of intelligence except that which is coming from an unsubstantiated source known as "Iceman". Also during the committee it is hinted at that the US Assistant Secretary of State for Policy, Linton Barwick (David Rasche), may have set up a secret war committee. After the meeting, Simon is ambushed by reporters and contradicts his previous statements by saying the government has to be prepared to "climb the mountain of conflict." Again he is subjected to chastisement from Tucker.
Returning to the US, Karen and Liza conclude that Linton has created a war committee under the guise of Future Planning. At a party Karen teams up with General George Miller (James Gandolfini) who opposes the war believing that the US does not have enough troops to succeed. She tells him that they could use Simon on the committee as he would "internationalise the dissent". While on a fact-finding mission in Washington, Simon and Toby are invited by Karen to the Future Planning committee. Toby accidentally leaks the details of the meeting to a friend at CNN before meeting up with Liza at a bar; they end up sleeping together. Due to Toby's leak the Future Planning committee is swamped, but Karen and George fail to find out anything about the war. Both Karen and Linton turn to Simon to back their respective causes, but he struggles to say anything meaningful and ultimately does not take a side. Tucker, who is in the US, is diverted by Linton to the White House for a fake briefing. He confronts Linton, who tells him that he has to supply the US with the British intelligence on the situation in the Middle East, with which Linton will influence the vote on intervention.
Back in the UK, Simon attends a surgery in his constituency of Northampton, where he is harassed by one constituent, Paul Michaelson (Steve Coogan), about a wall of Simon's constituency office, which is on the verge of collapsing into his mother's garden. News of this reaches the papers, who criticise Simon for not acting on the issue. Suzy finds out about Toby's one-night-stand with Liza and they break up. When leaving their apartment he gives her a copy of PWPPIP to leak if she chooses, but she calls him a coward for not doing it himself.
The President rushes forward the security council vote on military intervention by vetoing tariffs on Chinese imports. Simon tells his Director of Communications Judy Molloy (Gina McKee), to leak to the press that he would resign if the committee votes in favour. Once at the UN Headquarters Tucker gets word that PWPPIP has been leaked, making a yes vote unlikely. It is later revealed that Michael Rodgers (James Smith) of the Foreign Office accidentally leaked it, not realising its importance. Miller and Tucker convince Jonathan Tutt (Alex MacQueen), the UK Ambassador, to push the meeting forward so that the leak will not have time to spread in the US. However, Linton asserts his dominance over Tucker by telling him that the British intelligence has to be handed over before a vote can be taken. Unable to make Jonathan reverse his changes and delay the meeting, Tucker, with the help of Senior Press Officer Jamie McDonald (Paul Higgins), fabricates the details of PWPPIP by forcing Michael to remove all the arguments against intervention and presenting it as the intelligence. Subsequently, the committee votes in favour of intervention.
After the vote, Miller informs Karen that he will not resign now that the war is happening. Simon realises that his own resignation is inevitable, but before he gets the chance, Tucker sacks him over his failure to prevent the collapse of Paul's wall, which he had managed to make headline news on television news. He tells Simon that he cannot take any sort of stand on the war, as he has contradicted himself too many times. Simon is reduced to mundane constituency business. A new Minister for International Development arrives at the office. | boring, satire, realism | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0084893 | We of the Never Never | The film focusses on the life of Jeannie, a woman from the upper classes of society, and her story of adapting to life in the outback of Australia. Following her marriage to Aeneas Gunn who has just bought a 1 million acre cattle station near Mataranka, called Elsey Station, Jeannie follows him from Melbourne in 1902. Some of the drovers were unhappy at first because they believed that the bush is no place for a white woman. As such, they were both wary of her and made fun of her when both she and her husband arrived. However, Jeannie was determined to prove them wrong.
While her husband was away with the other men herding the cattle, Jeannie begins making friends with the Aboriginal people. Her husband and the other white men treated the local people (and Chinese workers) as inferior to them, often regarding them as lazy, indifferent, as well as unreliable. Jeannie however is sympathetic, often giving them food, or trying to stop domestic disputes.
Later, Aeneas goes on a cattle muster and asks Jeannie to come along, which she does gladly. However the trip is difficult for her, riding side-saddle, she is also nearly attacked by a rogue bull. However, as time passes, things improve at the station - the house is expanded, a new Chinese cook arrives, a garden is planted, as well as her belongings finally arrive from Melbourne.
But boredom sets in as she assumes her place - that of the station master's wife. She is asked not to help a feverish yet dying man, or to interfere with the balance of things, or to give the Aboriginal people goods meant for the working men. As a result, she spends more time with the locals, since she longs to learn and understand more about their ways. Jeannie even takes a semi-orphaned mixed-heritage child called Bett-Bett under her wing, much to the dismay of her husband.
Over time Jeannie gains the respect of the Aboriginal people and they slowly open up to her. At one point, Goggle Eye, an elder Aboriginal male, allows her to watch an Aboriginal dance. The stockmen however interrupt the "heathen" dance, shooting and shouting "God save King Edward". Later, Bett-Bett goes on walkabout and Goggle Eye becomes ill and feverish. Believing that he has been affected by a singing curse Goggle Eye passes away. The stockmen feel some mixed remorse, acknowledging their role in his death.
Soon it is Christmas and the Aboriginal people are treated a little better after what happened. In the spirit of Christmas, many of the provisions are given away and a large traditional Christmas meal is prepared for the westerners. It is here that Aeneas announces his intention, after their first year, to stay on at the station. Just when Jeannie thinks she is accustomed to the life in the harsh outback, Aeneas also becomes feverish and dies, leaving her alone on the station. However, Bett-Bett returns from walkabout and asks to stay with her in the house. | romantic | train | wikipedia | Only the Aussies do it this well..
I had never heard of this film and spotted it on a shelf at a rental store some years ago.
I started watching it (first few minutes is need to get you to the outback) and suddenly was engulfed by it's brilliance.
I watched it all the way through then called three friends and threatened them if they didn't drop what they were doing and get to my house.
We all watched it.
They all paid the late fees so they could take turns having friends over to watch it.
You think life is rough now?
Wait till you see what this woman endures and conquers with her incredible husband, the ranch hands and the aborigines..
Excellent portrait of a 19th century white woman trying to cope in the Australian outback..
Despite its rather rambling structure, this is movie is a great achievement - as a portrait of a 19th century, white Australian woman trying to cope with life in the outback.
It's beautifully photographed, written and acted, with the exception of the male lead, who is astoundingly miscast.
Such a shame, as otherwise this would have been a completely absorbing and accurate depiction of conditions faced by a woman, married to a typical man of the land; the only white woman in a very male world, and inn a world in which indigenous people are treated as third class citizens.
I recommend this to schools and educators and to film historians - as an example of how to make a great movie with not much money and a lot of commitment.
See the extras on the DVD - even in those, the male lead reveals himself to be completely out of step with the spirit of the film..
Outstanding Australian Movie.
A remarkable movie about a woman overcoming sexist and racial prejudice in outback Australia.
McGregor is very convincing as Jeannie Gunn as she battles constantly to be seen as an equal amongst the menfolk on the station on which she lives with her husband.
The fight seems a losing battle however as the views held by the men (regarding both women and indigenous people) are hard to overcome.Anyone outside of Australia who is interested in an accurate portrayal of the early relations between Australian Aborigines and white Australian's then this movie is for you..
Australia before Hollywood.
"We of the Never Never" is a rare film.
A near-epic made by and starring people from Australia.
I can't really say whether no Hollywood people were involved, but it doesn't seem so.Most Americans will have a some trouble understanding dialogue here and there.
I have spent time in Oz and N.Z. and I didn't catch some of it.
Just another reason why it's a true Australian production.And it's quite upfront for 1982.
The interaction/friction between Aboriginals and Whites is not most of the film, but a large part of it.But to see it is to see something uniquely Australian, IMHO.
Got to read the book!.
A great film!.
This is an excellent film based on true experience in a harsh environment.
So much better than most of the films of today.
We need more of this type of film.
It is not a feel good film only either as it is based on facts.
True aborigines are fantastic people and it is a pity more and meaningful assistance wasn't provided way back then.
They were a skillful and talented race from which we could have learned much and should have been treated with much more dignity.
If only they had been incorporated in the decision making of how they would liked to have been treated things for them today might be different.
The acting in the film is great and the casting excellent.
The beginnings of some of the earlier acting careers of later familiar faces is great to witness.
The comradeship and values (apart from those towards the aborigines) of the time is something that is not always evident today..
Allure of the Outback.
Agreeing to live with her cattle rancher husband in the Australian outback circa 1900, a young woman finds her preconceptions and views on the world at large changed in this iconic drama, based on actual events.
Having never lived outside the suburbs and finding herself with no Caucasian female company at all, 'We of the Never Never' at first seems predictable with lead actress Angela Punch McGregor undergoing many trials and tribulations adjusting to her new life.
The plot soon thickens though as she befriends the local Indigenous Australians and finds herself at odds with her Caucasian companions (including her husband), who treat the Aborigines as second class citizens.
Particularly compelling are the maternal instincts that swell up inside her as she bonds with a young Indigenous girl without strong parental figures in her life.
The question then arises of whether she actually has the girl's best interests at heart by taking her away from her family and basically trying to adopt her.
Further questions of inference arise with an Indigenous man who she tries to force to take medicine, and it is all endlessly engaging as we witness a character with more moral fibre than those around her wrestling with whether or not her generosity is in fact beneficial.
The less said about the strained relationship with her husband and Arthur Dignam's hardly remarkable performance the better, but this is Punch McGregor's film all the way with a special mention to the breathtaking majestic landscape photography that makes the outback seem more alluring than ever..
An average film based on a great book.
Watching the film straight after reading the book made for a very poor viewing experience.
Where the characters in the book were alive and so multi-dimensional, they sadly lost most of that in the film, which chose to diverge from the book in so many places that it became unrecognizable.
Key events in the film did not happen in the book and others that I considered important were omitted from the film.
The book was set as a narrative, you were following her thoughts, listening to her voice and I wish they had transferred this concept to the film.
Too many key characters were omitted from the movie and those that remained seemed to have lost their voices by being given too few lines.
All in all a nice movie, and beautifully shot and acted, but not a true representation of the book or the true events..
Glorious adaption of a famous factual-based novel.
One of Australia's most famous novels of the outback "We of the Never Never" ('Never never', as in once there you'll either never never want to leave - or never never want to return!) has been filmed to perfection by a great crew and faultless cast of actors.This is as close as you'll get to the Outback, as it's changed much since the movie was made over two decades ago.
All the equipment had to be hauled in from Melbourne, many thousands of miles overland.
Jeanie Gunn was a woman far ahead of her time; she only wanted to learn from the Aboriginies and like them was marginalized.
The only woman for hundreds if not a thousand miles, her story is one never forgotten.Now available as a special edition DVD with a retrospective 'making of' and a memorable documentary..
Good movie.
Excellent film showing how collective Socialism is a failure and robs the Aborigines of their freedom.
Wonderful scenery and recreation of turn of the Century station life.
Australians make good movies...
take that Hollywood.
The "fever" they refer to is likely a Plasmodium falciparum infection, a form of malaria with high mortality rates when untreated.
Unfortunately the little fellow is becoming resistant to many drugs and due to its great ability to change, attempts to develop a vaccine have not been too successful either.
They should be showing this film in our schools instead of fiction like Al Gore's climate change film.
Gee...
in this movie, it is hot, long before airplanes and trucks infiltrated the area. |
tt0055618 | Whistle Down the Wind | The plot follows the lives of three Lancashire farm children who discover a fugitive hiding in their barn. The bearded man, referred to as "Blakey" by the police, is mistaken for Jesus Christ by the children, who are heavily influenced in this belief by stories they have heard told at Sunday school and by an initial exclamation of "Jesus Christ!" the eldest child hears shouted in shock by the fugitive at nightfall when she accidentally discovers him taking refuge in the family barn. The fugitive—initially confused as to the determination of the three Bostock children to protect him from any adult discovery—makes no attempt to correct their mistake, especially when he discovers the eldest child, Kathy, is determined to protect him at any means from discovery by the local police, despite the fact posters circulated within the town reveal that he is in fact wanted for murder.
Most of the children in the nearby small town eventually become aware that "Jesus" is living in the barn, complicating Kathy's attempt at keeping it a secret. When the news finally reaches an adult, Kathy's father, the police are called in to apprehend the criminal.
The children of the village, perhaps 100 of them by now in on the secret, converge on the barn. Convinced that she has let Jesus down, Kathy sneaks behind the structure and apologizes to Blakey that she can no longer protect him. He forgives the girl and, after much prompting from Kathy, promises she will see him again. Resigned to his fate, Blakey tosses his revolver out of the barn door and surrenders to the police.
Once Blakey is taken away and the crowd disperses, Kathy is approached by two very young children who ask to see Jesus. She tells them that they missed him this time, but he will be back one day. | allegory, murder | train | wikipedia | It seems to touch on deep themes which films rarely dare to nowadays - themes of belief, faith, and the meaning of love.The photography of the bleak Lancashire countryside is superbly crisp, the facial expressions of the actors (especially Mr Bates) let us know exactly what is going on in their minds but subtly, in a way that is never seen nowadays in films where everything must be made explicit.The children interact entirely naturally and they are not merely credulous, but curious and questioning ('he's not Jesus, he's just some fella').
Some scenes are deeply moving, in particular when the children dance under a tree to the music of 'We Three Kings' in joy and praise at seeing what they believe to be their Saviour - seeming to sum up the deep, almost pagan connection between religion and the English countryside.The film deftly deals with the changing England of the time.
I particularly liked the look of awkwardness on the Sunday school teacher's face when she is asked a question about Jesus which she knows she cannot answer with any honesty, and which she clumsily sidesteps.In many ways the film is an elegy for a lost England - an England where children roam the countryside freely, where the nearest telephone is half a mile away, and where children live in relative material poverty but with strong familial love, where the simple pleasures of life are enjoyed - playing in the open air, having a birthday party at home, or reading late into the night.
While Whistle Down the Wind benefits from the breath of fresh air currently blowing through the British industry - the location shoot and naturalistic performances are especially characteristic and effective - the sympathetic portrayals in the film serve to emphasise the fact that its concerns are less sociological than theological, even if its slightly self-conscious air shows a continuing concern to gain a 'significance' from the community, at least of some sort.
Not only do the principals mostly spring from the Bostock family or their close acquaintances, but the film itself is based on a novel by Mary Hayley Bell, the wife of actor John Mills and mother of Hayley - who plays the lead Kathy.
The film's final sense is of religious reinforcement rather than disappointment ("You missed him this time but he'll be coming again," Kathy tells some latecomers to the barn) while the details of the murder in question is left sufficiently vague so as not to entirely deprive Bates' character of sympathy, even as he is handed over to the authorities.
The performances by all the children in the film are charming and Alan Bates excels as the criminal who is mistaken for Jesus.
"Whistle Down the Wind" is a hard-shelled movie that says we lose hope and faith as we mature--which isn't an original idea for a film, but the cynical way this is presented catches you off-guard.
Kathy (Mills) is a girl who finds a man in her barn who she believes is Jesus Christ (Alan Bates,) but he's really a murderer on the run.
Hayley Mills excels in this understated, underrated movie juxtaposing the sordid criminal world (Alan Bates as a murderer on the run) with the innocence of children.
Cleverly designed, perfectly acted (by all the children as well as the adults), pithily appropriate screenplay, believable accents (the setting is the Yorkshire moors in England), and a well-balanced, carefully planned production all combine to produce a mesmerising gem of a film.
The period of the early sixties is neatly conveyed, and Hayley Mills as Cathy creates a metaphor for the deeper layer of the film's message of the increasing social awareness and diminishing religious belief (despite the traditional Sunday School attitudes and practices) which was gradually bringing about the social change of Britain in the sixties.
I first discovered it in 1991, and I was captured and held spellbound by this unpretentious and realistic tale of a group of English children who discover a fugitive murderer hiding in their barn, and believe him to be Jesus Christ.
I should like to live in this world.In the meantime, I'll watch the film again, and cry and laugh and believe and hope with these children again..
The original story, before Andrew Lloyd-Webber americanised it (and ruined it, IMO), was written by Hayley Mills' mother, Mary Hayley Bell, and starred Hayley as a Northern girl who thinks she finds Jesus Christ returned to Earth and living in her father's barn.
The girl and her sister and little brother (Alan Barnes, a superb performance) cosset the man and plot to keep him secret from the adults, because of what happened to him 'last time'.
The man in turn is bewildered by the increasing adultation and attention of the neighbouring kids.One of the strongest points of the story, aside from the contention that religion really couldn't cope with the return of Christ, is the developing attraction between the pre-teen Mills and Bates.
WDTW is a beautifully crafted study in "belief", faith and innocence.Reminiscent of Ken Loach's 1969 film Kes (although the two are very different films) in so much that it accurately portrays a time & place, by using genuine locals as a supporting cast, thus giving a true sense of authenticity because of the genuine regional accents.Little Alan Barnes's natural lancashire dialect is a pure delight in the opening scene with "The sally army lady", and his loss of "faith" in "Jesus" ("T' aint Jesus, its just some fellah") is a poignant counterpoint to Mills's stoic acceptance of the fugitive hiding in the family barn as her saviour.Highly recommended viewing..
The film changed all the main characters..including the now somewhat born again criminal..through the sweet belief of the children's love and innocence..
Although misguided, the children's belief in JC was heartfelt and sincere, and for an atheist, it touched my soul (assuming I have one) This was juxtaposed to sour, world-weary attitude of the adults in the film, from the greedy farmhand, who's only passion was his traps, to the aunt, embittered by the fact she's forced to help bring up her children of her brother, after his wife has passed away, and of course in a clever swipe at the religious establishment, with the vicar, who doesn't really get it.The innocence and charm of the children reminded me of the original Lord of the Flies, another 60's classic, and you can't helped but be enchanted by the young characters, as they interact, often to great comic effect.There is a moral message behind a fairly straightforward story, and you can take that to heart, and analyse it at length, alternatively you can just enjoy a lovely tale of life seen through children's eyes..
The hope and the faith of children growing up in a rural location is realised when a bearded man in their barn declares himself to be 'Jesus Christ'.
Instead we get a modern day fairy tale with three young, God-fearing Lancashire children improbably confusing an on the run murderer, secreting himself in their barn, for Jesus Christ.That's basically it for the plot, but helped by debut director Bryan Forbes' sure touch, amusing, vernacular dialogue from the celebrated Willis & Waterhouse team, sparkling music from Malcolm Arnold and some engaging acting, particularly from the three young principals, modern day cynicism is suspended into disbelief as you follow the movie through to its conclusion.The depiction of present-day Lancashire is brought home firmly with a combination of convincing exterior and interior sets and Forbes is smart enough to ground the picture firmly in its time with pop references in the background to stars of the day like Cliff Richard and Marilyn Monroe.Young Hayley Mills, Britain's then popular child-star, demonstrates her ease in front of the camera with a wholly natural performance, full of expression.
We want her to believe that the murderer is Jesus, even though it is a lie, because the "real" world she lives in is so soulless.Perhaps the most troubling scene is the one in which the local bully, a boy not much older or bigger than the other children, knocks one little boy down and twists his arm while all the others stand and watch.
Also it marks a director debut of Bryan Forbes (SÉANCE ON A WET AFTERNOON 1964).Hayley plays Kathy Bostock, a young schoolgirl living in the farm of Lancashire, with her widowed father (Lee), her younger sister Nan (Holgate) and younger brother Charles (Barnes), as well as their auntie (Wagstaff).
Once Kathy is on board, it is not difficult to convince her two younger and more impressionable siblings to believe her words, then a whole bunch of school-kids, deferentially joins them to worship Jesus-in-the- barn.The story fluidly blends children's naiveté with the religious influence, and stimulates sheer zest and excitement in children's endeavour to save Jesus from the intervention of adults, and the man's true identity, a criminal on the lam, consigns a trenchant contradiction into a dichotomy between children's innocence and grown-ups' worldliness, where credulity and blind faith are put to good use by the man, for his own interest, who even menaces the children-friendly trappings with a gun in hand in the final siege, and from A to Z, the film has been deliberately avoiding to address the elephant-in-the-room, so in the end, in Kathy's eyes, it is Jesus who has been captured, not a wanted offender.The three children are the backbone of this rustically beguiling film, Hayley Mills' dogged devotion towards her belief, Diane Holgate's spur-of-the-moment slip and Alan Barnes' fractious mischief, plus his adorable acting-cum-being-himself antics (and he is the one who is telling the truth, although no one takes him seriously), all enliven the relatively small scale of the narrative with immense delight.
Alan Bates, only in his second film role, underplays his handsomeness (although the requisite is that he should look at least remotely like J.C.) to foreground the moral ambiguity of his character, a cynical chap, very cagey about his criminal background (supposedly to be a wife murderer according to IMDb), he is a blank paper just plays along with the kids to secure a getaway plan, at one point, viewers are tempted to be ready for something rather ugly will happen, which is foiled regarding to the family-friendly grain, but a sense of remorse is accurately added in his last words?
In this film, a group of young children come across an escapee, the children mistake this man for Jesus, and innocently house, and care for the escaped convict.
The screenplay for Bryan Forbes' (1961) film - based on Mary Hayley Bell's novel - was one of the earliest successes for northern writers Keith Waterhouse (Billy Liar) and Willis Hall (The Long and the Short and the Tall).Set in the north of England in the fifties, it's a charming tale of innocence told from a child's point of view.As we enter the Bostock family's rural home, the scene is set for a gentle comedy of harmless intrigue.Kathy Bostock (a very young Hayley Mills) turns in a great performance in the film based on her mother's novel.
I saw this film as a 7-year old child when it was first released and 46 years on, I still remember being enchanted by it.It looks at a world through children's eyes and when a bearded man (who is on the run from the police) is found by them hiding in a barn, the children believe he is Jesus Christ.
That the man is actually a murderer is neither here nor there really - it is the children's innocence and their faith in the Bible that shows through in their actions in hiding and feeding the man, and which to me, is so touching about this film.
Unknown to the rest of the word, this children's film for the whole family badly needs re-discovery by movie treasure hunters throughout the world.Based on Mary Hayley Bell's novel, it is her daughter Hayley who plays the lead role in this delightfully fresh parable about faith, hope and the confrontation of preached word vs.
Seen through the eyes of innocent country children we become witness of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, only that it's a murderer on the run from the law.
Maybe in the face of this cold void, the kids, especially Kathy are looking for some outletsome warmth, some type of Messiah in their lonely world where they have love to give but no adult wants it.Enter the fugitive, "antiestablishment" Alan Bates.
A charming movie made in the 1960s a tale of faith and children.Hayley Mills is very good as the junior lead, given marvellous support from the rest of the cast especially the boy who plays her littler brother.Bernard Lee gives a touching performance as the busy farmer who does the best he can for his kids, but is a very busy man.Alan Bates is very good as the man who is mistaken for Jesus, and there is some touching scenes where he realises that there's no escape and the hangman awaits, it seems to symbolise Gethsemane.The Norman Bird character brings a few laughs to the film as a bone idle farm hand.The theme music is very catchy and lingers in the mind, overall a very good little movie and I personally would like to see more of this type of movie made today..
Hayley Mills plays a Lancashire farm girl who mistakes an escaped murderer (Alan Bates) hiding out in her barn for Jesus Christ.
The man, Arthur Blakey, is in fact a murderer on the run from the police, but owing to a misunderstanding the children believe that he is Jesus Christ returned to Earth.
The other children are also all very natural, especially Alan Barnes as Kathy's little brother Charles.Among the adults the two performances that stand out are those of Norman Bird as the farmhand Eddie and Alan Bates as Blakey.
His character seems to be softened by his contact with the innocence of the children; there is perhaps a moment of moral redemption when he throws his gun out of the barn instead of using it to resist arrest as he had originally planned.Perhaps the most important line in the film is the very last one, spoken by Kathy to two children who have arrived too late to see the supposed "Jesus", "You missed him this time but he'll be coming again", which can be taken as a reference either to the Resurrection or the Second Coming, a line which emphasises that this is a film about faith.
When the little boy is devastated at the death of his pet kitten, and can't understand why Jesus didn't look after it, as the Salvation Army lady had told him, Hayley Mills as his older sister shows real concern for his grief, and tries to get the disinterested local vicar to explain it to them.
The child actors are the heart and soul of this movie, with excellent support from Bernard Lee as the kindly, harried father, and Alan Bates as the hunted murderer the children believe to be Jesus.
"Whistle Down the Wind" is a lovely, moving film about the simple faith of children.A murderer on the run (Alan Bates) is found in a barn by some children, who come to believe the fugitive is Jesus Christ.
Her unwavering belief in her Jesus drives the story.The end of the film finds the Bates' character hauled away by the police.
The children listen intently, but they wanted to hear biblical stories all the same.The film honestly answers the question: "What would happen if Jesus came back?" He'd be jailed, possibly crucified all over again.The boy playing Hayley Mill's younger brother is the only one who's faith is shaken at the end.
Alan Bates is a wounded, pursued, exhausted, tattered criminal who winds up in a barn in Lancashire, where he is suddenly discovered by the three children of the Bostock family -- Hayley Mills (the oldest), Diane Holgate, and Alan Barnes.
When Hayley Mills and her siblings (all of them yet to reach their teens) discover a man hiding in their family's barn, they jump to the wrong conclusion and think they have stumbled upon Jesus' second coming.
Based on the 1959 novel of the same name by Mary Hayley Bell, this is an excellent film concerning faith and childhood innocence.
In his directorial debut, Bryan Forbes handles the material very effectively and makes great use of the locations.The film stars the author's daughter Hayley Mills in a terrific performance as Kathy Bostock, the eldest child in a Lancastrian farming family who discovers the escaped murderer Arthur Alan Blakey in her family's barn.
Kathy seemingly becomes more world weary as a result but she remains as convinced as ever that Jesus will return.In his first major role, Alan Bates is very good as Blakey, who is astonished when he learns who the children think he is but, understandably under the circumstances, does nothing to disabuse them of that notion.
Alan Barnes steals the show with his hilarious performance as Kathy's younger brother Charlie, who is the first of the children to realise that Blakey is not the real deal.
Hayley Mills, as the girl, and Alan Bates, the wanted man, excel.
Nonetheless, they are still an essentially pointless artifice that subtracts meaning from the movie, rather than adding it.This film seems to encourage people to sound off about the simple faith of children and the cynical worldliness of adults, but this sort of analysis doesn't bear scrutiny and, in truth, this picture is always saying less than it thinks it is.The best I can say of Whistle Down the Wind is that it is a bad idea well executed.PS: I have never read the book, but I suspect Kathy is somewhat younger than she appears here.
John Mills' daughter, Hayley, leads a sterling British cast of adults and children in this touching story about seriously confused identity.Alan Bates is a dangerous escaped criminal. |
tt0218483 | Of Thee I Sing | === Act I ===
In the U.S. in the 1930s, a campaign parade is taking place to support "Wintergreen for President". John P. Wintergreen has been nominated for President and Alexander Throttlebottom has been nominated for Vice President, but he is of such little importance no one can remember who he is. Politicians meet in a hotel room to devise a campaign platform, and when they ask the chambermaid what she cares about, she first says "money," then "love" when pressed further. The men decide that Wintergreen's platform will be "love;" they'll have a pageant to select the most beautiful girl in the United States, and Wintergreen will fall in love and marry her.
The pageant begins in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and the contestants wonder, "Who is the Lucky Girl to Be?" The photographers assure them that even if they do not win, they will surely be loved ("The Dimple on My Knee"). Wintergreen is getting nervous about marrying a girl he doesn't know. While the girls are at the final judging, he confides in Mary Turner, the sensible young woman running the pageant. He does not want to marry a girl just because she's beautiful; he wants a wife who will make a good home for him and his future children. Mary shares her corn muffin with him. Wintergreen tells Mary that he'd rather marry her than any of the girls in the contest. He kisses her, and she agrees to marry him. The judges of the pageant announce that Diana Devereaux, a beautiful southern girl, has won the contest, but Wintergreen declares that he loves Mary Turner. When he gives some of Mary's extraordinary corn muffins to the judges, they agree that John and Mary are meant to wed ("Because, Because").
Outside Madison Square Garden in New York City, at a rally for Wintergreen, the campaigners declare that "Love is Sweeping the Country." Inside, where politicians are speaking in favor of Wintergreen, a wrestling match is going on just below the speakers' platform as Alexander Throttlebottom tries to explain to the organizers that he's the candidate for Vice-President. Wintergreen proposes to Mary onstage, as he has in forty-seven states before. She accepts again, and Wintergreen sings the campaign song to her, "Of Thee I Sing".
On election night, Wintergreen wins by a landslide. Inauguration day arrives, which is also Wintergreen's wedding day. As his inaugural address, Wintergreen bids goodbye to the girls he used to know ("Here's a Kiss for Cinderella"). The Chief Justice presides over the wedding ceremony, and just after he has pronounced John and Mary man and wife, Diana Devereaux interrupts the proceedings. She is serving Wintergreen with a summons for breach of promise. She insists she is the one he should have married ("I Was the Most Beautiful Blossom"). The Supreme Court rules that Mary's corn muffins are more important than justice in this matter, and Diana angrily leaves to tell her story across the nation. Wintergreen leads the Supreme Court and spectators in a chorus of "Of Thee I Sing".
=== Act II ===
John and Mary settle down to business in the White House. Her "desk," back-to-back with his, is a fully loaded tea-table. Their secretaries greet each other "Hello, Good Morning." Alexander Throttlebottom, now Vice-President, sneaks into the White House with a tour group. When a guide tells him that the Vice-President's job is to preside over the U. S. Senate, Throttlebottom eagerly dashes off to the Capitol. Wintergreen's fellow party members inform him that Diana Devereaux is gaining support across the nation. Wintergreen holds a press conference and tells the reporters that his love for Mary is the only thing that matters ("Who Cares?"). The French ambassador unexpectedly arrives ("Garçon, S'il Vous Plaît"). He has a surprise for Mr. Wintergreen: Diana is "'The Illegitimate Daughter' of an illegitimate son of an illegitimate nephew of Napoleon." He insists that Wintergreen annul his marriage and marry Diana to right his grievous offense against France. Everyone agrees that Wintergreen should be impeached for breach of promise ("We'll Impeach Him"), but John and Mary do not care, since they have each other ("Who Cares?" (Reprise)).
Throttlebottom has found the Senate, and the party members inform him that he will soon be President. He is very excited and goes into the Senate Chamber to preside, beginning by taking "The Roll Call." The resolution on the impeachment of the President is brought up, and the French Ambassador and Diana mournfully insist that she was "Jilted." Mary saves the day when she announces that she is pregnant ("Who Could Ask For Anything More?"). The senators refuse to impeach an expectant father, and Wintergreen declares that "Posterity" is just around the corner. The French Ambassador informs Wintergreen that by not marrying Diana, he has contributed to France's declining birth rate. He demands the Wintergreens' baby as a replacement for the one they have "taken" from France. John refuses, and the ambassador walks out.
In the Yellow Room of the White House, guests are arriving bearing gifts for the baby ("Trumpeter, Blow Your Horn"). Wintergreen is nervously awaiting the baby's birth when the French Ambassador arrives with a final message from France: surrender the baby or France will sever diplomatic relations with the U.S. The Supreme Court justices, who have the duty to determine the sex of the baby, announce that twins have been born, a boy and a girl. The French ambassador is even more wounded by this proclamation: France has lost two babies instead of one! Diana mournfully joins him, and Alexander Throttlebottom arrives bearing sweaters for the babies. The French Ambassador is about to declare war when Wintergreen has a brilliant idea: according to Article Twelve of the Constitution, when the President of the United States is unable to fulfill his duties, his obligations are assumed by the Vice-President! The ambassador calls Wintergreen a genius, and Throttlebottom is ecstatic as they pass Diana over to him. Servants wheel a large bed into the room, where Mary sits with the babies. Wintergreen leads everyone in proclaiming, "Of Thee I Sing." | satire | train | wikipedia | null |
tt4242112 | 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. | fantasy | train | wikipedia | YOU HAVE A LOT OF WOOD. This is a German made TV mini series filmed in Turkey about an Italian toy maker and badly dubbed in English. I think ,most us know the story. This one includes the whale ending, the mules, and Coco the wood cricket. It was geared for a very young audience, maybe about 5 years old. It doesn't have much in the way of adult appeal. If you have seen the old Disney version, or not, watch it again instead. |
tt0845046 | Son of Rambow | Will Proudfoot (Bill Milner) is a quiet and shy 11-year-old boy, and comes from a family that belongs to the strict Plymouth Brethren church. Will is forbidden from watching films or television and is made to leave his classroom when the teacher puts on a documentary. In the corridor, he meets Lee Carter (Will Poulter), the 13-year old worst-behaved boy in school, thrown out of another class for bad behaviour. They accidentally break a fish bowl in the corridor; Lee volunteers to take the blame, pretending that the punishment is torture, in exchange for Will's watch, which belonged to his dead father. Moreover, Lee demands that Will performs the stunts in a film Lee is making with home video equipment owned by his bullying older brother, Lawrence, which Lawrence uses in his video bootlegging enterprise. He intends to enter the Screen Test Young Film-Makers' Competition.
Will accepts, after accidentally seeing the film First Blood at Lee's house while hiding from Lawrence. He becomes very enthusiastic, and plays several dangerous action scenes, culminating in the two boys becoming 'blood brothers' after Lee saves Will from drowning. Lee finds Will's sketch book, full of colourful and glorious ideas, and starts to incorporate some of them into his film script. The two become best friends, but Will has to keep it secret from his family and the increasingly interfering Brother Joshua of the Brethren, who clearly has designs on his mother.
French exchange students arrive, of whom the suave Didier Revol becomes very popular. After finding Will's sketch book, he asks Will if he and his acolytes can play in the film, and Will agrees. Didier reveals that he has always wanted to be an actor. This mushrooms into the whole school being part of the production, and Will being included with the cool sixth-formers. Lee does not like this, as he is no longer in control, and finally quits after a fight with Will during filming of the last sequence, which takes place at a disused power station. After Will becomes trapped when part of the unstable structure collapses due to Didier's carelessness, and the entire school/crew run away, Lee returns to rescue his friend, but uses the excuse that he has come to collect his brother's camera. He too gets hurt, and has to go to hospital. Lawrence visits him, but is angry about the fact that the camera is broken.
Will's mother, from whom he has struggled to hide his activities, finally realises that her son must be allowed to be himself and her family leaves the Brethren. The film is never submitted to the competition as they miss the deadline. The French students leave, and while Didier was popular and worshiped in Britain, his own school-mates mock him, and he is actually lonely and isolated. When Lawrence looks at Lee's footage he is impressed, and he sees Lee's rant at Will defending Lawrence's neglect and bullying, which was accidentally filmed. With Will's help, he adds a part in which he acts himself — including a reply message for his brother. When Lee leaves the hospital, he is brought to a cinema by surprise. His film is shown before the main feature (much to the enjoyment of the audience) and the two boys reunite. | psychedelic, prank, violence, flashback | train | wikipedia | It follows similar themes to 'Stand by Me' (the classic starring River Phoenix), such as childhood loyalty and comradeship, but in a typically British fashion with understated humour, quirky comedy, and some nice references to 80s Britain.Genuine laugh out loud moments, poignant and uplifting, and it can also just be appreciated as a well made film, with good acting, dialogue and direction..
This promising theme gives rise to one of the most hilarious comedies in recent cinema, memorable not only for countless laugh-out-loud moments but also for its engaging and unexpectedly moving story.Will Proudfoot (Bill Milner) and Lee Carter (Will Poulter) are a chalk and cheese pairing, thrown together by chance after being summoned to detention at school.
The shooting of the film provides some hysterical contrasts between grown-up pretensions and childlike absurdity, with gun-battle sequences ripped straight from 'Rambo: First Blood' interspersed with footage of a flying dog attack.The overlapping secondary story, portraying the school-playground infatuation with the New Wave style of French exchange student Didier, is also a rich seam of humour; the stinging parody of teenage culture culminates in Will and Carter's visit to the school common room, populated by posing, pogoing teens.
Both of the young boys in the leading roles are notable talents and the brother and exchange student both made for entertaining supporting characters.The payoff of the film is the movie being made within the movie and getting to watch it in its entirety is special and moving.
Son of Rambow (2007) Comedy/ Drama/ Family (PG-13) *Some Violence * Reckless Behavior Country: UK Director: Garth Jennings Bill Milner/ Will Poulter/ Jules SitrukThis movie makes me laugh all the way down to my soul.
Garth Jennings' hilarious "Son of Rambow" is a nearly perfect Generation-Y update of one of my favorite films from childhood, John Boorman's vastly underrated masterpiece "Hope and Glory." Whereas Boorman's "Hope and Glory" was tinted with melancholic Graham Greene era nostalgia and told the story of a young boy coping with Germany's blitzkrieg over England during WWII through the power of make-belief, Jenning's laugh-out-loud "Son of Rambow" takes a post-modern 1980's pop-culture inspired look at a young boy's escape from a harsh religious upbringing through an obsession with the movie "Rambo: First Blood." When a religiously oppressed Will Proudfoot (Bill Milner, with the perfect comic timing only an untrained child actor could provide) forms an unlikely friendship with a criminally neglected and movie-obsessed Lee Carter (Will Poulter, first seen on screen smoking a cigarette while making a bootleg video in a packed theater showing the original "Rambo"), the two decide to make their own Rambo-inspired film to enter in a local contest.
Luckily, like Boorman's clearly influential classic, this film is also wonderfully photographed and chock-full of naturalistic acting from the young cast.Sure, "Son of Rambow" lacks the gravitas and realism of Boorman's semi-autobiographical "Hope and Glory" but it packs a similar emotional wallop for those in my age group who grew up pretending to make movies in their backyards with neighborhood kids after the latest "GI Joe" or "Transformers" episode aired and were inspired by the latest "Star Wars" or "Indiana Jones" film before those franchises were raped for opportunistic profit during our disenfranchised adult years.
For a generation of late 20's and early 30-somethings who spent their childhoods disengaged watching endless marathons of "The Little Rascals" and "The Three Stooges" on TV while action stars like Sylvester Stallone pounded movie theater audiences into a bloody pulp, "Son of Rambow" is pure imagination-inspired movie magic that will tickle the funny bone while successfully playing for our sympathies.
Seeing the film fires Lee's imagination and he takes no convincing to become Lee's stuntman and lead actor, with the two continuing their strange relationship during the making of it.Although I understand why, I would almost prefer if I hadn't seen Son of Rambow on every bus that I drove past for the last few weeks and had come to it as a small British film that is "quite good" rather than having a lot of hype and praise lavished onto it.
It is hard to fault its creativity and the way it brings out the good feeling of children, in a simpler time, letting their imagination run while also trying to deal with the world that is bigger than them and in this regard Son of Rambow does really well.
Fortunately it ends on a good note and left me with a warm feeling but it was still a rocky road to get there.You will hear it praised to the rafters of course, mainly by viewers who are overjoyed that a British film is made that people want to see and isn't rubbish but, for all its weaknesses the one area the praise is very deserved is in the two main actors.
as one would expect in the world of Hollywood 'Son of ram bow' is not a follow up to Sylvester Stallone's ailing 'rambo franchise but about two boys from very different social backgrounds who together decide to mount their own 'rambo' production which is chock full of comedic moments, the film is superb as it truly represents childhood awe and wonder, the film is authentic in it's setting of 1983 england the costumes and production design are accurately true to the age it's wonderful to see all of those hideous 80's outfits.
It wasn't bad film but it wasn't good either.Synopsis: A story about two school boys with two different backgrounds joint together to make the home movie (where they were inspired from the movie First Blood) for the competition, along the way they met many obstacles that challenge their friendship.It took quite a long while before you will understand where the film is heading to, there are quite a few good moment in the film but the lack of substance in the story making this movie so empty and thus not really hold the interest well.
It wasn't like it was predictable story but the flow of the film was pretty uneven and the character wasn't really standout (this might actually clash with other people idea, I believe).I believe the best of the film was the casting of the two main characters Will and Carter, and the kid did a good job portraying their character.
Not much has been emphasize that the film took place in the '80 but just the few accessories, few words and wardrobe of the French kid that dress like Boy George and Cyndi Lauper combine and that seem like the trendiest thing then.All in all, I can't really fully recommend this movie to anyone – first if you're not into this type of movie you will surely bored and - second if you do actually like to watch independence film this still is not really that good, cause this isn't much of story driven.All I can recommend was if you still want to watch it catch it on free cable or rent it from DVD store.Reason to Watch: Will and Carter are lovable character.Reason to Watch: Not really hold interest.Rating: 5/10 (Grade: D+) PS: They do explain why the film spell Rambow with "W" inside the film at the end of the credit..
Despite the brief images of violence, a couple of children smoking, and some children using profanity, "Son of Rambow", written and directed by music-video-director-turned-movie- director Garth Jennings, of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" is a funny, sweet and rather peculiar family fantasy for the filmmaker in you.
Set in 1980's England when the first Rambo flick, "First Blood" became big in theaters, the movie follows bully Lee Carter (Will Poulter) and artistic Plymouth Brethren Will Proudfoot (Bill Milner).
And the whole plot is about a kid with big dreams who escapes a life of religious oppression and rules to discover the 'real world.' And he makes a damn hilarious movie in the process.Viewers will no doubt identify with one of the two main characters: either the shy, intrigued intelligent boy or the boisterous, rough-housing, but loyal and equally intelligent boy.
This film is the first that I have ever felt like commenting outside of facebook apps, and it is a truly awesome childhood flashback for a lot of 30 odd year olds who grew up in the Southern Counties, to the point I spotted that the lake scene was filmed at Hawley Woods where I used to play around the same age and time as the pair in this film.It some how manages to really capture the atmosphere of being a kid again with all that happens to you as a child and the music shows the era in a believable way, it intelligently portrays the world back then for someone that age, when Rambo was the coolest thing and the sixth formers where getting off on spacedust and coke!
'Son Of Rambow' is about two middle school boys, one slightly middle class raised in a strict religious upbringing,where music & television is forbidden (okay, so no television is a plus there...still the ways & means they do it is still bulls**t), and the other, a lower middle class school bully, with a penchant for bootlegging video copies of current movies, are brought together to collaborate on a do it yourself version of Rambo:First Blood.
Sure all this bad behavior could ruin their minds but, as is this case for the young and unlikely friends, Will Proudfoot and Lee Carter (first timers, Milner and Poulter), it also sets their imaginations free.Son of Rambow is not quite as charming but just as mischievous as the boys on the screen.
Director and writer, Garth Jennings, previously handling the same roles in "Hitch Hikers Guide To the Galaxy" has made a wonderful, warm, quirky teenage picture which challenges yet soothes at the same time.It is a timeless tale of imagination, where as a child anything is possible and it is the adult world which is "unreal".Debut child actors Neil Dudgeon, as bold and brash Joshua, and Bill Milner as repressed Will Proudfoot play an "Artful Dodger/Oliver" style double hander with intelligence, wit and conviction.The central premise is simple, to enter a teenage film short continuing the "Rambo" series.Will is stultified in a widowed household where his mother has joined a religious cult which forbids access to televisions and watches.Joshua runs free without his parents, looked after by his elder brother, but finds an emotional bond with the quixotic Will.A sharp script, wittily observed is stronger on smiles than belly laughs but is none the weaker for it.Joshias declaration of love for his elder brother and his saving of Will from life threatening scrapes are genuinely poignant, whilst a sub plot involving a party of French exchange students provides a light counterpoint to the main story.A classically British offering, and a little gem at that..
Through Lee, Will watches a pirated copy of Rambo: First Blood, and is enticed by it, his imagination conjuring vivid stories where he is the son of Rambow {sic} and is on a mission to rescue his captured father.
From there stems the rest of the plot, following the two boys and their developing friendship and coming of age.Overall, I thought that Son Of Rambow was quite an enjoyable film.
I could be wrong, there may be thousands of people living like that in the UK, but it just comes across as an ill thought out plot device that distracts the audience.At the core of the story is the burgeoning friendship between two opposites Will and the rebellious Lee Carter (Will Poulter) which is adequately if predictably handled and the suppression of individuality and creativity by marginalised religions.
There are sub-plots running through the story, the major one being about the need to appreciate real friendship over the desire for popularity amongst one's peers yeah, that's right: the evergreen 'be true to yourself message.' The two boys perform well - although not outstandingly - for beginners and, overall, Son of Rambow is painless, undemanding entertainment.
A touching little coming-of-age story about friendship and loyalty that makes you chuckle along the way and root for that awkward little kid in all of us.The Good: Adorable lead cast - particularly Will Poulter does a fantastically mature job creating a sympathetic character with true feelings and realism.
Grange Hill meets Lord of the Flies in an unlikely tale of two boys from contrasting backgrounds who decide to make a video as an entry into a kids' TV film-making competition.The bizarre plot has little (if anything) original to say about the story's main themes of tween friendship and dysfunctional parenting.
Bill Milner is from a very religious family, not even allowed to watch television at school and hooks up with Poulter who persuades him to act as a stuntman in his movie and becomes enchanted with the movie process that fires his imagination especially as he watches a pirate version of First Blood.There is a side plot of visiting students from France who hook up with the young movie moguls which in turn causes conflict between the two lads who have become blood brothers.The film is inspired by young kids making home movies in the 1980s and not all of them were for Screen Test.
This realism together with references to right values and the use of distinct (not doll-like) child actors results with nice coming-of-age stories where both good and bad, laugh and tears are in place in a meaningful manner.The triggering element in Son of Rambow - action film First Blood - is not a children fairy-tale either, but it allows to develop nicely odd events and characters, although "boys will still be boys".
When it comes to filming First Blood, and including with it a 'son' looking for Rambo along with a flying yellow dog (created by Will), it's hard not to get joyously silly.But what also makes the sap earned is that it's a serious dramatic movie at heart as well.
The result is the epic "Son of Rambow," featuring every cliché from every overblown Hollywood action movie of the '80s (and then some--none of the RAMBO films ever included a flying dog!) Their project gets more complicated when the boys' classmates decide to enlist the help of a flamboyant, charismatic French exchange student in the making of the film to add "star power." Things get even more out of hand when Will's religious community discover his activities and try to prevent him from continuing.This is a film for anyone who loves childhood reminiscence movies, and also for anyone who just loves movies.
Together they decide to make their own amateurish home movie titled "Son of Rambow", since they were amazed with the Sylvester Stallone character from "First Blood".Written and Directed by Garth Jennings (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) made an amusing, coming of age story about family and friendship.
Set in the U.K. but based on Sly Stallone's Rambo character of the U.S., SON OF RAMBOW (yes, that's with a "w") is a heartwarming tale of friendship surrounding two characters' love of film and film making.These two are Will Proudfoot (Bill Milner) and Lee Carter (Will Poulter), two preteens with significantly different backgrounds.
What is especially nice here is that a movie about childhood friends and adventures, ended up bringing these boys together and forming a lasting friendship of their own while having the "adventure" of making their first film together.
A warm and emotional story about friendship, family ties and growing up,"Son Of Rambow" turned out to be a really good movie.
Son of Rambow is a film about two boys who decide to do a fan made sequel Rambo: First Blood along the way they learn the meaning of friendship.
Garth Jennings' entertaining film, 'Son of Rambow', is a sprightly comedy that tells the story of two boys who set out to make their own sequel to Sylvester Stallone's bloodthirsty hit.
Son of Rambow is A Very Good Little Comedy about growing up and the friendships we make along the way.For a start it has a couple of scenes that rate as the best laugh out loud moments of the year so far.
Plus a great supporting cast from dour Plymouth Brethren to the coolest French pre-teen ever, this is great comedy and well worth the viewing.The plot of two boys; one, who doesn't have a clue, and the other, well on the way to the criminal life, is nicely done.Nice touches of nostalgia throughout, and even a cameo by the great Eric Sykes; I would have to say you'd have to be particularly and practically stone cold dead not to enjoy this.As boys finding friendship through making their own film, this film comes alive and moves along at a good pace, some terrific sight gags, and very nice camera work (We'll forgive the glamorization: no government comprehensive in history had the buildings and grounds of a major British private school, but hey, it's the movies)....Son of Rambow...
Introducing two new comers Bill Milner (Will) and Will Poulter (Lee Carter) as two young school kids who find that even in the unlikely of places there can be a common interest.It is in this movie of bonding, friendships and Sylvester Stallone that this English summer of 1982 has our heroes sweating their days film-making, fighting off religious beliefs', struggling against indifference and putting up with French patter and pose.
"Son Of Rambow" is a nice little film about a pair of lonely little boys who, one summer in the early 80's, decide to make their own sequel to "Rambo: First Blood" to enter into the "Screen Test" young filmmakers competition.
Along comes the local bad boy at school, Lee Carter (Will Poulter), who wants to make a movie and enlists Will's help.Will sees "First Blood" and falls in love with Rambo, and centers his story around being the son of Rambow and rescuing him from an evil scarecrow. |
tt0455857 | When a Stranger Calls | On one side of town, a babysitter and the kids she is babysitting are brutally murdered. The police find that the murderer used his bare hands to tear them to shreds. The shot then changes to teenager Jill Johnson (Camilla Belle), who is going through a teenage crisis, having her boyfriend, Bobby (Brian Geraghty) cheat on her with her best friend Tiffany (Katie Cassidy) and going over 800 minutes on her cell phone, for which her dad, Ben (Clark Gregg), has her babysit for a wealthy family to pay out the debt. The unfortunate timing causes Jill to miss out on a school bonfire which her other best friend, Scarlett (Tessa Thompson) is attending. Jill arrives at the elaborate Mandrakis House in Elan Valley, which has a greenhouse built in the center. It houses many birds and has a pool containing several fishes. The parents (Derek de Lint and Kate Jennings Grant) show her around and tell her about their live-in housemaid Rosa Ramirez (Rosine Ace Hatem). Mrs. Mandrakis then gives Jill their numbers, stating that they won't be back until midnight. As the kids (Arthur Young and Madeline Carroll) are seen to be upstairs asleep, Jill soon begins to receive anonymous phone calls.
Tiffany visits but Jill, but Jill, fearing in getting into further trouble, asks her to leave. However, a tree branch, knocked down by the storm outside, block the road near the gate. When Tiffany gets out to move the broken branch, she is apparently attacked by an unknown figure. The calls continue, each one becoming more alarming, suggesting she is being watched. Jill calls the police, who tell her they can trace the calls if she is able to keep him on the line for one minute. While waiting for the phone to ring, Jill sees a shadow moving in the guesthouse. She goes there to investigate, but finds that the guest house is empty. After seeing a light switch on in the house, Jill quickly makes her way back to the main house. She then starts upstairs toward the maid's room when the phone rings again. The unknown stalker continues to remain quiet on the other end as Jill tries to keep him talking for 60 seconds so the call can be traced by the police. As Jill opens the door to the maid's room, where she hears the shower running, she asks the man on the phone "What do you want?!". He replies "Your blood.....all over me" As Jill hangs up instantly, the police call back right away telling her that the calls are coming from inside the house. The phone disconnects as Jill hears another phone ringing in the bathroom. She turns and finds Tiffany dead on the bathroom floor with her cell phone right next to her. Jill shrieks with terror to see her friend dead.
As Jill collects the Mandrakis children, she looks up to see the stranger looking down at her from the loft. Jill and the children run into the greenhouse. Jill discovers the housemaid Rosa dead inside the pool as the attacker breaks in. They quickly escape and Jill manages to lock the man inside the greenhouse, but he finds another way out and attacks her. During the ensuing struggle, Jill manages to burn the man's back with the fireplace and then stab him in the hand with an iron fireplace poker, before rushing out of the house into the arms of a Elan Valley police officer.
As the injured stranger is taken by the police, his face is shown by the moonlight staring at her. While recuperating, Jill awakens in the hospital and the phone rings. She lets it ring, worrying that the horrific events will reoccur. She waits for a time and leaves the phone ringing, the camera pans to her reflection in the mirror, revealing the stranger to be behind her. The man grabs Jill, who shrieks hysterically, waking up from her hallucination and finding herself still in the hospital. The film ends with the doctors and her dad desperately trying to stop her frantic panicking, while the screen fades to black and the movie ends. | suspenseful, murder | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0165019 | Návstevníci | Bill Schmidt and his long-term girlfriend Martha Wayne and their young son Hal live in a small Connecticut farmhouse owned by Martha's overbearing father. One snowy winter Sunday, two of Bill's ex-army buddies, Mike and Tony, arrive. A few years ago, they had all served together in Vietnam in the same platoon but later ended up on opposite sides of a court-martial. Bill has never told his girlfriend what happened in Vietnam nor at the court-martial. The story slowly unfolds. Under orders in Vietnam not to take any prisoners, and faced with potentially hostile civilians who might attack them if left behind, Mike kills a civilian. Bill testifies against him and Mike is sent to the stockade (military prison) for two years. He is angry. There is sexual tension between Mike and Martha. The tension builds and culminates in a fight and a rape. | prank | train | wikipedia | Best children entertainment.
This series is one of the best examples of the very good Czech children entertainment tradition.
Humorous, intelligent, exciting and imaginative.It is a pity, that this tradition got lost in late 80ies, and I hope it will grow up again someday - our children deserve better films than stupid violent "good-bad"-stories like "Sailormoon" or crap like that!.
One of the best shows made in the 80's.
I've seen this show many times as child.
Four travelers in time have to retrieve a notebook containing notes crucial for saving of Earth.
Despite the effort put in their study of 20th Century Earth, sometimes it is hard for the 24th Century people to stay inconspicuous, which leads to many, rather funny, situations.
The show is with its idealistic vision of future Earth as peaceful place where the nations no longer fight each other best comparable to the Earth seen in American show "Star Trek".
The reactions that heroes had to the 20th Century is similar to this that heroes of the old show "Galactica 1980" have when the Battlestar Galactica finally arrives to Earth.
If you enjoyed the shows mentioned above, it is possible that you will enjoy this one as well.
This show still remains to be the only sci-fi series made in the former Czechoslovakia and even in now-a-days Czech Republic..
THE TV series for kids.
And not only kids....
This series, together with the Arabella, made by the same crew, are the most entertaining, funny, witty, you name it.
Unfortunately, I haven't seen since anything that would equal these, not to say top them.
Now, that I have access to all kinds of TV stations, all I can see are some absolutely dumb (mainly) american series.
Stuff that I wouldn't let my kids watch for anything in the world.
Maybe there are some worth watching, but I haven't seen or heard of them yet..
The Best TV Series of All Time Anywhere?
Led by Josef Bláha as King of Ridiculous Enunciation.
This TV series (15 installments of 30 minutes each) is an astounding triumph of film-making, made in the midst of the dark Communist era in Czechoslovakia.
Perhaps it's because political reality back then was so bleak, that Czech film-makers made so many outstanding fantasy and sci-fi movies in those years._The Visitors_ bring a new twist: their charm lies in *combining* the present-day reality with imagined life on Earth 500 years later -- in 2484.
It's a time-travel story about 4 people from 2484 visiting the typical Czechoslovak small-town of Kamenice in 1984.For those of us who remember those years and who watch (and endlessly rewatch, because it's *that* enjoyable) the series today, _The Visitors_ possess a double-charm -- something the original audience couldn't have appreciated.
You get to see the life of a typical 1980s Czech/Slovak small-town; you see how people used to live, think, and talk.
As in all pseudo-Communist, ex-Soviet block societies, *theft* mentality was rampant everywhere, and is even captured in a purely entertainment series like _The Visitors_.
There's a wonderful aura of *nostalgia* pervading the series: you see the grocery stores of those days, with old-fashioned cash registers (no electronics yet); you see people waiting in lines to cash in on empty beer bottles; you see people eating and drinking products popular back then.There is something about many Czech TV series ostensibly "made for kids" that very much distinguishes them from, say, American made-for-kids series -- it's how purposefully smart they are: in a way that, in fact, makes them as enjoyable for *adults* as for kids.
There's no shying away here from displaying scenes and themes that would likely have been dismissed as unthinkable by American movie/TV producers, ostensibly creating their works in a "free" society.
So here's the monumental irony: it's as if the creators of _The Visitors_ were given more freedom to show whatever (unrelated to politics) they wished to show, than the "freedom" they would likely have been given by an American studio.There's a pervasive, underlying theme of eroticism throughout _The Visitors_ -- and in relation to various age groups, too.
A couple of very young kids in leading roles are "in love"; some of what they say to each other would be unthinkable in an American series, I'm afraid.
And there's the main "vamp" of _The Visitors_: Dagmar Patrasová; she's downright *meant* to be the erotic attraction of _The Visitors_, and she definitely is (though not, personally, quite my style).
She engages in multiple, passionate French kisses with her suitor.
Czech/Slovak parents in 1984 would simply shrug that off as "a bit of adult stuff in a kids series -- why not?" _The Visitors_ are exquisite on every level; it's as if everyone who was anything in Czech movie-making in the early 1980s, contributed in some way to _The Visitors_.
Let's start with the array of legendary Czech actors, all at their best here.
Possibly the chief attraction is the supremely ridiculous Josef Bláha as the boss of the expedition from the future; Bláha is so consistently funny throughout the 7.5 hours of _The Visitors_' runtime, that he made me want to roll on the floor laughing at him at least a few dozen times.
It's not so much *what* Bláha says or does that's funny (although it's comical enough) -- but it's especially his masterful delivery of the pompous/silly lines that makes you want to scream with laughter.
His funny manner of enunciation can probably only be fully appreciated by a Czech or Slovak viewer, because this is *not* the standard way of speaking Czech.A similar master of funny enunciation is Even Jegorov, playing Adam's father.
A fabulous, multi-layered (simultaneously comical/serious/poignant) performance is given by Vlastimil Brodský as "The Great Teacher".
For all the awe about what the future will bring, Brodský's character unforgettably shows that it all comes down to hands-on skills and common sense eventually.
Vladimír Meník is admirable as the local police chief, and Dagmar Vekrnová (later wife of Václav Havel) as Adam's mother.
An actor whose delivery is as funny as Bláha's is the legendary stand-up comedian Jiří Císler in a supporting role as the hotel manager -- whenever he says something in _The Visitors_, it's all you can do to avoid exploding with laughter.
And there's a classic 5-minute cameo by the famously corpulent Helena Růičková.The direction by the grandmaster of Czech fantasy Jindřich Polák is flawless, and the screenplay by his long-time partner Ota Hofman is astonishing in how smart and super-funny it is; jokes abound in every installment, and you have hardly time enough to finish laughing, before another joke comes at you.
_The Visitors_, although ostensibly a work of fantasy, are, in fact, perhaps an even better comedy -- one of the finest Czech comedies ever made.
The soundtrack was composed by the giant of Czech electronic music, Karel Svoboda; the theme melodies (both opening and closing credits) are extremely memorable.
The king of Czech animation, Jan vankmajer, contributed many examples of his craft for _The Vistors_ -- such as the preparation of "amarouny", the only food people in 2484 ever eat.
The inventive costuming is the work of Theodor Pitěk, Oscar winner with Milo Forman's _Amadeus_._The Visitors_ are exciting, wise, funny, tender and poetic -- all at the same time.
The final, nostalgic scene with the duo of ultra-young "Romeo and Juliet" disappearing in a woodland scenery, encapsulates it all.
_The Visitors_ are for the kids, and they're for adults -- or are you saying you wouldn't enjoy "humidating" ("humidovat")?
"Humidation" is a favorite activity of people in 2484; but the film-makers purposely decline to specify what that activity actually is.
Yes: a fantasy/comic TV series from Communist Czechoslovakia of 1983 dared to be *that* smart..
Good Czech science fiction, full of fantasy and humor.
It is a wonderful example of what television can be, in the best tradition of the Czech TV series: this means fantasy, inventions, humor, good ideas; here, instead of fairy tales, we find science fiction.
Director Ota Hofman and Jindrich Polak were provided with big means as for scenarios and special effects (big for that and today's time), but after all the value of their work lies not here.
It is their direction itself, the good and cute actors, the rich screenplay, and the many original inventions scattered throughout the series.
Everything is made more pleasant by the Czech sense of humor: this means that you are led to laughing not by someone who makes the fool of himself, by dirty jokes or by exaggerations of any kind.
The humor is placed in the delicate double meaning - or absurdity - of some dialogs and situations.
The main trigger of fun and laughing is the diversity between the visitors from the future and the people of 1984.
Habits, conventional attitudes, laws, taboos, good manners are quiet different and often the visitors cannot help seeming strange and funny to the world of the past.
Generally speaking, this is a further proof that vulgar jokes about sex are not at all necessary to make people laugh, and not the best means either.
It is a good entertainment both for children and adults.
Now that it is available on DVD there is the possibility of taking a chance, especially for those who were not enough lucky to see it on television (Czechoslovakians and Germans) when it was first broadcast.
As in most Czech series and movies there is no political propaganda.
There are only some hints to workers upheavals and protests in the Western World, but in a light way that one can forgive.
The series was shot with great efforts between 1981 and 1983, and one can observe the changes in the aspect of the adult actors, and big changes in some children.
Anyway, the seventies and the eighties were the best years for Czech television (and for other televisions too).
Today's TV series should only blush of shame in front of this one.
Furthermore, there is no sex whatsoever; though, there is some innocent erotics when the camera catches some shots of Dagmar Patrasova.
In my opinion, she is one of the most beautiful women ever appeared on the screen.
For male audiences it is almost impossible not to be amazed by her..
The best series which was ever made in Czechoslovakia.
Hi, this series is the best what have been created in Czechoslovakia/Czech republic...
Hi, this series is the best what have been created in Czechoslovakia/Czech republic...
Hi, this series is the best what have been created in Czechoslovakia/Czech republic...
Story, actors, music, atmosphere, humor...
Story, actors, music, atmosphere, humor...
Story, actors, music, atmosphere, humor...
the best...
the best...
the best...
There wasn't any better series than Navstevnici.
There wasn't any better series than Navstevnici.
There wasn't any better series than Navstevnici.
The best actors, nice music (soundtrack).
The best actors, nice music (soundtrack).
The best actors, nice music (soundtrack).
Todays series can't compare with this series.
Todays series can't compare with this series.
Todays series can't compare with this series. |
tt1244668 | Soul Kitchen | Zinos, a German of Greek descent, owns Soul Kitchen, a shabby, run-down restaurant providing working-class food in the Hamburg area, in an old warehouse space. The business is struggling financially, and tax inspectors ask Zinos for payments. Occasionally a punk rock band uses the restaurant as practice space, but never pays rental fees. An old sailor, Sokrates, continuously works on his boat at the warehouse, but is never able to pay the rent.
At a family gathering at an upscale restaurant, Zinos argues with his girlfriend Nadine, a journalist, who is preparing to leave on assignment to Shanghai. During that dinner, the chef, Shayn, has an argument with a customer, and the restaurant owner dismisses Shayn on the spot. Afterwards, Zinos meets an old schoolmate, Thomas Neumann, and his fiancée Tanja. In spite of their arguments over Nadine's assignment to Shanghai, Zinos and Nadine maintain contact via Skype. Zinos' incarcerated brother Illias, a gambler and hustler, is serving a prison sentence, and has "special leave" where he is allowed occasional leave from the prison, but must do community work as part of the terms. Zinos agrees to hire Illias to work at Soul Kitchen, to the disdain of bartender Lucia, because Illias has never had a regular job. Illias asks Zinos not to tell anyone about his criminal past. Later, Zinos injures his back when trying to move a heavy dishwasher. He has no medical insurance and cannot afford full medical treatment. Zinos meets a physical therapist, Anna, in the course of his recovery.
Unable to cook, Zinos finds Shayn and hires him as Soul Kitchen's new cook. Shayn insists on changing the menu to a new haute cuisine menu. This drives away the old clientele and shrinks business to nearly nothing. Illias has the idea of being a DJ at Soul Kitchen, which he achieves with equipment stolen with the help of his criminal friends. Shayn begins to teach Zinos gourmet cooking skills. Gradually, the restaurant's reputation and fortunes turn around, to the point where Zinos can make a tax payment to the authorities. Although Zinos inadvertently, whilst drunk, revealed to Lucia that Illias has a criminal record, with time and his success as a DJ at Soul Kitchen, Lucia changes her opinion of Illias and begins to find herself attracted to him. Meanwhile, Neumann has designs on purchasing the restaurant property and re-developing the site. He offers to buy Soul Kitchen from Zinos, but Zinos continually refuses. One evening, Shayn spikes one dessert with an aphrosidiac from tree bark. This has an effect on everyone in the restaurant, including Neumann and Frau Schuster, the lead tax inspector, where the two of them have sex. Afterwards, after Zinos complimented Neumann on this liaison, Neumann says that he's done the same thing financially to the tax authorities. However, on her way out of the restaurant, Zinos chats with Frau Schuster, and Zinos reveals Neumann's full name to her.
Zinos had hoped to travel to Shanghai to meet Nadine, but the new success of Soul Kitchen causes Zinos to be distracted from maintaining contact with her. New tensions arise in their relationship. To try to reconcile with Nadine, Zinos plans to leave for Shanghai, after he makes Illias manager of Soul Kitchen and gives him full power of attorney. Nadine advises Zinos not to make the journey, because she might be moving her assignment to Tibet. Zinos buys the plane ticket, but at the airport about to leave, he sees Nadine, accompanied by a Chinese man, Mr Han. She has returned following the sudden death of her grandmother. At the funeral, at which Zinos arrives uninvited (having left the airport rather than take his flight), he realises that Mr Han is Nadine's new boyfriend. Zinos disrupts the funeral and becomes estranged from Nadine and her family.
In Zinos' absence, Illias loses the Soul Kitchen in a poker game to Neumann, and signs away the deed. Neumann and his hired men evict Zinos, Illias and the other denizens of Soul Kitchen. To try to prevent completion of the deal, Zinos, Illias and some accomplices plan to steal the title deed. The theft fails and the brothers are arrested. Zinos is released, but Illias is kept confined for violating the terms of his sentence. In a final desperate move to try to cure his herniated disc, Anna takes Zinos to a chiropractor, Kemal "the Bone Cruncher", whose extreme therapy succeeds.
Zinos is despondent at losing both his restaurant and Nadine. However, Nadine feels some guilt for ending her relationship with Zinos. They have a reconciliation of sorts, where she indicates her eventual plans to return to China and to stay with Mr Han. Lucia has found employment at another restaurant, and Shayn has apparently left the country altogether. In a sudden twist, however, the tax authorities have arrested and convicted Neumann of tax fraud. In prison, Neumann catches a glimpse of Illias, not knowing before that Illias was a convict. Soul Kitchen is now up for auction to the highest bidder, because Neumann's ownership is now void. Zinos asks Nadine for a loan to bid for Soul Kitchen at the auction, because she is now wealthy from her grandmother's inheritance. Through a fortunate accident due to Sokrates which prevents a rival bid against Zinos, Zinos wins the auction and buys the restaurant back. Although in prison, Illias continues his relationship with Lucia. The film ends with the restaurant closed for a "private party", with only two attendees, Zinos and Anna, who is visiting Soul Kitchen for the first time. | comedy, romantic | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0094048 | Straight to Hell | The film opens with three hitmen, Willy, Norwood, and Simms (played by Dick Rude, Sy Richardson, and Joe Strummer, respectively) who are staying in a posh Los Angeles hotel. After failing a job, they take off in a car with a whiny pregnant woman named Velma (Courtney Love), who is in on their scheme. They then flee to Mexico to escape the wrath of their boss, Amos Dade (Jim Jarmusch), and rob a bank along the way. While driving through the desert, their car breaks down due to Simms having filled the gasoline tank with diesel by mistake. They bury their suitcase of money in the desert and begin to walk.
Night falls, and they come upon a town in the middle of the desert, where they see a demolished car with a corpse inside. They then enter an empty bar, where the three men get drunk and Velma angrily pesters them to leave. As they exit the bar, the wrecked car has vanished, but the men are too inebriated to notice it. The group camps out for the night, and the following morning, Velma witnesses several trucks of lively cowboys enter the town, carrying espresso machines with them. Much to the dismay of Velma, who insists they keep a low profile and leave, the three men enter the town, which is now full of townspeople, and go back to the bar.
There, they are confronted by a gang of cowboys addicted to coffee (The Pogues), and a shoot-out ensues, but they are ultimately welcomed by the townspeople. The bizarre townspeople include a couple who own a mercantile full of piñatas, a man running a hot dog stand, and countless cowboys and prostitutes, among others. The head honcho of the town, Tim McMahon (Biff Yeager), invites the gang to a party that evening. The following day, Tim McMahon's elderly father is pushed off of a building by his relative Sabrina McMahon (Kathy Burke) and dies. The entire town has a funeral procession for him, and at the funeral, a friend of Amos', named Whitey, shows up looking for the hitmen and Velma.
The town seizes Whitey for being a "stranger", and accuses him of the murder of the McMahon grandfather. During the burial of the grandfather, his hand comes up out of the dirt and grabs the priest's ankle, and the priest shoots into the ground, killing him. Meanwhile, on the gallows, Whitey begins to tell the town the truth about Amos and the hitmen, but is hanged before he can tell his story. A man named I.G. Farben (Dennis Hopper), who claims to be a house manufacturer, enters town with his wife Sonia (Grace Jones) and introduces himself to the gang and the rest of the townspeople, advertising his company. The next morning, Simms sees Amos' car enter the town, and tries to get a drunken Willy and Norwood to leave with Velma.
A series of shootouts begin between the townspeople, Amos' crew, and the hitmen, and I.G. Farben and Sonia provide high-grade weapons for the killers. Tim McMahon joins Amos' team after having wrongfully hanged Whitey, and everyone begins to turn against each other. As Simms and Willy run into the desert, a shootout ensues with the town priest. They reach the spot where they buried the money, and Simms shoots Willy as they are trying to lift the suitcase out of the ground. Simms then hears Velma laughing, and turns around only to be shot by Velma and one of the townsmen. After Velma shoots Simms several times, the townman with her is shot by Tim McMahon. Tim and Velma then take off arm-in-arm with the suitcase of money, while Simms and Willy die.
Meanwhile, in town, chaos has ensued, and the town hardware store is set on fire. Amos is shot in the head, and virtually everyone in the town is killed, aside from Norwood and several prostitutes. Tim and Velma leave the town in a truck with the suitcase of money, but accidentally drive off of a cliff when their brakes go out, and die as the car explodes in mid-air. Norwood leaves town with the prostitutes, and the film ends with Farben Oil Company trucks entering the town to drill for oil.
The end of the film announces an imminent sequel: Back to Hell, despite the fact that almost every main character is killed at the end of the film. Although the sequel was never made, upon the film's DVD release, Cox reassembled much of the cast and crew for a short documentary called Back to Hell, in which they reminisce about the making of the film. | cult, comedy | train | wikipedia | Sy Richardson is as cool as ever, and the eclectic supporting cast (Cox semi-regulars like Sandoval, Berkeley, and Yeager, various musos and the king of weird movies, Dennis Hopper) make this worth watching for the "six degrees of separation" game alone.Now look, I DO like Leone, and I like punk rock and I love Peckinpah, and I can sorta see what the other comments are saying about it almost prefiguring Tarantino, but there's one BIG problem - the lack of a decent script.
For every good moment there four dull ones, and some funny lines or interesting characters wouldn't have gone astray.So basically, if you watch this expecting the worst you'll enjoy it more than if you expect it to be as great as 'Repo Man'.
I also would like to point out that Cox's next movie 'Walker' is a 100% improvement on this one, and almost IS a lost classic of the 80s!.
I saw this twice during its too brief(one week!)run in Seattle in 1987 and i was always showing it to people later on video who thought i was INSANE, which may or may not be beside the point, but this is one of THOSE movies, like Big Trouble in Little China, that can inform you about someones personal sense of humor and taste.
I think this movie is some kind of psychopathic classic that perfectly sends up the extreme amorality of the spaghetti westerns and prefigures the homicidal men in black suits later to turn up in Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs.
The cast is uniformly weird and wonderful: Sy Richardson, channeling pure self-righteous macho bad-assness, Joe Strummer, showing a surprisingly light touch for comedy, Dick Rude,hilariously channeling a psycho-punk James Cagney,Courtney Love gives a truly committed performance as a shrill whiny Nancy Spungen caricature, the Pogues almost manage to say their dialog, Elvis Costello doesn't have much dialog but acquits himself well.
The subtext relates to the American invasion of Nicaragua in the 1980's, relocated to a spaghetti western Spanish village, with the Mcmahon gang (played by pseudo Irish folk-punkers The Pogues, with Elvis Costello as the butler) taking the part of the anarcho-syndicalist Sandanista government and the gang of robbers (including The Clash's Joe Strummer and Courtney Love) turning up and upsetting the status quo.
Not only is this film a better spoof of westerns than Silverado but it contains enough weird and wonderful characters to give Lynch a run for his money.Firstly you have got the superb Sy Richardson as Norwood(Tarantinos inspiration for Samuel L's Pulp Fiction character?), Joe Strummer as Simms(RIP), and the 'runt' Dick Rude completing the main trio.
Also popping their heads round Alex Cox's casting room door are: Courtney Love(pregnant Velma), Fox Harris, Kathy Burke, Edward Tudor Pole, Dennis Hopper (IG Farben), Grace Jones, Jim Jarmusch, Miguel Sandoval(Eastwood impression), Xander Berkley(priest), Elvis Costello(butler) and the Pogues(Mcmahon coffee gang)...Superb!!
The film didn't have a whole lot of a plot, but that doesn't really matter much because it seems to be more of a spoof on spaghetti westerns and even the actors and actresses themselves.
All in all, I recommend this film to those of you who love weird movies and everyone who remembers the 80's punk scene..
The plot wanders through a cast of characters who slightly resemble stereotypes you've seen in other Westerns and gangster movies, but the resemblance is like that seen by someone with a very high fever.
Dennis Hopper, Courtney Love and the Pogues with coffee and whiskey?
If you want to see a movie full of shoot-em-ups, car chases for no reason and lots of dialogue that will make you say to yourself, "Did he say what I think he said?" then turn your brain off for an evening and watch this..
If this still sounds interesting then you may enjoy it as much as I did, but I warn you that I'm the only person I know who doesn't think this movie is awful..
It would seem that the cast and crew thought that their mere presence would lead to a good film so the story isn't important.
They were wrong, Straight to Hell is a sprawling, boring mess of a film and it's one that I don't recommend sitting through..
However, if you are not a Clash or Pogues fan, you will most likely think this film sucks!
Western didn't exist in that period it was taken over by post-punk Western as Straight To Hell, a cult movie, most enjoyable to watch and mostly funny.
If You Got Joe Strummer, Elvis Costello, Dennis Hopper and Grace Jones In One Film praise The Lord!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
While watching you find yourself shouting at the screen "What the hell is going on?!" It is absolutely awful, stupid and makes no sense, and most of the characters are impossible to like and annoying.
The More You Like Leone, the Funnier It Is. Or: How to get the movie company to pay you and a bunch of your buds to go and have a huge party in Spain.My ex- and i watched this, and, as soon as we got over the idea that it ought to make even as much sense as "Repo Man", we found ourselves enjoying it greatly.It helps to be up on your spaghetti Westerns (and not just Leone's masterpieces), including things like "The Stranger Returns", "Any Gun Can Play", the "Trinity" films, "God Forgives, I Don't", "Django Shoots Fast" and so on...It also helps if you're a New Wave/punk fan..
I hadn't watched any of Cox's films prior to this one, but had always appreciated his knowledgeable input on the DVD of many a cult item (most recently several "Masters Of Cinema" titles).Well, this turned out to be a major disappointment considering its Spaghetti Western references (of which Cox is a devotee and, indeed, the end credits include a special mention to, among others, Giulio Questi director of DJANGO, KILL!
Anyway, the film is a test to anyone's patience with its gallery of utterly dislikeable characters (a rather plump Courtney Love being especially irritating a far cry from her subsequent appearance, in both senses of the word, in Milos Forman's THE PEOPLE VS.
In all truth, the writing here is completely underdeveloped, and the film feels like a melange of punk rockers and culture icons thrown in front of a camera in the Spanish desert—because that's kind of what it is.Alex Cox, who infamously directed "Repo Man" and "Sid & Nancy," is the director and co-writer here, and while the script is delightfully absurd and full of issues (it has been said that Cox and his co-writer came up with it in a matter of three days), the direction is decent, and the film seems to rise above its production values on a visual level.
It utilizes the western ghost town sets in Almeria, Spain, which were historically used in many spaghetti westerns, and even some Eastwood films, and the dusty desert atmosphere is laid on thick.The real attraction of this film is its cast, largely made up of musicians—we've got Joe Strummer, Sy Richardson, and Dick Rude as the three bandidos, with a pre-Hole, pre-rhinoplasty Courtney Love playing their screeching yet somehow endearing pregnant sidekick.
The film really seems like an excuse for this ensemble of punk rockers, rejects, and icons to run around the desert dancing, shooting each other, and drinking coffee, and that's just the pretense one has to accept with this film.All in all, "Straight to Hell" will be a chore for many to sit through, but for anyone who appreciates bizarre cinema, spaghetti westerns, or exploitation trash will have a great time with this film (watching it through, one can see the referential moulds which Quentin Tarantino would come to bring into the cultural lexicon several years later).
She did all the needful things for him starting from looking sexy up to execution of his will (he plays a good father like role) by means of a machine gun.If You are in a too serious analytical mood, You wouldn't have much fun with this.
OK, Joe Strummer plays a hit-man, the Pogues are Banditos, Elvis Costello's their butler, and Courtney Love dies a violent death....what more could you ask for?.
Straight To Hell is by far one of my favourite movies, and shows some of the best performances by musicians-who-act this side of Performance and The Man Who Fell To Earth.
Staring Joe Strummer of the Clash, Courtney Love, and with guest cameos by everyone from Elvis Costello, to Jim Jarmusch.
It's Alex Cox, a usually talented writer/director, taking a cast of rag-tag punk rockers and a capable crew to the Spanish location of an obscure 1973 Charles Bronson film, and going wild.
This isn't homage, it's rip-off, like when a 2nd rate punk rock band covers the Who's Substitute for no reason except that it's the Who. And the sad thing is that there are glimmers of really funny, whacked-out humor.
When I mean weird, this is an understatement: there is no order to anything, not even to the group of gunslingers who ride into town every so often, get drunk off their asses and do sing-alongs to "Delilah" and "Danny Boy", or they shoot one another for the hell of it, or pick on the poor hot dog vendor.
By that time, you've invested significant time and attention, but you're still not close enough to the end to just grit your teeth and keep on slogging.While a few of the actors turn in very good performances (particularly Sy Richardson, Sandoval, Hopper), the majority of them are about like you'd expect...musicians forced to perform in an unfamiliar genre.If you're looking for good parody, this isn't it.
Spaghetti westerns and Leone are beyond parody.Several reviewers have stated that this film will be of interest to those who enjoy "Repo Man".
There's not even any significant profanity.Overall, this film is a big disappointment and, frankly, a waste of time.On the other hand, after watching and listening to Courtney Love, I have a bit more sympathy for Kurt Cobain..
I know there are tons of folks who can't stand this film, some of my best friends groan when I suggest I pull it out of my DVD collection to play during one of our "Saturday Night With the Witches" movie-a-thon -- people who would rather watch the entire Evil Dead saga or Cannibal, the Musical over Straight to Hell.I, however, find it to be a brilliant film.
Well, for me and my dubious tastes, it works quite nicely.Give it a try, don't expect it to be a spiritually uplifting film or to bring you closer to Nirvana -- albiet, seeing Love get killed is a bit of a karmic moment for me -- just enjoy..
I love all Spaghetti Westerns, 'The Pogues' and 'The Clash' but not a big fan of Alex Cox as a movie maker.
The film poster pictured here and featuring the great Joe Strummer is 10 out of 10 (Joe never changed out of the suit the enitire shoot) but the movie kinda sucked.
A year after The Clash announced an indefinite hiatus, singer/guitarist Joe Strummer made an attempt to redefine his career, and cross over into the world of acting, starring in Alex Cox's third feature length movie after the critically acclaimed Sid and Nancy.
In place of this, Cox assembled a hurried script, a disused location in Almería, Spain, with four weeks of shooting, the purpose being to cast the artists in a low-budget homage to his favourite genre; the Western.In turn, Straight to Hell transpires to be a movie of two very different aspects, the first being the direction and cinematography, which, in keeping with Cox's previous work such as Repo Man, is highly idiosyncratic, reflecting the ethos and influence of the late 70's/early 80's punk movement.
This really is a case of style over substance, and Cox's off-beat direction, is let down by terrible dialogue and irritating characters, one example of which being Courtney Love's character 'Velma', a heavily pregnant, underage love-interest of Sy Richardson's 'Norwood', who screeches her way through the script, mimicking Cloe Webb's character in Sid and Nancy.
Jackson's role as 'Jules Winnfield' in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction, predating it by seven years.Straight to Hell could be labelled a surrealist or absurdist comedy, constantly using non-sequiturs, with statements and events having no relation to previous ones, which gives the movie an unpredictable quality, for example, in one scene, Sy Richardson's character dons a pink shower cap in the build up to a duel, for no apparent reason.
Other humorous aspects of the movie appear in bad taste, almost becoming dark and sadistic in their use, such as the abuse and eventual death of a young hot dog vendor, and the shooting of his dog earlier in the film.
The movie itself seems to exist purely on the basis to exploit the audience, capitalizing on the cult devotees that follow the artists in the film, such as Elvis Costello, The Pogues and even Strummer himself being the main attraction, the title of the movie being named after his 1982 single, from the album Combat Rock.
Beyond the amateur performances weighing Straight To Hell down, there is a decent movie trying to get out.
Cox self proclaims himself to be a 'cult director' and a 'radical filmmaker', in fact the only true cult movie he has produced is Repo Man, which is retains popularity with film lovers because of its originality and ability to distance itself from standard conventions, unlike Straight to Hell, who's cult appeal appears preconceived, as to appeal to fans of the musicians involved.The Clash sang in 1980 "Death or glory, becomes just another story".
While there is death and bullets, Straight to Hell lacks any glory, and is easily forgotten in the pantheon of great Westerns, such as The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, and The Wild Bunch.For more reviews of overlooked movies, please visit: http://avoid-at-all-costs.blogspot.com/.
alex cox is a director who has never achieved the respect he deserves, mainly because he defies everyone's expectations and produces movies which have their own sensibility.
he has a style and a substance and straight to hell is right in line with all the others(see repo man, walker, highway patrolman, etc) i wouldn't say people like tarantino ripped him off, but i would say he was doing a lot of the same things 10 years earlier with a lot less critical fanfair and butt-kissing from the establishment.
anyway, i recommend this movie for people with youth and energy and originality who are sedate enough to be able to think but not so zombified that they can't appreciate a little anarchy in their movies.( i still have this image of roger ebert's blinking dumbfounded look as he gave alex cox's Walker a thumbs down because Cox uses a technique of historical overlap that breaks with all movie conventions but would be perfectly acceptable in more modern writings like william burroughs-- who of course we now all know and love fifty years later-- i hope it won't take fifty years for people to appreciate cox's work.).
Maybe just the gestalt of the whole enterprise: Elvis Costello, Sy Richardson, The Pogues, Dennis Hopper, Grace Jones, Joe Strummer, Courtney Love...
It looks cheap, but it contains many little gems: From guest appearances by famous people from all over the film and music industry to the excellent sound-track (Pogues!
Which is really, really odd since Repo Man and Sid N Nancy (Alex Cox's other films) are some of the best films ever made.
Equally a ridiculous and sincere ode to Sergio Leone westerns and "fuck you if you don't like it" story lines (inept bank robbers hiding out in an enclave of coffee addicted banditos with English accents in Almeria, Spain) this amazing film is hard to absorb for those that might want a linear storyline.
And not in a "so bad its funny" or in any cool cult way (yes Grace Jones, Joe Strummer, Dennis Hopper, The Pogues, and Dennis Hopper are in it).
Hell, re-watch a movie you really really love instead.
So much inspiration and promise, but director/co-writer Alex Cox's deranged concept of mixing the punk culture with spaghetti western influences doesn't seem to entirely click for the occasion and comes off amateurish.
This apparently (I say apparently because I honestly have no idea why this film was released, let alone made) was an attempt at a spoof of spaghetti westerns, something like Blazing Saddles, albeit with no discernible gags and no discernible plot.
It looks like something you would get if you took a bunch of indie actors and post-punk musicians to a holiday resort, got them drunk, then asked them to improvise a series of disconnected sketches based around spaghetti westerns with "they're all addicted to coffee, ha ha ha" as the only direction given.
The cast at least look like they had a good time of the "Look at me I'm in a film" ilk.
I am a huge fan of the Clash and the Pogues and Jim Jarmusch, and this is truly an amazing cast, but a cast does not make a movie.
I must admit, though, that it was fascinating to see Courtney Love of all people being plucked from obscurity years before she became famous and put into a leading role in this film, despite looking even more hideous in her youth than in middle age.
Although she was even less talented an actress than she was a musician or stripper, for me the only laugh in this chode of a film came unintentionally, when one of the characters says, referring to Courtney Love: "You have a beautiful wife." The cast, and the excellent Pogues theme song "Rake at the Gates of Hell" were the only things I enjoyed about this movie, and are the only reason I'm not giving this a minimum score.
The one good thing about this movie's release is that it killed the talentless Alex Cox's directorial career.. |
tt0079583 | Mr. Mike's Mondo Video | The film is largely plotless; a series of vignettes linked together by interstitial pieces featuring Mr. Mike discussing how upsetting and odd the sequences are. He introduces some of the pieces via voice-over, and some open with no introduction.
Sequences include:
Aykroyd displaying his webbed toes which he prodded with a screwdriver to prove they were not make-up.
A church that worships Jack Lord as the one true god (also featuring Dan Aykroyd).
A French restaurant that prides itself on how poorly it treats American patrons.
"Dream Sequence" — a series of surreal film pieces bracketed by large light-up signs reading "Dream Sequence" and "End Dream Sequence" that track towards and away from the camera. One of these is merely performance footage of Klaus Nomi, while another features home movie footage shot by Emily Prager intercut with stop-motion animation.
Jo Jo, The Human Hot Plate — a quick cutaway to performance artist Robert Delford Brown, smiling, undulating and dressed only in a pair of briefs while holding canned spaghetti in his cupped hands.
The presentation of a classified government weapons project, "Laserbra 2000". This piece is the last of a triptych of sequences that chronicle attempts to obtain the classified footage. In the first, the film (secreted in a violin case) is in fact someone's home movies; in the second, the violin case contains a violin. National Lampoon writer Brian McConnachie appears in the footage as a scientist.
Short films made by other directors:
"Cleavage" by Mitchell Kriegman — closeup of a hand working its way out from (what is implied to be) between a large pair of breasts, feeling around gently, realizing where it was, and working its way back in.
"Crowd Scene Take One", by Andy Aaron and Ernie Fosselius — purports to be a director guiding background actors for a disaster movie scene.
"Uncle Si and the Sirens" — anonymously-directed silent-era "nudie-cutie" short found by SNL alumnus Tom Schiller. | comedy, cult, violence, psychedelic, absurd, humor, satire | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0091859 | Rita, Sue and Bob Too | Rita and Sue are two teenaged girls in their final year of school who live on a run down council estate in Bradford. To earn some money, they babysit for Bob and Michelle (Lesley Sharp), a better-off couple who live in a detached house in a nicer part of town. When the couple return later, Michelle pays the girls and tells Bob to give them a lift home. Bob, however, drives them to an out of the way place to have sex with each of them in the back of his car. They nonchalantly agree, and he and the girls plan to make it a regular thing. By the time they're finished, it's 2 a.m.
Sue sneaks into her house hoping that everyone is in bed. However, her drunken father is waiting for her in the living room, holding a half a snooker cue, threatening to "wrap it round [her] neck". Sue and her parents proceed to argue about why she's home so late, with her mother taking Sue's side. After her father gives up and goes to bed, Sue's mother asks for the truth, but Sue repeats the lie, to her mother's disappointment.
Sue gets a part-time job at a local taxi firm, and meets Aslam (Kulvinder Ghir), a Pakistani boy who drives for the firm. He and another driver make a bet on who can get her into bed first. Sue rebuffs them. At school, Bob shows up at Rita and Sue's P.E. tennis class to take them for a "jump" (sex). Rita manages to get permission from the teacher to use the toilet (a ruse to see Bob); but Sue is denied and told to get back to the class. She takes her anger out on another student. Bob takes Rita to a furnished showhome on a new housing development, where they have sex.
Later on, Michelle finds a package of condoms in Bob's trousers whilst ironing them. Bob tells her that he and his mates were blowing them up like balloons at the pub for fun, but Michelle doesn't believe him and they argue. During the argument, it is revealed that Michelle is frigid and reluctant to have sex, which frustrates Bob. It also turns out that Bob previously had an affair, discovered when Michelle found his mistress's bracelet in their bed; the mistress had also been their babysitter. Michelle goes upstairs to get ready for their planned night out, for which Rita and Sue are again babysitting. Bob warns the girls that Michelle is suspicious and will ask them questions and try to trick them. They convince Michelle that Bob isn't sleeping with either of them.
After their night out, Bob and Michelle start arguing again, this time in front of Rita and Sue who desperately try not to laugh. Michelle takes her anger out on them and tells them to stop laughing. She then storms off to bed. Grumpily, Rita and Sue make their own way home, unhappy that Bob can't take them in his car and have sex with them again. That night, Michelle decides to let Bob have sex with her to stop him going off with other women, but it goes badly.
The next day, on a school trip, Sue gets into a fight with a classmate who calls her a slag because she is rumoured to be seeing a married man. Later, Rita and Sue skip school to go and meet Bob, hoping to make up for the previous night, but Bob can't get an erection, embarrassing himself and leaving Rita and Sue unsatisfied. He takes them out to a club instead, where Michelle's best friend Mavis happens to be, and spots Bob with the girls. Bob warns the girls that Mavis will surely tell Michelle she saw them together.
The next morning, Mavis rushes around to tell Michelle what she saw, and Michelle storms over to Rita's house in Mavis's car. Michelle drags Rita out of her house and into Mavis's car, and takes her to Sue's flat to confront them both, with Bob now in tow. Michelle, Bob, Rita, Sue, and Sue's parents have a big argument in front of all the neighbours, who are all having a good laugh over the spectacle. Michelle blames the girls for being slutty, but Sue retorts that the reason Bob cheats on her is because she doesn't have enough sex with him. Michelle turns on Bob, goes home, ransacks the house, and she and their children leave in a taxi, never to return.
The next day, Sue goes to Rita's house to walk to school together. Rita tells her that she is no longer going to school, because they are due to leave school soon and Bob has asked her to move in with him. She also reveals that she is pregnant with Bob's child. When Bob arrives to take her away, Sue is enraged and tells them both to get lost.
Sue dates Aslam as a rebound to get over Bob and Rita. They go to the cinema, and then off to grassy hillside spot where they start kissing. Afterwards they go to Sue's flat where Aslam meets her parents. Her father comes home from the pub drunk and shouts racist comments at Aslam, causing Sue to leave home and move in with Aslam and his sister.
Months later, Sue finds out that Rita has miscarried, and visits her in the hospital. On the way out, Bob approaches Sue and invites her for another escapade. Sue refuses, saying she's staying faithful to Aslam, whom she's now living with. After Bob drops Sue off at her house, Aslam attacks Sue, thinking that she was out having sex with Bob.
Later at Bob's house, he and Rita are about to have sex, when Bob accidentally says Sue's name. Angry, Rita leaves to confront Sue. When she gets there, she finds Aslam attacking Sue. Defending her, Rita kicks him in the knees, and then Sue kicks him in his groin, disabling him enough for Sue and Rita to escape. They go back to Bob's house, where Rita tends to Sue's wounds, and Aslam shows up at Bob's door. They refuse to let him in, but Aslam tries to find a way to break in, all the while trying to convince Sue to come back to him. He almost gets in through the patio doors, but Rita runs and locks them. He tries to plead with Sue, threatening suicide if she doesn't come back. The situation is interrupted by the arrival of the police, having been called by a neighbour. Aslam then runs off with the police in pursuit.
When Bob returns home, Rita tells him that she is letting Sue move in with them. They go upstairs and Bob goes to get a bath. When he goes into the bedroom he finds both girls semi-naked in his bed and the film ends with him diving onto the bed. | comedy | train | wikipedia | Rita, Sue and Bob Too is an exemplary British '80s film.
I knew a lot of Ritas and Sues when I was growing up, and the two young actresses who play these parts do a stellar job.For me, a lot of the humour in the film derives from the depictions of "class" - from Sue's awful drunk father uselessly brandishing a baseball bat, to Bob's wife - clearly only about half a stilleto heel up the social ladder than Rita and Sue, but desperate to be seen to be something better.
Lines like "Make your own f**king tea" when she's trying to impress and intimidate the girls are wonderfully comic.I also like the racial slant to the film - the guy who plays Sue's Asian boyfriend is attractive, and presented both sympathetically and unsympathetically at the same time (like most of the lead characters in the film) - at first he's nervous around Sue, but quickly tries to assert control over her.
I think this film paved the way for later films like "East is East", which reminds me of it a lot.I also like the depictions of gossipy, interfering neighbours - both from the under-class estate (especially the strange old man who dances in glee at the "street-fight") and the middle-class private housing (the guy who endlessly waters his plants in the garden so he can spy on the events in Bob's house).
In contrast, to anyone from a hum-drum town anywhere in the British Isles (in my case Ireland) or inner city working class background, a mention of the film if they've seen it, brings on a laugh and smiles of recognition of shared experiences.Hyper-realism may prevail in this film but there are many many reasons to watch it.
Overcrowded classrooms, and few opportunities to socialise meant teenagers had to make their own fun just like Rita and Sue.To me no other film evokes the 80's like this film, it always brings me out in tears of laughter as I recognise the characters from my own life.
Practically every girl in my home town dressed exactly like Rita and Sue, bare legged and white stillettoed.
That scene where they go to the museum with the other school girls and exiting onto a cobbled Yorkshire street Sue utters the immortal line: '..she called me a slag so I hit her!, after assaulting a virgin classmate, is a real hoot.
For me the funniest scene is when Rita and Sue start giggling in embarassment as Bob and The Wife start having a barny after returning home after a night on the tiles.
The two main protagonists (Rita and Sue) are finding fun, excitement and adventure (isn't it better to be walking around in cow dung getting fresh air and a 'jump' from the middle class neighbour in a car than loitering around a dreary housing estate?) as an antidote to their hopeless circumstances.
Every time I see it I laugh out loud - if you're ever feeling a bit down, watch this film!
The scene at the dance with the terrible 80's party band Black Lace is wonderful, they are having a such a great time and it is in such contrast to their grim reality.The ending is wonderful..
The film *is* a comment on Thatcher's Britain but although the backdrop to the story is a run-down estate and the characters are financially poor the story is tender, funny and celebratory.The title shows what the film is about, it's about Rita and Sue, Bob's only an afterthought.
Throughout the whole relationship the girls are in control of the hapless Bob who's sex-drive leads to his making some pretty unwise choices, Rita and Sue are his enthusiastic conspirators.
The relationship with Bob tests their friendship but it is ultimately made stronger.The film has some wonderful moments, Sue's father is the most convincing drunk I've ever seen.
The story is a married man called Bob seduces the babysitters Ria and Sue in his car when parked out on the moors resulting in a hilarious sex scene.
The three continue their relationship of casual sex and good times even though they know the truth will eventually be known.As i said comedy is a big part of this film which is mainly from the common accents and swearing from practically the whole cast (especially Kevin, Sue's racist, drunkard dad).
Other comedy moments are the old nosey neighbour (Hosepipe Harry) who spends the whole film watering his garden and the dance scene where Bob and the two girls are dancing to a song called "We're having a gang bang!" which is funny just for Rita's dancing (best moment in the film!) although a friend of Bob's wife (Fat F*ckin' Mavis) sees them and tells her leading to a full scale argument with the girls families and the married couple, which has more swearing in the 5 minute scene then a whole series of the Osbournes.This is a great British film and anyone with a sense of humour will enjoy it!.
Some viewers might be offended by the use of racist language used when referring to Asians, and perhaps even the portrayal of Sue's Pakistani boyfriend as violent, but this is essential to the realistic depiction of working-class life in a decaying inner-city area.
It is the films bawdiness and honesty that makes 'Rita, Sue and Bob too' a minor classic of the long gone 1980s..
This film shows a snap shot of British working class life as it was (and still is in many cases!).
The British film industry's Liberal Elite hate this kind of movie as it attempts to show real people.
Love it or loathe it, this is an audacious and startling account of working class life during Thatcher's reign in 80s Bradford, North England.
I don't know if the director was meaning to show him as being really funny but some of the things he comes out with are absolutely brilliant.My favourite moment is when Sue gets back from baby sitting the first time.
As desperately unattractive as they both are, I've no idea why either Rita and/or Sue would throw themselves at a consummate creep like Bob - but given that they do, why should I be expected to care what happens to them?
Rita Sue and Bob Too, is set in the grim landscape of Bradford, but the universal appeal of the story could suggest that this film could have been set in New York never mind Yorkshire.The story of two teenage girls being seduced by a rich 30 something who is after his own lustful pleasures is hardly original but it is the warmth that director Allan Clarke (also known for Scum and TV film The Firm starring Gary Oldman) brings to these desperate characters that make the film so memorable.The acting is superb as is the dialogue.
Memorable classic lines inlcude "Jeez, It's like a frozen sausage!", "I've never kissed a Paki before" and the final line of the film, "You took your fu**ing time!!!" which surely must be on a par with the last line of "Some Like It Hot".Throw in some fantastic parts such as Bobs wife (played by Leslie Sharp of Full Monty fame), Sue's mad as a hat parents, and her Pakistani boyfriend (who later came to fame in the TV series "Goodness, Gracious Me")and not to mention the fabulous Black Lace classic song "We're Having A Gangabang" and the scene is set for a truly British 80's classic.Forgetting the darker and more sinister messages portrayed in the story and focusing on the great acting, direction and storyline, this is a must see for fans of British Cinema.TC.
However, unlike some of the grim, hopeless, angst-ridden movies and TV dramas of that ear this film gives a more energy filled sense of grabbing life by the scruff of the neck and getting what you can out of it before you succumb to apathy, fear or alcohol.
Having said that it is not really a comedy and it certainly doesn't hold back from dealing with the social depravation, class bigotry and racism that is so entrenched in English society.Director Alan Clarke was very insightful is this piece as he is in others like "Scum" and "Made in Britain".Its "Cheap and Common" for sure but as Bob (George Costigan) himself would says .
This film is hilarious as anybody from the area will be able to recognise the characters from people they know.Sit back and laugh your socks off BUT BEWARE if you are offended by bad language (and lots of it) then go for the Sound of Music..
British playwright Andrea Dunbar combined two of her stage plays to create the movie script for Rita, Sue and Bob Too, a movie which, in my family at least, is somewhat fondly remembered as a naughty and gleefully foul-mouthed comedy about an older, married man who starts a sexually-charged relationship with two schoolgirls who babysit his children.
Yet with the tagline "Thatcher's Britain with her knickers down!" and the socially aware Alan Clarke at the helm, it's clear that the film is much more than a titillating throwback to the Carry On days, and paints an incredibly grim picture of working-class life in Bradford, and of Britain as a whole.Rita (Downton Abbey's Siobhan Finneran) and Sue (Michelle Holmes) are two bubbly and outgoing girls making some extra cash on the side by babysitting for middle-class couple Bob (George Cositgan) and Michelle (Lesley Sharp).
The threesome start a potentially damaging relationship, with the girls having to deal with a troubled home- life and the pressures of school gossip, and Bob coming under scrutiny from his wife, who he has cheated on many times before.
As Bob and Rita grow closer and Sue finds herself in an abusive relationship with young Pakistani Aslam (Kulvinder Ghir), close bonds are broken and lives are ruined, when all Bob really wants is to get his rocks off.It is a film that would never get made nowadays, but Clarke's film never attempts to make any stance on the morality of the characters' actions.
The introduction to Sue's frenetic home- life is a mixture of amusing one-liners and kitchen-sink angst, and this lopsided tone is consistent throughout the rest of the film.
RITA, SUE AND BOB, TOO (2+ outta 5 stars)Kind of interesting English comedy about 2 young girls who wind up in a 3-way affair with the married man they are babysitting for.
This a rather bleak hyper-realist British film made at a time when Channel 4 was the main investor in British movies which explains its made for television low budget feel.
Although sex is mostly just alluded to in the film, the desperation that the three main characters feel for a "jump" is a good thing to explore.Someone said that the film was just another "grim up North" film.
It is a poor film with a poor script that likes to think it is breaking boundaries by adding humorous insights into grim life on the estates.
For example, there are no white teenage boys in the film, other than Sue's brothers.The criticism of the film's sex and bad language is, in my view, a bit harsh.
A movie that has not lost any of it's excellence since it was first produced 15 or more years ago.The opening scene of Willie Ross as Sue's father walking home from the pub drunk is hilarious and sets the tone of the whole film.
Overall I like this film but I'm not really sure why, it's not particularly funny, all the characters lead dismal lives one way or another and none appears to have any respect for themselves or those affected by their actions.
The most puzzling thing about this film is its genre crisis, which really left me confused: it went from bawdy British sex comedy, to gritty Northern drama when one of the girls gets pregnant and Bob's wife leaves him, then back to sex comedy when all three main characters jump into bed together at the end.
I think calling it "realistic" may be a little naive though: elements of the reality of working-class Northern life it may have, but having lived on a Bradford council estate all my life, I certainly wouldn't like people to generalise about myself or my neighbours based on this film!.
I consider watching a movie that consists of bunch of worthless losers threatening and berating and abusing and having sex with each other a pure waste of time.What is there to like about this film?
I felt very uncomfortable watching this film, yes it is a great portrayal of 1980's Britain but the two girls in question were school girls, both seemed pretty vulnerable, one certainly came from a home with a loveless and violent father.
The two girls needed protection from predators like Bob but the film almost seemed to celebrate the affair.
The characters are grim and there is a certain tragic feel for both Rita & Sue that their upbringing has set them on this path.
Rita then go back to Bob and Sue. The ending was cute when there in bed classic.The 80's was a good age Maggie was in power so I don't understand why people slag her off.
Be warned - if you like Richard Curtis's awfully nice idea of romantic comedies with Hugh Grant being jolly pleasant and frightfully British, then give 'Rita, Sue and Bob Too' a VERY wide berth, because this will make you choke on your cucumber sandwiches.
The supporting characters, like it or not, are also bang on the money - Black Lace, essentially playing themselves, turn up as a hideous party band, comedian Kulvinder Ghir does a convincing turn as the shy Asian lad who is, by turns, charmingly vulnerable and frighteningly thuggish, Sue's leering, jeering, nosey neighbors are hilarious and the harried schoolteacher (who has to stop a daytrip to an obviously historical village from turning into an all-out riot when Sue picks a fight with a girl who has called her a "slag"!) with his Arthur Askey impersonations - wasted on an ignorant class of no-hopers - is a virtual textbook example of how to get a lot out of a little role.
Surely one of the most intentionally depressing "comedies" ever made; Rita, Sue And Bob Too is a film that not only divides audience opinion but personal opinion too.
Bob and Michelle ask a pair of local teenage girls, Rita (Siobhan Finneran) and Sue (Michelle Holmes) – both residents on a rough 'n' tumble nearby council estate – to babysit for them while they go out.
Clarke's film looks right into the jaws of squalid working class existence and doesn't attempt to prettify it in the slightest.
The performances are generally honest and true - Costigan is outstanding as the philandering husband, Sharp wonderfully convincing as his wife, while Holmes and Finneran bring a spirited sauciness to the roles of Rita and Sue. They're not likable characters but they are admirable as survivors of a harsh upbringing.
Also many viewers might feel that Bob should get some sort of come-uppance at the end of the film, although in fairness he is himself exploited by Rita and Sue just as much as he exploits them.
It's important to come to the film understanding that the whole point is to spend 93 minutes experiencing what life is like in someone else's shoes.
It's impossible to recommend the film as an entertaining experience (it's most definitely not a laugh-a-minute raunchy comedy) but it remains one of the most notable films of working class life to come out of Yorkshire in the '80s and, as such, deserves a look..
What were Bradford like when yer were growing up?" After I've corrected their terrible grammar I'll save me breath and put 'Rita, Sue & Bob too' on the Holographic projection unit.
Universal themes set in context of Northern England.Rita, Sue and Bob Too!
Unemployment and poverty are a backdrop and supporting cast to the violence and alcoholism which pervades the working class.Love and joy are expressed through dancing and sex in the film.
The film starts with one of the most joyless scenes in cinema: Bob, a man in his thirties, deflowering two 15 year olds in his car.
If Bob were around today, he would probably appear on crime watch for internet grooming.Sue starts going out with an Asian boy, whose performance is the high point of this film.
For example, as others have said, the portrayal of working class life in the North in the 1980s is very well done, and some of the acting is extremely good.
Not even a well done abusive drunk- he reels and sways like, well, a guy pretending to be drunk.Overall, it just feels like yet another "it's grim up North" film in which character development is sacrificed in favour of just making things as unpleasant as possible.
In RSABT the working class are just as ugly as they are in most Loach and Leigh dramas, but here they laugh, snicker, and grin a lot – which gives kitchen-sinkiness a whole new dimension: almost enough "dimensionality" to make it 2D.Rita, Bob, and Sue are idiots like we've rarely seen, even in comedies.
Bob is supposed to be "the great entertainer", the charismatic happy-go-lucky "playboy" (If I could call him that), but it's hard to fathom what the pea-brained "school-girls" Rita and Sue find either amusing or attractive about him.
The only scene that appears half-way realistic and one most male viewers can identify with (you know you can), is when Bob fails to get it up for Rita.
Rita, Sue and Bob Too. I heard about this for having some strong sexual scenes, and my Mum liked the film, and it turned out to be quite a fun film that went just a bit too quickly.
There is no real story apart from Rita (Siobhan Finneran) and Sue (Michelle Holmes) are two school girls having a sexual fling with a married man named Bob (George Costigan).
It started with Bob asking if they know anything about sex, being virgins, and then having sex with them one at a time. |
tt2345737 | The Rover | 10 years after a global economic collapse that caused worldwide turmoil, the Australian outback is a lawless wasteland, crime and poverty are common and small military units patrol the outback attempting to maintain what little law and order is left. After a robbery gone wrong, Archie (David Field), Caleb (Tawanda Manyimo) and Henry (Scoot McNairy) flee, leaving behind Henry's injured brother Rey (Robert Pattinson). While driving away, Archie mocks Rey and Henry attacks him, causing Caleb to crash the truck in which they were riding. When they cannot manoeuvre the truck out of debris, they abandon it, and Archie steals the car belonging to mysterious loner Eric (Guy Pearce). Eric manages to free the truck and follows them. After a brief chase, Archie stops and Eric confronts them. When Eric tries to attack Archie, Henry knocks him unconscious with a shotgun.
Eric wakes up and drives the truck into town, where he wanders into several establishments, asking if they have seen the men. He goes to an opium den, where he finds a dwarf and two Chinese acrobats from a traveling circus in the backroom. Eric follows the dwarf to his trailer, where he offers Eric a gun for US$300. Eric doesn't have $300, so he abruptly shoots the dwarf in the head and leaves with a gun. After another confrontation with the opium den's owner, he walks back to his truck and finds Rey, who asks why he is in Henry's car. Eric asks Rey where Henry is, but Rey faints.
After seeking help from a shopkeeper, Eric takes Rey to a doctor (Susan Prior), who performs surgery on him. The doctor cares for abandoned dogs, which seems to interest Eric. The next day, Eric sees two vehicles approaching in the distance, senses threat, and takes the doctor's rifle. The occupants of the vehicles turn out to be the traveling circus members seeking revenge for Eric's murder of the dwarf. They kill the doctor's companion without warning when he comes out to investigate. Eric opens fire and kills the acrobats. Eric then leaves with Rey.
Eric and Rey stay at a motel in an almost-abandoned town. While Eric is away from the room, Rey loads a revolver, then sees an Army vehicle driving down the street. He takes cover behind a bed and hears someone attempting to enter the room from outside. He shoots through the door and is shocked to find he has killed the daughter of the motel's owner. He is then shot at by a soldier (Nash Edgerton). Eric comes to the rescue, killing the soldier and driving Rey and himself away.
While camping near an abandoned mine, Eric is arrested by a soldier (Anthony Hayes). At a small Army base nearby, he learns he is being transported to Sydney. Eric tells the soldier that after finding his wife with another man, he killed them both; he is angry that the authorities seemed not to notice or care. The soldier ignores him. Rey breaks into the area, kills the two soldiers outside, then the soldier who was processing Eric. Eric and Rey escape.
Eric and Rey arrive at the town where Henry and the gang are hiding. They find Eric's car outside a house and break in. Eric holds Archie and Caleb at gunpoint, while Rey goes to confront Henry. After an argument, they shoot at each other; Rey misses, but Henry shoots Rey in the throat. Eric kills Archie and Caleb, before walking into Henry's room and finding Rey's corpse. He shoots Henry in the chest and burns the bodies. Later, Eric pulls to the side of the road in his car. It is revealed that he was obsessed with finding the car because his dog's corpse was in the trunk. The film ends with Eric preparing to bury the dog in the desert. | bleak, suspenseful, murder | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0348662 | Kucch To Hai | Karan (Tusshar Kapoor) and Natasha (Anita Hassanandani) are childhood friends. Natasha has always loved Karan, albeit secretly and wanted to marry him. Karan, however, falls for Tanya (Esha Deol), the new admission in college. Meanwhile, Professor Bakshi (Rishi Kapoor), who is rumoured to have murdered his wife and hidden her body, is reinstated at the college. When Karan blows his impression in front of Tanya, an playboy named Yash (Yash Tonk) befriends him and helps his way through Tanya's heart. To impress Tanya, Karan promises her that he will steal the exam answers from Professor Bakshi's house so that Tanya would pass easily.
Together Karan, Natasha and Yash along with two other friends, Pat and Kush, sneak inside Professor Bakshi's house to retrieve the exam papers so Tanya's year won't be a waste. When they find a woman's dead body there, they try to run away but are chased by Professor Bakshi. Their car accidentally hits Professor Bakshi and he falls down the cliff. Fearing arrest, they run away. Tanya is traumatized by these events, and leaves to start a new life.
Years later, Tanya, Karan and their group have a reunion at the wedding of one of their friends. However, a killer is lurking somewhere nearby and is waiting to strike. And one by one they start to die: Dolly, Pat and Kush are all killed, while Yash is attacked, but miraculously survives. Eventually, only three are left.
When Yash is attacked again, Karan follows who appears to be Professor Bakshi, only to find someone else being attacked while Bakshi is with him. He leaves to find Khush attacked, and Khush says "Tanya" as he holds a piece of red fabric.
Karan follows a car which has Natasha and Tanya in it to a cliff, and finds Natasha injured. She tells him that Professor Bakshi brought her and Tanya here. Karan realises she is lying, as Professor Bakshi was with him, and also realises the piece of fabric Khush had in his hand came off Natasha's scarf. He asks Natasha why she attacked everyone, and she claims it because she loved him. She begs him to forgive her, but he is speechless. She says that after finding this out, he won't forgive her, so she walks backwards in the snow and falls off the edge, yelling Karan's name. He runs to save her, but is unsuccessful, and her scarf blows into his face.
On the first day of college, Karan remembers each of his friends who died, including Natasha. While on the plane back to Delhi, he meets Tanya again, and they decide to be with each other, while they find Yash in the back seat. | revenge, murder, romantic | train | wikipedia | Expecting a thriller from Ekta Kapoor is like expecting dance from Sunny Deol or an original score from Bappi Lahiri.
Expecting a thriller from the director who gave you such sloppy television soaps like 'KKusum' and 'Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki' is like expecting dance from Sunny Deol, acting from Kareena Kapoor or an original score from Bappi Lahiri.
And I Know What he Did Last Summer.
Ripped off a Hollywood flick and is now claiming that chill will run down spines this winter.
Rather snores ran down nostrils.
And he's not the only one to be blamed coz EKKta KKapoor's concept of thrillers are sadly restricted till 'Kahin Kissiiii Roz' only.
Pity Pity!!!
So there's this college in Shimla (which looks like Switzerland) where psycho professors are appointed.
A group of six friends accidentally run down their van over this psycho.
Seized by guilt pangs the friends get separated.
Three years later they reunite but the psycho is back and on a killing spree.
(Now why did the killer wait for 3 years?) The essence of a suspense flick lies in the fact that the actual killer must turn out someone quite unexpected and not the usual suspects.
But this movie miserably stumbles at the point where the identity of the killer is revealed.
Moreover the climax where the murder mystery suddenly turns into a love story of an over-possessive woman (ala Gupt) is disgustingly disappointing.
The director pathetically transforms the thriller into a triangular love story (the KKusum effect), stuffing it with a dozen redundant songs (which you have been hearing since the past few weeks on every K soap).
The only mystery in the movie is that it starts with a flashback but you never know where the flashback ends.It's still difficult to differentiate Tusshar from the junior artists in songs.
And somebody please tell him that cowboys should dance around horses (and not cows as he does in the Ding-dong-Ding song, taking the term cowboy too literally).
Esha's emotions still gives you loose motions.So there's not a single department worth appreciating in this film, except for the slickly designed promos which successfully fool the cine goer.
But guys, Dikhavo pe naa jao, apni akal lagao.
Yahan, Kucch Nahi Hai..
Hideous.
Ekta Kapoor's serials are so stupid,illogical imagine her films???This is a remake of I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER and it's crap The film tries to mix a suspense thriller with romance, music, comedy and the result is badThe thrilling part is bad and also the romantic partThe film looks like an amateurish stage play The entire suspense angle is forgotten in the middle and the end is completely different and isn't handled properly Direction is weak Music is decentTusshar looks like a small kid acting, Esha is okay Natasha sucks Rishi is okay.
We know what you did that winter Ekta Kapoor !.
Agatha Christie's classic work - 'And Then There Were None' provided the idea of a story containing multiple murders at some secluded place, totally cut off from the rest of the world and in which the murderer is likely to be hidden in the group of victims itself.
Several novels and movies (in various languages) have come up during the past three quarter of a century by seeking inspiration from this immortal novel of the mystery queen which was first published in 1939.
Kucch To Hai is one of them.However the inspiration from And Then There Were None is for the post-interval session of the movie.
The pre-interval session is based on a Hollywood movie - I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997).
Thus Kucch To Hai is a cocktail of I Know What You Did Last Summer and And Then There Were None.
Kucch To Hai (something is there for sure) starts in Shimla with the college life of the principal characters of the story who consist of Karan (Tusshar), Taanya (Esha Deol), Taashu (Nataasha), Yash (Yash Tonk) and many of their other friends.
There is a professor in the college who appears to be somewhat psychic and therefore, scary to the students.
This strange professor is - Professor Bakshi (Rishi Kapoor).
The college life is studded with the pranks, teases and romances of the young male-female students.
One day a college-mate of these youngsters is found hanged from the roof and everybody thinks that he has committed suicide due to the pressure of studies and exams.
But the reality is something else.There is a love triangle here involving three principal characters of the movie - Karan, Taanya and Taashu whose name is actually Nataasha but she is fondly called Taashu.
Karan and Taanya are in love but Taashu also loves Karan.
Taashu is an orphan who has been fostered by Karan's father (Jeetendra) only.
Yash (who appears to be a flirt) tries to impress Taashu from his side but fails.
Now comes the principal twist in the tale.Professor Bakshi snatches Taanya's answer-book during an examination and now she is under threat to lose one year of education.
Karan alongwith Yash and others sneaks into Professor Bakshi's house at night in order to change Taanya's answer-book.
To their horror, they find a dead body in the house which is supposed to be that of Professor Bakshi's wife.
While running away from there, they happen to accidentally kill Professor Bakshi.
Under the mental stress of whatever has happened, Taanya leaves the college and the city and very shortly, the group of friends gets dispersed with different ones going in different directions.Three years later, two of this group - Khush (Akshay Chitre) and Dolly (Kusumit Sana) decide to get married to each other and the ceremony is kept at Shimla only in a hotel.
Quite naturally, the complete group of friends re-assemble for the occasion.
Meantime, Karan has got engaged to Taashu and their marriage is also to take place shortly.
On the railway station, a member of this group - Pat (Vrajesh Hirjee) feels that he has seen Professor Bakshi there.
Firstly, the other friends don't trust him but when chilling incidents start taking place with many members, Pat gets killed when trying to flee away from that place, Yash endures a lethal attack on him and the newly wedded couple of Dolly and Khush gets murdered, they have to trust that Professor Bakshi is not dead and he is there to seek revenge from them all.
Whether this is truth, half-truth or completely an illusion becomes clear in the climax.Ekta Kapoor is said to furnish basic story ideas to the script-writers of her movies and TV serials and it might have been her idea to blend I Know What You Did Last Summer with And Then There Were None but perhaps she could not allow a free hand to the writers and the directors.
Director Anuraag Basu (renamed as Anuraag Bose) who later directed movies like Murder (2004) and Gangster (2006), was kicked out when the making of this movie was midway and the remaining part was directed by Anil Vishwakarma Kumar.
Perhaps due to the presentation of the visions of two different directors, this movie does not contain a definite mood throughout its duration and shifts from a rom-com to a love-triangle to a horror movie to a murder mystery.
The first half of the movie is damn interesting and other than the main twist in the story (which has been lifted from I Know What You Did Last Summer), the frolic, pranks, teases and romance of the college-mates amuse the audience very much.
This part has a youth appeal and must have been liked by the college-goers (though the movie was a flop).
Mainly it's the second half which is a letdown.
Ekta Kapoor could not understand that a suspense-thriller could not be a hit just by hiding the identity of the killer behind a mask.
Performances are average.
If I have to choose the best performer, it's Yash Tonk.
Other than Ekta's younger brother Tusshar, her father Jeetendra, Esha Deol and Johnny Lever, the cast consists of the actors working in various TV serials made by Ekta Kapoor.
The second lead of the movie has been given the filmy name of Nataasha but her real name is Anita Hassnandaani.
This is the last movie of Jeetendra.
Sadly most of the performers could not deliver their best.
That's the weakness of the direction.Well, we know what you did that winter (January 2003) Ekta Kapoor.
You spoiled a brilliant story idea through your undue interference in the creative department of the movie..
Good suspenseful movie.
A good movie to watch.
This movie is a edge of the seat thriller.
Although its climax is almost as same as of the movie Gupt and also it is a complete copy of I know what you did last summer and I still know what you did last summer.
This movie is really fun to watch.
Watch it for some real time pass.
My rating- 9/10.
Not happening.
First of all let me make it very clear that I did not watch the Hollywood film from which it was copied,so for me Kucch To Hai was a fresh film.
Alas, I was very disappointed after watching it.
The problem here is that this film fails to clarify to which genre it belongs.Whenever a suspense is created, romance track with songs interrupted.
This happens throughout this film.
Even the climax was diluted with a bit of drama.On the whole the plot tells the story of few friends who faced problem when they ran over their professor who himself killed his wife and hiden it in his home.
These gang of friends came to know this before this accident in order to stole the answer sheet for their friend.
They thought he died and they separated.
Years later they reunite at their friends wedding unknown to fact that professor is alive and seeking revenge.Acting was passable, direction of Anurag Basu and Anil V.
Kumar duo was poor.
Lack of focus to what they want to make made the film silly..
great horror movie...
hay guys, i saw that movie , hay, storyline is same.
it is a typical Indian masaala movie.
but the sound system that has been used is ultimate.
see that movie on DvD.its story is similar to movie i know what u did last summer and screem and some Indian movie.it also match with Indian movie 'gupt'.
I know what you did last summer part 1 & 2 goes to Bollywood!.
You have to give the director and writers props though.
They didn't just copy the American counterpart of this film, they took both the original and the sequel, added a few dance numbers to it + a dose of some Scream 2 and covered it all in under 2 and a half hours.
Esha Deol and Tusshar Kapoor sizzle again as young teenagers in college who are naturally attracted to each other.
Their romance blooms juxtaposed against the back-story of suspense, thriller and eventual horror when a former ex-communicated psychotic professor returns to campus and students start to go missing one by one.
But is this psycho professor really to blame for all the supernatural occurrences on campus?
A wild night out after a last night as co-eds lands the teenagers and their friends in trouble as murder suspects when they accidental hit a pedestrian while driving home in the rain.
After graduation, Esha's character break up with Tusshar's character and Esha moves to England.
The guilt of their secret killing haunts them all and virtually tears up their friendships.
While in England, Esha is haunted by memories of the killing that she decides to return to India to clear her head.
Upon arriving in town, she finds out that two of her old friends are getting married as so she heads out to the engagement party, only to find out Tusshar is now engaged to his childhood sweetheart, who was also a friend of Esha's back in school.
While the wedding now serves as a backdrop for a mini reunion, the body count starts to mount again when the teenagers go up to a mountain top resort continuing their celebration and are trapped there during a blackout.
Who is killing all these people?
And is this person responsible for all those deaths back in their college days as well?
To find out, make sure you check out Kucch to Hai!
and I must mention that the music is awesome as are the dance numbers and wedding costumes. |
tt0358345 | 4 inyong shiktak | Kang Jung-won (Park Shin-yang), an interior decorator, is overcome with inexplicable anxiety as his long-overdue wedding with Hee-eun (Yoo Sun) approaches. One evening, Jung-won falls asleep on the subway on his way home. He is barely able to wake up at the last station. As he comes round, he sees two young girls asleep on the seat next to him. He cannot wake them before he has to jump off as the train leaves the station. He arrives home to find that his wife-to-be has bought them a new metal dining table.
The next day, Jung-won is working when he hears on the radio that two young girls were found poisoned on the subway. In the course of fitting some lights in a ceiling, he is hit by falling debris and cuts his forehead. After a trip to the hospital for some stitches, he goes home to find the two dead girls seated at his new dining table.
Jung-won, who is now working on renovating a psychiatrist's office, bumps into Jung Yeon (Jun Ji-hyun), a patient on her way out of a therapy session. She has been receiving treatment after her friend, Moon Jung-sook (Kim Yeo-jin), killed both of their children a year earlier. Another accident leads to Jung-won taking Yeon back to his apartment where she too sees the apparition of the dead children.
Having been tormented by nightmares and the hallucinations, Jung-won is desperate to find out something about the apparitions that haunt him. Yeon runs away refusing to help him, so he searches through the patients' records at the clinic to find out more about her. Using the information he succeeds in persuading her to help him uncover his past. Jung-won discovers that he had been born with shamanic abilities similar to Yeon and accidentally killed his father and sister.
Unfortunately, he suffers the consequences rediscovering his past. His fiancee Hee-eun suspects that he is having an affair and leaves him. Jung-sook is convicted of the murder of Yeon's child, but she suddenly commits suicide as she is leaving the courthouse. Shocked, Yeon calls Jung-won who comes over to console her. He talks to her husband, Park Moon-sub (Park Won-sang), who suspects that it was his wife, not her dead friend, who killed their children.
Jung-won, caught up in his desire to deny his past and his fear of Yeon, turns down Yeon's cry for help when her husband tries to have her committed to a mental hospital. His refusal crushes Yeon, who throws herself off Jung-won's apartment building. Jung-won sees her as she falls. In the final scene, Jung-won sits in his dust-covered apartment. Face lined like an old man, he brings a steaming dish of food to the dining table and sits down.
His dining table is full, not with the family he had been planning but the apparitions of the two poisoned girls on the subway and Yeon. | insanity, psychedelic, violence | train | wikipedia | The movie tells a story where religion, psychology and supernatural elements mix together in an elegant cocktail of mystery, fear and love.
And it deals with the dilemma of helping people to reconcile with a part of themselves that should have been left forgotten, or should it?The true essence of the story isn't revealed until relatively late, compared to other movies who set the tone right from the beginning.
When a movie is capable of giving you the chills without having to resort to loud noises or sudden events, then it is truly scary, and some of the scenes will stay with you for some time.
See this movie if you like a great story, riddled with mystery, fear and psychological deepness.
The recent New Wave of Asian Horror has seen quite a few mediocre films released, however there have also been some true masterpieces amongst them, and The Uninvited is definitely one of the masterpieces.This is a genuinely dark, violent, disturbing, artistic horror film.The key ingredient missing from most horror films these days is an emotionally charged story with characters that you can relate to and care for.
While there is a supernatural element, the real nastiness is based in the humanity and psychology of the characters.The Univited has possibly been mis-represented by it's own marketing, as they have promoted it as a supernatural horror, when in reality the film is more art-house and intellectual than it is horror.
This probably accounts for some of the negative reviews, particularly in relation to the films slow pacing.This is not a film that will make you jump in your seat a few times and leave the theatre laughing, but rather one that will chill you to the bone and leave you thinking.I highly recommended The Univited if you have a darkly artistic streak, and are looking for a character driven film that abounds with atmosphere and chills..
After the wonderful "Shiri," I found myself annoyed with "Tell Me Something," confused by "A Tale of Two Sisters," and outright bored with "Ring Virus." So I wasn't expecting a whole lot out of this film, whose Korean title translates literally to "4 Doll Table."First off, it's not a straight horror film.
The plot is easy enough to follow, but it's intricate and deep, and just giving out details and summaries recklessly ignores all of the context these details have.What I will say is that this is the most masterfully written and directed Korean film I have ever seen, and the acting for it is absolutely stellar.
Scenes have purpose and even though this isn't totally a horror film, it does feature scenes that are downright disturbing and very chilling.This is a strong, original, intelligent film that art-house fans would do well to pick up off of eBay. I impulse bought it and it wound up paying off in a big way.Absolutely outstanding.
if you watched this movie because of Ji-hyun Jun (understandable if you ever saw 'my sassy girl') then be warned - this film is definitely neither romantic nor a comedy.to tell what the film is really about would spoil your experience watching it, the ghosts and other supernatural occurences are only there to highlight the message of the film, to show the feelings and inner problems of the main character.
Good, but slow and not a horror movie.
Sometimes that works to The Uninvited's advantage; I like movies to have a little ambiguity in them where I can apply my own imagination, and there are several deliberately ambiguous moments here.At other times, it's more of a distraction, as we wait in vain for the story to return to and possibly resolve an earlier theme.
I don't mean "loose threads" in the usual sense of plot elements that are unexplained (although there are a few of those), but more like bigger themes that seemed like what the movie was about at the beginning of the film and didn't at the end of the film.The acting is decent, overall, but the two leads both play the sort of shell-shocked, alienated characters that are hard to relate to even if we're sympathetic to begin with, and most of the other characters are not terribly fleshed out.
The direction is good although the pace is slow (unnecessarily slow at times).(Parenthetically, one shot used in The Uninvited seems so obviously ripped off from Ringu that I figure it's got to be an homage, but the movie seems like it takes itself too seriously to throw in a Ringu homage.)Overall, a worthy but flawed effort that is much more complex and rewarding than most Asian horror movies of recent years..
It's truly one of the most effectively depressing films of the past decade, and is essential viewing for lovers of slow-burning, psychological, dramatic horror films with heaping quantities of character development.The key to enjoying this film is to pay attention to the subtle details.
Even the opening 30 minutes, which makes the film seem like it's going to travel oft-explored ghostly themes, can be interpreted as entirely psychological.
Some sequences are, in fact, jaw-dropping because most filmmakers (and their producers) are too timid to show such things.This is a damn good film that somehow fell between the cracks during the oft-referenced (but not entirely accurate) period known as the "hey day" of Asian horror (circa 1998-2005).
Although it is a very good movie, and well worth seeing, I would strongly advise that you do not watch this movie just before bed time.
Watch it when you are fully rested, or you will fall asleep.Another cautionary note, is that IMDb should remove the categories, Horror and Thriller, because this movie is strictly a Drama, and a very slow moving one at that.
And they are long forgotten once you have reached the 90mins mark.It is a very sad movie with most of the characters going through some really deep trauma, so if you are looking for something upbeat, look somewhere else.This is a very good movie though.
Death of children, death of cats, justified death, unfair death, death covered up, death revealed.It's the story of man who should be happy with his life but at its very peak events begin to move around him opening up a past best left forgotten and a gift that is more of a curse.There is nothing happy in this movie, no good endings to anyone or for anyone, but it is well woven and absorbing, it reaches right into the darkest places in your own mind and resonates with the despair you keep hidden away there.Most people will hate it, those that fear the darkness in themselves.
The Uninvited starts out very slow, with a hesitating, introverted main character, which all puts a test on your patience, but hold on and you will be rewarded with a genuinely horrifying viewing experience, which lets you forget all previously seen so-called horror movies by US studios.I do not like gore or cheap shock scenes that make you jump for a moment, but prefer subtle, realistic psychological horror instead, and this is what The Uninvited delivers: A sense of true horror with one specific sequence that is so disturbing and surreal in its whole execution, but realistic and gripping at the same time, you will not be able to shake off this creepy atmosphere out of your head afterwards.Having said this, The Uninvited has a few flaws.
The pacing is extremely slow, the storyline has too many sub-plots, most of which felt unnecessary to the main plot, and some images seem borrowed from other horror films.
Nevertheless, if you are looking for a subtle, slow-burn horror with a stark, disturbing center-piece, you should give The Uninvited a try..
Starring probably Korea's most recognizable face Jun Ji-hyun, I'd admit I was curious enough to see how she would take on a horror story after a series of romances and comedies like Daisy, Il Mare, and possible her most popular film to date, My Sassy Girl.In fact, The Uninvited has little horrific moments in the traditional sense, and its attempts at being a psychological thriller falls flat too with its meek attempts to weave and associate itself with the unknown power of the mind.
Case in point, those 2 kids often used to spook potential audiences, have absolutely nothing to do with the story at all.Except perhaps to introduce its male lead Mr Kang Jung-won (Park Shin-yang), an interior designer who chanced upon them during a late night train ride, only to know of their deaths in the news the next day.
Yun- jung could have been an interesting character, given her mysterious background, innate shaman like powers and her narcolepsy illness which makes her faint when she least expects to.Just when Jung-won thinks he's mad to be seeing the dead children, Yun-jung seeing the same thing makes him curious enough to want to know her, and tap her shaman like powers to explain his forgotten childhood.
There's plenty of unnecessary back and forth of scenes with rather plain characters populating the story, like Jung-won's fiancée, Yun-jung's estranged husband and his mother-in-law, Jung-won's father and sister, Yun- jung's best friend who's there just to provide a tragic element, and the list goes on.What's peculiar in this movie, is how it prefers to try and shock with its plenty of leaps off buildings, balconies and parapets as its preferred method of death.
It had a theme which could have been made primary - that of the concept of how Truth becomes, only from acceptance, and like that immortalized line from A Few Good Man, can you handle it?But alas it's too little too late, and with its boring and unnecessary meandering, The Uninvited sinks, and seriously, it's an uninviting movie to sit through for all its blandness..
A very good Asian horror movie.....
I watched The Uninvited last night, and i found it to be a very good Asian horror film, although the film had a running time of 121 minutes which felt very slow at the beginning ended up to be a great horror film.
He starts to begin seeing the girls dead bodies sitting at his kitchen table, and is worried about his mental health He meets Yeon a women who is narcoleptic who is also witness in a infant murder case.
A very good horror film.
I won't reveal anything that will spoil this movie if you haven't seen it, but my own impression after seeing this movie is really mixed.I got freaked some times, but there was just way too long between the scary scenes and way too many scenes, where very little goes on.But at the same time, there's an interesting story being revealed, which you just can't miss the ending of.
I got the DVD for the Uninvited not knowing what to expect, Asian Horror movies are usually very different one from another.
He ignores what is happening to him, probably thinking is the shock of watching the children dead in the train until the day he meets a woman named Yun who suffers from narcolepsy, so he takes her to his home when she loses conscious in his car, and just when she is leaving she tell him to put his kids in bed, so now Jung-won is not the only one seeing the dead kids.
Both lead actors, Shin-yang Park and Ji-hyun Jun (most known for her part in the romantic comedy (My Sassy Girl") did a fantastic job playing these troubled characters.
It has a Making Off, Interviews with the lead Actors, a story boards/scenes comparisons, and other need stuff like a condensed version of the movie.
Like other IMDb'ers who have commented on The Uninvited, I expected the film to be a supernatural tale along the lines of The Eye. Instead, the movie turns out to be a rather depressing (and somewhat overlong) study of fractured psyches, depression and dealing with death.
This movie is more about people who are haunted by the ghosts of their pasts, rather than by real spooks.Whilst travelling home from work, Jeong-won, a man with no memory of his childhood, witnesses the death of two small children (poisoned by their mother and abandoned on a train).
Together they unravel the shocking secrets of his past.An extremely slow moving movie with a sometimes confusing plot, The Uninvited is certainly hard going.
Replete with suicides, accidental deaths and murder, and with some genuinely shocking scenes that will sear themselves into your memory, this isn't exactly a feel-good movie.
With absolutely no lighter moments to lift the mood, be prepared to feel 'down' after the credits have rolled.And if you think I'm exaggerating, see if you can watch the scene with the 'truck/child interface' without wincing!The look of the film is amazing and there are some lovely sweeping camera movements which are technically superb.
The director and director of photography together have an amazing eye for lighting as well as camera direction and some of the mis-en-scene reveals are quite potent.Also, I was impressed by the actors; the protagonist, played by Park Shin-Yang, who I'd only seen before in a gangster versus monk comedy, surprisingly carries his everyman suffering with visions aptly and Gianna Jun (Jun Ji-Hyun) plays surprisingly well the quiet and depressed psychic well.
Unfortunately, the inability to focus on the characters and their decisions, the sometimes contrived and unexplained ways to introduce problems, and the lack of narrative or emotional resolution cause it to be quite a frustrating view in the end.I can't recommend The Uninvited, but if you don't necessarily need a strong story and want to witness a rather striking work that explores the above-mentioned theme while gathering a rather impressive atmosphere, you could check this out.
No, this film tells the quiet yet overpowering horror of isolation and anonymity in a monolithic, dysfunctional metropolis that is lined with gray high-rise apartments like massive grave-markers; it tells of the horrible numbness and sadness that can lead a mother to drop her wriggling infant child from a 40-story balcony and not even realize what she's done.
It tells of the horrors that can happen when you squarely face your past, as many of the characters do in this film.
Several times this movie made me--a longtime jaded horror movie buff--actually catch my breath, clench my teeth, and shake my head in wonder.Lastly, the photography in this film is remarkable.
Yes, the plot is typically convoluted (which has been my experience with many Asian horror films--I think it is evidence of a cultural gap more than anything).
Warning: Minor spoilersThis film is a bit like a good rough draft that, with more work, could've become something quite interesting.
It takes its time setting up the characters and scenarios, and the story slowly unravels before us.It's not horror, or thriller exactly, but a rather horrific tale of trauma and loss.
But this is a very different film from what you might think of at the term "Asian Horror".
It begins with a rather "thriller" approach, with the mystery of two dead girls appearing before our main character, but this event is actually just used as a mood-setter and hook.
The movie then seems to head in the direction of a drama, as our main character becomes very interested in a rather disturbed, mysterious woman.
You almost think the film is going to be a melancholic love story, but not so.
All in all, the film is a collection of good ideas, some excellent scenes, and quite clever plot elements, but it lacks real unity.
For more than half the film I was wondering what kind of idiot this guy is - only later is there given any hint of the fact that he has some past issues troubling him.Overall, the rather interesting themes are left almost completely undeveloped on any intellectual level, and the movie ends up as wasted potential.
A Horror Film Worth Watching.
The Uninvited is a movie about two people namely,Jung-won and Yun, who met accidentally and have a developed a friendship as they relate together about the psychological horrors and trauma that they have experienced in life.
The story could have been a good one but unfortunately, the plot was extremely slow and its presentation could be confusing to many viewers as it wasn't presented in a straightforward manner,which was the major flaw of the film.
The Uninvited was definitely not a horror film as advertised.
It was a dark film that presented themes on how people try to cope with their their bad experiences and traumas in life.
The film could have been better if the story had a conclusion instead of being open-ended and direction were better.
I thought I would comment to address the disparity between the relatively favorable comments and the modest rating of 5.8 (as of April 2008) of "The Uninvited." First off, as others have noted, this movie isn't really a horror, at least not in the way most people think of modern Asian horror.
The main character is haunted by recent deaths of two girls on the subway.
This was one of the most difficult movies I have ever watched to keep track of connections between different characters and events.Now I can appreciate a movie with open-ended plots and countering interpretations, but there comes a point where a story is simply poorly told.
It starts out great with those two kids, but at the end it just went on and on in slow motion, even after it was more than obvious what the point of the movie was.
I liked the visual style and I have nothing against drama or a slightly confusing plot in a Korean horror movie such as in A Tale of two sisters, but Uninvited really isn't horror although the back of the DVD case promises the viewer a chilling horror movie.
The film s 1% horror and 99% faux drama. |
tt0120610 | Black Dog | The movie first starts out with FBI and ATF agents on a pursuit to stop a truck carrying illegal guns as part of an illegal arms operation. The result is the death of the driver, which leads to a disagreement with FBI and ATF agents on involvement with the case.
Jack Crews (Patrick Swayze) is a truck driver who has just been released from jail for vehicular manslaughter, for accidentally hitting and killing a motorist and his passenger on the side of the road during a trip in which he experienced a Black Dog hallucination. Along with his imprisonment, he also lost his Commercial driver's license. Following his release, he attempts to get back to a normal life, but this time holds a job as a truck mechanic for a local repair shop in New Jersey, unable to drive himself. He is then offered a job by his manager, Cutler (Graham Beckel) to drive a load of toilets from Atlanta to New Jersey for $10,000. Crews initially declines the offer, but then finds out that his house will be repossessed unless he pays off his debt. He then changes his mind and takes the job where he flies down to Atlanta to meet up with Red (Meat Loaf), who runs the trucking yard.
Red initially gives Crews a brand-new truck to haul the load, but Crews chooses an older Peterbilt 379 in order to not draw too much attention. He is accompanied on the trip by Earl (Randy Travis) riding shotgun, and Sonny (Gabriel Casseus) and Wes (Brian Vincent) following in Sonny's Chevrolet Camaro for policy protection. As they make their way to New Jersey, Crews and the guys experience several run-ins with Red and his crew as they attempt to hijack the load, in retaliation for the failed negotiations with Cutler about money. During the trip, Crews finds out that his load also contains illegal guns (over $3,000,000 worth, according to ATF), and that Wes has been informing Red of their whereabouts throughout the trip. Crews also discovers that Sonny is an FBI agent when he is shot and killed by Red during another hijack attempt, and that the FBI has been tracking their whereabouts as well.
Things take a turn for the worse when Cutler takes Crews' wife Melanie and daughter Tracy hostage to ensure that Crews will complete the job and finish the entire trip. Despite the numerous attempts from Red to hijack the load, as well as Sonny's death, Crews manages to survive each attempt. When they make it to Maryland, Crews now officially knows what the whole plot is and formulates a plan to turn over the guns to the FBI and to get his family back. Wes, at this point has gone his separate way, while Earl decides to stay on until the end. Crews puts the FBI tracking device on the truck that Wes is leaving on and eventually the FBI pulls over the truck to realize it is the wrong one. However, Crews calls Agent Allen Ford (Charles Dutton) who is leading the case on Wes' cell phone. He tells him his plan which is to meet him at a loading dock in Jersey, where he will be meeting with Cutler to exchange the guns for his family.
Eventually when the meeting occurs, the FBI shows up and a shootout occurs with Cutler's men. Crews is able to catch Cutler before he can escape and then turns him over to the FBI. As a token of gratitude, the FBI gives Crews his commercial driver's license back, and also tells Crews that his house won't be foreclosed, in return for his assistance during the operation and they thank him for bringing Sonny's body back. He is also given the key to drive the truck one last time to the impound lot. Also, Crews thanks Earl, who was wounded in the shootout between the FBI and Cutler's men, for staying, and in return Earl tells Crews to take care of his dog, Tiny (a pit bull riding in the trailer as a guard), until he heals and everything is sorted out.
As Crews and his family leave the docks for the impound lot, they are intercepted by Red who makes one last attempt at Crews' life, but ultimately their slamming into each other causes Red to lose control of his truck, which then flips over numerous times before getting hit by a train and exploding. | murder | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0043660 | The House on Telegraph Hill | Polish woman Viktoria Kowalska (Valentina Cortese) has lost her home and her husband in the German occupation of Poland, and has been imprisoned in the concentration camp at Belsen. She befriends another prisoner, Karin Dernakova (Natasha Lytess), who dreams of reuniting with her young son Christopher (Gordon Gebert), who was sent to live in San Francisco with a wealthy Aunt. Karin dies shortly before the camp can be liberated, and Viktoria, seeing a way to a better life, uses Karin's papers to assume her identity. After the camp is liberated, she is interviewed by Major Marc Bennett (William Lundigan), who gets her a place in a camp for persons displaced by the war. She writes to Karin's Aunt Sophia in San Francisco, but receives a cable from Sophia's lawyers that she has died.
Four years later, Viktoria (still going by the name of Karin) is able to travel to New York, where she meets with Christopher's guardian Alan Spender (Richard Basehart), a distant relative of Sophia's. "Karin" intends to gain custody of "her" son, but it becomes clear that Sophia has left her fortune to Christopher when he comes of age. When she realizes that Alan is attracted to her, she realizes that it will be easier to stay in America if she has an American husband. She allows him to romance her, and they soon marry. Alan takes Karin to San Francisco where Christopher meets his "mother" for the first time, and she settles into Sophia's Italianate mansion on Telegraph Hill, where Christopher has lived with Alan and his governess, Margaret (Fay Baker).
Things seem idyllic at first, but tensions begin to mount between Karin and Margaret, who has not only raised Christopher but is also in love with Alan, and resents Karin for intruding on her life. Karin is also alarmed at the presence of a burnt-out, dangerously damaged playhouse overlooking the hill, which Christopher claims to have damaged with an explosion from his toy chemistry set. He and Margaret beg her not to tell Alan, since Margaret never has, but Karin is perplexed to discover that he already knows about it. Karin is pleased, however, to meet Marc Bennett again, learning he is an old schoolmate of her husband's and is a partner for the law firm that handles Sophia's affairs. He is clearly attracted to Karin, but keeps a respectable distance.
Karin investigates the playhouse, but is surprised by Alan while she is in there and nearly falls to her death through a hole in the floor. Alan pulls her up, but appears to be alarmed by her behavior. Soon after, the brakes on Karin's car fail. She escapes unharmed but suspects Margaret of tampering with the car. When she realizes Christopher was supposed to have been in the car with her, Karin comes to believe that Alan is behind the accident, since if Christopher dies Alan will inherit Sophia's money. With Marc's help she begins to investigate, learning that Marc's law firm, which supposedly sent her the cable regarding Sophia's death, has no record of the cable being sent. She also grows significantly more nervous around Alan.
Karin discovers a newspaper clipping in Margaret's scrapbook confirming that the cable was sent three days before Sophia's death: it is a fake, and Alan killed Sophia. She attempts to call Marc but is prevented from doing so when Alan arrives home, and he does not let her out of his sight for the rest of the evening. When he brings in the orange juice that the pair drink every night before bed, she is sure her glass has been poisoned. When he briefly leaves the room, she attempts to call the police, but Alan left the phone off the hook in another room, and calls cannot be made. He returns to the bedroom and coerces her into drinking the orange juice, after which he drinks his own. Thinking himself safe, he confesses to Sophia's murder, and that he has given her an overdose of sedatives in her orange juice. Karin tells him she has switched the glasses and that he has poisoned himself. She tries to telephone a doctor but can't get through. Margaret is awakened by the commotion, and Alan begs her to call a doctor. Realizing that he has tried to kill Christopher as well as Sophia and Karin, she refuses, and Alan dies.
Margaret is arrested for refusing to aid Alan, and it is indicated that she may be charged with his murder. Karin, who has confessed her true identity to Marc, leaves the house with him and Christopher to begin a new life. | murder | train | wikipedia | This movie begins a little like William Irish's aka Cornell Woolrich's " I married a dead man " (the novel was released well before Leisen's movie ,in 1948),the concentration camps replacing the derailment:and then a poor girl becomes an impostor in a wealthy family;then after introducing a Rebeccaesque governess,the story takes a divergent turn ,recalling sometimes "gaslight" "suspicion" (the glass of orange juice replacing the glass of milk) and "sudden fear" which would be released the following year.That said,the movie is good,suspenseful,sometimes excellent and shows how great Robert Wise is as a director when he creates a disturbing atmosphere in an old house;he would take his skill to its absolute perfection with "the haunting" (1963) IMHO the best movie ever made about a haunted house (the remake should be carefully avoided);his talent emerges here and there: the playhouse where a wall is missing,the branch behind the curtain,the shadow on Valentina Cortese's white dress in the garage and the picture of the late old lady who seems like a judge beyond the grave ;her expressive face seems to have changed in the last pictures .Best performance comes from Richard Baseheart who shines in his last minutes on screen and the rest of the cast rises to the occasion..
Valentina Cortesa is excellent and very believable as the lady who makes her way from the concentration camps to the house on Telegraph Hill.
In the Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp, the Polish Victoria Kowelska (Valentina Cortesa) has lost her husband and family in the war.
Karin dies three days before the liberation forces commanded by Major Marc Bennett (William Lundigan) arrive at the camp and Victoria assumes the identity of her friend to emigrate to the United States.
The movie has an impressive scene when Victoria's car loses the break on the hills of San Francisco.
Valentina Cortese and Richard Basehart star in "The House on Telegraph Hill," a 1951 film also starring William Lundigan.
Cortese plays a concentration camp survivor, Victoria Kowelska, who takes the identity of her dead friend and travels to San Francisco to claim the woman's son, who is living with an aunt, and also her inheritance.
She finally confides in the Army officer who processed her papers (Lundigan).Robert Wise does a good job with this suspenser, which combines some diverse elements - hidden identity, romance, shady nanny and a murder plot - though the script isn't the best.
A woman (Valentina Cortesa) assumes the identity of her more affluent friend who died at the Belsen camp in Germany.
I can also see why Basehart fell for her in real life.The San Francisco locations make a good open air contrast to the dark mansion interiors that dominate the characters.
A young woman who survives the concentration camp at Bergen Belsen (Valentina Cortese) assumes the identity of her friend, who died at the camp, and through the new identity inherits a mansion in San Francisco on Telegraph Hill.
Robert Wise directed this drama(not a haunted house thriller!) that stars Valentina Cortesa as Victoria Kowelska , a Nazi concentration camp survivor who swaps identities with her deceased friend in order to escape her dire situation.
She eventually ends up in San Francisco, at the woman's home, trying to bond with the son, who is now in the custody of Alan Spender(played by Richard Basehart) with whom she falls in love.
Interesting film with a compelling(if contrived) plot, and most appealing San Francisco locations, especially the beautiful title house..
The House on Telegraph Hill is directed by Robert Wise and adapted for the screen by Elick Moll & Frank Partos from the novel The Frightened Child written by Dana Lyon.
Filmed on location primarily in the Telegraph Hill area of San Francisco, the film features photography by Lucien Ballard and a musical score directed by Alfred Newman.Victoria Kowelska (Cortese) survives Belsen, but with her family killed by the Nazis she is all alone in the world with no identity.
Under the guise of being Karin, Victoria winds up in San Francisco, living in a prime mansion, married to Dernakova trustee Alan Spender (Baseheart), mother to young Chris (Gordon Gebert) and heiress to the family fortune.
He pretty much covered all genres in his long and distinguished career, here for The House on Telegraph Hill, he blends Gothic melodrama with film noir leanings.
Valentina takes a chance and gets from the frying-pan into the fire, but in a completely different world - from the atrocious misery of concentration camps to webs of intrigue in the riches and luxuries of high society in California.Robert Wise was always one of the most reliable of directors, while he never repeated himself - it's astounding how different the character of every one of his films is from all the others.
Concentration camp survivor Victoria Kowelska finds herself involved in mystery, greed, and murder when she assumes the identity of a dead friend in order to gain passage to America.Parts of the film - including the runaway car scene - were shot on location in the Telegraph Hill area of San Francisco.
This was the location of the longtime Telegraph Hill restaurant called Julius' Castle, which closed its doors in 2008 after operating for 84 years.I love San Francisco as a movie backdrop.
It opens with Valentina Cortese in a Nazi concentration camp, and she manages to get to the states by posing as her dead friend, who just HAPPENS to be heir to a huge house and fortune in san francisco.
Pretty standard woman-in-peril film raised a notch or two above the average by high production values and taut direction by Robert Wise.Valentina Cortesa plays a woman who is released from a concentration camp and takes on the identity of a woman who died in the camp.
She uses this new identity as a ticket to America, marries Richard Basehart and assumes the mother role to the son the dead woman left behind.
Mostly, the plot is straightforward, and we know Cortesa will get out of everything o.k., just not exactly how.The film has the look of a film noir, heightened by the San Francisco atmosphere, but it's really more of a conventional suspense thriller than a true noir.
The interesting American career of Italian actress Valentina Cortese met a high point here, in one of her best known films.
This eventually leads her as a displaced person to New York, where she meets an intimidating lawyer and the sinister Richard Basehart, who is guardian of 'her' young son, who is named Chris and lives in a big mansion on Telegraph Hill in San Francisco.
The American Major who interrogated Valentina at Belsen turns up at a party, as American Majors do in films, especially when they are played by handsome and reliable William Lundigan, and she turns to him for help because she is becoming worried by Richard Basehart, who married her as soon as he saw her in New York, and she soon realizes it was really to secure his position in control of the large family fortune.
Valentina loves 'the feel of silk on my skin again' after her sufferings at Belsen, and she has a very sweet nature, but there is a creepy woman named Margaret in the house (played by the eerily forbidding Fay Baker) who is very possessive of the little boy Chris, whose only interest appears to be baseball and is played by a child actor named Gordon Gebert who has a rather annoying voice and is badly handled on screen.
A concentration camp survivor assumes the identity of a wealthy woman who dies on her way to America.
There's even a scene involving a glass of juice that is reminiscent of the glass of milk in "Suspicion," and the maid played by Baker is like Judith Anderson in "Rebecca." There are good performances from Cortese as the woman who comes to regret her get rich quick scheme and Basehart as her sinister husband; the two actors married during the filming..
The House On Telegraph Hill is both the title of this film and the goal of refugee Valentina Cortese.
So she takes the identity of a friend who died there who happened to be Polish nobility and who married into a wealthy American family from San Francisco.
Her only friend is William Lundigan who was a major in the army and whom she dealt with coincidentally, a little too coincidentally for my taste in the displaced persons camp after World War II.That and the fact that an incredibly stupid error on one of the protagonists parts trips up the scheme are what bars The House On Telegraph Hill.
It's also a fine object lesson in the ways in which, despite their endless repertoire of half-clever tricks, they inevitably they make fatal mistakes which topple them fall into the traps they so carefully set for others.Richard Basehart makes you want to bash his face, in The House on Telegraph Hill.
It opens in the shambles of war-torn Europe, where a Displaced Person from Poland (Valentina Cortesa, sometimes "Cortese") has assumed the papers and identity of a close friend who died in the camps.
Cortesa travels to America to claim the son and, incidentally, the inheritance as her own.The estate's trustee (Richard Basehart) sweeps her off her feet and soon they're ensconced in the Gothic pile overlooking San Francisco and the Bay. But shades of Rebecca!
Finally she reaches out to a acquaintance (William Lundigan) who happens to be the Army officer who processed her papers in Germany.The surprising Robert Wise has a knack for papering over holes, keeping us from wondering what the one plot the stolen identity has to do with the other the standard-issue woman-in-distress (or `jep').
"The House On Telegraph Hill" (1951) was based on Dana Lyon's 1948 novel "The Frightened Child" and although it incorporates many of the characteristics of its predecessors, its story of deception, murder and avarice includes enough suspense and interesting plot twists to keep it totally gripping and entertaining throughout.During the Nazi invasion of Poland in World War 11, Victoria Kowelska (Valentina Cortese) loses her family and her home before being imprisoned in Belsen concentration camp.
She settles in quickly and after being introduced to Chris as his mother, gets to know him as they play ball together.Victoria's surprised when Marc Bennett (William Lundigan) visits her new home as a family friend and a member of Aunt Sophie's legal firm because they'd met previously when, as a Major in the U.S. Army, he'd interviewed her at Belsen immediately after the camp had been liberated.
The circumstances lead her to believe that Alan and Margaret are trying to kill both her and Chris and then, when she discovers some documents that point to Alan's involvement in Aunt Sophie's death, she shares her suspicions with Marc, but this doesn't bring an end to her ordeal.This movie's story is narrated in flashback by Victoria who's an extremely sympathetic character but also an impostor and identity thief who practises a deception in order to acquire wealth and a lifestyle to which she isn't entitled.
A most interesting movie in the Fox film noir range is House on Telegraph Hill.
And I enjoyed the brief café glimpse of Chinese singer, Mari Young, who renders the opera ballad, "Lover's Broken Dream", accompanied by Gew Wong on the butterfly harp, Lung Wong (Chinese banjo) and Lee Wong (two-string violin).In short, House on Telegraph Hill fulfills two essential noir requirements: (1) The prevailing mood, both photographically and story-wise is dark; (2) the central character is not only threatened and in danger, but finds herself in a situation from which it seems impossible to escape..
I've seen this kind of story many times: the frightened wife fearing her husband was going to kill her, most people not believing this, and a dramatic ending in the final minutes after long, drawn-out scenes building suspense.
Now how about something actually happening?" Nothing much did until the final minutes, with the exception of a very short automobile scene.The first part is the most interesting, when we see how the "heroine" of the story, "Victoria Kowelska" (Valentina Cortese) makes it to America to take the place of another woman in San Francisco.
Most of her fine film career has been done in Italy.I did enjoy the two main male actors, too, Richard Basehart and William Lundigan, but they were nothing super, playing routine roles.
Great lighting always makes these houses, with the long stairways, look Gothic and foreboding, especially in black-and-white photography.For those who see the title and read the "previews" and thus, are excepting more of a film noir, or even a thriller with horror overtones, consider yourself warned.
She might as well be who she claims to be.Anyway, with her new identity, she returns to a Gothic house on Telegraph Hill in San Francisco that she has inherited from a deceased aunt.
The House on Telegraph Hill is a wonderfully entertaining thriller dealing with a woman living under an assumed identity and the child she claims as her own.
Overall, The House on Telegraph Hill is a very nice, under-seen film..
The House on Telegraph Hill (1951)A very solid movie with a bit of a forced hand, and something like a familiar plot in new clothes.
It kludges along a little with a narrative fix to make the information clear and fast at the start, and get us to San Francisco, 1950.The leading character, played by Italian actress Valentina Cortese (though she might well be intended to be a Polish Jew, given her situation in the camp), is very strong, a somewhat awkward leading woman but different than some of the types populating post-war movies.
The other man in the story, the one who you expect to be on our leading lady's side, turns out to be weak, duplicitous, and a bit of pretty wash by the end.Robert Wise is one of those smart directors who seems to make something unique happen no matter what the material.
Valentina Cortese plays a concentration camp survivor who steals the identity of a dead woman and insinuates herself into the life of Richard Basehart (who happens also to be the guardian of the dead woman's son)...it's absurd and over-the-top but also topflight entertainment.
(Flash Review)Sharing many similarities to Hitchcock's Suspicion as well as Notorious, this was a beautifully shot film about a woman who assumes the identity of a friend who died while they were both in a NAZI concentration camp.
Everyone seems to like Valentina Cortese's performance, and while she's believable as a wide-eyed concentration camp survivor arriving in America, it's Richard Basehart who steals the show.
'The House on Telegraph Hill' (1951) Starring Valentina Cortese and Richard Basehart.
'The House on Telegraph Hill' was directed by the usually very talented Robert Wise.I did like this film and it's worth seeing, however, I couldn't help thinking how much better it may have been if directed by the master of suspense 'Alfred Hitchcock'.
The acting talent was all there, something else was missing.It's interesting to note that the two leads Valentina Cortese and Richard Basehart met making this movie and were soon married.
You see, that new life involves the estate of a wealthy San Francisco matron, now deceased, and when Cortesa marries the guardian of her late friend's young son, she piles on the intrigue as she begins to suspect that he (Richard Basehart) and their housekeeper (Fay Baker) are trying to kill her.The house on Telegraph Hill is a spooky old San Francisco mansion that looks as if it survived the 1906 earthquake that devastated the rest of the city, but has begun to die a slow death.
Victoria (Valentina Cortese) is a Polish concentration camp inmate when the film begins.
This was one of several more or less ho-hum features that Robert Wise directed between The Set-Up and Somebody Up There Likes Me. In some ways it's a prototype of Dial M For Murder with a would-be murder victim wife (Valentina Cortese) turning to family friend (William Lundigan) when she suspects her husband (Richard Basehart) is attempting to administer poison where it will do the most good.
As "Karin" she makes her way to the Telegraph Hill area of San Francisco where she meets Karin's young son Christopher who accepts her as his mother.
She meets Karin's only other surviving American relation, her cousin Alan Spender, who starts paying court to her, and the two are eventually married."The House on Telegraph Hill" is sometimes described as a film noir, but like another reviewer I feel that it does not quite fit that description as it lacks a number of common noir characteristics such as chiaroscuro photography, a complex plot and an atmosphere of moral ambiguity.
Each of those films has as its main character a woman who has reason to suspect her husband of murder or attempted murder; here Victoria comes to believe (with good reason) that Alan is trying to kill both her and Christopher.
(Unlike Hitchcock, the director Robert Wise was not a specialist in thrillers, but worked in a variety of different genres; his best-known films today are probably the musicals "West Side Story" and "The Sound of Music").
The device of having Victoria assume another woman's identity does not really come off; little in the rest of the film hangs on the fact that she is an impostor, and the plot would not have been significantly different if the real Karin Dernakova had returned to San Francisco after surviving her ordeal in Belsen.
At the end of WWII, Victoria Kowelska(Valentina Cortese)survives a Nazi death camp and assumes the identity of her friend Karin, who died with her papers and picture of her young son clutched in her hand.
Victoria's new identity will have her going to a family estate in San Francisco to be with her 'new' son Christopher(Gordon Gebert)and being romanced by his guardian Alan Spender(Richard Basehart). |
tt0331338 | 16 Years of Alcohol | The opening scene shows Frankie being beaten by a small group of men, and the rest of the film is shown as a flashback leading up to that point. The film is split into three sections: Frankie's troubled childhood, his violent adolescence as a ska-loving skinhead who commands a small gang, and a period of change, in which Frankie tries to believe in hope and love.
Frankie starts a relationship with Helen (Laura Fraser), a young woman who studies art and works in a record store. When the differences between them became too obvious, Helen breaks up with Frankie, and he joins Alcoholics Anonymous (or a similar program) and a theatre group along with Mary (Susan Lynch), a good-hearted alcoholic. This allows Frankie to exorcise some of his demons, and he loses his desire to fight. An incident in a pub leads Frankie to believe that Mary is cheating on him with the theatre group's director. This reignites doubts created by his parents a long time ago. Feeling deceived, Frankie rejects Mary without a valid reason. When he's preparing to drink a glass of scotch, he begins to muse how the past has destroyed his life up to this point and he decides to stay sober and call Mary to apologise. The events merge with the beginning of the film, and Frankie's former comrades chase and beat him up. Whether Frankie dies or not is left open to the viewer. | violence | train | wikipedia | He skirts cliché while playing with it, trying to show the violence endemic in that society and making many references to other films ('Clockwork Orange', westerns, 'Trainspotting', Martin Scorsese, etc.).
The cinematography is gorgeous and I was glad for the snippet of Skids on the soundtrack, though 'Love is the Drug' gets the best treatment in a scene that is both scary and hilarious.The film is dedicated to Jobson's brother, who did not escape the life of alcohol and violence and was murdered a couple of years ago.
Maybe it's just a damned good film.'16 Years of Alcohol' won Richard Jobson the award for Directorial Debut at the British Independent Film Awards.
Co-founder of The Skids-turned-film critic Richard Jobson puts his ambition where his mouth is in a striking directorial debut.Superficial comparisons to Trainspotting are inevitable (set in Edinburgh, starring Kevin McKidd and featuring Ewen Bremner in a tale of struggle against addiction) but the gentle mood, flourishes of Expressionist style, John Rhodes' luminous photography and a haunting piano score plant this firmly in art-house territory.After witnessing his father's philandering, Frankie Mac (McKidd) grows into the hard-drinking leader of a gang of skinheads (with Jobson trowling on the visual references to A Clockwork Orange) until the love of a good woman gives him a way out.
But redemption proves a big step and his aggressive paranoia ensures he's not out of woods yet.The work of Chungking Express director Wong Kar-Wai, who encouraged this project, is a major influence and a mixed blessing for Jobson; he occasionally over-eggs his point too literally (a moment in which Frankie appears to have come full circle is unnecessarily overplayed with flashbacks to remind you why it's poignant) and McKidd's melancholy voice-over sometimes intrudes.But these are small flaws in a passionate, poetic film about hope which makes a genuine attempt to find a unique cinematic voice and is powered by an awesome, committed and hugely credible performance from McKidd..
From Kevin McKidd's stunning performance to the exquisitely shot Edinburgh exteriors, this is one of the most beautiful and evocative films I've ever seen.
McKidd and Jobson have captured the teenage experience of those years perfectly and reproduce the entire register of repressed emotions and violent undercurrents with unswerving accuracy.Naturally, it's a film about redemption - of sorts - but the tantalising, bitter-sweet promise of love and hope that permeates this film is delivered with a genuine toughness that sets it apart from the usual Brit-flick.
"Sixteen Years of Alcohol" is the Edinburgh story of a guy with a philandering dad who starts to drink at twelve or so, turns into a violent, alcoholic punker, and finally seeks self-reform.
Frankie also gets into fights with his own mates and woos Helen (Laura Fraser), who clerks in a record shop.Eventually the hero, whose brooding voice-overs constantly intrude, loses Helen, though for a while she seems to have tamed him and turned him from Mars into Artemis, bearer of good news -- as she puts it in a game they play on a colonnade perched high up above the town.
One shot hints that Frankie's employed in a workshop or factory, but specific detail is lacking: the film is deliberately short on connected narrative, going for passion and poetry over mundane realism.There's truth in the 'Village Voice's' thumbnail description of "Sixteen Years of Alcohol" as a series of "static tableaux," and it's also true that McKidd's better than "the dubious romanticism and hard-man clichés of his role." Parts of the movie fall flat, but what makes it worth watching is an intense clarity about the people and the sharply lit scenes they're in.
There is the power and sincerity of the simple small film in "Sixteen Years of Alcohol," but also a lack of narrative focus and sense of a whole world one finds in England's Sixties "angry young man" films beginning with "Saturday Night and Sunday Morning." Jobson isn't trying for "kitchen sink" realism at all, but for something poetic and expressionistic; and the stark, strikingly lit photography helps him approach that goal and make this a watchable film.What's less appealing is the simplistic fatalism of the plot structure.
The "dubious romanticism" shows up in the way a life is ultimately seen as circular (as is the film's "ring" framing device) and doomed, rather than -- what would be equally justified by the story -- moderately hopeful.
There is some light in the character of Helen, an art school graduate whose love might inspire hoodlum Frankie to give up his drunken brawling loud-mouthed ways, but ultimately the story of the slow and painful attempts of an alcoholic to reform himself will be too easily forgotten.
STAR RATING:*****Unmissable****Very Good***Okay**You Could Go Out For A Meal Instead*Avoid At All Costs As a young boy,Frankie (Kevin McKidd) idolises his father,until he discovers him to be a philandering p*sshead.Years later,he's formed a violence gang with three of his mates,terrorizing pubs and record shops with equal disdain.But then he finds love and finds his faith in life being redeemed and decides to turn his back on his old ways and start a new life.But then,he finds turning away from what you know is not very easy at all.The film is shot in a style and presentation that I wasn't expecting it to be.The style of the story unravelled in a way I wasn't expecting either.But,if these are the provisos for enduring such an excellent film as 16 Years of Alcohol,I'll happily accept them.Everything about the film just comes together brilliantly and perfectly.The script is fantastic,carried by lead star McKidd with a sobering,haunting presence and delivery making astute observations about life and especially the relevance of 'hope.'The film plays some clever homage to ones that have gone before it,such as,most prominently,A Clockwork Orange and Enter the Dragon.Frankie's story is extremely engaging,as we follow him down his path from a happy,idealistic young boy to a disillusioned young man who can't identify love to anything and can only see the hard,grainy reality of life and accordingly decides to follow suite,onto an older and more mature man,hardened by the realities of life but more adhered to them and functioned to deal with them more knowingly,only for it all to tragically come crashing down around him for one silly mis-understanding.If a film like Trainspotting could have made it as big as it did,with a far superior script it's hard to see why this couldn't.But maybe this should be kept apart from a mainstream audience and kept firmly stuck in it's art-house roots so that it can be appreciated by those who truly can.It really is a fantastic experience,the best film I've seen in ages and one I'd whole-heartedly recommend you to see.*****.
It's difficult to catalog them in any way, because a good "alcoholics movie" is one which swiftly flows along certain psychological retinues and steadily builds up to a mammoth of self deprivation.
It all gravitates around love and the end is helplessly tragic, but "Sixteen Years of Alcohol" isn't that bad.
Like all those films which fit into this part of the movie-specter, "Sixteen..." has good and bad parts.
The movie felt as though it was torn right from the Kubrick classic, only filmed through a new director's eyes.
A more suited title would have been "16 Years of Violence," or, even better, "A Clockwork Banana".Just do yourself a favor and avoid this movie.
And did I mention the singing?This isn't the worst film I've ever seen, but certainly the one I've felt least compelled to sit through.
I felt like it was shoving the storyline down my throat as if I couldn't pick up the subtleties I needed a voice over to spell them all out for me constantly.Having a father who IS still an alcoholic, I didn't really feel it was a film about alcoholism as such.
McKidd was too old for the teen, they should have got three different characters or avoided the teen stage and concentrated more on the adult McKidd.On a good note, I felt the little boy actor was really good at the start of the film!!.
Richard Jobson not entirely content to write direct and even fund some of this film adds to his credits by reading excerpts of his own semi- autobiographical writing which combined with some pretty editing manages to gloss over what is a dull depressing tale which he must be mistaking for genuine art-house.
Everyone else is okay.Budget constraints meant that all scenes are shot in daylight though most are obviously meant to be at night, though if you know serious alcoholics they mainly operate in the day so for me it adds a touch of realism.The funniest part of this film is a waitress who fails to age a single day in the 20 odd years that elapse between her appearances - a more extreme version of the problem McKidd has who goes from 18 to 30 without changing more than his clothes.
How do I begin to review a film that will soon be recognized as the `worst film of all time' by the `worst director of all time?' A film that could develop a cult following because it's `so bad it's good?'An analytical approach criticizing the film seems both pointless and part of band-wagon syndrome--let's bash freely without worry of backlash because every other human on earth is doing it, and the people who like the film like it for those flaws we'd cite.The film's universal poor quality goes without saying-- 'Sixteen Years of Alcohol' is not without competition for title of worst film so it has to sink pretty low to acquire the title and keep a hold of it, but I believe this film could go the distance.
IMDb doesn't allow enough words to cite all the films failures, and it be much easier to site the elements 'Sixteen Years of Alcohol' does right.
Despite my low expectations, 'Sixteen Years of Alcohol' failed to entertain me even on a `make fun of the bad movie' level.
But that's partly why this movie made such an impact on me - yes, yes, it was a bit over the top and it was probably a mistake to allow Richard Jobson to be writer and director (just as it's usually a mistake to allow someone to star in the movie they directed - except for Clint Eastwood who is astonishingly good at using all of himself in his movies).However, and it's a big big however, this was real.
I was expecting an insightful and intriguing journey into alcoholism, instead I got a rather boring and uninspiring story about a rowdy Scot.The leading character isn't given much psychological depth, unless you are willing to classify cheesy teen-like poetry as psychology.It was a shame, because the core of the story could have been good, with a better effort to depict the inner feelings of a man who had to live with alcohol and violence since his youth.Sadly, the general idea seems to be more like "I'm the way I am because that's the way I am".
Resorting to the overused cliché of the "poète maudit" reeks of a quick fix, a cheap way to make a dull movie seem smart, artsy and meaningful.But "16 years of alcohol" isn't much smart, artsy or meaningful...
Just like the initial attempt happened rather out of the blue.The movie borrows heavily from classics such as A Clockwork Orange and Trainspotting, but it ultimately fails to recapture their greatness, not even for a few seconds.Jobson put too much emphasis on the artistic side of the story, and neglected the rest, giving us a movie which is pleasant to the eye but insipid to the brain..
At times it felt like a full length student movie with little in the way of plot development but some interesting themes.
The film was held together well by Andewr McKidd who occupies most scenes with some good supporting cast and a cameo from director Richard Jobson.
Excellent film about the problem of alcoholism; a problem keenly felt in the director's native Scotland.There is an autobiographical veracity about the whole thing, plus an intimate knowledge and use of Edinburgh locations, and songs by the magnificent Glasweigan band the Blue Nile.
It might be nitpicking, but I think these people have a point; it does kind of undermine the verisimilitude that Jobson is aiming for.Overall, though, a fine film from that hard-boiled, all-round renaissance man, Richard Jobson.
After reading glowing reviews (the Director was a film reviewer with Sky for years so must have a lot of mates in the press ready to do him a favour by writing favorable reviews) I expected solid acting, atmosphere, suspense, strong characterization, an intriguing plot development and poetic moments.
Unfortunately, instead of spending some time building atmosphere, creating characters we might care about, or building suspense - the director opts to begin driving you crazy with self indulgent heavy handed twaddle voice-over's.
The lead characters are so unsympathetic and are so badly acted - the audience doesn't care what happens to them, desperate Actors do desperate things...like this movie!.
The soundtrack is the only thing that lifted me and kept me in the cinema but even that failed to support the dramatic narrative other connecting a period of time to the action.For some reason the movie got increasingly flawed and to be quite honest annoying.
I still watched the whole damn thing!I guess I liked the attempt at gritty realism in the film but even that was destroyed when they were often inter-cut with weird and abstract, sometimes pointless scenes.
As others have pointed out this movie is a load of pretentious drivel for the mindless or masochists.We all know after seeing trainspotting and acid house that Scotland is one of the most depressing places in the first world.
But unlike trainspotting and acid house without a good dose of humour or gritty realism movies like this do not work.
And even more importantly without a decent script a movie will not work and there is nothing new, inspiring or thought provoking about the script for this movie.The fact that this movie won a couple of Bafta's shows how bad the British film industry is at the moment.
There was the endless, boring repetitive narration, slow motion, freeze frame, flashbacks and merged images etc - none of which made a dull film any better.It is called "16 years of alcohol", but there was little drinking or drunkeness and no depiction of withdrawal with the film jumping about all over the place with no coherent sense.
The story was badly written and extremely pretentious and the direction was equally poor and it is a shame that people have put up further money for more films by Mr Jobson, previously know for being in a rubbish group and on TV making as much sense as this film does.I found it a major struggle to see this to the end but in the hope of it getting better I carried on to the bitter but it really was a waste of time and I would have been better off not bothering..
see this movie...wonderful casting and direction...powerful story.
The acting , Kevin McKidd's portrayal of Frankie is remarkably wooden for an actor that once showed such promise, how far he has fallen in such a short period of time.
I suppose he suffered from poor direction, often the problem with a new and inexperienced director and producer afraid to keep his feet on the ground, pretentious aspirations have run riot, an attempt to make a "worthy" film, has unfortunately steered this ship on to the rocks of self indulgence.
A brilliant debut film from Richard Jobson.
Whilst the story of the film revolves around alcohol fuelled violence with some harrowing moments , Jobson still manages to create some moments of genuine light hearted comedy so that the film makes you laugh and cry .
Sure, the overtly "poetic" voice-over narration wasn't pulled off quite as well as when Malick does it (but then again, who else does?) and considering this film was shot on digital video it couldn't hope to capture Wong Kar-Wai's lush visuals (although, that said, it is easily one of the best looking digital productions I have ever seen, looking almost completely film-like most of the time, and in 2.35 aspect ratio at that), but it really overall held up amazingly well.
The director obviously put his heart and soul, every idea he had, into this film, and it shows in a good way, even if the results are sometimes slightly clunky.
Not only is the music good, but the way it is used adds to the overall feeling that you are watching one person's meticulous creation, that the film is something extremely personal, and not only that, but that the director knows exactly what he wants to achieve.
To me there were problems with the film - the voiceover is too self-consciously poetic and some of the music is very irritating - but the acting and the direction are involving enough to make them unimportant.
Shot on high definition for a budget of £450,000, the film looked better than any other British movie I saw in Edinburgh, which is a real feat.
I was pleasantly surprised by the actors,quite natural acting helped probably by a story that is very familiar to some of them:)Overall this film is well worth it and would expand your horizon of good European movies.A well deserved 7/10..
He has no model of love from a philandering alcoholic father so he struggles with love too.In short this is about being a child of alcohol and becoming one yourself, because the only thing you can remember from childhood is your parents covered in cobwebs clutching their own drinks.I can see why this movie isn't rated as high as it should be.
"Sixteen Years of Alcohol" is a beautiful parable about a Scottish man who grew up into human society's trap of alcoholism and violence. |
tt0150216 | Cradle Will Rock | At the height of the Great Depression, aspiring singer Olive Stanton (Emily Watson) dreams of getting a job as an actress with the Federal Theater Project (FTP). Playwright Marc Blitzstein (Hank Azaria) is working on his new musical, The Cradle Will Rock, but lacks the inspiration to finish it. While attending a public protest, he is visited by two imaginary figures representing his late wife and the famed German playwright Bertolt Brecht. They encourage him to make the play more relevant to the times rather than an abstract concept.
At the same time, the FTP faces increasing pressure from the federal government, which has begun investigating alleged leftist infiltration of American society through the House Committee on Un-American Activities. The WPA, faced with the threat of losing its budget, cuts funding for all FTP productions, lays off thousands of workers, and orders all ongoing projects, including The Cradle Will Rock, to cease their activities. The local unions for the musicians and actors refuse to let them perform without federal approval, forcing the show to close.
Rather than give in, the show's director, Orson Welles (Angus Macfadyen) and producer, John Houseman (Cary Elwes), set up an improvised performance in a shuttered theater, with Blitzstein as both the cast and the orchestra. As he begins the first song, the other actors suddenly appear in the audience and perform the entire play without setting foot on the stage. The climax then cuts to a sequence showing a group of workers destroying the mural Man at the Crossroads, following a dispute between Nelson Rockefeller (John Cusack) and Diego Rivera (Ruben Blades) over the latter's explicit support for communism.
As the cast and audience break into celebration, a group of former FTP performers stage a mock funeral down the street outside. The movie ends with the procession walking into present-day Times Square, which is lined with billboards advertising Broadway plays. | inspiring | train | wikipedia | Writer/director Tim Robbins, whose left-leaning sympathies are common knowledge in the film industry, has managed to create a screenplay of amazing complexity and depth, functioning on an enormous number of levels - political, historical, aesthetic, personal - without ever losing clarity and focus.
He has set up a dizzying array of characters, yet each one is fleshed out with enough depth and particularity to make him or her a vital part of the overall tapestry.Set in the turbulent 1930's, Robbins' tale focuses on the National Theatre Company, an organization set up by Roosevelt during the Depression to provide out-of-work artists a vehicle through which to ply their trade and culture-starved audiences a chance to revel in the glories of live theatrical performances.
The film centers on the production of a controversial musical play called `The Cradle Will Rock' that portrays the glorious coming of unionism to a steel factory, a scenario that parallels the events in the lives of several of the characters in the film.Given this fascinating historical background, Robbins has filled his film with a rich assortment of characters, from Orson Welles, as a fledgling young actor who sees unions as the ruination of artistic purity, to Nelson Rockefeller, as a well-meaning art patron who balks at the mural Diego Rivera has painted for him only after Rivera refuses to remove the image of Lenin from Rockefeller's monument-to-capitalism lobby.
Although at the beginning of the film, the casting of such familiar faces seems a bit disconcerting - leading to what critic Judith Crist refers to as the `hey there' syndrome, i.e. destroying the verisimilitude of a work by parading too many recognizable people before the camera - this technique actually helps the audience to differentiate the many characters who might otherwise pass by in a confusing and disorienting blur.
Hank Azaria, Ruben Blades, John Cusack, Joan Cusack, Cary Elwes, Bill Murray, Vanessa Redgrave, Susan Sarandon, John Turturro and Emily Watson comprise this truly fine cast.Liberal as his leanings might be, Robbins is able to focus on the bitter ironies that abound on both sides of the political spectrum.
As for the elite in the story, Robbins does a lovely job of spoofery at the end of the film; as the play is finally being performed at a nearby theatre - representing the triumph both on stage and in the world at large of the common man over the oppressive tyrants of industry - the tycoons, dressed in masquerade ball costumes of the 18th Century aristocracy and Catholic hierarchy, mull over their plans to retain control of the art world by bankrolling only those paintings depicting the scenes of utmost blandness and banality.
Tim Robbins has really done a magnificent job of putting all the pieces in the right places.And perhaps best of all, this is a film with real controversy - one that will get you thinking about art and politics and unions and the influence of money on everything.
A film that stands up in the face of adversity and squashed freedom.Robbin's telling of the legendary events surrounding the Orson Welles production of Marc Blitztien's Labor Opers, THE CRADLE WILL ROCK, not only puts forth the events but he masterfully presents his film in the style of a Brecht theatre piece.
But this film is not only about artistic freedom, it is about freedom as a whole,about standing up for your freedom of belief and expression,could you imagine that there was actually a time in this "free" nation of ours when armed guards actually locked the doors of a theatre ,trying to prevent a show from being mounted.This film is an important one,and what Robbins accomplishes is to present it as entertainment as well,this is not a history lesson but a well executed work of art.
Marc Blitzein, Hazel Huffman and Diego Riviera (and all connected) had a deep passion for their work that the authorities would soon destroy because of rules and regulations.Interesting is the fact that all the characters are based on true life people, and Robbins has assembled a fine cast who give noteworthy performances all across the board.
All star cast includes John and Joan Cusack, Ruben Blades, Hank Azaria, Tim Robbins (uncredited), Emily Watson, Susan Sarandon, Paul Giamatti, Angus MacFaden as Orson Wells (in a breakthrough performance) and Bill Murray in a wonderful role as a puppeteer.
While it was fun seeing "Cradle Will Rock" with my mother-in-law who had some memories of the time period, I also did a huge paper on the WPA Arts Projects in graduate school (I recommend Jerry Mangione's book on the Federal Writer's Project as a good introduction) and am quite familiar with the personalities and facts involved so was curious to see it as a docudrama.
But we plus my parents felt the film was too agit-prop and the 20% of it that's over-the-top (aw come on, Hearst -- "Citizen Kane" foreshadowing, Rockefeller and a steel magnate at a Versailles costume party at the climax?) weakens the historical telling of a confluence of happenings -- the strangulation of the Federal Theater Project as a precursor victim to McCarthyism through the Dies Committee (including actual testimony wherein Christopher Marlowe was accused of being a Commie, as were the classic Greek dramatists) and Nelson Rockefeller's benighted sponsorship and then destruction of the Diego Rivera murals at Rockefeller Center.
Effectively written and directed by Tim Robbins is how passionately political the artists were, not as "card carrying Communists" per se, but as committed anti-Fascists and unionists in every aspect of their personal lives--as equally committed as they were to the magic of the theater as a communication device.
It does go over the top (including Susan Sarandon as an elegant Jewish courier to Mussolini selling stolen Old Masters), it is effective to show how TPTB were sympathetic to and profited from alliances with the fascists and how much they hated That Cripple in the White House.Amidst the politics, the art for art's sake oversize egos of John Houseman and Orson Welles are also well portrayed, if a shade as buffoons compared to the grimness of everyone else around them, most of whom needed these WPA jobs to keep from starving (there's a toss away line that barely explains that FDR had to throw the Theater Project to the wolves in order to save his whole alphabet soup of programs for the vast majority).
The Vanessa Redgrave character is silly but I guess it's making a point that Radical Chic is not new.The climax of the factual occurrence, the one and only original performance of Marc Blitzstein's "ThreePenny Opera"-inspired political musical "Cradle Will Rock" is a delightful recreation, and from what I've read, true to the real story.
you get the picture, to make its point.You can tell this movie has the potential to be a complete bomb in the first 10 minutes, when the camera self-importantly tracks one character uninterruptedly a la Orson Welles and the rest throw away unintelligible expositional dialogue to let us know whether they are good (i.e., poor) or bad (i.e., rich).
But what a cast: John and Joan Cusack, Susan (Mrs. Tim Robbins) Sarandon, Cary Elwes, John Turturro, Jack Black, Bill Murray, Vanessa Redgrave, Ruben Blades and Hank Azaria.
The main arc of the film is the story of Orson Welles' production of the play of the same name.The cast is excellent: Hank Azaria, John Turturro, Bill murray, Joan and John Cusack, the guys from tenacious D, etc.
politics), is an underrated mosaic of some very exquisite personalities (Orson Welles, Nelson Rockefeller, Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, John Houseman, Hazel Huffman, among others) that are, one way or another, involved with a musical play that's about to be closed down for being "communist", in 1936's New York.
Nicholls (who has a cameo as George Zorn) said that most of the actors worked almost for free, out of friendship for Robbins and love for theater, and that "Cradle Will Rock"'s poor reception at the box-office/critics, is the main reason why Robbins hasn't directed another movie since then.
It's true you have to know at least a little bit about the people portrayed here in order to fully appreciate/understand the film, and movies like this don't usually become blockbusters, but the fact that "Cradle Will Rock" was ignored altogether and seems quite forgotten is really sad.
The ensemble cast is one of the best I've ever seen - Emily Watson, Bill Murray, Vanessa Redgrave, Joan Cusack, Cherry Jones, John Turturro, Susan Sarandon, John Cusack, Cary Elwes, Angus Macfadyen, Paul Giamatti, Bob Balaban, Hank Azaria, Jack Black, Philip Baker Hall, among others - and the screenplay is Altmanesque tapestry at its best.
The play is being funded by Federal Theater, which itself is being investigated by congress for being infested with communists.At the same time, a wealthy steel magnate meets an ambassador from Mussilini and Nelson Rockafeller (played by John Cusack) asks Diego Rivera to paint a mural inside the newly completed Rockafeller center.Tim Robbins, who directed the movie, does a brilliant job, weaving all the stories together flawlessly and painting a picture of the Depression and pre-war era.
This film depicts the true story of a communist play staged by Orson Welles and Jon Houseman (anyone familiar with the Mercury Theater, Citizen Kane, or the Oscar-winning Paper Chase performance will know of these two historic figures) that ran afoul of the government for its Communist leanings.
"Cradle Will Rock"(**) is an overbaked stew into which writer/director Tim Robbins lavishly mixes such real-life figures as Orson Welles, Nelson Rockefeller, Diego Rivera and Marc Blitzstein together along with many other assorted fictional characters from every walk of life, social strata and political persuasion from the far right to the far left (it's pretty clear where arch-liberal Robbins' sympathies lie).
(Joan Cusack's and Bill Murray's scenes seemed like they could have been from another movie!!!) The ending is obvious and over-dramatic.AND Susan Sarandon's gave one of the most unintentionally hilarious performances I've seen in a long time.Stay away by all means...unless you're easily manipulated and aren't insulted by being manipulated..
Before Orson Welles made movies he was a director in theatres and this is the story of the musical he directed ('Cradle will rock') in the 30's.
Robbins gives us lot of different stories that clash at the end and it's somewhere unbelievable that for such an intelligent (but failed at advance) movie he could have such a great cast, they all play perfect with Bill Murray performing the best thing I have ever seen from him (you can't think that this man once did stupid stuff like the Ghostbusters).
I don't see anything wrong with artists putting politics in their art, in fact I encourage it, but Tim Robbins' characters are like Duracell rabbits who carry their messages without any personality or depth (is 'investment' better?).
Only this time, he is directing a film about a group of people that do not so much need a reality check and to go through a blender of facing the repercussions one brings upon one's self, as much as he directs a bunch of characters trying to survive as the Great Depression consumes everything around it and desperation threatens creeps in.Like The Player, Cradle Will Rock opens up with a wonderful long take in a theatre, detailing the necessary surroundings; the sorts of people the film will be spending time with and gets across a general feel for the era in which it's set by having a news reel play in the background.
The film is often quite funny, even surrealistic in its gags, but it never trivialises the bigger picture of the situation and nor does it exploit those struggling for means of entertainment even though they are working within the boundaries of an entertainment medium.Amongst the all star cast is Marc Blitzstein (Azaria), a deep thinking and spiritual piano player desperately looking for inspiration and a tune to nail to his upcoming musical entitled Cradle Will Rock, the very piece everyone will come together and find solace with.
A wonderful, large cast recreates the story behind "The Cradle Will Rock" in this 1999 film, written and directed by Tim Robbins and starring Hank Azaria, Ruben Blades, Joan Cusack, John Cusack, Bill Murray, Cherry Jones, John Turturro, Vanessa Redgrave, Susan Sarandon, Jamey Sheridan, Gretchen Mol, Emily Watson, Bob Balaban - etc.Before the Depression and the turbulence of the 1930s, plays focused on the upper class.
The politics of the FTP come under question, the theater is locked, and the actors are forbidden to appear on stage.Orson Welles finds another theater for the production, and the story of the opening night performance, spontaneously performed by the cast from the audience as Blitzstein sat up on stage and played, was thought to be one of the most exciting moments in theater history by those who were there.Robbins focuses on the controversy surrounding the musical but also on several other important events.
One of the actors, played by John Turturro, has to deal with a family that supports Mussolini's Black Shirts.Marc Blitzstein, in focusing on a prostitute in "The Cradle Will Rock," asks us who the real prostitutes are, and Robbins shows us in his depictions of Rockefeller, Hearst, and the Senate committee before which Hallie Flanagan testifies, the thin and sometimes nonexistent line between art and politics.The performances are terrific.
The musical numbers in this film were wonderful as well as the acting of the Cusacks, Vanessa Redgrave and Bill Murray.I think that a person who likes theater will really be into this play.
So much that it was almost like they imported him back in time from the Citizen Kane movie.The only disappointment I actually had here was that in the beginning of the film this is listed as a "Mostly True Story," but then at the end there wasn't some post script that sort of tied up the loose ends to let us know what finally happened to the individual primary characters and the play production after the opening night.
The plot is about the events leading up to and surrounding Orson Welles and John Houseman's staging of Marc Blitzstein's Federal Theatre Musical in the face of great unemployment, tantrums and the accusations of communism.
The direction is great and the cast all take to the ensemble script like ducks to water- more than making up for the fact that the film never looks too hard at any one character for too long.
Tim Robbins' Cradle Will Rock is an interesting movie about real-life social issues, politics, the arts, and events during the Great Depression era.
Chief among the stories are pro-Union play Cradle Will Rock, the Diego Rivera painting Lenin in Rockefeller Center, and accusations of communism being represented in plays funded by the Federal Government.Robbins brings to life the attitudes of the day through the eyes of several fictional and non fictional participants in these events.
And while the event regarding the much fabled first performance of Cradle Will Rock is heavily dramatized, it's beautifully played out.Of course, Robbins has his hands in politics and this film is an example of that, but, politics aside, this is a brilliantly acted piece illustrating events in history long forgotten.
If you (a)share Tim Robbins leftest philosophy and politics (b)somehow fail to see same in this film or (c)judge it in a sterile environment disconnected from any real time reality, then you will love this movie.
It combines the story of a real musical, Cradle Will Rock (which was produced by the Federal Theatre Project of the Works Progress Administration in the 30s) with historical figures of the time to create a wild and fun journey through New York life in the 30s.
Based on a "mostly true" story of the W.P.A. Federal Theatre Project in the early thirties, the beginnings of Congressional anti-communist hysteria, and the production of Marc Blitzstein's musical, "The Cradle Will Rock," the movie chronicles a turbulent moment in American history.
If you personally lived through the movie's events, you may follow the story better than I could...but that's hardly a realistic expectation for audiences in 1999.This film is full of interesting situations and people (John Cusack as Nelson Rockefeller-- fascinating casting, but we get only the barest glimpse into what he could do with the character), but they do not add up to a good movie..
A brilliant triumph by actor turned director Tim Robbins, Cradle Will Rock is based on the real story of the Federal Theatre in the late 30's.
Featuring characters like Orson Welles, the Rockefellers, Diego Garcia and a slew of U.S. political figures, the movie is grounded in the "mostly" true stories of the pre-war red scare, as the Federal funded arts came under attack from the House Un-American Activities committee.
The acting is superb, featuring yet another energetic and truthful performance by Turturro, a revisited melancholy malaise by Bill Murray, a dead-on Welles played by underrated MacFayden, and really just splendid performances by everyone in this cast.Cradle Will Rock will not appeal to everyone's taste, as it takes a rather hard line towards leftist viewpoints, but the message of the movie goes beyond the politics of left or right.
Tim Robbins made an assured if unconventional film director debut with Bob Roberts, and his follow-up could barely be more different.Taking his stylistic cue from Robert Altman, with whom he worked on The Player, the story is about a play, the eponymous The Cradle Will Rock, to be directed by the up and coming Orson Welles.
It's about a play called "Cradle Will Rock" but with Tim Robbins at the helm, you expect that this will go loudly political and it is.
Whether you agree with Tim Robbins' politics or not, Cradle Will Rock will make you think, if you are indeed open to its message.. |
tt1252317 | Ninja Gaiden II | One year after Ninja Gaiden Black, master blacksmith Muramasa is setting up shop in Tokyo, Japan. A CIA agent named Sonia enters the place and asks for Ryu Hayabusa's whereabouts, until members of the Black Spider Ninja Clan attack the shop and kidnap her. Enter the Dragon Ninja Ryu, who fails to stop Sonia's kidnapping and makes haste around the Tokyo skyscrapers and rescues the agent, who informs him of an attack on the Hayabusa Village by the Black Spider Ninjas, who wish to steal the Demon Statue they possess and protect.
Ryu returns to his home and finds his father, Joe Hayabusa dueling with Genshin, leader of the Black Spider Ninja Clan. Unfortunately, the Demon Statue is taken away by Queen of the Greater Fiends and the Ruler of Blood, Elizébet, and Joe urges his son to retrieve the statue at all costs. Ryu travels around the world with Sonia, in pursuit of Elizébet and the Demon Statue, while encountering legions of Black Spider Ninjas, Fiends, and three other Greater Fiends: Alexei, the Graceful Ruler of Lightning; Volf, the Invincible Ruler of Storms; and Zedonius, the Malevolent Ruler of Flame.
Ryu tracks Elizébet down to South America, where she offers the Demon Statue to Infernal High Priest Dagra Dai, in order to resurrect the ancient Archfiend, Vazdah. Elizébet duels with Ryu and he defeats her, but Elizébet proclaims her return. An overlooking Genshin explains that the fiends are looking to resurrect the Archfiend who is supposed to emerge from Mount Fuji back in Japan. The mountain is also the place which bound both the Black Spider Clan and The Dragon Lineage. Ryu returns home, cautioning Sonia not to follow him.
As Ryu overlooks the fire-brimming Mount Fuji, Ayane enters with the Eye of the Dragon, a gift from Joe Hayabusa, and Ryu equips the relic onto his Dragon Sword, forming the True Dragon Sword again. Heading to the mountain's summit, Ryu finds Genshin waiting for him at the crater's entrance. As Mount Fuji erupts, Genshin reveals to Ryu that he never cared for "tantrums of the archfiend" and that their moment has finally arrived. The two ninjas fight to the death before Genshin falls dead and Ryu leaps into Mount Fuji. Elizébet appears over a deceased Genshin looking to revive him as a fiend as Ryu descends into Mount Fuji.
Ryu fights past hordes of Fiends and singlehandedly defeats Zedonius, Volf, and Alexei, and rescues a captured Sonia. He instructs her to stay put and to not move. Ryu heads into another room and finds a resurrected Genshin, transformed into a Fiend, back for a fourth and final battle. The two ninja battle in another arduous battle ending with Ryu eventually cutting Genshin down, even splitting his face armor doing so. Genshin and Ryu, though mortal adversaries, share a final mutual respect as ninja in Genshin's dying moment. Genshin shares with Ryu that all of his actions were meant to strengthen the Black Spider Clan as a whole (his cause all along) and has no regrets of pursuing that. He acknowledges Ryu as a great warrior, and in support of Ryu's cause hands him the cursed blade of the archfiend for use before dying. A furious Elizébet appears, and chastises the Black Spider Ninja for losing, even with his power. Ryu attacks Elizébet, and angrily cuts her down to red dust with the combination of his own dragon sword and Genshin's blade of the archfiend. He states that the overlord had more to live for than she ever would.
Traveling deeper into the Underworld, Ryu confronts Dagra Dai, who is nearly finished with the Archfiend's resurrection, and defeats him. As a last resort, the Infernal High Priest offers his life to Vazdah, and the Archfiend is reborn. Ryu takes down the monstrosity and heads to the surface with Sonia, but a drop of his blood from an open wound accidentally spills onto the fiend and revitalizes Vazdah, who ascends to the summit in its true form. Amidst an erupting Mount Fuji, Ryu squares off with the Archfiend in a climatic duel to decide humanity's fate and wins. Sonia and Ryu reunite and climb to the top of the mountain, sharing the sunrise together.
In a post-credits scene, amongst a field with countless number of blades embedded into the ground, Ryu plants Genshin's Blade of the Archfiend into the ground and bows in respect for the Black Spider Overlord. The Dragon Ninja takes one last look before taking off into the fog. | good versus evil, insanity, violence, murder | train | wikipedia | A nicely done action game. I first had low expectations about Ninja Gaiden 2, I mean, it didn't seem so great that it was based on some old arcade them that has long been kicked out of the popularity list. But then as I started playing, I realised it wasn't such a failure after all; the graphics were exceptional, the gore lightened the action, and the fighting game play was one I really got used to. This story takes place in the modern world, but with the creditals of a plot set thousands of years ago. I kind of liked that, and it brought me the feeling of always wanting to know what's next. I recommend this game to all who enjoy third-person sword action.By HowlingRabbit334 |
tt2213054 | Kai po che! | Ishaan "Ish" Bhatt (Sushant Singh Rajput) is an ex district level cricketer who is a victim of politics in the cricketing selection fraternity, Omkar "Omi" Shastri (Amit Sadh) is the nephew of a Hindu politician (Bittu) who funds their business and Govind "Govi" Patel (Rajkumar Rao) is a geek with a penchant for business and numbers. Together they open a sports shop and an academy to train and promote talented budding cricketers. After toiling hard, they succeed in establishing it as a center for cricket among the local youth and start to incur profits.
Ishaan requests Govind to teach his sister Vidya (Amrita Puri) mathematics as her exams are coming up. Govind is reluctant at first but agrees eventually. Vidya and Govind gradually fall in love with each other and secretly begin a physical relationship. Omi discovers the same and warns Govind of the consequences, as Ishaan is very protective of his sister.
The three friends spot a budding cricketing talent in a local boy, Ali (Digvijay Deshmukh), who has a rare talent, and Ishaan starts training him vigorously. Govind is ambitious and wants to expand the budding business by opening a shop in a mall being constructed in Navrangpura, an upcoming part of the city. With financial help coming from Omi's maternal uncle, Bittu (Manav Kaul), the trio secure the deal and set up shop in the mall. Disaster strikes when a destructive earthquake hits Gujarat and the mall is destroyed. Govind is shattered as the amount of money they invested was very large and they are now loaded with a huge debt. Omi is reluctantly forced to work for his maternal Uncle's right-wing party due to the money they owe him.
When relief camps of Omi's uncle's party declines to give Muslims shelter in troubled times, Ishaan and Omi quarrel over their politico-religious outlook and temporarily break off their friendship. They again reunite after India's surprise win in the test match against Australia. Omi gets busy with religious politics and joins Bittu's party. Ishaan and Govind, meanwhile, are busy with Ali and Vidya respectively. Tension arises in the political sphere when Bittu loses the elections in his constituency to his opponent. As a part of their campaigning, Bittu sends pilgrims (kar sevaks) to Ayodhya to the Ram Temple. Omi's parents were also among them. On the returning day, the shocking news of the Godhra train massacre reaches the people. Omi is shattered but Bittu convinces him to take revenge on the murderers of his parents.
Ishaan and Govind hide Ali, fearing communal riots. As expected, the violence starts by sunset, and the mob led by Bittu storms into the Muslim locality, killing each and every Muslim in sight. A fight ensues between Ali's father (Asif Basra) and Bittu. Ali's father stabs Bittu in defense and rushes to save Ali and take shelter in their attic. Omi, enraged at the death of his uncle Bittu, follows him with a gun. Meanwhile, Ishaan comes to know about Vidya and Govind's relationship, when he reads Vidya's text message in Govind's mobile phone about her periods. Enraged, he starts thrashing Govind while Omi enters the premises with a gun in hand, desperate to find and kill Ali and his father. Ishaan and Govind break their own fighting and try to stop Omi as he desperately searches for Ali and his father. Omi finally aims and shoots at Ali. Ishaan in a bid to save Ali takes the bullet himself and consequently dies.
The film then goes back to where it started, with Omi being released from prison ten years later. Govind and Vidya are married and have a son, whom they have named Ishaan (Ishaan Bhagat, Chetan Bhagat's son) after the late Ishaan. The film ends with a now grown up Ali debuting for the Indian cricket team against Australia. He plays his first shot by hitting the ball to the boundary with a Cover drive just like his "Ishaan bhaiya" had taught him. | violence | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0116015 | Dangan ranna | Alcoholic air marshal Bill Marks boards a Boeing 767 of British Aqualantic Airlines (cf. British Airways, Virgin Atlantic), from New York City to London Heathrow. He sits next to Jen Summers, who has switched seats so she can be by the window. After takeoff, Marks receives a text message on his secure phone stating that someone will die every 20 minutes unless $150 million is transferred to a specified bank account. Marks breaks protocol and consults Jack Hammond, the other air marshal, who dismisses the threat. Marks also checks his phone. Marks, however, has Summers and flight attendant Nancy monitor the security cameras while texting the mysterious person to try to identify him.
When Hammond uses his phone and goes suddenly to the rear toilet, Marks confronts him. Hammond first offers him some of the money. When Marks turns him down, he attacks. During the ensuing fight, when Hammond reaches for Marks' dropped gun, Marks has to break his neck, killing him. This happens exactly at the 20-minute mark. When Marks checks Hammond's phone, it reveals that someone texted that he knows what is in Hammond's briefcase. Marks finds cocaine in it.
Marks alerts the TSA, but the TSA agent informs him that the bank account is registered in his name and accuses Marks of being the author. At this point, the pilot dies, apparently poisoned, at the 40-minute mark. The co-pilot covinces Marks that he is innocent.
Marks searches the resentful passengers. One of them uploads a video in which Marks accuses and manhandles schoolteacher Tom Bowen, convincing the rest of the world that Marks is the perpetrator. Meanwhile, the co-pilot is instructed by the TSA to divert to Iceland. Marks persuades a programmer named Zack White to write a computer virus to make the hijacker's phone ring. The phone rings in a banker's suit pocket, but he denies it is his. As Marks roughly questions him, he suddenly dies, foaming at the mouth, at the 60-minute mark.
While smoking in the toilet (breaking the rules), Marks discovers a hole drilled into the wall which offers a clear shot to the pilot's seat. He then inspects the body of the banker and discovers a dart. He asks a passenger who used the toilet recently if anybody used it after her; she replies that Summers did. Marks accuses Summers of being the hijacker. Summers gets upset, as she had stood by him. She manages to convince Marks of her innocence.
In the meantime, two RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft meet the plane, to escort it to a military base in Iceland. The passengers watch a television news report claiming that Marks is hijacking their flight. The hijacker's phone then states that a bomb will explode in 30 minutes. Marks realizes that the bomb bypassed the security checks, and finds it in Hammond's cocaine briefcase. When some passengers attack Marks, Tom Bowen stops them, believing that the bomb is the first priority. Marks convinces the others of his innocence, and has them move the bomb beside a rear door and surround it with luggage to direct the blast outward, while everybody moves to the front of the airplane. Marks tells the co-pilot to descend to 8,000 feet, as the current pressure differential would rip the airplane apart if the bomb exploded. However, the pilot of one of the escorting jets refuses to let him deviate from his course.
Marks, watching the news video, notices Bowen making contact with the banker's pocket. Unmasked, Bowen runs to the rear. Marks chases after him, but loses his gun to Bowen in a fight. White reveals he is Bowen's accomplice. Their goal was to frame Marks, thus ruining the reputation of the Air Marshals Service. Bowen wants revenge for the service not preventing the death of his father on September 11 and, as a result, believes that "security is the country's biggest lie" and its exposure is inevitable. Marks persuades White, who is in it for the money, to try to disarm the bomb, saying that he could not survive parachuting out at this altitude. However, Bowen shoots White. Just then, the co-pilot suddenly descends steeply against orders. That distraction enables Marks, with Nancy's help, to kill Bowen. White recovers and attacks Marks, still wanting to jump out of the aircraft. Marks subdues him, then runs from the rear of the airplane just as the bomb goes off, killing White and blowing out the door. Despite the damage, the co-pilot manages to land safely. Marks is praised as a hero. He then goes over and chats with Summers and the others. | psychedelic | train | wikipedia | When everything turns out wrong, you got to run..
This is one of the movies that get better every time you see them.
It's packed with so many original and unconventional ideas that you always find a new detail.
As in Sabu's subsequent movies (I didn't see "Unlucky monkey" yet, but the other ones are as great) failure, chance and humanism play great roles.
The cutting and Montage is inventive and artistic, without the movie being an "art" picture, but a highly entertaining one.
When comparing it to "Run, Lola, Run" you have to keep in mind that "Dangan Ranna" was made some years before and was shown on German TV as early as 1997...so it's more probable that it served as inspiration for Tom Tykwer's movie, and not the other way around.
Complementary to the other reviews I have to add that I like the acting and the ending very much.
This movie is a lot of fun in many ways, and it manages to deliver a message without being annoying or pretentious..
For the rush of Sabu.
This director makes films which never cease to amuse, entertain, or make me think long after first viewing.
Dangan Runner (Non-Stop) is where it all started.The story is simple.
Sabu's characters are interesting in the fact that they are far from perfect and deal with everyday problems which lead to events of grand proportion.
Tomorowo Taguchi (Yasuda) is great as our main character (I wouldn't go so far as to call him a hero which is great in this case) who totally puts a spin on the term packing heat (I never caught this till watching this a 2nd time; an ode to Sabu's subtle humor).
Rather than relying on long dialogue, the story is a blast to watch as they reveal the characters' situations and how they get caught up in this dilemma.
Diamond Yukai is good as the rocking, hazed out Aizawa.
The music plays a great role in Dangan Runner as it establishes moods at a breakneck pace.
Shin'ichi Tsutsumi makes his Sabu debut and it's apparent why the director chose to work with him in later films.
Tsutsumi has this screen presence where he successfully conveys what his character is going through without saying much dialogue.
Right from the get go, you can tell Takeda means business even if he's going through yakuza troubles of his own.
Ren Osugi is great in his brief, yet vital role as he gives Takeda some helpful insight.
Look for Sabu himself (it's very tough not to miss him!).
Oh, the actress who plays Midori is a dead ringer for Maggie Cheung, isn't she??The cinematography in Dangan Runner is fantastic.
There are really great shots of modern city life ranging from busy streets, narrow alleyways, construction zones, and pachinko parlors.
One awesome shot is on the bridge just right after sunset resulting literally in a purple hazed sky.
I noticed one theme in the film is looking into one's self and reaching that point of self realization, coming to realize where you are now, how you got there, and deciding what to do next.
The characters here are furiously looking for the answer for each of them and it's through the journey that they find it.
Being an avid runner, I can relate with the benefits of running, how it helps with forgetting everyday problems, reflecting on what's on your mind, and at the end, I come out with a great clear headed feeling.
Like I mentioned, Sabu makes very thought provoking films..
Run Yasuda Run. An entertaining and substantive film, Non-Stop has drawn deserving comparisons with "Run Lola Run".
The film quickly develops into a chase sequence, during which the viewers learn about the three main characters through flashbacks and daydream sequences.
The chase serves not as as a fast-paced climax, but as a journey that makes up the majority of the film.
During the "run" we see the characters grow and momentarily forget about their dreary lives, about the "macho" roles they've bought into, and eventually forgetting about why they started running in the first place.
Much like fighting provided a "clarity" for the characters in "Fight Club," running provides this film's characters with a means to step away from the false values that we all allow society to create for us.
Their running serves as way to truly taste life from an unclouded perspective, and all three find some level of clarity and joy in the process.My appreciation and enjoyment only wavered slightly in the ending of the film, where instead of learning from their experience, the characters seem to revert to acting out those false macho roles I thought they had escaped from through their journey.Still, the only true problem with this film is that it wasn't distributed outside Japan sooner..
This is really an entertaining film!.
I finally saw this film tonight after renting it at Blockbuster (VHS).
Yes, maybe the characters were not fully realized but it isn't one of those movies.
Rather, we are treated to the director's eye, his vision of what the story is about.
I do believe that Sabu had to have influenced the director's of 'Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels' and 'Run, Lola, Run'.
But I absolutely loved the way the three leads SEE the beautiful woman on the street to distract them momentarily.
I really need to see this director's other work because this film really intrigued me.
If you want a laugh, camera movement and criminal hilarity, look here..
failure, dignity and erotic day dreams.
A lot has already been said on this movie and I' d like to join those who praised it.
It's a highly unique film which uses elements of different genres: drama, comedy, gangster film without making a mess of it.
At points you just laugh out loud, at other points you feel for the characters whose mistakes and failures you watch.
Sabu's genius can be shown with regard to some sequences of the movie.
One is that where all three men chasing one another have an erotic day dream about a young woman that they just passed by on the street.
This sequence is beautifully done and illustrates the characters of all three runners very well.
It is erotic and funny at the same time.
Another example of Sabu's genius is the part of the film where the runners get tired.
First one of them, the typical loser among the three guys, hallucinates that the woman that left him for someone else is back again and you see them dancing with one another and in the next shot him dancing with himself which is deeply moving.
All of the runners get to this point where they think that have something back they lost or are on track again.
And at one part of the movie they stop chasing each other, running in line, just laughing.So here is it all the beauty and the ludicrousness of what we call life which Sabu manages to show throughout the film.
His characters fail (do they at the end?) but he doesn't rob them of their dignity.
"Monday" and "Postman Blues" that do justice to Sabu's claim that he is a genius.
A film about how profound running can be..
Japanese indie film with humor and philosophy where the three main characters run literally almost through the entire film, chasing each other due to strange circumstances and comical coincidence.
As they are running, we see what is going on in their minds and how they got where they are at the moment.
The act of running is a metaphor for these down-on-their luck people's lives.
In some way, what they're really chasing for is not what they were originally chasing, but for meaning in their lives and an escape from their personal problems and broken dreams.
Running makes them all feel truly alive.
The big life-altering running adventure comes to an end when they accidentally get in the middle of something big, violent, and so absurd that it's funny in a clever way.
One of my favorite films of all time by genius director Sabu..
worth a watch and in particular for those quickly disappearing little streets,.
Well, one thing doesn't happen, two things do and a chase ensues.
One guy chases another and another chases him around the backstreets of Tokyo.
A salaryman, a rock star drug addict and a yakuza member spend virtually the entire film chasing.
There is some backstory provided and the whole makes a little more sense by the end.
One difficulty for non Japanese is that this is clearly intended as a comedy but doesn't quite make.
There is a scene, for instance where the three pass a pretty girl bending down in the street and they are distracted.
In a Benny Hill sense with the appropriate cartoon music and only a hint of sexy visuals, there is probably a joke, whereas here the content is too prurient for us sensitive souls to find it amusing.
The whole is worth a watch and in particular for those quickly disappearing little streets, here I understand mainly those behind Nakano Broadway..
Why are we running?.
This movie has a very simple yet clever premise - an unemployed man trying to steal from a convenience store, and the store clerk catches him in the act...
the thief runs away with the store-clerk right after him.
All the while, the store clerk is in trouble with a low-rank Yakuza chinpira (gangster).
Along the chase for the thief, they catch the eye of the Yakuza who's been looking for the convenience store clerk.
The story then moves into high gear in the form of a Tom & Jerry (cat & mouse), but is added with the dog chasing after the cat.
The entire 2nd act of D.A.N.G.A.N. Runner (can be translate to English as "PINBALL RUNNERS") is about the chase, and the chase goes on & on to the point that by the end of the 2nd act, the bum forgets why he is running away, and the Yakuza don't remember which of the 2 guys he is chasing, nor does he remember why they're running away from him.Similar to SABU's later film POSTMAN BLUES, the bulk of the film is simply all chase and action, with plenty of physical comedy and dark humor injected to keep the audience engaged.
What falls short is the ending, to which the chase stops when the three men run out of steam, and into one of the most chaotic Mexican stand-offs you'll see on film that looks almost as if Sabu was paying homage to Tony Scott's TRUE ROMANCE (written by Quentin Tarantino)..
The Japanese "Run Lola Run," his is one offbeat movie which will put a smile on just about anyone's face.
Fans of Run Lola Run, Tampopo, Go!, and Slacker will probably like this one.
It does tend to follow a formula that is increasingly popular these days of separate, seemingly unrelated vignettes, all contributing the the overall story in unexpected ways.
Why are these men running?.
This film is listed as a comedy, but it's not the "laugh out loud" type.
In fact, there is some pretty serious subject matter involving a bank robbery, heroin addiction and the Japanese mafia.
It's comparable to "Run Lola Run" in that yes, there is a lot of running!
But it also shares "Lola's" non-linear story line.
It's also similar in some respects to "Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" as you learn (eventually) that all the characters introduced are connected in some way.It helps to have some knowledge of the Asian culture (even if you learned it through Jackie Chan movies).
The Asian's emphasis on honor and saving face is a key driving force for these characters.
The relationship between the yakuza/mafia guys and their boss/master is laughable to an American sensibility.
The motivations these guys have to run all over town in a marathon chase would never work in this country.If you can be patient and wait it out, the plot will fall into place.
If you don't like movies you have to figure out, or if you get lost during flashbacks, you probably won't enjoy this one.
Don't expect a knee-slapper, but there are a few good chuckles (some probably unintended) and interesting plot twists.P.S.
If shaky hand-held camera work a la "Blair Witch" makes you queasy, beware!.
Non-Stop?
Try Non-Sense!.
This movie was a weak, weak attempt to implement a possibly clever idea.
The story is pointless, the characters are two dimensional stereotypes with unbelievable motivations and the jokes are just plain lame.
Although I did actually laugh once, it was at the main character's horrible acting.
For a story, some guys run around and then some other guys shoot each other and there's some gratuitous nudity, exploited in a pitiful attempt to retain the male viewer's attention (Any female viewer would surely not even be watching at this point as the average female iq is about 3 points higher than the male iq, giving the female just enough intelligence to not rent this waste of celluloid in the first place).
The director lists himself simply as "Sabu" which is perfectly understandable: If I had made this movie, I wouldn't want my last name on it either..
By far the dumbest Japanese movie ever made.
That's the ratings this garbage movie gets before I wrote my review.
Well for me it won an award, the award for dumbest movie ever made.
And that's not even for the mediocre acting but for the story alone.
I've seen my quota of really bad movies and I thought it could never get worse than those I saw before but I was wrong, as we have a new winner for dumbest movie ever.
I just can't understand why anybody would like this movie.
Three guys running after eachother, with a ten meter gap for the entire movie, the first one with no weapon pursued by a guy with a gun (I have no clue why he just not shoots him as his on his tail for the whole time) and that guy pursued by a third guy with a knife.
To tell you how ridiculous this movie is, at one point they just run next to eachother and just start laughing while the whole thing was killing eachother in the beginning.
Three running guys for an entire movie, filled with other really bad actors from Japan.
The best part (if I can say best part as this is the most ridiculous scene ever written) is when about 25 guys just stand in front of eachother with guns loaded and have a little stare off.
What follows next I just can't spoil but it's amazingly bad.
You have to see it to believe it, the dumbest movie ever..
Running out of steam.
SABU's debut feature 'Dangan Ranna', or 'Non-Stop' depending on your preference, is a bit of a mixed bag.
A film about running, this is both slow and fast, violent yet humorous, some parts good, some parts bad.
Ironman Tomorowo Taguchi plays Yasuda, an inept man in work, romance and society in general.
Annoyed at the world, he gets himself a gun and plans to rob a bank.
Forgetting to get himself a mask to cover his face for the job, he jumps into a convenience store to get one.
But with thievery on his mind, he decides to try and steal one, and the alert clerk picks up on the would-be thief.
A stand-off ensues, with Yasuda firing his weapon and escaping the resulting melee.
Yasuda then runs, pursued by the clerk, whom is then introduced to us as failed musician and drug addict, Aizawa in the form of flashbacks.
Troubled by a yakuza hassling him for money and high on smack, he runs after Yasuda.
Neither looking to stop anytime soon, we follow their running through the streets, passing Aizawa's yakuza agitator, Takeda.
Also troubled by the recent murders of his boss and 'aniki', Takeda follows the chase in pursuit of Aizawa.
What then follows is three men running, with seemingly no stopping likely.
SABU chooses to break up the running with flashbacks of the trio's lives, showing this is not a film about what the three are running after, but running from.
All are troubled, and the endless running is their escape from their daily lives, acting as therapy as they mull over their problems.
Seriousness though is mixed with humour, with the three all having sexual fantasies about a random woman they run passed, a free promotion acting as a marathon-style drinks break and running over Tokyo's Rainbow Bridge, only to run back over it in the opposite direction.
As the film develops, however, more characters are brought in.
A yakuza war develops as a subplot and a group of four bored policeman exchange dialogue about their favourite guns.
It's the introduction of a wider story where the film gets a little lost and confused in trying to build toward the conclusion.
And that's maybe the film's problem: While a nice set-up with the reasoning for the three men running from life, how to bring it to an end is difficult, with the film's alternate title 'Non-Stop' maybe wishful thinking for SABU.
This could have been kept as a short, ending with the characters simply running and running.
This may be where some naivety for a debut director comes in, but the film's end is not a total disaster.
A strong idea, with a good balance of humour thrown in where necessary, this is filmmaking for the fun of it.
Released two years before Germany's 'Run Lola Run' - a film also short and undecided on its conclusion - it shows SABU is a filmmaker with lots of interesting and playful ideas to work with, though as a then novice, maybe this idea just ran out of a little steam. |
tt0034245 | Sunset in Wyoming | The Wentworth Lumber Company has been clearcutting trees on Mount Warner without considering the consequences. After one heavy rain, the ranchers in the valley suffer flood damage to their lands, the result of recent logging activities. The ranchers approach company manager Phipps (John Dilson) and camp foreman Bull Wilson (Stanley Blystone), urging them to plant new trees to prevent the dangerous runoff. Phipps and Wilson ignore the requests, and when confrontations with the ranchers turn violent, singing cowboy and rancher Gene Autry offers to appeal directly to the lumber company's president, Asa Wentworth (George Cleveland).
Gene and his sidekick Frog Millhouse (Smiley Burnette) meet with Asa, who tells them he recently turned control of the company over to his granddaughter Wilmetta "Billie" Wentworth (Maris Wrixon) and general manager Larry Drew (Robert Kent), and he is not happy with the way they've been running the business. Asa is also concerned about Billie's romantic interest in Larry, whom he does not trust. He asks Gene to meet with her at her country club and talk some sense into her.
At the country club, Frog has a difficult time adapting to the fancy surroundings. After Gene accidentally pushes Billie into a swimming pool, they are thrown out of the club. They return to Asa's house where the old man decides to throw a party and introduce Gene to Billie's influential friends. Later he sends out the invitations under Billie's name. At the party, Asa tells Gene to impress animal lover Susannah Hawkins Peabody (Sarah Edwards), whose husband Cornelius (Dick Elliott) is the state lieutenant governor. Hoping to preserve Mount Warner by having it declared a state park, Gene tells Susannah that the mountain is a haven for wild animals. As Gene and Susannah make arrangements for her to inspect the area, two of Billie's other friends grow suspicious of her absence and telephone her at a nightclub. Thinking that Gene and Frog have arranged the party on their own, and unaware of her grandfather's involvement, Billie has them arrested.
The next day, Asa arrives at the jail, bails them out, and returns with them to the valley to organize a campaign to create a state park at Mount Warner. Despite the violent opposition of Bull and his men, Gene is able to convince a state committee to inspect the area, which has now been stocked with wild animals by Frog. When Frog leads out a lion and a panther, however, Susannah realizes that she has been tricked, and she, Cornelius, Billie, and Larry prepare to leave in anger. As a huge rainstorm approaches, Gene warns them that the roads will be washed out, but they ignore him. While the desperate citizens of the valley are being flooded out of their homes, Gene and Frog chase after Asa's car, which they find stuck on a bridge. After getting everyone out of the car, Asa is swept into the river and saved by Gene.
Back at Gene's house, Billie sees all of the displaced ranchers and realizes that Gene has been telling the truth about their hardship. She also realizes that Larry was only interested in exploiting the area. In an effort to correct her past mistakes, Billie fires Larry, asks Asa to take back control of the company, and supports the state park legislation. Sometime later, on the day the park is dedicated, Asa and Frog watch with satisfaction as Gene and Billie walk off together to a new life. | murder | train | wikipedia | Tamer Than Usual. It's a rip-roaring opening and close, but the in-between smacks of tame, high-toned city life. Frog and Gene are out to help local ranchers save their land from timber harvesters who've de-nuded the hillsides, causing mudslides that ruin the land. Sounds like a modern environmental message, especially when Gene and co. want the state to take over the forest and turn it into a protected wildlife park. But to do that, they've got to get political heavy- hitters in the city to support them.It's not a typical Autry programmer, tamer than usual. No hard riding or fast shooting. There are a couple of gang fights where lumbermen square off against Gene's men.Then too, the song lineup unfortunately is pretty undistinguished for an Autry film. Nonetheless, Frog gets some amusing bits, especially when his down-home ways mix with city sophisticates. Should say those roaring river effects are real well done nail-biters and worth waiting for. Anyway, if you like to see mainly dress-up, this may be your Autry programmer.A "5", at best, on a matinée scale.. "Well boys, there goes a little sand in their gears.". This hasn't happened to me on a Gene Autry flick before. There are no other reviews here, even though I know it's been shown at least a few times on the Encore Western Channel over the past year. Today I got a chance to see it.Well now, a lot of Gene and Roy's pictures had romantic sounding titles like this one, but I'm wondering if something like "Storm Clouds Over Wyoming" might not have been more appropriate for this one. The story had to do with the Wentworth Lumber Company strip logging an entire side of Mount Warner, leaving the mountain prone to mudslides that threatened rancher homes in the valley below. Starting out, the ranchers led by Jim Haines (Monte Blue) intended to take their argument directly to the lumber men, but were roughed up pretty badly by Bull Wilson's (Stanley Blystone) crew, so Gene decided that going the political route might prove to be a better way.The interesting thing about the story is that it didn't take long for Gene to convince the owner of the lumber company (George Cleveland) that a different approach was in order. However since the operation of the company was headed by his granddaughter Billie (Maris Wrixon) and her fiancée Larry Drew (Robert Kent), Gene's challenge was in convincing them to change their minds as well. Putting together an impromptu get together at the Wentworth's, Gene proposed converting Mount Warner into a state park and animal refuge.Most of the humor in the story occurs when Smiley Burnette introduces an assortment of wildlife to convince the legislators that the animals on Mount Warner deserve protection. The deer and water fowl made sense enough, but Smiley got a little too creative with a cow outfitted with moose antlers, an African lion, and a zebra-like striped donkey that he called a 'jasshonkey'. Don't look at me, it was in the picture.Well that whole scheme sort of blew up, but then nature took a hand in turning things around when a major storm washed out the hillside and Gene had to rescue Asa Wentworth from a flash flood that overcame his vehicle. It was at that point that Miss Wentworth realized how her company was affecting the lives of so many people and her better judgment called for a stop to the unrestricted logging.Of course, sprinkled throughout were a fair amount of Autry tunes including a nifty version of 'Casey Jones'. Just as in many of his pictures, Gene closes out the story by serenading the leading lady, but this time it didn't really seem credible since he was on the outs with Miss Wentworth for the entire story. I guess it was a standard feel good ending for Gene and his fans, but for once I didn't think it was all that necessary. |
tt0984118 | Snuff 102 | Animal experimentation footage is shown, followed by a video of a man dismembering a female body in a bathtub. It is implied that the man masturbates after the corpse has been sufficiently mutilated. Next, someone browses and clicks on the link for "Snuff Fantasy". Images of animals and people (mostly women) being tortured and killed clutter the screen, followed by a real life video of a pig being stabbed in the throat, sqealing and bleeding out. A critic asks "Until what point are you willing to watch? In other words, what do you want to watch?" A wrists-bound-behind-her-back, tightly cleave-gagged, barefoot and crying woman in her bra and panties (Victim 102) is shown in a bathroom. She manages to force the gag out of her mouth, gets up and moves the shower's curtain. She then screams at what she sees.
The film now goes back one week (in black and white footage), and shows a beautiful female journalist (aka Victim 102, portrayed by Yamila Greco) doing her morning routines and watching a newscast about a recently captured serial killer of prostitutes. This inspires the journalist to write about violence itself. The reporter accesses the pornographic and shock websites frequented by the killer (being greatly disturbed by their content) and interviews a film critic and author (Eduardo Poli), who discusses topics such as misogyny, fetishes, new media, morality, pornography, snuff, and the value of human life. Intercut with the reporter's research are scenes of her and two other women (a pregnant prostitute and a porn star) being filmed as they are tortured by a masked man (portrayed by Rodrigo Bianco) who labels his captives... Victim 100, Victim 101, and Victim 102.
The pregnant woman (aka Victim 100, portrayed by Andrea Alfonso) is the first to be brutalized. All the while, Victims' 101 and 102 are sceaming and moaning through their tightly gagged mouths. Accompanying their gagged moaning is a disturnbing and relentlessly pounding industrial music score by El Hemisferio Derecho. Victim 100 is beaten, several of her fingers are cut off and a bag is pulled over her head, which is stomped and kicked repeatedly. The masked killer gropes Victim 100, stomps her stomach, bites one of her nipples off, mutilates her genitals with a chef knife, and proceeds to cut her open with the knife. Before moving on, the masked killer then removes the gag of Victim 102 and orally rapes her with the same chef knife while also masturbating. He then reapplies her gag and drags Victim 100 to the bathroom. With the killer now out of sight, Victim 102 flings a shard of broken glass from the dirty and trash-laden floor with her bare toes to her hands bound behind her to start cutting the rope that binds her wrists to the back of the chair. Coming out of the bathroom, the killer now goes to work on the porn star (aka Victim 101 portrayed by Silvia Paz). He beats her with a hammer, rips one of her eyes out, asphyxiates her with a bag, knocks her front teeth out with a chisel, and urinates on and rapes her.
While the masked killer is taking Victim 101 apart with a hacksaw, the journalist is desperately trying to free her bare feet from the legs of the chair with her still-bound-behind her-hands. A flashback reveals that she was taken when she found hidden photographs depicting the film critic engaging in necrophilia. (The film critic and the masked killer are discovered to be partners in their sick fantasies.) Now freed from the chair, the still wrists bound-behind-her and gagged journalist escapes from the masked killer to the bathroom and manages to lock the door. Now... returning to the bathroom sequence from the beginning of the film, it is shown that the journalist discovered Victim 100 in the shower. The woman is still alive; something the masked killer rectifies when he breaks into the room, and at first bludgeons Victim 102 with a hammer (temporarily stunning her) but then bludgeons Victim 100 to death. The masked killer then drags the journalist out of the room with a hook impaling her belly, and as he prepares to kill her, she breaks the ropes binding her hands with another shard of glass on the floor, grabs a cellphone, and runs off.
The cellphone will not work, so the journalist tries to find a way out as the masked killer searches for her, machete in hand. The journalist squeezes out a barred window, and is chased into the woods by the masked killer, who catches her. As he strangles her, the journalist grabs a rock, beats the masked killer with it, and then finishes him off with his discarded machete. The journalist stumbles away, and is picked up by a passing motorist. | violence, sadist | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0119960 | The Proposition | Set in the Australian outback in the 1880s, the movie follows a series of events following the horrific rape and murder of the Hopkins family, likely committed by the infamous Burns brothers gang.
The film opens in a remote wood building with a violent gunfight between the police and Charlie Burns' (Guy Pearce) gang, which ends with the deaths of all of the gang members except for Charlie and his younger brother Mikey. Captain Stanley (Ray Winstone) makes a proposition to Charlie: he and the feeble-minded Mikey can go free of the crimes they have committed if Charlie kills his older brother, Arthur (Danny Huston). Arthur is a mercurial psychopath who is so vicious the Aboriginal tribes refer to him as "The Dog Man" and both the police and the Aborigines refuse to go near his camp. Captain Stanley states his intention to civilize the harsh Australian wilderness by bringing Arthur to justice and using Mikey as leverage. Charlie has nine days to find and kill Arthur, or else Mikey will be hanged from the gallows on Christmas Day.
Captain Stanley's motivations for taming Australia are revealed: he has been forced to move there with his delicate wife, Martha Stanley (Emily Watson), and apparently wants to make it a safer place for them to live. The Stanleys were friends of the Hopkins family, leading Martha to have nightmares about her dead friends. Word spreads of Stanley's deal with Charlie, primarily from Stanley's corrupt subordinate, Sergeant Lawrence (Robert Morgan), causing disgust among the townspeople.
Shortly thereafter, Eden Fletcher (David Wenham), for whom Captain Stanley works, orders that Mikey be given one hundred lashes as punishment for the rape and murder of the Hopkins family. Stanley is aghast at this, not only because he believes Mikey is likely innocent and the flogging may kill him or harm him irreparably, but also because it will break his deal with Charlie and bring the Burns gang's revenge upon him and his wife. Stanley sends Sergeant Lawrence away with tracker Jacko (David Gulpillil) and other men to "investigate" the reported slaying of Dan O'Riley by a group of Aborigines.
Meanwhile, Charlie rides in search of Arthur, drinking and apparently reflecting. Along the way, he encounters an inebriated old man named Jellon Lamb (John Hurt). In the course of conversation, Charlie realizes that Lamb is a bounty hunter in pursuit of the Burns brothers and knocks him out. Later on, after sleeping on a rock bed, Charlie awakes and is speared in the chest by a group of Aboriginal men standing over him. Seconds later a gunshot is heard and the head of the man who threw the spear explodes. Charlie then passes out.
Charlie wakes up in the camp of his brother Arthur, located in caves among desolate mountains. Arthur's gang consists of Samuel Stoat (Tom Budge), who shot the Aboriginal man who had speared Charlie; a woman named Queenie (Leah Purcell) who tends to Charlie's wound; and a muscular Aboriginal man called Two-Bob (Tom E. Lewis). As he recovers from his wounds, Charlie has several opportunities to kill his brother, but does not.
Captain Stanley attempts to defend Mikey by gunpoint from the bloodthirsty townspeople, but is overruled once Martha arrives, insisting on revenge for her dead friends. Mikey is brutally flogged and horrifically wounded. The formerly excited townspeople slowly become disgusted and Martha faints at the ghastly display. Captain Stanley grabs the whip and throws it at Fletcher, staining him with blood. Fletcher fires Stanley.
Near Arthur's camp, Sergeant Lawrence and his men have found and butchered a group of Aborigines. Arthur and Two-Bob find Lawrence's group while they sleep and kill Jacko and Sergeant Lawrence. Before Arthur stomps Lawrence to death, Lawrence tells Arthur that Charlie has been sent to kill him. Jellon Lamb enters Arthur's camp and ties up Samuel and Charlie, both of whom are sleeping. Lamb is shot from behind by the returning Two-Bob. Arthur then begins torturing the still-living Lamb with a knife. Charlie points his revolver at Arthur, but instead shoots Jellon in the head, putting him out of his misery.
Charlie decides he wants to break out Mikey and informs Arthur. Arthur, Samuel and Charlie ride into town dressed in the clothes taken from the officers Arthur and Two-Bob had killed, while Two-Bob poses as an Aborigine they have captured. Once at the jail, the men free Mikey, and Charlie and Two-Bob ride off with him. Arthur and Samuel remain to torture and slaughter the two officers inside the jail. The badly injured Mikey, who has never recovered from the flogging, dies in Charlie's arms. As they bury Mikey, Two-Bob tells Charlie that all of this is Charlie's fault: "You should never have left us."
Captain Stanley and Martha let their guard down to have a peaceful Christmas dinner. Immediately following their conclusion of grace, Arthur and Samuel shoot open the door and invade their home. Arthur pulls Captain Stanley into the other room and brutally beats him, while Samuel taunts his wife. Samuel drags Martha inside, and Arthur shoots Captain Stanley through the shoulder. As Samuel assaults Martha, Charlie walks in and informs Arthur of Mikey's death; Arthur ignores the news and encourages Charlie to listen to Samuel's beautiful singing. Charlie walks up to Samuel and shoots him point blank in the head, then shoots Arthur twice, saying afterward, "No more." Arthur staggers out of the house. Charlie tells Captain Stanley "I want to be with my brother." He leaves the house and follows a trail of blood to find Arthur seated on the ground nearby and sits down next to him. Arthur states that Charlie has finally stopped him and asks what he will do now, to no answer, and dies as his brother watches the blood red sunset of the outback. | violence, melodrama | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0026641 | The Littlest Rebel | The film opens in the ballroom of the Cary plantation on Virgie’s (Shirley Temple) sixth birthday. Her slave Uncle Billy (Bill Robinson) dances for her party guests, but the celebration is brought abruptly to an end when a messenger arrives with news of the assault on Fort Sumter and a declaration of war. Virgie’s father (John Boles) is ordered to the Armory with horse and side-arms. He becomes a scout for the Confederate Army, crossing enemy lines to gather information. On these expeditions, he sometimes briefly visits his family at their plantation behind Union lines.
One day, Colonel Morrison (Jack Holt), a Union officer, arrives at the Cary plantation looking for Virgie‘s father. Virgie defies him, hitting him with a pebble from her slingshot and singing “Dixie”. After Morrison leaves, Cary arrives to visit his family but quickly departs when slaves warn of approaching Union troops. Led by the brutal Sgt. Dudley (Guinn Williams), the Union troops begin to loot the house. Colonel Morrison returns, puts an end to the plundering, and orders Dudley lashed. With this act, Morrison rises in Virgie’s esteem.
One stormy night, battle rages near the plantation. Virgie and her mother are forced to flee with Uncle Billy when their house is burned to the ground. Mrs. Cary (Karen Morley) falls gravely ill but finds refuge in a slave cabin. Her husband crosses enemy lines to be with his wife during her last moments. After his wife’s death, Cary makes plans to take Virgie to his sister in Richmond. When Colonel Morrison learns of the plan, he aids Cary by providing him with a Yankee uniform and a pass. The plan is foiled, and Cary and Morrison are sentenced to death.
The two are confined to a makeshift prison where Virgie and Uncle Billy visit them daily. A kindly Union officer urges Uncle Billy to appeal to President Lincoln for a pardon. Short on funds, Uncle Billy and Virgie sing and dance in public spaces and ‘pass the cap’. Once in Washington, they are ushered into Lincoln’s (Frank McGlynn Sr.) office where the President pardons Cary and Morrison after hearing Virgie’s story. The film ends with Virgie happily singing “Polly Wolly Doodle” to her father, Colonel Morrison and a group of soldiers. | historical fiction | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0920458 | Flammen & Citronen | Set after the Nazi invasion of Denmark, the film focuses on the Holger Danske resistance group's Bent Faurschou Hviid (known as Flammen) and Jørgen Haagen Schmith (known as Citron). In a bar, Bent flirts with a woman, who identifies herself as Ketty Selmer and disturbs him by saying his real name. Bent and Jørgen follow the woman, and she tells Bent she is an emissary from Stockholm to Copenhagen.
Aksel Winther, Bent and Jørgen's handler, signals to them to kill Elisabeth Lorentzen, Horst Gilbert, and Hermann Seibold–members of the Abwehr, the German military intelligence service. Bent and Jørgen argue over it as they kill only Danes, to reduce the chance of retaliation by the Nazis. However, Winther claims orders from the government in exile in London. Bent kills Lorentzen but fails to kill Gilbert and Seibold. Later, Jørgen, his wife, Bodil, and their daughter, Ann, celebrate the girl's birthday on their car as they are without money, and Bodil laments over their relationship. Three weeks later, Bent, Jørgen and Whinter meet Spex from the Danish Army Intelligence. He says there will be no more attacks, as they need peace to assemble men for a big attack. The three agree that they should not follow Spex's order, and later Jørgen kills Gilbert. That night, Jørgen robs a grocery store and takes the products to his wife and daughter; however, Bodil announces she is seeing another man.
After several members of the resistance are killed by the Gestapo, Winther suspects they have an informant among them. Later, Bent visits Ketty's hotel room, and they have sex. Meanwhile, Jørgen visits his wife and advises her boyfriend to treat her properly or he will return. In a meeting, Winther says the informer is Ketty and orders her death. Bent meets Ketty; she tells him she works for both Winther and army intelligence, and that Winther does not work for the British. Winther, involved with Gilbert and Seibold, had ordered them to be killed in order not to be seen as a traitor. Bent and Jørgen search for Winther in the bar and discover that he has escaped to Stockholm. They realize it is a trap, and they escape from the Gestapo men. They decide to kill Karl Heinz Hoffmann, the Gestapo's leader, and then take over the favorite Gestapo restaurant. Bent cannot kill Hoffmann because they have to get away when he notices the police coming. That night, Ketty says to Bent that he and Jørgen should go to Stockholm. In the meeting, they are offered positions in the Danish Army but they refuse. A man called Ravnen gives them the name of the real informer, and Jørgen soon kills him.
Bent visits his father, the owner of a hotel, who says Hoffmann, his family and his mistresses visit there on occasion. In a fateful coincidence Bent sees Ketty arrive at the hotel in the company of Hoffman in what appears to be a tryst. Later Bent confronts Ketty, and she argues that army intelligence requested her to stay close to Hoffmann. Bent demands to know what car Hoffman uses and what his route is. Later, on the road, Bent, Jørgen and some allies open fire on two cars with Nazi flags; however, they are dismayed to discover they have killed a father and wounded a child. An enraged Bent goes to Ketty's hotel room, only to discover that she has flown to Stockholm, fearing Hoffmann's retaliation. Now, Bent and Jørgen plan to kill Hoffmann, and they disguise themselves as policemen. However, they are arrested in a general round-up of the German-allied Danish police, who are killing policemen by firing squad. Jørgen decides to jump over a fence and is shot, allowing Bent to escape. Time passes, and Jørgen is at a safe house. A squad of German officers arrives. He kills some of them with a sub-machine gun and grenades but ultimately is killed. Meanwhile, Bent, in his home, commits suicide with a pill when he sees the Gestapo arriving. Later, Hoffmann gives Ketty the reward for helping apprehend Bent and a letter from him found in his room, in which he expresses his feelings and his doubt of her betrayal. The film ends with notes about Bent and Jørgen's legacy. | suspenseful, murder, violence | train | wikipedia | Another good movie, occasionally but steadily coming from Denmark, Flammen & Citronen (Flame and Citron, 2008), not necessarily belonging to the genre, but still shot in a good old film-noir style ("black-and-white" detective or other crime stories, a film genre with its hey-days back in 1940's and 1950's, nevertheless kept alive over the years, having its newer "offsprings" often related to as neo-noir, with the latest solid follower of the style, Shanghai (2010), American product directed by another filmmaker from Danish Scandinavian neighbourhood, Mikael Håfström from Sweden), based on the historically true story (with all the necessary fictional cinematic alternations) about the title hit-man and his driver, two among, apparently, very few but still existent resistance fighters in Nazi occupied Denmark, targeting at first only Danish collaborators, subsequently ordered to liquidate Germans, and, eventually, hit-man's girlfriend, getting themselves (and spectators along) ultimately confused in who their friends and foes are....
This film about the Danish resistance reminded me an awful lot of Jean-Pierre Melville's brilliant film "L'armée des Ombres" (Army of Shadows), as both were true stories about the resistance to Nazi occupation and were great because they were well acted and without a lot of frills.
Good, crisp direction, exceptional tension and excellence throughout--that's how I'd describe both films.The title of the film comes from nicknames given to two famous resistance fighters who specialized in assassinations--mostly of Danish collaborators but also, occasionally, Nazis.
Based on a true story, this twisting tale of two second world war folk heroes of the Danish resistance unfolds with noir-ish intrigue.
Atmospherically photographed on a fat budget, the film looks stunning but retains a gritty period realism.The performances are universally strong and there is a real chemistry between the two central characters; Mads Mikkelsens' quirky Citronen, a twitching, sweaty bundle of amphetamine-fuelled nervous energy and his sole ally, the flame-haired, but relatively cool-headed Flammen (Thure Lindhardt).This is a war film - but the war we experience here has a dreamlike, claustrophobic quality.
Turn a Blind Eye. FLAMMEN & CITRONEN (FLAME AND CITRON) is a dark long film that will prove to enlighten many about another aspect of WW II we know very little.
Written (with Lars Andersen) and directed by Ole Christian Madsen it unfolds a true story about two 'heroes' of the Holger Danske resistance moment, a large group of Danish citizens who fought to kill not only the Nazi invaders but also the Danish supporters of Hitler's movement: the heroes are Flame (Thure Lindhardt) and Citron (Mads Mikkelsen) and the course of their lives is traced with brilliant use of sound, cinematography, a pervading darkness which serves the story well, and attention to minute details that makes the viewer almost involuntarily involved with their mission, their plight and the final results of their work.
In addition to the outstanding performances of Lindhardt and Mikkelsen, there are excellent performances by Christian Berkel as Hoffman, leader of the Gestapo, Stine Stengade as the puzzling spy/counterspy/ love interest Ketty Selmer, and a cast of bit players that remain in mind's eye long after the film is over.
Though produced as an epic (and the film is a very very long 130 minutes!) the interaction between the lead characters is clearly defined and they come across as credible resistance fighters whose plight is always one of duress and fear.
Brilliant performances by Thure Lindhardt and Mads Mikkelsen involve us in the personal crises of honest citizens who are forced by war into the roles of brutal hit-men.
Congratulations to writer Lars Andersen and to writer/director Ole Christian Madsen on producing a grown-up war movie that has nothing to do with the Pentagon or its suck-hole clients in Hollywood..
Original setting for many of us, Flame & Citron is based on the lives of two resistance fighters/assassins ("Citron & Flame") in occupied Denmark back in World War Two. The premise is that our leads are on order to do their killings but their own aim is to kill the leader of the local Gestapo unit.
This is a weakness overall, and with its length quite tiresome.Acting in general is faultless and beautiful shots of the Scandanavian countryside plus panoramic views of the cities are great on the eye, but some bad camera work at times is just really amateurish and spoils things.Overall a good film that is interesting and a new-ish angle for WW2 films.
It has great intentions, and the protagonists go around shooting Danish Nazi types in the head, which was probably a pretty good things to do during the war, at least in movie terms.
It's gritty and moody, it has tension and good music and great dramatic filming (the light and the camera-work are both very clean and yet provocative).But this cinematic prowess gets in the way of the movie a little, and the plot is slow enough that you begin to watch the surfaces of things as you go.
The writing there is infinitely little to complain about, and a long line of positives about, including the psychology, the complexity, the characters(the consistency of which is almost entirely flawless, and the only real problem within that is really how at least one major character disappears from the movie) and the incredibly accurate depiction of the time, the environment, the types of people.
The actors are good, the feeling is like you live in the 40'es, and lot of things that really happened is in the movie, (and some is left out, but the result is dramatically OK).It is a movie fit for the big screen, it is delicious to watch in every way, and i give it a big 10, love the twist about the front figures versus their leaders pulling strings in the back.
Even the Nazi occupiers gave good support though as fierce opposition; better make that as brutal suppressors of the Danish 'resistance'.One prominent Nazi, Herr Hoffman, even as the Copenhagen SS chief at times appeared almost, well, human.
No doubt that the two main protagonists, Flame and Citron, as the Resistance's crack enforcers played a most pivotal even momentum changing role.And the film's producers/director gave much credence to that perspective, right to the sad end.
The main character, Flame (played by Thure Lindhardt), looked awesome in almost every shot and his partner Citron (Mads Mikkelsen) did an amazing job acting as well.
This movie has a lot of good life lessons, and moral warnings.I liked the fact that it was based on true events.
This all in accordance with war time events of course, and resistance fighters.I looked into the history behind the movie and it's neat to know that they have statues built in Denmark to commemorate these brave underground soldiers..
Great acting from all in this movie and a little bit of history told on the big screen, combined with great scenery and good locations to give that 40's feeling.What makes this a very good movie and worth to watch, is the character of Thure Lindhardt as narrator and the flame, who does a sublime job doing the whole movie.
The rest of the actors also makes this a very believable movie.How close the storyline is to the real one, I do not know, but I was entertained and captured for the entire length of the movie, never once did I think ooh come on, move this along, the flow and the feel is just great.This is one to watch, good story, better Scenografi and sublime acting..
It tells the story about a 23-year-old man named Bent aka "Flammen" who lives with a married couple and a 33-year-old man named Jørgen aka "Citronen" who lives with his wife Bodil and their daughter Anne in Copenhagen, who carries out illegal operations for a police attorney named Aksel Winther.Distinctly and engagingly directed by Danish filmmaker Ole Christian Madsen, this finely paced fictional tale which is narrated by and mostly from the main character's point of view, draws a moving portrayal of two members of the Danish resistance movement and their dedicated fight against Danish informants and Nazis.
While notable for its naturalistic milieu depictions, sterling production design by Danish production designer Jette Lehmann, cinematography by Danish cinematographer Jørgen Johansson, costume design by Danish costume designer Manon Rasmussen, fine make-up by make-up artists Sabine Schumann and Jens Bartram and use of sound, this character-driven, narrative-driven and historic story depicts some dense studies of character and contains a good score by Danish composer Karsten Fundal.This somewhat romantic and somewhat biographical neo-noir which is set during World War II and the German occupation of Denmark in the mid-1940s, centers on some of the many sabotage operations that was executed by two of the most prominent resistance fighters in the Holger Danske group and is impelled and reinforced by its cogent narrative structure, subtle character development, mysterious characters and the brilliant acting performances by Danish actors Thure Lindhardt, Mads Mikkelsen and Danish actress Stine Stengade.
This is one of those Danish films which are attracting so much attention these days, and the actor Lars Mikkelsen who played Troels in season one of THE KILLING a year earlier (2007, see my review) even appears in it.
The performances by Thure Lindhardt and Mads Mikkelsen as Flame and Citron are very good.
We have to remember that all these Danish people who are largely unknown to us are really highly experienced pros in their field, and that Denmark has produced more than just the film director Carl Dreyer whose work we all know and love.
Following "The Killing" and "Borgen" that channel is currently having a love-affair with all things Danish, and it was there that I recently caught "Flame & Citron".
It is loosely based on actual events and deals with the Danish resistance movement during the latter part of World War II.
The title refers to the code names of two members of the Holger Danske resistance group, Bent Faurschou-Hviid (known as Flame because of his red hair) and Jørgen Haagen Schmith (known as Citron, Danish for lemon, because he once worked for the Citroen car company).
The film opens in 1943 when the tide of war is starting to turn against Germany, Hitherto the Resistance has largely confined itself to sabotage and assassinations of Danish collaborators.
Despite its World War Two setting, it bears more resemblance to a modern spy movie or to a neo- noir crime drama than a traditional "heroic Resistance" film.
Flame & Citron is a Danish drama detailing the true story of the Danish resistance during World War II.
Flame & Citron is all about real life resistance members Flame and Citron or better known as Bent (Flame) and Jørgen (Citron) who together carried out assassinations on Nazi's in Denmark and through doing so created quite a notorious reputation and also a hefty bounty on their heads.
The film weaves nicely through the story and never lets go or slows down so much you get bored, it is however pretty long and parts can feel a little dull but altogether the movie is a good one.Mads Mikkelsen stands out from the cast to a wider audience outside Denmark and the well known "sweaty" actor plays Jørgen, a man torn between doing what he see's is right but also trying to feed his wife and daughter of which he is becoming increasingly distant from.
Both actors do a fine job but for me it is Lindhart who stands out, he seems confident in his role and really takes it upon himself well mixing that ruthless side with a more emotional side too.Ole Christian Madsen is the director on this film and he does a pretty neat job, he manages to make this powerful but not so much that you feel this is just begging for awards, Madsen makes this feel gritty but also thrilling when it wants to be.
A scene which for me really stands out is one with Bent and a German officer he pays a visit to, the scene is full of smart dialogue between the two and some things said are very nicely written and this scene is one that makes up just a little for the script I talked about a little before.So overall Flame & Citron is a movie I would recommend, for those who maybe want a lot of action then maybe give this a miss but it can't be said this lacks in exciting and thrilling scenes.
This is a big film for Danish cinema, a film industry very much not looked at much from a worldwide point of view, but Flame & Citron manages to make not only a movie that is a good little piece of work and shows off Danish cinema, but it also shows us the history of the country in WW2, and what problems they had that drove them to resist..
Thure Lindhart and Mads Mikkelsen's performance was stunning, and better than I've seen from any of the high paid Hollywood actors.This is the film that got me interested in resistance/partisan movies, though it still remains one of my favorites.
However and collectively, this film isn't about Nazis or the Danish resistance per say, or the things people did to survive--it's about romancing these heroic figures in spectacular style.
The movie often feels more like film noir than a war picture both in the way it is shot and in the manner in which the characters are portrayed.
Despite being a gorgeous period noir, "Flame & Citron" reminds us that assassins like these may have earned a heroic status for their cause and actions, but they also killed innocent people along the way.
This is the story of two men known as Flame and Citron who worked in the Resistance in Denmark during the WWII.
The movie was not filmed in Copenhagen, where the story takes place, which makes the atmosphere even less than authentic but there are beautiful shots of the Scandinavian countryside plus panoramic views of the cities.
I especially wanted to see it because it has Mads Mikkelsen in it who most know from his turn as the bad guy in the Bond film "Casino Royale" but actually showed his acting ability in the little seen but excellent "After the Wedding." This overall although not a great film, still has quite a bit of charm & the story keeps you engaged as well.
Flammen ("The Flame" because of his red hair) and Citronen (Worked for Citroën) are two of the most legendary figures in Denmark during the war, where they were members of the Danish resistance group Holger Danske, participating in spectacular sabotage actions and liquidating stitches.
Besides, the movie isn't filmed in Copenhagen, where the story takes place, which makes the atmosphere even less authentic.
In Nazi occupied Denmark, red-headed Bent 'Flame' Faurschou-Hviid (Thure Lindhardt) and Jørgen 'Citron' Haagen Schmith (Mads Mikkelsen) are resistance members.
It is hard to tell, Danish resistance was not very much talked about after WWII.I am glad that European film making is continuing and that it produces such a good films.
But most of all the true story of the shocking lack of resistance in World War II makes this movie stand out..
'Flame and Citron' tells the story of two fighters in the Danish resistance, who systematically kill collaborators with the occupying Nazis.
The strongest part of the film are the two protagonists: Thure Lindhardt as Bent Faurschou-Hviid, also known as Flammen, and Mads Mikkelsen as Jørgen Haagen Schmith, also known as Citron; both the actors give really gifted performances, although I have to admit that Flammen's character was more elaborated and specified.
Nevertheless, it is a good resistance film, and being due to real events provides an additional authenticity..
Those who saw Casino Royale and remember La Chiffre, know one half of this two-man resistance squad that goes about killing Nazi collaborators.Thure Lindhardt (Nordkraft, Angels and Demons) is Flame, and (Mads Mikkelsen (Casino Royale, Pusher) is Citron.
One revels in the killing; the other is growing ever more uneasy.And there is Stine Stengade (Prague, Danish version of Monsters vs Aliens) as Ketty, who is also working for Army Intelligence while having a relationship with Flame.It has a noirish feel, and it reminds you of the great film on the French resistance, Army of Shadows..
The Danish production directed by Ole Christian Madsen, who adapted the material with Lars Andersen, based their film in a real wartime incident that involved a lot of courage to carry out.
It was not an easy task to do, but among the fighters that came to oppose the Germans were Bent Faurschou-Hviid, whose war name was Flame, named so because of his bright red hair, and the taciturn Jorgen Haagen Schmidt, known as Citron, his comrade in arms.The two friends were recruited to be trigger men for the elimination of their fellow Danish who were collaborating openly with the enemy, as well as the hated Nazis themselves.
Mostly true (I've read there has been some changes) of two men known as Flame (because of his red hair or because he smokes constantly?) and Cintron (I'm guessing because of his car) who worked in the Resistance in Denmark during the Second World War. They developed a reputation for killing collaborators and spies.
This isn't due to a minimal budget and it certainly can't be blamed on the actors, which all had good performances in their careers.Despite the fact, that this movie is based on true events, you never really care about the two main characters.
I want to take nothing from any resistance worker but I query a lot about what was in this particular film.Was Denmark the only country in occupied Europe where assassinations weren't followed by swift and brutal reprisals?
With some decent direction and a story that made us care about, or even be interested in a few more of the characters, this could have been a good film - but sadly, it isn't.
It tells the story of two real-life Danish resistance heroes, who operated as assassins against the German occupiers and Danish collaborators. |
tt0084630 | Satte Pe Satta | Satte Pe Satta is the story of seven brothers living on a large farmhouse. The first half of the movie shows the life of the brothers who grew up under the leadership of their oldest brother Ravi (Amitabh Bachchan). Being orphans and uneducated, all seven brothers are unsophisticated bumpkins and lack social etiquette and hygiene. They live on a small farm among animals. A sequence of events leads Ravi to fall in love with a nurse named Indu (Hema Malini). Indu despises unruliness and chaos. Therefore, Ravi tricks her into believing that he has only 1 younger brother, Shani and thus Indu eventually marries him only to realize he has five more brothers, all uneducated and uncouth. Ravi's six brothers learn to adjust with new woman in their lives as she does with them, trying to civilize them. Soon enough, they all fall in love with a group of six women, friends with an heiress (and the feeling is mutual). Shortly things take a turn when Babu, Ravi's lookalike, is hired by the heiress's guardian, Ranjit Singh, to kill her for possession of her ancestral property. | romantic | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0039737 | Pursued | Set in New Mexico around the turn of the 20th century and told in flashback, the film tells the story of Jeb Rand (Mitchum), whose entire family was slaughtered when he was a child. In the aftermath of the massacre, Jeb is found by Mrs. Callum, a widow, who raises him in her family. Traumatized by the killings, Jeb does not recall anything of that night, except for vague images that he sees in a frequent nightmare. Mrs. Callum raises him as her own son, together with her daughter Thorley and her son Adam. Years later, Jeb is shot at while riding a colt, but the shooter misses him; although Mrs. Callum blames the incident on deer hunters, she knows that it was an attempted murder by her brother-in-law Grant. Mrs. Callum confronts Grant and it is revealed that Jeb's father took the life of Mrs. Callum's husband, and Grant was the one who killed Jeb's parents in an act of revenge and swore to kill Jeb when he was old enough. Mrs Callum pleads with Grant to leave Jeb alone, reasoning that he is not a threat to anyone. Grant agrees to let Jeb live but only to prove that when he is old enough, he will turn on Callum.
Years later, Jeb, Adam and Thorley are adults and one day law officials arrive to recruit volunteers to join the US Army to battle the Spaniards. Jeb and Adam are told that one of them must join and after agreeing on a coin toss, Jeb loses and signs up. Jeb is injured in battle and while recuperating in hospital experiences his flashbacks to the night of his family's murder once again. Due to his injuries he is honorably discharged from the army and sent home and awarded the Medal of Honor.
Although adoptive brother and sister, Jeb and Thorley have long been in love and after his homecoming celebration Jeb tried to convince Thorley to run away with him and get married as soon as possible as he suspects that someone, or something is following him. Thorley refuses stating she wants to get married on her own terms and not out of fear. Jeb goes for a long horse ride in order to clear his head and stumbles upon an abandoned ranch which he suspects he has seen before. His mother confirms that the ranch is indeed where he and his real parents lived when Jeb was a child and the same ranch where they were murdered. In order to earn money so he can provide for himself and Thorley, Jeb plans to take his share of his inheritance and gamble at a casino. Adam expresses anger at the fact that Jeb is listed in their mother's will to receive the same amount of money as he and Thorley will upon her death, despite Jeb leaving the ranch to fight in the war and Adam continuing to work solidly on the ranch.
Jeb wins big at the casino and the owner Jake Dingle offers him to become his partner. Meanwhile Adam has researched Jeb's past and knows about his murderous parents and their subsequent deaths. Still furious about their financial situation, Adam attempts to kill Jeb on his way back from the casino but is killed in self defense. Jeb is acquitted of the murder in court but is shunned by Thorley and Mrs Callum who states that Jeb is dead to him. With no family, job or home of his own, Jeb accepts Jake Dingle's offer and becomes part owner of the casino. Months later at the town dance Jeb discovers that Thorley is engaged to a man named Prentice. Grant alerts Prentice as to what Jeb did to Thorley's brother and convinces him to make an attempt on Jeb's life. Prentice attempts to ambush Jeb on his way home but is gunned down in self defense.
Some time later Thorley and Mrs Callum hatch a plan to gain revenge on Jeb for the pain he has caused them. Thorley pretends to forgive Jeb and agrees to marry him, planning to murder him on their wedding night. On the night in question Thorley can not bring herself to carry out the murder and reconciles with Jeb, somehow knowing in her heart that he is innocent and that he truly loves her. Tired of waiting, Grant rounds up a gang and they chase Jeb across the desert intending to finish the job he started all those years ago. Jeb is shot and finally recalls the night of his parent's murder, realizing it was Grant who killed them and that Mrs Callum was there too. It is revealed that Mrs Callum had an affair with Jeb's father and when her husband found about it, he attempted to murder him but was killed in self defense, resulting in Grant slaughtering Jeb's entire family in order to avenge his brother's death. Mrs Callum upon learning that Jeb survived the slaughter, adopted him out of guilt. Thorley pleads with her mother not to allow Jeb to be hanged, stating there is still time to make up for her actions. As Grant is about to hang Jeb, Mrs Callum shoots him dead. She asks for and receives forgiveness from Jeb and Thorley, and advises them to look to the future and enjoy their lives together. | revenge, melodrama | train | wikipedia | Looking at the other reviews for "Pursued", I don't think I have to repeat the plot summary for this dark, thoughtful 1947 western, directed by Raoul Walsh.
The story told in flashbacks and flashbacks within flashbacks with the narration of Robert Mitchum, a relentless villain, a hidden family mystery...plus gunfights and New Mexico scenery.Interesting camera-work is the main attribute of this late 1940s western.
I say the latter because of all the stark black-and-white contrasts, night scenes and facial closeups.Conclusion - I'd call this a must-see film, I find it has lots of great moments.It's a movie I enjoy watching again and again.
Robert Mitchum, Teresa Wright, Judith Anderson, Dean Jagger and company all acted well, and I appreciated their talents.
Pursued (1947), a noir Western directed by the great Raoul Walsh and stars Robert Mitchum, Teresa Wright and Judith Anderson.The plot is simple enough: Set in New Mexico (and shot there too) around the turn of the century and told in flashback, the film tells the story of Jeb Rand (Robert Mitchum) whose family was murdered when he was a small boy.
The sight of this haunts him, which manifests itself in bad dreams, into adulthood, as he is brought up by Mrs. Callum (Judith Anderson) and her two children, including Thor (Teresa Wright), whom he falls in love with.
But Rand also has other problems to sort out, especially his jealous half-brother Adam Callum (John Rodney).The photography, by the esteemed James Wong Howe is breathtaking, all harsh black-and-white vistas; the editing too, by Christian Nyby (who would later go on to take credit for directing the classic science fiction film The Thing from Another World!
Robert Mitchum is his usual laconic self (which is no bad thing!), Judith Anderson as always is excellent, Teresa Wright is good as Mitchum's half-sister and love and Dean Jagger, Alan Hale and Harry Carey Jr. all turn in memorable performances.
The story unfolds through a series of flashbacks in which the hero Jeb Rand (Robert Mitchum) struggles to evoke an obscure incident of his early childhood.
Walsh is opening the door to a new expressionism in western, eventually taken over by Mann and Boetticher.In this film, whose dramatic structure is as pure as a greek tragedy, even celebrations are sad, as when Mitch comes as a hero of war.
It could have take the form of a dream (Mitchum appears like a sleepwalker throughout the entire film), but thanks to Howe's outstanding photo and Steiner's powerful score, it developed into a nightmare..
This is not so much a Western as a film noir that happens to be set in New Mexico around the turn of the century.
In the turn of the Nineteenth century, the orphan Jeb Rand is raised by Mrs. Callum (Judith Anderson) with her daughter Thorley and her son Adam.
When Jeb is shot by the one-armed Grant Callum (Dean Jagger), Ms. Callum goes to the hotel and tells his relative to stop the family feud and forget Jeb. Years later, Grant is a prosecutor and presses Jeb (Robert Mitchum) to fight in the war against the Spanish.
"Pursued" is a great western by Raoul Walsh that blends western and film-noir creating an unforgettable film about a family feud with a revengeful man.
It plays and looks more like a film noir than a western, but there is nothing wrong with that.
It plays and looks more like a film noir than a western, but there is nothing wrong with that.
However, Mitchum, Teresa Wright, Judith Anderson, Dean Jagger and company all acted well, and I appreciated their talents..
Robert Mitchum {excellent} is Jeb Rand, who is constantly pursued by assailants all his life.
Upon learning that there was indeed a survivor, the killers set about erasing Jeb from the planet, thus Jeb spends all his life trying to find out what the hell is going on, and just why did his adoptive mother raise him in the first place?An oddity of sorts because Pursued is thinly embracing a number of genres, stretching the elements of each strand to create a film that once viewed, leaves one very intrigued as to its purpose.........
Moody film noir from director Raoul Walsh has young boy left orphaned by a bloodthirsty band of killers, who dog the boy's trail even after he grows up into Robert Mitchum (seems to me that's the point where they might have given up stalking him).
Lackluster film co-starring Teresa Wright and Dean Jagger just doesn't hold much interest, despite good cinematography by James Wong Howe and an atmospheric score by Max Steiner, top talents all around.
Oh well, I guess I can trade this at the used DVD store for films that show Robert Mitchum, Teresa Wright and Dame Judith Anderson in better roles.
If you like film noir and these stars, I highly recommend Night of the Hunter - 1955 (Mitchum), The Little Foxes - 1941 (Wright), and Rebecca - 1940 (Anderson)..
I think it's more of a psychological western in which Robert Mitchum works out his own salvation rather than get the help of a doctor like Ingrid Bergman who wouldn't have been available back then because Dr. Freud was just starting to develop his theories around the time this was made.Mitchum's earliest recollections and something he dreams constantly was him being in a cellar and peering from a trap door as a lad and seeing and hearing a gunfight.
Jagger hates Mitchum boy and man and the reason for that hate is not revealed until almost the end of the film.
It's a lot to do with the family name.Niven Busch wrote the script for this unusual western and he was married to Teresa Wright at the time so apparently Warner Brothers bought them as a package.
As for him, he was lent from RKO where in fact he had worked with a Niven Busch screenplay and got great acclaim for it in Till The End Of Time.The film bills John Rodney who plays Wright's brother as introducing John Rodney.
Carey plays a luckless storekeeper influenced by the cunning Jagger to go after Mitchum and does well with the part.Raoul Walsh known primarily for more straight forward action films does all right with his cast in what had to be unfamiliar territory for him.
The film begins with a young boy (Jeb Rand) being rescued from a house destroyed.He becomes part of the family, sort of headed by Ma Callum (wonderfully maternal by the skilled Judith Anderson).
Everyone has twisted emotions except Jeb (Robert Michum), who has problems, which he never denies, nor does he easily relate his problems.After two very ugly killings, Thor (Teresa Wright) hatches a plot.
The second part has to do with the Callum gang (headed by Grant played by an amazingly sinister Dean Jagger) that tries to kill Michum on his wedding night at the old Rand ranch.The rest of the movie is all gun shooting and melodrama, which I won't reveal more about.The photography is astonishing with its shadows and light, which is like choreography.
Unlike more typical director Raoul Walsh fare this western is far less about rollicking action than psychological drama and is thus a refreshing change from the norm.That said, Robert Mitchum's about the last person you'd think of being traumatised by childhood nightmares that dog him into adulthood, but elsewhere we get all his usual "ics" - laconic, sardonic, ironic and of course ultimately iconic.
The story probably has too many twists and turns for its own good, with Bob's on-off again romance with Teresa Wright, she less convincing in her star-crossed lover role, hard to believe at the best of times.
I also couldn't quite swallow badman Cullan's all-powering motive to wipe out every member of Mitchum's family, himself being the last survivor, while the reveal-all conclusion is over and done with too quickly and doesn't really deserve its build up.I've always been a sucker, mind you, for the then in-vogue use of dollar-book Freud stuff as Orson Welles once described it and other noir conventions like the use of flashback sequences and the persistence of fate are present and correct enhanced by a moodily effective Max Steiner score.
Best of all though is James Wong Howe's marvellous photography with wonderful deep perspective interiors and some exceptional night work, particularly the scene where Mitchum is drawn into the fatal gun-fight with his "brother".There's much to savour then, even if the weakest element is probably the story itself which is really just a typical noir plot backdated to the turn of the century..
Robert Mitchum stars as Jeb Rand, a young man whom mysterious people have always been trying to kill.
The daughter is played by winsome Theresa Wright, but unlike most of her 'good girl' parts, she is permitted a huge acting range in this film and goes through extreme character changes very convincingly indeed.
The film also has a powerful continuing love story, namely the love between Mitchum and his adoptive sister Theresa Wright, whom he wishes to marry.
I would watch this film merely to revel in the lush black and white cinematography of James Wong Howe, who captures the splendor of the Western landscape as well as the dark shadows that haunt the childhood home of the main character when he, as a child, is traumatized by marauders; this film was made about the same time film noir began to assert itself, about the same time Western characters were no longer just good or bad people, but individuals with deeper lives and more complex problems.
Indeed, it doesn't take a stretch to see major Oedipal issues here between Robert Mitchum's troubled adult and his stepmother, played by theatre actress Judith Anderson, who had been Oscar nominated for her turn as the evil Mrs. Danvers in Hitchcock's Rebecca You can just enjoy this as a traditional suspense Western, or if you wish, find deeper levels of enjoyment--underscored by the lush harmonics music of Max Steiner's masterful music..
Young Robert Mitchum, looking very much the leading man with his dimpled chin and enigmatic smile, plays a troubled, nightmare-plagued orphan raised from early childhood on the secluded ranch of a stern but loving widow.
There were really only 2 things that this decidedly misguided Western Chick Flick had going for it that prevented me from giving it an even lower rating than 5 stars.One of Pursued's only notable assets was the casting of one of Hollywood's best cowboy/tough guys of the late 1940s, Robert Mitchum, as Jeb Rand (although I've seen Mitchum better cast in other films).And Pursued's other worthwhile bonus was the absolutely wonderful camera-work done by ace-cinematographer, James Wong Howe.
Believe me, some of the dazzling shots that were taken of New Mexico's rugged, wide-open country (as well as other shots) improved this maudlin, melodramatic, little soap opera significantly and made it well worth watching right through to its painfully predictable ending.On the other hand, one of this Western's biggest and most damaging deficits was that its story was given over, far too often, to being nothing but a corny Chick Flick that dwelt on a really brain-dead romance that had literally been going on between Thorley Callum and her adopted brother, Jeb, for near 20 years now.
The truth is she was just way too plain and mousy-looking (and sans any sexual appeal, whatsoever) to be at all convincing as the sort of woman whom a man (in his right mind, of course) would be willing to die for.And, besides the above complaint - The other aspect of Pursued that lost it some considerable points was the "big secret" behind Grant Callum's senseless, 20-year pursuit of Jeb Rand.
When everyone grows up, Teresa Wright and her adopted brother Robert Mitchum fall in love, and her real brother Dean Jagger is resentful of the attention Bob takes.
The start of the movie features Robert Mitchum, wounded and bleeding, trying to tell Teresa Wright an important story before he gets found and taken away.
Since all these stars have done great work elsewhere I guess the blame lies with the director and the script.Just give this movie a pass and go watch ANY other Mitchum film..
Although this film was directed by the great Raoul Walsh, the story by Niven Busch is the main factor in this western.
Robert Mitchum is Jeb Rand and it all begins with the star and Thor Callum (Teresa Wright) at an abandoned house in a desolate part of New Mexico.
With a multi-layered story and an elliptical plot, you must watch and listen carefully as Jeb Rand (Mitchum), in the opening sequence, narrates, in real-time or voice over, the circumstances which have caused him and his bride-to-be, Thor Callum (Wright), to be corralled by killers in an abandoned house in the boonies - the very homestead where Jeb was born and lived when he was only a toddler.This is a story of survival and growing up as Jeb is adopted into the family of Mrs Callum (Anderson) and her own children, Thor and Adam (John Rodney).
But it is a well-constructed and entertaining drama which uses boyhood trauma as psychological underpinning to generate mystery and suspense for the viewer - all centering on: who killed Jeb's parents and why is Jeb being pursued?As Jeb, Mitchum gives a truly muted, sensitive performance, barely raising his voice even when fighting with Adam (Rodney) over property and money; or even when staring at death from the barrel of a gun.
Newcomer (in 1947), John Rodney, plays brother Adam as Big Brother - domineering, confident, and aggressive when he chooses.Overshadowing all of them - even veteran Judith Anderson - is Dean Jagger as Grant Callum - a quietly and insidiously maniacal man on a mission of retribution, as he sees it; others would call it simply premeditated murder.
Warners however intended to cast their own John Garfield as the star in PURSUED except the leading lady Teresa Wright, who at the time was married to screenwriter Busch, wanted Mitchum to play the lead opposite her.
Stunningly photographed in Black & White by genius cameraman James Wong Howe and brilliantly scored by Max Steiner PURSUED was stylishly directed with great flair by Raoul Walsh.Mitchum plays Jeb Rand who is haunted by disturbing childhood memories of seeing his father being shot down by the avenging Grant Callum (Dean Jagger) because of his having an illicit affair with his brother's wife and now vows to kill young Jeb as well no matter how long it takes.
When his father was killed Jeb was taken in and raised by Mrs. Callum (Judith Anderson) along with her children Thor (Teresa Wright) and Adam (John Rodney).
Also notable in PURSUED is a surprising vocal rendition of the traditional Irish ballad "Londonderry Air" laudably sung by Mitchum and John Rodney.Despite a sometimes confusing narrative (It's never made very clear why Grant Callum is so obsessed for years with killing Jeb) PURSUED remains a splendid example of the noir western and looks as fresh today as it did sixty five years ago..
To properly appreciate the cinematic grandeur, you need to see PURSUED on the big screen, where the vast empty landscapes, looming walls of rock, and enormous close-ups provide the right context for this melodrama flavored with Greek tragedy.Freud was trendy in the 1940s, and Hollywood turned out a number of overwrought yet simple-minded movies about characters whose twisted psyches can be explained by a single event in their childhoods (SPELLBOUND, THE LOCKET, etc.) The first thing you have to accept in PURSUED is that the hero, Jeb Rand (Robert Mitchum), has been scarred all his life by a traumatic childhood experience of violence that he can't clearly recall.
From the beginning it's told mostly in flashback, as Robert Mitchum recounts what he can remember of his turbulent and violent childhood to his new bride and foster sister (Teresa Wright).
One of the most bizarre plot twists in the film occurs when Wright decides that she will marry Mitchum and then kill him on their wedding night because he shot her brother (in self defense, even though that doesn't seem to matter to her).
Set in New Mexico at the turn of the century, Jeb Rand, as a young boy (later played by Robert Mitchum) witnesses his father's brutal murder at the hands of an angry mob by the name of Callum, spurred by the brother of Rand's father's lover's husband, Grant Callum (Dean Jagger).
She has a son and daughter of her own as well, and a long strangely twisting love affair begins between Jeb and Mrs Callum's daughter Thorley (played by Theresa Wright) over the next 20+ years.
Released in the same year as the seminal double whammy of "Crossfire" and "Out Of The Past", Mitchum cemented his burgeoning reputation with his tortured performance in this brooding psychological western directed by Raoul Walsh.
Judith Anderson and Teresa Wright both match him in their key scenes too whilst the ever-watchable Dean Jagger is on fine form; playing it mean to the bone throughout.
Fascinating film noir western about a man's confusion about a past he wasn't a part of..
That's just one of the questions this brilliant film noir with a western setting asks as the brooding Robert Mitchum recounts his story to his foster sister (Teresa Wright) while waiting for his enemies to attack.
Years ago, the young Mitchum was found by Wright's mother (a mesmerizing Judith Anderson) and brought into her family.
Rodney finds out the truth about Mitchum's heritage and vows revenge, resulting in tragedy that threatens to keep Wright and Mitchum from being together.Only a western because of its early 1900's New Mexico setting, "Pursued" is a brilliant example of how writers could cross film genres to make a powerful statement.
In addition to Mitchum (who's always great), I liked Dean Jagger--he played a despicable guy very well. |
tt0089853 | The Purple Rose of Cairo | Set in New Jersey during the Great Depression in 1935, the film tells the story of Cecilia (Mia Farrow), a clumsy waitress who goes to the movies to escape her bleak life and loveless, abusive marriage to Monk (Danny Aiello), whom she has attempted to leave on numerous occasions.
The latest film Cecilia sees is a fictitious RKO Radio Pictures film, The Purple Rose of Cairo. It is the story of a rich Manhattan playwright named Henry (Edward Herrmann) who goes on an exotic vacation to Egypt with companions Jason (John Wood) and Rita (Deborah Rush). While in Egypt, the three meet archaeologist Tom Baxter (Jeff Daniels). Tom is brought back for a "madcap Manhattan weekend" where he falls head-over-heels for Kitty Haynes (Karen Akers), a chanteuse at the Copacabana.
After Cecilia sits through the film several times, Tom, noticing her, breaks the fourth wall, and emerges from the black-and-white screen into the colorful real world on the other side of the cinema's screen. He tells Cecilia that he is attracted to her after noticing her watching him so many times, and she takes him around her New Jersey town. Later, he takes her into the film and they have a great evening on the town within the film. The two fall in love. But the character's defection from the film has caused some problems. In other copies of the film, others have tried to exit the screen. The producer of the film learns that Tom has left the film, and he flies cross-country to New Jersey with actor Gil Shepherd (Jeff Daniels) (the "real life" actor playing the part of Tom in the movie). This sets up an unusual love triangle involving Tom, Gil, and Cecilia. Cecilia must choose between them and she decides to choose the real person of Gil rather than the fantasy figure of Tom. She gives up the chance to return with Tom to his world, choosing to stay with Gil and have a 'real' life. Then she breaks up with her husband.
But Gil's professions of love for Cecilia were false—he wooed her only to get Tom to return to the movie and thereby save his own Hollywood career. Gil abandons Cecilia and is seen quietly racked with guilt on his flight back to Hollywood. Having been left without a lover, job, or home, Cecilia ends up immersing herself in the frothy escapism of Hollywood once again, sitting in a theater watching Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dancing to "Cheek-to-Cheek" in the film Top Hat, forgetting her dire situation and losing herself in the film. | fantasy, depressing, whimsical, psychedelic, humor, satire, romantic | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0092575 | Appointment with Fear | A man (Garrick Dowhen) in a white Ford van gets out and stabs his wife on the portico of a house. Before she dies, she gives her baby to Heather (Kerry Remsen) and urges her that he must be kept safe, knowing that his father will try to kill him. The case is followed by Detective Kowalski (Douglas Rowe), an off-beat, seedy looking detective. Kowalski later finds out the killer is in solitary confinement in the state mental facility but is somehow leaving his body in spirit and is under an Ancient Egyptian curse which gives him a need to kill his baby to be "King of the Forest" for another year. Kowalski later visits a specialist seeking advice on how to confront the Ancient Egyptian spirit and curse. Carol (Michele Little), a friend of Heather with a love of recording sounds, spots the white van following her in her pickup truck and becomes suspicious. She informs her love interest Bobby (Michael Wyle) of her fears and he dismisses them and punctures the tire of the van which is parked nearby.
Heather takes the baby to a luxury mansion house, where she takes care of it with Carol. She has a dream in which she predicts the murder of the baby and becomes extremely anxious. Detective Kowalski meanwhile has his car hijacked in the wilderness by the killer spirit and blown to smithereens. The killer learns of the baby's whereabouts and unknown initially to Carol, kills another of her friends and an old vagrant who lives in the back of her truck at the house. He then murders Samantha (Pamela Bach), another of Carol's friends in the jacuzzi. After discovering Samantha, Carol runs outside with a shotgun and shoots at the white van, although the killer is not present. Then, after discovering the body of her other friend, Carol remarks that she thinks the killer is trying to kill the baby. Carol orders Bobby to go upstairs and to protect Heather and the baby and vows to "kill the bastard". Bobby discovers that Heather is missing and the baby is alone and then departs on his bike/side car and finds the detective. The killer breaks in through a window and is set on fire by Carol, prompting the spirit to leave the burning body and manifest himself again. The killer is then seen leaving the house with the baby in his arms and is confronted by Carol with a shot gun and orders him to give up the baby. When he refuses and lays the baby down by a tree and attempts to perform a ritual, Carol shoots him several times, with no effect. Bobby and the detective arrive on the scene and the detective urges her to pierce the killer with a nearby pole. As she does so a dramatic scene occurs with a flash to the body in the mental ward and it explodes and is followed by a strong wind where the spirit had been. Bobby presents the baby in safe arms to Heather who remarks "Isn't he beautiful". As she looks away supernatural green lights appear in the baby's eyes as the credits roll. | murder | train | wikipedia | Uniquely weird slasher flick.
This movie is indeed an incoherent mess, but it's so weird in its very concept that I can't believe it is merely an exercise in incompetence (despite the bad reviews and the "Alan Smithee" directorial credit).
But neither is it one of those annoying, would-be "cult" films that tries very self-consciously to be "weird".
It is UNIQUELY weird, which is the mark of a TRUE cult film, even if it obviously doesn't have any kind of a cult following.It starts with a strange detective following an escaped mental patient who is driving a white van (shades of producer Mustapha Akkad's most famous movie).
The mental patient stops to bloodlessly stab his ex-wife to death while she's sitting on someone's porch with their infant son.
The dying women gives the infant to a ditsy teenager, who has just been performing a mime routine at the birthday party of a cranky old man next door.
The ditsy teen gets a ride home with her very cute friend (Michelle Little), who doesn't seem to notice she is now carrying an infant.
The friend is pretty weird herself--she constantly eavesdrops on people with a directional microphone and she has a pet hobo named "Norman" sleeping in the back of her flat-bed pickup truck (a "Crazy Ralph" type given to strange, philosophical soliloquies).
Rounding out the cast is the cute girl's would-be boyfriend, who rides around on a motorcycle with a female mannequin in the sidecar, and a couple--a guy named "Cowboy" and a blonde girl--who are frequently playing cards and having sex, sometimes doing both at the same time.
Eventually this kinda turns into a slasher movie as the killer comes after his newborn son, but a very bizarre one featuring astral projection and the Egyptian god of nature.
. .The most recognizable actor here might be the busty Debbisue Vorhees who played "Jason's" most gratuitously naked murder victim in "Friday the 13th Part V".
She has a similarly perfunctory role in this as a casual friend of lead, who, while waiting for her friend to come home, strips down to her panties for a quick dip in the pool for no apparent reason, and is subsequently murdered.
(It's not a much of a part, but I doubt anyone will complain).
It's also nice to see Brioni Ferrell, who was memorable in Roger Corman's "Student Nurses", but never did much after that.
She plays the mother of the ditsy girl, and is usually clad in a skimpy bikini for reasons that have nothing really to do with the plot.
There are more boobs than blood in this one (but not really enough of either), and the action comes to a dead halt several times for a synchronized New Wave dance routine or some other weirdness.
It probably won't appeal much to hardcore slasher fans, but I actually kinda liked it for some reason.
Forget the appointment!.
Um, yeah.
It's puerile
not wonder why the fetchingly detailed video artwork is eye-catching as it draws you in (and how many times have we've been fooled by that?) to only to find when you watch it.
Boy what a mistake!
Hey a friend gave this one to me (with a smile on his face), but in all honesty I don't know what to make of 'Appointment with Fear'?
If this was supposed to be a supernatural slasher, it wasn't much of one.
So randomly bizarre and tacky, but even more so deadly dull.
It does seem to have a lot going on with something always happening, but the terribly thought-out material (it's a wonky script) is a complete shambles with numerously pointless developments (what was the deal with bum they virtually kept as a pet?) and unrelated padding that throws out ideas with nothing to entirely back it up.
All of this build-up and all we get is one abysmally meandering set-up after another with no real groundwork.
Tacked on is a lame climax, with an even lamer freeze ending.
The concept which has a criminal lying in hospital in a coma, but managing to leave his body in a spiritual sense and go after his baby (no not teleporting, but in his mysteriously white van in psychical form) to murder it for the reason of staying the king (something of a Egyptian Demigod) for another year.
He takes care of his wife, but the baby finds itself in the care of some hopeless teenagers that spend the night at forlorn house in the desert.
Soon they find themselves caught in the terror in trying to protect the baby, as a lone, worn-out police detective is the only one who they can turn to.I guess you call it plain dumb, or simply an interesting idea poorly realized, which has got to count for something.
Director Alan Smithee (yeah I wouldn't blame them not wanting their real name tagged to this project) shoddily puts this low-end feature together with blotchy imagery and distracting techniques.
The unhinged music score is overkill, editing around certain sequences is jerky and it seems to lose concentration with the camera closing in on redundant images
e.g. dolls?
However it demonstrates a fluid glide in some looping camera shots when centering on the action at the remote villa.
Then you even begin to question that!
Atmosphere is non-existent with inept staging of the deaths (as most of them occur off-screen) and what we do see is impulsively ramshackle.
They're bloodless and tensionless
oh no that's not good and our good old villain looks quite plain (while trying hard to evoke a serious face of pure evil!) and what he does is no better
driving about or just loitering around.
As for the performances they're mainly annoyingly drab and oddball, however I didn't mind Michele Little as the main heroine, even though her constantly recording sounds with her microphone got numbing.
The cast is made up by some faces that appeared in other horror/teen features like Debi Sue Voorhees, Kerry Remsen and Michael Wyle.
James Avery shows up in minor part too."Appointment with Fear" is a drawn-out and hackneyed appointment that's well worth missing..
UGH.
UGH.
Horrible, dreadful stuff.
You know you're in for a film with little inspiration behind it when a mid-80's dance number in inserted in what could have turned out to be the best scene of the whole flick-the sex scene!
Sad and insipid; it makes other horror films of the 1980's look great in comparison..
Ouch, my poor eyes!.
Don't make the same mistake I did, please
If some person, whether it's a good buddy or a complete stranger, ever tells you not to watch this film, then take the advice and DON'T WATCH THIS FILM!
"Appointment with Fear" easily ranks in the top 3 most retarded movies ever made and there's more than one reason why it ended up being directed under the pseudonym of "Alan Smithee".
The basic premise is imbecile to begin with, not one dialogue in the entire stupid script makes any sense, and despite being labeled as horror it's completely gore-free and without tension.
Worst of all are the insufferable characters, which give you the impression that this whole film-project had to be one giant lame and very unfunny joke.
Allow me to introduce some of them: The 'hero' is a cop who wears suits that already went out of fashion in the 1930's and he has the strange habit of setting his own car on fire by accident.
The female lead is a teenager who allows bums to live in the back of her pick-up truck and, as some kind of hobby, she monitors random people's conversations with a giant (and not very discrete) microphone.
Her best friend likes to paint her face blue for no reason and she also give mime-shows to her senile grandparents.
The heroine's boyfriend, to finish with, is a long-haired loser who keeps a modeling dummy in the sidecar of his motorcycle
Why?
Because it's cool, of course!
The "plot" revolves on a crazy killer who's in a coma but at the same time he walks around killing people whilst looking for his baby-boy son.
He's supposed to be an Egyptian Demigod, even though he looks like an ordinary idiot.
The whole thing is slow and every newly introduced sub plot goes nowhere real fast.
The music is horrible; crappy 80's dancing is shamelessly used as padding and even the brief nudity-flashes are boring.
Oh, and did I mention it's entirely gore-free?
What a total piece of crap!.
A possible cure for insomnia..
A thoroughly disagreeable entry into the slasher genre, this film began life as "Deadly Presence".
After the producers saw how gawd-awful the film really was, they fired Thomas and shot some more footage.
Gowan's detective character and a bunch of others were added in a sort of parallel story and the whole thing renamed "Appointment With Fear." Aside from a couple of performances, this cinematic disaster's only redeeming value is its score.
Written by ace composer Andrea Saparoff, the music is the only thing lending a little eeriness to what is otherwise an hour and a half of scare-free tedium.Recommended audience: Weevils, chunks of granite, D-cell batteries and very very minor Egyptian deities only..
I feel cheated.
I was looking through the "Videos For Sale" bin at a local Blockbuster and came across this title.
I saw that it was produced by Moustapha Akkad and it sparked my interest.
I'm a huge fan of the Halloween series, to which Akkad has contributed greatly.
On that basis I decided to buy it.
The most exciting part of this movie is the ending credits.
Only then do you know that the torture session is over.
That's also when the true horror of the film set in for me..........I actually paid money for this garbage.
Avoid this title at ALL cost.
Moustapha Akkad should be ashamed to have his name associated with this title..
What I could gather....
I fast-forwarded through most of this movie searching for something, anything interesting,but never found anything.
A bunch of bland morons stalk around in the dark and some guy lies around in a coma,and he's possessed by a tree spirit or something.
Moustapha Akkad went from HALLOWEEN to THIS.
A complete waste of valuable celluloid..
Appointment With Crap.
I recently found a copy of this film on video at a video-store which was selling ex-rentals.
I instantly remembered the cover (which was kind of cool and not shown here on IMDb - It was drawn by E.
Sciotti who did the artwork for DEMONS, PHENOMENA, GRAVEYARD DISTURBANCE, NEON MANIACS,...) and the title from the days when I was an 11-year old kid.
It also read on the cover "From the man who brought you HALLOWEEN - Moustapha Akkad presents".
So, I guess any fan of horror-movies would give this one a chance, no?
Well, was I in for a surprise...The storyline: A dying woman, sitting on a porch in broad daylight, hands over her baby to an unsuspecting teenager asking her to protect it from her husband...
who's lying in a coma in a mental institution.
The teenager and her friends decide to go to this villa (to party, what else for) while being tracked down by the husband's döppelganger (emerging out of his sleep using some astral-projection or something)Does this sound cool to you?
While this could be the premise of a more or less original supernatural slasher movie, instead you get bored to death, real slowly and painful.The characters are all stupid, retarded or just plain weird.
Even the baby looks like a mongloïd (so it's very funny when someone says "Oh, he's so beautiful") There's also an old bum with mental issues who lives in the trunk of a car.
The detective, Kowalski, who tries to track down the husband/forestking/demi-god/döppelganger/killer(dig this?) has almost nothing to do.
He always arrives too late at the scene of the crime, always sets fire to his car with his cigarettes (which is actually kinda funny and a good excuse to insert a car-explosion in the plot) and doesn't even save the day at the end of the movie.
But he IS the best actor of the whole cast.Then there's the villain.
He's supposed to be an Egyptian Demi-God or something, but he has absolutely no special power whatsoever (except the fact that he can't be killed by bullets or fire).
Most of the time he's standing in the dark, waiting, walking around or just sitting and contemplating.
But he does carry a knife and crashes through a window (most exciting scene of the movie).
But, face it, nobody crashes through a window like Jason Voorhees does!I think there's a bodycount of five in the movie, but all of the killings are offscreen (yes, total rip-off).
Or maybe at one point you see something rolling over the ground for approximately 1/3 second.
I think that was supposed to be a decapitated head.Needless to say the production-values were rather low on this movie.
But they did manage to hire some dancers to do this hilarious 80's dance-scene with awesome choreography ("Why?", I kept asking myself, "Why?") How they eventually kill the villain, I will not give away in this review, but I can say that the dance-scene seemed to have a purpose after all...
(curious?
Rent the movie)Oh, did I tell you about the completely unnecessary subplot about a traumatic experience of teenager Heather, involving a baby and a bathtub, which she expresses through her paintings (watch the almost incomprehensable flashbacks)One more thing I liked about this movie was the mesmerizing look of the plastic tree with the white light coming out of it, symbolizing everything our godly villain stands for (I guess).I almost forgot: this movie has some scenes in it which contain gratuitous nudity (but what do you want, it has teenagers in it)OK, enough said!
Except for the fact that Moustapha Akkad wasn't even on the credits of this film (only a production-assistant named Malek Akkad was mentioned in the end-credits).
He must have had the common sense to realize he didn't want to have his name linked with this picture.
A shame the promotional staff used it anyway.The only good thing about this really bad movie I now proudly own is the nice cover by E.Sciotti.
So for all you good horror-movie lovers out there: A year before this movie got released, another movie about a supernatural killer which emerges out of dreams was made: A NIGHTMARE ON ELMSTREET.
So go see that one, or any episode of the HALLOWEEN movies or , hell, you can even check out THE GUARDIAN if you like your horror mixed up with mystical nanny-villains, trees and babies.
But avoid APPOINMENT WITH FEAR at all costs, unless you have the right sense of humour or like to be amazed by a movie that set new standards for unlogical film-making in 1985..
This is one of the worst pieces of junk I have ever seen, as not a damn thing happens until the final 10 minutes.
This is one of the worst pieces of junk I have ever seen, as not a damn thing happens until the final 10 minutes.
All the characters are boring and stupid, and the story is incredibly boring, plus the music score was way too cheesy for my liking.
I stupidly bought this for a $1 at a pawn shop because Moustapha Akkad was the executive producer for this, but I regret spending even a dollar, and the ending was just plain stupid, plus the surprise at the end with the baby was completely predictable.
There is tons of walking around, lots of boring dialog, and hardly anything happening to keep you interested and, there is absolutely no gore what so ever, plus the acting is extremely bad!.
There is no one to root for, and most of them I wanted to get killed off, plus it was also very hard to pay attention to at times as well.
The dialog is very bad, and it's extremely cheap looking and amateurish, plus it's got no imagination or creativity at all either.
I have nothing else to say about this turd, other then this AVOID!.
The Direction is terrible.
Ramzi Thomas does a terrible job here with inept camera work, and keeping everything moving at a snail's pace.
The Acting really isn't even worth mentioning.
Overall AVOID!.
BOMB out of 5 |
tt1833879 | Scary or Die | === The Crossing ===
Buck (Bill Oberst Jr.) and his friends have made a pastime of trolling the Mexico-United States border in search of anyone they believe to be an illegal immigrant. Upon catching someone, the group murders them and buries the body in the hopes of sending out a personal message to anyone else that wants to enter. However what they couldn't predict is that their victims might rise from the grave to take their revenge.
=== TaeJung's Lament ===
A lonely widower finds himself unable to cope with the loss of his wife and begins to follow around various women that resemble her. On one such occasion he ends up becoming a witness to a woman's kidnapping. The man rescues her and in gratitude, the woman urges him to meet her one night. Unknown to him, the woman and her friends are all vampires who are being hunted by Van Helsing himself.
=== Re-Membered ===
A dirty cop (Christopher Darga) has been asked to serve as a hitman for a man's murder, which he does. He dismembers the body and stows it in his trunk for later disposal, but is shocked when he begins to find evidence that his victim is somehow still alive.
=== Clowned ===
When Emmett (Corbin Bleu), a wayward drug dealer, gets bitten by Fucko (Domiziano Arcangeli), a flesh-eating clown at a family member's birthday party, the last thing he expects is for that bite to begin a horrifying transformation. As his transformation proceeds, Emmett is horrified to find that he has a newly acquired taste for human flesh.
=== Lover Come Back ===
A woman returns from the grave in order to seek revenge on the cheating husband who caused her death. As she moves towards her final task, she begins to recollect their relationship and how everything went wrong. | violence, murder, haunting | train | wikipedia | Although not entirely original at parts, Scary or Die is a modern "Vault of Horror" or "Trilogy of Terror." We are presented with five tales of the macabre as a zombie clicks on the clips on a you-tube like site.
The Crossing: When three Mexican hating rednecks murder two innocent Latino men at their dump site, they are punished three-fold.Tajeum Lament: A Japanese man who recently lost his wife saves a woman who looks similar to her.
He begins a metamorphism into the same creature that attacked him.Love Come Back: You can already guess what happens in this revenge story.I give it a C because although it's entertaining, sometimes it's way too predictable..
The other four, while not really terrible given the films very low budget, doesn't really stand out and are almost never scary or original.Usually, these types of films comes with a wrap-around sequence which makes the whole mess coherent, but this one opted not to give us that satisfaction.I'll still watch any horror anthology I can get my hands on, because if one of the segments aren't satisfying, it's pretty fast on to the next one.
"Scary Or Die" anthology tells five very different dark and twisted stories with L.A as a backdrop save the first.
"Scary Or Die" has directors Bob Badway, Michael Emanuel, and Igor Meglic coming together to create some clever and fresh urban tales of horror which star Bill Oberst Jr., Alexandra Choi, and Corbin Bleu just to name a few playing out these ill fated lives.scary or die"Scary Or Die" is a classic horror trilogy that celebrates the classic dark, witty and twisted styles most common in 80's anthologies and television series (Tales From The Darkside is the one I kept coming back to as I watched this film).
The stories are "The Crossing" - a very dark and poignant story of prejudice and karma which has a couple of 'good ole boys' seeking to deport immigrants in their own sick manner only to have fate exact a gruesome justice of it's own; "Tae Jung's Lament" - a Korean vampire tale that is both elusive and clever in it's re-imagining of a 'damsel in distress' story; "Re- Membered" – a story that brings a scene of almost demonic or devilish cat and mouse dance between a shady character with someone in the trunk; "Clowned"- is an emotional horror story that has a family torn apart over some demonic case of twisted circumstance which conjures nightmares on so many levels; and "Lover Come Back"- a sinister and justified voodoo love story that proves some emotional bonds go beyond the grave or in this case the gross dumping ground.For me this is one of the better produced anthologies that flows cleanly between tales as given through us by an unknown person via a website entitled "Scary Or Die".
Each of the stories held out to the very last scene before unveiling the full scope of the twisted tales which brought a freshness to each of them and made this film very entertaining.
Mainly because there are some deep messages in these stories that you don't see in a lot of the new anthologies and I am still trying to figure out what those messages actually represent..
"The Crossing" takes on zombies and immigration with Bill Oberst Jr. leading the charge, "Taejung's Lament" twists together Asian ghosts and vampires, "Re-Membered" gives us a new look at Tell Tale Heart and Frankenstein, Corbin Bleu proves he isn't that kid from High School Musical anymore when he gets "Clowned" in this all heart and a lot of bite were-clown story - Emanuel cleverly toys with our fear of clowns mixed with cannibalism and werewolves, while a voodoo grandparent's blessing of true love may in fact be a curse.
Harks back to the days of the Horror anthologies such as Tales from the Crypt and Tales from the dark side.The stories twists are rather predictable, in keeping with the anthologies of old, pretty shallow, lacking in substance and explanation.There are one or two moments that make you wince slightly, but that's it, without them this would be the stuff TV Horror is made of.Initially I thought it was a collection of short films strung together, until the cast started crossing over from one story to the next.Watchable, but not worth dedicating your movie night to.
A website host examines a series of stories that take place among residents of Los Angeles.The Good Stor(ies): The Crossing-A group of teens take a trip to the Mexican border for fun and games with captured illegal aliens, but things take a dark turn when their previous victims rise from the dead to take revenge.
Actually fairly decent enough with a clever twist here in that it's not immediately about the torture of the victims before since this one manages to get through a little spiel before getting to it's main point, which is fun but those aren't that interesting.
Thankfully, the zombie attacks are gruesome and gory enough that they're one of the saving graces here, and manage to make a clichéd segment into something fun.Clowned-After getting bit by a strange clown for his brother's birthday party, a man finds transforming into a frightening clown and tries to stave off a series of murderous urges as he searches for the one responsible for his condition.
Clearly the film's main selling point as there clearly was a lot put into this one with it's extended and obvious length advantage over the others, it's also quite a lot of fun as the change comes on quite slowly and makes for a pretty chilling transformation as all the parts start coming in slowly before the big reveal at his final form which is outrageously creepy and saves the whole film just by itself.
While it doesn't get resolved and features a lame shock twist, this is still bloody enough and has a great air about it that it's easily the best thing about this entry.The Bad Stor(ies): Tae-Jung's Lament-A lonely man attempts to rescue a woman from a strange thief, and upon doing so is granted an opportunity for thanks with her and her friends, unaware they're part of a vampiric cult being hunted down by a master tracker.
The rescue attempts aren't that bad and actually have some good stuff to them as the segment doesn't tell us what's going on and are just throwing them into the scenario.
Overall, this one just feels quite lacking.Re-Membered-Having finished his assignment, a dirty cop returns to his patrol route in an attempt to get away with his deeds, only to be constantly under suspicion that the dismembered body in his trunk is still alive.
A pretty disappointing effort that again runs on tons of clichés, as this one acts like the Poe story 'The Tell-Tale Heart' with a different organ chosen as the only difference here, but the constant thumping in the trunk of the car and his frantic worry about getting away with it are just right out of that story.
The appearance of the still-alive body at the end doesn't have any ring to it at all, and overall this one feels like filler.Lover Come Back-After a spat with her lover causes her to die, she returns from the grave powered by a voodoo curse to seek revenge on her philandering spouse.
Again, the story plays out the way you expect it to without any real change simply because it don't offer any place to go but to dwell in the land of the familiar and because it focuses so long on the romance to start the relationship before dwelling on the supernatural return this doesn't get the chance to do anything of any importance before it goes for the familiar, and more than any of the segments this one's inclusion is pointless and unnecessary.Rated R: Graphic Language and Graphic Violence..
i try to watch every anthology that comes out and i usually enjoy them.
The stories are pg 13 level scary and fun to watch.
SCARY OR DIE is a low budget horror anthology with a few nods here and there to the likes of CREEPSHOW and its ilk.
This one ploughs the same territory but is hardly on the same level as the older films, appearing very cheap and amateurish in places, but at least it's watchable and the old standby still works: if there's one story you particularly hate, you can rest assured that another one will replace it soon enough.The first tale is about Mexican zombies, and I think it's the strongest here: certainly it's the only one that manages a few genuine scares in the Romero mould.
The second effort is about a Korean vampire, and it's weaker all round, with a very light story barely sustaining the scant running time and a too obvious twist in the tale.
The fourth story is about an evil clown who bites a man who finds himself also turning into a clown.
Lured by the cover art to think I was in for a killer clown movie, the Creepshow-esque hand that clicked on the scaryordie website in search of a good horror clip made me realize that this was an anthology.I haven't bothered to check if all segments were directed by different directors, but what they lack in a unifying theme, they make up with style.
The set-ups are also classic : zombies, vampires, devil cults and the aforementioned killer clown.
1.Clowned - 10/10 2.Tajeum Lament - 10/10 3.RE-Membered - 9/10 4.The Crossing - 8/10 5.Love Come Back - 7/10Over all very good watching experience..My Rating: 9/10.
When it comes to horror movies (be they low-budget, or not), Scary Or Die (SOD, for short) was just plain dull & dumb!
Let's see - In the city of Los Angeles there were both Black & Mexican blood-lusting zombies - There were dead-faced Chinese ghosts and blood-thirsty Oriental vampires - There were re-animated Caucasians (as pieced together corpses) - And, last but not least, there were Black psycho-clowns with infectious bites.
(And, I still don't understand why the hell Emmett didn't go to a doctor after he'd been bitten) I found SOD to be the sort of typical, brain-dead slop from the horror movie genre that comes across like its stories were all made up as they went along (which they probably were), and that goes double for all of its dimwitted dialogue.If you ask me, when it comes to the likes of these horror story anthologies, SOD made 1982's Creepshow look worthy of an Oscar comparison.
Taejung manages to put his phone in the fuel tank and using the laptop follows the car and he is led to the place where the young woman is about to be murdered but in the last-minute he saves her managing to stop the attacker.
This is the longest and is about a young man who is bitten by a clown and with time changes begin to occur.
His clothes remain small shoes are no longer good and slowly begins to turn into a bad clown.
Surprisingly good horror anthology.
It's not prefect, and it's not very scary despite the title, but it's a good amount of entertainment for a viewer with low expectations.The Crossing - A pair of rednecks and their girlfriend are killing illegal aliens along the border and burying them to send a message to other potential border-crossers.
Nothing too noteworthy, but features some average zombie splatter which was entertaining.Teujung's Lament - A fascinating story of a man who's wife was taken from him and now wanders around drinking and following random women around, until he finds one he is especially struck by, who is knocked out with chloroform and kidnapped that same moment.
Again, not bad, but nothing noteworthy.Clowned - Best story of the movie by far, which follows a young man who gets bitten by a flesh-eating clown and undergoes a strange transformation that puts his family in danger.
This one is sad, funny at times, and the clown make-up looks great (if you saw the movie's cover you already know what it looks like, but I guess they had to do something to draw you to the cover).Lover Come Back - The last story and also the least interesting.
Enjoyable Anthology, some stories were great, others left you wanting more....
Being a big fan of horror anthology movies, I anxiously waited for Scary or Die to become available on Redbox.
The film tells five stories, with what looks like a rotting hand watching each one on a computer screen.
Each story, with the exception of "Clowned" (the one on the cover) is only about 15 minutes long.
It tells the story of two rednecks and a young woman (apparently one of their girlfriends) traveling by pick up truck through desert/rural Arizona.
On the way, they stop at a gas/convenience stop, and while the quieter of the two rednecks goes to have roadside bathroom sex with his girlfriend (the thought of the stench alone made me gag!), the other (who also enjoys drinking some stuff - moonshine I guess - that looks like tobacco spit and urine - out of a peanut butter jar) teases the Mexican store clerk, killing him off camera, unbeknown to the female.
The female flips out and tries to escape, meanwhile the blood from one of the victims, plus the concoction in the rednecks peanut butter jar seeps into the ground, and up come the Mexican Zombies.
While you don't get a clear look at the Zombies, they are menacing, killing and tearing both rednecks apart (man did they deserve it!)and injuring the woman - though she escapes.
The 4th and longest segment, clowned, is a good one.
A young drug dealer is bitten by the weird clown with sharp teeth from his little brothers birthday party, he starts changing (the clown makeup is decent), doesn't seek medical attention, leaves home and becomes a homeless man looking for the clown who bit him.
Clowned is a bittersweet story with a sad ending.
The acting was very decent, and again, while it drags, remained a good story.
The baby twist at the end was hilarious.The 5th and final segment is the story of the rotting hand watching these stories on a computer screen.
Overall, Scary or Die is a decent anthology movie with more good than bad.
"Scary or Die" turned out to be much better than expected, especially given Comcast's misguiding description, which failed even to identify the anthology format.
Southern horror fans should stick together, so I second the spot-on review by SouthernHorrorFan - well-earned praise for these interesting offerings, "Scary or Die" proves that filmmakers don't need a big budget to succeed in generating some decent horror..
Oh an anthology horror movie !
Nowadays if you like any story from a horror anthology then you're very fortunate Let's just say I wasn't fortunate in watching this .
But even in horror terms this is fairly vapid stuff of rednecks vs zombies , lonely man meets woman with a secret etc etc .
Some people who think clowns are scary might find at least one of the stories creepy but the rest of the film is unimpressive for those not addicted to the horror genre.
:SPOILER: Hillybilly Zombies, Asian Business Associates And A Mexican Clown Birthday Party.I'm Pretty Sure The Movie Budget Was 6 Coronas And A Free taco Bell Meal.
Instead I see WAY too many 6-10 star reviews.Look, I recognize that many if not most beginning directors, actors, and writers enter the industry in the horror genre and that's OK.
She obviously wasn't a zombie.The second story wasn't quite as bad but made little sense.
The lame framing device for this mediocre anthology has an unseen person logging on to a website where they view five short, supposedly scary videos.In the first, The Crossing, trashy strumpet Connie (Hali Lula Hudson) accompanies rednecks Buck (Bill Oberst Jr.) and Keith (Shawn-Caulin Young) to the Mexican border where the guys have been murdering and burying immigrants in order to deter wetbacks from entering their country.
Some enthusiastic blood-letting makes this tale fairly enjoyable, although the 'twist' at the very end is as old as the hills, ripped straight from Romero's classic Night of the Living Dead.Tale number two, Taejung's Lament, revolves around lonely widower Taejung (Charles Rahi Chun), who, having rescued mysterious young woman Min-ah (Alexandria Choi) from an attacker, is invited to a party the following week.
Another moderately entertaining story, but the payoff is weak and predictable.Re-membered stars Christopher Darga as hit-man Sam Franks, who is driving down the freeway with the remains of a dismembered victim in his trunk when he hears strange noises coming from the back of his car.
No prizes for guessing that this story ends with Sam meeting a grisly fate at the hands of his victim, who has somehow reassembled himself.The fourth and best story, Clowned, sees petty drug-dealer Emmett (Corbin Bleu) gradually transforming into a hideous clown after he is bitten by the creepy (and inappropriately named) entertainer at his younger brother's birthday party.
Director Michael Emanuel drags his story out for far too long but at least offers some genuinely creepy imagery along the way, with Emmett as the clown being a particularly impressive sight—easily one of the more disturbing horror movie clowns that I have seen.
The ending for this one is also pretty neat, displaying a delicious sense of black humour.In contrast, Lover Come Back, the final segment, is incredibly short, and tells of a woman whose voodoo amulet helps her to return from the dead to seek revenge on her murderous husband.
It's executed with a fair amount of style, but isn't all that memorable.The film wraps up matters by revealing the person logged onto the website to be the dead woman from the final story, which doesn't make a whole lot of sense. |
tt0032153 | You Can't Get Away with Murder | In New York's Hell's Kitchen, young Johnny Stone (Billy Halop) goes against the advice of his sister Madge (Gale Page) and hooks up with mobster Frank Wilson (Humphrey Bogart).
First, Johnny and Frank steal a car, and then hold up a gas station. Later, Johnny takes a gun belonging to Madge's fiancé Fred Burke (Harvey Stephens) and lends it to Frank to use in a pawnshop robbery. This time the owner resists and sounds an alarm; Frank kills him and leaves the gun there, so Johnny cannot return it to Fred's room as he intended. After finding his gun at the scene, the authorities do not believe Fred's alibi and he is arrested and convicted of murder. Meanwhile, based on fingerprint evidence, Frank and Johnny are arrested and convicted of the gas station robbery. All three men are sent to Sing Sing.
Johnny is not a hardened criminal like Frank, and is tortured by the thought that Fred is facing execution for their crime. But Frank repeatedly reminds Johnny that he must continue "playing dumb", as both of them face execution if either confesses. The prison authorities are suspicious of their attitude to each other and transfer Johnny from working in the prison shoe factory alongside Frank to the prison library run by a mild-mannered older convict known as Pop (Henry Travers).
Johnny expects Fred to be cleared on appeal, not knowing that Frank also planted stolen property as evidence against him. When the appeal is denied, Johnny's pangs of conscience increase. By now Madge is convinced that Johnny knows the true killer and begs him to talk, still not suspecting Johnny's own involvement. Pop also appeals to Johnny's conscience. Fred's lawyer, Carey (John Litel), eventually deduces that Johnny took Fred's gun and was responsible for its presence at the murder, but without evidence the district attorney (Herbert Rawlinson) will not request a stay of Fred's execution. Through all this, Johnny continues to "play dumb".
On the day set for Fred's execution, Frank and Johnny join in a jailbreak. In that situation Johnny is finally willing to tell the truth. He produces a written confession that he stole the gun and Frank did the shooting, leaving it for Pop to find after the breakout. But Frank sees him drop the paper and takes it instead. He decides to kill Johnny after the jailbreak.
But the jailbreak fails, ending with Frank and Johnny in a railroad boxcar surrounded by prison guards. Frank has a gun and starts shooting at the guards from concealment. When they return fire, Frank shoots Johnny and puts the gun next to him, then gives himself up, claiming that he was unarmed.
But, although mortally wounded, Johnny survives long enough to tell the truth, implicating Frank for both murders and finally clearing Fred. | murder | train | wikipedia | In this film Bogart plays a small time hood named Frank Wilson whom is followed by Johnny {aka Leader of the Dead End Kids featured in other early Bogart movies}.
Johnny is a teenager heading down the wrong path and gets into big trouble when Frank murders someone at a botched heist job.
"You Can't Get Away with Murder" is a 1939 film starring Humphrey Bogart, Gale Page, Billy Halop, Henry Travers, John Litel, and Harvey Stephens.
Bogart is still on his way up the star ladder - in his case, it was a long climb to 1941's "High Sierra" with lots of supporting parts, mostly as gangsters.
Bogart plays the meaner than dirt Frank Wilson, a criminal who takes advantage of the young, trusting Johnny Stone (Halop), a basically good kid being raised by his sister Madge.
Beset with marital, alcohol, and financial problems, he died at the age of 56.It's impressive to look at Bogart's pre-stardom career and see how long it took him to break away from the pack - 11 years and 42 films.
I don't know what went wrong, but this film is a good indication of his growing acting ability.It's also a step in the right direction towards breaking Halop away from his silly juvenile roles.
He could easily play more sinister, dark roles, and this movie proves it.The ending could have glossed over the Halop-Bogie clash, but didn't, and I like that.It's a well-made little gangster film that deserves much better accolades..
Better than average gangster/prison film ala 1930's Warner Brothers.
Don't come to this film expecting that much Bogart or that much action, and you'll probably enjoy this 80 minute-long late 30's crime drama.Billy Halop of the Dead End Kids is the real star of this film, made two years before Bogart became a true star at Warner Brothers, but this time Halop is minus the other Dead Enders.
Here he plays John Stone, a kid from Hell's Kitchen who idolizes small-time gangster Frank Wilson (Humphrey Bogart).
John feels replaced by Burke and also resents the guy trying to be a substitute big brother to him.Frank and Johnny pull off one gas station robbery without a hitch, giving Johnny a taste for more, but the second robbery does not go so well, with Frank killing a pawn shop owner.
The problem is that the gun left at the scene was stolen from Burke, is easily traced back to him, and soon Burke is sitting in the death house for a crime committed by Frank and Johnny.
Frank has no problem having someone else fry for his crime, but he can see Johnny is cracking up and he has to come up with some way to keep the kid quiet.Henry Travers has a supporting yet significant part as the prison librarian - Pop - in a role that seems to be a warm-up for playing Clarence in "It's a Wonderful Life".
Eddie Rochester Anderson of Jack Benny Show fame lightens the film just a bit as an inmate who comes to the library each day just to read cookbooks aloud.As for Bogart, he's at his nastiest here without a shred of humanity.
Raised on the "Crime School" (1938) streets of New York City's "Hell's Kitchen" (1939), tough teenager Billy Halop (as John "Johnnie" Stone) worries sister Gale Page (as Madge) by hanging out with small-time gangster Humphrey Bogart (as Frank Wilson).
Sucked into joining Mr. Bogart in a gas station robbery, young Halop gets to join his nasty mentor in "Sing Sing" security prison.
There, Halop learns his sister's nice fiancé Harvey Stephens (as Fred Burke) will face the electric chair for murder.
Halop knows what really happened, but it would mean more trouble for himself and pal Bogart..."You Can't Get Away with Murder" isn't considered part of the "Dead End" series of films, but follows similar story situations and could easily be considered one of the early, more dramatic entries from Warner Bros.
There are some familiar faces among the studio stock players, with an especially nice role for Henry Travers (as Pop).****** You Can't Get Away with Murder (3/24/39) Lewis Seiler ~ Billy Halop, Humphrey Bogart, Gale Page, Henry Travers.
You Can't Get Away with Murder (1939) *** (out of 4) Nice crime flick from Warner has the young Johnny (Billy Halop) looking up to tough guy Frank (Humphrey Bogart) and soon the two are pulling jobs together.
This 78-minute movie features a lot of plot and some might say there's too much plot but there's no denying that this is 100% pure Warner action as not only do we get the best of their crime films but also a pretty good prison drama as well.
Gale Page and Harvey Stephens are good as the sister and fiancé and then we have Henry Travers in a good part of the elder con trying to steer the young kid in the right direction.
The director keeps everything moving at a pretty good pace and I must admit that the film ended a lot differently than I expected.
All in all this movie certainly deserve to be more wildly seen as it contain the some great "tough guy" stuff that film buffs will eat up..
This one stars Humphrey Bogart as a crook who corrupts teenage street tough Billy Halop (sans the rest of the Dead End Kids) into committing armed robbery and framing Halop's sister's boyfriend for murder.
Soon Bogie and Halop are arrested and sent to prison together while the boyfriend (dull Harvey Stephens) faces possible execution for a crime he didn't commit.Bogart is fine in a role he could play in his sleep but he doesn't get as much to do as Halop, who WB clearly had high hopes for.
Halop is alright when he's playing to his Dead End Kids persona but when he gets melodramatic, the result is over the top.
Great character actors like Henry Travers, Harold Huber, John Litel, Joseph Crehan, and Joe Sawyer add color to the cast and liven things up.
Bogart manages to pack a lot of charisma into a stereotype and Halop's ex-Dead End performance is pretty good, as well.
WB Prison Pic Featuring Bogart and Billy Halop in Cautionary Tale.
On the Cusp of His Budding Career as a Major Star, Humphrey Bogart Leads a Strong WB Cast Highlighting Dead End Kid Billy Halop.
It's a Classic Warner's Message Movie that is a bit Heavy Handed at times but Makes it Point.A Youth in the Neighborhood Looks Up to Petty Criminal Bogart and is Quickly Swept Up in an Evil Man's Whirlwind.
It Comes at a Heavy Price, but at Least Now He Can Sleep.Slightly Above Average for This Type of Thing and its Dramatic Story along with Bogart and Halop make this a Rewarding Film for its Iconic Depression Era Study.
Billy Halop led the Dead End Kids in three other films that paired them up with Humphrey Bogart - "Dead End" which gave the gang their name, "Crime School", and the memorable "Angels With Dirty Faces".
Here, Halop co-stars as the conflicted Johnny Stone, a nineteen year old impressionable young man who looks up to petty hood Frank Wilson (Bogey).
It's a fairly typical Warner Brothers era film, taking a dim view of crime and poverty, and makes you stay till the very end to find out whether Johnny can win out over his conscience.Bogart's character is a vile sort, though he takes Johnny under his wing he's really all for himself.
But Johnny's gun was "borrowed" from his sister's boyfriend, cop Fred Burke (Harvey Stephens), so now Burke is framed for the robbery and the murder.
Winding up in Sing Sing prison for an unrelated caper, Johnny spends his entire time agonizing over whether to rat out Wilson or do the right thing.There's a great cast of Warner's B stock players on hand to move the story along.
Henry Travers is "Pop" the prison librarian who tries to help Johnny see things straight.
When introduced to Johnny, the P.K. can't even remember his real name - "Pop will do, I'll never need another name" - one of the first serious hints to Johnny that maybe a life of crime isn't such a good thing.Joe Sawyer, George E.
The one big surprise in the movie, and you'll recognize his voice before you even see him, is Eddie "Rochester" Anderson in an uncredited role as inmate Sam. He provides a touch of comic relief every time he visits Pop in the library for a new dessert recipe.I always get a kick out of these early films for the perspective they give on the value of money.
Though "You Can't Get Away With Murder" winds up being fairly formulaic, it's still a decent film with a lot of screen time for Halop, and Bogie building up a head of steam for his gangster sizzler "High Sierra".
When I say Bogey at his worst I mean that I personally have never Humphrey Bogart a bigger rat on the screen than in You Can't Get Away With Murder.
He also did this god awful film Over the Wall for Warner Brothers also a prison based drama.
You Can't Get Away With Murder falls in between these extremes.This was a B film and Bogart and Gale Page received top billing.
But the real star here is Dead End gang leader Billy Halop.
When Stephens is picked up for the crime because Bogart left Stephen's weapon at the scene deliberately, Halop doesn't say a word, even after both of them are picked up for the filling station heist.As it is in these Warner Brothers melodramas all the dramatis personae meet in the climax as a prison break is timed with Harvey Stephens date with old sparky as the chair at Sing Sing used to be called.
Now how two guys picked up on a New Jersey crime would be in Sing Sing I still haven't figured out.The film was essentially way to melodramatic and contrived for my tastes, nevertheless Bogart did a fine job as a hood who really shows what a rat he is all the way through and at the end.
As that other Warner Brothers icon would say, "What a Maroon".Best job in the film without a doubt is Billy Halop.
His death scene in the finale is very moving and he does a fine job as a kid who just fell in with bad company.I've not seen all of Humphrey Bogart's films, but most of them and I haven't seen him lower and meaner than in You Can't Get Away With Murder..
After all, it stars Humphrey Bogart AND he plays a typically tough and cool gangster.
For old movie buffs like me who adore Warner Brothers gangster films, these sort of films are terrific entertainment--even if they area tad predictable.
The tough-guy dialog, great acting and break-neck pace make these highly satisfying.The film begins with Bogart pulling a penny ante heist---assisted by a teen (Billy Halop) who idolizes him and is sort of like an apprentice gangster.
A bit later, when they are pulling another job, Bogart kills a man using a gun that belongs to Halop's future brother-in-law (Harvey Stephens)!
On the other hand, Henry Travers plays an older prisoner who tries to guide Halop in the right direction.
Interestingly, Halop and other young Warner stars also went on to make similar films with Cagney and John Garfield as well--so apparently the public loved this style of movie.Oh, and in an uncredited bit role, frequent Jack Benny co-star Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson plays one of the inmates.
The very persistent Bogey had not yet gotten to star status, but solid performances in DEAD END (1937), ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES (1038)THE ROARING TWENTIES & this YOU CAN'T GET AWAY WITH MURDER (both 1939), all were solid evidence of his progression.IT WOULD BRING to the very threshold of Stardom with HIGH SIERRA (1941), THE MALTESE FALCON (also '41) and ultimately CASABLANCA (1942).
From that point on any Bogart movie was a big, major motion picture.THE SECOND CAREER that was chronicled by this movie was that of Billy Halop's.
Participation in many titles featuring "the Dead End Kids" at both Warner Brothers and Universal followed in productions that varied a great deal from studio to studio.** THE POWERS THAT be at the Warners' lot were determined to jettison young Halop's association with the Kids and launch a solo career.
Johnnie Stone (Halop), is the full time reason for worry of his older sister, Madge(Gale Page); who apparently is his sole support and guardian Young Johnnie is caught between the good influence of her fiancé, Fred Burke (Harvey Stephens) and Frank Wilson (Bogey).FOLLOWING SOME TWO jobs as stick-up men, they wind up in Sing-Sing; but are soon joined by Fred; who was there because he was framed by Frank.
(Frank frames Fred = tongue twister, right Schultz?) IN THE COURSE of some other incredible plot twists: Johnnie is befriended by "Pop" the prison librarian (Henry Travers), is questioned by both Fred's lawyer and the District Attorney in a special deposition, Fred is about to meet "Old Sparky", gets involved in an attempt to break-out, leaves both a written note and oral admission pf how Fred was framed and dies on the surgical table while clearing Fred in a Dying Declaration.***THAT IS A lot to handle, report on and comprehend.
It has some fine performances by a typically crafted Warner Brothers cast featuring people like: John Litel, Joe Sawyer, Henry Travers, George E.
Stone, Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson, Robert Emmett O'Connor, Lane Chandler and Juvenile Cagney look-alike, Frankie Burke.NOTE: * It has been said that Halop had a greater salary than the other Dead Enders ever since the days on the Broadway stage.NOTE: ** Whereas the Warner productions were such as ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACRS, THEY MADE ME A CRIMINAL, CRIME SCHOOL and ON DRESS PARADE; those at Universal included "B" pictures such as LITTLE TOUGH GUY and Serials like JUNIOR G-MEN and SEA RAIDERS.NOTE *** This "Dying Declaration" term is just what it sounds like, a legal term.
This is a tough gritty intense crime film that stars Humphrey Bogart & Billy Halop both getting top billing even though Halop has more screen time & is the real star & main focus.
The Dead End Kids appeared in 3 other films with Bogart in "Dead End" (1937), "Crime School" & "Angels With Dirty Faces" both in 1938.
Halop plays Johnny Stone who admires & looks up to small time gangster Frank Wilson (Bogart), Frank shows Johnny the ropes on how to be a criminal.First they steal a car & then they stick up & rob a gas station & then Johnny steals his sister Madge's (Gale Page) boyfriend's Fred Burke's (Harvey Stephens) gun from his apartment while they go out on the town.
Bogart shoots the pawnshop owner dead with the gun Johnny stole from Burke.Frank leaves the gun on the floor & subsequently their fingerprints leads the police right to their doorstep & Frank & Johnny are arrested & sentenced to Sing Sing prison.
Burke lands on death-row awaiting the electric chair.Most of the film takes place in the big house as Johnny gets torn between the good & evil forces.
He's given a job in the prison library working with Pop ( Henry Travers) who senses that Johnny's conscience is bothering him & tries to convince him to do the right thing by telling the truth as Burke's fate lies in Johnny's hands.
There is an exciting prison break with Bogart, Halop, Joseph Sawyer, Harold Huber & Joe Downing which ends in disaster & a violent shootout with the prison guards eventually trapping Frank & Johnny in a freight car.
Bogart is typically cast in his familiar tough guy role he so often played in the 1930's.
Billy Halop gives a great solo performance in this movie & it should've skyrocketed him to solo stardom.
But this film " You Can't Get Away With Murder" really has a lot going for it & is really worth seeing & needs a DVD release.
gangster prison crime films of the 30's.
Humphrey Bogart (Frank Wilson), Billy Halop (Johnnie Stone), Gale Page (Madge Stone), John Litel (Attorney Carey), Henry Travers (Pop), Harvey Stephens (Fred Burke), Harold Huber (Scappa), Joseph Sawyer (Red), Joseph Downing (Smitty), George E.
U.S. release: 20 May. 78 minutes.SYNOPSIS: Johnnie Stone embarks on a career of crime under the tutelage of Frank Wilson, a petty crook.
In part this is due to the power of the original stage play (which takes over after about 20 or 30 minutes of commendable "opening up") and in part to the finely communicated nervous agitation Billy Halop works up in his role.
Over and over and over again, Warner Brothers turned out gangster films.
Very few were memorable, although WB certainly had the formula down pat.If there's a real reason to watch this film, it's simply that there are some interesting things about the film...though not about the story.Humphrey Bogart plays the same old gangster character here that he always played before he hit it big.
I have to admit, in his own way, when young, Bogart was quite handsome.Gale Page is good here as the sister of Billy Halop.Billy Halop was another WB stereotype, here with a bit of an acne problem.John Litel is quite good as an attorney.One of the most interesting roles here is beloved Henry Travers as "Pop" -- a prisoner...albeit assigned to the prison library!
Another surprise here -- another much beloved actor -- Eddie "Rochester" Anderson plays a convict.The one place this drama rises above the typical gangster/prison drama is in the conversations between Billy Halop and Henry Travers.
Unfortunately that little bit of class quickly disappears at the end of the film when the writer/directors try to redeem the Halop character through his death confession when he is trying to escape from prison...followed by overly dramatic (and very loud) music. |
tt0046806 | The Bridges at Toko-Ri | U.S. Navy Lieutenant Harry Brubaker (William Holden) is a Naval Reserve officer and Naval Aviator who was called back to active duty from his civilian profession as an attorney to fly fighter-bombers in the Korean War. Returning from a mission with battle damage, he is forced to ditch into the sea and is rescued by a Sikorsky HO3S-1 helicopter manned by Chief Petty Officer (NAP) Mike Forney (Mickey Rooney) and Airman (NAC) Nestor Gamidge (Earl Holliman).
Forney had often been in trouble for brawling and sporting a non-regulation green top hat and scarf while flying his helicopter as encouragement to downed pilots in the water. Back aboard his ship, the aircraft carrier USS Savo Island, Brubaker is called to the quarters of Rear Admiral Tarrant (Fredric March), the Carrier Task Force 77 commander, who has taken an interest in Brubaker because he reminds Tarrant of his son, a Navy Pilot killed in World War II. Brubaker complains about the unfairness of his recall when most actively flying/actively drilling Naval Reserve pilots weren't recalled (Brubaker hadn't been flying in the Reserve), America is not actually "at war", and most Americans have no involvement. Tarrant advises that, "All through history, men have had to fight the wrong war in the wrong place, but that's the one they're stuck with."
The Savo Island returns to port in Japan, where Brubaker is given a three-day shore leave in Tokyo with his wife Nancy (Grace Kelly) and their children. The reunion is interrupted when Gamidge comes to Brubaker asking his help in bailing Forney out of the brig after a brawl. Nancy expresses her bewilderment to Tarrant, who explains that Forney saved her husband from freezing to death when he had to ditch his jet at sea and warns her that when they return to Korea, Brubaker will have to attack the dangerous bridges at Toko-Ri. He advises her to face the reality that Harry might be killed, which neither his wife nor daughter-in-law did, and thus were crushed by despair. Late that night Nancy asks Brubaker about the bridges.
Back on a carrier off Korea, Brubaker flies as wingman for Commander Lee (Charles McGraw), the carrier air group commander known as "CAG," on a dangerous reconnaissance to photograph the bridges. Lee briefs his pilots on the coming mission using the film he took and Brubaker loses his nerve. However, he cannot bring himself to quit the mission or write a final letter to Nancy. Forney crosses the Captain of the Savo Island once too often, and then he is exiled to a helicopter scow. As he is leaving the ship, he notices Brubaker's distress, and relates a "cure" for bad nerves that has worked for him. Brubaker follows his advice and finds renewed strength within himself.
In the attack on the bridges, the antiaircraft fire is intense, but the jets destroy the bridges without a loss. Lee then leads them to attack a secondary target, where Brubaker’s jet is hit. Leaking fuel and descending, he tries to return to the carrier, but he cannot and crash-lands on land. Forney and Gamidge attempt to pick him up, but communist troops shoot down the helicopter. Gamidge is killed, and Forney takes cover in a muddy ditch with Brubaker. They try to hold off the enemy with pistols and Forney's and Gamidge's M1 carbines until they can be rescued, but both are killed by the North Korean and Red Chinese soldiers. Tarrant, angered by the news of Brubacker's death, demands an explanation from Commander Lee of why he attacked the second target. Lee defends his actions, noting that Brubaker was his pilot too, and that despite his loss, the mission was a success. Tarrant, realizing that Lee is correct, rhetorically asks, "Where do we get such men?" | anti war | train | wikipedia | null |
tt3379456 | Redeemer | Former hit man Nicky Pardo regularly plays Russian roulette with a stylized pistol. Flashbacks reveal that, during a confrontation, he accidentally killed the son of a rival hit man known as the Scorpion. In revenge, the Scorpion tortures both Pardo and his pregnant wife, forces Pardo to kill his wife to end her suffering, and leaves Pardo for dead in a desert. The Scorpion leaves behind his stylized pistol as a way to escape dehydration. Pardo pulls the trigger three times but survives. In the present, he targets the former drug gangs that he once served, giving them an ultimatum to either repent or die. As a result, he becomes known as the Redeemer. When the Scorpion discovered Pardo is still alive, he chases after him.
Pardo comes upon a villager, Agustin, menaced by thugs. After killing his attackers, they hide from the gang's retaliation in the house of Agustin's friend Antonia. Agustin explains that he found a bag full of money and took it to a local church to donate. Pardo offers to trade the money back to the gang in return if they leave the town. Though they refuse to leave, they agree to bargain once the money is recovered. When they realize that Pardo is the Redeemer, they keep him under heavy guard while several men fetch the money. They fail to find the money, and Pardo kills all the men in the room before they can shoot him. The gang's boss, an American named Steve Bradock, dismisses his henchmen's fears and orders them to kill Pardo.
Pardo returns to find that Agustin has given the money to Antonia to help her son get an operation. Pardo initially refuses to allow her to keep it, but he relents after she unknowingly reminds him of slaughtered family. Agustin and Antonia watch as Pardo engages in his ritualistic Russian roulette, and Antonia tells him that he must accept his dark side and forgive himself rather than looking to God for a sign that he has been forgiven. Knowing that the entire gang must be killed if they allow Antonia to keep the money, Pardo researches the gang's next drug deal, where he defeats one of Bradock's assassins.
Meanwhile, the Scorpion arrives in town and kills anyone who gets in his way. Realizing that both the Redeemer and Scorpion are in town, Bradock's second-in-command urges him to flee. Instead, Bradock kills him, promotes underling Piedra, and demands that his men come up with a cool-sounding nickname for him, too. After Pardo clears out a warehouse, Piedra and Pardo engage in a duel. After Pardo wins, he learns from Piedra the location Bradock's headquarters. There, Pardo realizes the Scorpion has already killed Bradock. The Scorpion knocks him out.
When Pardo awakes, he sees that Agustin and Antonia are both prisoners. The Scorpion reveals that he has been killing all the people that Pardo has helped, which he says proves the futility of Pardo's redemption. The Scorpion demands Agustin to play Russian roulette; when he refuses, the Scorpion wounds Antonia and finally kills Agustin. The Scorpion demands Antonia play under threat of Pardo's death, but Pardo points out that the Scorpion would never kill him without making him suffer. Both Antonia and the Scorpion are disarmed, and the two men face off. Pardo defeats the Scorpion, and Antonia hands him the stylized pistol. Instead of killing him, Pardo apologizes for killing his son and gives the Scorpion back his pistol, saying that it is all he can do to reunite the Scorpion with his son. A gunshot is heard as Pardo and Antonia leave. | flashback | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0029880 | Army Girl | Capt. Dike Conger and M/Sgt. "Three Star" Hennessy are sent with their new light tank for tests against horse cavalry under desert conditions. In an extended hell for leather race amongst a variety of obstacles, their tank wins against Col. Armstrong's 31st Cavalry.
During this period the Colonel's daughter Julie masquerades as a Southern Belle with no connection with the army to date Dike who vows to have nothing to do with Army Girls; the daughters of officers or soldiers. Enjoying each other's company Dike discovers that Julie is actually the Colonel's daughter but has fallen in love with her.
Due to the tank winning the competition, Army Headquarters orders that Captain Dike Conger take over the command of the 31st Cavalry from the kindly old Colonel Armstrong. Though Julie and the officers and troopers of the Regiment despise Dike for doing this, the gentlemanly Colonel Armstrong suggests a scheme to win his Regiment over; the Colonel and Dike swap mounts. However, in a wild ride inside the tank both the Colonel and "Three Star" are killed when the tank goes out of control.
Dike is court martialled but all discover an unsavoury truth. | romantic | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0025965 | We're Not Dressing | Spoiled socialite Doris Worthington (Lombard) is sailing the Pacific with her friend Edith (Merman) and her Uncle Hubert (Errol), while being courted by Prince Michael (Milland) and Prince Alexander (Henry). She is bored, however, and finds entertainment in verbal sparring with one of the sailors, Stephen Jones (Crosby). During one of their battles, Doris slaps Stephen, who retaliates by kissing her and gets fired. In a drunken accident, Uncle Hubert runs the yacht onto a reef in the fog. Stephen rescues the unconscious Doris as the others flee the capsized ship, and everyone makes it to the tropical island although the princes claim credit for Doris’s rescue. Unfortunately, the only person with any survival skills is Stephen, and the socialites are quick to demand that he gather food and build shelter. Stephen attempts to divide up the work but the haughty passengers snub his leadership so he fends for himself. The smells from Stephen’s dinner of mussels and coconuts soon entice the hungry passengers to gather their own food; all except Doris, who tricks Stephen to get his food and gets slapped in turn. The group is forced to cooperate, although Doris remains indignant and infuriated.
Doris discovers that there are other people on the island when she falls prey to a lion trap in the jungle: zany Gracie (Allen) and scientific husband George (Burns) live on the other side of the not-so-deserted isle. She refuses their offer to stay in favor of getting even with Stephen. Doris arranges for some tools and clothes to float past Stephen, who is elated at his "discovery" and quickly builds a house. The couple admit their love that evening but feel mismatched.
Two rescue boats arrive. In the hubbub, Stephen finds out that the clothes and tools came from Doris and is angry at being the butt of the joke. Stephen takes a different boat than Doris. As Doris watches the princes resume their womanizing ways on board ship, she realizes she misses Stephen. She changes ships to join him, for better or for worse. | comedy | train | wikipedia | You add some well-known actors like George Burns and Gracie Allen, Leon Errol, and a twenty-something Ethel Merman for some comic relief.
Simple plot, Bing's a sailor on the Lombard yacht and he, Lombard, her uncle Leon Errol, her friend Ethel Merman and two princes/gigolos, Ray Milland and Jay Henry are shipwrecked after a drunken Leon Errol runs the yacht up on a reef.
Oh, and also surviving is Lombard's pet bear, a creature named Droopy.Droopy comes pretty close to stealing the picture, especially after Leon Errol persuades Crosby to put roller-skates on him while they're still on the ship.
He also has another trick, he won't hear any other song but Goodnight, Lovely Little Lady one of the songs written for this film by Mack Gordon and Harry Revel.Gordon and Revel's best known numbers from this are May I and Love Thy Neighbor which sold a few platters for Bing back in 1934.
Paramount saved it and put it intact into their Big Broadcast of 1936 the following year.At the time We're Not Dressing was shooting, Carole Lombard was romantically involved with Bing Crosby's singing rival crooner Russ Columbo.
Columbo later died that year of a gunshot wound from an antique dueling pistol, a case that a lot of people felt was never satisfactorily solved.So with Crosby, Lombard, Burns and Allen, Ethel Merman, Leon Errol just the sound of that casts spells some wacky wonderful fun..
Being a Bing Crosby vehicle (albeit featured on Universal’s Carole Lombard set), there’s a plethora of dated romantic songs – and since a young (not to say slim) Ethel Merman appears in support, she chimes in as well…and so does comic Leon Errol!
Also in the cast are another comic couple – George Burns (who really achieved stardom after an Oscar-winning turn some 40 years later!) and real-life spouse Gracie Allen – and a young (though somewhat stiff) Ray Milland as one of two aristocratic parasites hoping to win Lombard’s hand.
However, she’s got her eyes on crooning sailor Crosby – but, of course, their relationship runs far from smoothly!Starting off on Lombard’s yacht, the group are shipwrecked on a tropical island (thanks to a tipsy Errol sabotaging the boat’s commands) – where explorers Burns and Allen(!) are carrying out some kind of research.
Actually, the two parties rarely interact: in fact, very little happens on the island itself – other than that the feckless idle rich are taught a moral lesson by the manly and resourceful Crosby (anticipating Lombard’s own MY MAN GODFREY [1936] in this respect).It’s refreshing to find Lombard in a non-wacky role, but her performance is just as delightful as ever; equally notable are the amusing contribution of Errol (Lombard’s uncle but who’s sympathetic to commoner Crosby) and the various antics of the harebrained Allen (which includes her devising an unlikely and complicated method to trap wild animals).
Even so, an amiable bear named Droopy (Lombard’s pet!) steals everybody’s thunder – especially in the way it cuddles up to Crosby when singing a particular tune, and a hilarious scene in which the animal runs riot on the deck of the yacht after Errol fits it with skating shoes!
WE'RE NOT DRESSING (Paramount, 1934), directed by Norman Taurog, may sound like a pre-code movie set at a nudist colony, but in spite of this offbeat title, it's actually a tuneful, in fact, very tuneful musical-comedy set on a South Pacific island.
Heading the cast is Bing Crosby, taking a new direction in his fourth leading role for Paramount in a revamped story to James M.
Barrie's novel, "The Admirable Crichton."The story opens on a yacht christianed "Doris" where Prince Alexander (Jay Henry) and Prince Michael (Ray Milland), a couple of phonies out to nab rich women, accompany the wealthy yacht owner named Doris Worthington (Carole Lombard) on a cruise in the South Pacific.
Doris is loved by Alexander and Michael, but while faced with a dilemma as to which one she should marry, she also has her eye on a deck hand sailor named Steve Jones (Bing Crosby).
On the other side of the island are George and Gracie Martin (George Burns and Gracie Allen), a couple of botanists working on experiments, adding more to the confusion.Unlike the easy-going character he was to play on film through much of his career, WE'RE NOT DRESSING places Crosby on the tough side, especially on the island where he takes control over the castaways, ready to fight the two princes, and keeping the temperamental Doris under control by dunking her head in the ocean water or giving her a facial slap in return for a kiss.A fine selection of tunes by Harry Revel and Mack Gordon include: "It's a Lie, It's a Lie!" (sung by sailors); "A Sailor Must Be True to Any One Girl," (sung by Bing Crosby); "It's a Lie, It's a Lie!" "It's a New Spanish Custom" (sung by Ethel Merman); "I Positively Refuse to Sing" (with a brief insert of "Stormy Weather"); "May I?" "She Reminds Me of You," "Goodnight, Lovely Little Lady," "Love Thy Neighbor," "May I?" "Once in a Blue Moon" (all sung by Crosby); "It's the Aninal in Me" (sung briefly by Merman); and "Goodnight, Lovely Little Lady" (sung by Crosby).
According to Bob Dorian, former host of American Movie Classics, in one of its several broadcasts in 1992, commented on the cut number, "It's the Animal in Me," sung by Ethel Merman, and inserted to another musical, THE BIG BROADCAST OF 1936 (1935) starring Jack Oakie.
In spite of that tune taken out of WE'RE NOT fadeout.WE'RE NOT DRESSING can be categorized as the most tuneful of the Bing Crosby musicals, consisting as many as six songs heard before reaching the twenty minute mark.
Reminiscent to early sound musicals of the 1929-30 period, the film consists of a leading couple (Crosby and Lombard) supported by a secondary comical couple (Merman and Errol) taking part in songs while going into their comedic dance.
As an added attraction, there's the comedy team of the serious-minded Burns and daffy Allen as another secondary couple around to enlighten things with their now familiar comic exchanges having no bearing with the story.
In spite of this minor flaws, any film consisting of a live crooning and roller skating around the deck, is one crazy movie.Of the Crosby musicals of the early 1930s, WE'RE NOT DRESSING ranks one of the longer survivors on commercial television in the 1970s before shifting over to cable stations as American Movie Classics (1991-92), the Disney Channel (1990s) and Turner Classic Movies where it premiered August 17, 2006 during its all day tribute to Carole Lombard.
One of my favorite scenes is when Bing Crosby is singing "May I" to Carole Lomabard.
A young and quite pretty Ethel Merman and an older character actor named Leon Errol provide a good bit of the comedy.
I thought the best song was Crosby's 'Love thy Neighbor.' I think the film is a must for Lombard fans, Burns and Allen fans and fans of 30's screwball comedies.
The whole "pet bear" routine is quite weird, and adds nothing to the plot, as thin as it is.Granted, this is an early sound film, but when you consider some of the excellent RKO musicals of the period, with Astaire, this Paramount production leaves much to be desired.I've never been a Burns & Allen fan, so that whole routine is lost on me.
It is interesting to see Ray Milland in an early role.Certainly, the film is worth a look for its historical significance in studio history, but I cannot recommend it as an entertaining movie.
This 30's Paramount film starts out on board the "Doris", luxury yacht belonging to heiress Doris Worthington (Carole Lombard).
Along for the ride is her uncle Hubert (Leon Errol), Ray Milland and Jay Henry as two princes who stick together like glue and both want to marry Doris, and friend Edith (Ethel Merman) who says she'll take the prince Doris turns down.
Bing Crosby plays singing sailor Stephen Jones who Doris has named caretaker of her pet bear.
Now the tides of inequality are turned and it's Stephen with his knowledge of survival skills - and common sense skills like cooking - that give him the upper hand over his five aristocratic companions when they all find themselves shipwrecked on a deserted island.This is when Bing was in the light and breezy musical comedy part of his film career, and the public ate this amusing escapist stuff up.
Besides Bing's singing, Carole Lombard is beginning to hit her stride as a great comedienne, Ethel Merman sings a little but is mainly part of the comedy, and a very young Ray Milland manages to get upstaged by a wrestling bear.So that the "stranded on a desert island" theme doesn't get tired, George Burns and Gracie Allen are on the island too playing two naturalists in search of wild beasts that can be studied with an amusing bit where Gracie shows George the wild animal trap she's invented.Recommended as great light musical comedy fare from the 30's that, although it is technically precode, could have easily gotten past the censors had it been released even a year later..
Ms. Lombard plays mostly straight to Bing Crosby, a bear who may be real or not depending on certain scenes, Ethel Merman, Leon Errol, a young Ray Milland, and George Burns & Gracie Allen.
Bing Crosby plays a sailor aboard the yacht of Doris Worthington, a wealthy heiress played by the legendary Carole Lombard.
The best is yet to come when they are stranded on an uninhabited island with George Burns and Gracie Allen.
Star Bing Crosby (who plays a sailor) sings a lot.
Comics George Burns, Gracie Allen, Ethel Merman and Leon Errol get to do some slightly funny stuff.
The high point of the film is a great pre-code bit where sexy Carole Lombard changes behind a big rock.
Carole Lombard is being pursued by Ray Milland and Jay Henry, but sailor Bing Crosby catches her eye-and ear.
As it that isn't lofty and silly enough, Bing Crosby's biggest fan is a bear cub who throws a fit unless she's getting serenaded by a particular song.
I hadn't seen this strange hodgepodge of a film for about 40 years and finally caught up with it again on DVD.All of the ingredients and defects that irritated me the first time around were just as irritating the second - the pet bear (a "joke" that long outstays its welcome) Leon Errol's drunk act and the tedious Burns and Allen shtick that is frequently dropped into the film without any relationship to the story - while the good parts still pleased me, namely Carole Lombard's winsome beauty and charm, and the lovely songs by Gordoon and Revel, which are not always presented to their best advantage but are very catchy nonetheless.However, one thing I had not noticed 40 years ago on first viewing but which is worthy of mention, is that Mr Crosby sings "live" on set for most of the film and the orchestra is clearly on the soundstage, accompanying him and also most of the action.This must have been one of the very last musical films to be shot in this way, without playback and lip-synchronisation (only perfected in 1933), which would soon become the industry norm.So, this is a curio for that reason and also interesting in that we can more accurately assess Crosby's vocal skills and his way of performing and phrasing a song at this stage of his career - rather well, on this evidence.Poor Ethel Merman is totally wasted but I read elsewhere here that her big number was cut and re-used in the later BIG BROADCAST of 1936.
Her best film was yet to come - Alexander's RAGTIME BAND, where she lights up the screen every time she comes on to belt out another Irving Berlin hit.Back to this film - its one saving virtue is its length - a crisp 74 minutes, which means that no matter how tiresome the comedy becomes (and it does, believe me), it isn't too long to wait before Bing sings yet another lovely song.
'We're Not Dressing' had a lot going for it, the beautiful tones of Bing Crosby's voice, Ethel Merman's big brassy one, Carole Lombard who is pretty underrated today and died tragically far too early and Gracie Allen and George Burns have delighted in other films they were in.This may not be one of the best to come out of either of these talents but as a screwball comedy and as a musical it's thoroughly enjoyable and mostly works very well.
Bing Crosby is also occasionally a little stiff.On the other hand, 'We're Not Dressing' does look handsome and is charmingly photographed, not one of the most visually beautiful film musicals even but hardly a cheap-looking one either.
Lombard delights and charms effortlessly every time she appears, while Merman sends up a riotous storm in "A New Spanish Custom" and has interplay with Leon Errol coming close to the uproarious.Burns and particularly Allen are also scene-stealers.
Bing Crosby was 30 years old, and Carole Lombard was 25 when this film came out.
In this film, Crosby sings 10 songs that have a range of tempos and beats - and very good lyrics.
I like the acting and directing, and Crosby's nuances in this film where the camera catches him frequently looking out of the side of his eye at Lombard.
For instance, the pet bear, and the appearance of George Burns and Gracie Allen for some funny exchanges.
The musical numbers are all very good, and I like the acting and interplay between Crosby's and Lombard's characters.
I don't know where the title comes from, but "We're Not Dressing" is a fun and entertaining movie.In one place, Doris and Stephen refer to "The Admirable Crichton." That would have been the 1902 play by J.
Do Bing Crosby's mellow voice and Carole Lombard's terrific looks add up to a movie?
Throw in the popular comedy team of Burns and Allen, plus Leon Errol and Ethel Merman for extra laughs, not to mention a very young Ray Milland, badly miscast as a snooty prince.
Sounds like the type of picture, I would enjoy, but in fact I liked the "The End" sign about as well as any scene in We're Not Dressing.Bing croons about as well as ever, and Carole looks as good in her languid way as ever.
The only thing that could have saved it would have been bringing in Bob Hope as Bing's rival for the affections of the beautiful Ms. Lombard -- but then that partnership was way down the Road (pun intended).The genuinely funny banter between Leon Errol and Ethel Merman almost saves the picture.
Nor did anything else so satisfying happen in this trifle of a movie.Fast-forward the DVD between the musical numbers, and you may get an entertaining twenty minutes out of We're Not Dressing..
One vote for Carole Lombard, one vote for Ethel Merman and one vote for the art-deco yacht.
Too much of Bing singing, too much Burns and Allen, and definitely not enough of Carole Lombard, who was much better than this light, fluffy little romp of a film.
It starts off well enough, with an adorable Bing Crosby serenading a more-than-lovely Carole Lombard, lowly deck hand and refined socialite.
After an awkward moment with a bear (that has no other standing in the plot other than to create more situations for Bing to sing), Lombard scolds the sailor by slapping him.
We all know it must end in love, and it does; but only after a few scuffles and a couple more numbers sung.As we go through out the picture, Crosby sings his chords out; arguably the best of which being "May I," sung (on deck) to Lombard as she tries to pretend she is not interested in the young sailor.
Still, I don't know which is more annoying, the bear or the man dressed up as a bear; continuously throwing Bing on deck any time he doesn't sing another one of this movies memorable tunes, "Lovely Little Lady." Wait, I'll up it once more...
It may not be for everyone, but fans of Bing Crosby and early Paramount films will find themselves with appetites aptly satisfied..
"We're Not Dressing" has such a variety of stars that chances are each viewer will find something (or someone) to like: there's Bing Crosby for the ballads, Carole Lombard for the romantic comedy, Ethel Merman & Leon Errol for the crazy comedy, George Burns & Gracie Allen for the REALLY crazy comedy, and even a young Ray Milland for the trivia value!
Personally I found the number of songs from the undeniably gifted Crosby excessive, and the "love story" between him and Lombard less than endearing.
But Merman and Errol's "A new Spanish custom" is joyful, and Gracie Allen earns at least a couple of hearty laughs (her closing scene might be her best).
The film begins aboard a yacht with Bing Crosby as a crooning sailor, a dancing and rollerskating bear, Leon Erol on hand for comic relief, a young Ethel Merman, two money-hungry suitors (one of which is a young and really bland Ray Milland) and a spoiled rich lady (Lombard).
Two years before disguising himself as a sailor in the movie version of Cole Porter's "Anything Goes", Bing Crosby played a sailor employed by Carole Lombard on her yacht who yearns to tame the shrew as much as she yearns to be tamed by him.
Ethel Merman may not have ended up on a deserted island as Reno Sweeney, but she does here, stealing the musical sequences with a comical dance number called "It's an Old Spanish Custom", sung to her dipsomaniac fiancée, the much older Leon Errol.The best gags come from Burns and Allen as a scientist and his dimwit wife exploring the island for flora and fauna. |
tt2896416 | The Great Seer | The Great Seer begins during the reign of King Gongmin (Ryu Tae-joon). But despite being about seers, geomancers, divinators and the like, this drama is less about the fantasy and more about the political movers and shakers — people who had the power to advise, and therefore control, kings. Yi Seong-gye (Ji Jin-hee) is the general who led the overthrow of Goryeo and established the Joseon Dynasty, becoming its first king.
Mok Ji-sang (Ji Sung) is a gifted seer/geomancer, born with the ability to see into people’s pasts and futures. There are those who believe falsely that he has dark supernatural powers, thinking him possessed by ghosts. When he comes of age in the late Goryeo era, he becomes a scholar of divination, and a reader of geography, faces, and the like to tell fortunes — an area with much influence at the time. He eventually becomes a "king-maker," who holds the key to a major political shift in the overthrow of Goryeo and the rise of Joseon when he backs General Yi and effectively shapes the future of Korea as we know it.
Lee Jung-geun (Song Chang-eui) is General Yi's other advisor and Ji-sang's rival. Hae-in (Kim So-yeon) is a healer whose destiny is tied to General Yi, but she falls in love with the seer. Ban-ya (Lee Yoon-ji) is a woman who was sold off as a gisaeng at a young age, but becomes a concubine to King Gongmin's advisor, and bears a son. King Gongmin takes in that son as his, and the boy becomes Woo of Goryeo (Lee Min-ho) — the king that General Yi dethrones in a coup d'état. | murder | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0038747 | Monsieur Beaucaire | Act I
The setting is Bath in the early 18th Century. Beaucaire is posing as a barber employed by the French Ambassador. He is actually the Duc d'Orleans, the son of the King of France, a fact only known to his valet and his friend, Molyneux. Beaucaire is in love with Lady Mary Carlisle, who is herself courted by the Duke of Winterset. Beaucaire hosts a card game, where a number of gentlemen lose most of their money to him. In the second round, Beaucaire plays Winterset for high stakes. At the climax of the hand, Beaucaire exposes Winterset as a cheat. Winterset threatens to kill his opponent, but Beaucaire reveals that they are observed by his servants and the noble Molyneux. As the price of Beaucaire's silence, Winterset takes him to Lady Rellerton's ball to introduce him to Lady Mary.
Molyneux is in love with Lady Mary's cousin Lucy and courts her at the ball. Beaucaire charms the company, and Lady Mary asks to be left alone with him. He begs the rose in her hair. She says that he must earn it by escorting the aged Countess of Greenbury to supper. To obtain revenge, Winterset persuades Captain Badger, a famous swordsman, to quarrel with Beaucaire, who challenges him to a duel. They fight on the terrace and, to everyone's surprise, Beaucaire is the victor. He takes the old Countess into supper and receives his rose from Lady Mary.
Act II
At a 'Pastoral Fete' at Mr Bantison's house outside Bath, Lady Mary is still smitten with Beaucaire, although she has many suitors. Lucy finally gets Molyneux alone, to get him to promise to be hers alone for the evening, when he is summoned away by Beaucaire. Lucy accuses him of going to another woman but he denies it in a romantic song. But the summons is a trick of Winterset. Once Molyneux has gone, he denounces Beaucaire as the barber. One by one all of the suitors attack Beaucaire, and are all wounded. An assault by the massed servants of his opponents threatens to defeat Beaucaire, when Francois and his fellow servants join in the battle and repulse the attackers. Lady Mary, believing herself deceived, storms off. Beaucaire is seriously wounded.
Act III
A week later, it has been announced that the French Ambassador will attend the pump room that evening, and guards have been placed to prevent Beaucaire from attending. His previously defeated opponents sing of how they bear 'The Honours of War'. Molyneux is still having trouble with Lucy but manages to convince her to arrange a secret meeting between Mary and Beaucaire. Beaucaire explains the situation to her, and asks if the identity of a lover truly matters? Lady Mary agrees. Winterset and his followers enter, followed by the Ambassador. Everyone is amazed when the Ambassador enters and kneels to the presumed barber, hailing him 'A Son of France'. The King of France is dead, and, out of danger, Beaucaire reveals himself as the Duke of Orleans and announces that Mary will be his future Duchess, to everyone's delight. | action, satire | train | wikipedia | A Good Bob Hope Comedy.
This film was done when Hope was at or near the peak of both his film popularity and his comic abilities.
Based on a Booth Tarkington novella, which had served Rudolph Valentino with mixed results in 1924 (he acted well, but the part labeled him as gay with certain male critics), the story is how Hope is the barber at Versailles to King Louis XV (Reginald Owen), gets into serious hot water with the King and Queen (Constance Collier) and is forced to flee the palace disguised as the Duc de Chandre (Patrick Knowles).
Owen has sent Knowles to Spain to get rid of him (he's a rival for Madame de Pompadour - Hillary Brooke), and to have him marry the daughter of the King of Spain (Marjorie Reynolds, who is daughter to Howard Freeman).
But Knowles is a target for an assassination by minions of the head of the Spanish Army (Don Francisco - Joseph Schildkraut).
So Knowles and his associate (Cecil Kellaway) let Hope masquerade as Knowles.
Knowles, in the meantime, is looking for the delightful looking woman he met on the way to Spain - he does not realize it is Reynolds.
And Hope keeps crossing paths with his old girlfriend, Mimi (Joan Caulfield), who is furious at him for getting her banished from France accidentally.In 1946 Hope was between 44 and 42 years old, so physically he still looked reasonably presentable as a man (when properly made up with make-up) who is in his 30s.
Compare this film to it's Technicolor counterpart in the middle 1950s, CASANOVA'S BIG NIGHT.
In that film the plot is very similar, but the middle aged man, with the middle aged spread is not believable as even a comic substitute for the great lover.
He is just plausible in BEAUCAIRE.
He also demonstrates his timing is sharper, and he even demonstrates (possibly accidentally, but one wonders) a gift for mimicry.
At one point he is speaking when behind a mask as though he is Owen, and he momentarily does capture something of the speech pattern and bluster of the English actor.As pure escapism the film is more than adequate.
Schildkraut is a type of Spanish Napoleon, wanting to overthrow the royal family in a war between Spain and France.
Hence the need for the royal marriage that involves Knowles and Reynolds.
But the military in Spain in the 18th Century produced no such figure as Don Fernando (it is hard to believe the screen writers Norman Panama and Melvin Frank were thinking of a later adventurer and court favorite Count Godoy).
Owen is quite good at being Louis (he had played the role a decade earlier in the George Arliss film VOLTAIRE).
The year is never giver - actually it is quite vague, but 1765 seems the most probable year: At one point Collier and Owen are reminiscing about their wedding.
Queen Marie (the daughter of the King of Poland) married Louis in 1725, and Owen mentions they've been married 40 years).
The Queen died in 1768, and Louis died in 1774.
The problem is that the Spanish King is Philip II in the cast.
King Philip II of Spain ruled from 1555 - 1598.
The King of Spain in 1765 was Carlos III (notable for a number of reforms, and being reluctantly drawn into policies by the French).
You see, the Bourbon Family had begun ruling Spain in 1714, at the end of the War of the Spanish Succession, when King Louis XIV's second oldest son became King Philip V of Spain (the Philip they screenwriters were probably thinking of).
But the so-called "Family Compact" united the foreign policies of Spain and France for most of the 18th Century.
So the threat of a war between the two countries never really existed in history at this time.There are many nice touches in the film: Hope's attempt at suicide (with an unknotted hangman's noose) that is almost pushed to completion by his friend Leonid Kinski; Hope's mimicry of Owen (mentioned above); the climactic duel between Hope and Schildkraut, in which both men get entangled with a harp and a cello.
Caulfield and Knowles both get a chance to sing.
And Hope even (with Schildkraut's assistance) gets a passing shot (literally) at his rival/friend from the "Road" Pictures.
It remains an entertaining spoof, and one of Hope's best comedies..
France And Spain In a Hopeless Situation.
Some current film fans with a perfunctory knowledge of cinema stars of the past will be shocked to learn that Rudolph Valentino and Bob Hope played the same title role in two different versions of Booth Tarkington's Monsieur Beaucaire.
Of course you can believe there's a vast difference in the version.The Valentino version is a straight dramatic part about a Parisian barber in the court of Louis XV pretending to be a nobleman.
Rudy was at his most romantic in the role and it was one of his biggest hits in the Twenties.Bob Hope's Monsieur Beaucaire finds Bob as a barber at Versailles in the court of Louis XV and worried about the romantic intentions of his sweetheart, scullery maid Joan Caulfield.
Cole Porter wrote it best that Caulfield is true to Hope in her fashion, but she's an ambitious girl who knows what it takes to get ahead in the court.
She aspires to be Madame Pompadour who is played here by Hillary Brooke.Due to a set of circumstances way too complex to write about, Hope and Caulfield both get themselves banished, mainly because of Hope's fantasies and both get themselves involved in the politics between France and Spain where a royal marriage is being arranged to the dismay of both participants, Marjorie Reynolds for the Spanish and Patric Knowles for the French.Playing the puppet-master in all the intrigue is Joseph Schildkraut who shows a real flair for comedy.
His final duel with Hope ranks right up there with one Hope engaged in with Basil Rathbone in Cassanova's Big Night.
Rounding out a wonderful cast of supporting players are Howard Freeman as the King of Spain and Reginald Owen and Constance Collier as the King and Queen of France.
You don't doubt why Louis has Madame Pompadour around when you take one look at the Queen.
By the way Joseph Schildkraut comes to one of the most satisfying ends a villain ever got in film.
You'll have to see Monsieur Beaucaire and laugh all the way through to see what happens..
Very funny, albeit the plot has scant resemblance to the original..
A "costume comedy" of the sort occasionally essayed by Bob Hope, this "version" of the Booth Tarkington novel is meant as a pastiche of the 1924 Rudolph Valentino film, but the one-liner master extraordinaire and his favourite scriptors, Melvin Frank and Norman Panama, can not resist going their own way, and a comically winning tangent it is.
Splendidly directed by George Marshall, with top-flight cinematography and editing by Lionel Lindon and Arthur Schmidt, respectively, the action unfolds in the royal courts of 18th century France and Spain, nations on the verge of war.
As the barber for King Louis XV (Reginald Owen), Beaucaire (Hope) finds himself in a situation where he must impersonate a nobleman, the Duc Le Chandre, or lose his head, whereas in the Tarkington original his impersonation is clearly of his own choosing.
Meantime, in Madrid, conniving Don Francisco, commander-in-chief of the Spanish army, desires to prevent the upcoming marriage of the actual Le Chandre (Patric Knowles) with Spanish Princess Maria (Margaret Lindsay), by assassination if necessary, in order to destabilize the crown, leading to armed hostilities between the neighbouring countries and an opportunity for him to organize a coup.
The false Duke, Beaucaire, becomes the prospective victim of this homicidal chicanery and we view him at his wedding ceremony where desperate measures must be taken to avoid being captured and then killed in quick succession.
Hope's gags are beyond counting, some of them quite funny and all featuring his perfect timing, and a scene at the Spanish court that satirizes the use of the lorgnette by the nobility is classic, while there is pulchritude galore with three excellent actresses: Joan Caulfield as Beaucaire's true love Mimi, Hillary Brooke as Mme. Pompadour, and the lovely Lindsay, given her first role since Paramount picked up her contract.
Also to be commended for their sharp performances in this fast-moving frolic are the swashbuckling Knowles, Schildkraut, Owen, Cecil Kellaway and Constance Collier, while Hope is supported for the first time by songs from Ray Evans and Jay Livingston, contributors to 11 subsequent films by the comedian, whose work here was Woody Allen's inspiration for the latter's LOVE AND DEATH..
Bob Hope At His Best.
Bob Hope had a great talent for making mediocre lines sound funny.
Here the lines he delivers are actually as hilarious as his delivery.He actually does some quite decent acting in this one.
The character of the barber Beaucaire is more romantic and less cynical than the comedian Hope.Hope has surrounded himself with some of the most talented people in Hollywood.
Cinematographer Lionel Lindon was nominated three times for an Oscar and won once with "Around the World in 80 Days." Film Editor Arthur P.
Schmidt was nominated twice (for "Sayonara" and "Sunset Blvd.") Composer Robert Dolan was nominated 8 times between 1942 and 1947.
Sadly, he never won.
He should have been nominated for this movie, but he was already nominated for "Blue Skys" in 1946.
Art Director, Hans Dreier, was nominated 20 times and won 4 Oscars.
He should have been nominated for this movie, but he already had two other nominations in 1946.
Set Decorator, Sam Comer was nominated 22 times and also won 4 Oscars.
Male Costume Designer Giles Steele got 4 nominations and won twice.
who did the exquisite gowns in this film, was never nominated, but she should have won an Oscar for the fantastic four foot wide hooped skirts the women wear.Hope was never nominated for an Oscar, but this is the one movie where I think his performance merited consideration.Joan Caulfield, in only her second film, is dazzling.
As Mimi, Beaucaire's love interest, she is hilarious and has excellent chemistry with Hope.
The same year, she played the love interest of both Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby in "Blue Skys".
Everybody else in the cast is just delightful.The funniest scene is when Beaucaire meets the King of Spain.
Beaucaire is pretending to be an aristocrat.
He is told to act "distainful" When they meet, Beaucaire and the King just glare at each other through lorngettes (opera glasses).Second funniest is when Beaucaire gets exposed as a barber and slapped.
The king tells him to slap the fellow back.
"Everybody is entitled to his opinion," answers Hope meekly, "Why if I had a sword..." A lackey offers his sword to Hope, who quickly pushes him away, saying, "Mind your own business." If you're in the mood for a wonderful and sweet old romantic comedy, put across by some of the most talented people in the golden age of Hollywood, don't miss it..
Hope and cast love those costumes.
Bob Hope traipses up the palace gallery to be presented to the king—he is posing as a duke.
Using a lorgnette, he can't see where he's going, and he gradually veers off to one side and stumbles into a lady kneeling on the floor and tumbles over her, knocking down about three other people
.It's a ridiculously funny sequence.Hope is Beaucaire, a court barber in costume-era France.
He gets mixed up in court politics and intrigue; poses as the Duc le Chandre, renowned lover and duelist; and chases after his girlfriend Mimi—who may or may not reciprocate his romantic feelings but certainly has adventures of her own.
The entire cast is lively and beautiful in this very funny picture.
Joan Caulfield as Mimi is bright, charming and silly; Marjorie Reynolds as a Spanish princess is lovely.
Patric Knowles is dashing enough as the notorious duke—he is the perfect choice (King Louis thinks) to be shipped off to marry said Spanish princess, not only for political reasons but because all the "young bloods" in Paris will be happy to be rid of him.
Cecil Kellaway is the harried count whose difficult duty it is to transport the reluctant duke to the arranged wedding site.
Reginald Owen is hilariously un-regal as King Louis, and owns every scene he is in.
Other highlights include a goofy palace swordfight between Hope and villain Joseph Schildkraut that involves a harp, a bass fiddle, and a harpsichord.
Funny and fast-paced
.A couple of decent songs and the usual assortment of Hope one-liners add up to a very enjoyable picture..
an okay bob hope caper....
In this one, Bob Hope is Beaucaire, the French barber to the king.
Beaucaire is in love with the maid Mimi, played by Joan Caulfield.
Mimi has bigger ambitions, and gives him the brush off.
Part of the joke here is that Hope disparages the king, the queen, and the royalty in general quite openly, when in real life, he would quickly be punished for it.
Fun scene near the beginning where Beaucaire helps to hide Madam Pompadour, while pretending to give the Duke a shave.
I was never a fan of period pieces, and if this weren't a Hope project, I probably would have turned it off.
Mimi is sent off to Spain, and the real Duke, and Beaucaire, dressed as the Duke, end up there as well.
Cecil Kellaway, Reginald Owen, and Constance Collier for supporting cast.
The musical numbers were completely un-necessary, and should have been eliminated.
It's a grand adventure, with more meat on the bones that most of Hope's quick little comedies.
The sword fight at the end goes on way too long.
Not Hope's best.
Directed by George Marshall.
They had worked together on numerous films..
"Oh, they're working on that!".
Foppish skewering of the Booth Tarkington novel, previously filmed with Rudolph Valentino in 1924, casts Bob Hope (in dryly engaging form) as a barber in the French Court of King Louis XV who inadvertently gets his chambermaid-sweetheart banished to Spain; he follows her there while impersonating the Duc de Chandre, a notorious ladies' man who is to be married in an act of patriotism to the Princess of Spain.
Seems lengthy at 93 minutes, with a few peaks and valleys in the plotting, and yet it's relaxed and pleasant enough to be palatable to even non-Hope buffs.
Still, ace screenwriters Melvin Frank and Norman Panama don't know when to quit, and even the funny tag at the end is ultimately spoiled by unnecessary silliness.
A couple of nice songs by Ray Evans and Jay Livingston, a good production, and a funny duel (with Hope's ski-slope nose getting caught in the harp strings) make for a fitfully amusing time.
An agreeable little film but not a lot of laughs..
Bob Hope movies of the 1930s and 40s are all very pleasant entertainment, though for comedies the laughs are usually not as obvious or often as you might find in many comedies of the era.
This isn't necessarily a bad thing, as the films are a bit more plot-driven than many comedies and in general these films have held up much better than his later films (particularly those from the 1960s).
However, I noticed one reviewer gave this one a 10 and suggested Hope should have received Oscar consideration for this film....yeah, right.
They're not THAT good!
The film finds Bob playing a barber in the latter portion of Louis XV's reign (about 1770 more or less).
Naturally Bob is a bit of a screw up and gets in trouble.
But, there is a way out--he has to agree to pose as the Duke--a man who is to marry the Spanish princess and solidify an alliance between the countries.
But, no one realizes that a crazy Spanish general (Joseph Schildkraut) has plans to kill the Duke, as he WANTS the countries at war with each other!
So, it's up to the cowardly Hope to try to save his butt and, hopefully, find love.
As for the Duke (Patric Knowles), he's fallen in love with a woman and doesn't really want to marry a princess he's never met.
Can it all work out in the end and everyone live happily ever after?
The movie is relatively low on laughs--particularly the climactic sword-fighting scene (it's rather lame).
But, Hope is an agreeable personality in the film and that makes up for the problems...which would include the3 fact that NONE of the French or Spanish people looked or talked like they came from these countries.
Heck, Schildkraut was Austrian and sounded NOTHING like a Spaniard!
And Hope seemed about as French as Nelson Mandella!
Still, a nice and agreeable little film.By the way, the original "Monsieur Beaucaire" was a silent film starring Rudolph Valentino and was not a comedy.
Also, although this is only of interest to history teachers, the film talked about the guillotine several times, though it was not used for the first time until about 1791--during the French Revolution..
One Of Hope's Better Outings.
Loosely based on the Booth Tarkington novel, the story is about how the King of Spain offers his daughter's hand in marriage to a noble in the King of France's court, and the French king accepts.
Problem: a general in Spain hopes to sabotage this marriage and usurp the Spanish throne.Hope is a bumbling royal barber who pursues an uninterested royal scullery maid, and his bumbling eventually gets both into serious trouble.
The French noble who is due to go to Spain and marry the princess, however, rescues the barber with the idea of counteracting the plot against him, and the barber bumbles his way through that.Hope makes his wisecracks and does physical comedy without being too silly.
Costumes and settings are exquisite, though the sword fighting scenes are disappointing.
Still very funny entertainment. |
tt0061810 | In Like Flint | After observing the launch of a new space platform, Z.O.W.I.E. (Zonal Organisation World Intelligence Espionage) Chief Lloyd C. Cramden joins President Trent (Andrew Duggan) for a game of golf. While on the links they are interrupted by a small group, two women disguised as boys and an actor disguised as an old man, all from the Fabulous Face organization. Discreetly substituting the presidential golf ball with a small gas bomb they succeed in temporarily immobilizing the presidential party and replacing the president with the now-undisguised actor, who has been surgically altered to look exactly like him. The Fabulous Face organization has conceived a plot to gain control of the world and run it entirely by a group of women led by Elisabeth (Anna Lee); Cramden has more-or-less inadvertently stumbled upon this world-domination plot. The women want to establish a matriarchy, and the first step in their plan is to gain control of a US space facility in the Virgin Islands. Elisabeth has established the spa there as a cover. The women establish their headquarters near the rocket base to brainwash their male-oriented sisters by planting tape recorders in their hair dryers.
Puzzled by an apparent three-minute time discrepancy - revealed by a perusal of a stopwatch that was active during the switch - Cramden visits former agent Derek Flint at his New York City home. Greeted by Flints' three female live-in companions in the living room of Flint's spacious Manhattan apartment, Cramden is informed that Flint is experimenting with the creation a dolphin language dictionary. Flint tells Cramden these undersea mammals are intelligent creatures and that they use sounds or sonics to communicate, a notion that had been only relatively recently reinforced by scientific experimentation at the time the film was produced. Flint then shows Cramden a sonic device of his own invention that is integrated into a cigarette lighter (and that, amongst many other uses mentioned - 82 are claimed for the gadget - is later revealed to service as a belt buckle), first moving and then shattering a white cue ball on the pool table. Cramden requests that Flint investigate the "lost" three minutes recorded by the stopwatch. Flint agrees to take up the matter after his return from a survival exercise in the Mojave Desert. During their meeting, Lisa Norton (Jean Hale), an operative of Fabulous Face, is meeting with Flint's three live-in girl friends, where she tricks the girls into accepting a free visit to the Fabulous Face Spa in the Virgin Islands. That evening Cramden encounters Norton, whom Fabulous Face has re-tasked to deal with his unexpected interference with their plans, at an Italian restaurant. Disguised as a southern schoolteacher visiting the city, she drugs him using cigarettes treated with a soporific substance and stages a compromising scene with a prostitute at a hotel; the scene is then photographed and published under the auspices of General Carter (Steve Ihnat), who is working with Fabulous Face. With Cramden framed as a libertine, the "imposter" President publicly suspends the disgraced spy chief from active duty.
Recalled from his exercise, Derek Flint hypnotizes Cramden with his watch, which incorporates lights specifically designed for such a purpose, and learns the details of the encounter with Lisa. Tests of trimmings from Cramden's mustache (secured through the use of the ubiquitous, multi-talented cigarette lighter) reveal traces of "euphoric acid", a drug that when mixed with alcohol leaves the subject mildly sedated and aroused. Investigating further, Flint breaks into Z.O.W.I.E. headquarters and discovers that the two astronauts on the recently launched space platform are, in fact, Russian female cosmonauts. Flint is interrupted by General Carter and a force of turncoat guards who, after a struggle, believe they have killed Flint when he apparently falls into a document incinerator.
Having actually escaped his supposed demise, Flint travels to the Soviet Union to investigate the cosmonaut connection. Dancing in the Bolshoi ballet, he makes contact with ballerina Natasha, unaware that she is a Fabulous Face operative until she attempts to drug him with soporific cigarettes, as Lisa Norton had done to Lloyd Cramden in New York. Flint manages to foil Natasha's designs, but his subsequent interrogation of her is interrupted by the KGB, who arrive at her apartment intending to bring Flint to the Soviet Premier. Flint escapes their clutches and leads the KGB agents in a chase across the roof, tricking one agent to looking over the ledge by imitating a pigeon (making cooing noises), then reaching up from his precarious perch beneath the building's eaves and pulling the man to his death. Flint, hopping atop roof again, evades the other agent and manages to propel a grappling hook, shot from his multi-purposed cigarette lighter, onto another nearby roof and, walking along the line he's secured at his end, crosses over and escapes into a lower vent hatch. Flint next sneaks into the Kremlin, where he overhears the Premier bluffing the (fake) U.S. President; conversational clues point Flint to the Fabulous Face spa in the Virgin Islands.
Cramden has also traveled to the Fabulous Face Spa to investigate further but he is captured and imprisoned with the real President. The Fabulous Face staff, in anticipation of Flint coming to the spa, have imprisoned his girl friends in cryogenic freezing chambers. Flint boards an Aeroflot flight for Cuba disguised as a bearded Cuban Revolutionary. An amusing scene ensues on the Russian airliner which pokes tongue-in-cheek fun at the idea of how an airline would be run in the Caribbean "socialist paradise". Distracting the other passengers, he ties up the pilots, parachutes out over the Virgin Islands, and swims to the Fabulous Face complex. There he is intercepted by Lisa Norton, who brings him before the Fabulous Face leadership, a group of female business executives who explain their plan to brainwash women (through the use of subliminal messages transmitted by salon hairdryers, as revealed in the film's opening scenes) into overthrowing the male-dominated political order. As Flint attempts to talk the women out of their plan, he is interrupted by General Carter, who is dissatisfied with his subordinate role in the women's plot and plans to take power himself with the aid of the fake president. After a fight, Flint is captured by Carter's men and placed, along with Cramden, the captive U. S. President, and the Fabulous Face leadership with their lead staff, into cryogenic suspension. Derek Flint escapes his freezing chamber, where he has been imprisoned with the lovely Miss Norton, with the sonic wave amplifier device he demonstrated to Cramden in his New York apartment. Subsequently, Flint decides to join sides with the women in stopping Carter's plan to atomically arm the space station. Flint, Cramden, the real President Trent, and the women of Fabulous Face travel to the nearby base where the launch is scheduled to take place. Once they arrive, the women execute "Operation Smooch", using their beauty and sexual allure to distract, seduce, and subdue the male guards. After the women thereby succeed in taking over the control room, Carter (who is on board the rocket) threatens to activate the atomic warheads under his control unless he is allowed to proceed with the launch. Flint manages to board the capsule just before it takes off; once in orbit he and Carter fight in zero gravity, causing the spacecraft to tumble. After overpowering Carter, Flint escapes the capsule, which is then destroyed with a nuclear missile launched from the surface. Using his wave amplifier, Flint floats to the nearby space platform, where he enjoys the hospitality of the female cosmonauts there while awaiting return to Earth. | brainwashing | train | wikipedia | It's filled with silly stuff like exploding golf balls, brainwashing via hairdryers, Flint talking fluent dolphin and Lee J.
"In Like Flint" is a sequel to the spy parody film "Our Man Flint" starring James Coburn.
To achieve and establish it, they kidnap and replace the U.S. President, discredit the Head of the Z.O.W.I.E. intelligence agency, and commandeer a nuclear-armed space platform, all directed from Fabulous Face, a women's spa in the Virgin Islands.
Cramden", Flint's ex-boss.Like all parodies, it's not fair to compare it to the original genre and you have to expect it to be at least somewhat silly - especially in this film the plot of feminists trying to take over the world.
The last reviewer who gave it a low score obviously totally missed t.he point it's a parody It's a fun movie that moves along at a fast & Coburn is great in the James Bond spoof role.
If you ever wondered about how the film series like Austin Powers came to be inspired, James Coburn does a memorable performance as Flint, original man of mystery in this film.
The plot includes the world being overthrown and manipulated by smart beautiful seductive women on a Caribbean Island where their leader is played by Anna Lee (General Hospital's beloved Lila Quartermaine).
Derek Flint's second outing falls juuuuuust a bit shy of recapturing the fun-filled spirit of this short-lived series' first film, 1965's "OUR MAN FLINT".Being more in the style of the "BATMAN" TV series (which 20th Century Fox produced at that time as well), this film accentuates more of the absolutely outlandish camp, as opposed to the more subtle (okay, not REAL subtle, but...) tongue-in-cheek, nudge-nudge, wink-wink of the original "Flint" film (at one point, the audience is invited to "follow the bouncing Russian Star" & sing along with the Russian National Anthem as our hero, disguised as Fidel Castro, hijacks a plane FROM Cuba TO the Virgin Islands to foil the villains' E-ville plot...
Sorry, but no one else but James Coburn can bring the character of Derek Flint to life.
Even so, it seems that Coburn's interest in the character had begun to wane a tad by this time; after all, 2 years had gone by since "OMF", the world's political view had begun to change radically, & the Summer of Love was in full swing, baby...
yeeeeaaaaaaahhhh!!"IN LIKE FLINT" still has some of the first film's charm, but quite a few of the plot points are VERY dated & insulting, especially when viewed in the cold light of today's often harsh, overly-PC environment.
In fact, most of the time, the general mentality -- even that of the suave & cool, ultra-hip, super-modern Derek Flint -- is downright primordial, even in light of, or despite, the '60s Women's Rights Movements.Even though it ain't great, it still ain't too bad, all things considered.
In this sequel to "Our Man Flint," a further parody of the James Bond films, the threat is again a weird organization which plans to rule the world.
Flint is again played by Coburn as a super-smooth genius who seems to play the secret agent as a side job, called away from his Hugh Hefner-style existence into spy activity when something really unusual rears its nasty head.
The film is a bit too long, having a padded feel at some points: Flint has an exciting running fight with the soldiers towards the end, but he's captured anyway, so the whole thing was just an excuse to show off his martial arts.
The outer space theme, reflecting the space race between the U.S. and the Soviets of that time, was also prevalent in that same year's Bonder "You Only Live Twice." Flint would return in another incarnation in a TV Movie in the seventies.
Most sequels don't come close to the wonderfulness of the original productions, but "In Like Flint" does.
It's sense of fun, spoof and action equals the original as super secret agent Derek Flint fights yet super-duper evil organization, this one run by America's richest and most powerful women, including the knockout blond Jean Hale; and veteran actress Anna Lee, who was John Wayne's squeeze in "Flying Tigers" in 1942.
Cobb is marvelous as Lloyd Cramden, head of our super-duper secret spy agency, Z.O.W.I.E.Jerry Goldsmith returns to handle the spyalicious score, chock full of hip tunes like "Your Z.O.W.I.E Face." Coburn is great and the two Flint films are just so darned fun!
It's your basic Cold War type movie with some women who want to rule the world (and *oh the humanity* are betrayed by the military man they put their trust in, played by a fiendish Steve Inhat) tossed in..
The colors are bit more wild, and true to this series, there're lots of nice looking women.The movie shows the belief that the western world had on science to better our world.
James Coburn was perfect fit as super agent Derek Flint.
There is hardly an action scene where he plays Flint like a fighting master ...
But Flint loses his fun when it became too much Austin Powers.Btw, the Powers movies would have been much better if they had been played as a homage to Flint/Bond.
He should probably have been hired to make more westerns and more high-tech thrillers; but in Derek Flint, zen-trained super-spy, in the two films he was allowed to complete in this series, he found his most famous and acclaimed role.
Cobb, which was in my opinion a superior satire but less successful The storyline in the second entry has to do with an offer to Flint's three female assistants to visit an Island run by an outfit's leaders calling their operation "Fabulous Face".
Derek Flint's girls are in danger and that leads his organization, Z.O.W.I.E., his boss Lloyd Cramden and Flint into the exotic blackmail-the-world plot involving female astronauts and nuclear Macgoffins.
But first there are the lethal tricks the ladies have thought up; Cramden loses ninety seconds on a golf course; Flint discovers hair driers are being used for brainwashing sessions; and the island resort Fabulous Face runs in the US Virgins turns out to be replete with pretty girls and pretty dangerous ideas.
The film is subtle in unexpected ways unlike its satirical predecessor which was less funny and more a direct comment on gimmick-heavy spy movies.
In the cast, James Coburn looks awkward at times but handles the super-spy cerebrations and courage aspects well.
Perhaps the Austin Powers movies also got somewhat based on the Flint movies and there are obviously some small references to it.This movie is a James Bond satire on its own right.
James Bond movies never really have been known for its strong feminist elements or strong female roles but in this movie it are the ladies who are trying to rule the world.
The movie also features lots of other typical James Bond element such as of course lots of spy-elements, females in bikinis, a womanizing main character and silly gadgets and this all combined with an unmistakable '60's atmosphere and typical style of film-making.
The '60's were perhaps not the best time period for film-making but it definitely was a colorful era, to say the least.It's a good written spy-comedy with some fine characters and actors that are portraying them.
It all helps to make the movie very amusing to watch.Quite amazing that actors such as James Coburn and Lee J.
"In Like Flint" (1967): So
Hollywood money moguls are sitting around trying to come up with another idea to compete with the VERY successful James Bond/007 fliks.
Coburn claimed that Fox wanted to get 'In Like Flint' into cinemas so badly, the script was of little concern.
After the first film, which closely imitated the James Bond franchise, it seems the creative minds behind Flint felt free to do their own thing.
The sequel involves an all-female terrorist group, a kidnapped President, an outer-space science lab, hypnotic cigarettes, and Derek Flint communicating with dolphins.Lee J.
Cobb is great as perplexed Z.O.W.I.E. chief Lloyd Cramden and James Coburn returns as eccentric secret agent Derek Flint.
If you've never seen the scenes where Colburn speaks dolphin, they alone are worth the time lost while watching this film.
"In Like Flint", the second and last Derek Flint movie, is arguably a bit better than its predecessor, but not better enough to compete with the Bond films of the same era (or with "Deadlier Than The Male", for that matter).
The production is once again colorful, with some truly beautiful shots and some neat gadgets (like a time-freezing device!); the plot is more elaborate and not fully revealed until the second half of the movie; and the sexism of "Our Man Flint" has been considerably toned down (Flint is "trying to cut down" his harem habit - he has 3 instead of 4 girls in it now!
James Coburn is once again very good in his fight scenes; the problem is that, just like in "Our Man Flint", those fight scenes make up about 90% of the total action.
I say `slightly inferior' because there are still some entertaining elements here (i.e., funny sight gags, competent music, terrific cinematography and locales); and, let's face OUR MAN FLINT isn't THAT great a movie (in retrospect).
Somewhere between James Bond and Austin Powers lies ZOWIE agent Derek Flint.
In "In Like Flint," the supersuave agent goes up against a cabal of women hellbent on world domination.
This is another spoof of James Bond, with all its gadgets, Flint's impossible skills, roguish attitude and his way with women.
This second installment in the Derek Flint spy spoofs is not as good as its prequel, being much looser than that, but like pizza, even when it's not as good as the legendary Pizza Malabon, it's still pretty good!.
The success of the James Bond films spurred on the various studios to make their own spy movies.
And then, they've got another enemy to contend with....one within their own.Having just seen two of the Matt Helm films only a couple nights ago, my seeing "In Like Flint" was perfect timing.
Yet again, just about the only reason for watching it is James Coburn's cool persona in the title role while the several reasons for not watching it include a literally hair-brained plan for women to take over the world by means of hairdressing/brainwashing appliances, Lee J Cobb hamming it up as Flint's boss and of course the decade long tradition of using scantily-clad women as eye-candy.
Perhaps like the camp classic 60's T.V. Series of "Batman", the aim was the same, namely to get the audience to laugh at, as much as with the characters, with all the actors in on the joke.I just don't think this was the best way for Hollywood to rip-off, sorry, take inspiration from the successful James Bond series, the over the top approach hardly helping the movie appeal to latter-day audiences.
Coburn gets one great accidentally prescient line "An actor...as president?" and otherwise stroll through the film in cool clothes.
The inane plot could be funny like Revenge of the Stepford Wives, but Gordon Douglas' direction and the special effects are on a par with TV's Gilligan's Island and Lost in Space respectively, and the ultimate effect is flat and dull and the same could be said for most of the cast including James Coburn whom I've liked before and since this film.
In And Out. It's ironic Derek Flint gets not one but two post-mortems in James Coburn's second and final turn as Twentieth Century Fox's goof on James Bond.
The first Flint film, "Our Man Flint," managed to develop the character quite well that way; it works as a comedy as long as there's some attempt at grounding it as a serious adventure.This time, goofiness takes over early.
"In Like Flint" pits Flint and Cramden against a female conspiracy that supplants the president with an actor and works toward a society where men no longer get much of a say.
This time, the enemy lair is well- designed, and the cinematography quite brilliant in places, especially when the movie moves to Jamaica, Bond's home territory.Cobb, a boon in the first film, really shines here, showcasing a warmer side in Cramden's relationship with Flint.
Watching Coburn have a rather steamy kissing scene with Yvonne Craig put me in an accepting mood, but too many U-turns make you feel the film isn't really playing fair.
It's a fun film, but there's nothing in "In Like Flint" to make you think he shouldn't have gotten out..
Semi-decent plot development in dated production (a film like this could only have been made in the late 60s or early 70s ) with complete lack of witty dialog, pathetic special effects (dig those space shuttle shots and that cheesy wrist-watch compliant gadget he uses in Z.O.W.I.E.'s headquarters to count the heartbeats of the cosmonauts in the space shuttle), several somewhat illogical scenes (read on), and an abundance of average looking women with the exception of the luscious Yvonne Craig.
The only witty dialog centers around Flint being irresistible to women and even that dialog is often times awkward and embarrassing.Flint is amazingly laconic in all the scenes outside of his penthouse and comes off like a COMPLETE dunce when face to face with the leaders of Fabulous Face.
James Coburn finally takes a seat and looks completely lost in the last minute of this scene.Flint visits Natasha to inquire of cosmonauts aboard the space shuttle and yet is shocked when he discovers she's involved.
Some older women that look like the head-honcho-err- ets, are observing a missile launch and talking about how things are going according to plan
although nothing has been actually said that could give you even a hint about the plot and that is something that I hate in movies, because there is a big difference between throwing in a couple of stuff to make people interested and anxious to understand what's going on and simply not giving anything at all!
But, OK, not all movies have Hitchcock-like intro's
so I forget this "little" mistake and carry on with watching the film since I am sure that things will start becoming better as we move on
right?After a couple of scenes, we get to meet our protagonist, the spy-man himself, Flint.
In Like Flint is a boring and plot-less spy film and a worthless attempt at a funny movie.
I wonder why Austin Powers likes it so much
FINAL VERDICT: Can't even tell if this was supposed to be funny (3/10)Also Check: Austin Powers (1997) – Our Man Flint (1966) – Top Secret (1984).
Derek Flint (James Coburn) agrees to take the case.
Cramden is tricked into a scandal by operative Lisa Norton (Jean Hale) and the fake President sidelines him.James Coburn continues not to be funny.
Sequel to 1966's "Our Man Flint" has James Coburn returning to role as agent Derek Flint, here thwarting secret society of beautiful women plotting world domination.
The production is classy, Coburn's Flint is wiry and smart, but the film just doesn't have the exciting pacing of a James Bond addition--nor does it have the humor.
The character made a return in the 1976 TV movie "Our Man Flint: Dead on Target".
To a 13 or 14 year old seeing a bunch of women in two piece swimsuits was pretty exciting and super spy Derek Flint was cool.
This time hip, clever, and dashing freelance spy and playboy extraordinaire Derek Flint (James Coburn in splendidly wry and laid-back assured form) must thwart a dastardly plot by a gang of lovely, yet formidable ladies who have developed a method of brainwashing so they can put arrogant and domineering men in their place and thus take over the planet.
Moreover, this movie in some ways was uncannily ahead of its time: The cabal of angry women Flint opposes neatly foretells the 70's feminist movement while the premise of an actor as President offers a frighteningly accurate prediction of Reagan getting elected into office as Chief Executive a mere decade or so down the line.
With 'Our Man Flint' ( 1966 ), it seemed as though Twentieth Century Fox had themselves a spy franchise to potentially rival that of James Bond.
A group of beautiful and powerful women - headed by 'Miss Elisabeth' ( Anna Lee ) - watch through telescopes as America puts the world's first space platform into orbit.
Derek Flint reappears with four more lovelies on another mission to save the world.Again, the strong point of this film is the interchange between James Coburn and Lee J Cobb.
Again it's more realistic than it first appears - especially since I myself have said to someone about a book: "no, I haven't read it: I wrote it!" Other features to watch out for are Coburn talking to dolphins, suddenly appearing in Castro garb on a Cuban plane and the delectable Yvonne Craig as the ballerina.Obviously, the sequel squeezes the last drops of humour out of Lee J Cobb's reaction to Flint's universal talents.
But it's by far my fave 60s flick (surpassing Our Man Flint--at least in hot girls; too bad "women--make that people--of color" were excluded) and credits were minimal (blacklisting fear remains today; on-film credits: always elusive).
114 minutes.SYNOPSIS: Derek Flint (James Coburn) is back in some adventures more exciting than those he went through in "Our Man Flint".
Only the semi-retired secret agent named "Derek Flint" (James Coburn) can stop them.
Anyway, rather than reveal the entire plot and spoil the film for those who haven't see it, I will just say that this is a pretty good sequel to "Our Man Flint" produced a year earlier.
Good performances are turned in by James Coburn, Lee J.
I swear, at times Jean Hale and her clones (not actually clones in the film) either look like dolls or animated corpses.
Oh yeah, Coburn's Flint is great
but he runs like a girl!. |
tt0128232 | Ghostkeeper | Jenny, Marty, and Chrissy are spending their New Year's Eve on a snowmobiling trip in the Rocky Mountains. After talking with a storekeeper at a ski shop, the three decide to go riding before dark, but end up caught in a blizzard. Looming before them is a seemingly abandoned hotel at the top of the snow trail, isolated from tourists and miles away from the skiing area. The three enter the building to escape the increasingly harsh conditions, and find that the heat is on, but there are no lights. As night falls, they start a fire and tell stories and reminisce. Marty decides to go into the hotel kitchen where he finds an old woman lurking. She is brash and apprehensive of their presence, and they learn that she lives in the hotel with two unseen sons.
Though hesitant, the woman lodges them in rooms. Marty and Jenny argue in their bedroom, while Chrissy goes down the hallway to take a bath since the plumbing in the rooms is obsolete. While in the bathtub, Chrissy is attacked by one of the sons named Danny and held underwater. A restless Jenny goes to check on Chrissy, but the candle-lit bathroom is empty; Jenny then runs into the old woman and have a conversation about the hotel and hers sons. Meanwhile, Danny carries Chrissy to the basement of the hotel, where he slits her throat and then stores her body in a freezer. Jenny awakens in the night and hears the old woman talking to someone downstairs.
The next morning, Marty goes outside to the snowmobiles to activate them upon no success. Suspecting that they have been tampered with, he goes outside to an old shed for tools, while Jenny stays in the kitchen with the old woman. After accepting the tea from the offering woman, Jenny inquires about Chrissy's disappearance, but the old woman is evasive. Jenny returns to a lounge in the hotel where she realizes she's been drugged, and falls unconscious. She awakens in the basement, where she finds a book on Native American folklore and reads that a Wendigo is often "kept" by an old woman who had the power passed on to her from another. She opens the freezer and discovers a human Windigo inside, being the old woman's second son. Danny then comes down to the basement with a chainsaw and chases Jenny throughout the hotel, up into the attic. Jenny exits through a window onto a small balcony; she manages to push him over, where he is impaled on an iron fence below.
Jenny finds Marty outside, who appears to be possessed and rambling to himself while wandering into the woods. Meanwhile, the storekeeper arrives at the hotel where he is stabbed by the old woman. Jenny re-enters the hotel, where she finds Danny's body has been dragged into the foyer. She locates a shotgun in a storage room, and is confronted by the old woman who remarks claims that she is Jenny's deceased mother. Jenny shoots and kills her. Strangely overtaken, she visits the Wendigo in the freezer where she says that "she will look after you now." and finds Marty's body outside with no reaction. In the end, Jenny sits in a lounge chair in front of a fireplace as the old woman's head is heard. | insanity, murder, storytelling | train | wikipedia | They meet an old lady (played by Georgie Collins, who actually gives a really scary performance) who is living there with her unseen son, but she is hiding a ghostly secret.Definitely one of the better '80s horror films, this unknown little chiller should be a familiar entry in the genre, but sadly is seen by hardly anybody.
It didn't receive a big release and got little attention, which is really too bad because of how good the film is.
The isolated lodge and the snowy mountain backdrop are a nice accent to the film and really add to it's scariness, and are a little reminiscent of "The Shining".
This is achieved mainly through the use of music, and whilst this is effective for the first 30 minutes or so, you get a bit sick of hearing the same music over and over.I think this film could have been a whole lot better.
The ending is a bit of a surprise, but is so shallow that you think "jeez, that's what this film has been building up to?" Despite the excellent setting, I can't really recommend Ghostkeeper.
Ghostkeeper probably has one of the best horror movie settings ever, in my opinion.
It takes place in an isolated old lodge (Deer Lodge, an actual functioning resort)amid the snowy Canadian Rockies, surrounded by huge snow-covered mountains and towering evergreen trees.
I recommend Ghostkeeper to any serious horror fan who likes creepy, atmospheric films..
On a wintery New Year's Eve two women(Jenny and Chrissy)and one man(Marty)embark on a short snowmobile excursion.When the snowmobile breaks down,they are forced to seek refuge in a deserted hotel.There they confront powerful evil forces."Ghostkeeper" is a pretty creepy and atmospheric horror film which will keep you guessing until the end.The acting is solid and the atmosphere of fear and total isolation is well-captured.The locations sets(snowy mountains and a mansion in the middle of nowhere)provide some chills.Check it out if you are a horror fan.8 out of 10..
Poorly distributed during a period when the horror-film market was predominantly angled toward the slasher element, this low-key B effort is actually not bad at all, and should probably be reevaluated by genre fans.A trio of young snowmobilers face mechanical problems deep in the forest, and chance upon upon a neglected and very isolated hunting lodge.
Initially they believe the place to be abandoned, but latterly find it inhabited by a strange old lady and her son...as well as their "pet" Wendigo(a spirit of Native American lore, ever hungry for human flesh).While there's not a lot of meat on the bones of this story, the subtle atmosphere of eerie desolation makes up heartily for that fact.
The wintery Canadian mountains which provide the desolate setting are only slightly snowier than the plot, which finds withdrawn, teetering-on-the-edge-of-crazy Jenny, her rotten boyfriend and their slutty blonde chic friend stranded at a shuttered snowbound inn.
Many long, inactive treks through this abandoned ski lodge would be unbearable if not for the sinister score - which will ring familiar to most horror-nerds as nearly identical to the one from fellow 1981 Canadian horror film, Prom Night - both done by the same guy.
But if you can enjoy a spooky, hazy film which is heavy on dreadful atmosphere and creepy music while remaining non-existent on gore and nudity - you've met your match.
Since up until now I hadn't really seen a movie about the Wendigo legend that actually worked like it should, I was pretty interested in seeing another take on it.
Because this hotel, at times, really seems engulfed by darkness.Then we have what this film's story is actually about: The myth of the Wendigo.
I've seen the Wendigo depicted as a creature already in films, but here things are a little different, drawing more influences from the spiritual aspects of the myth.
The hotel is inhabited by a mysterious old woman – undeniably Georgie Collins gives us the best and most enjoyable performance of the whole cast – who comes across as the caretaker of the hotel, but actually is the titular Ghostkeeper.
Partly, the Wendigo is portrayed as a "beast", more specifically a ghoul-like being with cannibalistic tendencies, living a locked-up life in the basement (nourished with human flesh provided by the old woman and her "other boy").
Instead of focusing more on the psychological downfall of the characters – admittedly, the cast of three would probably not have been able to handle this, as we're not dealing with stellar performers here – the script kills off Chrissy (the blond girl) soon enough, only to re-introduce the friendly old store-clerk from the opening scene, serving no other purpose than to also end up as food for the ghoul in the cellar.
The only one left with hunger, is the viewer himself, as the script offers us little else to chew on.Looking at "Ghostkeeper" from a glass-half-full point of view, you might be able to put all the film's flaws aside and discover a chilling tale of supernatural mystery driven by an eerie atmosphere.
A bickering young couple and their sexy female friend are snowmobiling in the (Canadian?) wilderness when they run across an old hotel where they are forced to seek shelter from a sudden winter storm.
The one good thing I can say about this movie is that it does have a pretty effective atmosphere.
The gloomy, snowbound hotel is eerie and portentous, even if there is no real payoff to justify all the eerie portentiousness.This movie was made in the early 80's when the American horror film industry was starting to go south (figuratively), and the Canadian film industry, encourage by friendly tax laws, started to go south (literally).
Simply put, Jim Makichuk's Ghostkeeper is one of the most underrated, and undeservedly little seen horror films ever made.
Some reviewers have complained about the film being "dull", having unlikable characters, mediocre acting, and a disappointing monster.
Although the film's low budget limited what the film's makers originally wanted their title monster to look like, their decision actually works for the better.
But for those who like their horror films slow and deliberately paced with a fair amount of chills along the way then this is an essential viewing..
A slow-burn (or should I say slow-freeze) chiller set deep in the snowy mountains of Canada, GHOSTKEEPER is effective at creating an atmosphere and not very effective at doing anything with it.Three friends snowmobiling around the middle of nowhere for New Year's Eve soon find themselves stranded at a strange hotel, abandoned except for a mysterious old woman who seems to be keeping something from them.
It sounds like a solid set-up for a generic '80s slasher, and I've seen the film often categorized as such, but I'd hesitate to call it one.It's certainly not a "teens in the woods get picked off one by one by a madman" movie.
It's instead a "slow descent into madness" type of movie; imagine if THE SHINING had a no-name Canadian cast and wasn't really very good.That being said, icicles of atmosphere hang all over this thing.
For all those who didn't understand or didn't care for the psychological horror aspect of "The Shining", this is pretty much the exact same film, except that there's an actual monster in the basement of the remote snowy forest resort and you don't have to bother about any psychological mumbo-jumbo.
I heard and read from several people, whose opinions are always highly valued, that "Ghostkeeper" was more or less a hidden gem of early 80's horror; a film with a reasonably solid plot and a continuously sinister atmosphere.
This Canadian low-budgeter shamelessly imitates the secluded setting and mysterious ambiance building of Stanley Kubrick's previous year's blockbuster, but attempts to interweave with the famous Indian myth of the Wendigo – a cannibalistic spirit constantly craving for flesh – and a sub plot about an estranged elderly woman living, with her sons, far away from civilization.
They seek shelter in a seemingly abandoned hotel, only to discover the place is inhabited by a crazy old woman, her maniacal son and a "thing" in the basement that turns out to be Wendigo in chains.
Seeing there are only three protagonists in this film, it takes an unbearably long time before something significant happens in "Ghostkeeper".
Apart from the insufferable characters (Jenny is exaggeratedly frigid and the other two are stereotypical horror lambs to the slaughter), the film completely lacks gore and excitement and it's often too damn dark to determine what's going on.
Ghostkeeper (1981) ** (out of 4)Jenny (Riva Spier), Marty (Murray Ord) and Chrissy (Sheri McFadden) are out snowmobiling when they come across an old lodge.
The three end up staying the night there when they encounter a strange old woman but they have no idea of knowing that there's much worse there.GHOSTKEEPER is a Canadian horror film that I've been wanting to see for many years and especially since there were some really glowing reviews out there.
With that being said, GHOSTKEEPER turned out to be one of the bigger disappointments out there.It's really too bad that the film didn't work better because the setting and location were wonderful.
I really loved the snowy look to the film and I thought that director Jim Makichuk was able to milk some atmosphere out of the low budget.
The film at least had an atmosphere but at the end of the day it's clear that the director was wanting to try and cash-in on THE SHINING but it just didn't work..
I'm still not entirely sure what was suppose to be happening in this movie and what was suppose to be the motives of the bad guys, even though I think I paid pretty good attention to it.
I simply don't know what this movie is about because there is hardly any story in this film, even at the very end of it you don't have a single clue what was going on there.the little that What i found out that its about three three teenagers on a trip on a mountain they get stranded right in front of an abandoned hotel (what are the odds?) that turns out that there's an old woman who lives there with her son, and they learn that there's some mysterious secret hidden in basement, and after we see whats hidden in the basement the movie starts to make no sense whats so ever.maybe there are some people out there who can understand the plot but i don't and i really don't wanna find out what its about..
I couldn't agree more with what people have written about this movie, this is a absolute horrid movie, no plot, no acting skills, no light, no nothing of the things would make a good horror film.
A cookie old weirdo woman that lives in a abandon hotel somewhere in northern Canada, if you just look at the location it's in, there is very little chance that people would come to place like that.
As The Shining (1980) proved, an empty, snowbound mountainside hotel can be a very effective setting for a horror film.
Any attempts at creating atmospheric chills are negated by a dreary script, annoying characters, and a plodding pace that makes 89 minutes seem a lot, lot longer (the last half an hour took me ninety minutes to complete).The film starts as three friends, couple Jenny and Marty (Riva Spier and Murray Ord) and blonde Chrissy (Sheri McFadden), make their way to a lodge in the mountains for New Year.
With one of the skidoos suffering from mechanical trouble, and the weather taking a turn for the worse, the trio take shelter in the hotel, where they encounter a strange old woman who shares the building with her two sons, one of which happens to be a flesh-eating creature called a Windigo.With lots of wandering through deep snow and around the hotel's gloomy corridors, but little in the way of plot progression, scares or gore, there isn't much to recommend this movie.
This movie had scenes that I wanted to end that wouldn't, ridiculous dialogue (including some seriously bad singing), and characters that easily fell apart.
"Ghostkeeper" revolves around a group of friends— two women, Jenny and Chrissy, and a man, Marty— who are spending their New Year's Eve in the snowy Canadian Rockies.
A snowstorm begins, and the gang decides to spend the night in a seemingly abandoned lodge, but discover a disheveled old woman who resides there with her son, and something...
This caption ties in with the ghost-like creature/entity that is being kept in the abandoned lodge, and is the crux of the proceedings.The atmosphere in this film is wonderful.
Shot in the beautiful snow-covered mountains of Alberta, this is an excellent setting for the story to unfold, and the bleak but beautiful scenery provides a few chills all on its own.
The best performance in the film is from Georgie Collins, who plays the mysterious old woman.
The film ends in an unexpected way that is very bleak but strangely satisfying despite the general weirdness of the downbeat final act.Overall, "Ghostkeeper" is another one of many unknown horror gems that are hard to come by, but rewarding when discovered.
While it was to be more than a typical slasher according to the story, it was set to be a supernatural thriller, but the funding ran out halfway through, which means that the 2nd half of the film is rather dis-jointed and unfocused.The plot = we have three people stranded in the middle of a snowy mountain and take refuge in an abandoned hotel, where only an old woman and her son lives.
Then strange things begin to happen as the legend of windigo surrounds the place in mystery.Well firstly it would have been nice to see what could have been, if the funding didn't run out, but it does make it hard to judge the movie for as it stands.
It's definitely an interesting concept and the director has created an eerie and unsettling horror film with a cool Gothic atmosphere, especially the hotel itself which looks stunning covered in snow in it's wintery setting.
Another standout moment is the chase scene with Jenny, which was one of the only highlights of this movie, which kept me on the edge of my seat, and the final twist at the end was rather interesting but didn't make a whole lot of sense.But the movie itself is very much underwhelming, for one thing the pacing drags in several places and the main villain windigo is just totally wasted, gone is the myth and what we do get is some hairy fat guy surrounded by blocks of ice, plus the 3 main characters aren't very experienced and it shows, like the female lead just sleepwalks through the 2nd half of the movie, and the male lead starts to go insane for some reason, which never explains why, but the old woman caretaker is the only saving grace, she was truly terrifying.
But the supernatural element was almost abandoned halfway through and we just end up with a slasher with a low body count.So all in all, it's a shame that we'll never see the intended vision as this had so much potential but still an interesting entry in the 80's horror cycle..
VERY poor.My brother and I got this film going cheap and decided we like Z movies, so why not give it a shot?
Some people who are characterised so little that to call them 2D would be an insult to drawings arrive at an abandoned lodge deep in somewhere with lots of snow for no apparent reason.
Much like the making of this movie....The Wendigo, which is in fact a not very tall man in one of the worst monster suits I've ever seen (and I watch Doctor Who) is in the film for around thirty seconds, meaning the time spent on his inclusion was oh so worth it, because it wouldn't have made sense to have made this a serial killer film instead.The ending.
Apparently she became the keeper of the beast, because thats EXACTLY what you would do after all your friends, a mad old woman and her son, and some bloke who owned a shop nearby (this was the only other building shown, there wasn't even any outside his shop)were killed by each other, or in one case apparently going mad and being covered in engine oil.This film isn't good in any way.
It wasn't even like the film monster was a poor attempt at the box one.
The most fun you'll have here is looking at the pretty scenery of the snow-covered mountains.
With such an isolated and picturesque location surely it wouldn't have been difficult to get a little bit of atmosphere conveyed on film, but sadly there is none here.
In the final act it all goes a bit weird, with one man (obviously having watched Jack Nicholson in THE SHINING too many times) cracking up and going for a walk in the snow without his jacket.
A blonde bimbo has her throat slashed (the only tiny bit of gore in the entire film) and then is apparently cannibalised by something living in a locked room, although we don't actually get to see any of this or know fully what's going on.The acting is poor (none of the actors or actresses are familiar, apart from one woman who appeared in RABID), the music is non-existent and the whole film makes little sense.
With little action, poor writing, little horror, bizarre cuts (one scene goes from two characters fighting to one of the characters impaled on a fence, whether this was poor editing or some kind of cut to the video have, I'm not sure), and a total lack of drive, GHOSTKEEPER is yet another low budget misfiring film to avoid..
The scenery is beautiful and the abandoned hotel spooky, but most of the cast leaves a lot to be desired in terms of acting ability. |
tt0077381 | The Prince and the Pauper | Tom Canty, youngest son of a poor family living in Offal Court, London, has always aspired to a better life, encouraged by the local priest (who has taught him to read and write). Loitering around the palace gates one day, he sees a prince (the Prince of Wales – Edward VI). Coming too close in his intense excitement, Tom is nearly caught and beaten by the Royal Guards; however, Edward stops them and invites Tom into his palace chamber. There the two boys get to know one another, fascinated by each other's life and their uncanny resemblance; they were born on the same day. They decide to switch clothes "temporarily". The Prince momentarily goes outside, quickly hiding an article of national importance (which the reader later learns is the Great Seal of England), but dressed as he is in Tom's rags, he is not recognized by the guards, who drive him from the palace, and he eventually finds his way through the streets to the Canty home. There he is subjected to the brutality of Tom's abusive father, from whom he manages to escape, and meets one Miles Hendon, a soldier and nobleman returning from war. Although Miles does not believe Edward's claims to royalty, he humors him and becomes his protector. Meanwhile, news reaches them that King Henry VIII has died and Edward is now the king.
Tom, posing as the prince, tries to cope with court customs and manners. His fellow nobles and palace staff think "the prince" has an illness which has caused memory loss and fear he will go mad. They repeatedly ask him about the missing "Great Seal", but he knows nothing about it; however, when Tom is asked to sit in on judgments, his common-sense observations reassure them his mind is sound.
As Edward experiences the brutish life of a pauper firsthand, he becomes aware of the stark class inequality in England. In particular, he sees the harsh, punitive nature of the English judicial system where people are burned at the stake, pilloried, and flogged. He realizes that the accused are convicted on flimsy evidence (and branded – or hanged – for petty offenses), and vows to reign with mercy when he regains his rightful place. When Edward unwisely declares to a gang of thieves that he is the king and will put an end to unjust laws, they assume he is insane and hold a mock coronation.
After a series of adventures (including a stint in prison), Edward interrupts the coronation as Tom is about to celebrate it as King Edward VI. Tom is eager to give up the throne; however, the nobles refuse to believe that the beggarly child Edward appears to be is the rightful king until he produces the Great Seal that he hid before leaving the palace. Tom declares that if anyone had bothered to describe the seal he could have produced it at once since he had found it inside a decorative suit of armor (where Edward had hidden it) and had been using it to crack nuts.
Edward and Tom switch back to their original places and Miles is rewarded with the rank of earl and the family right to sit in the presence of the king. In gratitude for supporting the new king's claim to the throne, Edward names Tom the "king's ward" (a privileged position he holds for the rest of his life). | action, satire, historical fiction | train | wikipedia | "Crossed Swords" is a lavish and lively adaptation of the Mark Twain classic "The Prince and the Pauper".
Mark "Oliver" Lester is too old and stiff to give a truly authentic performance in the dual role of Prince Edward and pauper Tom Canty, but he doesn't spoil the film.
Oliver Reed is a hearty and touching Miles Hendon, and Ernest Borgnine, fake cockney accent or not, shines as the pauper's cruel father.
Charlton Heston perhaps overdoes the part of old King Henry, but how else can you play a character like that?
Rex Harrison is smooth as an ill-fated Duke, George C Scott impresses as a beggar king, Raquel Welch looks stunning in her too-few scenes as Edith, Hendon's true love, and she beautifully underplays her part (though her surprising adeptness at comedy is evident here as well).
With a rousing music score by Maurice Jarre, perfect for a swashbuckler like this, and beautiful scenery photographed by the great Jack Cardiff, this is light-hearted, spirited adventure at its finest.
Lavish retelling of the young Prince Edward VI , Henry VIII 's son , taking places with his look-alike , a slum beggar.
It's a Richard Fleischer's gorgeous film plenty of action , costumed adventure , humor , swashbuckling and lots of entertainment .
On the same day two boys cross their fates : the pauper Tom and prince Edward (Mark Lester in double tole) .
As a street beggar, Tom flees from pursuers and sneaks into the palace garden and meets the King Henry VIII (Charlton Heston) .
The young prince turned beggar is aided by a swashbuckling soldier-of-fortune ( Oliver Reed who steals the spectacle as intrepid adventurer ) .The flick deals about the Prince Edward VI ,son of Henry VIII of England, who's replaced by a beggar and vice versa .
Also are splendidly, the supporting roles : Rex Harrison , Harry Andrews , Charlton Heston , Ernest Borgnine , David Hemmings , George C Scott , all are magnificent , including Raquel Welch.
In the movie appears several historical characters, such as Henry VIII, Edward VI , Duke of Norfolk , and Lady Jane, princess Elizabeth , both of whom will be queens.Colorful and evocative cinematography by Jack Cardiff .
Other adaptations about this vintage story dealing with mistaken identity between a prince and a child from the London slums are the following : The classic rendition ( 1937) by William Keighley with Errol Flynn , Claude Rains ; Disney version by Don Chaffey with Guy Williams , TV take on ( 2000) by Gilles Foster with Aidan Quinn ; furthermore , several versions on cartoons ..
The major stumbling block in this all-star version of Mark Twain's classic children's story is Mark Lester, he just does not convince as a begging urchin, he lacks the street-wise cunning of a young man who has been dragged up, beaten up and abused by his monster of a father.
Charlton Heston, the only American actor ever to play King Henry VIII, gives a towering performance as the gout-ridden Tudor monarch and completely dominates every scene he is in.
Oliver Reed is great as Miles Hendon, and proves to be a rollicking good swashbuckler in his clash with fellow British 60's hell-raiser David Hemmings.(It's sad when viewing GLADIATOR and seeing what twenty years of hell-raising did to these two talented actors).
Coincidentally, Errol Flynn, the daddy of all hell-raisers, made a better version of THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER in the 30's, and also a terrible turkey called CROSSED SWORDS, which was the American title used for this film in 1978.
Scott and Ernest Borgnine (who is frightening as the pauper's father) but the excellent British character actors who keep cropping up in the minor roles.
THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER is excellent family entertainment, the sets and costumes are superb, and this movie may inspire younger viewers to pick up and read the wonderful Mark Twain classic story..
Brought to us by the same producers of "The Three Musketeers" and "The Four Musketeers" of several years earlier, this also brought along some of the same cast - Reed, Welch, and Heston - in an attempt to duplicate the success of those earlier adventures.
This was a final gasp in the child star career of Mark Lester, who gained fame as the title character of "Oliver!" from 9 years earlier.
He plays the pivotal dual roles of a poor pauper kid who switches places with his double, Prince Edward of England.
There's even some poignancy in the later scenes between Lester & Reed, who begins to wonder if this may truly be the new king of England he's trying to protect, and it helps to have a nice score, as usual, from Jarre.
Oliver Reed and Charlton Heston also stared in The Three musketeers, The Four musketeers, Treasure Island and although they never had so many scenes together, the movies always were GREAT!!
Historically, Edward VI became king at age 10, and had been dead for three years when he would have been Mark Lester's age (18) at the making of this film.
Mark Lester's performance, in both roles of prince and pauper, I thought was distinctly undistinguished in view of his earlier achievements.
Now having said all that, the strength of this movie, such as it is, lies in its powerhouse supporting cast: Oliver Reed, Raquel Welch, Ernest Borgnine as the abusive father, George C.
Scott as a brigand, Rex Harrison, David Hemmings, and even Charlton Heston as Henry VIII -- WOW!
"Your fingernails are filthy!" Although Mark Lester is fairly wooden and old for this role, I still think he was well cast.
Great film for all the family, lots of action and fighting sequences, although more from Heston, Harrison and Welch would have been better, and also less of the American accents!!.
It is has some rather beautiful scenes (the scene of Henry VIII on his deathbed with his jester at the foot of the bed lingers long in the memory and deserves to be in a better film), some good fights and an all-star cast.
The lead, playing the dual roles of the prince and the pauper, was Mark Lester, lately of "Oliver".
By the time this movie came out, Lester was FAR too old for the part(s) of street urchin and child king.
Anyway, Heston and the rest of the cast did fine jobs, and the picture is good fun if you can fully suspend disbelief in deep voiced Lester as an innocent child..
And the story is delightful, despite the fact it has been done to death so many times, while there is some great acting from Oliver Reed, Rex Harrison, George C.
Mark Lester is very unconvincing in the lead double role, while Raquel Welch looks alluring but she is left with little to work with.
"The Prince and the Pauper" (I will use the British title rather than the American one) falls within this tradition, the main difference being that it is based upon a fictitious story rather than historical fact, even if Mark Twain did try and suggest that his tale was based upon an old legend which may have had a kernel of truth.
The idea is that Edward Prince of Wales, the only son of King Henry VIII, has an exact double in Tom Canty, a London street urchin and the son of a notorious thief.
Miles and Edward have to find a way to undo Hugh's wickedness as well as ensuring that the rightful heir is crowned King of England, Henry VIII having died during his son's absence.
The most curious thing about this film is the casting of Mark Lester in the dual role of Tom and Edward.
The two exceptions are Charlton Heston as the ailing, care-worn Henry (very different to the autocratic younger man portrayed by Robert Shaw in "A Man for All Seasons" or Richard Burton in "Anne of the Thousand Days") and Oliver Reed, who makes an attractive Errol Flynn-style hero as Miles.
The story is set during the winter of 1546-47; Henry VIII died in January 1547 and Edward VI, as the film informs us, was crowned King in February.
And very true to the original story.This version, aside from the interesting attempt to cast Reed against type, is worth one watch, maybe and my guess is you will never want to see it again.Advice?
A star-studded cast in medieval England- based on Mark Twain's story.
It's the year 1547.Prince Edward and pauper Tom Canty change clothes, so the other becomes the prince and the other becomes the pauper.They bear a striking resemblance to each other.There are many difficulties on the way to go back to their old professions.Crossed Swords (1977) is directed by Richard Fleischer.It's based on Mark Twain's novel The Prince and the Pauper from 1881.I read the book before I borrowed this movie on a VHS.There are some differences between the book and the movie, but it doesn't matter in any way.There is a great number of familiar names in the supporting cast.Mark Lester does a dual role as Prince Edward and Tom Canty.Ernest Borgnine plays Tom's sadistic father John.Sybil Danning plays his mother.Oliver Reed plays Miles Hendon and Raquel Welch his love interest, Lady Edith.George C.
Scott plays The Ruffler.Rex Harrison is The Duke of Norfolk.David Hemmings plays Hugh Hendon.Lalla Ward and Felicity Dean play the parts of Princess Elizabeth and Lady Jane.Graham Stark is Jester.Harry Fowler is Nipper.Charlton Heston does the part of Henry VIII.This movie is rather fun to watch.It also brings out the differences between the lives of the rich and wealthy and those who are poor.Just like the book did..
Rather chintzy retelling of Mark Twain's "The Prince and the Pauper", though one with a good director (Richard Fleischer) and a fine cast behind it.
Mark Lester has the dual roles of the Crown Prince of England and his lookalike pauper who exchange places, and he's a decent young actor if a bit colorless.
The characters have been greatly expanded and several new ones have been created to give the plot a little more body.Mark Lester, nine years after being the screen's Oliver, plays the dual role of Edward Tudor who becomes Edward VI of England and Tom Canty the beggar boy doppleganger.
As a joke the two of them exchange clothing, but then the real Prince of Wales gets tossed out of the palace and back into Ernest Borgnine's clutches.In the meantime King Henry VIII played by Charlton Heston with considerable padding is dying and shuffles off the mortal coil with Tom Canty given some real upward mobility, unheard of in Tudor England.
And the real prince struggles dealing both with his father's death and how to get out of this predicament, making only one real friend out there, Oliver Reed as Miles Hendon.Director Richard Lester was lucky enough to secure four Best Actor Oscar Winners for his cast, Borgnine, Heston, Rex Harrison as the Duke of Norfolk and George C.
My favorite in the film is Scott in the added role of the Ruffler, former monk now turned head of an outlaw band because Henry VIII closed the monasteries and looted them for his treasury.
Mark Lester was a bit old to play the title roles but, still a good young actor.
George C Scott and Oliver Reed are standouts as is Sir Rex Harrison as the curmudeonly Duke of Norfolk.
(The movie even cribs no less than 4 actors from the prior film.) Based on the story by Mark Twain, it concerns a pick-pocketing urchin (Lester) who finds himself in the room of King Henry VIII's son (also Lester) and discovers that the two are virtually identical.
Second-billed Welch barely appears in the film, turning up at the very end (and looking stunning.) Four (count 'em) Best Actor Oscar winners round out the cast to no great effect, done in by the laggy direction and the uncreative script.
The good things about the film (the sets, costumes, star wattage) are done in by the bad things (mundane storytelling, lazy cinematography, a ghastly, anachronistic score by Jarre.) The biggest flaw is the casting of Lester.
Hot on the heels of the Salkind Musketeer films, Oliver Reed and a cast well knowns (Welch, Harris, Borgnine, Scott, et al), grace the screen in this very well done period piece regarding Samuel "Mark Twain" Clemmens more popular works regarding Renaissance England.Lots of art direction and top rate thesping went into this film to bring alive a violent period fill with intrigue, we witness the improbable but plausible exchange of personas; royalty takes on the guise of a pauper, and vice versa.
If others do not think he cuts it is probably because he's acting against gods of Hollywood, HESTON, REED, G C SCOTT, REX HARRISON and EARNEST BORGININE.
Lets start with Charlton Heston as King Henry VIII.
The major failing of this version of the famed classic is the presence of Mark Lester as the twins, the prince and pauper of the title.
Oliver Reed is really rather good as bulky swordsman Miles Hendon (following in the footsteps of Errol Flynn from four decades earlier); while others in the cast making the most of small but meaty roles are George C Scott, Rex Harrison, Harry Andrews, Murray Melvin, and Charlton Heston.
Based on the 1881 novel of the same name by Mark Twain and released in the US under the title "Crossed Swords", this is a very fun historical adventure film in spite of its flaws.
I couldn't help thinking that it would have been better if it had been directed by Richard Lester, who was more suited to the swashbuckling adventure genre than Fleischer.
The film stars Mark Lester in not one but two very bad performances as the title characters Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VI) and his impoverished doppelgänger Tom Canty.
In spite of Lester's poor performances, Prince Edward and Tom are both likable characters, which is a testament to Fraser's writing and the strength of the source material.
I found the scenes featuring Prince Edward trying to deal with the often merciless outside world to be far more interesting than those of Tom in Nonsuch Palace.The best performance in the film comes from Rex Harrison, who is wonderful as the kind, fiercely intelligent, witty and introspective Duke of Norfolk, who is condemned to the Tower of London by Henry VIII but finds a friend and ally in Tom. George C.
In contrast to Lester, his "Oliver!" co- star Oliver Reed was very well cast as Miles Hendon, a nobleman turned soldier of fortune.
He takes pity on Edward, saving him from a mob and fighting off Tom's abusive father, but does not believe his claims to be the Prince of Wales for most of the film.
I have always thought that Charlton Heston is a very underrated actor but he is atypically bad and forgettable as the dying Henry VIII, in contrast to how effective he was as the conniving Cardinal Richelieu in the aforementioned films.Ernest Borgnine is pretty decent as John Canty but I think that he may have been miscast.
As Miles' beloved Lady Edith, Raquel Welch is billed second after Reed (and before Lester) in the opening credits but she does not appear until almost three-quarters of the way through the film and has only about 15 minutes screen time, if even that.
It also features nice appearances from Harry Andrews as the new king's uncle Lord Hertford, Julian Orchard as St. John, Lalla Ward as a suitably imperious Princess Elizabeth, Murray Melvin as Edward's dresser and Hammer regular Michael Ripper as Lady Edith's servant.Overall, this is by no means a perfect film but it's good fun.
I've always felt that Oliver Reed was the stand-out performance in this film.
One of the great delights in watching something like this is seeing Oliver Reed's fight scenes.
Charlton Heston puts in a fine performance, but it seems odd to have an American in the role of Henry VIII.
unless it was for the serious lack of Frenchmen in those films.)Mark Lester seems completely out of place in the duel roles of Tom Canty and Edward, Prince of Wales.
If memory serves, Edward was only ten years old at the time of Henry VIII's death.
This take on the Prince and the Pauper clearly wants to capture the swashbuckling lunacy of Richard Lester's THREE MUSKETEERS/FOUR MUSKETEERS but falls flat.
The casting of OLIVER's Mark Lester in dual roles doesn't help either.
Oliver Reed, Raquel Welch, Charlton Heston and Sybil Danning (all of whom appeared in the Lester films) head the large cast, but none manages to register as anything special.
For example, the Duke of Norfolk (played extremely well by Rex Harrison at his most charming) really was sentenced to death in the last weeks of Henry VIII's reign, and really was reprieved by Edward VI just before his execution.
The billing is somewhat odd (Raquel Welch is billed second, but has only slightly more lines than Dudley Sutton, billed 25th, and Charlton Heston has a large number of scenes and lines as Henry VIII, but only gets guest star billing at the very end of the cast list), but this is hardly a major flaw.
While many have mentioned the young Tom/Edward was poorly played or cast, I found that this seeming parody of Twain's Prince and the Pauper undoubtedly needed an older version to meet head-on with the presentation.It has many laugh out loud moments, stylised performances by Reed, Harrison, Heston and others, all of whom support the young 19 year old Mark Lester, as he leads a thoroughly miserable few days as a pauper.
In fact, it is these performances, over-sized and bold that add to my notion of it's parody quality.Reed is terrific as the rough and ready, but not always successful Miles Hendron, and the few scenes in which Harrison appears as the notorious Duke of Norfolk are nearly as hilarious as his claim to fame role as Professor Henry Higgins. |
tt1781827 | Hands of Stone | The film follows the life of Panamanian boxing legend Roberto Durán, who made his professional boxing debut in 1968 as a 16-year-old and retired in 2001 at age 50.
Growing up in Panama, Durán is homeschooled by Chaflan, who teaches young Roberto some vital life lessons. Later, Duran joins a boxing club with Nestor "Plomo" Quiñones as his coach.
As he reaches 20, an American legendary boxing trainer Ray Arcel, who nearly lost his life after being attacked by an unknown assailant in 1953 in New York City and is now living with his wife Stephanie, notices Roberto's raw talent and punching power and takes the young fighter under his wing, becoming his coach. Not long after, Durán then meets a student, Felicidad, with whom he later has five children.
After his fights through the 70s and 80s, rising through the divisions with phenomenal success (just one loss) he challenges Sugar Ray Leonard, dubbed as the "Fighter of the Year." However, Durán is disrespectful of Leonard, describing him as a "clown" who tries to "imitate Muhammad Ali" and that "he punches like a girl", and confidently predicts a knock out win for himself.
One night, Durán confronts Leonard in front of his wife and insults him by calling him a "homosexual." The incident frustrates Ray. Durán's hard feelings for Ray, on the other hand seem to stem from his resentment of Americans in general, because he recalls the ill-treatment meted out by the Americans to the nation of Panama, remembering how American troops took over the country by owning the Panama Canal — leading to conflict between both the sides in 1964.
In June 1980, the day of fight between Durán and Leonard in which the venue is in Montreal, Durán wins via Unanimpus decision as a Welterweight Champion (148-147, 145-144, 146-144). After the fight, Leonard states that being insulted is a strategy and calls for a rematch with an $8 million purse. At the house party, informed by his manager Carlos Eleta, Durán reluctantly agrees to the rematch but it is impossible for him to prepare for a November fight. Chaflan is later killed after being ran over by a truck.
In November 1980, Durán and Leonard face at the ring for the second time, this time the venue is in New Orleans. But in the eighth round, the people of Panama are shocked when Durán gives up by saying "No más" (English: "No more") to the referee, thus Leonard wins via technical knockout (68–66, 68–66, and 67–66).
Upon returning home in Panama, he faces angry protests. Durán tells his wife that he regrets letting them down and needs to go back in the ring in order to regain his popularity and the forgiveness of his fans. Due to this incident, Ray is retired from his training and tells Durán that Plomo will be his coach. In June 1983, New York City, the day of his fight against Davey Moore, Leonard gratefully meets Durán for the first time since the rematch, saying that he forgives Durán. He tells Leonard that he gives his apology to his wife. At the fight with Moore up to the eighth round, now Leonard is now commentator, Durán won via technical knockout, eventually restores his popularity and pride by the people of Panama.
In the film's epilogue, it states that Plomo was in Durán's side for each fight until his death in 2012; Leonard and Durán remain friends until now; Ray was the first boxing trainer to be elected to the Boxing Hall of Fame and died of leukemia in 1994 after the six-year battle. | flashback | train | wikipedia | Not exactly what I was expecting at first from a sports movie but in the end it turned out to have the heart I expect from a sports film.Based on the story of Roberto Duran, a poor street kid from Panama who became that country's symbol of greatest as a boxing champion.
It follows his career from his glory days to how his ego caused his fall to his surprising comeback.Edger Ramirez was fantastic as Duran and Usher Raymond as Sugar Ray Lenard was perfect casting for me hands down.Also like the connection that Ramirez made with DiNiro who played Ray Arcel.
Though Ramereiz and Raymond look ready for combat the ring fights could have been better.Maybe not the point for the film makers as the film documents the rise and fall of a boxing champion that closely mirrors all the other stories of how success corrupts you but if you have the heart and the mindset deep within you you can come back.Plus the film focus on how Duran's career ran parallel to the state his country was in.
Hands of Stone is a rise, fall and rise again story of famed Panamanian boxer Roberto Duran (Ramirez) who leapt into notoriety in the 70's after his first controversial appearance at Madison Square Gardens.
The film however focuses on his relationship with legendary boxing trainer Ray Arcel (De Niro) whose own exploits in the boxing world made him the first trainer to be inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame.Doing a movie of this nature, a couple of questions arise.
How do you accurately and intimately make a film about the life and times of Roberto Duran who in addition to being a legend was also a legendary pre-fight s**t talker?
Finally, how do you do make that movie great while siphoning off of cues and themes from inspirations like Rocky (1976) and Raging Bull (1980)?The answer is of course you can't; but you can make a half-way decent film out of everything.
For those of you who know what I'm insinuating, congratulations you've seen a "great" scene from a "great" movie about boxing.The best that can be said about Hands of Stone is it does what it does predictably and well, like a cover band that's been around for years.
Way before internet, there was a time and a place when events like boxing happened, specially when Roberto Duran fought, Panama would come to a stand still.
Caracas, Venezuela, born Director/Writer/Producer Jonathan Jakubowicz (Secuestro express - 2005), along with producing wife Claudine (Epicentral Studios) leap from the Latin film arena to tell the true story of the raise/fall and raise again of showy Panamanian boxer Roberto Duran, portrayed by the outstanding Edgar Ramirez (Zero Dark Thirty).
With childhood sweetheart Felicidad (Ana de Armas - War Dogs) by his side, Duran (known as "Manos de Piedra" Hands of Stone) claims the WBC welterweight title in 1980 over state-side favorite Sugar Ray Leonard (well portrayed by the at times too pretty Usher - The Voice), only to later utter the words "No mas" (no more), walking away from a rematch.
Superbly guiding Duran through his life/career is training great Ray Arcel (the always terrific Robert De Niro), money man Carlos (Ruben Blades - Safe House) and childhood funny man Chaplain (Oscar Jaenada - Cantinflas).
This is a film that focuses on the interpersonal and professional relationship between a fighter and his trainer and it works well.The story is a rise, fall and rise again story of legendary Panamanian boxer Roberto Durán (Edgar Ramírez) who climbed into notoriety in 1968 as a 16 year old in his first controversial appearance at Madison Square Gardens.
The film however focuses on his relationship with legendary boxing trainer Ray Arcel (Robert De Niro) whose own exploits in the boxing world made him the first trainer to be inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame.The cast is splendid – and in addition to Ramirez, Raymond, and De Niro there are fine supporting roles by Ana de Armas as Roberto's wife, Rubén Blades as Carlos Eleta, John Turturro as Frankie Carbo, Pedro Perez as Plomo, and Ellen Barkin as De Niro's wife, and Reg E.
Lured by Roberto Duran's (Edgar Ramirez) raw passion as a fighter, Ray Arcel, played by a chameleonic Robert De Niro, comes back to the champ's corner after ten years forced sabbatical.
Duran reluctantly accepts Arcel's guidance but quickly recognizes the old trainer's wisdom and takes it by heart, this results in an improbable win against Sugar Ray Leonard (Usher) and it is him, who will teach Duran a lesson that will make him a true champion.Beyond the history, Duran's story is both poignant and complex, filled with amazing victories on the ring but also many defeats on his personal life.
Only thru the love of his family, the respect of his foes and the guidance of his trainer is that, through defeat, he becomes a real champion.Great Cast, Script, Photography and Production Design, spanning two decades of political turmoil Hands of Stone is hands down a movie with a heart of gold..
"Hands of Stone" (2016 release; 195 min.) is a bio-pic about Panama boxing legend Roberto Duran.
as the movie opens, it is"Madison Square Garden, 1971" and we dive straight into a Duran fight, while Ray Arcel (played by Robert de Niro) is checking it out.
Hands Of Stone chronicles the chaotic life and career of former Panamanian boxer Roberto Duran, as seen through the eyes of his trainer.
While this is essentially a boxing film it's also a decent biopic covering Roberto Durán's life from his childhood growing up in poverty in Panama through his boxing career and rise to wealth and fame.
It, while superficially, also touches on the Panama–United States relations from the 1960's onward and their effects on Durán's attitude to life and the United states.The films focus on American imperialism towards Panama is quite an interesting sub plot as US military is shown interacting with the Panamanian population in full Battle of Algiers mode and creating a level of anti-US hostility which having been there a couple of times can still be found today.The story is told at a good pace and doesn't get bogged down on any one area, both De Niro & Ramirez deliver good performances as does Ellen Barkin as Arcel's wife, probably the only downside is Sugar Ray Leonard who comes off looking like a fool for most of the movie but overall it's a great movie and offers plenty of human interest elements to those who aren't boxing fans.After watching the terrible Back in the Day the other week I'd happily give this a 8/10.
Everything in Hands Of Stone is true to life, the spectacular boxing matches, the political tension, the commercial interests behind the matches and even the mob in the background, this is a complex movie.
Duran finally learns his lessons from Sugar Ray Leonard and Ray Arcel who are both described as the gentlemen that made Boxing a true sport.
The movie pays more focus on the man himself and a spectacular role played by Robert DeNiro As Ray Arcel, world famous fight trainer.
But for a boxing movie, at times fails with the romantic drama scenes but mainly for the over egocentric personality of the main character, Roberto Durán.
The highlights of the film, obviously, is Edgar Ramirez performance, but in my opinion, gives me a mixed perspective...in one hand, a confident and charismatic Durán, in the other hand, sadly, a man who blames his father for leaving his family and uses that as an excuse for his hate to U.S.A. is kinda annoying, also he thinks he's unstoppable even with his coach, Ray Arcel, played by Robert de Niro.
The eventual lightweight champion's story is narrated by his legendary trainer, Ray Arcel (Robert De Niro), a man who helped thousands of boxers master the sport, and who now must teach the kid strategy and discipline to become a true winner.
This should be Duran's story, but quite routinely, it pays unnecessary attention to Arcel, promoter Carlos Eleta (Ruben Blades), wiseguy Frankie Carbo (John Turturro), childhood pal Chaflan (Oscar Jaenada), and even the primary opponent, Sugar Ray Leonard (Usher Raymond).
This leads into the second problem: "Hands of Stone" quickly becomes a history lesson disguised as a boxing movie.The 1964 Panama Canal Zone rioting was a significant, potent piece of a longstanding territorial conflict, but it just doesn't fit seamlessly into a film about Duran's rise and fall in the ring.
And then there's time for a love story, which follows the typical course of recklessness with wealth and eventually drunken abuse.It's not enough to be an inspirational sports drama anymore - and definitely not when it comes to boxing, which has seen a tremendous quantity of theatrical efforts in the last few years alone.
Story starts here, goes over there for a few seconds, shoots to the top for a second, falls down to the bottom in a flash, while there is little aim or consistency in the game-play.The film starts as famous boxer trainer, Ray Arcel (Robert De Niro), walks into the sepia-lit boxing ring of Madison Square Garden.
Because the whole reason Ray Arcel is supposed to train him is to get Roberto's career on track, yet somehow causes his social-thereby professional-decline as the movie goes on.
Édgar Ramírez and Robert De Niro bring good performances as Durán and his trainer (respectively), but I would also like to mention the competent works from the supporting cast, highlighting Rubén Blades, Usher Raymond, Reg E.
and the ending - there should be a separate place in hell for filmmakers who end their flicks so cluelessly.being a huge fan of 'fighter' movies and series (Ali, Warrior, Kingdom) I'm staggered how one could have so much on paper - nice story, decent characters, very solid actors - and actually turned it all into a tasteless mush.seriously, it's not worth your time and don't kid yourself De Niro's presence at least guarantees some level of decency.
Roberto Duran, the legendary Panamanian boxer, is in the center ring in Writer-Director Jonathan Jakobuwicz' bio pic "Hands of Stone".
The film features Duran as a child living in the Panamanian slums, and then as a young man who loved the boxing game, next his eventual rise into the ring, and lastly his legendary battles with boxing champion Sugar Ray Leonard.
But this movie is very much also about Duran's seasoned trainer Ray Arcel, who is played with plenty of punch by the great Robert DeNiro.
In 1971, manager Carlos Eleta (Rubén Blades) introduces his fighter Roberto Durán (Edgar Ramírez) to legendary trainer Ray Arcel (Robert De Niro).
I turned to my older brother and said that Duran is a bit rubbish only to be met with a reply, he is the world champion and usually a bit of a an animal but Leonard is on another plane tonight.Hands of Stone tells the story of Roberto Duran (Edgar Ramirez) told through the eyes of veteran trainer Ray Arcel (Robert De Niro.) Ramirez is frankly to old for the teenage Duran, a wild kid brought up in poverty in Panama who becomes maybe the best lightweight ever.Duran took two big money fights with Sugar Ray Leonard (Usher) the golden boy of boxing and Duran won the first fight by taunting Leonard to brawl with him, a mistake Leonard did not make the second time.Still Duran came back after this defeat where he allegedly said 'no mas' and quit the fight.
Duran would go on to become world champion in two further weight divisions.A lot of the film is actually in Spanish for the Panama based scenes, it is a competent and entertaining film of a legendary boxer who retired from boxing at the age of 50 in 2002.There is nothing in the film though that elevates it to greatness.
This film tells the story of a young man in Panama, who grows up to be a successful boxing champion.
Ambitious to a Fault, Cramming a Number of Subjects into an Overcrowded Ring filled with Politics, Humanity, Rags to Riches, Boxing History, Boxing Strategy, World Stage Rivalry, Hero Worship, Family Bonding, all in a Clench with Roberto Duran.Robert De Niro plays Ray Arcel, a Legendary Boxing Manager forced out of the Ring by the Mob, but Returns when He Witnesses 66 Seconds of Roberto Duran Fighting.Edgar Ramirez is a Brooding and Dynamic "Duran" and really Comes to Life with His Fights against Sugar Ray Leonard (Usher Raymond).
The Clashes with Leonard also come up a bit Lacking with Screen Time being Shared, unadvisedly, with so many Other Things.The Film, in an attempt to leave No "Stone" Unturned spans Duran's Life from Dirt Poor Street Urchin to "Champion of the World".
"In 66 seconds Roberto Durand changed my life." Ray Arcel (De Niro) was one of the best boxing managers in history until he crossed the mob.
So that's where a former American boxer comes in and what happens between them, followed by how Duran's life turns out is what covered in the rest.Biographies are always good to watch.
'HANDS OF STONE': Three and a Half Stars (Out of Five)A sports biopic, based on the life of professional boxing legend Roberto Duran.
The film stars Edgar Ramirez, Robert De Niro, Ana de Armas, Usher Raymond IV, Ellen Barkin and Ruben Blades.
The story focuses on the relationship between professional boxer Roberto Duran (Ramirez), and his trainer (who's equally legendary) Ray Parcel (De Niro).
The film also focuses on Duran's relationships with his estranged father (Eliud Kauffman), his wife Felicidad Iglesias (Armas), and legendary boxer Sugar Ray Leonard (Raymond IV).
Durans biography is a great story and for the most part is a good movie, but it could of been so much better, one of the greats even...And it all comes down to the directing...
I saw "Hands of Stone", starring Edgar Ramirez-Joy, The Bourne Ultimatum; Robert De Niro-Joy, Grudge Match; Usher Raymond IV-Muppets Most Wanted, Moesha_tv; Ana De Armas-War Dogs, Knock Knock and Ruben Blades-Fear The Walking Dead_tv, Predator 2.This is a boxing movie.
The title refers to the nickname given to boxer Roberto Duran-his hands were like stone because he punched so hard.
Roberto Duran and Ray Arcel were good for boxing and even better for the historians.
Within the first 15 minutes of the film I was captivated with Roberto Duran, the child, the man, and ultimately the boxer with unlimited talent and an insatiable hunger to win a boxing world championship.The three main characters in the film are the Panama born boxer Roberto Duran (Edgar Ramirez), his world class trainer Ray Arcel (Robert De Niro) and Duran's main contender in his way for a world championship Sugar Ray Leonard (singer Usher Raymond).It is near impossible to capture such a boxing legend whose professional career spanned over five decades, 119 fights, 103 wins, of which 70 of those wins were by knockouts and then attempt to describe in any real level of detail of this mans true history in less than two hours of screen time.
The film indicated that there was some controversy over Duran potentially hitting Buchanan below his belt line, but as there was controversy that followed Duran throughout his 33 year fighting career in and out of the ring Duran became a world champion, won and lost over the decades to follow.Robert De Niro who played the famous boxing trainer Ray Arcel allowed actor Edgar Ramirez to be the screens main focus so I give kudos to the mega star for accepting his supporting actor role as a mentor to Duran continually explaining to Roberto Duran that he had all the god given talent required, he just had to convince himself in his own mind that he was unbeatable.
Obviously De Niro had a positive affect on Edgar Ramirez's screen performance as I for one, believed these two were the real fighter and trainer.As for the actual in ring fights between Roberto Duran (Edgar Ramirez) and Sugar Ray Leonard (Usher Raymond) I have seen better fight sequences such as in the classic Oscar winning Raging Bull and the Rocky film compilations, so I was glad more time was spent outlining the man Roberto Duran outside of the ring, rather than with trying to emulate Duran's fighting technique.Additional good performances were displayed by Ruben Blades who played Duran's wealthy boxing agent Carlos Eleta, and minor but important roles by John Turturro playing New York boxing kingpin Frankie Carbo, Ellen Barkin who played Stephanie Arcel and Reg E.
I recommend Hands Of Stone for not only boxing fans, but fans of films that display poverty stricken characters rising to fame and fortune, and doing well by their rewards by sharing their fortunes with the less fortunate as Roberto Duran, world champion, has accomplished throughout his life.Scoring a 9 out of 10 rating.
As an adult the film concentrates on his relationship with Jewish trainer Ray Arcel (Robert De Niro) who acts more like a life coach, whispering the fight strategy into Durán's ear right before the bout.
Edgar Ramírez is excellent as Roberto Durán, so is Robert De Niro as Ray Arcel, and the singer Usher Raymond as Sugar Ray Leonard.
It's an excellent movie, The Drama, the life of Roberto, the problems between USA and Panama are very well explained in this movie, Robert De Niro plays Ray Arcel at the perfection, also did Edgar and Usher with Duran and Sugar Ray, they make a really nice copy between the best boxers of those years, for me the movie was great, note the budget that they use to do it...I came to the cinema to see a good movie and it leave me with a really nice impression!! |
tt0056693 | Wild Guitar | Bud Eagle (Arch Hall Jr.), a young singer-songwriter, arrives in Hollywood on a motorcycle. At Marge's Koffee Kup Cafe, he meets Vickie (Nancy Czar), an aspiring dancer, who quizzes him about his "gimmick" and promises to give him the "inside dope" on the music industry. He attends her performance at a television variety show later that night. When the scheduled saxophonist is unable to perform, Bud steps in with a ballad that earns him a standing ovation.
Bud's performance also earns the notice of talent scout Mike McCauley (Arch Hall Sr.), who offers him a record deal. Bud accepts the McCauley's proposal. McCauley immediately installs Bud in a penthouse apartment, providing him with tailored suits, a Fender Jazzmaster, a mini tape recorder, and a new backing band ready to record his songs. Bud's music career takes off in spite of his mounting doubts about the unscrupulous McCauley, who pays high school students to promote his music at their schools. Bud attempts to leave McCauley more than once, but relents when McCauley reminds him of the money he's owed. Bud performs "Vickie" (also heard in the less contextually-appropriate Eegah) live on television, and Vickie sees the broadcast. She runs to the television studio where they joyfully reunite. They spend the night ice skating in Vickie's uncle's rink; Nancy Czar being a former figure skater
When Bud returns to his penthouse apartment, he is confronted by Don Proctor, McCauley's previous client. He warns Bud that McCauley is cheating him, and manipulating him. McCauley's henchman, Steak (Ray Dennis Steckler), arrives with a girl, Daisy, who begins to dance seductively, distracting Bud while Steak and Proctor go outside to fight. Steak throws Proctor down a staircase. As Daisy kisses Bud, Vickie walks in, and runs out again in tears. Bud chases after her but is kidnapped by a trio of comical bums from Marge's Koffee Kup Cafe.
Eager to take advantage of McCauley, Bud helps the kidnappers to plan the crime, encouraging them to ask for more ransom money. They try to share the money with him, but he refuses. Steak breaks into the kidnappers' hideout, the group scatters, and Bud goes into hiding. He takes a job as a dishwasher at Marge's Koffee Kup Cafe, where he and Vickie reconcile, but are quickly apprehended by McCauley and Steak, who threaten violence if Bud does not return to them.
After a climactic fist fight between Steak and Bud, Steak flees, and Bud demands that McCauley reform his dishonest business. McCauley refuses. Bud reveals that he has recorded the incriminating conversation using the mini tape recorder, and he threatens to make the recording public. McCauley relents, promising to manage Bud's career fairly from now on. The movie closes with scenes of Vickie and Bud dancing together on the beach as Bud sings "Twist Fever." | cult | train | wikipedia | At times the marriage between the Arch Halls and Ray Dennis Steckler seems to have been a bit rocky.
Arch Jr.'s frustration shows through in certain scenes, such as the one in which he plays opposite the criminal `lemon grove kids' and seems to be asking `what, am I supposed to direct this thing myself?' It's too bad, because everyone here does some of their best work, but never in unison with what anyone else is doing.
It turned out that, while he didn't sing or write music especially well, he actually did have a talent for acting (as proven in `the Sadist'), but the roles his dad lined up for him were a poor school for a young actor.
`Wild Guitar' may have been one of his best opportunities he plays a young kid who winds up manipulated into being a star by a devious producer played by: his dad!
One of the reasons this movie manages to ring true in spite of its campiness and naivete (and typical Steckler ad-libbing) is because Arch Jr. as Bud is truly playing himself.
The fact that the world in which he moves is bizarre and unreal just makes the real part of the story Arch himself seem that much more compelling.Ray Dennis Steckler, who later went on to direct such classics of surrealism as `Rat Fink a Boo Boo' and `The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Died and Became Mixed-Up Zombies' was obviously kept on a leash for this film, but not so much that he didn't manage to sap it of the kind of drive-in sensibility that characterized `Eegah' and `The Choppers.' He plays a typically Steckleresque character in `Steak:' a psychopathic thug employed by the villainous producer who only eats Steak.
Other Steckler influences include the above-mentioned criminals, whose grasp of English and crime are equally weak, the extended Carolyn Brandt dance-sequence and the leggy `Daisy,' brought in by Steak to help Bud forget his girl troubles.Less easy to place is the responsibility for the quite convincingly sweet (and noticeably cross-eyed) love-interest, Vickie Wills, portrayed by the obscure Nancy Czar.
I think the young couple manages more chemistry than we see in any other Arch Hall film, with the possible exception of the demented `Sadist' and his gal.`Wild Guitar' is a must-see for fans of classic low-budget `naïve cinema.' While it never plumbs the incoherent depths of Steckler's later work, nor soars to the heights of the best films of the period, it manages to hold interest, to entertain, and at times to surprise with its fresh and honest approach to filmmaking.
Your typical 'wannabe rock star finds fame, gets his ethics tested, but finds his heart too' story.Arch Hall Jr. was very likable in the lead.
This fun filled romp about overnight sensation Bud Eagle, played not too well by Arch Hall Jr, is another contribution from Fairway International.
Ironically, this was probably an attempt to launch Arch Hall Jr's music/movie career by his dad, but it really didn't pan out as planned.
There's "Twist Fever" where Arch embarrasses himself with in that white suit and some song with the words "I'm gonna be a big boy" which had me laughing with those kooky camera angles and the band and gals trying to pretend to be interested (watch the girl singing silently to the song so FUNNY!).
This was the historic collaboration between Arch Hall, Sr, who wrote the script, and first-time director Ray Dennis Steckler.
It's not on the level of Steckler's future bizarre works, but still has enough strange artistic choices to keep Stecklerites interested.Lunk-headed Bud Eagle (Eegah's scrunchy-faced teen dream Arch Hall, Jr), spastically rides his motorcycle into Hollywood to become a star and before the night is over he's stumbled onto a variety show, played his guitar, and gotten tons of offers to cut records, be on TV, and sleep with comely starlets.
Unfortunately, he gets signed by crooked agent Mike McCauley (played by Arch Senior) and his evil henchmen Steak (Steckler) who sets Bud up in the house from `Eegah', the one with the oven in the living room.
He's the hottest thing in the country!'The weird thing is, Mike and Steak insist on doing shady business deals to make Bud a star, like creating fake teenage fan clubs and trying to start an `Eagle feather' fad.
While he sings, Steckler's wife Carolyn Brandt `dances' around the stage.Steckler's next movie was his `Citizen Kane', `The Incredibly Strange Creatures who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb', while The Halls continued their downward spiral, with Hall, Sr, insisting his son was star material in flicks like `The Sadist', `The Nasty Rabbit', and `Deadwood 76'.
Yes, Arch Hall Jr.("Eegah")is back, with dad in tow, in yet another unbelievably bad, cheesy, horrifying low-budget cowflop.
This time, the Halls have teamed up with Ray Dennis Steckler ("Rat Fink A Boo Boo", "Incredibly Strange Creatures yada yada yada")for an "insider's look" at the sleazy side of the music industry.
Naturally, the recording industry is interested, and so Mike McCauley (Arch Hall, Sr., also "Eegah"), an evil, deceitful manager, signs him up.
And if ya didn't quite get the point with "Eegah", "Wild Guitar" proves that Arch Hall Jr. hasn't got the talent of the average 10 year-old.
All the usual "Steckler" touches are here: the weird musical scenes, the ridiculously staged fights, the wild beach-bash finale, the useless, stupid criminals, the odd little visual bits and sounds that happen for no apparent reason, the jaw-dropping, mind-numbing dialogue.
It truly breaks all the laws (and I suspect deliberately so, knowing the bizarre, tongue in cheek humour of director/co-star Steckler).First you have an anti-antihero: a punk who comes motoring into town looking like Brando on a bad hair day, but as it turns out, he's about as square as a boyscout, polite as a busboy and has babyface cheeks you just want to pinch and say oogyboogyboo.Next you have a bunch of felonious thugs who are so endearing & hilarious you want to make them the best man at your wedding.
Incredible-looking drive-in item with Arch Hall Jr. playing a singer-songwriter-guitarist from South Dakota who comes to Hollywood hoping for his show business break.
Arch Hall Jr.'s notorious father co-wrote the screenplay under a pseudonym, but Arch Sr. doesn't have a good ear for give-and-take dialogue, nor does the sluggish direction by Ray Dennis Steckler (a.k.a. Cash Flagg) ease up on the awkward hesitations.
Formula plot about a small time boy Bud Eagle, Arch Hall Jr, from North Dakota coming to Hollywood looking to make it big in the world of Rock & Roll music.Meeting cute Vicki Wills,Nancy Czar, who gives the starving and broke Bud her lunch to eat at a local diner she tells the naive and shy out of towner that's she to appear at the local amateur hour TV show that evening and invites him to come along.
Bud ends up knocking the crowd dead with his wild guitar and high-pitched voice to becomes an instant Rock & Roll success and teenage idol.The movie "Wild Guitar" has it's moments with a bunch of Bowery Boys wannabes, that's really aiming high in Hollywood, who kidnap Bud only having him turn the tables on them and then using the three jerks Weasel Stupid & Brains,Bill Llyod Jonathon Krle & Mike Trelbor, to shake down his manager Mike McCauley,Arch Hall Sr, for $15,000.00.
After what has to be one of the most insane and crazy slug-feasts this side of the World Wresteling Federation the three take off after dropping Stake but forgetting to take the ransom money with them!Bud who fell in love with Vickie has the devious and scheming Mike split them up because he felt that she would hurt his career by making him not available, as a boyfriend or husband, to the millions of frenzied young girls and teeny-boppers, calling themselves Eagle Feathers, all over the USA in Bud Eagel fan clubs who are just wild and crazy about him.
Hiding out in Madge's,Marie Denn, diner as a dishwasher Bud gets in touch with his All-American football hero brother Ted, Al Scott, back in North Dakota for help and the two set up his manager Mike McCauley together with his #1 henchman Stake with of all things a gift that Mike gave him to improve his music and singing.
Even though the movie "Wild Guitar" is both corny and cheaply made it did show how things in the music business is done in regards to taking an up and coming Rock & Roll singer, who's not too sharp when it comes to his or her financial future, and how after he's no longer popular and not putting cash in the till he's then drop like a case of the Black Plague.There's a very effective scene in the film where Buds, after he was held captive and almost raped by Mike's sexy dancer Daisy/Virginia Broderick,having a heart to heart talk with another Mike McCauley discovery former Rock & Roll phenomenon Don Proctor, Robert Crumb, with him telling Bud what he's in store for with a sleazy crumb like his former boss McCauley as his manager..
Okay, I'll admit it...I've actually got kind of a soft spot for "Wild Guitar." It comes off as more polished and sincere than Mr. Hall's predecessor film.
But it's probably the best of the Arch Hall films.
Maybe Arch Hall Jr. and Ray Dennis Steckler's Best.
The aforementioned, strangely "attractive", top-heavy, Arch Hall Jr., whose legacy has endured because of an innocent appeal and a completely weird Personality, and Director Ray Dennis Steckler who persevered for Decades, churning out one mind-boggling Movie after another that were always God-Awful.
You see, after seeing this movie, I've just decided that Arch Hall, Jr. is my role model, and frankly I don't think that's a very healthy thing.The thing is that I've never been known for my looks and personality.
But Arch Hall, Jr. is as ugly as a canker sore, and has a personality (at least in this film) that grates like a table saw cutting through a nail.
"Wild Guitar" was the first film I have seen in the Ray Dennis Steckler oeuvre.
I thoroughly enjoyed the experience thanks to TCM.Arch Hall, Jr. plays a young musician whose career is managed by a character resembling Bob Marcucci or "Colonel" Tom Parker.
A pop culture time machine worthy of Proust!And – "Wild Guitar" got me thinking about a much praised French language work released two years earlier:Both films offer takes on fame and celebrity in the early 1960's.
Low-end production values predominate, so low that immediately after production the star of the European film believed the movie was so bad he thought it would never be released.
I'd never heard of Arch Hall or Wild Guitar, but I am a fan of this era and pop/rock music in general.
wild guitar is one of my favorite steckler movies.
I've seen 4 of the 6 Arch Hall films and this one's a hoot!
Consistently bad dialogue and performances with music that's blander than the characters.I love these films though, but cannot give higher than a 5 rating of IMDb. THE SADIST is the best I've seen, although this one has all the Arch Hall trademarks.I don't quite get the three goofy guys playing cards, but the cinematography is great with some interesting camera angles.
"Star" Hall, Jr. was more or less induced into appearing in the film by his producer-father if b-movie legend is to be believed.
Yes, this is a bad movie classic, but at least not one of those big-budget prestige films that Hollywood used to turn out by the bucket-load that were supposed to impress you even as you slumbered along.
I say we stand the Oscar statuette on its head, and hand one out to Wild Guitar for Best Bad Movie of 1962.
The sequence going from Arch Hall, Jr. singing "Vicky" with Carolyn Brandt's totally unconnected dancing, to Nancy Czar's rushing through the streets, to the ice-skating scene, is one of the greatest bits of simultaneous camp and surrealism I've ever seen.
Here he's the perfect foil to ultra-innocent Arch Hall, Jr., mugging and sneering as the evil psycho henchman.Although this may be his best film as an actor, it's probably not his best as a director.
"Wild Guitar" stars Arch Hall, Junior and if you wondered what senior looks like, he's in the movie too.
Arch Hall, Senior, by the way, looks nothing like his blondined and peroxided son, Archibald Junior.
It is gobs of fun with amazing songs as performed by Junior, and just watching his pompadour that looks like cotton candy is worth the price of admission.
WFMU is a great station, they've been playing Arch Hall Jr. for years but i didn't know the back story until now..
Wild Guitar (1962)* 1/2 (out of 4) Bud Eagle (Arch Hall, Jr.) arrives in Hollywood with very little cash, a suitcase and his guitar.
WILD GUITAR is a fairly forgettable film except for cult movie fans who are going to watch it because of Hall, Jr. and the "story" behind his "career" and the movie is also noteworthy because it was the first film from cult director Ray Dennis Steckler.
Is WILD GUITAR a good movie?
Of course, I've always been fascinated by the career of Hall, Jr. and the fact that his father pretty much finances his movies to try and pass him off as an Elvis type actor-musician.
Yes, it's true this is probably the only way Hall, Jr. would have gotten lead roles but the history behind the films are still interesting.
Tonight's feature: Wild Guitar, starring Arch Hall Jr. and Ms. Vicky.Oh, where to begin?
Young, naive Bud Eagle (Arch Hall Jr.) travels to Hollywood to find fame and fortune.
These two remind me of Charles Foster Kane trying to make Susan Alexander an opera star.Arch Hall, Jr. with a blond pompadour that would not be seen again on the screen until the German film Gossen or with Brad Pitt in Johnny Suede gets a big break as a last minute substitute for another act on a television variety show.
If The Beatniks wasn't bad enough, there's Wild Guitar on the disk's flip side, a very clear reason why generations of children were conceived at drive-in movies (because a movie like this is so awful, there's nothing else to do but hop in the back seat).There's simply no good reason for getting mad at Wild Guitar, with Z-Grade actors performing (who'd call it acting?) a story about the evils of the music industry.Why would you fuss?
"Bud" (Arch) strapped on a guitar but played like Elvis did in his films ( He didn't).
Wow. The father-son team of 60s dreck films (Arch Hall Sr. and Jr.) have made another movie with Ray Dennie Steckler--a man who might have had even less talent than the Halls!
Both Steckler and Arch Hall, Sr. directed, produced, wrote and acted in many of their films, while Arch, Jr. was an actor and teen singing heart-throb...of sorts.
Arch Hall, Jr. did an okay job as the young guitar star.
He's good for a low-budget film, though--and probably about the best Steckler and Hall, Sr. could afford!
As for Hall, Sr., he was actually very good and was the best actor in the family...as well as in this film.
This shows that Steckler and the Halls would have been best suited to avoiding monster films--which were by far their worst outings.
Rookie director Ray Dennis Steckler's musical romance "Wild Guitar" chronicles the rags-to-riches rise of a naïve, young singer from South Dakota who suffers at the hands of producer Mike McCauley (Arch Hall, Sir.) who deceives him from the start.
Before he realizes it, Bud (Arch Hall, Jr. of "Eegah") buys into everything that the unscrupulous Mike tells him.
Naïve hick rock musician Bud Eagle (a winningly sincere performance by Arch Hall Jr.) becomes an instant sensation after he makes a big splash on a TV talent show.
Bud signs with slick high roller manager Mike McCauley (well played with oily aplomb by Arch Hall Sr.), who proves to be an evil, deceitful, and utterly unscrupulous greedy jerk.Director Ray Dennis Steckler relates the entertaining story at a swift pace, maintains a likable lighthearted tone throughout, nicely captures the sheer joy, vibrancy, and pleasant innocence of the early 60's rock music scene right before the British Invasion happened, and delivers lots of groovy dancing and catchy'n'lively bebop rock tunes.
"Wild Guitar" stars Arch Hall, Jr., a kind-of rockabilly Cabbage Patch Kid come to life, as a singer who hits Hollywood with nothing but a suitcase and a guitar.
All this on his very first day in Hollywood!Okay, so at this point we can see that reality is not a priority here, but "Wild Guitar" is a fun teen movie with some decent moments.
(whose stage name is William Watters) was the producer and co-star of "Eegah!," and "Wild Guitar," and the mastermind behind the low-budget film factory known as Fairway Studios.
Senior- who once had a promising acting career before he left Hollywood to tend the family business- had an idea about turning Arch into a teen idol with a record contract and a series of B-movies like this.
It didn't quite work out but the films they made are good silly fun, like this one.Nancy Czar as Vicki is unbelievably sweet and beautiful.
Afterwards Arch and Nancy walk through the late-night Hollywood streets, and although this is by no means Artistic Cinema, the scene does capture the innocence and joy of young love.Arch is no DeNiro himself, but he's fun and enjoyable enough as the naive singer snagged in the dirty world of the music industry, and this film might have been a lost drive-in classic if it weren't for one thing: the kidnapping sequence. |
tt0143127 | Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero | Since his last encounter against Batman, Mr. Freeze has found a home in the Arctic and started a family (of sorts) with the still cryogenically-encased Nora, an Inuit boy named Koonak, and two pet polar bears, Hotchka and Shaka. Nora's condition begins to rapidly deteriorate due to a submarine accidentally emerging from underwater directly underneath them, shattering her containment vessel. Freeze returns to Gotham City with his companions. He enlists the help of Dr. Gregory Belson to find a cure. Belson determines that Nora needs an organ transplant, but due to her rare blood type there are no suitable donors available.
Freeze declares that they will use a live donor, even if it means the donor will die in the process. Belson is at first reluctant to kill an innocent girl, but Freeze bribes him with a gold nugget and even more gold from an entire vein in the Arctic that will put an end to Belson's financial problems. Barbara Gordon (Batgirl) is a perfect match, and Freeze learns from her roommate that she is at a restaurant with her boyfriend, Dick Grayson (Robin). Freeze attacks the restaurant and kidnaps Barbara, taking her to an abandoned oil rig where he and Belson are hiding. Freeze and Belson explain the situation to Barbara, who claims that she is willing to help Nora for the "blood transfusion", but not at the oil rig, prompting Freeze to keep Barbara imprisoned. When the time for the operation comes, Barbara realizes that they are lying when they say she will need to be put under for a mere transfusion. She escapes with the help of Koonak. Belson gives pursuit and almost catches her, before the arrival of Batman and Robin in the Batwing.
Freeze follows, and in the ensuing confrontation, Belson accidentally shoots one of the fuel tanks and starts a rapidly spreading fire as Freeze traps Batman and Robin. Freeze insists that Belson perform the operation, despite the oil rig blazing and ready to explode, but Belson betrays Freeze and attempts to escape, only to be killed by falling wreckage. Batman and Robin escape just as Freeze's leg is broken, but he tells Batman to save Nora and Kunac first, along with Barbara. Nora, Kunac and Barbara are put safely aboard the waiting Batwing with Robin piloting it, but when Batman tries to save the weakened Freeze, the platform collapses beneath them. Batman manages to catch Freeze with a rope, but falling debris knocks Freeze loose and Batman can only watch as Freeze plummets into the ocean below.
Batman manages to get back to the Batwing, and they fly away just before the oil rig finally explodes, but Freeze survives his fall and escapes just in time, and is able to hold onto Hotchka and Shaka as they swim to shore. Freeze returns with his polar bears to the Arctic to resume his life alone, having frozen his leg in an ice cast. He sees on a television in a research station that Nora has been revived after an organ transplant operation funded by Wayne Enterprises, moving him to tears of joy. Then he walks away peacefully, limping with a wooden stick for support, with his two polar bears into the arctic plains as the movie ends. | cult, comedy, violence | train | wikipedia | Not as dark as the previous animated film, but it was like the way Batman acts in the comics and show.
Alongside Mask of the Phantasm, this movie is a great tribute to the Animated Series that brought Batman into children's lives.
Just goes to show the difference between a great movie and director, and a horrible movie.The voices for the characters were picked perfectly, and unlike the Freeze of Batman and Robin, this Dr. Freeze was perfectly in alignment with the mentality and actions of the comic book villain.Kevin Conroy sounds just like you expect Batman to sound like, blowing George Clooneys frankly oddball and campy rendition away.
Conroy acts like people expect the real Batman to act, assuming of course you are not Joel Schumaker or anyone who thinks said directors movies are good..
This isn't the live action Batman, but much like Mask of the Phantasm, is an amazing animated Batman!
It's dark, action packed, the animation is superb and the storylines very interesting indeed.My favourite Batman villain would probably be the Joker but in the cartoon series I think Mr Freeze is probably the best.There have been Batman cartoon series before this in the 60's and 70's.
And being a big "Batman" fan I just had to check out the animated films even as an adult.
Overall great animated work of a "Batman" film..
This doesn't necessarily put Subzero, a straight-to-video release about Mr. Freeze's ongoing attempts to resurrect his wife, into the pantheon of great Batman animated movies.
It's actually kind of run-of-the-mill in its storytelling, with some solid peril as Batman and Robin try and crack the mystery behind Batgirl/Barbara Bordon's kidnapping, but some lackluster animation.
Only when the animators stick to what works best on the TV series, and when we get a few moments of pure Batman action, does the movie strike any decent ground.It's maybe worth seeing once, mostly if you're big into Batman or the series (hey, who can resist Kevin Conroy voicing Batman?), but its appeal isn't one for repeat viewings, save if you're really young and don't care either way..
Unfortunately, Mr. Freeze is the only one with development in "Sub Zero." Bruce/Batman appears more or less in a cameo this time, the lack of screen time not letting him really display any characterization.
Barbara/Batgirl got to showcase herself better than the Dynamic Duo, most likely to show us why she got to sign on permanently with Batman in the new series.
Batman: Subzero is the second film of the Dc animated universe after Mask of the Phantasm and although it is dated a little for toady'd standards, it makes up for it with (a) an entailing story, (b) well made and realistic characters (!) and (c) an antagonist ,who is motivated by love, the real Mr. Freeze.
We follow Doctor Victor Freeze , who is desperate to find a donor of his wife in order to save her and for that he devise a plan in order to find a suitable donor and fast.So he abducts Barbara Gordon AKA Batgirl and it is up to the Boy Wander and the Knight of Gotham City to find her.
OK, the story may lacks some originality,but its job of make you understand why everyone do what his or her is doing, so we are fine hereTo the (b) realism of the Characters, I want to emphasize here for that animated video movie was more realistic from its live action counterpart.
Every character needs are logical and even the design of Gotham feels like an metropolis buzzing around the clock, which is awesome.To the "villain" of the film (!),Mr. Freeze, I am a big fan of this guy and here they show really well ,that his criminal actions aren't due to his greed, need of vengeance or ego ,he does them for his wife .Also the fact that he can' hag her o kiss makes you at times feel bad for the fellow and I was rooting for him to get what he wanted.
Apart from the colourful costumes and sets, Batman and Robin for me failed on characterisation, scripting and acting-George Clooney was completely wrong for Batman and Arnold Schwarznegger's Freeze didn't come close to the complex character he is in the comic books.
True, the secondary characters could've done with more development, but it is compensated by top notch animation, a good music score, surprisingly mature scripting and a compelling enough story, that is quite action packed, and the ending was very poignant to say the least.
So i am sure you will not be disappointed with Batman and Mr. Freeze Subzero because it is a really good movie.
So make sure that you rent or buy Batman and Mr. Freeze subzero because it is a great movie.Overall score: ******** out of ********** ***1/2 out of *****.
Michael Ansara's voice is perfect for Mr. Freeze, and of all the villains on the Batman cartoon, he was the most sympathetic.
Mr. Freeze's wife needs an organ transplant and Barbara Gordon, aka Batgirl, is the only acceptable blood match.
Very good animated movie that's miles better than Joel Schumacher's craptacular movie that also featured Mr. Freeze and Batgirl, released not long before this.
When Freeze kidnaps her it forces Batman and Robin into a race to rescue her before she dies on the operating table.I love Batman - I consider him to be one of the darkest of the comic book characters that I am familiar with (I'm not really into that scene - but I know what I like).
The plot echoes a part of the Batman & Robin film but, like that, fails to develop a lot of the darker strands.
It still engages and does enough to entertain but I would have liked the film to look at the complexity of Dr Fries/Freeze - he is not a bad guy, he is driven by love, however the film only part succeeds in letting us understand him.The animation is good for a cartoon but lacks atmosphere for the most part, I need shadows and dark colours to echo the material.
The voice work is pretty good apart from a few weak links and it's always good to have a voice that rings a bell - in this case it's George Dzundza and Dean Jones.Overall I quite enjoyed this film even though it wasn't really dark enough or complex enough to really satisfy my needs from a Batman story.
SUBZERO was not bad, so much better than the big-screen's BATMAN & ROBIN.
Still, it's low quality and a bit lacking.This time, though, the plot doesn't involves itself with ridiculous situation of freezing Gotham city, no annoying Poison Ivy, just a kidnapping situation involving cold-hearted Mr. Freeze (voiced by Michael Ansara) kidnapping Barbara Gordon, who we know is also Batgirl, to finally find a cure for his dead wife, thru a blood transplant which could cost the life of the host.
it's up to Batman (voiced by Keven Conroy) and sidekick Robin, who isn't annoying as in Chris O'Donnell was in the big-screen films, to save her and take on Freeze.Unlike any direct-to-video features, SUBZERO manages to be more tolerable.
Nevertheless, I have good recommendations to the film, most especially to its fans and to younger viewers who love BATMAN, but were too young to see Tim Burton's BATMAN and BATMAN RETURNS.Video movie rating: **1/2 out of 5..
But still, my 8 year old son wanted to watch it, so I sat down together with him to watch it."Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero" actually turned out to be one of the better animated "Batman" movies that I have seen.
'Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero (1998)' is more of a continuation of 'Batman: The Animated Series (1992)' than a proper stand-alone feature and, as such, doesn't introduce or even really develop any of its characters.
This is usually the case, as the cold character has a clear driving-force that means he is just as likely to team up with the caped crusader as try to freeze him solid, and he has consistently been one of Batman's better villains - aside from in 'Batman & Robin (1997)' - ever since his character has been fully figured out.
Overall, I liked the movie, altho I think that the pace of the story was a bit rushed, with no starting information or background for any of the characters, especially Mr. Freeze and Batgirl.
I saw Mr. Freeze as a threatening character for the first time (not counting the comics, where the guy doesn't even think about his wife), and it was great fun.
I wanted this movie to be longer so characters could be seen more (Bullock and Gordon specially) but the action and top-notch animation more than makes up for it.
The Batman Animated Series is just awesome, and now all we need is more movies.
Top notch animation, a good story, and great voice-over work by all involved make SubZero a more-than-competent follow-up to 1993's Mask of the Phantasm.One problem: As most of us diehard Bat-Fans raced to get our copy of SubZero at the local store, and we all shelled out nearly $18 for it, we were ultimately shafted again by WB as they aired the film on a Saturday mornings within two months of release!
Not as brooding, nor as awesomely noir-ish as the original Animated series, this instead has Robin and Batgirl to lighten things up, making Batman a bit player in his own movie.
So please, WB, release more animated Batman films like this one into theaters.
Released on the back of Batman and Robin, this film includes a prominent Mr Freeze and Batgirl to tie-in, but whilst handled far better than on the big screen this still shows through as the cynical marketing ploy that it was.The plot sees Mr Freeze kidnap Batgirl in a bid to sacrifice her for his wife's life by means of a blood transfusion, but the plot is stretched too thinly and could have used another villain to add some excitement to what becomes a needlessly calm and moody piece, Mark Hamill's Joker is especially conspicuous by his absence, proving quite how indispensable he was to the formula.
It's essentially a feature length episode of the long running animated television show, but that's hardly a bad thing.Telling the story of Mr Freeze as he kidnaps Barbara Gordon in a desperate attempt to save his cryogenically frozen wife.I usually have difficulty getting into these things especially when they're the family friendly ones (Which this is) but this wasn't bad at all.
A touching story, good voice work and some nice writing sets it marginally apart from the rest and I came away relatively entertained.The movie does drag in places, especially near the end but it comes back with a closing scene that made it all worth it.A meh attempt for the average Joe but a must watch for Batman fanatics.The Good:Relatively well madeSweet closing sceneThe Bad:Finale oddly dragsThings I Learnt From This Movie:It doesn't matter whether animated or live action Gotham City always looks like a complete dive.
It amazes me how some are quick to dismiss an animated film, yet the millions of dollars in Hollywood couldn't save "Batman and Robin" from being the piece of sh*t that it was.The storyline is a continuation of the episode "A Heart of Ice" from the first season, and an extremely good one.
This film is way better than Batman & Robin and should have been in theaters instead of B&R.
The DCAU Mr. Freeze, Batman, and Robin are way better than what was in B&R.
Compare to Mask of the Phantasm, this film is kind of underwhelming, but a good film nevertheless.Subzero is based on an episode of the animated series called Hearts in Ice, which centers around the villain Mr. Freeze.
If Mask of the Phantasm compliments the first 70 episodes of Batman: The Animated Series, Subzero compliments the 15 episodes that comprise the Adventures of Batman and Robin.
I love this movie better than Mask of the Phantasm because being a Batman and Robin fan, I was thrilled that Robin was included in this Direct to Video Release.
I felt they should have gone ahead and released it in the summer of 1997 so people could have enjoyed a better "Batman and Robin" movie than the abomination that Schumacher made.
Of all the three animated Batman movies, I felt that Subzero is by far, the best of the three.
I remembered finding this animated movie really great as a kid, but the last time I watched it I did find it enjoyable but it ultimately left me wanting, and a little annoyed as the credits rolled..
I like how Barbara Gordon gains a little sympathy for Freeze's plight once she learns why she's been abducted, and how Batman still feels compassion for the character even after all that he's done, and then deep regret that he couldn't save him from his assumed demise.
It was nice to see a movie with Batman, Robin, Mr. Freeze, and Batgirl that didn't completely suck....
A sequel of sorts to the first animated Batman movie (Phantasm), this movie also serves as a bridge between the original Batman: The Animated Series and The New Batman Adventures, featuring Dick Grayson as Robin (he would go on to become Nightwing in the second series) and Barbara Gordon as Batgirl, along with the usual cast of characters: Batman, Commissioner Gordon, Alfred, Detective Bullock, etc.
Action ensues.One of the reasons that I wasn't as excited to see this movie as I was Phantasm is that it's not done by the same team that did Batman: The Animated Series.
It's an above average straight-to-video feature, but certainly doesn't exceed market standards.On the plus side, most of the voice actors from the series return to reprise their roles from the series, including Kevin Conroy as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Loren Lester as Dick Grayson/Robin, Efrem Zimbalist Jr as Alfred, Bob Hastings as Commissioner Gordon, Robert Constanzo as Detective Harvey Bullock, and Michael Ansara as Mr. Freeze.
This direct to video animated Batman movie stars the voice talents of Kevin Conroy as Batman/Bruce Wayne, Michael Ansara as Mr.Freeze/Dr. Victor Fries, and Loren Lester as Robin/Dick Grayson.This is another movie from my childhood that I used to watch a lot on VHS, and still enjoy watching it to this day.
Some of the things I love about this movie are first off, the animation and character designs.
They then changed the characters designs for the New Batman Adventures series, which I do like some of the new designs, but nothing beats the originals in my opinion.Next thing I love is the voice acting, Kevin Conroy is awesome as usual, but I also love Michael Ansara as the voice of Mr. Freeze, I think he did an outstanding job, and his performance gives me chills (no pun intended) every time I hear his voice as Mr. Freeze.
He's my favorite Mr. Freeze, and is in my opinion, the best interpretation of the character.Overall I really don't have any complaints about this movie, I think its one of the best animated Batman movies, next to Mask Of The Phantasm, which is still my favorite.
This straight to video movie was pretty good, it had everything you needed in a normal episode of Batman: The Animated Series.
Batman and Robin are now on the trail of Mr. Freeze to stop him from killing Batgril/ Barbara Gordon.
Batman Sub-Zero the animated series answer to Batman and Robin and it is so much better such a great put together story and great back story for Mr Freeze and made him an interesting character again.Kevin Conroy again plays a great Batman once again in a story that should of been a live action film to have Mr Freeze in the Batman film series.
Mr Freeze in this film is really interesting and it makes you question is he actually bad or his he just having bad luck and trying to save his wife which is something Batman and Robin never did they just made him a cheesy villain and not very interesting unlike this movie that makes a much more interesting character.Robin is much in this movie and the animated series a more fleshed character than the one we got in Batman and Robin and Batman Forever.The animation in this movie is incredible just like the animated series and Mask of the Phantasm it has a very dark gothic feel to it whilst still remaining a kid show and its just incredible to watch.My favourite scene from this one is definitely the car chase at the beginning brilliantly animated and just stunning to watch.
Also Batgirl is in this film and she is really done in this and the animated series such an interesting character and brilliantly voiced by Mary Kay BergmanVerdict 8/10 great animated film great watch for all Batman fans and amazing character development for Mr Freeze.
It was great to see Barbara Gordon appear in this unlike the Phantasm movie, but unfortunately we barely see her as Batgirl at all!
There isn't complex themes, challenging material, or anything special like that, "SubZero" is just a straight-forward action Batman movie.
It would be the farewell to TAS, since after this came The New Batman Adventures, which with its cruddy animation, Joker-as-Animaniac, drastically changed conditions and characters like Nightwing, and ludicrous plots, was a pale follow-up that I soon quit.SubZero is quite watchable, but given the strong potential of its premise (resuming Mr. Freeze's storyline), it does not feel as powerful as it could be.The filmmakers make some nice nods to series history.
Because of "Batman & Robin", I've never really like Mr. Freeze,until I heard this version of the story.
This one-hour movie is about Mr. Freeze, basically we see him as a desperate man trying to save his wife.
Mr. Freeze was never really a villain he just wanted to save his wife by finding an organ donor (Barbara Gordon). |
tt0062380 | Tony Rome | Tony Rome is an ex-cop turned private investigator who lives on a powerboat in Miami called the Straight Pass. This a reference to the fact that Tony also has a gambling problem.
He is asked by his former partner, Ralph Turpin (Robert J. Wilke), to take home a young woman who had been left unconscious in a hotel room.
The woman, Diana (née Kosterman) Pines (Sue Lyon), is the daughter of rich construction magnate Rudolph Kosterman (Simon Oakland), who subsequently hires Rome to find out why his daughter is acting so irrationally.
After regaining consciousness, Diana discovers a diamond pin, which she had been wearing the night before, has gone missing.
Diana and her stepmother Rita (Gena Rowlands) also hire Rome, in this instance, to find the lost pin.
Rome is chloroformed and beaten by a pair of thugs, and Turpin is found murdered in Rome's office. Lt. Dave Santini (Richard Conte) of the Miami police investigates the crime scene and demands information from Rome, who's an old friend.
Preferring to work on his own, Rome gets help from a seductive divorcee, Ann Archer (Jill St. John).
An attempt is made on Kosterman's wife, and a jeweler is found murdered.
Rome discovers that Diana has been selling her stepmother's jewels and giving the money to Lorna, her real mother.
The trail leads to Rita's ex-husband, Adam Boyd, a doctor, who ordered the killings.
The case solved, Rome invites Ann for a romantic getaway on his boat, but, she has decided to go back to her husband. | violence, murder | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0844653 | Legend of the Seeker | The story takes place in the world created by author Terry Goodkind in his fantasy novel series, The Sword of Truth. The three main provinces are Westland, the Midlands and D'Hara. Westland is separated from the Midlands by a magical boundary, which was created to prevent any magic from entering Westland. On the other side of the Midlands is D'Hara, which is ruled by Darken Rahl. Seekers are accompanied by a Wizard of The First Order and Confessors, an ancient order of women, who oversee the welfare of the people of the Midlands and the Seeker.
The first season is loosely based on the first book of The Sword of Truth series Wizard's First Rule. Some of the stories feature events and characters not encountered in the books, while others loosely adapt events from the book. The story begins after the invasion of Darken Rahl's army into the Midlands. Kahlan Amnell, a Confessor, ventures into Westland in search of a wizard and the Seeker, who has been prophesied to defeat Rahl. Kahlan finds the wizard, Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander, and the Seeker, a young man named Richard Cypher, who is forced to accept a destiny he never knew about. Together, they set off on a quest to seek out and defeat Darken Rahl. The second season is loosely based on Stone of Tears, the second book in Goodkind's series. It tells the story of how Richard, Kahlan, and Zeddicus discover that their quest during the first season caused them to unintentionally help the Keeper of the Underworld create tears in the veil which separates the land of the dead from the world of the living. Their new quest is to find the Stone of Tears, seal the rifts between the worlds, and defeat the Keeper. They are joined in this quest by Cara, a Mord-Sith and their former enemy. | good versus evil | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0062893 | Dillinger è morto | Glauco, a middle-aged industrial designer of gas masks, is growing tired of his occupation. Having discussed alienation with a colleague at the factory, he returns home. His wife is in bed with a headache but has left him dinner, which has become cold. He is dissatisfied with the food and begins preparing himself a gourmet meal. While collecting ingredients he discovers an old revolver wrapped in a 1934 newspaper with the headline "Dillinger is dead" and an account of the famous American gangster's death. Glauco cleans and restores the gun while continuing to cook his dinner, then paints it red with white polka dots. He also eats his meal, watches some television and projected home movies, listens to music and seduces their maid. With the gun he enacts suicide a number of times. At dawn he shoots his wife thrice in the head as she sleeps. Then he drives to the seaside where he gets a job as a chef on a yacht bound for Tahiti. | psychedelic, cult, murder, violence, home movie | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0344864 | Atlantis: Milo's Return | After the decline in Atlantean culture following the sinking, Kida (Cree Summer), now Queen, and married to Milo Thatch (James Arnold Taylor), is using the heart of Atlantis to restore her city's former glory. Suddenly, Milo's comrades and Mr. Whitmore (John Mahoney) arrive in Atlantis; while their arrival is unexpected, the Atlanteans welcome their old friends. Unfortunately, they have come to inform them of a mysterious creature causing trouble on the surface. They arrive in Norway and discover that the mysterious problem is actually the creature known as the Kraken, which had been attacking shipping freighters and taking their cargo to a cliffside village. At first they presume it to be an ancient Atlantean war machine gone rogue (like the Leviathan from the previous film), but they discover that the town magistrate, Edgar Volgud (Clancy Brown), seems to be controlling the Kraken. They soon learn, though, that the Kraken itself is the master, having made a deal with Volgud. When they blow up the Kraken, the man disintegrates and restores the spirit of the village.
All the while, Kida is learning about the outside world and is adapting well. However, she still feels guilty, as there could still be other Atlantean war machines in the world causing problems, like the Leviathan. Their next mystery is in the Southwestern United States, involving coyote spirits opposing them. They later find a hidden city in Arizona that contains a statue that greatly resembles Atlantean architecture. Unfortunately, a very sly shop owner, Ashton Carnaby (Thomas F. Wilson), intends to pillage the place for its valuables, but the spirits then turn him into one of them. A Native American man named Chakashi (Floyd Red Crow Westerman), who is a Native American wind spirit, trusts them with the knowledge of their sanctuary and informs Kida that she can choose Atlantis' destiny.
Returning home, the adventurers discover that one of Whitmore's old competitors Erik Hellstrom (W. Morgan Sheppard), believing himself to be the Norse god Odin, stole one of his possessions, an ancient spear called the Gungnir, presumably an artifact of Atlantean origin. When they track him down in the frigid Nordic Mountains, he presumes Kida to be his long lost daughter and kidnaps her. His intentions are to end the world in Ragnarok. He creates a lava beast and then an ice beast to destroy the world, but well-placed explosives used by Vinny distract the monsters long enough for Kida to retrieve the spear and vanquish the beasts. During these escapades, Kida comes into a greater understanding of just how powerful the Atlantean Crystal is, and that she must choose between hiding it and sharing it with the rest of mankind.
Having retrieved the spear, Kida realizes her father was wrong to hide the Crystal from mankind. She combines the Spear with the Heart Crystal and lifts Atlantis to the surface. Two fishermen are shocked when they suddenly see an entire continent rise before them. In the end, we see Atlantis above the water for the first time in over nine-thousand years. Mr. Whitmore narrates that from then on, the world was a better place. | sci-fi | train | wikipedia | If you've seen Atlantis 1, then you'd know that what made that film truly great was brilliant animation and a good script.
The only good thing about this movie is that our favorite characters from "Atlantis: The Lost Empire" are back.
Several of the bad things about this movie are that it has horrible characters, it has horrible comedy, horrible animation, and James Arnold Taylor trying to copy the wonderful, one and only Michael J.
The reasons for my criticisms are that all the characters are changed into something that they never were, and never should be, animation that has been downgraded to the lowest extent possible, and finally, why would somebody who did wonderful voice-over work for Obi-Wan Kenobi in "Clone Wars" want to copy Michael J.
I was hoping that this movie would contain some of the strong-points of the first movie: Awsome animation, good flowing story, excellent voice cast, funny comedy and a kick-ass soundtrack.
The following paragraph will be directed to those who have seen the first movie, and who enjoyed it primarily for the points mentioned.When the first scene appears, your in for a shock if you just picked Atlantis: Milo's Return from the display-case at your local videoshop (or whatever), and had the expectations I had.
The music feels as a bad imitation of the first movie, and the voice cast has been replaced by a not so fitting one.
The storyline is also pretty weak, as its more like three episodes of Schooby-Doo than the single adventurous story we got the last time.
I didnt laugh a single time, although I might have sniggered once or twice.To the audience who haven't seen the first movie, or don't especially care for a similar sequel, here is a fast review of this movie as a stand-alone product: If you liked schooby-doo, you might like this movie.
And I suspect it might be a good kids movie, but I wouldn't know.
i wish i could find some good things to say about this animated sequel(but not really a sequel)to "Atlantis:The Lost Empire"but this would be a very short comment.the magic that the first one had is nowhere to be found here.the animation is pretty poor all over,the characters themselves are not very well drawn.the backgrounds and the foregrounds are also not good.there's very little attention to detail here.and instead of a compelling and engaging story,we have 3 short stories which are boring and don't make a lot of sense.i swear,even the characters sounded like they were bored,and would rather be somewhere else.which says that the voice actors were bored and wanted to be someplace else,at least that's the impression.some of the same actors return for this dismal effort,but an integral par of the success of the first one was Michael J.Fox as the main hero, Milo Thatch.i get the distinct impression this movie was just thrown together to capitalize on the success of the first one,without much thought or care.but at least Cree Summer returns as the voice of "Kida".that's probably the only good thing about this movie,and even she doesn't seem to have her heart completely in it.mind you,i guess you couldn't blame any of the cast for not giving their all,considering what they had to work with.or rather not work with.this is a straight to video movie(and i use the term loosely)which should have went straight to the nearest landfill.anyway,shame on Disney.consumers deserve much better than this.this one gets a 0/10 and a well deserved one at that.p.u. Disney disappoints....again!.
I haven't seen 'Atlantis' but when I got the DVD of this one, I didn't think it would be as bad, in spite of being skeptical.
'Atlantis: Milo's Return' hugely disappoints.
It doesn't even look like a Disney film to begin with.
Disney sequels have hardly been memorable and 'Atlantis: Milo's Return' is certainly forgettable..
The way I look at it, it's more like three mediocre day-time Disney cartoon episodes strung loosely together to make a single video that pretends to be the sequel to the first Atlantis movie, which was way more well-made and enjoyable.
After the film's over i still don't know why Milo has returned and how the incidents occur in the three small stories are related to each other or to Atlantis itself.
The characters feel wooden and lack personality, and the drawings look a lot different than that in the first.
As the DVD played on, i found myself caring less and less about what might happen to the characters and just hoping the film would end soon.
Besides the story and the characters mentioned above, the picture quality is poor in this one too, probably one of the worst in those direct-to-video products that Disney has ever released.
As a fan of the the original Atlantis: the lost empire, I couldn't be more disappointed in Milo's return, which is a total waste of time and money.
I am finding that I get less and less excited about Disney's sequels to movies.
The animation is sloppy, the story lines resemble Saturday morning cartoons, and not all of the original voices are there.
It was so glaringly obvious that the person doing Milo's voice was trying to sound like Fox, but didn't come close to succeeding.
I never rent or bought a Disney-sequel of what movie however.
But "Atlantis: Milo's Return" was aired today on TV in Germany and so i watch it.
Flaw animation, primitive color-rotation, simple characters, some unsuccessful tries to simulate the famous Multiplane-Camera with CGI, mediocre music and a patchwork of different, simple stories.
that aired every day on TV for children.My first reaction after showing this crap, was to load "Bambi" in my DVD-Player, to see Disney's immortal magic, depth, spirit and charm again, to see Disney on its climax again, to see the awesome art of handmade animation again.
It was like watching a marathon of bad scooby doo movies!
The reason so many people love the first movie is because of its diverse characters and interesting story!
Some basic info: I am 21 and decided to watch this movie with my girlfriend out of nostalgia for the original Atlantis I watched as a kid.
While I love watching the characters doing what they do, the story line had very little to do with the original and actually broke away entirely from the story line and the ending of the original (which did not make any sense).
The animation was not nearly as good as the original and the characters, outfits, and scenery were much more poorly drawn.
When watching this movie, I felt as though I was watching Scooby Doo. The illustrations and animations were comparable and the way the entire movie is laid out was exactly the same as watching several episodes of ScoobyDoo (for those who do not know, it was about a mystery solving group of friends).
If you watched the original, do not watch this movie for it will absolutely kill the story line for you.
Because Disney more often than not, ignores the animation quality and a need for a good plot in their sequels, this was actually a nice surprise.
The graphics quality is always inferior; no backgrounds worthy of the name Disney, inane plots, and worse dialog, with little or no attention given to the actual story, and the caricature drawings are almost always worse than Saturday morning cartoons in detail and quality.The animation quality is still poor when compared to Disney originals, and the dialog is quite trite, the story line and overall execution was really quite enjoyable.
It is also a shame that Michael J.Fox didn't voice Milo, he did such a good job, and James Arnold Taylor wasn't sure whether he was supposed to sound like Milo or Aladdin.
However, there was some nice music, and good voice talents from John Mahoney, Cree Summer, Clancy Brown and Tom Wilson, that saved the film from total disaster.
All in all, a disappointing sequel to a surprisingly good film.
Then there's the other side of Disney where it acts as a sellout / cash cow that churns out Direct-to-DVD sequels of their various popular films.
Of the early 2000's, Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) was one of them.
Thus, this sequel feels more episodic in storytelling than a movie.Directed Victor Cook, Tad Stones and Toby Shelton (who have all worked on various Disney DVD sequels) and penned by six writers from various TV shows and genres, this sequel is okay but that's all that it is.
Although the title suggests it's "Milo's return", the story is actually about Milo's original crew having him come back to the surface in order to understand and resolve strange occurrences happening with no reason in the country.
Characters like Vinny and Sweet disappear at times with no notice and don't come back until another story finishes.
Parts of it show up for certain sections of backgrounds, while other times it's as simple as animating characters' mouths when clearly there's voice over work being played.
It's just okay.Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) was one of those Disney films that didn't need a sequel.
7/8/9 out of ten, you people have something wrong with you in fact if you gave it above 3 something ain't right The voices were so far off, 2 years after the masterpiece that was 1 and we get this It is scoobydoo like The opening almost gives you hope, look is not the same but think, this could be good Then BOOM Milo's voice Cute...they went cute...thats enough to throw it away, the first had impact, brilliantly placed humor that felt real, emotional trips This was an insult to the creators of the first movie.
Colours, animation my god they were good, 13 years later,and still wonderful to watch.
It does not feel like it was made for 4 year olds Atlantis 2 feels like it's a kids movie, real little kids who cant remember a plot anyway so why bother with one.
This "sequel" was just plain awful, the story was boring, and I definitely noticed something weird about Milo's voice.
Not to mention I had no idea Milo was originally voiced by Michael J.
I also had no clue that Disney linked 3 different planned episode stories together, and they had the nerve to call it a movie.
The stories in this "film" are really boring, and out of any Disney direct-to-video sequel, this one has the 2nd worst animation(behind "Hunchback of Notre Dame 2"), and just as with every Disney production like this one, It will never recapture the magic and beautiful animation of the original theatrical film.
I miss the old days when they used to produce good movies like the Lion King, Aladdin, Pocahontas, Cinderella, The Aristocats, and Robin Hood.
Where's the touch of magic Disney studio's used to have with every movie they made?
In every Disney/Pixar movie they seem to need to show toys laying around from Toy Story.
And every new movie has the repeating thing of Simba in The Lion KIng. As for the video's and all the sequels, this is the last one I have bought.
All these numbers II, I will ignore from now on when I walk through the store.Milo's return is nothing more than 3 short stories, which misses the charm of the first movie Atlantis.
The only reason to make such sequels seems to me to get some money easily out of the pockets of ignorant parents who are willing to buy anything 'disney' for their spoiled kids, without even thinking about quality.
There are numerous stories around the world that have the magic Disney used to bring to us in it's classics.I will always be a Disneyfan in heart and soul, but at the moment it only means that I play the old classics over and over again, eagerly waiting for the day that Disney 'comes back to it's senses' instead of bringing us such bad sequels as 'Pocahontas II', 'Hunchback of Notre Dame II' and 'Cinderella II'..
I watched the first part when it came out, and I don't remember having left such a bad impression on me as this one.First, the animation is choppy, wooden, not worked on, lacks naturality - I understand the drawing style was to be of some 'atlantean' kind, but, it could be done with the usual Disney finesse...
If I didn't see the DISNEY logo in the beginning, I would never say it was a Disney movie.Second, the plot was more like a PC game style, like a good old quest.
I would say it was improper, but it just fits the whole scene with the plot and animation...Overall, I think this was some kind of an amusement, just by-the-way kind of project by several apprentice animators, just to fill in the count for Disney movies.
I began to watch this second movie and immediately noticed the change of voice actors for Milo Thatcher.
It is enough to ruin the amazing classic film by switching out the main character's voice, completely screwing over his character, but then the film continues to disappoint with poor humor, a scatterbrained plot and cheesy animation and music.
It was as if the film was composed in six months without a tenth of the time, effort, or money that was put into the original Atlantis, which is one of my favorite Disney animated films growing up.
Of all the disappointing Disney sequels, I definitely would have to say that this one was the worst..
The drawing/animation quality is much worse than in the original movie.The story feels set up and is not convincing.
*end spoiler* Considering the already (in my opinion) moderate original movie it's no wonder why this didn't make it to the cinemas.At least you only have to endure 70 minutes of repetitive events, poor graphics and shameless rip-offs.And now you know why Disney is a multi-billion dollar company....
There's a lot of good one liners like, the lizard dashes into the fire and Milo "um Kida." he points at it.
Nicely animate like the first one, thou i missed the great sound effect like the one at the beginning of Atlantis 1..
Atlantis: Milo's Return is definitely not as good as the original Atlantis: The Lost Empire.
I didn't the first time I watched it; but I found it pretty good the second time.Milo's Return is an amalgamation of 3 of the episodes of the cancelled TV series "Team Atlantis", and the boundaries between the episodes can still be seen clearly.
The animation isn't as good as in the first film, but I frankly didn't notice that until others pointed it out.
James Arnold Taylor doesn't do Milo's voice as well as Michael J Fox, but Taylor's performance doesn't really affect the film's quality.
The sequel to the Disney "flop" is a direct to video that seems more like three episodes of the never produced series more than a movie.
The animation is on the whole a bit better of than the normal TV fare with moments of sheer brilliance.That said the movie is a much better than average adventure that would have been classic had it not been flawed by the episodic structure and the fact that it was abandoned by Disney and left to rot in the video backwaters and so had many hands writing the story.This is not the disaster that many have claimed.
I saw this movie because i loved the first atlantis movie, and i hoped that this would be a sequel worthy to the first film.
But as so many sequels made by Disney this was just a try to make more money, and fast.
The screenplay is also worse and you dont get in any way the feeling that it is really really dangerous and they fear to die or if there just hanging on the edge of a cliff like its an everyday thing.I will know talk about what happens in the film and you might be disappointed if you keep on reading.What i think that they should have done with this "movie" is they should have divided the three different missions and put them on the disney channel were it would be much moore fun to watch one at a time and make more episodes(the drawings actually kind of look like there made for a cartoon series like "tarzan" or "spiderman")instead of just making three episodes and calling it a movie.This movie get **1/2 of *****.
That's why it's one of my favorite Disney Movies.
Atlantis - Milo's Return takes everything we liked about the first Movie and smashes it.
The Animation is awful, the Characters are Parodies of themselves and the Story is so lazy written it's unbelievable.
There are Animals SWIMMING in MAGMA, 100 Seconds into this and the Movie already lost me.
The Team from the first Movie visits Milo and Kida, to ask them for help dealing with a Sea Monster called the Kraken.
It feels More like a Pilot for an Atlantis: The Lost Empire TV-Show, a bad TV-Show.
They got almost everything about those Characters wrong, as if they did't see the first movie.
Felt nothing like the first movie.
This felt more like a Scooby Doo movie than Atlantis.
The different animation type also just made it feel too different from the first movie.
They find themselves going up against vicious coyote specters, a vengeful spirit, and a madman who believes he's the god Odin."Atlantis: Milo's Return" suffers from being a compilation of the three episodes finished for a television series which was scrapped after the first movie didn't perform as well as Disney expected.
Ultimately, they fall short of living up to the greatness of their predecessor.The animation for "Atlantis: Milo's Return" is way below that of "Atlantis: The Lost Empire." It resembles the Hanna-Barbera cartoons from the late 1990s / early 2000s, which isn't bad. |
tt1163560 | Maria sama ga miteru | === Setting and themes ===
The setting for Maria-sama ga Miteru is Lillian Girls' Academy (私立リリアン女学園, Shiritsu Ririan Jogakuen), a fictional Catholic school founded in 1901 in Musashino, Tokyo, Japan; the school is depicted as an elegant, clean, pure, and very prestigious institution. Among the facilities of Lillian, aside from the classrooms, there is a church, a greenhouse, a kendo dojo, an auditorium, a park, and the Rose Mansion, where the Yamayuri Council meet. The students are very respectable and in good standing. The uniform at the school is a long, black Japanese school uniform with a white collar.
The school uses the fictional sœur system where any second- or third-year student, the grande sœur ("big sister"), might pick a younger girl who will become her "sœur" (sister in French). The grande sœur gives her the petite sœur ("little sister") a rosary and promises to look after her and guide her. The basic etiquette demands the petite sœur to call her grande sœur "onee-sama" (older sister in Japanese). Aside from being used in prayer, the rosary is the instrument that certifies the sœur union and relationship between two students. There is an implicit code of behavior between sœurs, especially in the Yamayuri Council—the student council of the school: quietness, measure and respect towards each other; values deeply attached to traditional Japanese education.
French is occasionally used throughout the story; for example, the series is given the French subtitle La Vierge Marie vous regarde, which means "The Virgin Mary is watching you". In keeping with the tone of the series, formal language is used: gokigen'yō (ごきげんよう) is a strictly formal and respectful greeting in Japanese, and is used both to greet and to bid farewell. By custom, this greeting is used often in the Lillian School; this has been one of the distinguishable and popular phrases of the series, and it is used to begin or to finish each volume. The Animax English-language version translates the word as "good day to you".
The Lillian Girls' Academy uses the lily symbolism as the white lily is the flower of the Virgin Mary. The white lily is a Christian symbol of virginity and purity. This lily imagery is also used as a reference to yuri: the story has some elements of romance between female characters; the use of lilies reinforces this in subtext, as do the names of the student council and of the school itself. The series is only explicit about a romantic relationship once in a flashback, but many of the sisters have romantic friendships.
The musical choices of the Maria-sama ga Miteru anime adaptations are generally classical music-inspired. The Christian hymn "Maria-sama no Kokoro" (マリア様のこころ, The Virgin Mary's Heart) is often referred to in the series. In the context of the series, it is a children's song taught to the students at Lillian.
=== Story and characters ===
Maria-sama ga Miteru's story revolves around the students of the Lillian Girls' Academy and is character-driven, focusing on interactions between the characters rather than any sort of ongoing plot or goal to attain. When the story begins, Yumi Fukuzawa, a first-year student at Lillian, is praying in front of the Virgin Mary statue near the school entrance when she is suddenly approached by a cold second-year student named Sachiko Ogasawara who straightens Yumi's uniform neckerchief. This seemingly simple act of kindness stays with Yumi the rest of the day, and she speaks of her meeting with Sachiko to her friends during class and lunch.
After school is over, Yumi's classmate Tsutako Takeshima meets with Yumi to show her that she took a photograph of Yumi's meeting with Sachiko earlier that morning. Yumi asks if she can have the photo, but Tsutako says she will give her the snapshot under two conditions: one being that Tsutako can display it at the upcoming school festival, and two being that Yumi get Sachiko's permission to do so as well. Yumi agrees to this, which sets in motion a series of events involving the entire Yamayuri Council. A few weeks after first meeting Sachiko, Yumi accepts Sachiko's rosary and therefore agrees to become her petite sœur. This officially inducts Yumi into the Yamayuri Council where she assists them in school matters alongside Yoshino Shimazu and Shimako Tōdō—the petite sœurs of Rei Hasekura and Sei Satō, respectively. Through her activities in the Yamayuri Council, Yumi becomes closer to the other members and generally finds her experiences with the group to be enjoyable.
==== Yamayuri Council ====
Much of the story of Maria-sama ga Miteru revolves around the Yamayuri Council (山百合会, Yamayurikai, lit. "Mountain Lily Council"), which acts as the student council. The Yamayuri Council meet in a building called the Rose Mansion (薔薇の館, Bara no Yakata). Located within the school, it consists of two stories, including a meeting room on the second story. The Yamayuri Council itself consists of three offices, named after roses: Rosa Foetida (ロサ・フェティダ, Rosa Fetida), Rosa Gigantea (ロサ・ギガンティア, Rosa Gigantia), and Rosa Chinensis (ロサ・キネンシス, Rosa Kinenshisu). These are also referred to by their colors; the Yellow Rose (黄薔薇, Kibara) is Rosa Foetida, the White Rose (白薔薇, Shirobara) is Rosa Gigantea, and the Red Rose (紅薔薇, Benibara) is Rosa Chinensis.
Due to the high importance the three Rose families have in the development of the student activities within school, those who become petites sœurs of any of the mentioned families receive a functional "inheritance" through the grandes sœurs teachings, to adopt a position given certain circumstances. In this way, there are patrons recognized through the generations of the members of the Rose families. Still, after graduating, the grandes sœurs of the Yamayuri Council may continue with a fair participation in the events concerning their families, as shown in the novels.
A Rose (薔薇, Bara), or Rosa (ロサ), is one of three senior members of the Yamayuri Council, although it is also possible to generally speak of all the members of the Yamayuri Council as roses. A Rose makes the important decisions within this group, since she has control over the student council. Candidates for the position, which lasts through the school year, are chosen through an election. Any student can run to become a Rose, although the position is usually given to the en boutons, the Roses' petite sœurs.
The petite sœur of a Rosa is called an en bouton (アン・ブゥトン, an būton), otherwise known as a "rose bud" (薔薇のつぼみ, bara no tsubomi). En bouton is French for "in bud"—as used in the example Rosa Chinensis en bouton—and is unofficially considered part of the Yamayuri Council, as is the petite sœur of the en bouton, if she has one. The en boutons must be in a lower year than their Rosa, and generally the en boutons execute the plans discussed by the Roses, like assistants. Although the Rosa positions of the Yamayuri Council are traditionally passed to the en bouton on the graduation of the current holder, they are nonetheless elected offices which anyone may run for.
The petite sœur of the en bouton is called en bouton petite sœur (アン・ブゥトン・プティ・スール, an būton puti sūru)—as used in the example Rosa Chinensis en bouton petite sœur—and is otherwise known as the "younger sister of a rose bud" (薔薇のつぼみの妹, bara no tsubomi no imōto). She must be in a lower year than her en bouton and performs small duties, such as attending to the Roses' en boutons, cleaning the Rose Mansion, and making tea and snacks for the Yamayuri Council. This lasts a school year, and the following year, when their en bouton is elected as Rosas, the petite sœurs become en boutons automatically. | romantic | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0325655 | Gin gwai | Sydney Wells is a successful classical violinist from Los Angeles who has been blind since she was five years old, caused by an accident with firecrackers. Fifteen years later, after celebrating conductor and pianist Simon McCullough's birthday during rehearsal, Sydney undergoes a cornea transplant, which causes her eyesight to return, a bit blurry at first. As time goes on, Sydney's vision begins to clear; however, she also begins experiencing terrifying visions, mostly of fire and of people dying. She also sees people that are already dead, on one occasion when a girl passes right through her. Sydney attempts to unravel the mystery of the visions, and also to convince others, primarily her visual therapist and fellow violinist, Paul Faulkner, who helps her in her quest. She knows that she is not going insane.
Accompanied by Paul, Sydney travels to Mexico, where the cornea donor Ana Cristina Martinez was originally from. She discovers from Ana's mother that the images of fire and death are the result of an industrial accident that Ana foretold. Ana hanged herself because she was unable to stop the accident. Sydney forgives Ana's spirit, who leaves in peace. As Sydney and Paul begin their journey home, they are caught in a traffic congestion caused by a police chase on the other side of the border. Sydney sees the little girl from her vision in the car next to her. She then realizes that this is what her vision has been all along, to save the people that are about to die from an accident.
Still able to see the death silhouettes, Sydney begins to get everyone off the highway, starting with a bus filled with people. She and Paul convince everyone to leave the bus and the cars by telling them that there is a bomb inside the bus. However, a driver leading the police chase rushes through the border barriers and collides into a tank truck, igniting leaking gasoline in the process. Sydney sees the little girl trapped in the car, her mother laying on the ground in front of it, already being hit by a passenger and losing consciousness. Paul breaks open the window and gets the girl out. Paul and Sydney carry the girl and her mother to safety just before the tank truck causes a chain explosion. Sydney is blinded by flying glass fragments in the process.
After recovering at a hospital, she returns to Los Angeles to continue performing as a blind violinist, though with a more optimistic view of her condition. | atmospheric, flashback | train | wikipedia | In an age when American horror flicks are starting to look weary from over-use of CGI special effects or are toned down by self-censorship to reach a wider audience, The Eye comes in as a deftly woven real cardiac-stimulation shocker.
If you like horror movies and want to experiment, this is a good chance, and one of the best in the genre since the little shown Audition earlier this year..
The Eye now finds itself at the top of my list along with the aforementioned as one of the best and creepiest ghost stories of all time.Mun, blind since the age of 2, receives the gift of a cornea transplant at the age of twenty.
When you make comments like that, you really show how ignorant you are when it comes to American cinema, as some of the finest movies ever made came right out of Hollywood, and no they aren't all slasher films or mindless teen comedies.
You get the impression that she could be surrounded by a crowd and still walk alone from one side of a city to the other.The smaller roles are played out very nicely, great acting considering the film concentrates almost solely on the two main characters.The ending is a little bit of a let-down, predictable and not entirely 'working'.
When I finally got around watching it, man was I scared...I'm not going into plot, you can probably read more from other comments and from the web but the effect this movie had on me - I didn't sleep last night.
Directing, shooting, editing, lighting, soundtrack & sound effects (really check these out!) - just simply amazing - Hollywood pay attention !I guess one of the reasons this experience was so eerie was that the spoken language was Chinese, so I understood what was going on because of the subtitles, but the mumblings and other horrible voices were 'not familiar' to me, it made the movie even more scary.
Unfortunately that success comes with a terrifying side-effect; the ability to see unhappy ghosts.Gin Gwai (The Eye) is directed by the Pang brothers Oxide and Danny and stars Angelica Lee (Mun) and Lawrence Chou (Dr.Wah) as the two main principals.No matter what source of reference you use for film reviews, one thing that can be guaranteed as regards Gin Gwai is how divided people are on it.
But the Pang brothers have crafted a thoroughly engrossing, menacing and nerve gnawer of a film, one that delivers chills and scares for the discerning horror sub-genre fan.Here's the crux of the matter with Gin Gwai, it is the opposite side of the Asian horror coin to the likes of the blood letting Audition.
"The Eye"(2002)has to be one of the creepiest horror movies I have seen this year.The "transplant gone awry" concept has been done before-just check out "Body Parts"(1991)or the third story in the horror anthology "Body Bags"(1993),but the Pang Brothers created extremely eerie psychological horror with plenty of genuine scares.Angelica Lee is excellent as a young girl named Mun.Her numerous and extremely creepy encounters with the spirits Mun sees are filled with excellent use of sound.The conclusion is amazing and totally unexpected.The film is very scary and uncanny-it actually reminds me a bit Japanese horror hit "Ringu"(1998).Check it out,if you dare.9 out of 10.The elevator scene blew me away!.
That movie of course, was the Pang Brothers' "The Eye", a film that ended up being something completely different than what I was expecting.In "The Eye", Wong Kar Mun (Lee) is a young blind woman who gets a corneal transplant.
Her doctor, Dr. Lo (a really young looking Edmund Chen) doesn't believe her at first, but then realizes that there may be some merit to her claims, so they go in search of the donor in order to find out what history her eyes' previous owner had, and what kind of baggage Wong Kar Mun has to deal with now.Based on my first impressions of the film, I was actually expecting a big scare fest like "The Grudge"; short on story, big on scares.
Being a fan of Japanese horror, as well as the foreign film scene as a whole (and by foreign I mean non-Hollywood), I was excited at the prospect of seeing this movie.
During the latter half of the film, the focus turns from the slow horror to a plot that most of us have seen before, and we are dealt a final sequence that seems unconnected and distant from the rest of the movie.
A blind woman gets an eye transplants with some very undesired side effects in this creepy little Ping Thai film.
Angelica Lee is superb as Mun, the blind girl who now sees dead people (Renée Zellweger will simply pale in comparison when the inevitable Hollywood remake arrives), the tale moves at a brisk pace, and it makes for very good viewing on one of the late nights in October.
An excellent horror film, The Eye quickly develops a chilling atmosphere, creating a constant sense of dread and fear that just doesn't let up.
The music score was excellent adding to what was already a creepy atmosphere; the story was intriguing and well written; and the cinematography was well executed, bringing us some great shots especially during the more creepier scenes.Speaking of creepy scenes, The Eye has some of the best I've seen in a horror movie for quite a while, and I think the only recent movies to match atmosphere and true tension for me was Sinister, Insidious, and As Above, So Below.
I defy anyone to watch those scenes and not feel at least a little uneasy.CGI is usually very minimal in Asian horrors, and it's no different in The Eye with the majority of the SFX coming in the last few scenes of the movie.
There are the odd moments CGI used for the scarier scenes, but they're really used as "touch up" techniques, so it's not as if this is a CGI-fest, which is good as practical effects can actually be scarier if done right, which they are here.I honestly can't speak highly enough for this film, and if you enjoy Asian horror, like the films I mentioned earlier, then you (should) enjoy The Eye.Definitely recommended..
I have not caught a lot of Asian horror, because I'm not big on ghosts(and they are; their films about them are, thankfully, sophisticated and not crude, the way the mainstream Western ones tend to be), and, well, there are cultural differences, and I find that it distracts me from taking in the picture.
Starring the beautiful Angelica Lee as a blind girl - Mun - who undergoes a cornea transplant and begins to have terrifying visions while her doctor tries to help.I didn't find this particularly scary and there are but a few jump out of your seat moments.
There aren't many twists here, as this movie really plays by the rules of Asian horror, with the exception of the ending, which I really liked.This movie gets extra creepy points for a certain scene in a train and also because of recent news about people who have undergone transplants and seemingly acquiring some of the donors' personality traits.
Perhaps the difference is a cultural one, although the film does suggest that Asian cultures are much more adept at dealing with death than those cultures in the West.When protagonist Mun's neighbor continually asks for his report card, or even eats the ceremonial candles that his family has burned in his memory, it comes off less haunting and more like the actions of a goofy middle schooler, as does the strange tongue flicking of a woman who comes back to haunt her husband's food stand.And the ending seems extremely contrived, bearing more than a passing resemblance to the conclusion of "The Mothman Prophecies.
This is not to say the film isn't influenced by Japanese horror films - it certainly is, along with U.S. films like, most notably the Sixth Sense, but let's all pay attention to little details like where the movie is from.The eye starts out really well.
There is one point of the movie where one character makes statements about the after-life in a way that he seems to be talking about universal truths that can be found on any medical compendium.The artsy camera-work has no real purpose many times and the thrills are cheap as in a bad Hollywood horror picture.
To See Or Not To See. The plot of this film is that a blind woman received an eye transplant but she recovers with the ability to see spirits.I liked that this is a subtle horror movie.
Blessed with the gift of sight after a successful corneal transplant operation, a blind girl gradually realises that her new eyes also allow her to see the wandering, lost souls of dead people in this Hong Kong horror movie.
If you're a thinking person's horror fan, you'll like it.Gorgeous and talented Wong Kar Mun plays Lee, a young sight impaired Woman given the opportunity by her doctor to receive a cornea transplant.
The Pang Bros (directors of this film) are really talented at building this sort of unique tension.Her doctor (Edmund Chen) is skeptical, but attempts to ease her stress by helping Lee search for the identity of the eye donor which compounds the dramatic tension toward an excellent ending.This is a great horror film.
The Eye is actually a creepy and unnerving horror film that bathes in simplicity and routine narrative but gets across its chills and scares in an extremely effective manner; mostly down to the fact we know exactly what's what and what's going on.
The other scene takes place at some sort of drawing class: a ghost appears and states the heroine is sitting in 'her chair' before it unexpectedly lunges at her, causing the girl to get up in freight but her reaction at this point is still confusion.Two things spawn from these scenes: I said 'unexpectedly lunges' because you do not expect ghosts to be as aggressive as this; harking back to two of the more memorable ghost stories put to film 'The Shining' and 'The Sixth Sense' (which this is loosely based on); even they did not have their ghosts as aggressive as this: approaching and seemingly attacking the heroes.
I just want to be an ordinary person." The movie is amazingly effective, from the scene in the diner we see she is not the only person gifted with this second sight, or "sixth sense", and that gives us the ability to place the story in a subtext within reality.
Than i found some positive comments about the movie in the reviews corner, and was quiet intrigued 2 watch it before the remake, got a copy after some findings.well 2 be honestly speaking it was a bit let down 2 me, although acting and direction of the movie was quiet impressive keeping in mind that being a Hong Kong based film, but the story at the end was a big let down 2 me, i have expected some depth in the end or half part of the move and off course would have expected more horror because its a Drama + Horror move.
She gets the supernatural power once possessed through the eyes of her donor; the ability to see future deaths as well as the already deceased.This movie does indeed borrow slightly from the premise of "The Sixth Sense" but it is done so in a way that works and makes the story all it's own.
Angelica Lee gives a great performance in this suspense thriller about a blind girl who gets an eye transplant and starts seeing strange apparitions.In an attempt to discover what is happening, she travels with her therapist to Thailand to seek information on the donor.
On the weaker side I think the pace of the film is a little too slow, there could've been more work on the characters, and the story recycle a lot of things from other scary movies.
The Eye however, is something of an exercise in frustration, and does not quite the classic status that many reviewers credit it with.The first half of the film is immensely enjoyable and offers some genuine and effective scares, truly creepy atmospheres and some grim visuals that stay with you long after the movie slides, disappointingly, into a pedestrian and totally tame and fright free 'detective' story, where our heroine must discover why she sees the things she does.This The Eye does this about 50% way through the film, and whilst the remainder is still watchable, it seems to sit awkwardly with the first half, mainly because the heroine of the piece seems to overcome her terror at a time where she (apparently) stops seeing ghosts.
What we are left with are various scare-free exposition scenes and an explosive and unlikely ending that wouldn't be out of place in any Hollowood blockbuster.The Eye is still a cut above most other horror films out there, and is an must have for any self respecting fan of the genre.
Among the many refreshing novelties that this new wave of Asian horror has brought, Pang brother's film "Gin gwai" ("The Eye") is not only one of the best but also one of the most accessible to Western culture.
The brothers Oxide and Danny Pang show a lot of promise, as "Gin gwai" seems to be only the top of the iceberg.The story begins with Wong Kar Mun (Angelica Lee) receiving a cornea transplant, finally recovering her sight after losing it when she was only 2 years old.
This may feel slow to those expecting a scare-fest, but it's actually quite effective for the kind of story the Pang are telling.This focus on mystery gives "The Eye" a feeling that makes it different from other modern Asian horrors, as the film doesn't relay too much on special effects or jump scares to deliver the chills.
The Eye is a class film, as with any horror it's best watched at night, in the dark, on your own.
It's much better than the Grudge, and far scarier than the sixth sense, the first time you watch is the best as it relies on the shocks so not sure it's worth buying unless you've got money to spare so renting is a good idea, but this is one film that is well worth watching..
when the movie ends, the main character is at peace with the lost of her gift.there are a bunch of great horror and mystery films coming out of Asia, esp.
The Eye is a good but not brilliant Hong Kong/Thai addition to Asian horror genre, obviously being influenced by the American film "The sixth sense" & the golden age of Japanese horror of the past 8 or so years.Personally my personal biggest downer of "The Eye" is the ridiculous love story subplot between Mun & Dr Wah. Out of nowhere the good doctor decides to throw medical ethics out the window & declare he's in love (for no real apparent reason...
I did something I have rarely done before with this film - I read a vague review on IMDb (I believe it said "If you liked Ju-On, you'll love The Eye") and bought it, sight unseen, along with a couple of "horror" type movies.The "horror" type movies turned out to be pornography (I now have a better understanding of the Asian movie rating system), but this movie exceeded my expectations.The directors did a phenomenal job mixing suspense and just a touch of horror into a story that should be about something wonderful - a blind woman regaining her sight.
Jian Gui (The Eye) is a good genuinely scary movie that shares some similar ideas with the 6th Sense.
It is the story of a young blind woman who receives a corneal transplant and is given the power of sight only to be seeing more than she bargained for.As with many Asian horror films I love the subtly in the early stages that slowly builds to a screaming finish.
Though i do not think The Eye was the Most scary movie of all time it was fun to watch with Cheap Thrills and something not obvious like Hollywood Cheap Thrills are.Some ideas in the movie to scare you were Brilliant or just plain weird.The story twists and turns and to me will always be better then 6th sense because i feel the story is more Solid in this film and doesn't really rely on the impact of the ending to make it an good film.9/10Fun Horror movie to watch with friends, Family, or by yourself.Do not worry about gore if thats what your worried about this movie hardly has any..
Before it's over, Mun will have more in common with that spirit than we realized.'The Eye' seems to be cribbing a lot of its creepy effects from past horror shows, but what movie doesn't do that?
I was never so scared ever since I watched FRIDAY THE 13th PART 6 as a kid (Not a good start, right?)A nice way to describe this supernatural thriller is RING meets THE SIXTH SENSE meets BODY PARTS meets THE MOTHMAN PROPHECIES meets GHOST.
The Eye is a genuinely creepy horror flick, which reminded of 'Ring' in the way it engulfs its audience with a sense of dread, slowly building to a compelling climax.A young woman undergoes an operation which gives her sight, for the first time in years.
It makes me wonder just why our Asian cousins are so competent at making excellent horror movies, when Hollywood has little or no idea when it comes to understanding how to shock and scare an audience.Highly recommended - don't be put off by the subtitles, you soon get used to them (very quickly actually) and then the film takes over.
"The Eye" is a good horror movie. |
tt0094075 | Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story | The film covers Karen Carpenter from the time of her "discovery" in 1966 to her untimely death by cardiac arrest (secondary to anorexia nervosa) in 1983. The movie begins with a quasi-first person recap of her mother Agnes Carpenter discovering Karen's body in her parents' Downey, California home on February 4, 1983, and then returns by flashback to 1966. The story touches on major points in Karen's life from 1966 on:
The duo's signing with record label A&M
Their initial success and subsequent decline
Karen's development of anorexia nervosa (spurred by an infamous review which described the well-proportioned Karen as "chubby")
Her on-stage collapse in Las Vegas
Her search for treatment for her anorexia nervosa
Her attempt to restart her career
A claim that she gradually developed a reliance on syrup of ipecac (a product which, unbeknownst to her, destroyed her heart and led to her cardiac arrest).
An unusual facet of the film was that, instead of actors, almost all parts were played by modified Barbie dolls. In particular, Haynes detailed Karen's worsening anorexia by subtly whittling away at the face and arms of the "Karen" Barbie doll. Sets were created properly scaled to the dolls, including locales such as the Carpenter home in Downey, Karen's apartment in Century City, restaurants, recording studios – including minute details such as labels on wine bottles and Ex-Lax boxes. Interspersed with the story were documentary-style segments detailing the times in which Karen Carpenter lived and also detailing anorexia; these segments were seen as dry and melodramatic parodies of the documentary genre. The underlying soundtrack included many popular hits of the day, including duets such as Elton John and Kiki Dee and Captain & Tennille, and songs by Gilbert O'Sullivan, Leon Russell, and the Carpenters themselves.
The tone of the film was sympathetic to Karen, especially in regards to her anorexia, but much of that sympathy was gained by making the other characters as unsympathetic as possible. Karen's parents, Harold and Agnes, were portrayed as overly controlling, attempting to keep Karen living at home even after she turned twenty-five; Agnes, in addition, was portrayed as unaware of the extent of Karen's problem with anorexia. The duo's initial meeting with A&M Records owner Herb Alpert was inter-cut with stock footage of Vietnam War scenes. Richard Carpenter was portrayed as a rampant perfectionist who frequently sided with his parents against Karen, and was also depicted as more concerned with his and Karen's careers than with Karen's health. This culminated in a scene where Richard berates a fatigued and obviously ill Karen for not meeting business demands, asking her, "What are you trying to do? Ruin both of our careers?", causing her to break down in tears. Haynes even insinuated during a fight between Richard and Karen that Richard was gay – which, if it had been reported to the public in the 1970s, would have destroyed the Carpenters' "clean-cut" image and the group's career.
Haynes' treatment of the film was quite dark; his choice of black captions often blended in with the scene, rendering them unreadable. Additionally, Haynes worked spanking (a common theme in his works) into the film with a repeated segment featuring a black-and-white overhead view of someone, possibly Harold, administering an over-the-knee spanking to a bare-bottomed adult Karen. The meaning of this segment is never discussed, leaving it to the viewer's imagination – it may be an actual event, a representation of Karen's self-loathing regarding her inability to be the "perfect" child, or a representation of the self-discipline involved with her anorexia. | cult | train | wikipedia | I think it has less to do with "unauthorized" use of Carpenter songs then the fact that Karen's family comes across as monsters and largely responsible for her death.Quite simply this film is a kick in the face, a punch to the gut and utterly heartbreaking.
A marvelous film made by Todd Haynes, a Brown University student at the time, later the director of "Poison" and the brilliant, hypnotic "Safe" (1995), "Superstar" details the rise and fall of Karen Carpenter entirely through an inspired formal devise: Carpenter, her brother Richard, family, and friends are all "portrayed" by Barbie dolls.
The film is not merely about fame or anorexia (the disease of which Carpenter died), but conjures the suburban California of the 1970's, indeed the whole plastic experience of America and American pop culture (of which, of course, The Carpenters and Barbie dolls are most certainly a part).
The sincere lite-rock of The Carpenters is juxtaposed with the emptiness and powerful sorrow of these "people"; the film isn't merely a satire--it's deeply touching in a way that many "human stories" fail to be.
It sounded like a funny, semi-serious biography of Karen Carpenter, whose music I do happen to enjoy.
Karen's descent into anorexia is represented through whittling down the face and arms of the Barbie doll that portrays her, which has an effect both hilarious and disturbing.
When I first heard of a Karen Carpenter movie acted out by Barbie dolls, I thought, "Yeah, right." Actually, it's not half-bad, revealing the ugly side of brother Richard and their parents.
Combining the details of Karen Carpenter's existence with his motif/approach, Haynes tells us a lot about the suffering, solitude, and emotional blackmail that comes with that yearn for success.
I am amused that most film critics stuck to the surface story and paid lip service to Karen Carpenter's ordeal as a girl in a nuclear family bubble.
Mattel blocks it because of the usage of Barbie dolls for all the characters and the overt implication that plastic existence has drastic consequences.It's amusing and then gripping the overlays of text, music upon music, narrative, darkness, and camera pans that punctuate the film.
But the surface story -- Karen lost in her own world of hopeless perfection as envisioned by her domineering mother, Agnes Carpenter -- is a fine one as it depicts a cultural shift from Vietnam's horror to Nixon's false-father stability.
And yet the reason for her illness, like the bird attacks in Hitchcock's 1963 thriller, is never disclosed -- as if it could be, and Haynes shows us his chains of reasoning and events and all we can do is marvel at the Edgar Allen Poe Barbie Dolls and Karen's gradual transformation into Munch visual madness.Todd Haynes takes liberties with what happened, but usually only as a convenience; it all comes through and through regardless: the family's accidental discovery that Karen could sing like nobody else; the switch from laxatives to syrup of ipecac and vomiting; the allegations that Richard Carpenter has always been homosexual.Word-of-mouth will get you a copy of the film, which only benefits from the acres of great music the duo produced.
One of the most beautiful, poignant shots ever is in Superstar--Karen Carpenter, alone in the studio, singing a very sad song as the camera pans up and the lights grow dim, the only visible thing her shining face and her echoing, melancholy voice.
There's a certain brilliance behind the idea of using Barbie dolls to recount the story of singer Karen Carpenter, and the exchange of one plastic all-American icon with another results in an oddly respectful (if suitably macabre) show-biz biography, flirting at times with campy irreverence without ever becoming vulgar.
I would highly recommend it to anyone, as it starts at the beginning of Karen Carpenter's struggles and depicts her life-long struggle and untimely death.
The movie involves Barbie dolls, and while it may sound silly, it is so effective that it still makes me think today, ten years after my recovery..
Here in the era of "South Park" the idea of a drama about the Karen Carpenter tragedy acted out by Ken and Barbie sounds like a crass joke, and yet Haynes treats the material with extraordinary assurance.
The dolls evoke not only the cultural issue of female body-image but a not-entirely vanished society -- Nixon's "Silent Majority," with its suffocating aesthetic and tight-lipped insecurity -- and the strange sound the Carpenters constituted within it: wholesome, sweetly naive songs delivered in Karen's deft, sultry/ melancholy voice.
It was an odd enough voice to be coming from the real Carpenter, and here, juxtaposed with the wide-eyed, increasingly skeletal "Karen" doll, the effect is spooky and shockingly poignant.
To what degree the treatment is fair to the Carpenter family is unclear, but as a film it makes an interesting companion piece to Haynes' extraordinary "Safe" and stands on its own as a superb pop-art elegy and a genuine outlaw triumph..
As for "Superstar, The Karen Carpenter Story", it should be sent as far away as the East is from the West.MY COMMENT ON THE ABOVE, TO ITS AUTHOR: Just 3 things, really.
and clearly failed, since the illicit outlaw Mattel-mockery SUPERSTAR continues to survive.2) If the commentator above had fathered Richard & Karen Carpenter (I'm leaving his wife Terrie out of this, in fairness to the woman) the siblings' DNA would have contained no talent of any kind, and so The Carpenters as we know them would never have existed.
So the reviewer could never have "possibly done things the same way as" Harold and Agnes Carpenter, with regard to Richard & Karen, who would have been entirely different children and adults than the celebrities we're all so familiar with today.
In fact all the characters in the show were displayed using Ken and Barbie dolls, and it added a certain eeriness to what was happening to Karen.Anorexia nervosa is a deadly mental health condition.
About 5% to 20% of people diagnosed with anorexia will ultimately die from its ravaging effects on the body and mind: cardiac complications, organ failure, and even suicide."Karen's diet of salad or bean broth and Exlax, and ultimately Ipecac, was a sure route to death.The depiction of Carpenter's family is unflattering; they seem ignorant about her anguish.
Not surprising as they "spanked her like a child" every time she tried to assert her independence.You may chuckle a bit at a movie using Barbie dolls, but you will soon get immersed in the story behind the story and the grinning will stop..
In 1988, filmmaker Todd Haynes released a short film about Karen Carpenter's anorexia-related death.
The entire film is, essentially, a reenactment of the events with the people being played by Barbie and Ken dolls.
The entire film was more from the perspective of Karen Carpenter and is probably one of the most sympathetic portraits of her plight in existence.
Unfortunately, the Carpenter family was none too happy about the film's release and, with the addition of several uncleared music rights, was banned from distribution.
Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story, found it's place in film viewing from the hundreds of bootlegs currently in circulation.
It's a well-known fact that Haynes, in order to properly portray Karen's weight problems, actually shaved off layers of plastic off of her Barbie doll avatar in order to graphically show her descent.
Though Todd Haynes's Superstar is certainly a Karen Carpenter story, it is just as much a story of values-oriented America, perfectly captured in an American icon: the Barbie doll.
Superstar tells the story of Karen Carpenter's struggle with anorexia by puppeting Barbies and Kens to represent all of the film's central characters.
Todd Haynes recognizes the strange tension of earnestness and irony in Carpenter/Barbie/America, and smartly avoids winking or nudging in the style of his film.
though some images were a bit over-played (showing boxes of ex-lax; male hands; a woman being beaten by a man), the stock footage (and other real-life footage) was a very effective way of setting the tone of the film, and providing background knowledge about anorexia, and the Carpenters in general.
the backgrounds had so much detail that it was a shame I was only watching a grainy copy with tiny aspect ratio.I give the movie overall an 8.5/10 because even though I think it did a wonderful job at accomplishing what it was meant to do (make a societal critique about anorexia and the treatment of women by discussing Karen Carpenter's story), it had some technical issues/concerns (not being able to read titles because the background was the same color; using same footage repeatedly), and I just, personally, don't prefer issues being presented so blatantly.but still something pretty much everyone should watch..
For a fraction of the price of say, something like REPO MAN (ranked #9), Todd Haynes has created a 43 minute film way more powerful than "campy", and it holds up much better than REPO MAN, which I also recently watched again.I always had a soft spot for the "vanilla" sounds of The Carpenters, even though you'd never know it by my music collection.
Top of the World, We've Only Just Begun, and of course, Yesterday Once More always take me back to the carefree times of my youth.Even though this is really a "bootleg movie", as Haynes never got any licensing rights for the music, it's really worth a view if you have any interest in Karen's story or the Carpenters' music.
As a die-hard Carpenters fan, people find it hard to believe that I like this film.
But somewhere, when a parent hears Karen's voice, they say a prayer of thanks to the woman whose death may have saved their own daughter's life.I think Todd Haynes created a chilling and all-too-accurate portrait of a young woman at odds with her family and herself.
He "directed" the dolls very realistically, and the dream-like quality of the film evokes the confusion of the beautiful, tortured soul that was Karen Carpenter..
See Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story for it's unusual doll depiction of a life.
Filmmaker Todd Haynes' dramatization of Karen Carpenter's life story and her battle with anorexia nervosa with Barbie dolls makes this one of the most fascinating depictions of a superstar's descent into madness.
Haynes, who would later make Far From Heaven and Safe, plays various Carpenter songs alone to illustrate Karen's feelings clearly when scenes focus on her.
For the unusual way you see an entertainer's life depicted, Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story is certainly one of the most mind blowing experiences I've ever had!.
It tells the story of Karen Carpenter's battle with anorexia in an intelligent and touching manner, leading to its inevitable end result.
Most surprising was the fact that a film acted out almost entirely without live actors could be engrossing and evoke both sympathy and disgust for a person portrayed by a Barbie doll.
While such an exercise could have ended up a hopelessly dreary assignment, this film provides us with all we need to know: the use of montage, music, the dolls, EVERYTHING combines to make this one of the most effective films I have seen- ironic that I encounter it not in a theater but on a bootleg tape in a college classroom.Despite the seeming mishmash of tricks and features used (voiceovers, text overlays, live commentators which seem intrusive in the doll world) Haynes' portrayal of Karen Carpenter and the illusory, overbearing "dreamland" in which she existed is so succinctly effective and complete that you have no choice but to be drawn in.
excellent portrayal of eating disorder victims, bizarre use of symbols, made even more macabre by the fact that noone i know has ever seen a decent copy of this movie.
The first time I saw this movie was as a last-minute thing, and it was double-billed with John Waters's "The Diane Linkletter Story," which was unfortunate.
"Superstar ..." is dead serious, and addresses eating disorders straight-on, while still giving the viewer an honest view of Karen Carpenter's life, pressures, and place as an artist (I still hear people refer to her as having the most soulful white voice of her generation).
I think a lot of our uneasiness with films that (even wrongly accused) seem to make fun of Karen Carpenter (and "Superstar ..." certainly does not, but its unconventionality leads some to take it as frivolous), is that, when Karen Carpenter died, she'd become uncool, and we made all the jokes about her, and now we feel guilty.Seeing this movie should pick at the scab on that guilt a bit, which isn't a bad thing.In contrast, "The Diane Linkletter Story," also about a famous young woman's untimely death (suicide from a high window), was a joke made to shock the audience.
It's not supposed to since (I believe) it's a parody of "on the spot" news coverage in which there is no rest time between actual events and the reporting thereof.It is that rest time, and the reflection that Todd Haynes put into "Superstar ..." that makes the movie so touching and illuminating, regardless of his choice of materials/cast.And the music still haunts to this day ....
I'd just like to add that even though the idea of Barbie dolls acting it all out, this film really never is laughable.
I did not cry while watching it, I laughed - not at Karen Carpenter, nor at people suffering from anorexia, but at the sight of watching Karen's life story and the condition of anorexia being acted out on barbie dolls.
If you're one of those but still want to see a film on the life of Karen Carpenter, then watch this Karen > Carpenter Story instead: imdb title 0097648.
Superstar is reminiscent of the movies I saw back then, although it's somewhat more focused and coherent than most of them.Using Barbie dolls to play real people is an interesting device that works to some extent.
The movie has a well meaning concern with anorexia, and tries to explain, a little bit, what it is and how it happens.On the other hand, the movie has, like most art films, a lot of pretentious, random shots (in this case of holocaust victims and spanking) and the movie seems to have an ax to grind with Richard Carpenter; he is portrayed as domineering and unsympathetic and it is implied, for no reason that I can see, that he is gay.
The story itself is somewhat interesting, but 45 minutes is a long time to spend with bland Barbie dolls and the movie's lack of conventional movie devices such as character development just illustrate why art films never do well beyond a niche audience who so hates Hollywood that they fall in love with any movie that purposely flouts film conventions.The irony is that the thing that powers the movie and keeps it from being completely painful is the most movie-conventional quality, the wall-to-wall Carpenters sound track..
As for "Superstar, The Karen Carpenter Story", it should be sent as far away as the East is from the West..
The device of using Barbie dolls to depict the Karen Carpenter story makes "Superstar" a little frustrating to watch at times.
The reality of Karen's situation, as well as the fact that she was a ubiquitous public figure and very easily recognized, makes for an affecting experience, but this same story has also been told many other times in countless "movie of the week" formats (with other diseases or afflictions substituting for anorexia).
I also wonder about how accurate the film is in telling Karen's true story.
Either way, the film draws some very clear conclusions about the impetus for Karen's anorexia, mainly an overbearing family life and the professional pressures that came with her successful career--pressures that, if the film is to be believed, were made even worse by the demanding nature of her brother, Richard Carpenter.The movie does bring out some psychology about the nature of anorexia, but I fail to see how this could be considered a "serious" study of the disease.
Ironically (or not, depending on the director's intention), the real weight that this short film carries comes from the combination of Karen's tragic story with the sound of her own voice in the many sentimental Carpenters songs that are included on the soundtrack.
Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story.
Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story.
Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story.
Todd Haynes decided to create a bio-pic depicting the life of this tragic star and entitled it Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story.
Attempting to keep the wholesome façade on the surface, her dark inner struggles soon became the bigger news story and sadly just as memorable as her songs and amazing voice used to give them to the world.Unable to secure the rights to The Carpenters' catalog of music, Haynes has never been able to get this early short film out to the public in any legal way.
Understandably, due to the representation of his character and family, Richard Carpenter filed an injunction against its release and the film may never be officially available.
It's a real shame because there is a lot to like about the work
the least of which is the fact that it is all told with Barbie Dolls filling in as actors.
Haynes utilizes a lot of cut scenes and montages in Superstar, adding text blocks to explain facts on anorexia or to elaborate events in the Carpenters' life, showing archival footage of the Vietnam protests and Richard Nixon, or just letting idyllic suburbia fly past while a camera shoots out a car window.
I loved the almost horror film quality to narrator Bruce Tuthill's voice and in many scenes, like a later one involving Richard yelling at Karen, the emotions come across stronger than the lingering chance of breaking into laughter at the fact dolls are performing the visual accompaniment.
There are two possible ways which approach to give to the 43-minute short film "Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story". |
tt0107501 | The Man Without a Face | The film takes place in 1968. For the past seven years, Justin McLeod (Gibson) has been living an isolated existence as a reclusive painter following a car accident which left him disfigured on the right side of his face and chest by burns sustained in a post-crash fire.
Young Chuck Nordstadt (Nick Stahl) endures a dysfunctional relationship with his sister and their widowed mother. One day, Chuck meets McLeod on a ferry; Chuck is both intrigued and slightly scared of him. Chuck needs a tutor to help him pass a military academy's entrance exam; McLeod is the only one who openly believes Chuck can and will succeed. Eventually, Chuck persuades McLeod to become his teacher; although he is initially baffled by McLeod's unorthodox methods, the two develop a close friendship.
Chuck keeps his daily meetings with McLeod a secret, to avoid being scorned for associating with a disfigured man whose past is shrouded in mystery. No one knows much about McLeod, and few people have ever made an effort to know him; this has made McLeod the object of gossip, speculation, and suspicion.
Ultimately, Widow Nordstadt learns that her son has been visiting McLeod. She and the rest of the town convince themselves that McLeod is molesting Chuck, despite Chuck's adamant denials. Chuck researches McLeod's car accident, which involved the death of another boy, hence McLeod's fear of another attachment. Chuck is forcibly taken to a psychiatrist, who Chuck (accurately) suspects is also biased against McLeod.
Chuck inevitably confronts McLeod to learn the truth of his disfigurement, and to discover the identity of that youth who was killed in the same car crash. As it turns out, the other boy was a student of McLeod's. Consequently, McLeod was (unjustly) branded a pedophile, was exiled from his hometown, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter, and served three years in prison. Once his relationship with Chuck is openly known, McLeod is once again run out of town, and ordered by the authorities to have no contact with Chuck.
On his way out of town, McLeod leaves Chuck a note; it wishes him the best of luck in his academic goals, and reminds him to be tolerant with people who are different. In the film's finale, Chuck is shown graduating from the military academy as his sister and their mom look on proudly. Chuck sees a familiar figure in the background, and recognizes it as his "faceless" tutor. | dramatic, romantic, flashback | train | wikipedia | null |
tt2292822 | Left Behind | University of Central Arkansas student Chloe Steele (Cassi Thomson) has flown in from college to surprise her father, pilot Rayford Steele (Nicolas Cage), for his birthday party. However, her mother Irene quickly calls to inform her that her father cannot make it. While at the airport waiting for him, Chloe meets up with investigative reporter Cameron "Buck" Williams (Chad Michael Murray).
Rayford shows up on his way to a flight and apologizes to Chloe for missing his birthday party, insisting he was called in to pilot a flight to London at the last minute. He also assures Chloe things are fine between himself and his wife, who recently had become an active believing Christian, much to Chloe's chagrin. Chloe suspects things are not fine between her father and mother – she had seen him flirting with flight attendant Hattie Durham (Nicky Whelan) and notices he has removed his wedding ring. Her suspicions soon are confirmed when an airport worker hands Chloe two hard-to-get U2 concert tickets in London that Rayford had ordered, indicating his trip to London and possible extramarital fling was planned all along.
Chloe brushes off another one of her mother's preachings about Christianity and takes her brother to the mall. While there, her brother suddenly vanishes, leaving only his clothes behind. Chloe is shocked and notices this same thing has happened to numerous others at the mall. Mayhem breaks loose as shoppers begin looting the stores. A driver-less car plows through the mall windows, and a small plane without a pilot crashes in the mall parking lot. Chloe sees television reports of children and some adults disappearing, as worldwide panic sets in.
On Rayford's flight, the same strange event has occurred – several people, including his co-pilot Chris Smith (William Ragsdale), Kimmy (Stephanie Honore), one of the flight attendants, and all the children on board, have simply disappeared, leaving their clothing and personal effects behind. The remaining passengers panic and demand answers. Rayford does his best to reassure the passengers he will pass on information once he has any. Rayford has difficulty getting radio or satellite phone contact with anyone on the ground, until he is finally informed that people have disappeared everywhere and the world is in uproar. Soon a pilot-less jet approaches directly into Rayford's flight path. He narrowly avoids a midair collision, but the jet damages Rayford's fuel line. He decides his only option is to return to New York and hope his fuel holds out.
On the ground, Chloe hears her father's mayday call on her cell phone and assumes his plane has crashed. She later finds her mother's jewelry left behind in the shower, as she has also disappeared. Chloe makes her way to New Hope Village Church to discover the family pastor Bruce Barnes (Lance E. Nichols) who explains God has taken his believers to heaven, and the rest have to face the end of days. The pastor explains he was not taken because he did not really believe what he had preached. Rayford comes to the same conclusion by examining his copilot and stewardess' personal effects. He tells Hattie the truth about his wife. She is initially upset as she did not know he was married, but Rayford convinces her to be brave and to help calm the passengers down until they can safely land.
Chloe climbs to the top of a bridge, intending to jump off it and end her life, when she gets a call from Buck, who is in the cockpit with Rayford. Rayford explains to Chloe all the New York area airports are closed and the streets full, and he is low on fuel and has nowhere to land. Chloe finds an abandoned Ford truck and uses it to clear away the equipment from a bridge under construction in order to create a makeshift runway. She uses her compass app and tells Rayford the coordinates of the landing site. Rayford is able to glide to a rough landing, saving the passengers, who leave the plane only to see the world aflame. Buck mentions that it looks like the end of the world, while Chloe informs him that it is just the beginning. | christian film | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0453978 | Yakeen | Rajesh is a scientist. He is injured following instructions of Dr Sharma in a secret experiment & granted leave. Rajesh lives with his dog, cook Bhola and loves Rita. Rajesh goes to meet Rita & asks for her hand from her mother who agrees. He finds his things spread on bed on returning to his hotel room. Shetty fools Bhola & takes pictures of Rajesh's house. Sharma calls him during his leave. He meets Sharma but is surprised to know that Sharma did not call him. He & Sharma quarrel when he asks for leave to marry. Rajesh reaches office on being called by Sharma but finds him murdered. Rajesh goes to call the police & returns with them to find the body missing. Intelligence chief Mr Roy & his assistant Mr D'Mello ask Rajesh to take the murder blame of Sharma so that miscreants after Sharma's research can be caught. Roy devises an escape plan for Rajesh but it goes wrong & Rajesh is kidnapped by Shetty and taken to Mozambique. Rajesh is imprisoned and a look alike named Garson is sent to India. Garson is with blue eyes and a voice different from Rajesh's. Garson uses contact lenses and gets a neck cut to portray lost voice. His unconscious body is found in an Indian sea. Rita accepts him as Rajesh although she has some misgivings after he touches the feet of another lady instead of Rita's mother. Rita is pregnant with Rajesh's baby. Garson is given a similar mole as Rajesh. Rajesh's dog and cook realise what has happened, so Garson kills them to avoid their exposing him. The authorities are also less trusting. Rest needs to be seen. | flashback | train | wikipedia | A Watchable Romance and Thriller movie!!!!!!!!!.
Yakeen was a romance and thriller.
I absolutely loved it because Arjun Rampal and Priyanka Chopra made an awesome and hot couple on-screen.More than just a handsome face, the lead star of "Yakeen", Arjun Rampal, has always been a very versatile actor.
He played the obsessed man in "Moksha", a blind thief in "Aakhen", a manipulative con man in "Pyaar, Ishq Aur Mohabbat" and had amazing comedic timing in "Tehzeeb".
He has also proved that he could play the rough-cut action hero in movies like "Elaan" and "Asambhav" and could be the pretty boy toy as well in movies like "Dil Hai Tumhara" and "Dil Ka Rishta".In "Yakeen", Arjun proves exactly why he's one of the most talented actors to come out of Bollywood in recent times.
His character, Nikhil, is one of many shades; an obsessed lover who wishes to destroy the man who touches his wife, a lost man desperately trying to piece his life together, a bad-ass husband who doesn't give a damn about anything but his business and an angry individual who believes the whole world is against him.
It shows an amazing scope of Arjun's capability and Arjun played each layer of his character to perfection.The best part about "Yakeen" is that the story kept an even, interesting pace throughout.
There are so many twists in the movie that you'll be caught by surprise again and again throughout.
Kudos to the filmmakers because even with all the twists, the audience are still able to keep up with the story something that a lot of other Bollywood thrillers fail to do.
All loose ends are neatly tied up and the audience won't leave the cinema wondering what the hell happened.
(Of course, Hindi moviegoers will also know enough to leave logic at the door when watching.) Not to say that "Yakeen" is without fault though.
No. Characters could have been developed better (like Kim Sharma's character for example) and the music score leaves much to be desired (Is it just me or is Sameer, the lyric writer, losing his touch these days?).
In all fairness, "Yakeen" isn't SO mind blowing that you'll leave the cinema awe-struck.
But what it IS, is a solid piece of storytelling that deserves a watch..
A watchable movie.
Yakeen was a really good movie made, it had the tension, suspense and thrilling aspect to any movie but climax of the film was made too obvious.
It was like you knew what the suspense was.
A bit of a let down but Priyanka copra and Arjun Rampal look good on screen together again.
The songs were good, very well picturised.
however one can say that after Aitraaz, Priyanka chopra is doing movies that are different but not really successful.
I guess its all about loving and losing someone.
The performances were good, story was a bit weak but very well made overall.
It is worth a watch on DVD and well done to the two leading stars for making a good movie..
What a mystery !!.
Yakeen begins with an accident.
Arjun Rampal plays a business tycoon Nikhil, and Priyanka Chopra plays his wife Simar.
The husband and wife meet with an accident after their car falls off a cliff.
While Simar comes out of the accident with minor injuries, Nikhil is hospitalized.
He loses his memory.I saw Arjun Rampal's movie after a few years, and i gotta admit..
his acting is way better than how he was before, i think the acting was Real good from all the actors in this movie.
Whoever wrote this movie..did a great job, i just couldn't wait to see who was behind this whole mystery that Nikhil was trying to solve.
I kept creaming....
(you'll be surprised in the end) I recommend this if you wanna see a Indian mystery/suspense movie.
But i think that the ending should have been a LOT more dramatic.
Could Have Been Better With Sudhanshu's Own Awesome Baritone Voice.
Yakeen is About a Handsome Charming Funloving Hotel Club Singer Kabir Malhotra (Sudhanshu Pandey) Who Looses His Own Face, Memory & Identity in a Fatal Car Accident & Now is Forced To Live The Life Of An Other Man Nikhil Oberoi (Arjun Rampal), As Kabir Has Memory Loss Too So Now Kabir's Face & His Identity Is Forcibly Turned Into Nikhil By The Evil Simar (Priyanka Chopra) Who Destroyed Kabir's Identity For Her Own Financial & Obsessional Benifits, So Now Nikhil (Originally Kabir) Will Be Able To Find Out His Original Identity After Getting Shattered By The Dirty Minded Simar?..
Yakeen is a Very Good Suspense Crime Thriller With Beautiful Songs (Especially Chehra Tera Is The Best Mindblowing Number Of The Film), As Of The Performances..Priyanka Chopra is Nice as The Menacing Vampish Culprit, Arjun Rampal is Good & Gives a Sincere Performance, But The Real Soul Of The Movie Is The Handsome Charming Ravishing Gorgeous Sudhanshu Pandey Who Delivers The Superb First-Rate Best Performance Than Them All Handling His Part With Efficacy..
At The End Of The Note..I Wanna Give My Important Verdict To Yakeen..Is That Why The Hell They Put Arjun Rampal's Voice On Sudhanshu Pandey, Sudhanshu's Real Own Voice Is Thousand Times Better Than Arjun's Voice, Sudhanshu's Own Voice Is Very Awesome Enchanting Honey Sweet Sharp High Clear Open & Velvety Baritone (Sudhanshu Is a Singer Also Of A Band Of Boys) & As About Arjun..
Arjun's Voice Is Yet Husky But Very Low Pitched & Unclear, One Should Never Replace A Superior Voice With An Inferior Voice & I Must Say That Sudhanshu's Own Voice Is Much Superior Than Arjun's Voice & i Was Missing Sudhanshu's Voice Throughout The Film :( :'( , My Final Verdict: Yakeen Would be A Much More Enjoyble Treat If It Would Have Sudhanshu Pandey's Own Superb Enchanting Crystal Clear Baritone Honey Golden Velvet Voice Instead Of Using That Arjun Rampal's Unclear Husky Boring Voice On Him. a decent whodunit.
Timepass.
Yakeen is good for 2 hrs of that and nothing else.
Esp if you (like me) are tired of all the 'new-age', 'different Hindi movies like Bluffmaster etc., and just want a break.
This is an old-style whodunit that works even though the suspense is pretty obvious, because the motives are unclear till the end, and twists and turns are put in at the right intervals.The story starts on a hospital bed, where Nikhil (Arjun Rampal) is having reconstructive facial surgery after having survived a horrible accident.
Surgery is successful, with one catch: he cannot remember anything about his past except a nightmarish glimpse of his car crashing into a cliff.
He finds out that he's a successful architect with an awesome bungalow and a loving wife Simar (Priyanka).
On the surface, everything seems to be rosy.
But something about his unresolved past keeps gnawing at him.
Will he be able to resolve his amnesia?
What will be the result?
That's basically what Yakeen is all about.Stories like this have been attempted before in Hindi cinema, albeit sporadically.
So most of the content remains somewhat predictable, at least until the last 20 minutes.
Performances are good all around.
Arjun Rampal has got a great voice and he uses it to good effect.
This is one actor that seems to have all the right tools, but somehow that star appeal is missing.
Priyanka looks sexy and acts reasonably well, although (spoiler) toward the end her role gets to be somewhat of a repeat of Aitraaz.
Sudhanshu Pandey is likable in his brief appearance, as is the dependable Saurabh Shukla.
Girish Dhamija's direction is tight, and the dialogues are out of real life.This is one of Himesh's pre Aashiq Banaya Aapne albums, which is a good thing, as the soundtrack is melody focused, with a plethora of soothing romantic tunes, among which 'Meri Aakho mein' and Bhoolna Nahi stand out.
All in all, watch this on DVD with low expectations, and you'll be entertained..
Awesome suspense drama!.
Arjun Rampal and Priyanka Chopra sizzle in this suspense thriller about a man who can't understand the very essence of himself following a nearly fatal accident.
Upon returning home with his wife played by Chopra to recuperate, he (Rampal) finds himself lashing out at odd occurrences, not recognizing other people or himself and more shockingly, he stumbles upon lewd pictures of his having an affair.
With this, he gets in over his head that there is a case to be solved and so he enlist a private detective as well as the help of his best-friend (played by Kim Sharma) to try and get to the bottom of things.
The whole story begins to unravel when he catches his wife impersonating a man who is supposed to be dead and when his best-friend turns up dead, he suspects foul play and the plot intensifies leading to a very shockingly unbelievable ending!
Unbelievable in the sense that you wouldn't believe that a woman could go that far to prove her so-called love, or cover up her crime!.
A good film...worth watching.
Yakeen is a short but thrilling film that is definitely worth a watch.Story is about a accident-recovering amnesic man who tries to piece things together to know about his life, but soon realizes that people are not what they seem, and must go further to find skeletons in the closet.The storyline is good, acting is good on part of all actors, music is melodious, cinematography is good, locales of Shimla are breathtaking,the film is not draggy but quite fast, with a mixture of music and melodrama in between.
The film also depicts the consequences of extra marital affairs.The bad is some stuff in some of the songs, that was unnecessary, but that's not too bad.
Also there are a few unexplained things and flaws in the film.All in all, worth a watch..
This film is not plaigarized.
The film was a well-made and well-acted film noir - very good editing and cinematography, competently subtitled, well acted and directed, and extremely well-paced for s suspense thriller - as long as one forwards all the songs.+++SPOILER ALERT+++ Screenplay writer Vikram Bhatt did not lift the script from the early 90's film "Shattered" - it just coincidentally turned out to be a scene to scene duplicate.
Bhatt went back in time and wrote the script before the writer of Shattered wrote his version.
Nobody to date has noticed or claimed that the script was plaigarized - because it was not.
Bhatt is an original writer and this film is not plaigarized.
There was no such film as Shattered. |
tt2905838 | Bang Bang | The film opens in UK where Colonel Viren Nanda (Jimmy Shergill) goes to meet a wanted terrorist Omar Zafar (Danny Denzongpa) in his holding cell. As Viren informs Zafar that he will be extradited back to India for his crimes, Zafar's men enter his holding cell, led by Hamid Gul (Jaaved Jaffrey), killing all guards around them, with Zaffar then killing Viren by shooting him and then burning him. As Zaffar escapes in a helicopter waiting on the roof, he puts a $5 million reward for someone to steal the Koh-i-Noor diamond from the Tower of London, but with one condition – the thief must be Indian, to hold up a new extradition treaty between India and UK. Soon after, a man named Rajveer Nanda (Hrithik Roshan) steals it, and when Zaffar's men are informed of the theft, they travel to Rajveer for the deal. Although they initially travel with the $5 million reward, Rajveer informs them that he now wants $20 million for the deal. Following the disdain of the comment made by Rajveer, a fight breaks out between Rajveer and Zaffar's men after which Rajveer flies away. After Rajveer escapes, a CCTV footage of him is captured, showing that he is in Shimla. Following Rajveer's escape, he sees Harleen (Katrina Kaif) sitting in a restaurant, who is there waiting for her internet date, "Vickie", to show up. Rajveer enters the restaurant posing as "Vickie" and woos her over. He convinces Harleen to use the bathroom and while she is in there, Rajveer fights the remaining men and leaves the restaurant, much to the dismay of Harleen. As she drives home, Harleen accidentally runs over Rajveer, who asks her to stitch up a gunshot wound sustained during the fight. Rajveer then gives Harleen drugged water, with her complying with what he says about the government officials, informing her about where to find guns underneath car seats and what they will say about him.
The next day, the government officials with Zorawar (Pawan Malhotra) visit Harleen at her bank and threaten her to come with them. They tell her that if she does not accompany them, then they will reveal everything to her colleagues. Harleen decides to go with them to the police station. In the car, Zorawar tells her that they are not going to the station but they are taking her to a safe place instead. Harleen remembers about the gun that Rajveer had told her of. She engages the other official in small talk and finds the gun. She threatens both the officers to stop the car and let her go. At the same time, Rajveer appears on a bike and a chase sequence ensues. Both Rajveer and Harleen find a car and escape. When Rajveer goes out to shoot the goons, Harleen escapes and then bumps into her boss, Karan. She tells him about Rajveer and how random people are firing at her. Rajveer follows her. Karan tries to protect Harleen from Rajveer. He annoys Rajveer and gets shot by him in the leg. Harleen is exasperated but leaves with Rajveer again lest he shoots any more people.
In the car, Harleen and Rajveer get into an argument. Harleen states that she wants to go home and that she did a huge mistake by trusting him. Rajveer angrily decides to let Harleen go and hands over the car keys to her. He tells her that he has no other motive than protecting her. She feels guilty and decides to stick to him. They begin to drive again in silence. Rajveer checks a location on his phone which Harleen notices. He then tells her that he has not killed an innocent person before this and does not want her to die. He tries to convince her to come with him for dinner.
They go to Pizza Hut where Rajveer realises that he has no money to buy food. They get into an argument about it. He teases Harleen about her internet dating and she slaps him. He threatens to shoot the server (Aditya Prakash) and she eventually pays for the pizza. Harleen asks him about the crime that he has committed and Rajveer shows her the Koh-i-Noor much to her surprise. She has a hard time believing that he is indeed a thief. As she comes to know about Rajveer, they realise that they were followed by Zorawar who says he has the restaurant surrounded with his men and will not be afraid to shoot Rajveer if needed to. As the officials convince Harleen to go with them, Rajveer tells Harleen that he cannot let her go with them. He shoots her with a tranquiliser dart and they both jump out of a window and escape.
Harleen slips in and out of consciousness as Rajveer continues to take her to safety. She wakes up in a beach shack wearing a bikini top and hot pants. She angrily asks Rajveer as to who changed her clothes and he confesses that he did it. She is irked beyond words. She beats him and bites his hand. Harleen then takes Rajveer's phone to call her grandmother, unbeknownst to her it allows the Government officials to track their position. After a shootout occurs between Rajveer and the Government officials, he escapes with Harleen with a help of a sea bob and a fly board.
Harleen wakes up the next morning in Prague. As Rajveer was able to successfully lead the escape of them both, Harleen now entrusts Rajveer, subsequently falling in love with him. When Rajveer goes out of his hotel with Harleen, he sees that they are wanted by Interpol. Some policemen come at the moment and Rajveer and Harleen share a passionate kiss. Rajveer tracks Hamid Gul at a casino. Although he was to go alone, Harleen insists to take her along, to which he agrees. Staging a ploy for Gul's attention, Harleen and Gul meet in the hallway, who tells her that a romantic candlelit champagne drink is waiting for her on the roof of the casino. Following this, Rajveer visits Gul at the top of the casino, a fight ensues regarding the whereabouts of Zaffar and he ultimately kills Gul. In the meantime, Harleen is caught by Zorawar and is taken to the Indian Embassy in Prague, where Zorawar says that Rajveer actually came to Prague to find Gul. Harleen is asked to get the Koh-i-Noor back. That night, the two meet on a bridge, where Harleen says that the trust between them is broken. Rajveer activates the tracking device himself, allowing the officials to surround them. Rajveer gives the Koh-i-Noor to Harleen and jumps from the bridge and is assumed dead.
Harleen then returns home and remembers an address that Rajveer had listed on his phone. At the address, Harleen meets Rajveer's father (Kanwaljit Singh) and his mother (Deepti Naval). At the house, Harleen sees photos of Rajveer (Jai) and Viren, who are later revealed to be brothers and Rajveer's mother revealing their back stories. Although it is confirmed that Viren was murdered, Rajveer's father says that he does not believe the story the Army told him, saying that Rajveer had drowned despite being a swimming champion in his youth, he was the only student who was able to cross the lake in only one breath. On her way home, Harleen is kidnapped by Zaffar, who knows that the diamond was a fake. Zorawar is then revealed to be Zaffar's right-hand man, and gives Harleen a truth-revealing drug to reveal the location of the real diamond. Harleen tells that Rajveer would have survived and is coming to kill Zaffar. Rajveer, silently kills every guard posted outside and places time bombs in every corner and enters the room. Zaffar then orders his men to beat Rajveer but before Zaffar is able to kill him Rajveer informs that the Koh-i-Noor was not stolen at all and it was a joint operation between MI6 and the Indian Secret Service to get Zaffar. The time bombs go off and destroys the castle. But Zaffar manages to escape and captures Harleen again,after making Rajveer crash. As they escape with her, Rajveer follows them with a F1 car and catches up to them. Zaffar enters a flight with Harleen. Killing the rest of Zaffar's men including Zorawar, Rajveer shoots at the flight blades evidently grounding the plane. Rajveer soon boards the plane and a final bout takes place between him and Zafar. After throwing him to the flames, Rajveer frees Harleen. When they are escaping from the aircraft, Zaffar emerges from the flames again and shoots Rajveer. Rajveer pushes Harleen out of the aircraft and a second bullet hits him. He then grabs the axe and charges towards Zaffar and kills him. When the aircraft is about to explode, he jumps out.
He loses consciousness and is about to drown when Harleen grabs his hand. The authorities air lift an injured and unconscious Rajveer and Harleen.
Rajveer then wakes up in hospital, where his boss Narayan (Vikram Gokhale) is sitting across him waiting for him to wake up. He congratulates Rajveer for successfully completing the mission. He rues about the fact that his brother was murdered and that his parents will never get to see him again. Also, he informs Rajveer that Harleen has been sent back to her home and he has to forget about her because she can become a threat to his life and also his weakness. Rajveer is also told that he will be shifted to a safe facility the next day. After the chief leaves, a nurse arrives and gives Rajveer a medicine to drink. As soon as Rajveer gulps down the medicine, he feels giddy and asks the nurse about it. The nurse turns around and removes her mask revealing that she is actually Harleen and the medicine was a sedative meant to knock Rajveer out. A surprised Rajveer tries to say her name but Harleen asks him to keep quiet. Rajveer faints and Harleen escapes from the hospital along with him. He continues to slip in and out of consciousness until the next morning. He wakes up and Harleen tells him that his one-day has arrived. Rajveer realises that she has brought him to his house. He silently thanks her, and they both meet his parents. | revenge, violence | train | wikipedia | null |
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